Thread: Russia launches Ukraine invasion

Originally Posted by sabang

Why do so many greet them as Liberators?

Because they don't want to be sent to "filtration camps"?

Originally Posted by sabang

Why do so many greet them as Liberators?

I'll descend to your level: Duuh

Originally Posted by pickel

Because they don't want to be sent to "filtration camps"?

Some Referendums coming up. Let the People decide.

Originally Posted by sabang

Some Referendums coming up. Let the People decide.

Use of the word ‘referendum’ duly noted, thank you.

Heh. Referenda.

Originally Posted by YourDaddy

oops





Daughter of 'spiritual guide' to Putin's Ukraine invasion killed in car explosion: Russian media - CNN

The assassination in an area on the outskirts of the capital, not far from the residences of the highest officials, was aimed at the intellectual arsonists of the Russian attack on Ukraine. However, like the recent explosions on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula, it also destroys the feeling among Russians that war is far away and is none of their business. Attacks of this kind act like a boomerang of devastation that Russia is bringing to Ukraine. They awaken memories of criminal disputes in the 1990s, of explosions surrounding the Chechen wars and thus of a time that President Putin and his supporters still use today as a counterpoint to the 'stability' that he achieved."

NZZ – Neue Zurcher Zeitung | Aktuelle News, Hintergrunde & mehr

Originally Posted by sabang

Why do so many greet them as Liberators?

Yeah, they don't.

Russia blames Ukraine for nationalist’s car bombing death

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s top counterintelligence agency on Monday blamed Ukrainian spy services for organizing the killing of the daughter of a leading Russian nationalist ideologue in a car bombing just outside Moscow.


Daria Dugina, the 29-year-old daughter of Alexander Dugin, a philosopher, writer and political theorist whom some in the West described as “Putin’s brain,” died when an explosive planted in her SUV exploded as she was driving Saturday night.


Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the main KGB successor agency, said that Dugina’s killing had been “prepared and perpetrated by the Ukrainian special services.”


On Sunday, Ukraine’s presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied any Ukrainian involvement in the killing.


In Monday’s statement, the FSB accused a Ukrainian citizen, Natalya Vovk, of perpetrating the killing and then fleeing from Russia to Estonia.


The FSB said that the suspect, Natalya Vovk, arrived in Russia in July with her 12-year-old daughter and rented an apartment in the building where Dugina lived to shadow her. It said that Vovk and her daughter were at a nationalist festival, which Alexander Dugin and his daughter attended just before the killing.


The agency said that Vovk and her daughter left Russia for Estonia after Dugina’s killing, using a different vehicle license plate on their way out of the country.
Dugin has been a prominent proponent of the “Russian world” concept, a spiritual and political ideology that emphasizes traditional values, the restoration of Russia’s global clout and the unity of all ethnic Russians throughout the world. He has been vehemently supported Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move to send troops into Ukraine and urged the Kremlin to step up its operations in the country.


The explosion took place as Dugin’s daughter was returning from a cultural festival she had attended with him. Russian media reports cited witnesses as saying the SUV belonged to Dugin and that he had decided at the last minute to travel in another vehicle.


The car bombing, unusual for Moscow since the turbulent 1990s, is likely to aggravate tensions between Russia and Ukraine.


On Sunday, Denis Pushilin, head of the Russia-backed separatist “Donetsk People’s Republic” in Ukraine’s east, quickly blamed the blast on “terrorists of the Ukrainian regime, trying to kill Alexander Dugin.”


While Dugin’s exact ties to Putin are unclear, the Kremlin frequently echoes rhetoric from his writings and appearances on Russian state television. He helped popularize the “Novorossiya,” or “New Russia” concept that Russia used to justify the 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and its support of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.


Dugin, who has been slapped with U.S. and European Union sanctions, has promoted Russia as a country of piety, traditional values and authoritarian leadership, and spoken with disdain about Western liberal values.


His daughter expressed similar views and had appeared as a commentator on nationalist TV channel Tsargrad, where Dugin had served as chief editor.


Dugina herself was sanctioned by the United States in March for her work as chief editor of United World International, a website that the U.S. described as a disinformation source. The sanctions announcement cited a United World article this year that contended Ukraine would “perish” if it were admitted to NATO.


In an appearance on Russian television just Thursday, Dugina said, “People in the West are living in a dream, in a dream given to them by global hegemony.” She called America “a zombie society” in which people opposed Russia but couldn’t find it on a map.

Russia blames Ukraine for nationalist's car bombing death | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

Originally Posted by misskit

Russia blames Ukraine for nationalist’s car bombing death

Oh noooooooooo . . . even if true then that's one innocent person vs tens of thousands of innocent Ukrainians . . . hypocrites

Nearly 9,000 Ukrainian heroes killed in war with Russia – Zaluzhny

Almost 9,000 Ukrainian heroes killed in the war with Russia, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny has said.


"Not only servicemen and not only those who took up arms take part in this war, but our little children, who are not to blame for anything at all, except for the fact that they were born here and at this particular time. They are really nothing they do not understand what is happening, but they definitely need protection both near Soledar, Bakhmut, Velyka Novosilka, and here, because their father went to the frontline and, perhaps, is one of those almost 9,000 heroes who died," Zaluzhny said at the Defenders. Roll Call forum on Monday.

Nearly 9,000 Ukrainian heroes killed in war with Russia – Zaluzhny

Ukraine’s Armed Forces again strike Antonivka Bridge - Khlan

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have launched strikes on the Antonivka (Antonivskyi) Bridge in Kherson region again, according to Serhii Khlan, a deputy of the regional council.

In a post on Facebook page, he wrote: "The Armed Forces of Ukraine are striking the Antonivka Bridge again... We are exhausting the enemy in Kherson region”.


Local people also report about explosions being heard in that area and about the smoke near the bridge.

According to Khlan, information is being received from various regions of Kherson region that Russian military positions have been hit.


