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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 22, 2025
2025-04-23
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] 21.30 The number of victims as a result of the Russian drone strike on Kharkiv has increased to 11 people. This was reported on April 22 by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.

19.39 A military aircraft with the call sign WELCOM has been recorded in the skies over the territory of Ukraine for the second day already, which attracted users of the tracking service Flightradar24. The head of the communications department of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Yuriy Ignat, spoke about the purpose of the flights.

The plane flew , in particular, over the Lviv and Vinnytsia regions.

Ignat confirmed that this was a military transport aircraft An-26 of the Ukrainian Air Force.

"This aircraft performs certain tasks (the officer did not specify which ones - ed.). In total, dozens of aircraft and helicopters of various types perform tasks, both combat and special, as well as training flights, in the airspace of Ukraine every day," Ignat added.

19:30 During the day on April 22, 2025, the Air Defense Forces shot down 38 Russian drones. 31 enemy drone imitators were lost (without negative consequences). This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

19:10 The Security Service has sent an indictment to court against a Russian agent who committed sabotage at Ukrzaliznytsia facilities in the Vinnytsia and Chernivtsi regions. He faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property. This was reported by the SBU on April 22.

17.46 On April 22, Russian troops shelled Myrnohrad. At least three people were killed and two were wounded. This was reported by the head of the Donetsk OVA Vadim Filashkin. It is noted that around midday, the Russians attacked a civilian car with a drone and killed two people: a 75-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman. Another victim was a 72-year-old man who died in the private sector. In addition, two people were wounded in the city center and taken to hospital.

17.35 As a result of the bombing of Zaporozhye by Russian troops, one person was killed and 26 people were injured, including four children. 12 victims remain in hospitals - all of them with mine and blast injuries. The condition of four of them - men aged 37 and 67 and women aged 57 and 67 - is serious.

According to the police, the Russians struck Zaporizhia with two FAB-500s from the UMPK. The air attack damaged six apartment buildings, a gymnasium building and 28 vehicles.

16.40 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited a military base in the west of the country where Ukrainian troops are undergoing training, Sky News reports. Starmer addressed British, New Zealand and Ukrainian troops at a military base in the west of England. He noted the "resilience of the Ukrainians" and thanked them for coming to Britain for further training.

16.19 State Bureau of Investigation officers exposed the deputy commander of a military unit in the Vinnytsia region, who illegally issued almost 5 million combat payments for dozens of servicemen in the rear in 2022. This was reported by the press service of the State Bureau of Investigation.

16.10 Another supporter of the Kremlin ideology has been exposed in Kharkiv. The 58-year-old resident of the regional center has been an active participant in pro-Russian Telegram channels since December 2023. The man left comments in which he claimed that he was "waiting for the capitulation of the Kiev regime" and the so-called "liberation" of Kharkiv.

The suspect spoke negatively about Ukrainian patriots and rejoiced that "the Russian Federation is destroying Banderovites."

15:29 European countries told the United States last week which aspects of a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia would not be the subject of negotiations, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said.

14:37 American actor Sean Penn visited the Special Operations Forces servicemen stationed in Kropyvnytskyi. This was reported by the fighters of the 3rd separate special forces regiment named after Svyatoslav the Brave on Facebook and they posted a corresponding video.

13.49 Russian invaders carried out a massive attack with "shahed" type attack drones on Kharkov. Explosions were heard in four districts of the city - Kievsky, Saltovsky, Novobavarsky and Shevchenkovsky. So far, seven victims are known.

13.33 As a result of a bombing attack by Russian aggressors in Zaporozhye, one person was killed and 15 were injured. This was reported by the head of the local OVA Ivan Fedorov. Among the injured, two children - a 14-year-old teenager in serious condition, and a 4-year-old boy in moderate condition.

13.00 Russia's so-called "Easter truce" with Ukraine was a marketing operation by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to win the trust of US President Donald Trump, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said.

According to him, the temporary "truce" that the head of the Kremlin declared on April 19, and which Kyiv immediately and repeatedly accused Moscow of violating, was only for show.

"The Easter truce that he (Putin, - ed.) announced somewhat unexpectedly was a marketing operation, a decoy operation, aimed at preventing President Trump from becoming more impatient and angry," Barro said.

12.15 Russian invaders attacked the residential sector of Zaporozhye with guided aerial bombs (UABs). The enemy hit a residential high-rise building . As of now, one woman is known to have died and two injured.

11:57 Russian troops continue to strengthen their military presence in the temporarily occupied Mariupol: two military bases have appeared. This was reported on Telegram by the Mariupol City Council.

11.47 Russian troops carried out artillery, mortar, air and UAV strikes on Kherson, Antonovka, Sadovyi, Prydniprovskyi, Belozerka, Molodezhnoye, Stanislav, Tavricheskyi, Vysuntsy, Zelenovka, Kamyshany, Berislav, Gavrilovka, Zolotaya Balka, Novokainy, Novoraysk and Burgunka during the past night.

11.28 Russian troops carried out a series of airstrikes on the frontline village of Gorokhovatka in the Izyum district of the Kharkiv region. Two civilians were injured, housing infrastructure was destroyed. This was reported by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

10:58 Ukrainian military have thwarted a massive assault and disrupted the enemy's offensive plans in the Zaporizhia direction. This was reported by the special unit of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Artan on its Telegram channel and a video with the relevant footage was posted.

10.38 The Russian military has increased the number of Kalibrs on submarines from four to six. This was reported by the spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, Dmitry Pletenchuk.

"As for the water area (seas - ed.), in principle, no changes have occurred. They did not withdraw additional units, although the dispersal of the naval composition was in Novorossiysk. Most likely, they expected some trouble, but this is an assumption. The very fact that they dispersed. Now there is one carrier - an underwater one. in a different way. Previously, you saw a submarine with four possible Kalibrs, now - this is already six possible missiles," he said.

According to the speaker, the Russians thus decided to increase the combat capabilities of the carriers for delivering strikes.

10:20 The Security Service has detained another member of the Russian intelligence group in Nikolaev that was exposed in March. At that time, four Russian agents were detained during a special operation, who were adjusting missile and drone strikes on the city.

The enemy's main targets were the reserve command posts and logistics units of the defense forces fighting on the southern front.

A fifth adjuster was detained at his place of residence, who, after the enemy cell was exposed, "lay low" to avoid justice. He turned out to be a 50-year-old local unemployed man.

09.43 On the night of April 22, Russia attacked Ukraine with 54 Shahed-type attack drones, as well as different types of drone imitators.

As of 09.00, damage to 38 Shahed-type attack UAVs (other types of drones) has been confirmed in the east, north, south and center of the country. Another 16 drone imitators have been lost without any negative consequences.

The Russian attack affected the Odessa and Kyiv regions.

09.11 At night, Russian troops attacked the Kiev region with drones. Local residents' houses and cars were damaged.

A fire broke out at a construction site in Buchansky District, which rescuers have extinguished. The blast wave damaged the premises of a country complex and the foundation of an unfinished building. Six private houses, four cars, three utility buildings and three garages were also damaged.

The police have not yet received information about victims.

8.39 The Defense Forces have stopped 61 attacks by Russian invaders in the Pokrovsk direction. Over the past 24 hours, 165 combat clashes have been recorded on the front, including 21 in the Kursk region. This is evidenced by the report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

7.57 Ukrainian defenders have eliminated another 1,130 Russian invaders over the past 24 hours. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on its Facebook page.

7.28 Kremlin master Vladimir Putin has offered to hold bilateral talks with Ukraine for the first time since the full-scale invasion. Although Zelensky has not responded to Putin's initiative, he has stressed that Ukraine is "ready for any discussion" about a ceasefire. Putin's statement comes amid pressure from the United States, which has threatened to "abandon its peace efforts if no progress is made."

05.24 In the Kupyansk direction, fighters of the 2nd operational battalion of the 15th brigade of the NGU "Kara-Dag" captured an enemy infantry group that was trying to gain a foothold in the unit's area of ​​responsibility.

04.11 The UN Secretary General's office is aware that during the so-called Easter truce, the aggressor country Russia and Ukraine continued military actions. The UN called for an end to the war in accordance with its resolutions, international law and with respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

01.55 Odessa was subjected to a massive attack by Russia. The invaders used Shahed-136 attack drones flying towards the city from the Black Sea. This attack took place immediately after the end of the "Easter truce" declared by Russia, which lasted from April 20 to 21. According to the head of the Odessa OVA, Oleh Kiper, civilian infrastructure, residential buildings, an educational institution, vehicles were damaged in the city, fires broke out. Three people were injured.

00.45 Since 2014, Ukraine has lost half of its child population in the occupied territories, Crimea stated in an interview with Radio Liberty’s project.

"In 11 years, Ukraine has become poorer by half of its child population. Of these, 20% remained first in Donbass and Crimea, then plus new territories - this is almost 1.6 million children that we lost due to occupation. This is 20% of the child population - exactly there. The other 30% - all over the world, almost 30%, somewhere around 25%, a little bit 25%, a little more.

Link


Home Front: Politix
List of people that will be leaving the country because of a Trump victory.
2024-11-07
[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

… 13. AOC
14. Lady Gaga
15. Taylor Swift
16. Bill Gates
17. Jane Fonda
18. Madonna
19. Mark Ruffalo
20. Kim Kardashian
21. Bruce Springsteen
22. George Clooney
23. Hunter Biden
24. Oprah
25. Robert De Niro
26. Samuel L Jackson
27. Miley Cyrus
28. Travis Kelce
29. Bobbi Althoff
30. Rashida Talib
31. Stormy Daniels
32. Dr. Anthony Fauci
33. George Soros
George but not his son? Interesting.
34. Diddy
35. Eminem
36. Ellen DeGeneres
37. Sean Penn
38. Sharon Stone
39. Ashley Judd
40. Tommy Lee
41. Bryan Cranston
42. Billie Joe Armstrong

Bonus
Cher will blow her brains out
Rob Reiner will set himself on fire
Bono vows to drive his car off a cliff
Link


-Short Attention Span Theater-
The Falcon and the Snowman - Official Trailer
2023-12-20
[YouTube] The Falcon and the Snowman 1985 - The true story of a disillusioned military contractor employee and his drug pusher childhood friend who became walk-in spies for the Soviet Union.

Director: John Schlesinger
Writers: Robert Lindsey (book), Steven Zaillian
Stars: Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Pat Hingle
Link


Government Corruption
American Patriots Have Grown War-Wise
2023-10-15
[American Thinker] Lindsey Graham, the bellicose South Carolina senator full of empty conservative promises and love of mass amnesty for illegal aliens, responded to the Hamas terror attacks in Israel by promptly calling for the U.S. military to attack Iran and destroy its oil refineries.

Of all the ways we could cripple Iran’s (or Joe Biden’s) financing of Hamas (forbidding Barack Obama, John Kerry, and Joe Biden from handing the world’s leading State-sponsor of terrorism billions of dollars each year would be an excellent start), Graham goes straight to the option that will see already exorbitantly high oil prices skyrocket even further. It sure is perplexing (not!) how every policy proposal coming from D.C. (regardless of nominal party affiliation) conveniently advances Klaus Schwab’s "Great Reset" agenda to make private car ownership unaffordable and windmill-powered scooter rentals slightly more appealing. Graham wants $500/barrel oil and a new "religious war" in the powder keg that is the Middle East — quite the splashy platform for winning over the hippy, Birkenstock-wearing, Earth-worshiping slice of the electorate dedicated to waging war against "people of color."

While Sean Penn and Hollywood’s other mental midgets push oil prices up with their steadfast support for death and slaughter in Ukraine, Graham will do the same with his sights set on Iran. And the "Green New Deal" cult will continue to profit from its unspoken creed: "Make War, not Love" in order to "Save the Planet."

Of course, Graham’s target audience is not American peaceniks-turned-Ukraine-war-hawks but rather American patriots willing to shed blood for their countrymen. He seeks to use patriots’ love of God and country to dupe them into fighting for higher oil prices while tap-dancing into yet another endless war with unclear mission objectives and vague definitions of victory. After a decade-plus of Obama, Biden, and Kerry propping up the Ayatollah’s Nazi State with pallets of cash and undeserved geopolitical clout, shouldn’t the Iran-appeasers be the first ones shoved to the front lines of any future conflict? Before American patriots again risk life and limb for D.C.’s deadly policies, shouldn’t those most responsible for elevating Iran’s evil regime to the nuclear club first pay the debt they owe to the rest of the world for their misguided, if not malevolent, assistance in making Khamenei’s theocratic dictatorship even more dangerous?

