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Arabia
'Mecca of the Oppressed.' What the Emir of Qatar Came to Moscow With
2025-04-19
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Kirill Semenov

[REGNUM] Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks on Thursday with the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, at which the parties discussed the situation in the Middle East, the Ukrainian crisis and bilateral cooperation.

At the beginning of the narrow-format meeting, Vladimir Putin emphasized that relations between Russia and Qatar are strengthening. Qatar, according to the president, is one of Rosneft's key partners. About $1 billion has been invested in Russia through the RDIF (Qatar has invested more than $13 billion in total), but "there are much greater prospects," the Russian leader noted. He recalled how Qatar assisted in obtaining the right to host the Winter Olympics in Sochi, while Russia helped Qatar organize the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The president expressed gratitude for Qatar's assistance in prisoner exchanges, although the Ukrainian crisis was not discussed in detail, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. "Gratitude was expressed to the Qatari side for assistance in prisoner exchanges, but the topic of Ukraine was not discussed in detail," Peskov told reporters.

THE FATE OF BASES IN SYRIA
The Syrian problem received more attention.

In particular, the Emir of Qatar informed the Russian President about recent contacts with the Syrian leadership:

"As for Syria, a few days ago President al-Sharaa was in Qatar, and we spoke with him about the historical and strategic relations between Syria and Russia. He is interested in building relations between the two countries based on mutual respect."

President Putin, in turn, said that the situation in Syria, which has been rocked by sectarian violence in recent weeks, is of serious importance to Russia. According to Vladimir Putin, there are many problems in the SAR: political, security-related, and purely economic.

“We would like to do everything to ensure that Syria, firstly, remains a sovereign, independent and territorially integral state, and we would like to discuss with you the possibility of providing assistance to the Syrian people, including humanitarian assistance,” he addressed the emir.

In this context, it is important to pay attention to the possibility of using Russian military bases in Syria as humanitarian hubs. In this way, Moscow will be able to change the attitude towards these facilities of that part of the Syrians who opposed Assad and perceived Russian bases exclusively as an element of his support.

Now it is possible to redirect them to humanitarian supplies for Syrians who still need external assistance, including supplies of essential goods and products and food, given the difficult economic situation in the country.

Khmeimim, along with Russian ones, can also receive heavy Qatari C-17 aircraft with humanitarian aid, which will be completely safe at the base itself, and can then be distributed throughout the country.

Thus, the use of Russian facilities to organize humanitarian programs will also change the perception of Russia’s presence in Syria.

In fact, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke about using Russian bases as humanitarian hubs back in January.

GAZA AND IRAN
The two leaders also discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip, where Qatar played a key role in brokering a three-phase ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in January.

Israel resumed its offensive in the enclave in March, and talks to restore the ceasefire have so far failed to produce a breakthrough.

"Qatar, in its role as a mediator, will seek to bring together different points of view in an attempt to reach an agreement that will end the suffering of the Palestinian people," Sheikh Tamim said.

The Russian President, in turn, told the Emir: "We know that Qatar is making very serious efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unfortunately, the initiatives put forward, including by you, have not been implemented - peaceful people continue to die in Palestine, which is an absolute tragedy of today."

Against the backdrop of events in Gaza and the ongoing violence there, humanitarian cooperation between Russia and Qatar in Syria may be supplemented by other initiatives in the area of ​​resolving Middle East conflicts, and official representatives of Russia have also drawn attention to this.

In particular, on the eve of the emir's arrival, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told journalists: " The region is full of conflict potential. And Qatar plays a very large and important role in attempts to resolve many situations."

It is significant that during the visit of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad to the Russian capital, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also arrived.

It is possible that the Emir of Qatar may also convey to the Americans some message from the Iranian side regarding the second round of Iran-US talks to be held in Oman. It may be supported by the views of Moscow and Doha.

MEDIATION AS A PILLAR OF FOREIGN POLICY
The Russian-Qatari dialogue in Moscow can also open a new page of closer cooperation in the field of mediation and conflict resolution. Russia and Qatar could exchange the experience that both countries have. At the same time, the Russian side also has something to learn from the Qataris, who have already accumulated much more experience in such matters and developed an effective methodology.

Qatar's approach to mediation as one of the main pillars of international activity is enshrined in the state's constitution. Doha positions itself as the "Mecca of the oppressed", on the one hand, providing a refuge for various political forces, and on the other, actively participating in the peaceful resolution of disputes between states and organizations.

At the same time, in its mediation activities, the State of Qatar relies on two main foundations: strategic interaction and tactical neutrality.

Strategic engagement means that the relationship with the parties mediated by Doha does not end with the signing of a reconciliation or normalization document. Qatar uses its mediation to cement the strategic nature of its ties with them and continues to develop cooperation in all areas, having gained trust during the mediation.

The second aspect is tactical neutrality, which helps the state to gain this trust. While taking an active position on international platforms, supporting some and condemning others, Qatar must be neutral in the negotiating room and offer options that will suit all parties.

According to the Qataris, mediation is not about providing a platform; it is about proposing and promoting ideas to the parties and backing up words with actions.

In particular, the credibility of Qatar as a mediator in the dialogue with the Taliban was reinforced by the fact that Doha was able to evacuate 120,000 foreigners and supporters of the ousted regime of Ashraf Ghani from Afghanistan. That is, Qatar demonstrated its capabilities and influence, and its mediation efforts became even more credible.

It is also worth recalling that Qatar's mediation efforts extend far beyond the Middle East and include Africa (Congo-Rwanda, Chad, etc.) and even America, where in 2023 Doha acted as a mediator between the US and Venezuela on the exchange of prisoners.

UNDERSTANDING QATAR
The visit of the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad to Moscow, among other things, should bring the parties closer to an even greater understanding and consideration of each other’s interests.

Let us recall that 10-15 years ago, the attitude in Russia towards Qatar was rather negative, many media outlets accused Doha of supporting radical forces in the Middle East, and, conversely, Doha believed that Russia was almost the main enemy of the Islamic world. Now, Russia and Qatar have gotten to know each other much better, and such accusations, if they can be heard, are only heard from the margins.

In this case, it is significant that the exclusion of the Taliban movement from the list of terrorist organizations occurred during Tamim bin Hamad's visit to Moscow. In fact, Moscow and Doha have a common vision of what the "Afghanistan of the future" should look like, and intend to push the Afghan authorities toward reforms and the formation of an inclusive government.

At the same time, Qatar can offer its own successful model of “Islamic democracy” as a “non-Western type” civil society that is based on traditional values ​​and can be an example for Afghanistan.

Since 1995, democracy has permeated all spheres of Qatari society: government ministers and other public officials have taken the initiative and replaced appointed bodies with elected ones where possible, for example in ministerial councils. This has led to talk of a “festival of democracy” (Ayd aldimukratiyyah) sweeping Qatar.

The reforms also affected women's rights, giving them the right to participate in elections and be appointed to government positions. Qatar granted them voting rights at the same time as men in connection with the 1999 elections to the Central Municipal Council. These elections, the first in Qatar, were deliberately held on March 8, 1999, International Women's Day. Finally, on April 29, 2003, the emirate held a referendum on the country's new Constitution.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, the current Emir of Qatar, to whom Hamad bin Khalifa handed over power in 2013, has continued his father's line in foreign and domestic policy.

MODERATE ISLAM AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO AUTHORITARIANISM
Since the 1970s, Qatar has been turning into a “Mecca of the oppressed.” Doha has been inviting Islamic scholars and preachers to its country, including those from Egypt, who were persecuted there but were able to reconcile the tenets of Islam with modernity without destroying the Islamic system.

Sheikh Hamad and then Sheikh Tamim tried to invest in Islamic values ​​such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech and pluralistic socio-political discourse between the emir and the public.

As a result, Doha has not only been able to free itself from the ultra-conservative influence that until recently emanated from Saudi Arabia by overcoming entrenched social norms, liberalizing education and the labor market, and introducing civil liberties, but has also been able to formulate its own ideological justifications for how transformation should be carried out in the Arab and Islamic world as a whole.

Therefore, the state system of Qatar itself, based on religious values, fully meets the demands of modern society. Although Qatar provides for the death penalty for adultery or apostasy, there have been no cases of such death sentences recorded in the country.

And in general, death sentences in Qatar, unlike in the KSA, are extremely rare and are imposed only for particularly serious criminal offenses, despite the large list of acts that provide for the death penalty. The only death sentence in the 21st century was carried out in 2020 for murder.

The emirate also has a punishment of 100 and 40 strokes of the stick for "illegal sexual relations" or for drinking alcohol. But although such regulations exist, they are almost never implemented, since their application is extremely difficult due to numerous medical contraindications, and usually after a medical examination they are replaced by fines.

In fact, Qatar’s role in the events of the “Arab Spring” most clearly shows what principles Doha relied on after Hamid bin Khalifa Al Thani became its ruler, whose line was continued by Emir Tamim bin Hamad.

Qatar's policies during the Arab Spring were neither ideological nor religious, but pragmatic. Qatar's ties to Islamists evolved from the emirate's tradition of providing political asylum to persecuted people and the country's attempt to diversify its foreign policy.

Moreover, there was a widespread belief among senior policymakers in Qatar that moderate political Islam provided the only functional opposition to authoritarianism.

So, when the existing socio-political order of the Arab world collapsed, Qatar perceived Islamist groups as the only available force capable of filling the socio-political void left by failed regimes – at least temporarily.

Qatar is now operating under the same premise as it tries to help Syrians build a post-authoritarian future by calling on the forces in power in Syria to embrace pluralism, civil liberties and socio-political integration.

***

Qatar's role in the region remains extremely important. Despite its small size, it can indeed be considered a regional power based on its political weight, resources, and ability to advance its own interests.

And what is especially important for Moscow is that Doha is pursuing an independent foreign policy, developing and strengthening ties with the United States and Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan, Venezuela and Congo, while the Russian Federation is one of the important points of support for Qatar in the region and the world and will remain so in the foreseeable future.

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Europe
For the first time since Hitler, Austria may have a 'people's chancellor'
2025-01-10
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Oleg Khavich

[REGNUM] The key Central European country of Austria is entering the new year of 2025 with a clear prospect of Herbert Kickl, the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), which opponents call both “fascist” and “pro-Russian,” coming to power.

On the afternoon of January 8, the new chairman of the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), Christian Stocker, announced that he had accepted the offer to form a government coalition with the FPÖ. Two days earlier, Kickl had received the mandate to do so from Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen.

Of course, Stocker’s agreement was accompanied by reservations such as “a strong, albeit more perfect, European Union is needed to overcome the current crises” (a reference to the Eurosceptic position of the FPÖ) or “partners must clearly and honestly state whether they want to orient themselves towards the free world or towards dictatorships” (a traditional complaint by the Austrian and European establishment about the “pro-Russian” nature of the FPÖ).

However, the speech of the new ÖVP leader was radically different from his behavior in parliament in October 2024, when Austrian politicians formed a united front against the FPÖ, which had won first place in the parliamentary elections. “Nobody needs you!” Stocker shouted at Kickl from the parliamentary rostrum. But three months later, the situation had changed noticeably.

The elections to the National Council (the lower house of the Austrian parliament) took place on September 29, 2024. The FPÖ won the election, receiving 28.85% of the vote. The ruling ÖVP came in second with 26.3%, the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) secured the support of 21.1% of voters, the liberals from the New Austria and the Liberal Forum gained just over 9%, and the Greens 8.2%.

None of the parties that entered parliament expressed a willingness to enter into a coalition with the FPÖ, calling the party at best right-wing populists. Therefore, in violation of the tradition that had been established over the decades, Van der Bellen instructed the current chancellor and ÖVP chairman Karl Nehammer to form a government, rather than the leader of the winning party. In November, he began negotiations with the Social Democrats and the Liberals, but on January 4, he admitted that it was not possible to form a coalition due to the position of the "S-Democrats".