"Information about explosions is coming from different areas. Orc positions have been hit: Nova Kakhovka, Tavriysk, Malokakhovka, Kakhovka and Chornobaivka. We are waiting for the official data," Khlan wrote.


As reported by Ukrinform, after Ukraine's Armed Forces launched the fourth strike on the Antonivka Bridge, Russian military personnel began to take their families out of Kherson.


The Antonivka Bridge, opened in 1985, connects Kherson with the left bank of the Dnipro River.


Ukraine’s Armed Forces again strike Antonivka Bridge - Khlan

The Kremlin's justification for invading Ukraine "is a lie," a Russian paratrooper who previously publicly condemned his country's war in Ukraine has told CNN. Two weeks ago, Pavel Filatyev spoke out against the conflict in a 141-page-long testimony posted to his VKontakte social media page, then fled Russia. He is the first serving member of the Russian military to publicly criticize the invasion of Ukraine and leave the country.

Now he tells CNN that his fellow troops as tired, hungry and disillusioned -- and that the Kremlin's war effort is "destroying peaceful lives."

"We understood that we were dragged into a serious conflict where we are simply destroying towns and not actually liberating anyone," Filatyev told CNN's Matthew Chance. CNN is not disclosing the location of the interview for the security of the interviewee.

"Many understood that we do not see the reason that our government is trying to explain to us. That all of it is a lie," he said. "We are just destroying peaceful lives. This fact immensely influenced our morale. That feeling that we are not doing anything good."

Filatyev, 33, told CNN "corruption" and repression are rife in his home country and said his unit -- which was based in Crimea and sent to Ukraine entering Kherson early in the conflict -- was ill-equipped and given little explanation for Russia's invasion.

According to Filatyev, the soldiers and their commanders did not know what they were expected to do in Ukraine. He added that they soon became disillusioned with the government's reasoning for its invasion after arriving in Kherson and facing resistance from locals who did not want to be "liberated."

The paratrooper served in Russia's 56th air assault regiment and was also involved in efforts to capture the city of Mykolaiv. He was evacuated from the front lines because of an injury.

He told CNN the Russian army lacked basic equipment, as well as drones and other types of unmanned aircraft during his stint on the front line.

"Our barracks are about 100 years old and are not able to host all of our servicemen ... all of our weapons are from the times of Afghanistan," he said.

"Several days after we encircled Kherson many of us did not have any food, water or sleeping sacks on them," he said. "Because it was very cold at night, we couldn't even sleep. We would find some rubbish, some rags, just to wrap ourselves to keep warm."

The capture of Kherson was a significant early military success for Russia. Ukraine is now battling to regain the city as fighting increasingly shifts to the country's south.

But Filatyev said he struggles to understand the vision of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched the invasion of Ukraine nearly six months ago and has seen his troops locked in a grinding, costly conflict.

"Now that I am out of there and without a gun, I think this is the worst, stupidest thing our government could have done," he said. "I do not know where the government is leading us. What is the next step? Nuclear war?"

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/22/europ...ntl/index.html

In the six months since Russia invaded Ukraine, the Ukrainian military has conducted a stout and stirring defense, inflicting heavy casualties on Russian units and contesting every foot of ground. Against long odds, Ukraine managed to defend the capital, Kyiv, as well as its second largest city, Kharkiv. This has forced Russia to abandon its goal of a quick takeover of the country.
However, staving off defeat is not the same thing as victory. Russian forces today control about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including large tracts in the east and south. What does Ukraine need in order to win the war?

A first step must be to address the disparity in airpower. Success in modern, high-intensity warfare is almost impossible without at least parity in the air. Ukraine began the contest woefully behind the curve with perhaps 100 flyable jets compared to Russia’s more than 1,500. Where Russia has been able to conduct 100-200 sorties per day, the much smaller Ukrainian air force can manage around 10-20.

Accordingly, Ukraine has been generally unable to provide air support to its ground forces for fear of losing its small inventory of high-performance aircraft (mostly MIG-29 and SU-27 fighters and Su-24 and SU-25 ground attack aircraft). Instead, its approach has been to carefully husband its assets and use them only selectively.

On the other hand, Ukraine has been outstandingly successful in denying Russia air supremacy with extremely effective air defense and a strategy of “air denial.”

Though lacking the most advanced air defense systems such as the US Patriot or the Russian S-400, Ukraine’s use of older S-300 (high altitude), SA-11 (medium altitude) and SA-8 (short range) systems has been lethal to Russian airpower. The US has also provided small numbers of its NASAM short to medium-range air defense system, while Germany has promised to send decommissioned Gepard air defense vehicles, though ammunition shortages have delayed actual use.

Employed in concert with large numbers of US-supplied Stinger shoulder-fired missiles and using “shoot and scoot” tactics for survivability, Ukrainian air defense has downed dozens of Russian fixed and rotary-wing aircraft and largely sidelined Russian airpower. An adequate supply of air defense missiles for Ukrainian systems is essential here, and they must come from outside sources in quantity for Ukraine to prevail.

Ukraine has also used drones with devastating effect. The principal military platforms have been the Turkish Bayraktar TB2, which can deliver laser-guided bombs, and the US-supplied Phoenix Ghost drone as well as the Switchblade, a kamikaze drone with onboard explosives that can be flown into the target.

These military drones are supplemented with thousands of cheaper commercial drones used for artillery spotting and intelligence collection. Russian forces have adapted and the loss rate of Ukrainian drones is high, but low cost and ready availability mean that drones will continue to play an important role. When linked to nearby artillery units, drones enable quick target acquisition and precise fires, making the most of Ukraine’s limited artillery resources.

Ukrainian innovation and tactical agility have blunted much of Russia’s dominance in the air, but the ability to generate offensive airpower in the form of close air support and air interdiction will go far towards helping Ukraine prevail. Earlier in the war, Poland and other former Warsaw Pact nations suggested a transfer of Soviet-era jets to Ukraine, an offer blocked by US officials. If NATO is determined not to provide air cover, it is imperative that this block be removed and that partners be permitted to support the Ukrainian air force with platforms it can employ quickly to support air operations.