Fat chance of that happening. It is Washington’s errant policymakers who always march us into war with their malfeasance, but it is ordinary Americans who ultimately pay the price. While the permanent ruling class makes a fortune selling U.S. government influence to our enemies, those same Potomac princelings always find a way to hide far in the back of the pack when hostilities draw near. They cheerlead for war but witness its viciousness only on television screens from the safety of brown leather fainting couches and with the liquid courage that perpetual happy hour provides.
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Sean Penn proposed melting down Oscars for bullets 'to shoot at Russians'
2023-09-15
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
Mr. Penn is just full of bright ideas.
[Regnum] American actor Sean Penn announced his desire to transfer Oscar figurines to Ukraine so that the Armed Forces of Ukraine would melt them into bullets. He spoke about this on September 14 in an interview with Variety magazine.
Slugs for the 5.45mm, standard issue for the Russian and Ukrainian militaries, are made with steel, both the slug and the cartridge casing.
"I thought, 'Well, to hell with them, you know?' I will give them to Ukraine. You can melt them down into bullets to shoot at the Russians,” he said.
Russians must be laughing their asses off at Penn.
Everybody laughs at Mr. Penn. Fortunately, actors are paid to pretend to be imaginary people, not to think, so he’ll be fine.
Penn also called Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky his friend and said that his brain is “completely filled with oxygen” and his “eyes are clear.”
Translation: the man is a flammable airhead. Or possibly an inflammable airhead, which means the exact same thing because English is a complicated language. Way ta go, Seannie!
As reported by IA Regnum , the actor previously presented a documentary film “Superpower” about tensions in relations between Ukraine and Russia. The film uses videos with Zelensky’s statements.

During a visit to Ukraine, Penn said he wanted to pick up a rifle and go into battle, probably without body armor. He explained the long duration of his trip with this desire.

He also called for the deployment of US troops to Ukraine now. If this is not done, then Russia may win the conflict, and then the West will be “covered,” the actor believes. He expressed himself emotionally, including using obscene words. Penn expressed confidence that if Russia wins, “all of us are finished.”
Related:
Sean Penn: 2023-02-19 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: February 18th, 2023
Sean Penn: 2023-02-17 Daniel Greenfield: The Court Says They’re Pirates, the IRS Says They’re a Nonprofit
Sean Penn: 2023-01-16 Top 20 Most Cringeworthy Zelensky PR Moments
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: February 18th, 2023
2023-02-19
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 22:14 Zelensky commented on the results of the second day of the conference in Munich in an evening video message: "Not just the Ukrainian topic, but the topic of the Ukrainian victory that we are bringing closer, today obviously dominated the discussions at the conference. There are important statements by world leaders in support of our state, there are and signals about strengthening weapons for our defense. This concerns, in particular, long-range missiles, other weapons, long-term support for Ukraine."

21:35 The UK has already begun to train Ukrainian pilots on NATO aircraft, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said during a speech at the Munich Conference: "I think this is important. And when we talk about a long-term way to improve the security of Ukraine, this is what we started to do already". He added that London would support allies who decide to send their fighters to Ukraine: "If there are countries that can immediately provide aircraft to Ukraine, the United Kingdom will gladly support them in this."

21:18 The Netherlands is expelling about ten Russian diplomats on suspicion of espionage. From February 20, the Netherlands will also close its consulate general in St. Petersburg, but the embassy in Moscow will continue to operate.

20:59 Finland is preparing the 13th package of defense assistance to Ukraine, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said at the Munich Conference. In her speech, she assured of Ukraine's full support: "We need to make sure that the message we are now sending to Russia is that this help does not end. As long as Ukraine needs our help, we will help."

20:46 Kuleba said that he had met with the leadership of the German defense concern Rheinmetall, with whom he discussed steps to increase defense production for Ukraine, as well as extensive projects to increase the number of tanks and armored vehicles in both the short and long term. Rheinmetall assured that it is ready to strengthen cooperation.

19:15 Atypical shelling of the territory of Ukraine with a small number of rockets, as it is today, is probably connected with a lack of weapons and an attempt by the Russian Federation to keep Ukrainians on their toes before the anniversary of a full-scale invasion, Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said: “If they could have hit more, they would definitely have hit harder and a large number of missiles, this is obvious. Everyone is now talking about the approaching "sacred dates" - February 23 and the next day, the anniversary of the invasion of our land. The enemy is now escalating the situation."

18:23 Despite the sanctions, Russia continues to import civilian Chinese DJI drones through its distributors and from the Gulf countries, writes The Wall Street Journal. In particular, Russia received part of the DJI drones from the UAE, having paid for the delivery through the sanctioned state-owned Sberbank. Some of the drones and their parts were also delivered from the EU. The Pentagon is concerned that these drones not only help Russia in its war against Ukraine, but also allow China to gather critical intelligence from the battlefield that could boost Beijing's war readiness.

17:19 Washington has officially established that Russian troops in Ukraine have committed crimes against humanity, US Vice President Kamala Harris said at the Munich Conference: "We have studied the evidence. We know the legal standards. And there is no doubt that these are crimes against humanity."

According to Harris, the Biden administration will continue to help Kiev investigate war crimes: "I tell everyone who committed these crimes, and their leadership involved in these crimes, you will be held accountable."

15:56 Russia has accumulated 450 aircraft and 300 helicopters in the west of the country, but a massive airstrike on Kiev is unlikely, Andrei Yusov, spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, told the Kyiv Post. He clarified that they are located at least 200 km from the border, concentrated in different places, but beyond the reach of Ukrainian forces. Yusov noted that these planes are unlikely to be simultaneously used for a massive air attack, but they can be used to support an offensive in the Donbass.

15:33 The Russians fired at the Kupyansky and Chuguevsky districts of the Kharkiv region today: one person was killed, two were injured, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said.

15:07 British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, speaking at the Munich Conference, called on the allies to double their military support for Ukraine and provide Ukrainians with the "advanced NATO-standard capabilities that they need for the future": "We must demonstrate that we will remain on their side and are able to help "They have to defend their country. When Putin started this war, he believed that our resolve would be shaken. Even now, he is betting that we will lose our nerves."

Sunak also said that London would transfer long-range ammunition and an air defense system to Ukraine.

13:41 During today's morning attack, the Russians delivered two blows to Khmelnitsky. According to the head of the OVA Sergei Gamaly, there is a hit in a military facility, there is also another hit near a public transport stop. The blast wave damaged civilian houses, three educational institutions, 11 cars. Two local residents were injured.

13:22 Ukraine offers Western partners to conclude the Kiev Security Treaty as an intermediate stage before joining NATO , Yermak said during a discussion panel at the Munich Conference. According to him, this is a comprehensive, fast and effective mechanism for ensuring the security of Ukraine, covering a wide range of aspects of guarantees: military, economic, political, sanctions, information, etc.

"Undoubtedly, the best guarantee of the security of any state is the ability to effectively defend itself. Depriving the aggressor of the ability to prepare and carry out aggression is also a powerful means of maintaining peace ... It is necessary to deprive Russia of military potential and money. All other options will only lead to Interbellum 2.0. That is, simply put the war on pause," the head of the President's Office stressed.

13:15 Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Wang Yi said at the Munich Conference that Beijing would prepare a document with a "statement of position" on a political settlement of the situation in Ukraine by the end of February. Wang Yi denounced the new "cold war mentality", saying that Beijing will stand on the side of peace and dialogue.

"This war cannot continue," Wang Yi said. According to him, China's position is to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries.

12:36 Military intelligence of Ukraine is monitoring Russian troops on the territory of Belarus around the clock and Russia's attempts to involve Belarusians in the war against Ukraine, Andrei Chernyak, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said in a comment to ITV News: "We see that Belarus seems to support Russia, and at the same time time is trying by all means to refrain from joining the war. We also see how much Russia is pressing them. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, the Belarusian military will be forced to obey orders from Lukashenka and may be involved in the invasion of Ukraine, however, in the next two to three weeks, no The Russians have no forces or means to invade from the territory of Belarus."

12:27 Biden, as part of his visit to Poland on February 21, will make a statement in which he intends to send a signal to Putin, said White House national security spokesman John Kirby. Also, according to him, during his speech, Biden will make it clear that the United States will continue to support Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression.

11:39 Energoatom said that during today's missile attack, two Russian missiles flew dangerously close over the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant.

11:03 Sean Penn's film Superpower about Ukraine premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. It tells about the war for independence, the Russian invasion, which Sean Penn himself met in Kyiv, so he saw with his own eyes the first day of the outbreak of a full-scale war.

11:00 On Saturday, February 18, Russia launched four Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea in Ukraine. Two missiles were destroyed, the Air Force command said.

10:53 Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the German authorities have frozen Russian assets in the amount of 5.32 billion euros, the German Finance Ministry said. The agency clarified that the punitive measures affected not only the funds of individuals and companies included in the lists of EU sanctions, but also the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

10:49 During the morning missile attack by the Russians, preventive shutdowns were applied to minimize possible consequences, and now the power system is already returning to normal operation, Ukrenergo reported. There is no shortage of power in the energy system and it is not predicted, electricity is not imported.

Network restrictions still apply in Odessa, hourly outage schedules apply. In the Kyiv region on February 17, due to network restrictions, consumption restrictions were applied at certain hours.

10:17 British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on the sidelines of the Munich conference that the Russian army is suffering huge losses, showing no signs of improving its "meat grinder" tactics, and its offensive "is advancing, if at all, advancing by meters, not kilometers." According to him, since the beginning of the war, more than 180,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded.

Wallace also emphasized that so far there is no evidence of a large concentration of Russian forces, similar to the attack on February 24, 2022. He confirmed that Ukraine lacks weapons, but this is "not a strategic disadvantage."

The head of the British Ministry of Defense also said that Kyiv would receive modern fighters, such as the Eurofighter, only after the end of the war.

09:26 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, three people were killed - two in Bakhmut and one in Ivanopol. Another five people in the area were injured.

As a result of the shelling of the village of Dvurechnaya, Kupyansky district, Kharkiv region, one person was killed, another was wounded in Pervomaisky, Kharkiv region.

In the Kherson region over the past day, one person was killed and three wounded due to Russian shelling, according to regional military administrations.

09:22 In the Lugansk region, the Wagnerites are ending - basically, mobilized Russians who have completed a two-month course of a young fighter are now at the front, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai.

He also said that the most difficult direction in the Luhansk region is Kremenskoe. There are no significant enemy advances there, but the number of attacks and shelling has increased. In addition, the Russians have installed a powerful electronic warfare system in this area, which makes it difficult to use quadcopters and drones. Novoselovskoye, Makeevka and Kuzemovka were completely defeated by the Russians.

09:16 An air alert has been declared throughout Ukraine. The Russian army uses tactical aircraft, including in the airspace of the occupied territories, and launches missiles, Yermak said. Missile launches from the Black Sea have also been confirmed, said the head of the Nikolaev OVA, Vitaly Kim. DTEK applies emergency power cuts in a number of areas due to the threat of a missile attack.

08:57 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of February 18.

  • personnel - about 142,270 (+1010) people liquidated,

  • tanks - 3303 (+5),

  • armored combat vehicles - 6533 (+13),

  • artillery systems - 2326 (+4),

  • MLRS - 469 (+2),

  • air defense systems - 243 (+2),

  • aircraft - 298 (+0),

  • helicopters - 287 (+0),

  • UAV operational-tactical level - 2016 (+3),

  • cruise missiles - 871 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 18 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tankers - 5196 (+9),

  • special equipment - 223 (+2).

08:33 The Russian army is focusing its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Miner directions, the General Staff said in the morning summary . Over the past day, the Defense Forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of the settlements of Gryanikovka and Sinkovka in the Kharkiv region; Stelmakhivka, Chervonopopovka and Kremennaya - Luganskoy and Vyemka, Fedorovka, Dubovo-Vasilyevka, Razdolovka, Paraskoveevka, Berkhovka, Bakhmut, Ivanovskoye, Chasov Yar, Veseloe, Vodyanoye, Maryinka, Pobeda, Novomikhailovka and Ugledar in the Donetsk region.

08:05 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes that Russia is using elements of the Belarusian military-industrial base to re-equip its armed forces. Lukashenka said at a meeting with Putin on February 17 that the Belarusian aerospace industry is ready to produce Su-25 attack aircraft for the Russian Armed Forces, but additional Su-25s are not a decisive factor for the success of the Kremlin's long-term military operations, analysts say.

However, they say the Kremlin could requisition Belarusian factories and retool them to produce the critical hardware the Russian military needs. The Russians may also try to repurpose factories that are currently active or adapted to produce Su-25s and trucks. In addition, Russian troops are using Belarusian training grounds and instructors to train mobilized Russians to compensate for Russia's degraded training capabilities.