"It is impossible to reach an agreement with the SPÖ on key issues. The People's Party is sticking to its promises: we will not agree to measures against social benefits and business, or to the introduction of new taxes. Therefore, we are ending negotiations with the SPÖ and will not continue them," Nehammer said and announced his resignation as Chancellor of Austria and leader of the ÖVP, which is headed by Christian Stocker.

Two days later, the Austrian president finally entrusted the formation of a new coalition to Herbert Kickl.

"Mr. Kickl is confident that he can find viable solutions in government negotiations and wants to take on this responsibility," Van der Bellen, the former longtime leader of the Austrian Greens, said on January 6. According to the president, the decision was "not easy" for him. At the same time, he will continue to ensure that "the principles and rules of our constitution are respected and implemented."

And on January 8, the president entrusted the temporary leadership of the current cabinet to the ÖVP politician Alexander Schallenberg. He has headed the Austrian Foreign Ministry since 2019 and has already announced that he will not be part of the new government. Schallenberg has already been the interim chancellor of Austria for several weeks - after the resignation of Sebastian Kurz as head of government in 2021.

According to Austrian political analysts, the main reason for what is happening is the growing rating of the "Svoboda" party: at the moment, according to the results of opinion polls, about 35% of Austrians are ready to vote for the APÖ. Herbert Kickl also understands this: he said that he is "extending his hand to the new leader of the ÖVP", but the extended hand must be answered with "trust and honest negotiations", and if this is not guaranteed, then "new elections can be imagined".

In turn, Christian Stocker stated on January 8 that he is not afraid of such a scenario, but is not a supporter of announcing new parliamentary elections, “since they will not move the country forward.”

There were also opinions that Kickl received a mandate to form a government thanks to Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election. However, as political scientist Kost Bondarenko, who now lives and works in Vienna, said in an exclusive commentary to IA Regnum, this hardly influenced the decision of the President of the Republic of Austria.

"It can be assumed that the general "rightward" sentiment in Europe could only partially influence the mood of the Austrian politicians, who until recently considered the first place of the "fascists" a political tragedy. Now they are more relaxed about Kikl and his party - the psyche of ordinary people has become accustomed to new trends in the world, and therefore the victory of the "Svoboda" members does not look so incredible," the expert notes.

He also rejects another conspiracy theory: that former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who has been working for the last three years for Peter Thiel, a close associate of Donald Trump and Elon Musk, will gain significant influence on the new Austrian government.

"The return to politics of former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is now perceived as a fantasy: he did not make any hints about returning to Austria. According to the official version, he got tired of politics and said that he would not return to it. Moreover, in February 2024, he was sentenced to 8 months probation for giving false testimony, which significantly undermined his ratings.

I am sure that Kurz's figure in Austrian politics is seriously overestimated: he was influential as long as his "grey cardinals" were influential, one of whom left this world in March 2022. I mean the former chairman of the AVP, former Vice-Chancellor Erhard Buzek," says Bondarenko.

And Herbert Kickl himself has to regularly disavow Russian influence on the APS.

The fact is that in 2016, this party signed an agreement on interaction and cooperation with the United Russia party (UR). And in 2018, the Austrian Foreign Minister from the APS, Karin Kneissl, drew sharp criticism by inviting Vladimir Putin to her wedding. Since June 2021, Kneissl has been a member of the board of directors of the Russian oil company Rosneft and now lives in Russia.

Kikl, who headed the APS in 2021, refused to extend the agreement with United Russia, stating that “we simply don’t need it.” However, this still didn’t save the APS from accusations of being “pro-Russian,” since the party publicly advocated ending armed support for Ukraine at the EU level, lifting sanctions against Russia, and immediate peace talks with Moscow.

The party called the rupture of economic relations with Russia one of the main reasons for the economic troubles of the Austrians, and now Ukraine has given the APS another trump card by blocking the transit of Russian gas, which Austria has recently been buying through Slovak intermediaries.

One cannot help but recall another accusation against Herbert Kickl personally – that he is a fascist. For example, the above-mentioned speech by Christian Stocker was effectively disrupted by a protest in front of the headquarters of the Austrian People's Party. Left-wing activists wrote on the wall of the building "It stinks of brown shit here", and the party logos were smeared with excrement.

The leader of the APÖ is constantly reminded that the party made “remigration” (a controversial term meaning the expulsion of migrants) one of the cornerstones of its campaign; Kickl himself promised to turn the country into “Fortress Austria,” and in 2018 proposed creating “migrant concentration centers.”

But the main complaint is that the politician built his campaign on the promise to become the "people's chancellor" - as Adolf Hitler called himself before the term "Führer of the German nation" became generally accepted. At the same time, the APÖ has repeatedly distanced itself from National Socialism, and a month before the parliamentary elections, it even filed a lawsuit against a public organization that widely disseminated information about the history of the term "people's chancellor".

"Without a doubt, with Herbert Kickl's arrival as Austrian chancellor there will also be some change of power in the European Union," political analyst Peter Hajek told Euronews. Kickl's opponents fear that, as chancellor, he will orient his policies towards the Russian-leaning Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and even try to rebuild Austria along Hungarian lines.

Orbán and Kikl have a really good relationship, and in the summer in Vienna, together with former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, they founded the Patriots for Europe faction, the third largest in the European Parliament. At the same time, Babiš's party ANO is the highest rated in the Czech Republic ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 2025.

In this regard, Europe is once again talking about the “revival of Austria-Hungary” in the format of some kind of interstate association of Austria, Hungary, Slovakia (the Prime Minister of this country Robert Fico also has excellent relations with Viktor Orban), and in the future – the Czech Republic. However, according to Kostya Bondarenko, the idea of ​​“New Austria-Hungary” so far exists only in the imagination of certain political experts.

"It will be possible to talk about an alliance of "pro-Trump" forces no sooner than in six months. During this time, both an "anti-Trump coalition" and a "coalition in support of Trump" may indeed form in Europe. But in the case of Austria, if Kickl and Stocker manage to form a coalition, the Trump factor may become a factor in its destruction and a government-parliamentary crisis rather than in the consolidation of parts of the former Austria-Hungary as a single political field," he is sure.
Related:
Austria: 2025-01-08 Far-right leader tasked with forming Austria government pledges to ‘govern honestly’
Austria: 2025-01-05 EU to set up ‘Return Centers’ to expedite deportations of rejected refugees
Austria: 2024-12-28 A Year of Fateful Elections: The Biggest Winners and Losers of 2024
Related:
Herbert Kickl 01/08/2025 Far-right leader tasked with forming Austria government pledges to ‘govern honestly’
Herbert Kickl 12/28/2024 A Year of Fateful Elections: The Biggest Winners and Losers of 2024
Herbert Kickl 10/01/2024 After election win, Austrian far right seeks path to power through rivals’ blockade

Related:
Freedom Party of Austria: 2024-12-28 A Year of Fateful Elections: The Biggest Winners and Losers of 2024
Related:
Christian Stocker 01/08/2025 Far-right leader tasked with forming Austria government pledges to ‘govern honestly’

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: September 10, 2024
2024-09-11
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] 21:43 Biden does not rule out lifting the ban on strikes against Russia with American long-range weapons, Blinken said in an interview with Sky News: "We never rule it out. But when we make a decision, we want to make sure that it is done in a way that can help achieve what the Ukrainians are trying to achieve."

21:36 Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced fighting on the border with Ukraine in the area of ​​Zhuravlevka. At the same time, he denied information about the capture of this settlement by Ukrainian troops.

20:56 The US Treasury Department announced the introduction of new sanctions against Iran due to the supply of missiles to Russia. In particular, the restrictions affected the airline Iran Air, as well as four ships that transport Iranian drones and missiles to Russia. Officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian Ministry of Defense were also subject to sanctions. In total, the list includes ten individuals and six legal entities.

20:48 Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga held a telephone conversation with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong and asked her to transfer decommissioned equipment, including Bushmaster armored vehicles, to Ukraine.

20:17 Zelensky said in an evening video address that Ukraine is "bringing closer the steps of partners that can help now... The partners' determination must become more long-range." Work on logistics is also continuing - the timely delivery of the announced support packages. In addition, the president said that he heard reports from Syrsky today, as well as the Main Intelligence Directorate and the Foreign Intelligence Service: "We see what steps Moscow is planning, and we will act accordingly - exactly as tough as necessary."

Zelensky also commented on the changes in the Foreign Ministry: "Ukraine must be fully understood in all partner countries, particularly in Europe. Ukraine needs much more meaningful relations and cooperation than it has now with the countries of Latin America, with the countries of Africa and Asia. We must realize the full potential of strategic relations with the United States. And with all the countries that are key to their regions, but do not yet have strategic relations with Ukraine, we need a truly strategic level of cooperation... Among the key priorities of the year is the Second Peace Summit, which means the most active work with all our partners in groups on the points of the Peace Formula and on a common view of ending the war."

18:54 During his visit to Kyiv, Blinken plans to get acquainted with the situation on the battlefield, discuss Ukraine's needs and advance Zelensky's peace proposals, White House adviser John Kirby said. At the same time, he stressed that Washington is not pressuring Ukraine or pushing it to negotiate an end to the war: "Of course, ending the war through negotiations is the most likely outcome in this case. But when this happens, and under what conditions and circumstances - this will be decided by President Zelensky."

18:35 China is now supplying Russia not only with dual-use goods, but also with specific materials needed by the Russian Armed Forces, said US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. In exchange, Beijing, according to his information, is receiving secret Russian technologies for submarines, missiles and aviation, which Moscow had previously been unwilling to share.

"These are part of a very significant effort on the part of China to support, build and diversify various elements of the Russian military machine. We see efforts at the highest levels of both governments to try to hide and protect certain elements of this troubling cooperation... Much of this activity is not publicly visible," Campbell said.

18:19 Zelensky said during the introduction of the new Minister Andriy Sybiha to the MFA staff that Ukraine needs a second Peace Summit this year: "This means maximum involvement of the world in the implementation of the Peace Formula. And maximum strengthening of our positions in order to make a fair process of restoring peace real... The team of the MFA of Ukraine, the entire government team, the Office team, our parliamentary diplomats, everyone involved in this work at the public level - everyone must understand that peace for Ukraine and a fair end to this war are not just a historical mission, but daily and very painstaking work."

The President also announced that Panama had joined the communiqué of the first Peace Summit, becoming the 94th signatory of the document.

17:56 The Hill journalist Juliegrace Brufke reported, citing the head of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul, that Blinken and his British counterpart Lemmy will announce permission to use ATACMS missiles to strike Russia during their visit to Kiev.

17:47 The foreign ministers of Great Britain, Germany and France in a joint statement condemned Iran's supply of ballistic missiles to Russia and added that in response they would cancel air traffic with Iran and impose sanctions on Iranian ballistic missile manufacturers and their suppliers to Russia. The statement said that the supply of missiles to Moscow "is an escalation by both Iran and Russia and poses a direct threat to European security."

17:35 Financing one military costs the budget 1.2 million hryvnia, Shmyhal said. According to him, this year's budget lacks an additional 500 billion hryvnia for the army. "When we planned the 2024 budget together with the IMF, one of the partners' forecasts was that the war would continue until the summer of 2024," the prime minister explained, adding that now the Ukrainian Armed Forces need more funding.

17:21 The UK government announced sanctions against the Russian Aerospace Forces, as well as the 924th State Unmanned Aviation Center and the Military Transport Aviation Command. It is known that the 924th State Unmanned Aviation Center is responsible for delivering UAVs to the Russian army. In addition, London added five new vessel specifications to the list as part of restrictions against Russia and seven new sanctioned entities as part of the sanctions regime against Iran.

16:35 In Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, as a result of enemy shelling, a gas distribution station was damaged, 28 thousand subscribers of the community were left without gas supply, the city military administration reported. In addition, as a result of Russian shelling of the village of Gnatovka, one person was killed and one was wounded.

15:52 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lemmy will visit Kiev this week. Lemmy announced this at their joint press conference in London.

15:45 Biden plans to discuss with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday, September 13, permission for Ukraine to use long-range weapons on Russian territory, Blinken said.

