OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

lousubcap

More today on Russia-Ukraine:

"Russia says Ukraine sent two drones to attack the Kremlin, but "radar systems…disable[d] the devices" before they struck their targets Wednesday in Moscow. "We view these actions as a planned terrorist attack and an assassination attempt targeting the President, carried out ahead of Victory Day and the May 9 Parade," the Kremlin said in a statement. Vladimir Putin was unharmed in the attack, his office added, and cautioned, "Russia reserves the right to take countermeasures wherever and whenever it deems appropriate."
Observe: Mick Eckel of Radio Free Europe shared five video clips of the alleged incident posted to social media, here.
Expert reax: "[I]f we presume it was a Ukrainian attack, consider it a performative strike, a demonstration of capability and a declaration of intent: 'don't think Moscow is safe,'" said Mark Galeotti, writing on Twitter. "What is less clear is whether it shakes Russians' nerve or angers them. We'll have to see. (And what Washington thinks, given that it seems to have been trying to get Kyiv to abandon, not step up its attacks deep into Russia.)," he added.
Panning out: This is at least the fifth apparent attack on Russian facilities over the last four days, Aric Toler of Bellingcat wrote on Twitter. The other incidents include an alleged drone attack on a fuel storage facility in Crimea; another such apparent attack on an oil depot near the Kerch Bridge; two trail derailments in the Bryansk region, bordering Ukraine; and the overnight drone attack on the Kremlin."

Gulfcoastguy

It was successful Russia is having to post scarce and valuable EW devices and SAMs all around Moscow. They would otherwise be in Ukraine.

Gulfcoastguy

Not sure exactly where this goes.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tH4vjgXKCyI

nolaegghead

That was very informative 

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday denied Ukraine carried out an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin, which Russia says was an attempted assassination of President Vladimir Putin. The Russian president’s office said defenses downed two drones overnight. Ukraine has said the Russian accusations are merely a pretext for massive attacks on its territory. Russia has threatened to retaliate when and where necessary in response to this “terrorist” act. Will Vernon and Thomas Spender report for BBC News. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday cautioned against believing Russia’s assassination attempt allegation, saying he would take anything coming from the Kremlin with a “large shaker of salt.” Four U.S. officials said the Biden administration had no foreknowledge of an impending drone attack on the Kremlin. Senior Biden administration officials are still working to confirm whether the suspected attack was ordered by Kyiv, conducted by a rogue pro-Ukraine group, or a false flag operation by Russia. Alexander Ward and Jonathan Lemire report for POLITICO.

The Biden administration will send Ukraine another $300 million in lethal aid, the Pentagon announced yesterday. The announcement comes less than a week after Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that “preparations are being finalized” for the coming offensive and that they were “mostly ready.” Ellen Mitchell reports for The Hill. 

Ukraine is better positioned to make headway in its expected counteroffensive against Russia than leaked intelligence reports previously indicated, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday. “Where Ukraine might have been a month ago, two months ago, three months ago, is not where it is now in terms of its ability, for example, to prosecute a counteroffensive and to deal with the ongoing Russian aggression,” Blinken noted. Missy Ryan and John Hudson report for the Washington Post.

Ukrainian air defenses last night withstood Russia’s most intense air attack on Kyiv since the start of the year, Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, wrote on Telegram. There were no civilian casualties or damage to residential buildings and infrastructure. Josh Pennington reports for CNN. "

lousubcap

A bit more on the Kremlin drone attack: Edit to add additional commentary-

"CALLING OUT THE KREMLIN: From the Kremlin’s point of view, Washington directed Kyiv to strike Moscow with the drones Wednesday morning. U.S. officials took issue with that claim, emphasizing that Washington took no part in the attacks, Matt reports.

“We had nothing to do with it. Peskov is just lying there, pure and simple,” National Security Council spokesperson JOHN KIRBY on MSNBC Thursday morning, responding to Kremlin spokesperson DMITRY PESKOV’s comments to reporters saying that “decisions about such actions, about such terrorist attacks, are made not in Kyiv but in Washington.”

