Thread: Russia launches Ukraine invasion

You're all over the map Willy. For a guy who roundly criticises others for their lack of depth you're probably one of the weaker contributers truth be known. I've met several other PH D's were really quite stupid and useless like yourself. Have you anything to the discussion here? If not, piss off.

Originally Posted by DrWilly

Yes, naughty USA starting this invasion and war.

The war started long before the Russian invasion, the war started when the Americans engineered the coup d'etat in 2014 replacing a democratically government with a right wing regime hostile to Russia and friendly to the west.

Originally Posted by DrWilly

If only Ukraine had not fought back they'd be in a perfect position now, eh?

Ukraine had to fight back you idiot.

Originally Posted by DrWilly

Simpleton, your understanding of geopolitics rivals Backspin's understanding of women.

Oh yes. That must be it Willy.

MOSCOW ($1=62.03 Russian Rubles) — The only tank manufacturer in the Russian Federation – UralVagonZavod has partially suspended production, employees have been sent on unpaid leave and financial difficulties due to lawsuits against the Russian manufacturer continue. At the moment, UralVagonZavod does not produce the desired amount of tanks but has focused its efforts on repairing destroyed combat equipment.

Military analysts predict that the difficulties faced by the Russian manufacturer UralVagonZavod, the war in Ukraine, in which Russia is throwing a lot of armored vehicles, but also losing a lot of armored vehicles, will lead to a “reformatting of the entire world arms market in the foreseeable future. That is, the Russian Federation may be pushed out of its niche,” says Alexander Kovalenko in his commentary.

Production problems for UralVagonZavod are significant. In addition to the lack of components and spare parts, as well as the suspended supply of Western technology to Russia, UralVagonZavod is facing a “cooperative problem along the entire chain in the industry.” For example, the company is losing contracts and orders because another Russian manufacturer Barnaul Machine-Building Plant is losing customers, including countries from North America, India, China, and Egypt. Now, as with UralVagonZavod, the Barnaul Machine-Building Plant is laying off employees and stopping production, and only a year ago it was exporting to more than 30 countries around the world.

As BulgarianMilitary.com wrote two days ago [July 7th], UralVagonZavod even refuses to repair burned tanks coming from the war in Ukraine.

Financial problems

Last but not least, the Russian tank manufacturer, which, in addition to military equipment, also produces metro trains and wagons for train sets, is experiencing serious financial problems due to obligations to Russian companies. For example, the Russian technology company IBS still expects UralVagonZavod to repay its debt to it, which amounts to nearly $800,000. The amount for such an enterprise should not be a problem, but an accounting report from last year [2021] shows that the total short-term and long-term liabilities of UralVagonZavod exceed 1.5 billion USD.

Despite the war and suspicions of “politicized courts” serving Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state-wide policies, Russian courts have rejected a large part of UralVagonZavod’s claims to reschedule the repayment period for accrued debts and put Russia’s largest and only tank manufacturer on the brink of survival.

UralVagonZavod’s profit has fallen sharply, and the state continues to help finance the purchase of new production technologies, creating a “false illusion” of a stable house of cards, which, however, may soon collapse.

“Whether there were new tanks is a very good question. In fact, UralVagonZavod has not been releasing new tanks from scratch for several years, as the Russian leadership likes to report about it. The company modernizes old Soviet tanks and presents them as new,” Alexander Kovalenko notes journalists. As experts explain, this is done to cut public funds.

The sanctions

As we reported on July 6, the Ukrainian intelligence continues to claim that Russian industry has not yet overcome its dependence on Western technology and that economic sanctions are having a serious impact. In April this year, the US also mentioned problems in Russian production and repair of military equipment. In a speech at the end of March, Thea Kendler, assistant secretary for export administration at the Ministry of Trade, said that in addition to UralVagonZavod, the Russian company Baikal Electronics was experiencing difficulties. It is a company producing computers and semiconductors. According to Kendler, the company no longer receives integrated circuits. They are needed, she says, to maintain the company’s server equipment.

Kendler recalled that only 5% of imports to Russia come from the United States, but almost 50% come from Europe. At the same time, Taiwan has dealt a very serious blow to Russia’s military industry as the local TSMC has left the Russian market. TSMC is the world’s largest chip maker. With the departure of the Russian market from TSMC, Russia is losing a huge number of MIPS needed in the development of military intelligence systems and other military systems. In particular, it concerns the interruption of access to Elbrus chips.