15:36 All thermal power plants that supplied Kharkiv have been destroyed, so mobile boiler houses will be brought into the city for the winter, Shmyhal said. "We are focusing on Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region, because we understand that the Russians have actually destroyed all the thermal power plants that were around Kharkiv and held Kharkiv. We are bringing in small mobile boiler houses there, 1 MW, installed by local authorities," the prime minister said. Similar technologies will be used in other cities, he added.

15:23 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions against Iran over missile deliveries to Russia. According to him, the full list of sanctions will be announced later today, but they will definitely include measures against Iran Air. "We have warned Tehran publicly, we have warned Tehran privately that this step would be a dangerous escalation. Russia has already received shipments of these missiles," Blinken said. He added that Russia will likely use these supplies within a few weeks.

14:37 In the first eight months of this year, weapons production in Ukraine has doubled compared to last year’s figures, Shmyhal reported.

13:48 The order to strike Okhmatdet was given by the then commander of the long-range aviation of the Russian Air Force, who was subsequently promoted to commander of the Air Force, said Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin. The Prosecutor General did not name the person, but from the description it follows that he is Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash. He was notified of the suspicion in absentia.

13:14 International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan is on a visit to Kiev and has already visited the Okhmatdet children's hospital and spoken to one of the victims of the Russian strike. Commenting on Mongolia's refusal to arrest Putin, Khan noted that usually in such cases a general meeting of all states signatories to the Rome Statute is held, after which a decision is made. In turn, Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin said that Ukraine is working with partners to ensure that the country that ignored the ICC's demand "feels the consequences."

12:53 Russian troops attacked Kherson with drones, two people were wounded, OVA reported. In particular, the enemy dropped explosives on a bus stop. In addition, two residents of the region, who were injured due to Russian shelling the day before, went to the hospital today.

11:48 The White House has sent Congress a classified report on its strategy for the war in Ukraine, Reuters reports, citing sources. The report's preparation by June was put forward by Congress as a condition for the adoption of a $61 billion aid bill for Ukraine in April. Due to the missed deadlines, some lawmakers said they could block further funding. A congressional aide anonymously said the report was received on Monday, September 9, and they had not yet had a chance to review it.

11:16 Bild writes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are critically short of spare parts for Western equipment, which is why the army cannot use, in particular, howitzers supplied by the Netherlands, Germany and Italy.

10:39 The UN does not have the tools or authority to force Russia to comply with international law, said UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis. He explained that the Organization acts in accordance with shared values ​​and beliefs, hoping that all members will adhere to their obligations and respect the territorial integrity of other countries.

Francis noted that the UN continues to "hope and expect" that Moscow will fulfill its obligations within the framework of participation in the Organization. He also noted that the General Assembly adopted a number of "strong resolutions" calling on the Russian Federation to comply with the law and withdraw its troops from the territory of Ukraine. "This aggression by Russia is a gross violation of international law, and we cannot tolerate it," Francis emphasized.

09:45 In the morning, Russian troops attacked Ponyatovka in the Kherson region from a UAV - a regular bus was damaged, one person was injured, the OVA reported. Over the previous day, five people were injured as a result of Russian shelling in the region.

09:36 In Donetsk Oblast, three people were killed as a result of Russian shelling on September 9: in Gornyak, Shchurovo and Kleban-Byk. Another five people in the oblast were injured in the past 24 hours, said OVA head Vadim Filashkin.

09:22 On Monday, September 9, Russians shelled Kupyansk: as a result of an enemy drone strike on a car, two people were injured, reported the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. As a result of enemy FPV drone strikes in the region over the past day, two more people were injured: in the village of Zakharovka in the Chuguevsky district and the village of Velyki Prokhody in the Kharkiv district.

09:07 In Cherkasy Oblast, several hits and falling debris were recorded during a night attack; two people were injured in the regional center, reported OVA head Igor Taburets. Several houses and private businesses were damaged. An infrastructure facility was damaged in Uman District.

08:51 Air defense destroyed 38 out of 46 Shahed-type attack UAVs at night, the Air Force reported. Three drones were lost on Ukrainian territory (probably fell under the influence of electronic warfare systems) and three more left Ukrainian airspace: one in the direction of the Russian Federation, two in the direction of occupied Luhansk region. In addition, Russia struck at night with an Iskander-M ballistic missile and an Kh-31P anti-radar missile.

Air defense operated in Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kirovograd, Nikolaev, Odessa, Kherson, Cherkasy, Sumy, Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, Zaporizhia and Poltava regions.

08:44 Drones attacked Moscow and the Moscow region at night. Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported that one person was killed and three were injured as a result of a UAV attack on a residential building in Ramenskoye, Moscow Region. In total, fires were reported in three residential buildings. Drones also attacked Zhukovsky Airport, which was closed to aircraft at night and a fire broke out. Restrictions on the receipt and departure of aircraft were also introduced at Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports. According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, drones were shot down in Lyubertsy, Ramenskoye, near Podolsk and in Domodedovo.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 144 drones over central regions of Russia overnight, including 20 over the Moscow region. Publics wrote about an explosion near a Rosneft gas station in the Bryansk region.

07:48 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of September 10. Due to the constant receipt of updated intelligence data, the total number of cruise missiles has been adjusted; losses per day are reported as usual:

  • personnel - about 627,790 (+1380) people,

  • tanks - 8640 (+1),

  • combat armored vehicles - 16,925 (+19),

  • artillery systems - 17,880 (+50),

  • MLRS - 1180 (+0),

  • air defense systems - 942 (+0),

  • aircraft - 368 (+0),

  • helicopters - 328 (+0),

  • Operational-tactical level UAVs - 14933 (+36),

  • cruise missiles - 2591 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 28 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 24,330 (+68),

  • special equipment - 3053 (+4).

00:12 The Netherlands is allowing Ukraine to use its weapons to strike deep into Russia's rear, said the country's Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans. He also called on other countries to lift restrictions: "Ukraine has the right to self-defense. And if the country is attacked from border areas or from Russian airfields, it can target military facilities. The same applies to enemy missiles - they can also be intercepted by our weapons over Russia." The minister specified that permission to strike Russia directly concerns the F-16 fighters that the Netherlands will transfer to Ukraine.

Link


Economy
Brent crude oil exceeds $82 for the first time since July 26
2024-08-13
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The price of October futures for Brent crude oil exceeded $82 for the first time since July 26. This is evidenced by data from the London ICE exchange from August 12.

As of 21:23 Moscow time, the price of Brent oil was $82.06 per barrel (+3.01%). Then the growth slowed down and the futures price reached $81.92 per barrel by 21:38 Moscow time.

WTI crude oil futures for September delivery also rose to $79.08 per barrel (+2.73%).

As reported by Regnum News Agency, global demand for oil will continue to grow, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin noted on June 8 during his speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. He voiced the OPEC+ forecast, according to which primary demand for oil will grow by almost 20%, to 116 million barrels per day by 2045. Oil will continue to account for about 30% of the global energy balance, Sechin summed up.

On July 23, at a meeting with the Chairman of the Accounts Chamber, Boris Kovalchuk, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the share of oil and gas revenues in the budget is growing.
Related:
Brent crude 01/03/2024 Red Sea attacks send oil prices higher over fears of shipping disruptions
Brent crude 06/05/2023 Saudi Arabia to sharply slash oil output in bid to pump up prices
Brent crude 04/04/2023 Oil prices surge after surprise move to cut output

Link


Europe
'Ears of Brussels': Why Kyiv Started an 'Oil War' Against Hungary and Slovakia
2024-07-25
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Oleg Khavich

[REGNUM] The scandal surrounding the blockade of Russian oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia, which Ukraine imposed last week, reached a new level on July 23.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Budapest, in response, will continue to block the allocation of 6.5 billion euros in military aid to Kiev from the so-called "peace fund" of the European Union until the issue of resuming transit is resolved.

TWO COUNTRIES SUFFERED
"I made it clear that until this issue of Lukoil oil transit is resolved by Ukraine, everyone should forget about paying 6.5 billion euros in compensation for arms supplies from the European Peace Fund. Because what would it look like if we contributed to the payment of 6.5 billion euros, while Ukraine threatens the security of our energy supply," the head of Hungarian diplomacy told the ATV portal.

On the same day, a representative of the European Commission confirmed to the Brussels portal Euractiv that the commission had received a request from Hungary and Slovakia for consultations in connection with the Ukrainian ban on the transit of oil from Russian Lukoil and was studying it.

The request was submitted the day before, when Peter Szijjarto said that the EC has three days to provide some kind of response, and if there is no result, Hungary will appeal to international courts. The Hungarian Foreign Minister also stressed that Ukraine violated the Association Agreement with the EU.

“The energy supply issue is not a political issue, but an infrastructure issue <…> The problem of supplying Hungary with oil physically cannot be solved without oil supplies from Russia, simply because there is no other alternative transport route,” Magyar nemzet quoted Szijjártó as saying.

According to him, “this is an unacceptable step on the part of Ukraine, a country that wants to be a member of the European Union, and with one decision it puts the supply of oil to two EU member countries at fundamental risk.”

At the same time, the head of Hungarian diplomacy stated that the affected EU member state can immediately begin the consultation procedure, and if it is not possible to reach an agreement with Ukraine, then there is the possibility of creating an arbitration court and conducting the proceedings within 40 days.

"If a solution is not found in this case, the European Union has the right to refuse to fulfill its obligations under the Association Agreement," Szijjártó noted.

Slovakian Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar also said that the measures to suspend the transit of Lukoil oil, which Ukraine introduced, are “a clear violation of the provisions of the Association Agreement concluded between the EU and Ukraine.”

"We reject the transformation of Slovakia into a political instrument against Hungary or any other state. We will resolutely defend ourselves and apply all possibilities of European law," Blanar said.

Slovakia has also suffered from Ukraine's actions, since the Hungarian company MOL controls not only the oil refinery in the city of Százhalombatt near Budapest (Danube refinery, capacity of 8.1 million tons of oil per year), but also the Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava (capacity of 5.5 million tons/year). According to Peter Szijjártó, Hungary and Slovakia receive a total of 4.5 million tons of oil per year from the Russian Lukoil via the Druzhba pipeline, which passes through Ukraine.

At the same time, on July 21, in a conversation with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico reported that Kiev could lose 10% of imported diesel fuel.

"Slovakia does not intend to be a hostage to Ukrainian-Russian relations, and the decision of the Ukrainian president means that the Slovak oil refinery Slovnaft, part of the Hungarian MOL group, will receive 40% less oil than it needs for processing. This will have an impact not only on the Slovak market, but may also lead to the cessation of supplies of oil products produced at Slovnaft to Ukraine, and they make up almost a tenth of all Ukrainian consumption," the Slovak prime minister said.

Fico also called Ukrainian sanctions against Lukoil senseless, since they harm not Russia, but mainly “some EU member states.”

THIS IS NOT AMATEUR PERFORMANCE
But if Ukraine depends on diesel fuel imports from Slovakia by 10%, and from Hungary – even less (there is no open information on deliveries), then the situation with electricity is completely different.

In June 2024, Ukraine imported the largest volume of electricity from Hungary - 357.1 thousand MWh, or 42% of all imports. Another 148.5 thousand MWh came from Slovakia (17% of the total volume of imported electricity).

Moreover, imports continue even after Kiev’s blockade of Russian oil transit to these two countries.

Why don't Hungary and Slovakia block electricity supplies to Ukraine in response? The thing is that since March 16, 2022, Ukraine has become a full member of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).

Kyiv requests electricity imports from neighboring countries under ENTSO-E in emergency mode, and they can refuse only for technical, not political reasons.

True, some Hungarian media outlets, citing sources in the country's government, reported on July 23 that Hungary was preparing to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine this Saturday if oil supplies were not resumed by midnight on Friday. However, there is no official confirmation of this information.

At the same time, it is unlikely that Kyiv is taking any independent action. For example, when Bulgaria unilaterally introduced an additional discriminatory fee for the transit of Russian gas in October last year, which also hit Hungary, the European Commission began official consultations with Sofia for several days. The fee was never collected, and in December 2023 it was officially cancelled.