Backfilling these transfers with US fourth generation aircraft like the F-16 would also hasten the transition in Central Europe’s NATO member states from Soviet-era jets to more interoperable Western aircraft. Even 50 additional jets, with associated munitions and spare parts, could make a major difference in Ukraine. Without a boost in air support, a Ukrainian victory may still be possible if the strategy of air denial holds up, but it will come at higher costs to ground forces.

Just as important as air support is artillery, which comes in three forms: tubed, rocket, and missile. Ukraine began the war with substantial but outdated tubed artillery from the Soviet era, complicated by a dearth of ammunition. With some 2000 artillery pieces to Ukraine’s 500, Russian artillery is far more numerous, modern, and powerful, with a daily consumption of artillery rounds some 10 times greater than Ukraine’s.

As with air defense, Ukraine has used its limited artillery intelligently, quickly relocating after fire missions to avoid counter-battery fire and relying on drones for precision targeting. The addition of towed 155mm howitzers from the US and smaller numbers of 155mm self-propelled systems from Germany, France and other countries has strengthened Ukraine’s tubed artillery holdings considerably, but Russia’s advantage is still strong.

Here the US can help with M109A6 155mm self-propelled howitzers, recently replaced by the newer M109A7 model and now in storage in quantity. The M109A6 is an armored, tracked vehicle, more survivable against counter-battery fire, quicker to displace, and with smaller crews. It is accurate, lethal, and rugged, making it well-suited to Ukraine’s terrain and operational environment. Approximately 320 of these systems would give Ukraine four additional artillery brigades (one for each of its four regional headquarters), plus an additional battalion in general support for each of Ukraine’s 12 or so division equivalents, leaving some 10% for training and spares.

The real artillery game changer is the multiple launch rocket system in wheeled (M142 HIMARS) and tracked (M270 MLRS) variants. Both are long ranged, precise, mobile, and very destructive. Small numbers have been provided to date and have rendered excellent service. While Ukraine does field older rocket artillery systems like the BM-21 Grad and BM-30 Smerch, HIMARS and MLRS are far superior in range and precision.

As a matter of policy, the Biden administration has withheld longer ranged ATACMS ammunition that can strike targets up to 300 miles away. To level the playing field and transition to the offense with some hope of success, Ukraine probably needs some 50 or so HIMARS or MLRS systems, and it needs the ATACMS round. These capabilities will enable Ukrainian forces to strike high value targets like command posts, airfields, logistics hubs, air defense complexes, and ballistic missile launchers. Given the mismatch in airpower, long range rocket artillery has the potential to turn the tide and put Ukraine on a path towards ultimate success. Without it, victory will remain elusive.

Stronger airpower and more modern rocket artillery will greatly improve the odds, but Ukraine’s tank forces must also be strengthened. When the war began, Ukraine’s standard tank was the T-64B, an older and underpowered Soviet-era design lacking the most modern explosive reactive armor, thermal sights, and modern ammunition. While Ukraine has inflicted heavy losses on Russian armor (often using hand-held anti-tank weapons), its own tank force has been depleted and offensive breakthroughs with tank-heavy forces have not been possible.

Poland has committed to providing 240 PT-91 main battle tanks along with small numbers of Czech T-72s. To equip the Ukrainian army for offensive operations in 2023, the US should consider providing a similar number of M1A1 tanks from its large reserve stocks. Though not the very latest model, the M1A1 is more than a match for most Russian tanks and is available in large numbers.

To assist Ukraine, NATO should consider establishing a NATO Training Mission-Ukraine (NTM-U) based in Poland and developed on a scale similar to the robust training support organizations seen in Iraq and Afghanistan. Led by a US three-star general with senior-level representation and staffing from the UK, France, Poland and Germany, NTM-U could provide the expertise, technical assistance, and “connective tissue” that is badly needed as Ukraine fights for its national existence. This organization can serve as the conduit back to the training bases and defense industries of contributing nations as well as the schoolhouse for Ukrainian commanders and staff officers.

Such full-blooded support, even without direct participation in the fighting, will undoubtedly draw Putin’s ire. Why should the US and its European partners risk a confrontation with a nuclear-armed Russia in this way? The clear answer is that a negotiated peace in Ukraine would be nothing of the sort. Any settlement that leaves Russia in control of occupied territory in exchange for a cessation of hostilities will reward Russia and encourage more aggression.

Western leaders can be sure that Russian success in Ukraine, even at high cost, will put NATO allies like the Baltic states squarely in Putin’s crosshairs. If anything, US and European reluctance to increase support for Ukraine will only reassure Putin that the West fears confrontation and will take pains to avoid it. This is not a recipe for deterring future aggression.
Nor should the West fear Russian rhetoric about the use of nuclear weapons. Distilled to its essence, this amounts to the threat of a nuclear exchange if Russia is not allowed to invade and occupy its neighbors. The nuclear deterrence regime that has been in place since the 1950s is surely strong enough to deter such wild adventurism.

Constant statements from Western leaders claiming “we cannot risk WWIII” only encourage Putin to believe that reckless threats about nuclear weapons are working. While a nuclear event cannot be ruled out entirely (Russia might stage a low-yield tactical nuclear detonation in a remote area, for example, to frighten and intimidate the West), the use of nuclear weapons in combat when the existence of the Russian state is not at risk is extremely unlikely.

The outcome of the conflict in Ukraine will have consequences far beyond Europe. China is watching carefully and will weigh the West’s commitment to its friends and partners carefully as it considers the military conquest of Taiwan, especially after the US and NATO’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. So will Iran and North Korea.