The Biden administration still doesn't have a leading theory on who was behind the drone attack or why it occurred, and the U.S. is still unclear how the event will change the war, if at all, a U.S. official told us. "We still don't know what happened here," another U.S. official said. Both officials were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive internal intelligence matters.

And another source-

“Months ago, Russian authorities began mounting air-defense installations on Defense Ministry and administrative buildings across Moscow. The Kremlin is one of the most heavily guarded government complexes in the world. … If these were drones from Ukraine, how did they evade detection? … Would Russia carry out the attack itself? … Throughout its history Russia, and the Soviet Union before it, has used ‘false flag’ operations, carrying out aggressive actions while blaming its enemies but, for more than a year, the Putin regime has been blaming Ukraine, NATO, and the United States for the war in Ukraine.” 
 
And yet, that’s the conclusion of the Institute for the Study of War, which has tracked Russia’s war on Ukraine closely throughout. “Russia likely staged this attack in an attempt to bring the war home to a Russian domestic audience and set conditions for a wider societal mobilization,” the group posited on Wednesday."

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The United States has denied Russian claims that it masterminded an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin on Wednesday aimed at assassinating President Vladimir Putin. A day after accusing Ukraine of carrying out the attack, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the United States was “undoubtedly” behind the alleged attack without providing evidence. U.S. National Security spokesman John Kirby called it a “ludicrous claim.” Ukraine has said that the alleged attack was a false flag operation by Moscow. George Wright reports for BBC News. 

Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of the paramilitary organization Wagner group, yesterday blamed the death of Russian fighters on the military leadership in Moscow. In a video Prigozhin posted, he said, “The blood is still fresh,” pointing to the bodies behind him. “They came here as volunteers and are dying so you can sit like fat cats in your luxury offices.” The video points to continued infighting in Russia’s military that could be exacerbated as the campaign fails to advance. Brad Lendon, Josh Pennington, and Uliana Pavlova report for CNN.

For two days, drone attacks have struck Russian military logistics hubs in an apparent effort to disrupt Russia’s battlefield supply lines ahead of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. Ukraine has not commented on the attacks. Matthew Luxmoore and Laurence Norman report for the Wall Street Journal.

Russian efforts to seize more Ukrainian territory are likely doomed unless the Kremlin manages to launch another draft, U.S. intelligence chiefs told lawmakers on Thursday, adding that Russia’s ground forces will in any case need years to rebuild.

“If Russia does not initiate a mandatory mobilization and secure substantial third-party ammunition supplies beyond existing deliveries, from Iran and others, it will be increasingly challenging for them to sustain even modest offensive operations,” Avril Haines, who heads the Office of the Director of National Intelligence or ODNI, told the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

Gen. Scott Berrier, who heads the Defense Intelligence Agency, or DIA, confirmed the analysis. “The reorganization that the Russian military took in the early 2000s meant that they were better, faster, smaller…from what they were in the Soviet era. That army largely is gone and they're relying on reserves and reserve equipment, older Soviet-era kinds of kit. It's gonna take them a while to build back to more advanced kit. The estimates go from five to 10 years based on how sanctions affect them.”"

lousubcap

And this from the head of the Wagner Group mercenaries:

The leader of Russia's Wagner Group says he will withdraw his troops from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut by Wednesday, in a row over ammunition.

His statement came after he posted a gruesome video of him walking among dead fighters' bodies, asking defence officials for more supplies.

Russia has been trying to capture the city for months, despite its questionable strategic value.

Yevgeny Prigozhin pinned his decision squarely on the defence ministry.

"Shoigu! Gerasimov! Where is the... ammunition?... They came here as volunteers and die for you to fatten yourselves in your mahogany offices."

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov have often been the focus for Prigozhin's anger.

Prigozhin is a publicity seeker, and his influence has seemingly waned in recent months. He has previously made threats he has not followed through with - subsequently dismissing them as jokes and military humour.

Only last week he told a Russian pro-war blogger that Wagner fighters in Bakhmut were down to their last days of supplies of bullets, and needed thousands of rounds of ammunition.