The ISW believes that Lukashenko is likely paying for his rejection of Putin's more serious demand for Belarusian troops to join the invasion of Ukraine by making small concessions.

05:50 Ukraine will soon be able to receive additional Caesar self-propelled guns, as France has accelerated the production of weapons, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said at the Munich Conference. In her opinion, all European countries should adapt their economies to the accelerated production of weapons.

04:47 Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, PMC Wagner has lost more than 30 thousand people in Ukraine, including about 9,000 dead, said John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council. According to the US, 90% of the Wagnerites liquidated in Ukraine in December alone were from among the prisoners. At the same time, half of them have died since mid-December against the backdrop of intensifying fighting in the Bakhmut area.

Kirby noted that after several months of fighting in the past few days, the Wagnerites had succeeded at "a devastating price" in making gains at Bakhmut. "Perhaps they will eventually succeed in Bakhmut, but it will not bring them any real benefit, because there is no real strategic value," he added. According to Kirby, Wagner uses the militants, mostly prisoners, as "cannon fodder" and throws them into the "meat grinder" without training or equipment.

04:21 The United States will directly threaten firms that help Russia to circumvent sanctions with serious consequences, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said: “We are going to directly address these companies and say very clearly: take your pick. You can continue to do something that is beneficial to Russia, and give it tangible support, but then you risk losing access to the European economy, the US economy, the UK economy. The choice is yours. We are ready for such actions."

He noted that the US government is particularly concerned about companies from the UAE, Iran, Turkey and some of Russia's immediate neighbors in this regard. Washington will also ask banks operating in the United States, the European Union, Britain and Japan to warn customers that they risk losing access to financial services in these countries if they are caught complicit in circumventing sanctions against Russia.

03:24 German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius believes that Russia will not conduct major offensives in Ukraine in the near future. In his opinion, Russia is playing for time and wants to continue the war of attrition.

00:18 Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki advocated the creation of an “absolutely new”, accelerated process of Ukraine's accession to the EU: “We cannot compare what is happening in Ukraine with a normal or almost normal accession process. You need to think outside the box. We live at a turning point in history, we have to change almost everything in Europe, and therefore we have to create a new process for Ukraine. The fast track is synonymous with it."

Link


Government Corruption
Daniel Greenfield: The Court Says They’re Pirates, the IRS Says They’re a Nonprofit
2023-02-17
[FrontPageMagazine] Is there anything a leftist group can do to lose its tax deductible status?

In Front Page Magazine’s extensive series on the leftist organizations that the IRS has allowed to keep their tax deductible status, we have covered Chinese Communist front groups, art vandals, domestic terrorists, pedophiles, illegal alien smugglers and the enablers of murderers.

Every time we dive deeper into these investigations, someone asks if there’s anywhere that the IRS will draw the line. A few weeks ago, someone suggested pirates. Surely there couldn’t be nonprofit pirates with tax deductible donations that the IRS has decided is a legitimate charity.

Not only is there a pirate nonprofit, but it’s been denounced by the court, described as eco-terrorists by the FBI, and has shown up on Interpol’s Red Notice while being the subject of international incidents without ever persuading the IRS to drop its 501(c)(3) status.

A decade ago, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling stated that, “you don’t need a peg leg or an eye patch. When you ram ships; hurl glass containers of acid; drag metal-reinforced ropes in the water to damage propellers and rudders; launch smoke bombs and flares with hooks; and point high-powered lasers at other ships, you are, without a doubt, a pirate.”

The group in question was Sea Shepherd: a trendy anti-fishing organization whose celebrity supporters included Pamela Anderson, Martin Sheen and Sean Penn. And a decade after the Court of Appeals stated that Sea Shepherd’s alleged acts were “clear instances of violent acts for private ends, the very embodiment of piracy”, Sea Shepherd maintains a presence on Facebook, Amazon, YouTube and other Big Tech platforms that purged conservations for “extremism”,where it sells merchandise featuring its version of the skull and bones pirate flag.

And it has retained its status with the IRS as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity for over 40 years.

In 2002, the Domestic Terrorism Section Chief of the FBI told the House Resources Committee that Sea Shepherd was an example of “eco-terrorism”. The IRS took no action even when it was caught harboring a nonprofit that federal law enforcement had described as eco-terrorists.

Unlike many of the other leftist groups we previously profiled, the IRS did begin an audit of Sea Shepherd a few months after the Court of Appeals ruling. The token IRS effort was likely in response to pressure from Japan whose whaling ships faced harassment from the group.

While the IRS has ignored conservative protests over tax deductible status being granted to domestic terrorist groups, the Japanese government spent years lobbying to suspend Sea Shepherd’s nonprofit status. After a court ruling described the group as pirates, the Japanese could not believe that the Obama administration still refused to take action. Finally the Japanese embassy turned directly to the IRS, including contacting Lois Lerner, who would become infamous for her role in the IRS targeting of conservative and Jewish opponents of Obama.

The IRS went through the motions of auditing Sea Shepherd, then it dispatched a letter claiming that “our examination of the information return(s) indicated above disclosed that your organization continues to qualify for exemption from Federal income tax.” The Internal Revenue Service does not however seem to have consulted the Court of Appeals, the FBI or the law.
Read the rest at the link
Related:
Sea Shepherd: 2015-06-10 Sea Shepherd to pay damages to Japanese whalers
Sea Shepherd: 2014-12-22 Anti-whaling protesters on hook for millions following court ruling
Sea Shepherd: 2013-03-11 NY Times gets busted in a lie, again
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Top 20 Most Cringeworthy Zelensky PR Moments
2023-01-16
[CaitlinJohnstone] The US empire’s proxy war in Ukraine has had many jaw-dropping instances of imperialist sociopathy, propagandistic audacity and brazen journalistic malpractice that we’ve discussed in this space many times, but one of the most cringeworthy and degrading aspects of the globe-spanning narrative control campaign surrounding this war has been the way the nation’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has been turned into an ever-present corporate mascot for the most aggressive ad campaign ever devised. The way the most powerful institutions in the western world have been throwing their puppet in everyone’s face to sell the empire’s proxy warfare puts Ronald McDonald to shame.

Here are 20 of the cringiest moments of establishment PR using Zelensky to market the McProxy War to the western world, in no particular order.
Click through for links and evidence for every one of these insults to your intelligence. Remember kids, the deep state is a hostile entity that doesn't have your interests at heart - except regarding Ukraine. Then everyone cheers along like the crowds in George Orwell's "1984" during Hate Week.
1. A House Republican introducing a bill to place a bust of Zelensky in the US Capitol building

2. The fake Hollywood action hero-sounding "I need ammunition, not a ride" quote

3. The Vogue cover shoot

5. Time Magazine Person of the Year

6. Star Wars: Attack of the Drones

7. Zelensky giving a speech at the Golden Globes
https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1613126818823012352

8. Zelensky giving a speech for the Grammys

9. Zelensky getting an Academy Award from actor Sean Penn

10. Zelensky addressing the World Economic Forum
Gosh, if there's anyone who isn't totally evil and in bed with the deep state, it's the WEF.
11. Zelensky giving a speech and ringing the bell for the New York Stock Exchange
Likewise Wall Street.
12. Zelensky giving a speech at the secretive Bilderberg Group (probably)
Ditto.
That probably sounds like the lady is making stuff up to pad her list.
13. Zelensky giving a speech at the Cannes Film Festival

14. Zelensky giving a speech at the Glastonbury Festival

15. Weird Hologram Zelensky at the Founders Forum in the UK

16. Zelensky meeting with Ben Stiller

17. The Ukrainian flag performance in the US congress

18. The bizarre Biden-Zelensky slow motion action-heroes-walking-away-from-an-explosion video clip

19. Guest on David Letterman’s show

20. The obligatory Bono psyop

Honorable mention: Zelensky meeting with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink to help "rebuild" (read: buy up) Ukraine
If the corporation forcing Americans out of their homes and into rentals isn't someone you should cheer for, who is?
Honorable mention: DC party at the Ukrainian embassy openly hosted by the US military-industrial complex
Ditto.
Are people not tired of having their intelligence insulted yet?

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: November 8th, 2022
2022-11-09
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 23:26 Ukraine is working on extending and expanding the grain initiative, Zelensky said: "Let's add a permanent humanitarian component to grain exports. Together with the most advanced and most conscientious states, we will increase assistance to those countries and peoples that are particularly affected by the food crisis. And we have already passed first meetings, there are first international agreements. In fact, together with partners we are starting such cooperation, which can become the basis for ensuring food security at a new level. It has long been said that global coordination is needed to save the world's poorest countries from hunger. And this is precisely such a coordination mechanism now and we're working on it."

23:22 Zelensky said that as of this evening, about 4 million Ukrainians in 14 regions and Kiev were disconnected from power supply, but the majority were on stabilization schedules, and not in an emergency.

23:17 "Deputy head of administration" of the Kherson region Kirill Stremousov said that the Ukrainian troops went on the attack in the Snigirevka area, there is a "serious battle".

23:14 Law enforcement officers opened more than 42 thousand criminal proceedings on war crimes committed by the invaders. During this time, it was possible to identify about 168 thousand invaders, the National Police reported. In the de-occupied territories, 37 places were found where civilians were forcibly detained. In the occupied territories, law enforcement officers are aware of 27 such places, as well as seven locations on the territory of the Russian Federation.

22:53 Zelensky said in an evening video message that, despite some lull in the information space regarding events at the front, the intensity of the fighting has not decreased: "The situation is difficult along the entire front. In some areas, fierce positional battles continue. And especially hard, too, as before, in the Donetsk region. The invaders are suffering extremely large-scale losses, but the order - to go to the administrative border of the Donetsk region - has not changed. We do not surrender a single centimeter of our land there."

As for Kherson, according to the president, the Ukrainian leadership clearly understands what the enemy plans: “So we act accordingly. Carefully, thoughtfully and in the interests of liberating our entire territory: we strengthen our positions, break Russian logistics, consistently destroy the enemy’s potential keep the south of our country under occupation."

"East - step by step we are moving towards the return of the Ukrainian flag to all our cities and communities. We are also actively strengthening the border," Zelensky said.

22:49 On Wednesday, November 9, schedules of hourly scheduled power outages will be in effect throughout Ukraine, Ukrenergo reported. The company predicts maximum stabilization restrictions in Kyiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhitomir, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk, Kirovohrad regions. Emergency shutdowns are not yet planned.

22:43 A delegation from South Korea visited the Kiev region. According to the head of the OVA Oleksiy Kuleba, during the visit they discussed the participation of the republic in the restoration of the Kyiv region and the provision of humanitarian and financial assistance to the region. Earlier, Seoul has already sent aid to Velikodymerskaya, Zazimskaya, Kalinivskaya and Tarashchanskaya communities.

22:21 The Ukrainian military acknowledges that it will be difficult for them to counter the Iranian-made Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar ballistic missiles, which are expected to be sent to Russia. Read more about them in Rockets from Iran .

22:18 The United States is providing Ukraine with another $25 million in aid for the coming winter, US Representative to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said during a visit to Kiev. The funds will be allocated through USAID and will be used to support vulnerable groups in Ukraine.

22:13 In the Donetsk region, 92% of boiler houses and 32% of private houses were connected to the gas supply, the oblgas reported. In particular, gas was supplied to Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, Pokrovsk, Konstantinovka, Druzhkovka and the nearest villages.

21:44 The Russians have several options regarding Kherson, Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said: “It is important to take an objective approach to the situation here, because the enemy is trying to mislead us. "This is in the plans. There are also signs that the enemy is trying to gain a foothold in the temporarily occupied territories."

According to Malyar, in many ways the actions of the enemy in the Kherson region will depend on their success in the Donetsk direction, since this is their main goal now: "We cannot predict how the enemy will act in this situation."

21:37 At the front, the situation remains tense, but there have been no breakthroughs lately. The autumn weather does not help either. According to experts, none of the parties is now in a position to create a numerical superiority in any sector of the front, necessary for a breakthrough. More details in the material Forced pause .

21:03 The United States cannot yet confirm the reliability of the data on Iran's upcoming deliveries of ballistic missiles to the Russian Federation in November and on such an agreement between the countries, a Pentagon spokesman said.

20:55 In the village of Voznesenka, Melitopol region, resistance forces blew up the headquarters of the invaders, which they placed in one of the captured churches. Information about the losses is specified, said the mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov.

20:52 In the Chuguevsky district of the Kharkiv region, road service workers were blown up by a mine: two people were killed, two more were injured, the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov said.