However, at that time Brussels needed Hungary's vote to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union, but now all the necessary decisions have been made. Voices are being heard at various levels in the EU that Budapest and personally Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban should be punished for their overly independent policy, especially with regard to Russia and China.

The instrumental use of Kyiv for this purpose gives the European bureaucrats the opportunity to shrug their shoulders - like, we have nothing to do with it. Slovakia, on the other hand, is getting it "for the company", not so much for real actions, but for Fico's statements in support of Orban.

In Kiev itself, they are pretending that nothing is happening at all. The head of Naftogaz of Ukraine, Oleksiy Chernyshov, said at an online meeting with investors on July 22 that the strengthening of sanctions against Russia's Lukoil had not affected the volume of oil transit through Ukraine.

"The overall transit of oil in July is standard, if you compare the volumes with previous months, and it does not include Lukoil oil," Chernyshov responded to one of the investors. According to him, "if the current oil suppliers do not fall under sanctions, Ukraine can continue transit."

Former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleg Tsarev believes that one of the options for solving the problem for Hungary and Slovakia could be an agreement with other Russian companies - Tatneft and Rosneft.

“Theoretically, they could supply Lukoil volumes – Ukraine has not yet banned transit to them,” Tsarev wrote on his channel.

However, there is no guarantee that Kyiv will not impose sanctions against Tatneft and Rosneft the day after these companies sign contracts for oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia.

And even if these contracts state that the oil coming from Russia already belongs to European companies, no one can guarantee its reliable transit through Ukraine.

Since EU consultations with Ukraine have not yet begun, and the prospects for the courts are completely uncertain, the biggest concern for ordinary Hungarians and Slovaks is the possible rise in fuel prices - after all, most of the production from Danube Refinery and Slovnaft goes to the domestic retail market.

On July 20, the Brussels editorial office of the American portal Politico wrote that Hungary could face a fuel crisis due to the blockade of Russian oil supplies through Ukraine, since it depends on them by 70%. “Ukraine’s main goal is to cut off a key source of finance for Russia, which uses the money it receives for oil to finance the army,” the publication’s article says.

True, Politico did not mention that this is a kind of “shot in the foot,” since since August 2023, Ukraine has been receiving 21 euros for the transit of each ton of oil from Russia to Hungary or Slovakia. That is, with an annual transit volume of 4.5 million tons, Ukraine has already earned almost 90 million euros.

Since Kyiv would hardly voluntarily refuse the money under the current conditions, this is another argument in favor of the fact that the real initiator of the transit blockade is Brussels.

While both Hungary and Slovakia are unlikely to face fuel shortages because there are alternative oil supply routes, including via Croatia, already high prices at the pump could rise even further, said Tamas Pletzer, an energy analyst at Erste Group in Budapest.

Ukraine's decision could also threaten Hungary's budget revenues from a special tax on Russian oil, which was increased earlier this month to plug fiscal holes.

"This will create a problem for the government, as the special tax on MOL is a significant revenue source. In addition, it will become impossible to keep fuel prices below the regional average," Pletzer said in a Bloomberg commentary published on July 22.

Apparently, it is precisely the destabilization of the socio-economic situation in Hungary that is the main goal of Kyiv’s actions, behind which the “ears” of Brussels are clearly visible.

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: July 22, 2024
2024-07-23
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] 22:25 Today in the afternoon the enemy launched a missile attack on civilian objects in Odessa region, the head of the OVA Oleg Kiper reported. As a result of the attack, the facade of the administrative building of a private enterprise and warehouse premises were partially destroyed. No one was hurt.

22:09 Bulgaria has found "excess" shells and is ready to send them to Ukraine, the country's Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov said. He specified that Ukraine can receive stockpiles of shells recognized as excess for the Bulgarian army, as well as other military equipment, but for this, the allied countries must compensate for these supplies.

22:00 Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called for Ukraine to be allowed to strike airfields on Russian territory: "I believe that this would certainly be self-defense, permitted by international law. Protecting children's cancer hospitals is not an escalation."

21:56 Russia plans to start production of a new kamikaze drone, writes the specialized publication Defense Express. According to journalists, the drone is similar to the Iranian Qasef, which is an improved version of the Lancet.

21:30 The Czech Republic has joined the drone coalition for Ukraine, the Latvian Ministry of Defense reported. The country has become the 16th member of the coalition, which has been supplying the Ukrainian Armed Forces with various types of drones since February of this year, helping with equipment and production. The coalition is led by Latvia and the United Kingdom, and includes Australia, Denmark, France, Estonia, Italy, New Zealand, Canada, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, and Sweden.

21:03 Latvia has sent a batch of more than 500 drones to Ukraine, Defense Minister Andris Spruds said.

20:17 Zelensky said that Ukraine is preparing four more new security agreements: "We will begin negotiations in the near future and must promptly prepare documents for signing. For us, this means defense support, finances, and humanitarian cooperation. By then, there will be almost 30 such agreements with our partners. We set ourselves the task of having different countries - and not just NATO countries. But all equally ready to help us protect common values."

19:51 EU countries have not reached an agreement on unblocking funds for weapons for Ukraine from the European Peace Fund, Borrell said. According to him, Hungary refused to lift the veto. At the same time, the head of European diplomacy noted that the first tranche of income from Russian assets in the amount of 1.4 billion euros will be transferred to the European Commission in the first week of August - this money will be used to purchase weapons for Ukraine.

18:44 Joe Biden has turned the US election campaign upside down. The incumbent president has finally decided to withdraw his candidacy from the elections. Democrats now have to urgently decide who will replace Biden in the clash with Donald Trump. Most likely, the party will unite around Vice President Kamala Harris as its new candidate. Read more in the article The Democrats' Last Chance .

18:05 On Tuesday, July 23, power outage schedules will be in effect throughout the day, Ukrenergo reported. From 14:00 to 24:00, regional power companies will apply three stages of outages, and at other times - two stages.

17:53 Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Budapest had begun consultations with the EU after Ukraine suspended the transit of Russian Lukoil oil through its territory. According to him, Kiev's decision to add Lukoil to its sanctions list "fundamentally threatens the security of energy supplies to Hungary and Slovakia." He called the move "a clear violation of the Association Agreement" and threatened Ukraine with legal action.

17:35 China considers its cooperation with Russia "normal" and not directed against third parties, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning: "I want to emphasize that China and Russia are large sovereign countries. Normal cooperation between China and Russia is not directed against third countries and should not be subject to interference or threats from outside."

17:09 As a result of the night strike on the Dniprovsky district of Kherson, one person was killed, the OVA reported. Also today the enemy shelled Kindeyka, one person was wounded.

16:41 As a result of today's air strikes by the Russian army on populated areas of Donetsk Oblast, nine people were injured, the prosecutor's office reported. Thus, in Konstantinovka, as a result of an attack on a residential area, three people were injured, in the village of Perebudova in the Volnovakha district - four people, and two more citizens were injured in the village of Razdolnoye. According to preliminary information, the enemy carried out nine airstrikes on populated areas using UMBP D-30 SN guided bombs. Residential buildings, a store, a post office, a cafe, and a power line were damaged.

16:18 Through electronic booking in Diia, company managers have already booked more than 34 thousand employees, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mykhailo Fedorov. According to him, the decision is made in about an hour. "Companies submit applications for booking employees and receive a response for each employee separately. The service eliminates paperwork and unnecessary bureaucracy," Fedorov said. The service started working less than a week ago.

16:06 Russians shelled Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk region, five people were wounded, reported the head of the OVA Serhiy Lysak. Five-story residential buildings and private enterprises were damaged.

15:29 The situation with electricity should improve "in a couple of weeks," said Ukrenergo CEO Volodymyr Kudritsky. He explained that the volume of generation will soon be increased, some generating capacities and some units at power plants will be repaired. It is expected that the deficit will gradually decrease over the next few months, if there are no new large-scale attacks, Kudritsky added.

15:03 Deliveries of semiconductors and other dual-use products under sanctions to Russia have decreased fivefold since the beginning of the year, while the main suppliers remain companies registered in China and Hong Kong, Reuters writes, citing sources in the US Department of Commerce.

In particular, according to the department, in the period from January to May, sales from Hong Kong to Russia of advanced components, including microelectronics used in weapons production, fell by 28%, and from mainland China, excluding Hong Kong, by 19%. The US Treasury Department believes that this result is a consequence of the influence of several factors, including sanctions from the US government, as well as its interaction with companies whose products are illegally imported to Russia.

13:57 As a result of Russian shelling in Ukraine, 1,642 medical facilities were damaged, 214 were completely destroyed, the Ministry of Health reported. The most damaged medical facilities were in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia and Sumy regions.

13:36 Russians shelled the village of Podoli in the Kupyansk district of the Kharkiv region, one person was injured, the prosecutor's office reported. Another person was injured as a result of an air strike on the village of Senkovo ​​in the Kupyansk district. In addition, at night the enemy struck the city of Dergachi with two Iskander-M missiles. An educational institution, premises of civilian enterprises, and apartment buildings were damaged. No one was injured.

12:48 Russians carried out an airstrike on the private sector of Konstantinovka in Donetsk Oblast, one person was injured, the State Emergency Service reported. 12 private houses, a multi-story building, two stores and three infrastructure facilities were damaged.

12:21 In the morning, the Russian army struck the village of Sadovoe in the Kherson region, one person was injured, the OVA reported. In addition, two residents of Belozerka, injured as a result of the recent massive Russian shelling, sought medical assistance.

12:15 Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov instructed the heads of the region's districts to visit the homes of residents in the 15-kilometer border zone every day and persuade them to leave.

12:02 Another 100,000 rounds of ammunition will be sent to Ukraine in July and August as part of the Czech initiative, said the country's Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky. According to him, 18 countries have joined the initiative, of which 15 have already made their contribution. This means that there are enough funds to deliver 500,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine by the end of the year, the minister added.

11:27 Ukraine has reached an agreement with the Eurobond Holders Committee on a comprehensive restructuring of the external government commercial debt, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said. According to him, the agreement will provide savings of $11.4 billion on debt servicing over the next three years, and by 2033 savings will amount to $22.75 billion.

11:19 Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will visit China on July 23-25 ​​at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tikhyi said. According to him, the main topic of discussions will be "finding ways to stop Russian aggression and China's possible role in achieving a sustainable and just peace."

10:25 The oil refinery in Tuapse was attacked by GUR drones, Ukrainian media write, citing intelligence sources. The refinery is part of the Rosneft oil company, its capacity is about 12 million tons per year.

10:14 Over the past 24 hours, 16 enemy drones of various types have been destroyed by air defense in the south and east of Ukraine, the Air Force reported. Among them are six Zala drones, four SuperCam, four Lancets, one Privet-82 and one more of an unspecified type.

09:28 Zelensky thanked Biden, who announced his withdrawal from the presidential race, for his support of Ukraine as US president: "He supported our country at the most dramatic moment in history, helped us prevent Putin's occupation of our country, and continues to support us throughout this terrible war." Zelensky added that he "respects his difficult but strong decision."

09:13 Syrsky reported on the results of work on the hottest sections of the Eastern Front that the Russian army, despite heavy losses, "continues to rush in the direction of Pokrovsk." Fierce battles are taking place in Krasnogorovka, in the areas of Progress, Zaliznoye, Pivnichnoye, Chasov Yar in the Donetsk region. Also, the Russians are not abandoning their attempts to capture Stelmakhovka, Makeyevka, are attacking the positions of the Defense Forces in Ivanovskoye, Kleshcheyevka, and are trying to capture the floodplain islands of the left bank of the Dnieper River. In fact, active military actions of varying intensity are taking place along the entire front.

"What can and should we do to stop the offensive of a numerically superior enemy? There is only one answer: effective fire destruction of the enemy's main forces and reserves on distant approaches, comprehensive destruction of the enemy in front of the front line, stable holding of lines and positions prepared in engineering terms, the most effective use of all the capabilities of weapons and ammunition, primarily combat drones, in which we have an advantage. And also mastering new methods of destroying enemy reconnaissance UAVs in conditions of a total deficit of short-range anti-aircraft missiles, only using electronic warfare systems and FPV drones," the commander-in-chief said.