But if shortages were not tackled then his mercenaries would be forced either to retreat or remain and die, he warned: "Then, no matter what our bureaucrats want, everything else will crumble."

The Kremlin declined to comment on the video as it related to what it calls the "special military operation" in Ukraine."

JohnInCarolina

http://twitter.com/MassDara/status/1654844390609764359?s=20

HeavyG

The missiles Putin thought were untouchable.

Botch

JohnInCarolina said:

http://twitter.com/MassDara/status/1654844390609764359?s=20

I need to re-subscribe to  Aviation Week & Space Technology  (if they still exist).  I'm so out of the loop.    

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukraine’s military released drone footage this weekend that appeared to show the city of Bakhmut being attacked by Russian phosphorus munitions, the use of which in civilian areas is considered a war crime. It is unclear when the attack took place, but a post on Twitter by Ukraine’s defense ministry showed high-rise buildings engulfed in flames, and accused Russia of using “incendiary ammunition,” a type of ammunition containing chemicals that, upon impact with obstacles, causes blazes to ignite and rapidly spread. Other videos posted to social media showed the ground on fire and plumes of smoke. BBC analysis located the military’s footage to an area just west of Bakhmut’s city center and close to a children’s hospital. “While the analysis confirmed the attack used some kind of incendiary munitions, it could not verify the use of phosphorus,” BBC reports.

Russia carried out drone, missile, and air strikes on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and other cities through the night. Ukraine said its air defenses destroyed all 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched by Russia. Sixteen rockets hit the Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odessa regions in the last 24 hours, as well as 61 strikes and 52 rocket salvos on Ukrainian positions and populated areas. Reutersreports. 

Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group, has signaled plans to cancel his announced withdrawal from Bakhmut after receiving promises of extra ammunition. On Friday, Prigozhin announced in a post on Telegram that his group was withdrawing from the region after his men had been starved and suffered “useless and unjustified” losses as a result. However, in an audio message posted on Telegram on Sunday, Prigozhin said: “Overnight we received a combat order, for the first time in all this time. We have been promised as much ammunition and weapons as we need to continue further operations. We have been promised that everything needed to prevent the enemy from cutting us off [from supplies] will be deployed on the flank.” Reutersreports. 

On Saturday, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi voiced growing concerns about the safety of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, now under control by Russian forces in the occupied city of Enerhodar. Grossi warned the situation was “becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous.” Due to the war, none of the plant’s six reactors are active, but the station nonetheless needs a reliable power supply for cooling systems critical to “preventing a potentially catastrophic radiation disaster.” Grossi’s comments came a day before Ukrainian authorities “said that a 72-year-old woman was killed and three others were wounded when Russian forces fired more than 30 shells at the city of Nikopol, which is almost directly opposite the plant,” David Rising reports for AP,"

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The United States is set to announce a $1.2 billion aid package to Ukraine as early as today, according to a U.S. official. With Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces looming, the package will include drones, artillery ammunition, air defense missiles, and other capabilities. With the new package, the U.S. will have committed $37.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration. Oren Liebermann reports for CNN. 

Britain appears poised to send Ukraine the long-range missiles the Biden administration has long denied Kyiv. A final decision has yet to be made, according to a British official who declined to confirm the type, timing, or quantity of weaponry under consideration. Karen DeYoung reports for the Washington Post. 

Russian authorities controlling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are preparing to evacuate about 3,100 staff, the head of Ukraine’s nuclear operator said yesterday. The removal of staff at the power plant could exacerbate the situation, which is already becoming “unpredictable and potentially dangerous,” the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog warned over the weekend. Siobhán O’Grady and Kostiantyn Khudov report for the Washington Post. 

Parts of occupied Ukraine are running short of food, fuel, and cash as the occupation authorities ordered tens of thousands of civilians to evacuate in the face of a looming Ukrainian counteroffensive. Marc Santora and Anna Lukinova report for the New York Times. 