For the most part, Russian aggression in Georgia, Crimea, the Donbas, and more broadly in Ukraine has not been met with confidence and firm resolve. Instead, the Western response has consisted of sanctions, rhetoric, and a pronounced unwillingness to risk confrontation. We should not fool ourselves here. Much is at stake.

As the war grinds on, Ukraine has advantages it can leverage. These include an educated and highly motivated military and citizenry, a well-run and efficient railway system, a good understanding of modern technology, and an adaptive and innovative approach to the problems of modern, high-intensity warfare.

An intimate knowledge of the terrain and interior lines has enabled tactical success throughout the campaign. Ukrainian leadership, both civil and military, has on the whole been markedly superior to Russia’s. Above all, the Ukrainian soldier has proven to be tough, resourceful and determined, a fighter who “knows what he fights for and loves what he knows.”

Nevertheless, Ukraine is outmatched and must have stronger outside help to avoid dismemberment and continued occupation. The US and Europe do not need to introduce ground troops in order to ensure Ukraine’s success. Magnificent Ukrainian resistance has badly hurt the Russian military, which is almost totally committed in Ukraine. An opportunity now exists to end further Russian aggression in the European security space for a generation, and perhaps forever.

Ukraine can win the war but victory depends on Western support that goes well beyond the current level. We cannot ignore that Ukraine, too, has suffered painful losses in troops and materiel. Ukraine has been consistent and clear about its needs. Peace in Europe, and perhaps the world, depends on meeting them.

Richard D. Hooker Jr. is a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council. He previously served as Dean of the NATO Defense College and as Special Assistant to the US President and Senior Director for Europe and Russia with the National Security Council.

What Ukraine needs to win the war - Atlantic Council

U.S. embassy issues new security alert for Ukraine, urges U.S. citizens to leave

KYIV (Reuters) - The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, warning of an increased possibility of Russian military strikes on Ukraine in the coming days around Ukrainian independence day, has again urged U.S. citizens to leave if they can.


"The Department of State has information that Russia is stepping up efforts to launch strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days," the embassy said in an alert on its website.

"The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to depart Ukraine now using privately available ground transportation options if it is safe to do so," the alert said, repeating the advice of previous security warnings.


Kyiv has banned public celebrations in the capital on the anniversary of independence from Soviet rule on Wednesday, citing a heightened threat of attack.

MSN

Russian missile hits passenger train as Ukraine marks Independence Day

KYIV — With a mix of prudence, exuberance and, mostly, defiance, Ukrainians on Wednesday took time out from their existential battle with invading Russian forces to celebrate their 31st year as a free nation, marking their first Independence Day since the Kremlin launched a full-scale war here six months ago.

Warnings from Ukrainian officials and American intelligence agencies that Russia was poised to mar the holiday by launching missile strikes went largely unrealized, although the war’s violence continued in some parts of the country.


Along the shifting front lines to the east and south, Ukrainians contended with missile and artillery attacks near Dnipro and in the Eastern Donbas region.


Russian rocket strikes on a passenger train in the town of Chaplyne, about 60 miles east of the Dnieper River killed at least 21 people, officials said, and dozens more were reported injured. Communities in the Eastern Donbas region contended with strikes throughout the day.


In Kyiv, the capital, residents largely heeded President Volodymyr Zelensky’s warnings of a potentially “hideous” attack on the city and spent much of the day at home. Many shops were closed, and traffic was light. Peeling church bells greeted the day in many neighborhoods — a symbol of freedom and, for many, of resistance and survival.


“Morally, the Ukrainian people have already won,” said Metropolitan Epiphanius I, the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, in a sermon at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral. “But we still have to [achieve] victory over the aggressor, expel the invaders.”

By evening, following an uneventful afternoon and a surprise visit by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is beloved in Ukraine, Kyiv residents poured into the streets in greater numbers, a show of defiance against Russia simply by venturing outdoors.


“Glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes,” said a group of young Ukrainians, two of the women quite literally wrapped in their country’s blue and yellow flag as they tossed back celebratory shots of a clear liquid just off Khreschatyk Street, Kyiv’s main boulevard where dozens of destroyed Russian tanks were lined up as a macabre holiday parade.


The crowd milling around the shattered war machines had swelled from hundreds in the morning to more than a thousand by sunset. They carried Ukrainian flags, ice cream cones and selfie sticks, and they largely ignored the air-raid sirens that have become commonplace, as Kyiv itself has not been struck by a missile since June 26.


On Independence Day, Ukraine celebrates statehood Putin failed to destroy

One crowded pizza joint in the city center nominally nodded to the red-alert by serving every pie in a to-go box, but most customers grabbed a table and broke the containers open.


“There have been too many sirens; people have to work and to eat,” said Igor Vodianu, a waiter at the Very Well cafe a few blocks from Kyiv’s Independence Square, known popularly as Maidan, where most patrons didn’t look up from their cold chicken soup when a siren blared.

The Ukrainian national anthem sounded on many corners as the day grew more festive, often wafting out from open shop doors, sometimes from car windows and once from a speaker mounted on a horse-drawn wagon.


World leaders paid homage to Ukraine’s struggle against its invading neighbor throughout the day. In Brussels, the European Commission lit its headquarters in blue and yellow. French President Emmanuel Macron called in a video message for Aug. 24 to be “a day of hope.”


Alexander Lukashenko, the dictator of Belarus, however, failed to charm Ukrainians with his official congratulations, in which he conveyed hopes that current circumstances would not spoil the two countries’ “good-neighborly relations.” Noting that Lukashenko, considered a Putin puppet here, allowed Russia to use his country as a staging ground for its invasion, one Ukrainian official sharply dismissed Lukashenko’s good wishes as “blood-soaked clowning.”


In Washington, President Biden announced additional military aid of nearly $3 billion, including air defense systems, artillery systems and munitions.


He called the holiday, which marks Ukraine’s liberation from the Soviet Union in 1991, “bittersweet,” noting massive numbers killed, wounded and displaced. “But six months of relentless attacks have only strengthened Ukrainians’ pride in themselves,” Biden said.