08:39 In Donetsk Oblast, on July 21, one person was killed as a result of Russian shelling - in Nelipovka. Five more people in the oblast were injured in the past 24 hours, reported OVA head Vadim Filashkin.

08:32 In the Kherson region, nine people were wounded as a result of Russian shelling over the past day, reported the head of the OVA Oleksandr Prokudin. A critical infrastructure facility, an educational institution, a printing house, a store, a cafe, a service station, two multi-story and four private houses were damaged.

08:16 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of July 22:

  • personnel - about 567,760 (+1050) people,

  • tanks - 8284 (+18),

  • combat armored vehicles - 15,980 (+17),

  • artillery systems - 15,637 (+51),

  • MLRS - 1123 (+2),

  • air defense systems - 900 (+4),

  • aircraft - 362 (+0),

  • helicopters - 326 (+0),

  • Operational-tactical level UAVs - 12,475 (+73),

  • cruise missiles - 2401 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 28 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 21,138 (+102),

  • special equipment - 2637 (+21).

07:52 A fire broke out at an oil refinery in Tuapse after a drone attack. The regional operational headquarters reported that "a fire broke out at the oil refinery in Tuapse over an area of ​​50 square meters due to the fall of UAV debris." They also noted that the attack damaged the oil refinery's infrastructure. In addition, as Russian publics write, UAVs struck a military airfield in Morozvosk in the Rostov Region, where a fire broke out.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that air defense forces allegedly destroyed 47 UAVs over the Rostov Region, one drone each over the Belgorod, Voronezh, and Smolensk Regions, and eight over Kuban. In addition, 17 UAVs were destroyed over the Black and Azov Seas.

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Dramatic Footage Shows Ukrainian Drone Striking Russia's Major Black Sea Refinery
2024-07-22
[ZH] Early Monday, Ukraine succeeded in its first successful drone attack on a major Russian refinery since mid-May. Dozens of drones were launched from Ukraine with the objective of crippling Russia's energy infrastructure.

Bloomberg reports Rosneft PJSC's major Tuapse refinery in southern Russia was damaged in a drone attack overnight, which sparked a fire, Russian officials said.

"Infrastructure of the oil refinery in Tuapse was damaged as a result of falling drone debris," Russian authorities wrote in a Telegram statement, adding the fire has since been contained.

Some of the clearest video so far of this conflict shows one of the Ukrainian drones striking the Tuapse refinery.

In a separate Telegram statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said 75 Ukrainian drones were intercepted. At least eight of those drones were shot down near the refinery.

Ukraine has spent much of this year focusing on launching attacks on Russia's energy complex (an attempt to paralyze Moscow's war financing). The Tuapse refinery is Russia's largest on the Black Sea, with an annual refining capacity of 12 million metric tons (or averaging 240,000 barrels per day). It supplies naphtha, fuel oil, vacuum gas oil, and high-sulfur diesel to mainly China, Turkey, Malaysia, and Singapore.

"This is the first successful Ukrainian attack on a major Russian refinery since mid-May, and it comes just as Russia's oil-processing industry is on track to raise its runs to a six-month high to meet growing domestic fuel demand," Bloomberg noted. The last major attack on Tuapse was in mid-May. We penned a note covering the incident titled "Desperate Ukraine Launches Massive Kamikaze Drone Attack Against Russian Black Sea Coast, Sparking Fire At Major Refinery."

Despite Ukraine's targeting of Russian energy infrastructure to slow crude product exports, energy analysts are still forecasting growth for Russia's oil-processing volumes through the end of August.
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: May 27, 2024
2024-05-28
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] 22:05 The leader of the “LPR” Leonid Pasechnik said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a rocket attack on Lugansk with cluster munitions, “after the attack a fire began.” Russian public pages write that the blow was struck on the building of the Higher Military Aviation School of Navigators, where Russian personnel were housed.

21:24 NATO countries are considering new options for assistance to Ukraine. NATO is discussing the possibility of taking protection of the skies over Western Ukraine, writes Bild. And Poland and the Baltic countries may even send their troops to Ukraine if the Russian occupiers achieve a “strategic breakthrough in the east of the country,” Der Soiegel reports. Read more in the material New NATO assistance to Ukraine.

21:18 Convicts who were mobilized in exchange for early release will serve in special assault units consisting of the same prisoners, said Minister of Justice Denis Malyuska. However, he did not rule out that in the future convicts could be sent to units with ordinary military personnel. According to the minister, the convicts who were mobilized are not yet participating in hostilities - they are undergoing training. To date, 613 convicts have already been released from prison.

20:40 The issue of sending French military instructors to Ukraine is still being worked out, the French Ministry of Defense said in a comment to Reuters. “As has been mentioned several times, training on Ukrainian soil is one of the projects discussed after the conference on supporting Ukraine, convened by the President of the Republic on February 26,” the statement said.

20:36 Iran supplied Russia with the latest aerial bombs for drone strikes for the first time, Bild military expert Julian Repke said, commenting on a video from the crash site of a heavy Iranian Mohajer-6 UAV in the Kursk region. It carried the latest Iranian Qaem-5 guided bombs and was supposed to attack the territory of the Sumy region, but did not reach the target and fell.

The Qaem-5 bomb is television-guided and can be equipped with various types of warheads. The declared flight range is up to 40 km, the minimum operational altitude is about 3 km. In Iran, it was put into service in August 2019.

20:22 As a result of today's Russian attack in the Kholodnogorsky district of Kharkov, one person was killed and 11 were injured, the prosecutor's office reported. A total of two hits were recorded: one of the aircraft's munitions hit near the entrance to the territory of a sweets production company, the second hit a production facility for the production of irrigation systems for agricultural enterprises. In the Shevchenko district, another aircraft munition hit near the roadway. Previously, the enemy attacked the city with three UMPB D-30s from the territory of the Belgorod region.

18:56 The EU foreign ministers discussed the lifting of restrictions on the use of NATO weapons by Kiev on the territory of the Russian Federation, said the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell: “We discussed the need to provide more air defense systems, in particular Patriot, as well as the lifting of restrictions on the use of supplied weapons by Ukraine on the territory RF. This is a debate that is now gaining momentum."

Borrell also said that the EU foreign ministers were unable to approve the final decision on the allocation of income from Russian assets to the purchase of weapons to Ukraine; it remains blocked.

18:49 Poland will restrict the movement of Russian diplomats on its territory, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said: “I have just announced Poland’s decision in connection with Russia’s participation in the hybrid war against the European Union and Poland. Restrictions will be introduced on the movement of Russian diplomats throughout our country.”

18:45 On Tuesday, May 28, no power outages are forecast, Ukrenergo reported. If the situation in the energy system changes, measures to limit consumption will be communicated additionally.

18:42 The NATO Parliamentary Assembly called on the governments of the Alliance states to allow Ukraine to fire Western weapons at targets on the territory of the Russian Federation, said the head of the permanent delegation of the Verkhovna Rada to the NATO PA, Yegor Chernev. According to him, parliamentarians will now have legal grounds to put even more pressure on their governments to ensure that the decision is implemented.

18:39 The death toll as a result of the Russian strike on Snegirevka, Nikolaev region, has increased to three, six people were injured. Rescue work continues, said the head of the OSA, Vitaly Kim.

18:34 France will send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian military personnel, Syrsky said following a video meeting with French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that he had already signed documents that would allow the first French instructors to visit Ukrainian training centers and get acquainted with their infrastructure and personnel.

18:28 Zelensky will pay an official visit to Portugal on May 28, the office of the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousi, said. According to the message, the visit will be aimed at deepening relations between Ukraine and Portugal, and special attention will be paid to strengthening cooperation in the field of security and defense. Zelensky will hold working meetings with Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and will be received by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

18:24 As a result of the attack on the Kholodnogorsky district of Kharkov, one person was killed and ten were injured, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. The enemy hit a civilian enterprise with a KAB, there is destruction of production premises.

17:55 NATO allies are demanding that Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg this week clarify his €100 billion support plan for Ukraine, Politico writes. Behind the scenes, even some of Ukraine's closest Eastern European allies have become more reserved on the matter in recent weeks, wondering where and how such a huge sum will come from, the newspaper reports.

17:31 Brazil and India are considering sending junior officials to the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, Bloomberg writes. At the same time, according to the agency, only a high-ranking government official from China can come to the world summit.

17:06 As a result of a full-scale war in Ukraine, about 30% of the total potential of the agricultural sector was destroyed, 20% of agricultural land is under occupation, said Secretary of State of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy Viktor Kantsurak.

16:49 The Russians struck the Kholodnogorsky district of Kharkov, according to preliminary data, four people were injured, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov.

16:45 As a result of the Russian attack in the town of Snigirevka, Nikolaev region, two people were killed and five were injured, including two 17-year-old teenagers, the State Emergency Service reported. The impact caused a fire in a coffee shop, a car shop and a tire shop, and a self-service car wash was damaged by the blast wave. Rescuers extinguished the fire on an area of ​​300 square meters. m, search and rescue operations continue.

16:32 Six more Russian helicopters have arrived in Belarus, reports the Belarusian Gayun monitoring group. Right now in Baranovichi there are two Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, four Su-30SM fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces and eight Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

16:13 In Kharkov, the number of deaths as a result of the Russian strike on the Epicenter increased to 18, the number of injured - to 48, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. Five people remain missing.

16:04 Ukraine and Spain signed a bilateral agreement on security guarantees, Zelensky said. As part of the document, Spain will provide Ukraine with weapons worth 1 billion euros by the end of the year, and 5 billion by 2027. He also said that the Russian Federation uses more than 3,000 KABs monthly to strike Ukraine. The President believes that next month the enemy could use 3,500 guided bombs, and no country has such a number of missiles to shoot down these bombs. “We need at least seven Patriot systems. Khar'kov alone needs at least two systems. And Russian planes will not be able to fly to such a distance to use these aerial bombs,” Zelensky emphasized.

16:01 European arms manufacturers are faced with a shortage of TNT and other fuels when producing shells and missiles for Ukraine. This is one of the reasons that the EU has not fulfilled its promise to supply Ukraine with 1 million artillery shells by March 2024, writes The Economist.

15:58 Since the beginning of the year, 101 children from the Kherson region have been returned from Russian occupation, said the head of the OBA Alexander Prokudin. Thus, the other day we managed to evacuate a large family with seven children to territory controlled by Ukraine.

15:26 Stoltenberg again stated that NATO allies need to reconsider the restrictions on Ukraine’s ban on hitting the Russian Federation with Western weapons: “The right to self-defense includes the right to strike at legitimate military targets outside of Ukraine. This is part of self-defense. The front line runs more or less along border line, and if you can't attack Russian forces on the other side of the front because they're on the other side of the border, then you're really reducing the ability of the Ukrainian forces to defend themselves."

15:14 The NBU has downgraded its economic growth forecast for 2024 from 3.6% to 3%. The main reason is Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy system.

15:05 Hungary will not support the 14th package of EU sanctions against Russia, said the country's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó. According to him, the new restrictions are contrary to Budapest's interests in the field of energy.

14:57 Zelensky said that he had a telephone conversation with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and agreed to sign a bilateral security agreement in the near future.

14:33 The Russians launched a missile attack on a self-service car wash in Snegirevka, Nikolaev region, said the head of the OBA Vitaly Kim. Two people were injured, one of them in serious condition.

13:46 German Foreign Minister Annalena Bärbock announced the transfer of humanitarian aid to Ukraine in the amount of 60 million euros.

13:29 Zelensky said that he arrived in Madrid to sign a bilateral security agreement and hold negotiations with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. “We will talk about continuing defense cooperation, preparing a new package of military assistance, training the Ukrainian military. I will also be received by His Majesty King Felipe VI and will meet with the heads of chambers and factions of the Spanish Parliament,” the president added.