Ukrainian officials say air defenses downed 15 Russian cruise missiles launched overnight against Kyiv. According to Serhiy Popko, a senior Kyiv military official, no casualties were reported from the attack. Popko said he believed the missiles had been launched by four bombers flying from the Caspian Sea region. Antoinette Radford and George Wright report for BBC News. "

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said yesterday that China would maintain lines of communication with all parties to the war in Ukraine in seeking a ceasefire. Qin’s comments were made during a visit to Berlin alongside German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, who welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Alexander Ratz and Friederike Heine report for Reuters. 

E.U. member states will hold a first discussion today on proposed new sanctions targeting Chinese and Iranian firms and allowing export curbs on third countries who ignore existing trade restrictions. According to one diplomat, the discussion is set to be heated, with some upset that the plan does not go far enough, while others are wary of damaging their international ties. Several diplomats said that widely differing perspectives mean a quick deal is unexpected. Gabriela Baczynska reports for Reuters. 

France’s parliament unanimously passed a non-binding resolution aimed at encouraging the 27 members of the E.U. to put the paramilitary organization Wagner group on its official list of terrorist organizations. The U.K. is also poised to formally list Wagner as a terrorist organization to increase pressure on Russia. The Guardian reports. 

Paramilitary organization Wagner group chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, warned Putin not to trust his top generals, as Prigozhin questioned their ability to protect the country from a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Prigozhin’s comments are the latest in an escalating rift between him and the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. Nicolas Camut reports for POLITICO. "

Edit to add the following:

"Ukrainian forces claim to have clawed back three square miles of occupied territory around the southeastern edge of the destroyed city of Bakhmut on Wednesday. Russian invaders have been trying to take control of the city for nearly an entire year. They nearly encircled it in January, but Ukraine's military has held firm across several blocks on the city's western edges in the weeks and months since. 

The New York Times reported this latest alleged advance, and noted that, "If confirmed, it would be the first significant gain for Ukraine in the fight for Bakhmut since pushing Russian forces off a key access road two months ago." It remains to be seen, however, if either side's gains and losses in the region can be sustained. 

The Ukrainian claim was effectively seconded by Russian mercenary mouthpiece Yevgeny Prigozhin, who runs the Wagner convict fighting force trying to help Moscow's fumbling ground forces inside Ukraine. Prigozhin said Tuesday that Ukrainian forces broke through a Russian flank near Bakhmut recently. "Everyone fled and exposed a front almost two kilometers wide and 500 meters deep," he said of Russian military ground forces there. He also claimed his forces rushed to the vacancy and filled it enough to stop a further push by Ukraine's military. "

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country needs more time to launch a much-anticipated counter-offensive against Russian forces as the military awaits the delivery of promised aid. Zelenskyy described the new combat brigades as being “ready” but said the military still needed “some things”, including armored vehicles that were “arriving in batches.” Hugo Bachega reports for BBC News.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who heads Ukraine’s ground forces, said Russian units in parts of Bakhmut had retreated by up to 1.2 miles due to counterattacks. Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of the paramilitary organization Wagner group, who has repeatedly accused Moscow’s regular armed forces of failing to support his men, said on Tuesday that a Russian brigade had abandoned its positions in Bakhmut. The Guardian reports.

India’s imports of Russian oil rose tenfold last year, according to the Indian state-controlled Bank of Baroda. Russia has been selling energy at a discount to countries like China and India. India has saved around $5 billion by purchasing Russian oil. Despite pressure from the United States and Europe, India has refused to adhere to Western sanctions on Russian imports. BBC News reports. 

Former President Trump repeatedly refused to say whether he supported Ukraine or Russia during yesterday’s first televised town hall of the 2024 presidential election. Trump said he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin made a mistake in invading Ukraine but would not label him a war criminal. Surveys show that Republicans increasingly oppose U.S. support for Ukraine’s war effort. Anthony Zurcher reports for BBC News."

HeavyG

https://twitter.com/TrentTelenko/status/1656701912073355279

Funny. Clever.

lousubcap

More Russia-Ukraine:

The Brits are upping the game.