There were signals already in May

Reports of problems with heavy military equipment and the inability to carry out quality repairs, both in the field and in the repair plants of the Russian Federation, appeared as early as May.

Several train sets were then seen transporting obsolete T-62M and T-62МВ tanks into the interior of Ukraine, the tanks being mobilized and taken from the reserve as well as from the inventory of military units in Tajikistan, Libya, and Syria.

According to unconfirmed information and according to Ukrainian sources, as of July 1, Russia has already lost over 1,500 tanks, 3,737 armored personnel vehicles, 800 artillery systems, 246 MLRS, and 105 anti-aircraft systems.

Russia doesn't produce tanks, UralVagonZavod with half production

• Russia hands down first prison term for anti-war remarks

A court in Moscow sentenced a municipal council member to seven years in prison Friday for his remarks opposing the war in Ukraine. The unprecedented sentence raises the stakes for Kremlin critics in Russia who speak out against Moscow’s invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbor.

Alexei Gorinov was found guilty of spreading “knowingly false information” about the Russian military, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison under a law the Russian parliament rubber-stamped a week after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine.

The 60-year-old member of Moscow’s Krasnoselsky municipal council is the first person sentenced to serve time behind bars for a conviction on that charge, according to Net Freedoms, a legal aid group focused on free speech cases.

The two other convictions so far led to a fine and a suspended sentence, the group said. Gorinov, who was arrested in April, is the first elected representative to face charges under the wartime law.

Gorinov criticized Russia’s military actions in Ukraine at a municipal council meeting in March. A video available on YouTube shows him voicing skepticism about holding a planned children’s art competition in his constituency while “every day children are dying” in Ukraine.

Photographs published by Russian media of a Friday court hearing showed Gorinov behind inside a glass-walled defendant’s dock and holding up a sign that read, “Do you still need this war?” A bailiff tried to cover the sign with his hands.

When President Vladimir Putin ordered the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, a massive wave of outrage and antiwar sentiment swept Russia. Thousands of people protested on the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg daily, and hundreds of thousands signed online petitions opposing the attack.

The Kremlin insisted that what it called a “special military operation” in Ukraine had overwhelming public support, and moved swiftly to suppress any criticism. Thousands of protesters were arrested, and dozens of critical media outlets were shut down.

Individuals who spoke out publicly against the invasion or accused Russian troops of committing atrocities in Ukraine have been targeted under the new legislation, which outlawed the spread of “false information” about the invasion and disparaging the military.

As of Friday, Net Freedoms had counted 68 criminal cases involving false information charges and at least 2,000 misdemeanor cases for the alleged disparagement of the Russian military.

Gorinov refused to plead guilty, and he denounced the invasion again while giving his closing statement in court Thursday.

“For five months, Russia has been carrying out hostilities, coyly calling them a special operation. We’re being promised a victory and glory. Why, then, are a large part of my compatriots feeling shame and guilt?” Gorinov said. “I am convinced that a war is the fastest way to dehumanization, when the line between good and evil fades. It is always death, I don’t accept it and reject it.”

Bruce Millar, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia deputy director, called the sentence handed to Gorinov “shocking.”

“It is an unlawful reprisal for expressing his views, and not the administration of justice,” Millar said in a statement. The council member “did not commit any internationally recognized crime by calling the war unleashed by Vladimir Putin on Ukraine what it is, a criminal war.”

Political analyst Tatyana Stanovaya, the founder of Moscow think tank R.Politik, said Gorinov’s 7-year sentence took a “special political decision” and that his case stood out because he aired antiwar views while speaking as an public official at a council meeting.

“The sentence is a defiantly and emphatically cruel warning to all: ’Dissent, you will all land behind bars for a long time if you combine antiwar rhetoric with political activity,” Stanovaya wrote on Telegram.

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https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/stat...97761587535873

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• Michael MacKay - Billboards with the slogan “Alaska is ours!” started appearing in the Russian Federation. This one is in Krasnoyarsk.

photo: Vladimir Vladimirov https://twitter.com/mhmck/status/1545049601278742530

'Alaska Is Ours!' Billboards Appear in Russia After Threat to Reclaim State

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• Lithuanian Bayraktar Arrived in Ukraine

Crowdfunded Bayraktar drone has arrived in Ukraine.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of Ukraine Andrii Sybiga, has announced this.

"Lithuanian Bayraktar "Vanagas" is already in Ukraine! This is a remarkable display of friendship and unity, which once again proves that Ukraine is not the only one fighting the aggressor. I am personally grateful to Haluk Bayraktar and Andrius Tapinas for their unwavering support on our way to victory! Glory to Ukraine!" Sybiga posted on Twitter.