20:40 Sean Penn arrived in Kiev, handed over his Oscar statuette to Zelensky as a symbol of faith in the victory of Ukraine. The award will remain in Ukraine until the end of the war, Yermak said. Zelensky presented Sean Penn with the Order of Merit III degree.

20:36 The Armed Forces of Ukraine are already using two NASAMS air defense systems transferred by the United States , the training of personnel took place in Europe, a Pentagon representative said at a briefing.

20:33 The United States will not force Ukraine to negotiate with Russia, US Permanent Representative to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said during a visit to Kiev: "We made it very clear: no negotiations in which Ukraine is not sitting in the driver's seat. Any negotiations must take place with the participation of Ukraine. Ukrainians must decide when they are ready for these negotiations." She also stressed that US support will continue until Ukraine wins this war and until Russia withdraws its troops.

20:26 Russia transported to Iran 140 million euros in cash and some samples of British and American weapons captured in Ukraine in exchange for drones, Sky News reports, citing a security source. In particular, the Russians handed over to Tehran the British NLAW anti-tank missile, the American Javelin anti-tank missile and the Stinger anti-aircraft missile. In response, Iran transferred more than 160 drones to Russia, including 100 Shahed-136s and 60 Shahed-131s, as well as six Mohajer-6s.

According to a Sky News source, over the past few days, an agreement was reached between Tehran and Moscow on further deliveries of drones worth 200 million euros. Since August 20, at least five Russian aircraft have transported drones from Iran to Russia.

19:43 Zelensky addressed the participants of the 27th UN Climate Change Conference and proposed the creation of a global platform for assessing the damage to the climate and the environment from military operations. According to him, in less than six months, Russia destroyed 3 million hectares of forest in Ukraine.

“We are forced to find out daily what is the situation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe. Is there a release of radiation there? The Russian army turned this nuclear power plant into a military training ground... "is destroying the opportunity for the world to work together towards a common goal. Russia must shut up its guns and hide its missiles so that the world can finally hear what we can really do together to save us from climate catastrophe," the president stressed.

19:22 The European Union will not be able to allocate 3 of the 9 billion euros provided for by the aid program to Ukraine by the end of the year, First Deputy Head of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis said: "As for the remaining 3 billion euros, we really had a broad discussion about this amount, which remained from 9 billion euros announced in November. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to decide how to move forward this year. In terms of funding this year, we expect the final payment of 2.5 billion euros to reach Kiev before the end of this month."

19:19 Italy is preparing a new package of weapons for Ukraine, which will include air defense systems, Reuters writes, citing an unnamed representative of the Italian government coalition. According to him, Rome is ready to provide Ukraine with various air defense systems, including the Franco-Italian SAMP / T medium-range air defense systems and the Italian Aspide, as well as Stinger portable missiles. However, it remains unclear how many systems Italy will be able to offer and when such a batch can be delivered.

19:16 At thermal power plants and thermal power plants, coal reserves are already twice as much as they need, and less is taken from gas storage facilities than they are pumped in, Shmyhal said: “Almost 60% of all facilities in the country are already connected to heat. The southern regions are connected more slowly, but this process has also begun there . In five regions, the level of connection to heat is more than 85%, and in two more regions it has already reached 100%."

18:50 Russian inspectors are deliberately slowing down the work of the grain corridor, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Yuriy Vaskov said: "We are already demanding the optimization of inspections or the cancellation of inspections of ships that have left, because what is happening today does not make sense. Or increase the number of inspection teams ... When the UN and Turkey they themselves carried out inspections, they showed that it is possible to carry out more than 40 inspections a day. Now, with the return of Russia, there are again 12 inspections a day. They do not explain, but do not hide the fact that they want to complicate the work of the corridor."

18:48 In the area of ​​​​Berislav, Kherson region, the invaders blew up power lines and equipment of a solar power plant. From the Kherson Regional Museum of Shovkunenko, the Russians took out all the art values, furniture and equipment, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. A group of representatives of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation was sent to Donetsk in order to investigate the significant losses of personnel of the units of the 155th Separate Marine Brigade of the RF Armed Forces on the territory of Ukraine.

In the Melitopol and Mikhailovsky districts of the Zaporozhye region, the occupiers are forcing the local population to obtain Russian passports, while taking away the passports of a citizen of Ukraine and threatening with resettlement.

18:30 The government decided to cancel taxes on the import of power generators, transformers, batteries, electric motors, gas generators, water heaters, heaters and other similar equipment, Shmyhal said.

18:24 NATO does not intend to seek a ceasefire in Ukraine on Russian terms, Stoltenberg said: "If Ukraine follows Russian demands and accepts the fact that Russia has invaded, seized territories, there is a risk of continued attacks. This will be a disaster for Ukraine, but also a danger to all of us, as it would send a signal that the use of force allows one to achieve the political goals of gaining control over neighboring countries."

18:07 Ukraine asked the United States to give it C-RAM systems that will help shoot down Iranian drones. This is stated in the letter of the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk to the US Congress, reports ABC News. In his letter, Stefanchuk announced the need to begin deliveries of C-RAM highly mobile air defense systems to Ukraine, as they will help protect "important facilities and especially important power plants."

17:43 This afternoon, the Russians fired from the MLRS Kherson region, in particular the village of Bolshaya Aleksandrovka. As a result of the shelling, two civilians received shrapnel wounds, the OP reported.

17:41 Russian media write that in the Kostroma region "made a hard landing" Mi-2 helicopter, performing an ambulance flight. As a result, a patient died, and two pilots and two paramedics were injured.

17:38 Zelensky said that he had met with a member of the US President's Cabinet, US Permanent Representative to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield: "He spoke about the situation at the front and Russia's missile terror. Almost 40% of our energy infrastructure facilities were damaged by targeted attacks. Therefore, the first priority is urgent creation of an air shield over Ukraine. We had a separate talk about world food security... It is necessary that the grain agreement continue further."

17:36 North Korean factories are sewing winter uniforms, underwear and shoes for the Russian military. The raw material is provided by Russia. The finished form is sent by rail, Radio Free Asia reports, citing its sources. A factory in Moranbong (Pyongyang) and at least three more production facilities across the country are involved in tailoring the uniform.

17:25 Groups of volunteers for interception of the Iranian kamikaze drones are created in the Nikolaev area. As the head of the UVA, Vitaly Kim, said, the number of these mobile groups is increasing, and they operate jointly with the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He added that the authorities of Nikolayevshchina already share this experience with other regions of Ukraine.

17:07 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that Shoigu inspected the command post of the joint group of Russian troops performing tasks as part of the "special operation", and heard Surovikin's report on the operational situation, as well as on issues of providing for the military personnel who arrived in the group.

15:53 ​​The war has taken on a positional character, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine are conducting maneuverable defense, spokesman for the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Cherevaty said: "You can say that now there is a positional war. However, we resort to maneuverable defense, we are no longer waging war of the 20th century - lava on lava .We are making the most of everything now."

According to him, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to inflict maximum damage on the enemy’s manpower and equipment: “When we see that the enemy has weakened in one of the sectors, an operation will be planned following the example of Kharkov or Limanskaya.”

15:27 On Wednesday, November 9, Stoltenberg will visit the British military base where the Ukrainian military is studying, the NATO press service reported.

15:24 Experts from the London-based defense and security think tank RUSI urge to increase the supply of weapons and air defense to Ukraine in order to prevent Russia from applying the "Syrian scenario". In particular, analysts believe that Ukraine lacks modern multi-role combat aircraft such as the F16 or Grippen. Sending them would be an important step forward, fraught with escalation between Moscow and NATO. However, experts still urge the West not to relax on the issue of air defense for Ukraine.

15:15 The Ministry of Education recommends that schools create flexible schedules for the educational process, which will be correlated with power outage schedules, said First Deputy Minister Andriy Vitrenko.

14:39 In the occupied Yasinovataya in the Donetsk region, the transformers of the electrical substation are on fire, from which the military units of the Russian occupiers allegedly feed, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said.

14:08 The assets of five large Ukrainian enterprises have passed into state ownership for the needs of the army. The authorities promise to return them to their owners after the end of the war. About how they will be useful for the Armed Forces of Ukraine - in the material Withdrawal of five companies .

13:44 In Russia, they issued new training manuals in order to minimize negative sentiments among the mobilized. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the new instructions call on journalists, in particular, to be more respectful towards the mobilized and not to use the term "mobiki"; call the Armed Forces of Ukraine "militants" and "armed formations, and in no case use the abbreviation "APU". The military leadership of Ukraine is asked to attribute the "Western curators of Kyiv", and explosions and partisan sabotage to no longer be called "pops". Those who left from the Russian Federation, after the announcement of mobilization, they recommend ridiculing them, calling them "refugees" and "survivors".

13:38 At the next plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada, martial law and general mobilization will be extended again - the relevant documents from the president have already been registered in parliament. With a high degree of probability, the extension will be again for 90 days - until February 19, 2023, People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak said.

13:35 In the occupied Yasinovataya Donetsk region, a strong fire and thick black smoke, local public write that the fire started after shelling. Advisor to the Mayor of Mariupol, Petr Andryushchenko, also reported on the active movement of the invaders' aviation towards Zaporozhye and Donetsk from the direction of Rostov-on-Don. Sources say that such activity has not yet been seen in recent months.

13:14 Zelensky received the Medal of Freedom from the US National Constitution Center, which was presented to him by US senators during a recent visit to Kiev. The President announced that he had decided to send the award accompanying the Medal of Freedom to help Ukrainian veterans, namely, to restore and upgrade a rehabilitation center for veterans in the city of Borodyanka, Kyiv region.

13:03 US Representative to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield arrived in Kyiv. She will meet with government leaders and representatives of humanitarian organizations. The plans are to discuss support for Ukraine, Russian war crimes, the energy crisis, as well as the work of the grain corridor.

12:52 The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia is not negotiating with the United States on Ukraine.

12:50 The Vatican wants to mediate in Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, writes La Stampa.

12:44 There are no preconditions from Russia for negotiations with Ukraine, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said.

12:22 Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that both Zelensky and Putin announced their possible participation in the G20 summit. According to him, they "will come if the situation allows".

12:18 Zelensky will definitely take part in the G20 leaders ' summit , which will be held in Bali, Indonesia on November 15-16, presidential spokesman Sergei Nikiforov told Suspilny. According to him, most likely, it will be an online format.

12:16 The Armed Forces of Ukraine are rapidly advancing in the Svatov direction in the Luhansk region, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai. According to him, the "gray zone" in the Luhansk region has been leveled, as the APU is constantly on the offensive, despite the difficult terrain, the enemy's defense system and the massive transfer of mobilized to the front.

"There are a very large number of newly mobilized... They are walking over their own corpses. If you learn history, no one has ever carried out offensive operations in the Svatov direction during various wars, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine do it, and they do it successfully," he said. According to Gaidai, next successes of the Ukrainian Defense Forces can be expected near Svatovo and Kremennaya in the near future, as was the case near Vuhledar and Bakhmut.

12:09 Podolyak, in an interview with Radio Liberty, denied the information that the United States is pushing Ukraine to negotiate with the Russian Federation, as well as that Brussels and Washington are considering the possibility of negotiations if Kiev liberates Kherson. "No one is forcing Ukraine to an unprofitable negotiation process, but rather to the recognition of Russia's ultimatum. This is very important to understand," he said. At the same time, Podolyak called publications that someone is forcing Ukraine to negotiate "an information program of the Russian Federation."

11:47 Ukraine returned the bodies of another 38 dead soldiers, the Ministry of Reintegration reported. In total, the bodies of 663 dead soldiers have already been returned.

11:36 Details of Iranian drones were made after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine told Suspіlny. In particular, according to him, the propeller of the Mohajer-6 drone was made in February this year. "It was just made. It also took time to deliver it to the Russian Federation. That is, they were delivered this year," the intelligence official said.

Iranian Mohajer is assembled from parts produced in different countries. Most of the components are from the USA. The drone also has an Austrian engine and a Japanese camera. "We did not find any Russian elements here. One element also has an inscription in Farsi. The visible camera is Japan. The laser rangefinder is made in China. An Iranian-made aerial bomb," said a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

How foreign components ended up in Iranian drones, Ukrainian experts are investigating. Serial numbers and data on manufacturers of components have already been handed over to the partner countries by the staff of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Education and Science.

11:04 Ukrenergo reports that on Tuesday, November 8, from 9:30 am, emergency shutdowns were applied in Kiev, Kiev, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava regions. Planned schedules of hourly shutdowns during the day are valid throughout Ukraine.