"Confirmed: The Brits have given Ukraine "Storm Shadow" missiles with an approximate 155-mile range, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace told lawmakers at the House of Commons on Thursday—confirming the Washington Post's Monday report from a procurement alert made public last week. The news will likely be unwelcome in Moscow: Ukraine has not previously had missiles that could hit Russian bases in occupied Crimea. 

Wallace also reminded parliamentarians that Russia's invasion has displaced more people than at any time since World War II, creating nearly eight million refugees across Europe and another six million displaced somewhere inside Ukraine. 

Russia's military has attacked Ukrainian clinics and hospitals almost 800 times during its 442-day invasion, Wallace said. Occupying forces have also "stole[n] or destroyed 4.04 million tonnes of grain and oilseeds, valued at $1.9 billion" across Ukrainian farms during and after last year's harvest, he said before elaborating upon nearly a dozen other instances of Russian brutality, violence, and alleged war crimes stemming from Vladimir Putin's invasion. 

"That is why the Prime Minister and I have now taken the decision to provide longer-range capabilities," said Wallace. "Today, I can confirm that the UK has donated Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine," he continued. "Their use of Storm Shadow will allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based within Ukrainian Sovereign Territory.""

Gulfcoastguy

I imagine the first target for these missiles will be the Kerch Railway bridge between Russia and Crimea.

lousubcap

An article about MSG and worth a read-

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/msg-is-finally-getting-its-revenge/ar-AA1b2ZEE?utm

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The U.S. ambassador to South Africa, Reuben E. Brigety II, has accused the country’s government of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia. Brigety told reporters yesterday that Washington has reason to believe that a Russian ship that docked near a South African naval base last December “uploaded weapons and ammunition.” John Eligon reports for the New York Times. 

The U.S. Justice Department has transferred millions of dollars seized from Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev and sent the funds to rebuild Ukraine. The funds were seized from a U.S. bank account traceable to sanctions violations by Malofeyev. While this is the first transfer to Ukraine, Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “It will not be the last.” Niha Masih, Siobhán O’Grady, Kamila Hrabchuk, Victoria Bisset, David L. Stern, Natalia Abbakumova, Brittany Shammas, and Lesley Wroughton report for the Washington Post. 

The U.K. has confirmed it is supplying Ukraine with Storm Shadow cruise missiles with a range of over 155 miles, the U.K. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said. By contrast, the U.S.-supplied Himars missiles used by Ukraine only have a range of around 50 miles. James Gregory reports for BBC News. 

A Swiss parliamentary committee yesterday recommended easing export controls for Swiss-made war materiel to help boost the domestic defense industry as Western neighbors urge the country to help Ukraine. The war in Ukraine has prompted Swiss government officials to grapple with their country’s longtime neutrality, which prohibits Switzerland or other countries from exporting Swiss-made weaponry to active war zones. Jamey Keaten reports for AP News.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of the Russian paramilitary organization Wagner group, has flooded his social media with ever-more outrageous and provocative statements targetting Russia’s military command. Prigozhin revealed a humiliating battlefield setback for Russia as a Russian brigade had “fled” Bakhmut. Nathan Hodge reports for CNN. "

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:  (Tuesday update will be later in the day as I am otherwise occupied for a good part of the day.)

"Yevgeniy Prigozhin, chief of the paramilitary organization Wagner group, offered to give Kyiv information on Russian troop positions if Ukraine’s commanders withdrew their soldiers from the area around Bakhmut. Prigozhin conveyed the proposal to his contacts in Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, with whom he has maintained secret communications during the war. One official said that Kyiv rejected the offer because it was thought Prigozhin’s proposals could have been disingenuous. Shane Harris and Isabelle Khurshudyan report for the Washington Post.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed occupying Russian villages to gain leverage over Moscow, bombing a pipeline that transfers Russian oil to Hungary, and privately wishing to hit targets inside Russia’s borders, according to classified U.S. intelligence documents gleaned through intercepted digital communications. Zelenskyy has dismissed the U.S. intelligence claims as “fantasies” but defended his right to use unconventional tactics to defend Ukraine. Zelenskyy has gained the backing of Western governments, in part, by refusing to use Western weapons for attacks inside Russia. John Hudson and Isabelle Khurshudyan report for the Washington Post.