12:54 NATO will create a separate structure for financing and organizing arms supplies to Ukraine, Stoltenberg said: “I firmly believe that we need a more solid institutional structure to provide assistance to Ukraine. One-time short-term voluntary assistance is good, but in the long term we need more predictable, stronger aid to Ukraine." According to the Secretary General, the first decisions can be made at the Alliance summit in Washington.

12:27 According to updated data, as a result of a Russian missile attack on a construction hypermarket in Khar'kov on May 25, 16 people were killed and 45 were injured. Five people remain missing, the prosecutor's office said.

12:08 Stoltenberg said that NATO cannot close the sky over Ukraine or send its troops to prevent a direct clash with the Russian Federation: “If we have NATO forces directly involved in the conflict, if they attack Russian targets, in the sky or on ground in Ukraine, then we will be in a situation in which it will be very difficult to keep NATO out of the conflict. We should not have NATO troops on the ground or equipment in the skies of Ukraine." According to the Secretary General, training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by NATO forces on the territory of Ukraine is also not planned.

This is how Stoltenberg commented on Der Spiegel’s information that Poland and the Baltic countries allegedly declared their readiness to send troops to Ukraine in the event of serious successes of the Russian military at the front.

Bild writes, citing sources, that Estonia, Britain, Poland, Canada, and France are in favor of closing the skies over western Ukraine and training the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the country. The USA and Germany are against it. In addition, the issue of delivering weapons not only to the borders of Ukraine, but also further to the front line is being discussed according to the concept of advanced logistics. There are no final decisions on any issue yet.

12:01 In the Khar'kov direction, the Defense Forces today repelled an attack by the Russians in the direction of Liptsy. Ukrainian units are improving their defense lines and are having success in some areas, the General Staff reported.

11:52 The European Union has imposed sanctions against Viktor Medvedchuk, the Czech Foreign Ministry reported. Also subject to restrictions were the pro-Russian propagandist Artem Marchevsky, an ally of Medvedchuk, and the Russian Internet portal Voice of Europe. Restrictions previously imposed on them by the Czech Republic are now in effect in all 27 EU member states.

11:13 The EU intends to organize a peace conference on Ukraine in the fall with the participation of Russia, Bloomberg writes, citing sources. The meeting is to take place in Saudi Arabia. Today, EU foreign ministers will discuss “how to find an acceptable outcome” for the summit in Switzerland. Many leaders will not attend the event, including Biden, Xi Jinping and most likely Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

10:44 In the morning, Russian troops attacked Antonovka, Kherson region, two people were wounded, the OVA reported.

10:39 The Chinese Foreign Ministry, in response to Zelensky’s calls for Xi Jinping to take part in the Peace Summit in Switzerland, once again stated that Beijing stands for holding a peace conference recognized by both Moscow and Kiev.

10:36 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) writes that Russian troops are concentrating limited forces in the Kursk and Bryansk regions near the border with the Sumy region, but this is not enough for a successful operation to encircle or capture Khar'kov or Sumy. At the same time, analysts indicate that even limited Russian offensive operations in these areas would create pressure that would stretch Ukrainian forces along a broader front and perhaps allow Russian forces to establish tactical footholds to support further operations either northwest of Khar'kov or in the direction of Sumy.

10:12 Spain will transfer Patriot missiles and Leopard tanks to Ukraine by the end of June as part of an aid package worth 1.1 billion euros, El País writes, citing sources. According to the newspaper, we are talking about 19 old German Leopard 2A4 tanks and other weapons, including anti-drone weapons. The new package will be announced during Zelensky’s visit to Madrid.

09:40 In the Kherson region over the past 24 hours, three people were injured as a result of Russian shelling, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin. 12 private houses, an administrative building and an indestructibility point were damaged.

08:54 The Spanish government confirmed that Zelensky is expected in Madrid today. He will meet with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the royal family.

08:49 Russian public pages write that at night a Ukrainian drone attacked a military facility in the city of Orsk near Orenburg. Ukrainian media, citing intelligence sources, report that the target of the attack was the Voronezh M long-range target detection radar. Thus, the power steering drone set a new record, flying 1,800 km. The consequences of the attack are unknown.

08:25 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of May 27:

  • personnel - about 502,340 (+1150) people,

  • tanks - 7671 (+9),

  • armored combat vehicles - 14,818 (+15),

  • artillery systems - 12,981 (+28),

  • MLRS - 1084 (+1),

  • air defense systems - 815 (+1),

  • aircraft - 357 (+0),

  • helicopters - 326 (+0),

  • UAVs of operational-tactical level - 10 467 (+42),

  • cruise missiles - 2221 (+12),

  • ships/boats - 27 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 17,694 (+55),

  • special equipment - 2118 (+7).

07:53 At night, drones attacked a gas station in the city of Livny, Oryol region. Governor Andrei Klychkov said that as a result of a repeated UAV attack, the driver of the fire department was killed and three more rescuers were injured. According to the opposition Russian publication Astra, a total of two stations were damaged, which are located 250 meters from each other on Frunze Street: Rosneft gas station and Nord gas gas station. Both stations are located in close proximity to the Livenskaya oil depot.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that air defense allegedly shot down 12 drones overnight over the Bryansk (1), Belgorod (1), Oryol (6) regions and the Krasnodar Territory (4).

00:38 The Russian Army occupied Netaylovo, Donetsk region, and also advanced near Sladkoe, Novomikhailovka, Sokol, Ocheretino, Novoaleksandrovka, Chasov Yar and in Berestovo, DeepState analysts reported.

The General Staff reports that in the Pokrovsky direction, during the day, Russian troops continued to try to break into the Ukrainian defense from the area of ​​​​the settlement of Ocheretino; four attacks continue there. There are also battles near Sokol and Umansky. In some areas the enemy had partial success.

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Belousov will be Minister of Defense
2024-05-13
Direct Translation via Google Translate.

Putin appoints a bean counter to the post of Russian Minister of defense
[ColonelCassad] Putin nominated Belousov to the post of Minister of Defense.

What a twist.

More from the Financial Times:
Putin replaces security chiefs in surprise reshuffle
Vladimir Putin has replaced two of his longest-serving security officials in a surprise reshuffle, suggesting the Russian president is dissatisfied with the handling of his two-year invasion of Ukraine.

Putin, who was sworn in for a fifth term in office earlier this week extending his quarter-century rule until at least 2030, has moved Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister since 2012, to become head of Russia’s security council on Sunday, according to the upper house of parliament.
Putin kicked Shoigu upstairs.
Andrei Belousov, a deputy prime minister and longtime economic adviser to Putin, is to replace Shoigu.

Nikolai Patrushev, a hawkish former spy and one of Putin’s closest aides who has led the security council since 2008, will take up an unspecified new position.

Putin’s appointments mark the biggest shake-up of his security officials in a decade and a half, even as his forces continue to advance against Ukraine’s outmanned, outgunned army.

The Kremlin painted Shoigu’s move as part of efforts to rein in Russia’s runaway defence spending. On Putin’s orders to supply armed forces fighting in Ukraine this has been earmarked for the current year at a record Rbs10.8tn ($118.5bn).

You can see Wikipedia's rundown on Belousov here

The Russian perspective from RIA Novosti
Cutting-edge ideas. What is known about Andrei Belousov
While the State Duma is approving the nominations of Cabinet members sent for approval, Vladimir Putin has begun consultations with the Federation Council. The president, together with the upper house, will have to determine the composition of the government’s power bloc and the head of the Foreign Ministry. One of the main intrigues in the Northern Military District is the future Minister of Defense. Unexpectedly for experts, Putin proposed Andrei Belousov for this post.

SUDDEN REPLACEMENT
For now, at the head of the Ministry of Defense - in an acting capacity, since the government resigned on inauguration day is Sergei Shoigu. He has been in this position since 2012, and before that he headed the Ministry of Emergency Situations. All these years, according to opinion polls, he was regularly among the officials with a high level of trust.

Three weeks ago, the military department found itself in the center of public attention, but not in connection with the Northern Military District. Deputy Minister Timur Ivanov was detained on suspicion of taking a bribe.

The Kremlin did not connect this with the head of the Ministry of Defense. However, on May 12, Putin proposed changing the minister. According to the list received from the president to the Federation Council, Shoigu is the only one from the power bloc who was decided not to be reappointed.

HEREDITARY ECONOMIST
While Shoigu was among the most recognizable ministers, Andrei Belousov, who worked in the economic bloc, did not appear on television screens so often.

But in big politics, the former first deputy prime minister in the government of Mikhail Mishustin is an experienced person.

A hereditary economist, his father helped develop the economic reforms of the 1960s. Ph.D. At the end of the USSR - employee of the Central Economics and Mathematics Institute, Institute of Economics and Forecasting of Scientific and Technological Progress. Since the 1990s - at the Institute of National Economic Forecasting of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

In 2006, Belousov was appointed deputy minister of economic development and trade, and in 2008 - director of the department of economics and finance of the government apparatus.

In the Cabinet of Dmitry Medvedev, he is the manager from Russia at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. And since 2013, he has been Putin’s assistant on economic issues. In addition, in 2015-2018 - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rosneft.

CYBERNETICS METHODS
Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov emphasized: Andrei Belousov is not just a civil official, but an accomplished successful specialist. If the Federation Council approves him, he will become the second non-military Minister of Defense after Anatoly Serdyukov.

His knowledge and experience will be useful, since, according to Peskov, the department “must be absolutely open to innovation, the introduction of all advanced ideas, and the creation of conditions for economic competitiveness.”

“That is why the president chose the candidacy of Andrei Removich Belousov,” the press secretary emphasized.

It was no coincidence that we started talking about innovation. By specialty obtained at Moscow State University, Belousov is a cybernetic economist. And obviously, the stake now is not only on the economic merits of the applicant, but also on his ability to “refresh” the work of the department with non-standard methods.

From a comment in a video posted on the V Kontakte page of Military Informant
Ivan Ivanov

The transfer to the post of head of the Security Council is similar to another taxi driver’s signature hit:

1) they were transferred specifically to the Head, so that our suspicious armchair expert/kitchen-political lochtorat very predictably the whole crowd would not think that Khuzhenetovich had fallen into disgrace.
Khuzhenetovich is the patronymic of Sergey Shoigu.
Experts everywhere are already explaining to the scammer that this is a transfer_with_increase, because they say the Security Council includes all the security forces and the Defense Ministry, including, and therefore Khuzhenetovich now became the head not only of the Defense Ministry, but also of all the security forces.

2) Attentive people know the fate of a huge proportion of the highest stripes who commanded the return to their native harbor: a wave of “heart attacks, strokes, traffic accidents, accidents”, etc.

Perhaps this will be the case with this bearer of too many secrets, which even more concern the very, very highest persons of the state and the management processes at the very top.

There will be an “honorable retirement” as head of the Security Council, then a sudden illness and untimely departure for the new incarnation of this lover of pagoda-style villas.

More from the V Kontakte page of Irina Belokolos
A complete list of candidates proposed by Vladimir Putin for the posts of heads of law enforcement agencies.
– for the post of Minister of Internal Affairs – Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kolokoltsev; -- No change

– for the post of Minister for Civil Defense, Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief – Alexander Vyacheslavovich Kurenkov; -- No change

– for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs – Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov; -- No change

- for the post of Minister of Defense - Andrey Removich Belousov;

– for the post of Minister of Justice – Konstantin Anatolyevich Chuychenko; -- No change

– for the position of Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service – Sergey Evgenievich Naryshkin; -- No change

– for the position of Director of the Federal Security Service – Alexander Vasilievich Bortnikov; -- No change

– for the post of Director of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops – Zolotov Viktor Vasilievich; -- No change

– for the position of Director of the Federal Security Service – Dmitry Viktorovich Kochnev; -- No change

- for the post of Head of the Main Directorate of Special Programs of the President - Alexander Leonidovich Linz. Former advisor to Boris Yelstin -- No change

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


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: March 25, 2024
2024-03-26
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] 22:29 The SBU liquidated 47 agent networks in 2023, department head Vasily Malyuk said in an interview with ICTV. According to him, the networks included a variety of traitors - from current people’s deputies to representatives of the Defense Forces. He also said that the SBU has already carried out 13 successful attacks on Russian refineries, which have reduced the export of petroleum products by a third. In addition, with the help of sea drones Sea Baby and Mamai, they have already managed to hit 11 Russian ships and unblock the Black Sea. Malyuk also announced new special operations “on land and at sea.”