Journalist Andrius Tapinas launched a fundraising campaign to purchase a Bayraktar for Ukraine on May 25, stating he had received consent for this purchase from the Defense Ministries of Lithuania and Turkey and the manufacturer.

The campaign secured around 6 million euros within three days. After that, the Turkish manufacturer said they were touched by the solidarity of Lithuanians and donated a drone. The allocated funds were directed to arm the unmanned aircraft.

Inspired by Tapinas, the Serhiy Prytula Foundation in Ukraine launched a fundraiser for three Bayraktars. It reached the goal within three days, having raised funds for almost four drones. The company "Baykar" has announced to hand over three drones free of charge.

Currently, the fundraiser for "Bayraktar" for Ukraine is ongoing in Poland. Journalist Sławomir Sierakowski initiated it.

On Wednesday, about ten thousand people came to the air base in the Lithuanian city of Šiauliai to see the Bayraktar launch. https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/e.../07/8/7142874/

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• Belgium to reopen Embassy in Kyiv, send new ambassador

The Belgian Embassy in Kyiv will reopen next Monday, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo confirmed on Thursday.

The Belgian Embassy in Kyiv will reopen next week (11 July), and Ambassador Peter Van De Velde, whom De Croo met before he was sent to Kyiv, will represent Belgium there. Van De Velde will replace former Ambassador to Ukraine Axel Lenaerts since the latter was reaching the end of his mandate.

At the end of June, the government announced the reopening of the Belgian Embassy for mid-July, following the path of the vast majority of EU member states that have reopened their embassies in the Ukrainian capital over the past few weeks.

As soon as the Belgian diplomatic team assisting the new ambassador arrives in Kyiv, the local staff will gradually resume work, De Croo’s office announced.

After a security analysis was carried out jointly by foreign affairs and defence ministries, the government gave the green light.

“The reopening of our embassy should allow closer ties with the Ukrainian authorities, particularly in the context of the security situation and Ukraine’s application for EU membership,” De Croo said.

“This is an important sign of resilience and support [sent] to Ukrainians. This return of our diplomatic teams to Kyiv is also important for the reconstruction [of the country], in which Belgian companies have an important role to play,” De Croo added.

At the end of June, De Croo spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the reconstruction of Ukraine, the latter saying that he was expecting Belgium to make “a significant contribution” to the rebuilding of his country.

The reopened Belgian Embassy in Kyiv, which has been closed since 1 March after its staff had firstly been moved to the French Embassy over security concerns, will focus on diplomatic services and contacts with the Ukrainian authorities in the first place.

Consular services for Belgians, provided by the consular staff working at border crossing points with Ukraine after the closing of the Embassy, will continue to be provided by the Belgian Embassy in Poland until “further notice,” the prime minister’s office notes.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/pol...ew-ambassador/

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• Canada to deliver 39 General Dynamics-made armored vehicles to Ukraine this summer

Ottawa: Canada will reportedly send 39 General Dynamics-made armoured vehicles to Ukraine to help Kyiv in fighting Russian forces. The development was confirmed by Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand on Thursday. The delivery of these vehicles will begin this summer.

The armoured vehicle can be reportedly used as ambulances, maintenance and recovery vehicles. These vehicles can also be used for carrying troops. These armoured vehicles are part of a 500 million Canadian dollar-military support for Ukraine which was allotted in Canada's budget in April this year, reported Reuters.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also made the announcement about supplying the fleet of armoured vehicles to Ukraine at the end of the NATO summit that was held in Madrid last week. The Canadian Defence Minister told the media that the deal for armoured vehicles for Ukraine is on a top of a separate contract for 360 vehicles for the Canadian armed forces.

The contract was negotiated with General Dynamics Land Systems in 2019, reported the news agency. She further added that these vehicles will be delivered to Ukraine over the next few months.

As per another report by Reuters, Ukraine on Thursday opposed Canada's handing over a turbine to Russia's Gazprom. According to Russia, the turbine is critical for supplying natural gas to Germany. Ukraine believed that handing over the turbine would flout sanctions on Russia.

Meanwhile, the fighting has intensified in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region comprising two separatist republics - Donetsk and Luhansk. Last week, Russia claimed that its forces has taken control of the entire Luhansk region. Russian forces have increased shelling in Donetsk's province. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. https://www.timesnownews.com/world/c...ticle-92735368

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• A Russian billionaire said he only found out he was sanctioned when he read it in the news while on vacation, days before his 50th birthday

Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko said he only found out he'd been sanctioned by the European Union when he read it in the news.