10:53 The first ships with dual and military cargo entered the port of Mariupol - building materials, medicines for a military hospital and several hundred sets of military uniforms were delivered, said Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the city.

He also said that factory workers are massively recruited for a business trip to the Kherson region, allegedly for the construction of fortifications. They promise higher wages and security. Due to the lack of work in the city and the lack of specialized work at factories, the number of applicants is growing. However, there is a risk that another wave of clandestine mobilization is started in this way.

10:16 The release or exchange of Ukrainian prisoners by Russia takes place, including taking into account the lists transmitted by Pope Francis, the Russian ambassador said.

10:11 Macron called for the resumption of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, but on Kiev's terms: "I continue to believe that at some point we will have to return to the negotiating table ... We want to return to the world. It is up to Ukraine to determine conditions and time when she wants to return to the negotiating table.

09:29 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of November 8. The enemy suffered the greatest losses in the Bakhmut and Avdeevsky directions.

  • personnel - about 77,170 (+710) people liquidated,

  • tanks - 2786 (+15),

  • armored combat vehicles - 5654 (+24),

  • artillery systems - 1791 (+9),

  • MLRS - 391 (+0),

  • air defense systems - 203 (+1),

  • aircraft - 278 (+1),

  • helicopters - 260 (+0),

  • UAV operational-tactical level - 1476 (+4),

  • cruise missiles - 399 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 16 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tankers - 4216 (+17),

  • special equipment - 159 (+2).

09:23 "Governor" of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev said that in the morning the air defense system worked in the city, according to preliminary data, a drone was shot down over the water area.

09:21 NATO fighters took off twice last week to intercept Russian planes. The Russians violated the rules for flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said.

09:09 British intelligence writes that Russia is building defensive structures in the occupied territories of Ukraine, making significant efforts to prepare a defense in depth behind its current front line, which is likely to prevent the rapid advance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the event of a breakthrough. In particular, the Russians began building defensive structures around Mariupol. For this purpose, reinforced concrete pyramidal anti-tank structures, known as "dragon's teeth", are produced at two factories.

"Dragon's teeth" were probably installed between Mariupol and the village of Nikolskoye and between northern Mariupol and the village of Stary Krym. They are also additionally directed to the preparation of defensive fortifications in the occupied regions of the Zaporozhye region and Kherson. Intelligence also recalled that on October 19, Prigozhin announced the construction of a fortified "Wagner Line" in the Luhansk region.

09:05 North Korea denies Russian military supplies. "We once again clearly state that we have never had arms deals with Russia and do not plan to do so in the future," Pyongyang said.

09:01 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, three civilians were killed - in Bakhmut and Krasnogorovka. In addition, in Yampol, law enforcement officers found the bodies of four killed by Russians during the occupation. Seven more people were injured in the region, Pavel Kirilenko, head of the OVA, said.

08:57 On November 9, the European Union will propose a new plan for providing financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 18 billion euros, writes Bloomberg. According to agency sources, the plan will set the basis for covering Ukraine's financial expenses in 2023 and pave the way for restoration work.

08:53 The FSB announced that it allegedly stopped the activities of the "sabotage and reconnaissance group of the SBU", whose tasks included the commission of terrorist attacks against "high-ranking members of the administration" of the Kherson region. Detained and subsequently arrested allegedly nine citizens of Ukraine, "their curators are hiding outside the Russian Federation," the FSB said.

07:35 Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces repelled the attacks of the invaders in the areas of the settlements of Krasnogorovka, Bakhmut, Ivangrad, Experienced, Kleschievka, Marinka, Pavlovka, Vodiane and Mayorsk of the Donetsk region and Belogorivka of the Luhansk region, the General Staff said in the morning report .

In Energodar, the Russians continue to step up administrative and counterintelligence measures. The invaders collect personal data of local residents, check smartphones, bypass private houses, illegally detain citizens of Ukraine. In the area of ​​​​Novosofievka, Kherson region, the group of occupation troops was reinforced by a unit from the territory of the Chechen Republic, which joined in the robbery of local residents.

06:53 Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed that the United States had contacted Russia in the recent past to reduce the risks of using nuclear weapons and convey the possible consequences.

05:47 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) writes that a faction of Russian pro-war security forces is increasing its influence, partly to advance personal interests in Russia and occupied Ukraine, and not solely to win the war. Thus, Prigozhin confirmed that Wagner was opening training and management centers for "people's militia" in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, which would function outside the RF Armed Forces. Kadyrov is also trying to secure business opportunities for himself amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Analysts note that both Prigozhin and Kadyrov remain independent figures in Russia due to Putin's dependence on their forces in Ukraine.

Link


-Land of the Free
The Two Christophers
2022-09-20
[FrontPage] Or the importance of second thoughts.
September 16, 2022

by David Horowitz

PREFACE
Christopher Hitchens was a unique and, in many ways, irresistible individual, and eventually a friend. I say “eventually” because we started off as ideological antagonists, he, a lifelong admirer of Leon Trotsky and member of the destructive left, and I, a “second thoughter,” who had become a dedicated antagonist of the movement he never left. The fact that we were friends is a tribute to Christopher, who had a graciousness and humanity that made our friendship possible. I have never encountered another leftist who didn’t allow their political prejudices to strip them of their humanity and decency when dealing with human beings whose opinions differed from theirs.

As Christopher was dying unbeknownst to me, I was writing an essay which was both a portrait of him and an attempt to confront the inconsistency of his ideas. I called it “The Two Christophers, Or the Importance of Second Thoughts,” and consider it one of the best things I have written.

The article appeared 12 years ago in Frontpagemag.com, but when I went to locate it on the Internet I discovered it had been “removed” for violating the political standards of the fascists who control the WayBackMachine, who have erased the existence of Frontpagemag.com by removing its archives from the web. What has been done by the tech fascists to bury their political opponents on Wikipedia, Google – and all search engines – is a national tragedy, and ominous portent for the future. Had he lived, Christopher would have been nauseated and horrified by what his political friends have done in the fraudulent name of “social justice.” This is what Christopher thought he was fighting against as a radical all his life. Unfortunately, he could not have been more wrong.

THE TWO CHRISTOPHERS

(I had just finished the draft of this essay when I heard the terrible news that my friend Christopher had a cancer whose prognosis was dire. My heart and thoughts go out to him, as they would to a brother. I have known Christopher as a man of great courage and decency and have an affection for him that is not adequately disclosed in the intellectual argument that follows. As an argument Christopher I am sure will welcome it as a test of his mettle and a testament to the way in which he has – and will continue – to challenge us all. —DH)

I first met Christopher Hitchens in 1970 when I was editing Ramparts Magazine, which was then the largest publication of the left. Christopher was ten years my junior and fresh out of Oxford, embarking on his first adventure in the New World. When he stopped in at my Berkeley office looking for guidance, one of the questions he asked me in all seriousness was, “Where is the working class?” Only the devout left — the “holy rollers” as I by that time thought of them – could still think this mythical entity was an actual social force in a nation where social classes were relics of the past, and populists had declared every man a king. But rather than make an issue, I directed my visitor to the local Trotskyists, who were true believers, failing to realize that Christopher was one of them.

Our next encounter took place a dozen years later and was not nearly as pleasant. By then I had rejected most tenets of the leftist faith, although I had not publicly abandoned its ranks. We met at a small lunch with Nation editors Victor Navasky and Kai Bird, and one or two others. Before long the conversation turned to the Middle East and I found myself confronting what we referred to in those days as a political “gut check.” What was my attitude, Christopher wanted to know, towards Israel’s invasion of Lebanon? The Israeli offensive was designed to clear out PLO terrorists who had entrenched themselves behind an international border in southern Lebanon and were shelling towns in Israel (while destroying Lebanese society in the process). Good leftists already were regarding Israel as an “imperialist” pawn of the United States and oppressor of Palestinians and therefore were opposed to Israel’s effort to protect itself. I rose imprudently to Christopher’s provocation: “This is the first Israeli war I have supported,” I said, thereby ending any fraternal possibilities for the remaining conversation.

Two years later, my co-author Peter Collier and I voted for Ronald Reagan, and three years after that we organized a “Second Thoughts” conference bringing together other former radicals who had become advocates of the anti-Communist cause. Christopher came to the conference with his Nation cohort Alexander Cockburn to attack us. In the column he filed after our event, he described our suggestion that second thoughts might be superior to first ones as “smug,” and singled out my remark that supporting America’s enemies should be considered treason, as “sinister.”[1] He subsequently elaborated his feelings about second thoughts in the course of a brutal article on the writer Paul Johnson, sneering at his “well advertised stagger from left to right,” which Christopher regarded as the venal maneuver of someone “who, having lost his faith, believes that he had found his reason.”[2] (And why not?)

But times change, and subsequently Christopher himself became associated – not entirely correctly — with a generation of post-9/11 second-thoughters. Revising some of his attitudes towards the left and its loyalties, he had vaunted a patriotism towards America he would once have thought of as, well, sinister. A climatic moment in this odyssey – or so it should have been – was the publication of an engrossing memoir of his life, which has been heretical at both ends, and which he called Hitch-22. Among its other virtues, the book provides a fertile occasion for those of us who preceded him to take a second look at our own second thoughts, and measure the distances that we, and our one-time antagonist, had come.
The above is only a tenth of what was written. Read the rest at the link
Related:
Christopher Hitchens: 2018-11-05 The deep swamp: 1 year ago
Christopher Hitchens: 2013-03-06 Hugo Boss: What I learned about Hugo Chavez's mental health when I visited Venezuela with Sean Penn
Christopher Hitchens: 2011-12-16 Christopher Hitchens dies aged 62
Link


Caribbean-Latin America
Mexico captures infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero
2022-07-16
[DW] The co-founder of the Guadalajara cartel was on the FBI
...Formerly one of the world's premier criminal investigation organizations, something for a nation to be proud of. Now it's a political arm of the Deep State oligarchy that is willing to trump up charges, suppress evidence, or take out insurance policies come election time...
's Most Wanted list for murdering a US agent. His rise to prominence was dramatized in the Netflix series "Narcos: Mexico."


The Mexican military captured notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero on Friday, after he spent five years on the FBI's Most Wanted list for the torture and murder of an American anti-narcotics agent in 1985.

Caro Quintero spent 28 years in prison for the murder of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena and other crimes but walked free in 2013 on a technicality. He quickly returned to drug trafficking and was named one of the FBI's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives with a bounty of $20 million (€19.8 million) — the highest amount on the list.

The kingpin co-founded the Guadalajara cartel, one of Latin America's most powerful drug trafficking organizations during the 1980s, which also remains active today. His escapades were dramatized in the 2018 Netflix series "Narcos: Mexico."

"It is probably one of the most important captures of the last decade in terms of importance to the DEA," said Mike Vigil, a former chief of international operations with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

He added: "This will hopefully start to mend the frayed relationship between the United States and Mexico in terms of combating drug trafficking."

THE WAR ON DRUGS CONTINUES
Just hours after Caro Quintero's arrest, a Mexican navy Blackhawk helicopter carrying 15 people crashed in his home state of Sinaloa. The accident killed 14 people on board. The government did not clarify whether the helicopter was involved in the capture of the runaway drug lord.

Cecilia Duarte, an activist muppet in the neighboring state of Sonora who works with a team of volunteers to locate clandestine graves of the disappeared, said Caro Quintero's capture could help pacify the Guadalajara cartel's pie fights with the sons of "El Chapo."

"I believe in Sonora, in general, there could be calm, and yes, relief for us, because I believe the disappearances will diminish,'' Duarte said.

But she added that Caro Quintero is just one figure in Mexico's bloody war on drugs. "The conflict doesn't end," she said.
Profound, that.
Related:
Rafael Caro Quintero: 2014-06-01 Man Admits To 'Cartel Threats' On Texas Billboards
Rafael Caro Quintero: 2013-08-11 Other suspect in DEA killing may go
Related:
El Chapo: 2022-05-23 Spanish Anti-Terrorism Police Arrests 3 Libyans
El Chapo: 2022-02-01 Sean Penn: 'Feminized' American men suffering from 'cowardly genes'
El Chapo: 2022-01-20 Sinaloa Cartel Commander Arrested in Mexican State Bordering Texas
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: June 28th, 2022
2022-06-29
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 23:59 As of the evening of June 28, the total number of Russian missiles that hit Ukrainian cities was 2811, Zelensky said in an evening video message. According to him, there is all the evidence of Russian crimes, including a video of an attack on a shopping center in Kremenchuk, which the head of state added to his address. The President stressed that the Russian missile purposefully hit precisely this object.