22:13 It will take years to restore CHPP-5 in Kharkov after the Russian attack; the city is powered by other regions, said Natalya Verbovaya, a representative of the press service of the thermal power plant.

21:58 Russian troops continue their offensive in the Bakhmut area and are approaching the outskirts of Chasova Yar, Donetsk region. The city could provide Russian troops with a route to Konstantinovka, the southern edge of the large urban agglomeration in the Donetsk region that the Russian Federation has long viewed as a major operational target in Ukraine. Read more in the material Dangerous Area .

21:14 British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said that “there is no connection between Ukraine and the terrorist attack near Moscow that Britain is aware of.” At the same time, he recalled that ISIS terrorists took responsibility for the shooting. “We must resist Putin’s attempts to tie this together,” the minister stressed.

21:11 Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba discussed with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell the possibilities of strengthening Ukrainian air defense systems, the Foreign Ministry reported.

21:09 Iceland has joined the Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine and will allocate about 2 million euros for it, the country’s Foreign Ministry reported.

21:06 The Russians attacked a private residential area with a controlled aerial bomb in the town of Dergachi, Kharkov region, injuring four people, the prosecutor’s office reported. More than 20 private households were damaged.

21:00 Russia has modernized Zircon missiles, which turned out to be hypersonic and better than Kinzhal, writes Defense Express. According to the publication, this time experts were able to collect more fragments of this missile, which made it possible to conduct a more detailed examination and find out to what extent the Russians managed to modernize it.

Analysts claim that the Russians managed to develop a hypersonic jet engine and install it on Zircon. Thus, the Zircon, unlike the X-47 Kinzhal, is still hypersonic and can maintain a constant hypersonic speed. When approaching the target, the missile picks up speed up to 9000 km/h, and it is very difficult to shoot it down.

20:54 Putin said that the terrorist attack in Crocus near Moscow is “a link in a series of attempts by those who have been fighting the Russian Federation since 2014 at the hands of the Kiev regime.”

19:47 The Southern Defense Forces clarified that Russian troops struck the recreational area of ​​Odessa with a double strike along a ballistic trajectory. Two buildings were destroyed and windows were broken in houses around them. It is preliminary known that four people were wounded.

19:36 The Russians launched a missile attack on Odessa, currently three people are known to be wounded, said Oleg Kiper, head of the OVA. There is damage to civilian infrastructure.

19:31 Ukraine is definitely not involved in the attack by ISIS terrorists on Crocus near Moscow, as the Kremlin continues to claim, said White House Advisor John Kirby. "This is just another manifestation of Kremlin propaganda. This is all they can do in an attempt to connect with what they are doing in Ukraine, in an attempt to find at least some justification for their continuous violence and robbery," he said. Kirby also confirmed that the American side warned the Russian leadership in advance about ISIS plans for a terrorist attack.

18:58 Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergei Andreev ignored the call to the Polish Foreign Ministry, where he was invited due to the violation of the country’s airspace by a Russian missile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Pavel Vronsky said. According to him, Warsaw will now send a diplomatic note to the Russian Foreign Ministry through another channel demanding clarification of the fact that the Russian missile violated Polish airspace.

Meanwhile, Andreev, in a commentary to Russian media, said that he refused to come to the Polish Foreign Ministry because allegedly “there is no evidence that we are talking about a Russian missile.” He added that he invited the Polish side to send him a corresponding note by courier or mail.

18:04 Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian air defense has shot down more than 2,000 cruise and ballistic missiles, the Ministry of Defense reported.

17:35 It will take years to restore the Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Station after a missile attack, said the General Director of Ukrhydroenergo Igor Sirota. According to him, the dismantling of the remnants of the ceiling and walls of the turbine room is now ongoing - but this will take weeks. It is not yet known what damage is on the four floors below the station, which are now littered. Units at the station were hit and equipment burned down. Some equipment needs to be produced from scratch, and the machine room needs to be completely reconstructed. An approximate estimate of the cost of restoring the Dnieper hydroelectric station can be given ten days after the completion of the removal of the rubble, Sirota noted.

17:27 During the day, the Russians fired at Kherson and the deoccupied settlements of the region from artillery, MLRS, drones and aircraft. One person died - preliminary, as a result of explosives being dropped from a drone, the prosecutor's office reported.

17:03 A Russian court sent four suspects in the shooting at the Crocus concert hall in the Moscow region to pre-trial detention. From the photos from the courtroom, it is clear that the suspects were brutally tortured. Such actions of Russian law enforcement officers seriously angered the terrorist group ISIS, Iranian media report. As a sign of protest against the torture and interrogation of members of their organization, the terrorists announced further terrorist attacks on the territory of the Russian Federation and personally threaten Putin. Read more in the article There will be revenge .

16:38 Russian planes dropped two more aerial bombs on the Belgorod region - over the past week it is already known that six FABs fell in the region, reports the opposition Russian publication Astra. So, on March 22, FAB-250 was found near the village of Shalaevo, Valuysky urban district. On the same day, the same aerial bomb was found 5 km from the village of Kazinka in the same district. In both cases, residents were not evacuated, ammunition was confiscated, and there were no casualties.

15:54 Russia today launched strikes on Kiev with two of its newest ZM22 Zircon missiles, writes the specialized publication Defense Express, citing sources. Experts note that this is the second publicly known use of this missile after an unsuccessful attempt to attack Kyiv on February 7. Then, probably, the damaged rocket fell on the road in the Desnyansky district.

15:46 Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called on allies, in particular Poland, to shoot down Russian missiles over NATO countries: “Once may be a mistake. But if we allow it to happen again, it will be regarded as encouragement. Therefore, we must change our attitude and send a very clear signal that if this happens again, the missiles or drones will be shot down."

15:03 The Russians fired at Volchansk, Chuguevsky district, Kharkov region, one person was killed, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA.

14:59 The number of victims in the Pechersky district of the capital has increased to ten, one person remains in the hospital, said Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko.

14:22 The Kuibyshev oil refinery in Samara, owned by Rosneft, stopped CDU-5, one of two primary processing units, after an attack by drones, writes Reuters. Thus, half of the plant's capacity was disabled.

14:15 In Odessa, as a result of a night attack on an energy infrastructure facility, emergency power outages were introduced, the work of the thermal power plant, two city boiler houses and Infoxvodokanal pumping stations was stopped, said city mayor Gennady Trukhanov. Currently, water supply and drainage have been restored, and the operation of boiler houses in the Peresypsky district has also been resumed. Work is underway to launch a thermal power plant. There is a power shortage in the city, so a decision was made to temporarily stop city electric transport and increase the number of buses. During the period of restoration work at the damaged facility in Odessa, 161 indestructibility points will be opened.

14:09 In Kharkov, starting from Tuesday, March 26, heating will be turned off. According to the mayor of the city, Igor Terekhov, Russian strikes on the city on March 22 virtually destroyed the main energy facilities, and in order to reduce the load on the energy system, a decision was made to end the heating season early. “Only this will make it possible to provide electricity to the maximum number of consumers and provide hot water to the homes of Kharkov residents,” explained the mayor.

Terekhov also said that today it was possible to launch train traffic at all metro stations with an interval of 20 minutes, while at the same time there is still not enough capacity for ground electric transport. Instead of trams and trolleybuses, there are free municipal buses.

13:53 The Russians probably hit Kiev with Zircon anti-ship missiles, said Natalya Gumenyuk, speaker of the Southern Defense Forces.

13:45 The number of victims in the Pechersky district of Kiev has increased to seven, of which two were hospitalized. Rescuers continue to clear the rubble, said Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko.

13:29 The missiles that the Russian Federation fired at Kiev were aimed at the premises where high-ranking SBU officials are located, the Kyiv Post reports, citing sources.

12:58 Zelensky showed the consequences of a missile attack on Kiev:

12:27 Over the weekend, the Defense Forces hit two landing ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Yamal and Azov in Crimea. A communications center and several infrastructure facilities of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the peninsula were also struck. Experts in the West say they are amazed at the work of the Ukrainians and announce a change in the tactics of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Read more in the article Strike at Putin .

12:22 Debris from a Russian rocket destroyed part of the building of the Academy of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design named after Mikhail Boychuk in Kiev, the Ministry of Culture reported. The central part of the building was damaged, in particular, the sports hall, congress hall and exhibition center were completely destroyed. The premises of the departments and auditoriums of the institution were also significantly damaged. According to preliminary information, there were no deaths, two people were hospitalized.

12:06 Starting from April, Ukrainians will be able to submit applications to the International Register of Damage through Diya, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mikhail Fedorov. He has already signed a corresponding agreement with the executive director of the international Register of damage caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine, Markiyan Klyuchkovsky. Ukrainians will be able to submit applications about damaged or destroyed apartments, houses, dachas, etc. It is planned that later it will also be possible to submit claims through Diya about forced displacement, harm to life and health, torture and sexual violence, as well as damage to infrastructure and business losses.

11:59 The State Emergency Service clarified that as a result of a missile attack, a three-story gym building in the Pechersky district of Kiev was damaged. Rescue operations continue, there may be people under the rubble. In Darnitsky and Solomyansky districts, private houses were damaged due to falling debris.

11:45 According to updated information, as a result of a missile attack on Kiev in the Pechersky district, a three-story non-residential building was damaged, without subsequent burning, the KGVA reported. A multi-storey building was damaged in the Solomensky district, and a fall of debris was recorded in Goloseevsky. The number of victims in the Pechersk region has increased to five, Klitschko said.

11:27 The Russians attacked Kiev with two ballistic missiles from the territory of Crimea. Both targets were destroyed, their type is being determined, the Air Force said. The head of the KGVA Sergei Popko said that, according to preliminary data, a multi-storey building in the Pechersky district of the capital was damaged as a result of the attack. Currently, four victims are known, including a 16-year-old teenager, said Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko. Also in the Pechersky district there is destruction in a non-residential three-story building. In the Goloseevsky district, rocket debris was found in a forest belt.

10:56 The head of the SBU, Vasily Malyuk, confirmed that the service had been striking Russian oil refineries: “For more than two years, the SBU has been hitting the enemy every day in the most painful spots - the Crimean Bridge, warships in the Black Sea, tanks, electronic warfare and air defense systems, oil refineries and "other objects that work for the Russian military-industrial complex. All these are our legitimate goals, because they are bringing war to Ukrainian soil."

10:38 The head of the Ground Forces Training Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Viktor Nikolyuk, announced his resignation. The major general announced that he would lead “one of the formations and one of the directions of the front.”

10:19 One power unit of the Novocherkassk State District Power Plant was damaged after an attack by a UAV, reports the opposition Russian publication Astra. According to journalists, the state district power plant was attacked by all 11 UAVs, the destruction of which was reported to the Russian Ministry of Defense in the morning. After the attack, two power units went offline, one of the idle power units (the eighth) was damaged. There were no casualties.

09:58 The reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs was damaged as a result of yesterday's attack on Crimea, reports the opposition Russian publication Astra. According to sources, on the night of March 23-24, 18 missiles were launched at Sevastopol, 11 of them were shot down. The military unit on Rudneva Street, the large landing ship Azov and Yamal, and the reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs were damaged, which was hit by two missiles at once. No casualties are known.

09:17 Air defense at night destroyed eight of the nine Shahed-type attack UAVs that Russia attacked from the Crimean Cape Chauda, ​​the Air Force reported. The drones were destroyed within the Nikolaev and Odessa regions.

09:10 The death toll as a result of the Russian attack on Krivoy Rog on March 12 has increased to six - one of the wounded died in the hospital. As of today, seven more people injured as a result of the shelling remain in hospitals - three of them are in serious condition, said the mayor of the city, Alexander Vilkul.