Johnson, whose efforts to finance Ukraine’s military and buck up its people have made him a local hero to many — you can find Johnson’s blond moptop Photoshopped on the logo of Ukraine’s national railroad — made a surprise personal appearance in the capital.

Johnson, in his last weeks in office after resigning amid pressure from his fellow Conservative Party members following a string of scandals, was making a valedictory visit in Kyiv after being among the first world leaders to come forward with economic and military assistance to Ukraine.


Britain has given more defensive weapons to Ukraine, including nearly 7,000 antitank missiles, than any other European country. Johnson and Zelensky speak frequently and are genuinely close, according to officials in each country.


Zelensky, who awarded Johnson Ukraine’s Order of Freedom, heaped praise on his counterpart at a joint appearance before the two walked together through Maidan as an air-raid siren sounded. “We are lucky to have this friend,” the president said.


Elsewhere in the city, protesters lined the fence in front of the shuttered Russian Embassy with graphic posters of destruction wrought by Russian bombing around Ukraine. “Feeling guilty is not enough,” read a sign in Russian hung on the front gate.

Yuri Fedorenko, a Ukrainian soldier who organized the protest, said the group he works with has been staging such events for six years, after the Russian invasion of Crimea.


They have put together back-channel online sources for readers in Russian that attract more than 1 million visitors a month, Fedorenko said. “We know there are a lot of people who do not support Putin,” he said. “They have to do more than just feel bad for us.”


Just behind the gate, in what according to diplomatic protocol remains a patch of Russian territory, was another sign of Ukrainian national sentiment: Dozens of poop bags lining the path to the embassy entrance, tossed there by Kyiv dog owners.

MSN

Another Putin war crime.

Russia-Installed Official in Ukraine Killed in Car Bombing

A Russian-appointed official in southeastern Ukraine’s occupied region of Zaporizhzhia was killed in a car bomb attack, a member of the Moscow-backed regional administration said Wednesday.


The assassination of Ivan Sushko, who headed the town of Mykhailivka, is the latest of several attacks against pro-Russian officials in the occupied regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in recent weeks.


“An explosive device was placed under the car seat,” Vladimir Rogov, a member of Zaporizhzhia’s Russian-appointed administration, wrote on messaging app Telegram.


“Ivan Sushko was wounded in the explosion and hospitalized in a critical condition,” Rogov said. “He soon died.”


Sushko’s death follows an attempted car bombing Tuesday on Russian-appointed Kherson region official Igor Telegin, who survived.


Earlier this month, the Moscow-installed head of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, was hospitalized in Moscow after what Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed was an attempted poisoning.


His deputy Vitaly Gura was shot and killed a day later.


Responding to Sushko’s assassination, Rogov called Ukraine a “terrorist organization” and called for its “destruction.”


The Kremlin has been pressing ahead with a campaign of Russification in the areas of southern and eastern Ukraine that it occupies.

Russia-Installed Official in Ukraine Killed in Car Bombing
- The Moscow Times

The Pentagon has announced a new military assistance package for Ukraine, the largest to date with a whopping value of nearly $3 billion, as the country marks six months since the start of Russia's all-out invasion and the 31st anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union. The new tranche of aid from the U.S. government includes six more National Advanced Surface to Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and an unspecified number of counter-drone systems called Vampire, along with more artillery ammunition, radars, and other materiel. The planned transfers are expected to occur over the course of a number of years, underscoring a new and important focus on bolstering the Ukrainian military's capabilities in the longer term, regardless of how the current conflict might evolve.The U.S. government is providing the new aid, worth around $2.98 billion in total, via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). This is a U.S. military assistance mechanism specifically established for Ukraine, which predates the current conflict and is separate from the deliveries of weapons and other materiel that President Joe Biden has authorized using his so-called "drawdown authority." Drawdowns involve transfers of items from within the U.S. militay's inventory, while USAI funds direct purchases of new weapons and other equipment, as well as training, maintenance, and other support services, on Ukraine's behalf.

"On behalf of all Americans, I congratulate the people of Ukraine on their Independence Day. Over the past six months, Ukrainians have inspired the world with their extraordinary courage and dedication to freedom," President Biden wrote in a statement that also touched on the new military aid earlier today. "They have stood resolute and strong in the face of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And today is not only a celebration of the past, but a resounding affirmation that Ukraine proudly remains – and will remain – a sovereign and independent nation. The United States of America is committed to supporting the people of Ukraine as they continue the fight to defend their sovereignty. "

A Pentagon press release listed the following items as being included in the new nearly $3 billion aid package:

• Six more NASAMS along with unspecified "additional munitions" for them
• "VAMPIRE Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems"
• Unspecified Laser-guided rocket systems
• Up to 245,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition
• As many as 65,000 rounds of 120mm mortar ammunition
• Up to 24 unspecified counter-artillery radars
• Additional RQ-20 Puma drones and "support equipment" for a previously announced transfer of Scan Eagle unmanned aircraft
• Funding for training, maintenance, and sustainment.

The inclusion of six more NASAMS, as well as more munitions for them to fire, is particularly significant. The U.S. government had previously announced plans to transfer two NASAMS to Ukraine.

It remains unclear how the NASAMS heading to Ukraine will be configured. A number of different versions of the system exist now, made up of different combinations of launchers, radars and other sensors, and command and control nodes. For instance, certain variations of NASAMS incorporate missile launchers mounted on Humvees or other light vehicles. Tests have also been conducted of the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicle, which Ukraine has now received at least 16 of, as a launch platform for the AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), which could be utilized with NASAMS.

The same questions apply to the "munitions" the U.S. has said it will send along with these systems. NASAMS can fire versions of the radar-guided AMRAAM, including a new extended range derivative optimized for use in the ground-launched roles, as well as the AIM-9X Sidewinder heat-seeking missile, and more.