"For this act of state terrorism, as well as for all the others, Russia will be responsible. On the battlefield in Ukraine, by strengthening sanctions and, of course, at the tribunal," Zelensky said. He also warned Russian propagandists who lie about this terror and try to justify the actions of the Russian army: "Each of you will also be punished. We have all the evidence of what the Russian military is doing against our people."

23:53 Two rocket explosions were heard in Kharkiv tonight, after the second one a fire broke out in the southern part of the city, reports Suspіlne.

23:51 As a result of the shelling of the border areas of the Sumy region, two people were killed, three were injured, said the head of the OVA Dmitry Zhivitsky. The Russians fired on Krasnopolskaya, Velikopisarevskaya and Miropolskaya communities.

23:48 Zelensky suggested that the UN Security Council send a special or authorized representative to Kremenchuk to make sure with his own eyes that the people who died in the shopping center were victims of Russian shelling. The president also listed the names and ages of the children who died as a result of a series of Russian shelling of Ukrainian cities.

22:49 Abduction of people in Melitopol has been on a massive scale since the first days of the occupation, the mayor of the city Ivan Fedorov said. According to him, the 16-year-old son of the head of the state regional administration of Zaporozhye has been in captivity for about two months.

22:35 Zelensky spoke at a meeting of the UN Security Council and said that Russia should not be in the Security Council of the organization as long as it commits terrorist attacks such as shelling Ukrainian cities.

22:33 The EU has begun deliveries of more than 90 off-road trucks under the European Peace Fund. They will be sent to support the medical, engineering and logistical units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the General Staff said.

22:31 Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov announced the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats convicted of espionage.

22:28 The memorandum of understanding between Turkey, Sweden and Finland contains obligations to combat terrorist organizations, as well as unblocking the export of weapons to Ankara, writes Millyet. The document consists of 11 points and is primarily related to the obligation of Sweden and Finland to fully cooperate with Turkey in the fight against terrorism, incl. through intelligence sharing.

22:17 Erdogan's office reported that Sweden and Finland have committed themselves not to support the Kurds.

22:10 The Cabinet of Ministers has created the position of Commissioner for Internally Displaced Persons, who will have the status of Deputy Minister for Reintegration. The appointment will take place shortly.

22:03 Germany and the Netherlands will give Ukraine six more German-made Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled artillery mounts, Deutsche Welle reports. Earlier, both countries handed over 12 such self-propelled guns to Ukraine: Germany - seven and the Netherlands - five.

22:00 The Government of Belarus has announced that it has decided to fulfill its debt obligations under Eurobonds in the national currency.

21:58 In the controlled territory of the Donetsk region, one civilian died from Russian shelling on June 28 - in Avdiivka, eight more people were injured, said the head of the OVA Pavel Kirilenko.

21:56 In Severodonetsk, the civilian population began to leave the shelters of Azot, when the shelling of the Russians subsided, the mayor of the city Alexander Stryuk said. According to him, before the start of the assault, 10-11 thousand people remained in the city, now there are 7-8 thousand. You can leave Severodonetsk only in the direction of the occupied territories. At the same time, the city is running out of food brought by Ukrainian volunteers.

21:49 Reznikov confirmed the training of the Ukrainian military in handling the M777, HIMARS and MARS II: "Since April, thousands of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been trained for the use and operation of weapons and military equipment of foreign production abroad. Now the following Ukrainian military are studying the basics of operating artillery systems of the caliber 155 mm M777, self-propelled guns Crab, multiple launch rocket systems M142 HIMARS, M270 and MARS II".

Also, according to the minister, this week, with the support of the UK, another project was launched - a basic combined-arms training course for military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: "The first few hundred military personnel have already arrived for training. In total, the project is designed to train more than one thousand of our military personnel."

21:37 All the forces of the Lviv region are preparing for any manifestations of aggression on the part of the Belarusians, since no one has canceled the risk of an invasion from the northern direction, Andrey Godik, the first deputy head of the UVA, said: “Our tasks are very simple, but require painstaking work. First of all, this is the coordination of all forces and means - both the law enforcement bloc and the military - to coordinate plans to repel aggression from Belarus. It is also the establishment of interaction with neighboring regions."

In addition, according to him, preparations are being made through the construction of additional defense and engineering networks in the Lviv region: "We are ready for anything. And our task is to be ready for anything. But first of all, we need to be ready for increased missile and air strikes from the north."

21:23 Turkey at the NATO summit this week will support the membership of Finland and Sweden in the alliance. The parties signed a joint statement after talks in Madrid, Finnish Presidential Office Saule Niinista said.

20:56 The United States will announce tomorrow the deployment of new army, navy and air force contingents in Europe on a long-term basis, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. According to him, the main part of the forces will be deployed in the Balkans, in the Baltic countries and on the eastern borders of Russia. At the same time, NATO will assume a historic set of commitments on the issue of deployment of forces, the contingents will remain in place after the end of the Ukrainian crisis.

Sullivan specified that the US build-up of forces in Europe is not so much because of Russian actions, but because of "long-term changes in strategic realities." In particular, it will announce the deployment of two additional US Navy destroyers at a base in southern Spain.

20:41 The Russians launched several missile attacks on the Odessa region, one of the missiles was shot down by air defense, said the head of the OVA Maxim Marchenko. According to him, there were no casualties or damage.

20:35 As a result of the shelling of Tsirkunov on the northeastern outskirts of Kharkov, two people were killed, the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov said on the air of the telethon. One person was also wounded in Tsirkuny and five in Kharkov. At the same time, he assured that there was no need for evacuation from Kharkov yet, as well as warnings regarding a direct assault on the city. According to Sinegubov, recently there was an attempt to break through to Kharkov from the north, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine repulsed it.

20:23 The head of the Dnepropetrovsk Regional Council, Nikolai Lukashuk, specified that the Russians fired six Kalibr sea-based cruise missiles in the region today, four were shot down by air defense forces: three over the Sinelnikovsky district, one more over the Dnieper. Two enemy missiles hit the regional center. One hit the building of a motor transport company - more than 30 cars, three boxes, several one-story buildings and a hangar were damaged there on the adjacent territory. The second rocket hit the territory of an industrial enterprise, there is destruction of buildings. Employees of the State Emergency Service are carrying out rescue operations, dismantling the rubble and looking for people.

In addition to rocket attacks, during the day, the occupiers from barrel artillery hit the Krivoy Rog region - they hit Zelenodolsk and Velikaya Kostromka, one person was injured. The Russians also hit the territory of the Krivoy Rog TPP , the consequences are being investigated.

19:59 From the very beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Belarus has provided its territory as a springboard for the Russian military. Now again, Russian planes are shelling Ukrainian cities from the territory of Belarus, and troops are being pulled to the land border. About what kind of provocations the Russians can prepare in Belarus - in the material Bridgehead for the attack .

19:52 The Cabinet of Ministers at today's meeting agreed on the dismissal of the head of the Kherson Regional State Administration Gennady Laguta.

19:29 Explosions were heard in the occupied Berdyansk in the evening, Russian media reported, citing the "administration" of the Zaporozhye region, that unexploded ordnance was disposed of in the port of Berdyansk.

19:17 Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that the Indonesian authorities will not allow Putin to personally participate in the G20 summit in Bali on November 15-16: "Joko Widodo categorically ruled out the participation of the Russian president in the G20, Putin will not come." Draghi added that his participation via video link is possible.

18:44 Russia has not abandoned plans to seize the entire south of Ukraine with the subsequent occupation of Moldova, Dmitry Pletenchuk, military press officer of the Nikolaev OVA, said on the air of the telethon: "We understand why they need the whole south of Ukraine. The economic blockade of Ukraine and access to seaports - the main reason for Russian attacks on our southern cities. And, of course, they dream of a land corridor to the unrecognized Transnistria with the subsequent occupation of Moldova."

As for the immediate plans of the Russians in the south, according to Pletenchuk, they are limited to the defense of the occupied territories: "The military-political leadership of the state is well aware and understands that the occupiers are trying to gain a foothold in the territory that they have already occupied. The Russians are building a layered defense in Kherson region. The enemy is preparing to repel the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

18:41 In the Kharkiv region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine repulsed the attacks of the Russians in the areas of Dementievka, Dovgalevka and Zaliman, and in the Slavic direction they stopped the offensive in the directions of the villages of Dolina and Mazanovka, the General Staff reports. The troops of the Russian Federation do not stop trying to take control of the Bakhmut-Lysichansk highway, they launched an offensive in the direction of the settlement of Disputed, but to no avail.

18:35 The Russians fired six missiles in the Dnepropetrovsk region tonight, the head of the OVA, Valentin Reznichenko, said. Three missiles were shot down over the Dnieper and Sinelnikovsky district. In Dnipro, as a result of a missile strike, the railway infrastructure and an industrial enterprise were destroyed, and a service company was on fire. Rescuers are working at the site of the impacts, looking for people under the rubble. In the Sinelnikovsky district, the extent of the destruction is being investigated.

18:27 In Poland, a fundraiser for Bayraktar for Ukraine has been opened. According to Polish journalist Slawomir Serakovsky, it is planned to collect 4.5 million zlotys in 30 days, more than 60 thousand have been collected so far.

18:24 "Referendum" on the accession of the Donetsk region to Russia is scheduled for September 11, 2022. As Piotr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, said, the occupation administrations received instructions to prepare the venues and "commissions" and handed them over, in particular, to the committees of the population's self-organization.

18:17 Mayor of Zhytomyr Sergei Sukhomlin did not rule out an attack from Belarus: "If a few weeks ago I said that the likelihood of an attack from Belarus is low, now the situation is changing very much."

18:15 In Dnipro, a Russian missile hit a service station, there are people under the rubble , rescuers are already working on the spot, Mayor Boris Filatov said. He stressed that there was no military equipment, soldiers or weapons at the Autodiesel service station.

18:08 Mayor of Warsaw Rafal Trzaskowski said that he also spoke with the deepfake Klitschko in early June. According to the PAP news agency, immediately after the phone call, the staff contacted the Klitschko office in Kyiv, where they were told that the mayor did not make a video call at that time. The Warsaw City Hall called the police. Trzaskowski said he calmly accepted the apparent fraud, no sensitive issues were discussed.

18:05 "Deputy head" of the Kherson region Kirill Stremousov said that the mayor of Kherson Igor Kolykhaev was "detained".

18:01 The US has banned the import of gold from Russia. The sanctions list has also been expanded: personal sanctions have been imposed against 57 individuals (including Tina Kandelaki, her husband and children, ex-Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, Melitopol Mayor Galina Danilchenko and others), as well as against more than 110 organizations, among them which Kamaz, Tupolev and the Union of Volunteers of Donbass.

17:58 The head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Alexander Bastrykin, said that the Investigative Committee has evidence that the Ukrainian military allegedly planned on March 8 "to start an operation from Severodonetsk with access to the Russian border."

17:55 Putin signed a law legalizing "parallel imports" (that is, smuggling) to Russia for 2022 and exempting from criminal and administrative responsibility for it.

17:43 The Ukrainian military has already begun to learn how to control Norwegian-made NASAMS air defense missile systems, which the United States should transfer, writes Politico.

17:32 In Mariupol, the first actions of mass disobedience since the beginning of the Russian invasion took place. As the adviser to the mayor Petr Andryushchenko said, the occupiers planned to demolish several nine-story buildings on the street. Solnechnaya - the locals were informed 24 hours in advance, and they were not able to take out their personal belongings. The arrival of the EMERCOM of the Russian Federation was greeted by a protest action, which in itself was a surprise for the Russians - people literally lay down under the tractors. As a result, with the participation of local collaborators, they agreed to postpone the demolition, and in the future notify local residents at least two weeks in advance.

The second incident occurred at the headquarters of the Metro, where yesterday they began to pay salaries to "volunteers" - people who worked on the removal of rubble and in landscaping. The process was controlled by State Duma deputy Sablin. Instead of the announced salary for a month and a half, people were given only a month - 11 thousand rubles each, and the rest for half a month was offered to "forgive". A riot began, access to the Metro was closed, and people were dispersed by the Russian military with shots in the air. The rest of the money was never given to people, but the very fact of active opposition occurred.

17:14 Russia cannot and should not win, Macron said: "We will continue to impose sanctions until a complete victory is achieved on Ukrainian terms. As for the timing, no one expects the war to end in the next month."

17:11 Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said following the G7 summit that the "moment of truth" on the issue of unblocking Ukrainian grain is close: "The UN Secretary General said that now we are close to the moment of truth on unblocking Ukrainian wheat." On this issue, "there is good news," he added. Russia has agreed that Ukraine, Turkey and the UN can play a role in unlocking grain in Ukrainian ports, Draghi said. Now everyone is waiting for the final "yes" of the Kremlin, and it may sound "very soon".