He told Swiss publication Weltwoche that on March 4 he left Switzerland, where he has lived since 2009, to travel to Tanzania with his family to celebrate his 50th birthday, which was just three days later.

"There I discovered that the EU had put me on the sanctions list," he said. "A perfect present for my 50th birthday, and also so symbolic."

Melnichenko told the publication that he has since filed lawsuits against both EU and Swiss authorities over the sanctions, calling their official reasoning "nonsensical."

Melnichenko is the owner of fertilizer group EuroChem and coal company Suek, which he says employ 100,000 people combined, though he stepped down as a director of both companies on the day he was sanctioned. Bloomberg estimates his wealth at $14.6 billion — down by almost a third since he was sanctioned.

On February 24, Melnichenko was photographed alongside 36 other Russian businesspeople meeting with Putin President Vladimir Putin and other members of the Kremlin, which the EU said was arranged "to discuss the impact of the course of action in the wake of Western sanctions."

It said that his invite shows that he was "a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin" and "one of the leading businesspersons involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of Russia."

In his interview with Weltwoche, Melnichenko said that the gathering with Putin was a "normal meeting."

"We were all shocked about the events in Russia," he said. He said that the oligarchs and business leaders had first heard about Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the news that morning, and that the meeting had taken place in the early afternoon.

"We were in an emotional state of emergency," he said, adding that people were in a state of disbelief.

Melnichenko told the publication that he didn't know Putin "at all" and had never me him alone. He said that he had only met him a few times in groups of at least 15 people, each time in his role as part of a Russian business and industrial group.

"Labeling me as a close political confidant of Putin, as an oligarch closely connected to the Russian state, is absurd," he said. "I'm not an oligarch."

Melnichenko said that he hadn't expected to be sanctioned as a businessman unconnected to the state. Though he was born in Belarus and lives in Switzerland, he has a Russian passport.

"My disadvantage is obvious: I'm a Russian," Melnichenko said. "Secondly: I'm rich. That's why I'm on the sanctions list."

The EU didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Melnichenko wife was also sanctioned by the EU, largely because of her connections to EuroChem. Melnichenko said that her sanctions made no sense and that she rarely visits Russia and had never met Putin.

He said that the sanctions meant his private and family bank accounts had been locked and he couldn't access his assets. Italy seized a $578 million megayacht belonging to him just three days after he was sanctioned.

The EU also sanctioned EuroChem, which Melnichenko said left the company "considerably restricted."

"Worst of all, though, my family life has completely fallen to pieces," he said. He said wasn't able to travel in the EU although his family lives in Europe.

"The children can't meet their friends, they miss their toys and ask questions that I can't answer," he said. https://www.businessinsider.com/olig...e-putin-2022-7

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• Canada announces new Russia sanctions targeting disinformation

Canada has now sanctioned over 1,600 individuals and entities in response to Russia's war in Ukraine

Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly announced new sanctions against Russian agents and organizations Friday, with a focus on those involved in Russian disinformation efforts.

Canada is imposing sanctions on 29 agents and 15 entities owned or controlled by the Russian government involved in spreading Russian propaganda with respect to the war in Ukraine, Global Affairs said in a news release.

Among those sanctioned is Sumbatovich Gasparyan, the head of Russian-funded broadcaster RT's international department.

Joly made the announcement while attending the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

"The Russian propaganda machine must answer for its lies. Canada is committed to fighting disinformation wherever and whenever it is found," Joly said in the statement.

"Today, we make it clear to those who peddle deception: you will be held accountable. Canada stands with Ukraine."

Canada has now sanctioned more than 1,600 Russian agents or entities in response to Russia's war in Ukraine. The sanctions prevent Canadians from any property dealing with those listed, make any goods available to them, or provide financial services to them, among other things.

The government also announced that the import of certain gold products from Russia is now prohibited.

The products including unwrought gold, semi-manufactured gold, gold powder, monetary gold and jewelry made of gold.

The release highlighted other efforts from the Canadian government to counter Kremlin propaganda, including a website focused on countering false claims the Russians have made with respect to the war in Ukraine.

"Canada will continue to use this platform to shed light on how the Russian regime is using lies to justify its illegal, unprovoked and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine," the news release said. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/can...ions-1.6514422

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Russia remains strong despite 'insane' sanctions