Discussions have intensified among NATO members about Ukraine’s accession into the alliance as the next NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, looms. Member states are scrambling to bridge divisions over how quickly Kyiv should enter the alliance, as eastern members are pushing for concrete steps to accession. In contrast, western members seek a mere bureaucratic upgrade. Missy Ryan and Emily Rauhala report for the Washington Post.

Two Russian commanders, Col. Vyacheslav Makarov, and his deputy Col. Yevgeny Brovko were killed near Bakhmut over the weekend. The killings come amid continued Ukrainian counterattacks on the outskirts of Bakhmut. Russian forces also launched a wave of drones and missiles at Ukraine over the weekend. Ian Lovett and Thomas Grove report for the Wall Street Journal. 

At least two Russian combat aircraft and two helicopters crashed over the weekend within Russian territory and may have been shot down, unconfirmed reports suggest. Ukraine has not confirmed that its air defenses were involved in the downing of the aircraft. On Saturday, Daniil Bezsonov, a Russian military blogger, said, “The enemy most likely acted from an ambush by its air defense forces … So the enemy most likely knew the route and time of our air group’s departure.” Tim Lister and Kostan Nechyporenko report for CNN."

lousubcap

More on Russia-Ukraine today:

"The German government announced its largest weapons package yet for Ukraine over the weekend. The latest batch totals nearly $3 billion in arms and makes Germany the second-largest military aid supplier to Ukraine, behind the United States. 

From Berlin: 30 Leopard-1 A5 tanks, 20 Marder armored personnel carriers, 200 reconnaissance drones, four more Iris-T anti-aircraft systems (and some more equipment and parts for that system), and a bit more. 

Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy dropped by Berlin to express his thanks this weekend. It was his first visit to the country since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly 15 months ago. 

"Germany is a reliable ally! Together we are bringing peace closer!" Zelenskyy tweeted in gratitude Sunday. And German Chancellor Olaf Scholz took to Twitter to thank Zelenskyy for his visit, writing Sunday, "Russia's brutal war of aggression against your country has been raging for the last 444 days. We will provide you with humanitarian, political and financial support, as well as weapons, for as long as necessary."

Does Ukraine have enough weapons from allies yet for its next offensive? "A few more visits, and it will be sufficient," Zelenskyy said to reporters in Berlin. That operation seeks only to reclaim "territories illegitimately conquered according to our constitution, within the framework of our legitimate borders, which are recognized worldwide," he said, according to the New York Times. "We have neither time nor strength for anything else. Nor do we have any weapons left with which to do so.""

lousubcap

Some background on the history of the baseball cap:

https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/baseball-cap-history-and-timeline?utm_ 

Botch

lousubcap said:

"Yevgeniy Prigozhin, chief of the paramilitary organization Wagner group, offered to give Kyiv information on Russian troop positions if Ukraine’s commanders withdrew their soldiers from the area around Bakhmut. Prigozhin conveyed the proposal to his contacts in Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, with whom he has maintained secret communications during the war. 

That's a guy whose boots I would not want to be in, any more.  

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"With the new long-range missiles, attack drones, tanks, and other armored vehicles, Ukraine has much of what it needs for a counteroffensive, Military analysts say. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently secured more weapons systems during his tour of Western Europe. The new weapons signal that Western officials now believe Ukraine could retake significant swaths of territory in a counteroffensive, said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a former Danish army intelligence officer. Lara Jakes reports for the New York Times.  

Despite far-reaching sanctions, tens of millions of dollars of aircraft parts were successfully sent into Russia last year, according to a trove of Russian customs data. These illicit shipments were made possible by networks that bypass the restrictions by shuffling goods through a series of intermediaries, often in the Middle East and Asia. Ana Swanson and Niraj Chokshi report for the New York Times.

Russian forces are no longer capable of large-scale offensive action and are mainly on the defensive, Defense Intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov said yesterday. Nevertheless, despite a shortage of some types of missiles, the Russians are “capable of sustaining the intensity of attacks,” Yusov said. Tim Lister and Kostan Nechyporenko report for CNN.