17:08 Mayor of Dnipro Boris Filatov announced rocket attacks on the city.

17:03 Occupation "authorities" of Zaporozhye and Kherson regions set a new "rate" of currency exchange: 1 hryvnia = 1.5 rubles (instead of 2). Earlier, the "LPR" and "DPR" switched to the same course.

16:58 The SBU has established the identity of two Russian commanders who gave the order to shoot civilians in the Kyiv region. This is battalion commander Major Maxim Krasnoshchekov and deputy company commander Major Alexander Vasiliev - servicemen of the 15th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 2nd Guards Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District of the Russian Federation.

They led the actions of motorized rifle units of the Russian Federation during the occupation of the village of Pobeda, Kyiv region. The invaders forcibly kept local residents in one of the premises and tortured them, and then ordered their subordinates to shoot people with machine guns right at the place of torture and blow up the building with the bodies in order to hide the war crime. Majors Krasnoshchekov and Vasiliev were announced on suspicion of violating the laws and customs of war.

16:52 The prosecutor's office will check the actions of the officials of the shopping center in Kremenchuk, who did not provide evacuation during the missile attack. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, a pre-trial investigation has been launched into official negligence, which entailed grave consequences (part 2 of article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

16:49 Scholz, during the final statements on the sidelines of the G7, said that a new "Marshall Plan" is needed to restore Ukraine. He also said that the G7 leaders agreed to set a ceiling on Russian oil prices and provide billions of dollars of food aid to prevent the famine caused by the war in Ukraine.

16:43 Finland will allocate 70 million euros to Ukraine. According to the country's Foreign Ministry, the funds will be used for humanitarian assistance, as well as for long-term cooperation in the areas of education, the rule of law, energy and climate sustainability.

16:41 On June 30, the commercial export of electricity from Ukraine to Europe will start, Minister of Energy Herman Galushchenko said: "The initial export volume is 100 MW, and the volumes will increase gradually, after a monthly ENTSO-E assessment of the impact on the European energy system. After the implementation of additional technical measures capacity for selling electricity abroad could increase to 4-5 GW."

16:33 G7 leaders urged China to adhere to the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes, pressuring Russia to stop invading Ukraine, as well as abandoning its "vast maritime claims" in the South China Sea.

16:30 Lithuania has officially banned the import of Russian gas - this decision was made by the Seimas of the Republic. 123 MPs voted in favor, two abstained.

16:28 Spokesman of the Ministry of Defense Oleksandr Motuzyanyk explained why the Russians strike civilians: "The Russian Federation is conducting a campaign of missile terror against the civilian population of Ukraine in order to break the spirit and destroy the unity of Ukrainians. In recent days, the enemy has launched a series of strikes using air and ground-based missiles on civil infrastructure facilities in Kiev, Kiev, Cherkasy and Odessa regions".

16:16 Zelensky met with actor and director Sean Penn, who is filming a documentary about the war in Ukraine. "From the first day of the full-scale invasion, he was in Kyiv and saw what Russian aggression is. Soon the whole world will be able to see the whole truth about the war thanks to his film," the president said.

16:13 Johnson does not consider a war between Britain and Russia likely. “I don’t think it will come to that. <...> Putin and the Kremlin will try to expand the conflict and say that this is something between NATO and Russia. This is not at all. We are talking about an invasion of an independent, sovereign country. about the West and all Ukraine's friends giving them the support they need to protect themselves." According to the British prime minister, the leaders of the G7 agreed to "give the Ukrainians the strategic strength they need in order to try to change the situation."

16:07 Macron said that the G7 countries agree on the need to supply Ukraine with weapons for defense, but not for attacking Russian territory: "All allies adhere to the same line - we supply weapons, equipment, ammunition to help Ukrainians defend themselves on their territory, and not to attack another territory."

Commenting on Kyiv's calls to declare the Russian Federation a sponsor of terrorism, Macron said that France does not share such a methodology: "As for the issue of qualifying as a sponsor of terrorism, I want to be understood correctly. France does not share such a methodology, because we always strive to be guided by a legal approach" .

16:02 Around Lisichansk, heavy fighting continues on all sides, said the head of the Luhansk OVA Serhiy Gaidai. He stressed that Lisichansk is the last outpost of Ukraine in the Luhansk region, and the task of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is to hold out as long as possible.

According to Gaidai, in Lisichansk, the townspeople who were going to fetch water came under fire. As a result, ten people died and at least 30 were injured. Recently, humanitarian aid has not been delivered to the city, because the roads are constantly shelled. Lisichansk has stocks of food and medicine for several weeks. It is dangerous to evacuate now, so residents are advised to stay in shelters.

15:49 UK Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace warns of a possible shortage in the country of the crews of the Navy and the Air Force, as well as long-range rocket artillery. He sent a letter to Johnson asking him to increase the defense budget to 2.5% of GDP by 2028, writes The Guardian.

15:46 Due to the increase in fuel supplies to Ukrainian gas stations in July, restrictions on the volume of purchases per visit will be lifted for motorists, Andriy Gerus, head of the Energy Committee of the Rada, said.

15:41 In the Black Sea, there are two ships in full combat readiness to launch 16 missiles, Defense Ministry spokesman Alexander Motuzyanik said.

15:39 Six battalions of the Belarusian army are strengthening on the border and conducting reconnaissance, said the speaker of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Alexander Motuzyanyk. Intelligence also reports that the Russians are preparing DRGs from among the Belarusian military, he added.

In turn, the monitoring group Belaruska Gayun reported that a convoy of the Russian army was seen in Mozyr, which headed towards the border with Ukraine. Among the equipment - three trawls based on KAMAZ with four missiles for the S-400 air defense system and a military truck crane, as well as one S-400 air defense system.

15:35 Russian special services tried to hack the national telethon, SBU speaker Artem Dekhtyarenko said. The SBU assumes that on the eve of the Constitution Day of Ukraine, the Russian special services wanted to use the resources participating in the national telethon for their own destructive information operations.

15:14 One of the two missiles that Russia fired at Kremenchuk hit the Kredmash road machinery plant. According to the head of the plant, military vehicles have not been produced there since 1989 - only civilian vehicles.

14:49 Telegram channels showed video from surveillance cameras during the Russian missile attack on Kremenchug:

14:37 The coordinating headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war clarified that 17 Ukrainian defenders were released from Russian captivity according to the 17x15 formula. 16 Ukrainian servicemen are returning home, including two officers and 14 soldiers, as well as one civilian. Five of those released are seriously injured and require urgent treatment.

14:25 Adviser of the mayor of Kherson, kidnapped by the invaders, Galina Lyashevskaya, said that this morning Igor Kolykhaev arrived at one of the municipal institutions where the remaining employees of the city executive committee worked. As soon as he got out of the car, he was immediately detained by armed representatives of the National Guard and, most likely, the FSB: “They seized hard drives from computers, opened all the safes, searched for documents. All this time, Kolykhaev was kept in a separate office in handcuffs under armed guard. After After the search, Kolykhaev was put on bus Z and taken away.

14:04 Danilov replied to Medvedev, who said that an attempt to encroach on Crimea would be considered as a declaration of the Third World War: "The return of the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea will be without attempts, but immediately."

14:01 The Russian Foreign Ministry recommends that Russians refrain from traveling to Estonia "in connection with Estonia's openly hostile attitude towards Russia and its citizens."

13:59 G7 once again called on Russia to end the blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports. This is stated in the G7 statement on global food security: "We strongly support Ukraine in the resumption of agricultural exports to world markets, as well as the UN's desire to open a safe maritime corridor through the Black Sea."

13:56 An exchange of prisoners took place in the Nikolaev region. According to people's deputy Fyodor Venislavsky, 14 Russian prisoners of war were exchanged for 17 Ukrainian ones. This was the 13th prisoner of war exchange between Ukraine and Russia. According to the correspondent of Suspіlny from the scene, among those released from Russian captivity there is one military man, the rest are civilians abducted from different cities. Three people were returned from the territory of the Russian Federation. Of the 17 Ukrainians, five were wounded.

13:52 On the eve of the NATO summit in Madrid, Roscosmos published satellite images and coordinates of "decision-making centers in the West."

13:46 The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine received a new request from the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the acquisition of Bayraktarov, so in the near future, almost all the capacities of the Baykar Makina plant will be focused on meeting the needs of the Ukrainian army, Reznikov said. According to him, since February 24, the Ministry of Defense has put up to 50 such drones into service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, several more have already been locked and paid for by the Ministry of Defense, their delivery is expected in July. Now we are talking about orders for dozens more drones, the minister added.

13:42 At the time of the missile attack, there were up to a thousand people in the Amstor shopping center in Kremenchug, most of the visitors left it during the air raid, Monastyrsky said: "During the air raid, most people were able to leave the premises and go to the shelter, which is located opposite the mall building Therefore, we believe that most people were able to get out. How many people are under the rubble - I think we will understand this over the next day."

13:38 Speaker of the so-called "parliament" "LPR" Denis Miroshnichenko admitted that the surrendered Ukrainian military from Severodonetsk Azot could be exchanged.

13:35 The Russians fired at the Industrial District of Kharkiv, a fire broke out at one of the enterprises, the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov said. According to preliminary data, five people were injured, one was hospitalized in serious condition, the rest were in medium condition.

13:21 The head of the State Duma Committee on Defense, Andrei Kartapolov, said that some of the captured Ukrainian military are now in the Russian Federation, they are being investigated. According to him, "all persons who surrender are all checked for involvement in possible war crimes, and if they are not guilty, they have two ways: either to receive Russian citizenship, or to wait in line for an exchange."

13:14 A Russian agent was detained, who corrected the fire on the Yavorivsky firing range. According to the press service of the SBU, the former KGB officer received instructions via Telegram from Moscow curators, and dumped secret information there. As a result of the rocket attack on the test site, 50 people were killed and 150 were injured. The offender will be tried for treason.

13:10 Over the past four days, Russia has fired about 130 missiles at Ukraine from different platforms, Zaluzhny said in a telephone conversation with American and British colleagues Mark Milli and Tony Radakin. So, according to him, four days ago the Russian Federation launched 53 cruise missiles in Ukraine, three days ago - 26 missiles, two days ago - almost 40; over the past day - 12.

Zaluzhny also said that today the area of ​​active hostilities begins in the north of the Kharkiv region and ends on the left bank of the Dnieper near the city of Vasilyevka, Zaporozhye region. The most intense hostilities are being conducted in the north of the Lugansk and Kharkiv regions.

In the area of ​​the Kharkov region, over the past day alone, there were 270 artillery attacks (for this, Russia used 45,000 ammunition), two missile and 32 air strikes. "The situation is very complicated, but controllable," the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine added.

13:04 The head of the Poltava OVA, Dmitry Lunin, showed photographs from a shopping center destroyed by a Russian missile. He stressed that the shopping center worked for civilians and had no military significance - this can be seen from the photo: "They sold food, various things, including toys. Parents went there with their children. And the Russians knew this very well. That is, unequivocally, an undisguised and cynical terrorist attack took place in Kremenchug yesterday.

12:59 The mayor of Slavyansk, Vadim Lyakh, said that a garage cooperative on the street came under fire at night. Mira - very close by is a multi-storey building and the private sector. In the morning, a rocket hit one of the industrial enterprises. In both cases, there were no casualties, but the shelling of the city is becoming more intense. "This is a significant opportunity to make a decision to evacuate," Lyakh stressed.

12:55 Peskov commented on Zelensky's words that he hopes to end the war before the end of the year: "Kyiv can stop everything before the end of the day by fulfilling Moscow's conditions and ordering to lay down their arms."

12:49 In Kremenchug, "more than 20" dead and 59 wounded , said the deputy head of the Presidential Office Kirill Tymoshenko.

12:47 France will give Ukraine a "large number" of armored personnel carriers, said the Minister of the Armed Forces of the country, Sebastien Lecornu: "In order to move quickly in areas that are under enemy fire, the armies need armored vehicles. France will supply significant quantities of VAB-type transport vehicles, which also have armament". The minister did not specify the timing of the deliveries, but added that Paris is also exploring the possibility of supplying French-made Exocet anti-ship missiles.

12:33 The Russian troops have let out eight rockets across Nikolaev today. There is destruction in the abandoned town of the location of the 79th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and at the central stadium of the city, Mayor Alexander Senkevich said in a commentary to the UP. According to him, three out of eight missiles were shot down. There were no casualties.