08:58 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) states that Russian troops are trying to advance in the direction of Chasov Yar, Donetsk region, but are unlikely to be able to threaten the populated area with a cordon or occupation in the coming months.

08:47 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 25:

  • personnel - about 437,390 (+640) people,

  • tanks - 6887 (+11),

  • armored combat vehicles - 13,183 (+25),

  • artillery systems - 10,877 (+22),

  • MLRS - 1018 (+0),

  • air defense systems - 726 (+3),

  • aircraft - 347 (+0),

  • helicopters - 325 (+0),

  • UAV of operational-tactical level - 8539 (+29),

  • cruise missiles - 2010 (+18),

  • ships/boats - 26 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 14,454 (+47),

  • special equipment - 1785 (+7).

08:31 The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense reported that on March 23, the 13th ship repair plant of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol was attacked, where, among other things, the large landing ship Yamal was moored. According to military intelligence, the damage to the ship is critical: a hole in the upper deck resulted in a list to starboard. Now the Russians are continuously pumping water from the stricken ship, which took part in the annexation of Crimea and was under repair from 2017 to 2023.

07:59 Over the past 24 hours, 60 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In particular, the enemy tried 25 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the areas of Krasnogorovka, Georgievka, Novomikhailovka, Urozhaynoye, Donetsk region. Another ten enemy attacks were repulsed in the Avdeevsky direction - in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi and Pervomaisk, Donetsk region.

In the Kupyansk direction, the Defense Forces repelled one enemy attack in the Sinkovka area of ​​the Kharkov region; in Limansky - eight attacks in the areas of Belogorivka, Luhansk region and Yampolevka, Vesyoly, Donetsk region; on Bakhmutsky - eight attacks in the Bogdanovka, Kleshcheevka, Andreevka districts of the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - three attacks in the districts of Staromayorsky, Donetsk region and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region; on Kherson - one attack.

07:26 At night, the Russians attacked energy facilities in the Nikolaev and Odessa regions with drones, the Southern Defense Forces reported. Before the drone attack, the enemy launched an X-31P anti-radar missile from a tactical aircraft to interfere with the air defense. The missile lost its combat capability in the air. Next, the Russians attacked with several waves of Shahed-131/136 type drones and managed to destroy four UAVs in each area.

In the Nikolaev region, an enemy drone hit an energy facility, a fire broke out, which was promptly extinguished by rescuers, no people were injured. As a result of falling debris in the private sector of Nikolaev, a two-story residential building was destroyed; there was also a fire there, which has already been extinguished. Several surrounding houses were damaged by the blast wave. According to preliminary data, 11 people were injured, two of them were hospitalized.

In the Odessa region, the debris of a downed drone damaged an energy facility, a fire broke out, which caused a blackout in part of Odessa and nearby settlements. The fire was extinguished, no people were injured. Ukrenergo clarified that at night Russian drones attacked two substations in the southern region. Due to equipment damage in Odessa and the region, consumption limitation periods have been increased in order to protect surviving equipment from overload.

03:53 In Novocherkassk, Rostov region of the Russian Federation, drones attacked a thermal power plant - Novocherkassk State District Power Plant, local publics write. Eyewitnesses report that they counted several dozen drones and more than ten explosions. Governor of the Rostov region Vasily Golubev said that two power units of the Novocherkassk State District Power Plant were temporarily taken out of service after a fire, the causes of which are being established.

02:52 OSINT analyst Tyler Rogovey published a satellite image showing the consequences of missile attacks on Russian large landing ships Yamal and Azov in Sevastopol. “You can see two hits: on the pier near one ship, and on the dry dock near the other. It is impossible to see visible damage on the ships themselves,” the expert writes. At the same time, he added that one of the ships was being towed into a dry dock, and it probably received some damage. A stain is also spreading from the ship, which may indicate a leak of fuel and lubricants.

Rogoway noted that after a cursory examination of high-resolution satellite images, there were no obvious signs of serious damage to the landing craft, but this does not mean that they were not hit, and this assessment may change.

Ukraine hit Russian ships Yamal and Azov in Sevastopol / @Aviation_Intel

01:45 The NATO Parliamentary Assembly plans to grant Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia the status of candidates for joining the Alliance. This is a new status for the country in the Assembly, which agreed to create a Standing Committee as part of a comprehensive partnership reform. Changes to the partnership must be ratified by the full Assembly at the 2024 spring session in Bulgaria at the end of May.

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: March 16, 2024
2024-03-17
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.
[Korrespomdent] 22:35 During the day, the Russians hit Nikopol and the Krasnogrigoryevsk community of the Dnepropetrovsk region eight times with kamikaze drones and artillery. Two people were injured, more than 30 private houses were damaged, and there was also destruction on the territory of an infrastructure facility, said the head of the OVA, Sergei Lysak.

22:19 Macron said that NATO countries cannot follow the path of escalation, “because we don’t need another war.” At the same time, he emphasized that Russia should not win, “but our goal is also to return peace to Europe. We have no limits, and we will react depending on how the Russian Federation reacts.”

According to the French president, the territorial integrity of Ukraine will be a “fundamental value” in possible negotiations with the Russian Federation. “If Putin suddenly wants to offer something, I will answer the phone call. But real negotiations on ending the war should be conducted by Putin and Zelensky,” he added. Macron also confirmed his visit to Ukraine: “I will come with specific proposals and decisions.”

In addition, Macron said that France would offer Russia a ceasefire in Ukraine for the duration of the Olympic Games, which will be held from July 26 to August 11.

20:58 Yuriy Ignat was dismissed from the post of speaker of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said commander Nikolai Oleshchuk. At the same time, he added that Ignat will remain part of the Armed Forces and “will work in another direction no less successfully.”

20:36 Zelensky, in an evening video message, commented on the strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation: “Over the past weeks, many have already seen that the Russian war system has vulnerabilities and that we can reach these vulnerabilities with our weapons. And I thank the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the SBU and the Main Directorate intelligence for the new Ukrainian long-range. Of course, I also thank our defense-industrial complex - everyone who works for the sake of Ukrainian strength, because this is truly Ukrainian long-range - what our own drones can do. Ukraine will now always have its own strike force in the sky ".

19:54 Budanov commented on the attacks of Russian volunteers on the territory of the Russian Federation: “As far as we know, they are not going to end in the near future. They will do what they have enough strength to do. And as we see, they have enough strength to at least achieve limited success. What will happen next - we will see over time... This is an internal question. We may like some more, like others less. But some Russians are different from others."

16:17 The ruling coalition of Germany supported the transfer of Taurus to Ukraine in the European Parliament. During the EP meeting in Strasbourg, politicians from the SPD, VDP and Greens voted for a resolution that Ukraine needs these long-range missiles. The vote in the European Parliament took place on a resolution on “the need for unwavering support for Ukraine from the EU.” One of the paragraphs of the document noted that “the country especially needs highly developed air defense systems, long-range cruise missiles such as Taurus, Storm Shadow and Scalp systems, modern combat aircraft, various types of artillery and ammunition, as well as drones.”

In turn, the Commander-in-Chief of the German Armed Forces, Carsten Breuer, explained that using the Taurus is more complicated than the public knows. According to him, this requires extensive comprehensive data, which must be prepared by special technical installations. In addition, the Bundeswehr has a small amount of this equipment, so if it is transferred to Ukraine, the defense capability of the German army will be seriously weakened.

16:11 In the occupied Skadovsk, Kherson region, on the afternoon of March 15, an explosion occurred in the central square while the occupying forces were patrolling. As a result of the successful sabotage by the partisans, five Russians were injured, the Center for National Resistance reported. After this, the occupation administration of the city canceled further “elections”, allowing only “voting” at the place of residence.

15:53 ​​The SBU hit three Rosneft oil refineries with drones, Ukrainskaya Pravda reports, citing sources. We are talking about the Novokuybyshevsky, Kuibyshevsky and Syzran oil refineries. According to the source, in total these plants process about 25 million tons of oil per year, that is, almost 10% of the total volume in the Russian Federation.

13:39 German intelligence services have prepared for the government an analysis of the military threat from the Russian Federation, which predicts that from 2026 it could attack the territory of NATO member countries, writes Business Insider. According to analysts, Russia is preparing for a large-scale conflict with the West, as indicated by the reorganization of the Russian army, the movement of troops and the deployment of missiles in the west of the country, as well as the increase in arms production. The latter could lead to Russia doubling its military power over the next five years, especially in the field of conventional weapons.

13:10 In the morning, the Russians fired heavy artillery at Novoselovka First, Ocheretinsk community, Donetsk region - one person was killed, one was wounded, said the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin. Over the previous 24 hours, one person was wounded in Krasnogorovka, Maryinsk community, Pokrovsky district. Also in the evening, the enemy launched a missile attack on Slavyansk - an industrial building was damaged.

12:48 The number of victims of the Russian missile strike on Odessa has increased to 21 - another rescuer died in the hospital, said Oleg Kiper, head of the OBA. 39 victims remain in medical facilities.

12:17 More than 50 UN member countries condemned the so-called “elections” of the President of the Russian Federation, held by Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine, reported the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN. The joint statement was signed by the EU and 55 countries, including the USA, Australia, Argentina, Great Britain, Georgia, Moldova, Uruguay, South Korea, and Japan.

11:42 The Russian Volunteer Corps claims that it has captured more than 20 Russian soldiers and invited the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, to a meeting to pick up the prisoners. Russian volunteers also denied information about the alleged destruction of the RDK, saying that a “limited military operation” in the Belgorod and Kursk regions continues.

09:33 Belgorod public pages write about powerful shelling of the city. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported two dead and three injured. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that air defense systems allegedly destroyed eight Vampire missiles over the Belgorod region, as well as at least five drones.

09:26 At night, the Russians struck the village of Kazachya Lopan in the Kharkov region with a drone, damaging a critical infrastructure facility, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. In addition, in the evening, as a result of an attack by an enemy UAV, two people were wounded in the village of Okhrimovka, Chuguevsky district.

08:57 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 16:

  • personnel - about 429,580 (+1160) people,

  • tanks - 6779 (+21),

  • armored combat vehicles - 12,973 (+24),

  • artillery systems - 10 606 (+26),

  • MLRS - 1017 (+0),

  • air defense systems - 719 (+2),

  • aircraft - 347 (+0),

  • helicopters - 325 (+0),

  • UAV of operational-tactical level - 8268 (+14),

  • cruise missiles - 1922 (+2),

  • ships/boats - 26 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 14,024 (+31),

  • special equipment - 1712 (+1).

08:28 Over the past 24 hours, 78 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 Krasnogorovka, Georgievka and Novomikhailovka. Another 26 enemy attacks were repulsed in the Avdeevsky direction - in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi, Orlovka, Tonenkoye and Pervomaiskoye.

In the Kupyansk direction, the Defense Forces repelled three attacks in the Sinkovka and Tabaevka areas of the Kharkov region; in Limansky - nine attacks in the areas of Belogorivka, Lugansk region, and Ternov and Razdolovka, Donetsk region; on Bakhmutsky - three attacks in the Andreevka and Kleshcheevka areas of the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - seven attacks in the districts of Staromayorsky, Donetsk region and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region; on Kherson - three attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops.

07:42 Drones attacked the Syzran and Novokuibyshevsky oil refineries in the Samara region, a fire broke out at an oil products processing plant, there were no casualties, Governor Dmitry Azarov said. The public clarifies that in Syzran the area of ​​the fire is 500 square meters. m. The refinery belongs to Rosneft, the AVT-6 installation was attacked.

06:35 Air defense destroyed two of the two Shahed attack UAVs in the Kharkov region at night, the Air Force reported.

01:21 The United States is not against the deployment of troops of other countries on the territory of Ukraine, but it will not do this itself, White House adviser John Kirby said: “This is a sovereign decision that is assessed and made by each nation. I can only speak on behalf of this sovereign nation and this commander in chief. He made it clear that we will not station our troops there."

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