Kyiv has been targeted by further Russian air attacks, described by one official as “exceptional in density.” Ukraine said all 18 missiles were shot down, six of which were hypersonic Kinzhal missiles which Moscow had previously touted as all but unstoppable. At least three people were injured during the barrage. Gleb Garanich and Sergiy Karazy report for Reuters. 

Robert Shonov, a former employee of the U.S. Embassy in Russia, has been detained in Moscow for “conspiracy,” according to Russian state-owned news agency TASS. Shonov was charged with “collaboration on a confidential basis with a foreign state or international or foreign organization.” He faces up to eight years in prison. BBC News reports. 

Ukraine has “lured the enemy into a Bakhmut trap,” said Col. Serhiy Cherevatiy, a spokesperson for Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s ability to regain several square miles of land on the western outskirts of Bakhmut has vindicated Ukraine’s strategy of bogging down Russian forces as it prepares for a counteroffensive elsewhere, Ukrainian commanders say. Ian Lovett and Stephen Kalin report for the Wall Street Journal. "

Botch

I think it was yesterday morning (not on 60 Minutes) that CBS broadcast an extensive story on the Wagner Group (russia's version of our Blackwater).
They have an extensive hush-hush arm in the Central African Republic (CAR) and have propped up gov't puppets throughout that nation, taking over their gold and redwood (I didn't know redwood grew in Africa) industries, and milking them for their own funding.  The world's embargoes of russian oil and other goods are not suppressing this trade, at all.  
The story didn't address the issue of russian arms and equipment not being evenly distributed between the "official" military, and wagner group.  This is a pretty interesting power/supply issue between the two entities.  

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukraine today denied that a Russian hypersonic missile had destroyed a U.S.-made Patriot missile defense system. Russia’s defense ministry made the assertion yesterday after an overnight air attack on Kyiv. Reuters reports.

The U.S. is assessing potential damage to a Patriot missile defense system sustained during a Russian air attack on Kyiv, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said. Kirby said he could not confirm reports that a Patriot system had been damaged but acknowledged that weapons supplied by the U.S. have often been damaged in the fighting or worn out. “If there was damage done … we would certainly assist…” Kirby added. Ian Lovett, Drew Hinshaw, and Nancy A. Youssef report for the Wall Street Journal. 

The CIA’s semipublic campaign to convince Russian officials disaffected by the war in Ukraine to spy for Washington has borne fruit, a CIA official said this week. The official did not provide details of how many would-be Russian agents responded or what information they were in a position to provide. Warren P. Strobel reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

South Korea signed an agreement with Ukraine today to provide a $130 million financial aid package. The agreement was reached a day after Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, met South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to request military assistance. Reuters reports. "

JohnInCarolina

http://twitter.com/jimtankersley/status/1659133761815187456?s=20

JohnInCarolina

http://twitter.com/GrimKim/status/1658892162346434560?s=20

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The United States is resisting a push by the U.K. and Netherlands to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The Biden administration, which must approve any transfers of the American-made planes, remains unconvinced that Ukraine needs the expensive jets. The present U.S. reticence to allow Ukrainian pilots to train in European-owned F-16s could severely limit a proposed new European coalition to help Ukraine obtain the jets. Lara Jakes and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times. 

Ukraine’s foreign minister told China’s special envoy for Eurasian Affairs, Li Hui, yesterday that Kyiv would not accept any proposals to end the war that involved losing territory or freezing the conflict, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said. Li noted there was no panacea to the war in Ukraine but urged all parties to create conditions for peace talks, China’s foreign ministry said today. Reuters reports.

E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has proposed adding $3.85 billion to a fund used to finance military aid for Ukraine, E.U. sources said yesterday. Borrell’s proposal requires approval from the E.U.’s national governments. They agreed last December that, “in case of need,” such an increase could be justified. Andrew Gray reports for Reuters.

Ukraine shot down 29 of 30 Russian cruise missiles today in the latest nighttime test of Ukrainian air defenses, officials said. Susie Blann reports for AP News. "