12:22 In the Zaporozhye region, another operation was held to return the bodies of the dead Ukrainian servicemen. Ukraine returned the bodies of 46 people, of which 21 were defenders of Azovstal, the Ministry of Reintegration reported.

12:13 The identities of the majority of those killed as a result of a missile attack on the shopping center in Kremenchug have not yet been established, Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky said: "As of today, we have 18 bodies of the dead, 21 missing. Some of them may be from these 18 victims that have already been found, since most of the bodies are unrecognized due to the fact that they were badly burned."

According to the minister, at the moment we can say about the analysis of 60% of the rubble of the shopping center. "Therefore, the figures are not yet final. We will try to sort everything out by tomorrow morning and report on the final number of deaths," he said.

12:08 As a result of yesterday's shelling of Kharkov, nine people were killed, another 32 were injured of varying degrees of severity, Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky said.

12:05 In the Kutsurubsky community of the Nikolaev area because of the Russian attacks burned down 10 hectares of winter wheat, reported in GSChS. Also, as a result of the shelling, a granary burned on the territory of the Pervomaisky community of the Nikolaevsky district.

12:02 In the Odessa region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down an Onyx rocket fired from the Crimea, said OVA speaker Serhiy Bratchuk.

11:48 Ukrainian law enforcement officers have already identified Russian pilots who carried out a missile attack on a shopping center in Kremenchuk, Poltava region, Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky said at a briefing at the scene. He did not provide details.

11:42 The mayor of Kherson, Igor Kolykhaev, was probably kidnapped by the invaders. "They took away Igor Kolykhaev," his adviser Galina Lyashevskaya wrote, without giving details.

11:40 The shelling of the shopping center in Kremenchug can be considered in The Hague, Venediktova said from the scene of the shelling on the air of the telethon.

11:36 The investigation found out that the administration of the Amstor shopping center in Kremenchuk decided not to close the shopping center during an air raid from June 23, Mayor Vitaly Maletsky said. He also said that Prosecutor General Irina Venidiktova visited the scene of the tragedy. According to the mayor, the toughening of the responsibility of the owners of the shopping and entertainment center, shops and other crowded places for non-compliance with the rules of evacuation during an air raid was discussed.

Maletsky appealed to establishments of all forms of ownership: "During air raids, visitors and personnel should be evacuated to shelters. In case of violation of this requirement, we will take measures, including criminal cases and the closure of institutions."

11:28 Three explosions were heard in Mariupol yesterday. While clearing rubble in the Central District of the city, a 15-year-old teenager and a 23-year-old man were blown up by a grenade. Both were from among the team of "volunteers", that is, they actually participated in paid work to clear the rubble. Both are in intensive care in a serious condition, said the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, Petr Andryushchenko.

The second explosion thundered in the area of ​​​​Karpov Ave., Kalmiussky District - here the invaders ran into a shell when they robbed one of the industrial bases. Information about the victims is being specified. The third explosion - in the market area in the 17th microdistrict near hospital No. 2. Also the detonation of a shell, there were no casualties among civilians.

11:19 The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that yesterday in Kremenchug the Russian Aerospace Forces allegedly attacked "the hangars with weapons and ammunition received from the United States and European countries, in the area of ​​the Kremenchug plant of road machines." According to Moscow, "the detonation of ammunition stored in the hangar caused a fire in a nearby non-functioning shopping center."

11:15 Zelensky said that he spoke with Stoltenberg before the start of the NATO summit in Madrid, stressed the importance of providing air defense to Ukraine. In turn, the Secretary General of the alliance said that at the summit, NATO members will strengthen support for Ukraine "now and in the long term."

10:58 G7 countries will consider the possibility of introducing cap prices for Russian gas. The leaders of the G7 intend to instruct ministers to study this issue, writes Bloomberg. This is expected to be announced after the conclusion of the three-day summit on Tuesday. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi insists on the introduction of marginal prices. It is also expected that in the final communiqué the leaders will mention a mechanism for limiting prices for Russian oil.

10:23 The EU will provide Ukraine with special equipment to protect against chemical and nuclear threats, writes CNN. The total cost of deliveries is 11.3 million euros. These will include 300,000 protective suits, almost 6,000 liters of decontaminants and 850 items of equipment for decontamination operations.

10:19 The media write that in the occupied Perevalsk in the Luhansk region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed the military unit of the occupiers. Local residents report that there are now many ambulances and many wounded Russian soldiers. The "LPR" said that "Ukrainian troops for the first time struck the city of Perevalsk from the American MLRS HIMARS."

09:57 Over the weekend of June 25 and 26, the Russian Aerospace Forces launched from 60 to 80 long-range missiles in Ukraine, the total cost of which ranges from $150 to $220 million, Forbes calculated. The Russian troops launched the most missiles in the Zhytomyr region (about 30), another 20 missiles - in the Chernihiv region. According to the publication, Russia has used the entire arsenal of missiles that it has - Tochka-U, Kh-22, Onyx, Iskander, Caliber and Kh-101.

09:43 Mayor of Kremenchug Vitaliy Maletsky said that on June 28, 29 and 30, a three-day mourning was declared in the city for those who died as a result of a missile attack on the Amstor shopping center. He noted that today is Constitution Day in Ukraine, but in Kremenchug the state flags will be flown at half mast. No entertainment activities are allowed on these days. "What happened is the biggest tragedy in the modern history of Kremenchug," the mayor stressed.

09:34 British intelligence reports that the nature and results of Russia's use of military formations near Severodonetsk, as well as missiles during the last series of strikes, indicate the depletion of the resource of Russian forces. Thus, during the latest series of missile strikes throughout Ukraine, the old Soviet Kh-22 and more modern Kh-101 missiles, fired from the airspace of Russia and Belarus, were most likely used.

These weapons are designed to hit targets of strategic importance, but Russia continues to use them in large numbers to gain a tactical advantage. In addition, the Russians brought together the main elements of six different armies, but were only able to achieve tactical success at Severodonetsk. The armed forces of the Russian Federation are increasingly depleted, analysts say.

Experts also reported that the Ukrainian military continues to gain a foothold in Lisichansk after retreating from Severodonetsk and cause damage to Russian command centers, inflicting successful strikes far into the rear of the enemy.

09:23 According to Nikolaev, 11 missiles were fired in the morning, some of them were shot down, the head of the OVA Vitaly Kim said.

09:19 Nikolaev on the morning of June 28 was subjected to massive rocket fire. Shelling was recorded in the Shirokovskaya, Ingulskaya and Berezegovatskaya communities. Information about the victims and the consequences is being specified, the OVA said.

Also, the city of Ochakov was subjected to shelling, the blows fell on the territory of the city market, on the building of the palace of culture, on the private sector, as well as a direct hit on two residential buildings. Three people were killed, one of them a child, six more were injured. As a result of the strike, in some areas there is no water, gas, energy supply and the Internet. Shelling was also recorded in the Mishkovo-Pogorelovskaya, Galitsinovskaya, Shevchenkovskaya communities. According to preliminary information, no casualties.

09:16 The rubble of the Amstor shopping and entertainment center in Kremenchug continues to be cleared, more than a thousand people worked on the ruins all night. As of now, 18 dead are known, 36 more people are considered missing , said the head of the Poltava OVA Dmitry Lunin.

09:13 Yesterday's shelling of Lisichansk, as a result of which eight people were killed, was carried out by the Russians with a cluster Hurricane, prohibited by the Geneva Convention. Of the 21 wounded, many had to amputate their limbs, said the head of the Luhansk OVA Serhiy Gaidai. He also said that the Russians were throwing so-called “petal” projectiles around the city, and urged residents to be very careful.

09:10 At a meeting with Lukashenka, Putin did not talk about the transfer of missiles with nuclear weapons to Minsk, it was about complexes that are technically capable of carrying different types of weapons, Peskov said.

09:06 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the enemy on the morning of June 28. The enemy suffered the greatest losses in the Bakhmut direction.

  • personnel - about 35,250 (+250) people liquidated,

  • tanks - 1567 (+15),

  • armored fighting vehicles - 3704 (+17),

  • artillery systems - 778 (+7),

  • MLRS - 243 (+0),

  • air defense systems - 102 (+1),

  • aircraft - 217 (+0),

  • helicopters - 185 (+1),

  • UAV operational-tactical level - 636 (+0),

  • cruise missiles - 139 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 14 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tankers - 2589 (+14),

  • special equipment - 61 (+1).

08:40 British Chief of Staff Patrick Sanders calls to prevent World War III. Britain and its allies are facing their "moment of 1937" after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he said, and must do everything possible to prevent another world war. Sanders explained that containing Russia "means more army, ready most of the time." He expects "all ranks to be ready to train hard and go into action."

08:37 Ukraine can provide its storage facilities for European gas, Energy Minister German Galushchenko said: "Ukraine is ready to lend its shoulder and become a reliable partner for Europe in ensuring sustainable gas supply this heating season. Our UGS facilities are the largest in Europe, and we offer them for storage of gas reserves of European countries, especially since storage conditions in Ukraine are the most optimal in Europe."

08:33 Western weapons that continue to flow into Ukraine will soon allow the liberation of the territories around Nikolaev, Kherson and Kharkov, says former US Special Representative for Ukraine Ambassador Kurt Volker: "I think that the Ukrainians will advance and regain control over the territory around Nikolaev and in in the end they will reach the city of Kherson in the south, and will also push the Russians further from Kharkov. Volker acknowledged that very difficult battles are coming up in the near future, however, in the battles with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, "the Russians are really exhausted."

08:30 The Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that rescue and search operations are continuing at the site of the missile strike in Kremenchuk, 440 people are involved, including 14 psychologists. It is known about 18 dead, one of them died in the hospital. In total, 59 people suffered from the blow, 25 were hospitalized in the intensive care hospital in Kremenchug. The numbers are not final.

08:18 Ukrainian defenders stopped the enemy in four directions, in particular in Kharkiv, Lisichansk and Zaporozhye. In the Slavic direction, the invaders were thrown back, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports in the morning report .

07:45 The number of victims of a missile attack on a shopping center in Kremenchug has increased to 18 , said the head of the Poltava OVA Dmitry Lunin.

07:32 The US Department of Defense highly appreciated the achievements of the Ukrainian military, which effectively restrain the Russian army with small forces. This was stated by a senior Pentagon official: "From a military point of view, the small number of Ukrainians that kept the Russians in Severodonetsk for so long is something that we will all study in the future."

07:07 The leaders of the G7 countries and the UN representative condemned the missile attack on a civilian object and stressed the inevitability of punishment of the military-political leadership of Russia. Other world leaders also reacted to the missile strike .

05:13 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggests that, given the data collected, including the strike on Kremenchug, such attacks by the Russians will escalate.

Experts also reported that over the past day, the Russian army gradually advanced southwest of Lysichansk near the T1302 Bakhmut-Lysichansk highway, but did not completely interrupt the Ukrainian lines of communication with Bakhmut. In the course of offensive operations east of Bakhmut, the Russian troops achieved a moderate advance. At the same time, Ukrainian troops repelled the Russian offensive north of Sloviansk.

Russian forces launched limited and localized attacks along the front lines around Kharkov but made no progress on 27 June. The counteroffensives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine along the southern direction continue to force the Russian Federation to choose defensive operations on the line of collision.

01:46 Russians fired two missiles at Kremenchuk, one - exactly at the shopping center, said Minister of Internal Affairs Denis Monastyrsky during a briefing at the scene of the tragedy late at night. According to him, there was an air raid warning signal, but not all employees and visitors of the shopping center took shelter. Those people who were slightly injured or received shell shock were in shelters, the minister said. The attack is unprecedented in terms of the number of dead and wounded in this part of Ukraine, Monastyrsky stressed.

He also said that in two days Russia fired about 100 missiles into the country. The minister drew attention to the fact that the enemy chooses such periods of time or such places where there is the largest concentration of civilians.

Anton Gerashchenko said that the second rocket hit a wasteland.

01:30 According to preliminary data, at the time the Russian missile hit the shopping center in Kremenchug, there were about 200 people there. This was announced on the air of the telethon by the press officer of the State Emergency Service Alexander Khorunzhiy, answering a question about the number of evacuees during the air raid.

01:12 Any attempt to encroach on the Crimea will be regarded as a declaration of war on Russia, Medvedev said: "If this is done by a country that is part of NATO, this is a conflict with the entire North Atlantic alliance. World War III. Total catastrophe."

00:55 The UN Security Council on Tuesday, June 28, will hold a meeting on the war in Ukraine. The meeting will start at 22:00 Kyiv time.
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