As such, depending on how it is configured, NASAMS has the ability to provide various levels of both short and medium-range air defense capacity. It does seem most likely that Ukraine's NASAMS will fire AIM-120s, at least initially, as there is a solid supply chain for these missiles and the country is most in need now of extra area air defense capacity.

With eight total systems, the Ukrainian armed forces will be able to provide immediate protection against various aerial threats, including aircraft, cruise missiles, and drones, at a greater number of total locations, such as cities or specific high-value facilities. Beyond all this, NASAMS, which was developed jointly by American defense contractor Raytheon and Norwegian firm Kongsberg, is simply more modern and capable all around than Ukraine's existing Soviet-era short and medium-range surface-to-air missile systems.

The question now is how fast the U.S. government might be able to facilitate the delivery of these systems. A senior U.S. defense official said last week that Ukraine is expected to take delivery of the first two systems, which were also purchased via the USAI, in the next two to three months. Whether or not this reflects some degree of spare production capacity available at Raytheon and/or Kongsberg is unclear. Purchasing previously unsold systems that Raytheon or Kongsberg already had on hand or acquiring them through the redirection of systems already being produced for other customers, or directly from third parties, are also options. The U.S. military does not currently have an active acquisition pipeline for complete NASAMS of its own that could have leveraged in this case.

As already noted, the NASAMS for Ukraine are not coming from American stocks, either. This makes sense given that the U.S. military's current arsenal of NASAMS, which is small and almost exclusively positioned to provide critical air defense coverage around Washington, D.C., and the greater National Capital Region.

Concerns about industrial base capacity to sustain deliveries of key weapon systems to Ukraine, especially missiles and other guided munitions, have already emerged. Military aid to Ukraine has already prompted pushes to increase production and expand supplier bases for the Javelin shoulder-fired anti-tank missile and the Stinger shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile, the latter also being referred to as Man Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS). There are now similar discussions being had in regards to the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets that Ukraine has received for use with its growing fleet of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and variants of the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS).

The Vampire counter-drone systems, something at least not mentioned by name as having been included in any previous U.S. military aid packages, are also interesting. It was not initially clear what this system was and some initial reports erroneously said it was another type of drone – apparently mistaken for the unrelated U.K. Royal Navy program to develop ship-launched drones called Project Vampire – rather than something to knock them down.

L3Harris subsequently confirmed to Breaking Defense that the system in question is a version of the company's new Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment system, or VAMPIRE. At least as it has been publicly shown so far, VAMPIRE consists of a four-round launcher for 70mm laser-guided rockets, such as the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II), as well as a sensor turret with electro-optical and infrared cameras, centralized control system, and dedicated power supply.

L3Harris does not appear to have specifically mentioned VAMPIRE having a counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) capability in the past, but does say that it "can be configured to meet customer-specific requirements." A company promotional video for the system, seen below, also says that "L3Harris Advanced Video Tracking maintains [a] lock on moving targets" while showing a clip of an MQ-9 Reaper viewed through an infrared camera and that it offers "precision-strike capability with ground-to-ground or ground-to-air munitions."
Using the system against drones would not necessarily be a stretch, at least when it comes to engaging relatively slow-moving types. The U.S. Air Force has demonstrated the ability to use air-launched APKWS II rockets against surrogates for subsonic cruise missiles, a capability that The War Zone has noted could be employed against unmanned aircraft, as well.

In addition, as its name indicates, VAMPIRE is a self-contained palletized system, allowing it to be readily fitted to various vehicles. L3Harris has publicly displayed a pickup truck-mounted version. Ukrainian forces already operate pickup trucks armed with various kinds of missiles and rocket launchers, among other weapons.

It's also worth remembering that the U.S. military first publicly announced plans to transfer APKWS II rockets to Ukraine back in May, but without any details about what would fire them or how they would otherwise be employed. More recently, the German government revealed its own plans to supply pickup trucks with 70mm rocket launchers and laser-guided rockets to go with them. Though we don't know if any of this is directly related, these past announcements are certainly newly interesting in light of the inclusion of VAMPIRE in the new U.S. aid package.

When it comes to the U.S. government's plans to send more artillery and mortar ammunition, as well as counter-battery radars that are used to help locate enemy artillery units so they can then be attacked, this underscores the continued importance of rocket artillery, howitzers, and other indirect fire weapons on both sides of the conflict. The additional RQ-20 Puma drones could be tasked to help find hostile artillery batteries, among other things, too. Ukrainian and Russian forces are already making extensive use of unmanned aircraft to help spot artillery fire.

Beyond its basic contents, the massive new USAI aid package for Ukraine highlights how U.S. officials have been working with their Ukrainian counterparts on more forward-looking assistance that the country will need going forward regardless of when, how, and even if the current conflict is resolved.

"This will allow Ukraine to acquire air defense systems, artillery systems and munitions, counter-unmanned aerial systems, and radars to ensure it can continue to defend itself over the long term," President Biden said in his statement.

"This USAI package, which is being announced on Ukraine Independence Day, underscores the U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine over the long term – representing a multi-year investment to build the enduring strength of Ukraine’s Armed Forces as it continues to defend its sovereignty in the face of Russian aggression," the Pentagon press release said. "This announcement represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional priority capabilities to Ukraine in the mid- and long-term to ensure Ukraine can continue to defend itself as an independent, sovereign and prosperous state."

The longer-term focus is significant in its own right. Many, including The War Zone, have highlighted how even if some kind of peace between Russia and Ukraine were to be achieved tomorrow, that the risk of subsequent conflicts would almost certainly remain high. With that in mind, the Ukrainian military has to be planning now for how it will rebuild itself and modernize its capabilities in any post-conflict environment, or even a largely frozen conflict situation, as had already existed prior to Russia's all-out invasion in February, in order to bolster its ability to deter and defend against future invasions.

"I know this independence day is bittersweet for many Ukrainians as thousands have been killed or wounded, millions have been displaced from their homes, and so many others have fallen victim to Russian atrocities and attacks. But six months of relentless attacks have only strengthened Ukrainians’ pride in themselves, in their country, and in their thirty-one years of independence," Biden wrote in his statement today. "Today and every day, we stand with the Ukrainian people to proclaim that the darkness that drives autocracy is no match for the flame of liberty that lights the souls of free people everywhere. The United States, including proud Ukrainian-Americans, looks forward to continuing to celebrate Ukraine as a democratic, independent, sovereign and prosperous state for decades to come."

The U.S. government has certainly signaled its commitment in this regard with the announcement of the huge new military aid package today.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...ne-aid-package

Putin orders Russian military to increase its forces as Ukraine war passes the six-month mark


The decree will increase the number of service members in the armed forces by 137,000.


Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Thursday increasing his country’s armed forces by 137,000 as the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine passed the six-month mark.


Putin’s decree will increase the number of combat personnel in the armed forces by about 10%, to 1.15 million. That will take the military’s total head count to 2.04 million.


A copy of the order on a Russian government website says it goes into effect Jan. 1. It was published online and reported on by Russian state media. No reason for the boost was immediately given.


It also orders that the Russian government ensure funds are provided for the increase from the federal budget. A previous such order signed by Putin in 2017 boosted the headcount to 1.9 million, of which 1.01 million were combat personnel.


The decree comes just a day after Putin’s defense chief acknowledged that the Russian military campaign in Ukraine has stalled, with experts saying the Kremlin's troops appeared demoralized and understaffed.


Russian forces failed to capture the capital, Kyiv, but now control large parts of Ukraine’s south and east, where Moscow has refocused most of its forces in the industrial Donbas region.


In recent weeks the world's attention has been focused on a nuclear plant in the south, where fighting has fueled growing alarm about a potential disaster — Ukraine said shelling caused the Russian-occupied plant to be disconnected from the country's power grid Thursday.

Wednesday marked six months since Putin’s army launched the full-scale invasion of its neighbor, an anniversary that coincided with Ukraine’s Independence Day in dual symbolism that prompted warnings that Russia might use the occasion to step up attacks.


Those fears materialized when Kyiv said at least 25 people were killed in a Russian rocket strike on a train station in the central town of Chaplyne. Moscow confirmed the strike but not the civilian casualties, saying Thursday that more than 200 Ukrainian soldiers and military equipment headed for the Donbas were destroyed in the attack.


Russia has not recently released any estimates of how many of its troops have been killed or injured in Ukraine. Kyiv says the number is more than 45,000. Ukraine said this week that 9,000 of its military personnel have been killed, publicly disclosing the number for the first time since the invasion.

Putin orders Russian military to increase its forces

Originally Posted by sabang

Some Referendums coming up. Let the People decide.

I agree. Let all Ukrainian citizens decide in a referendum held by the legitimate ukrainian authorities.

Putin's ally says Moscow would not stop its military campaign in Ukraine even if Kyiv drops NATO hopes

Even if Kyiv formally renounces its aspirations to join NATO, Moscow would not stop its military campaign in Ukraine, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin's top ally Dmitry Medvedev.


Medvedev, who served as the president of Russia between 2008 and 2012, is currently the deputy chairman of the country's Security Council.

Highlighting that Russia is prepared to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Medvedev said that dropping NATO aspirations by Kyiv will not be sufficient in order to establish peace.


Medvedev told LCI television that Putin will not stop his ''special military operation'' to "denazify" Ukraine until its goals have been achieved.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, several rounds of peace talks were held between the two countries, but they made no progress.


Denying that US weapons supplied to Ukraine pose a substantial threat, Medvedev said the situation would change if Washington sent weapons that could hit targets at longer distances.


"It means that when this sort of missile flies 70 km, that is one thing," he said.


"But when it's 300-400 km, that is another, now that would be a threat directly to the territory of the Russian Federation."


As he wrapped up a visit to Canada that included a tour of its Arctic defences, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stressed the need to beef up security along the alliance's northern flank to counter Russia.

Putin's ally says Moscow would not stop its military campaign in Ukraine even if Kyiv drops NATO hopes - World News

Risk of Radioactive Leak at Ukraine Nuclear Plant - Operator

There is a risk of a radioactive leak at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — Europe's largest — which is occupied by Russian troops, the state energy operator said Saturday.


Energoatom said Moscow's troops had "repeatedly shelled" the site of the plant in southern Ukraine over the past day, whilst Russia's defense ministry claimed Kyiv's troops were responsible.


"As a result of periodic shelling, the infrastructure of the station has been damaged, there are risks of hydrogen leakage and sputtering of radioactive substances, and the fire hazard is high," Energoatom said on Telegram.


The agency said that as of midday Saturday the plant "operates with the risk of violating radiation and fire safety standards."


Russia's defense ministry said Ukrainian forces "shelled the territory of the station three times" in the past day.


"A total of 17 shells were fired," the ministry said in a communique.

The Zaporizhzhia facility was seized by Russian troops in the opening weeks of the February invasion and has remained on the front line ever since.


Kyiv and Moscow have traded accusations over shelling in the vicinity of the complex, located in the city of Energodar.


On Thursday, the plant was cut off from Ukraine's national power grid for the first time in its four-decade history due to "actions of the invaders," Energoatom said.


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the power cut was caused by the Russian shelling of the last active power line linking the plant to the network.


It came back online on Friday afternoon but Zelensky warned "the worst case scenario...is constantly being provoked by Russian forces."


The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is urging for a mission to the plant "as soon as possible to help stabilize the nuclear safety and security situation there."

Risk of Radioactive Leak at Ukraine Nuclear Plant - Operator - The Moscow Times

Russian troops in Kazakhstan are refusing to return to Russia because they do not want to be deployed to the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian intelligence officials said Saturday.

There are roughly 1,000 Russian troops in Kazakhstan according to Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. The directorate says that the the military contingent stationed in the country "does not want to replenish the composition of the occupation contingent" in Ukraine, according to a translation of a post on Telegram.

However, it also said that the "formal reason for the refusal is the lack of special air transport, which is fully engaged in the war with Ukraine."

Ukrainska Pravda first reported on the claims from the intelligence officials on Saturday.

In its Telegram post, the directorate said that Moscow does not want to completely withdraw troops from Kazakhstan. The troops were sent to the country in January following rallies against its government. The directorate added that Russia has almost completely withdrawn its troops from nearby Tajikistan and Armenia to support its war in Ukraine.

Newsweek has reached out to Russia's Ministry of Defense for comment.

The claims about Russia's troops in Kazakhstan come as Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for his military to add additional troops amid the ongoing war. Putin has ordered the military bring on 137,000 new troops, which would bring the total number to 1.15 million, by January 1.

Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling said Saturday that he believes the development shows the Russian military is "in trouble."

"Are they going to just put these new soldiers that they recruit through the basic training that they have, which truthfully, is not very good and then send them right out to a unit to try to learn combined arms operations, which are very difficult, without any additional training? If that's the case, they're going to be in trouble," Hertling said in an interview on CNN.

In May, The Daily Beast reported that a Russian soldier said that his commander shot himself in the leg to escape the war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian intelligence directorate released a phone call at the time, identifying the speaker as a Russian soldier speaking with his mother.

"This won't end anytime soon. What the hell do I need this for? At 20 years old...I'm not at all interested in Ukraine. I need to come back and resign," the soldier said during the call. "I had a commander...who shot himself in the leg just to get out of here. And that was in the very beginning!"

Russian Force Won't Return From Mission Fearing Ukraine Deployment: Report

Russia is pulling all its fighter jets out of Crimea after a series of strikes on its military outposts there, secret NATO report says


Russia is pulling all of its fighter jets out of Crimea in an apparent response to recent explosions at Russian military outposts in the region, a secret NATO report seen by Insider said.

Russia has already moved ten aircraft — six Su-35S and four MiG-31BM jets — out of Crimea and into Russia and is set to continue until all fighter jets are removed, the report, which was dated August 22, said.

The first ten jets were moved from Belbek airfield in Crimea to Kushchevskaya and Marinovka, two regions in Russia, the report said.

"Russia has dispersed 10x fighter aircraft from Crimea to other airfields in mainland Russia to likely prevent further losses from Ukrainian attacks," the report said.

The report was referring to a series of apparent attacks in Crimea, the Ukrainian region that Russia illegally annexed in 2014. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the explosions, though Ukrainian officials have suggested that it was involved.

Multiple explosions hit Saki airbase and Russia's navy headquarters in Sevastopol, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made it clear that his ultimate goal is to retake occupied Crimea.

As Insider previously reported, moving these assets farther from the front lines could make it harder for Russia to use them in operations in Ukraine.

Belbek airfield, which is near Sevastopol, is "Russia's primary airfield providing support in southern Ukraine and the Black Sea," the NATO report said.

The report noted that at the time of its publication, 32 Russian fighter jets remained in Belbek airfield: They were mostly the Su-27 Flanker J fighter jets, but there were also a small number of SU-35Ss and MiG-31BMs.

These aircraft are "likely insufficient" to maintain the same level of air support in the region, the report said.

Russia has also increased the number of its tactical surface-to-air missiles in Crimea to defend against attacks by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, the report said.

"Ukrainian UAVs are hard for Russia to target due to poor IADS (Integrated Air Defense System) C2, likely a weakness across the full spectrum of Russia's armed forces' efforts in the Ukraine conflict," the report said.


https://www.businessinsider.com/russ...-report-2022-8

Speaking to Times Radio, Major General Chapman said: “I do think the Russians can be kettled and crushed to the west of Kherson.

“The three rivers that really back onto them, Pivdennyi, Dnieper and Inhulets, means that their supply is getting pretty low.

“They could consider surrender en masse and that could have a ripple effect.”

He suggested the collapse of Russian control in Kherson could prompt a widespread “ripple effect,” meaning Kremlin forces could abandon other core occupied territories.

Major General Chapman continued: “One of the uncertainties of war is the human domain of resistance.

“One of the things we always say is that total means multiplied by the strength of your will, gives you the power of resistance and that is a really difficult thing to measure.

“We saw that on day one with the expectation that Russia would march in and take over within three days, but they failed to understand.

“Will the Ukrainians fight? The answer was yes. How will they fight? Very well. And will they continue to fight? Yes, they will."

He added: “It is nations that fight wars, not armies.”

Intelligence reports from Ukraine have confirmed that two primary road bridges in the Kherson region had been destroyed in a series of attacks rendering them useless for military resupply efforts.

The UK Ministry of Defence said: “Ukrainian precision strikes likely rendered the road cross of the Dnipro River at Nova Kakhovka unusable for heavy military vehicles.

“Russia has only succeeded in making superficial repairs to the damaged Antonivsky road bridge which likely remains structurally undermined.”

The report added: “Even if Russia manages to make significant repairs to the bridges, they will remain a key vulnerability. Ground resupply for several thousand Russian troops on the west bank is almost certainly reliant on just two pontoon ferry crossing points.”

Russian attempts to repair the damage have come under further attack as Ukrainian forces have used American missile systems to strike the bridges repeatedly.

The occupation of Kherson has become one of the most notable successes of the Russian invasion as Moscow’s forces have held the city since March.

However, the lack of reliable resupply routes has left the occupying forces vulnerable to attack and under pressure to retreat as equipment and other resources continue to dwindle.

As Major General Chapman suggested, the loss of Kherson could crucially damage support for the Kremlin’s invaison meaning, if the occupied city falls, Ukraine could be faced with a wave of Russian surrenders.

Russia ‘crushed to the west of Kherson’ as Ukraine's defence hits back | World | News | Express.co.uk