Aug 8: E-Stories
Day 530: Kherson UASitRep RUSitRep Bridges NorKor Iran RUeco Occupation Jeddah Belarus Niger CHRUdrill Taurus US CZ Trump USarmy A&P Lautman Zelenskyy ISW UKDef BelainSweden Collins Times Africk Neuer
Catching up…
EA Worldview’s Ukraine Up-date- hop over to Scott’s amazing hourly Ukraine up-date page. I’ll fill in with some bits and bobs.
Stories we’re following…
Russia attacked Ukraine with 65 missiles, over 100 drones in past week. Russian forces launched 65 various missiles against Ukraine, as well as 178 combat drones, including 87 Iranian-made Shahed drones, over the past week.
During the night on Aug 7-8, Russian forces shelled Kherson and hit an apartment building. As a result, one person died and 10 more were injured.
7 killed and 31 wounded in Russian attack on Pokrovsk, including Emergency Service official. Two Russian missile strikes hit a residential building in Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, president Zelenskyy, said on Telegram.
Andriy Yermak, head of the office of the Ukrainian presidency, has reported on Telegram that “the Russians shelled the village of Kucherivka, in Kupyan district, hitting a house,” killing two and injuring three people.
Russian troops have increased the number of shelling in eastern Ukraine, said Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Anna Malyar. According to her, last week the Russian military carried out more than nine thousand attacks.
“The enemy spent almost half a million ammunition in the east last week alone. In such continuous artillery fire, our fighters continued offensive operations in the Bakhmut direction,” says Malyar.
Russia said on Monday its troops had advanced 3 kilometres (two miles) along the Kupiansk front in northeast Ukraine over the last three days, as it seeks to regain territories it lost earlier in its offensive.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have a tactical success in the area of Mala Tokmachka - Robotyne of the Zaporizhzhia region and continue their counteroffensive in the Melitopol and Berdyansk directions - Malyar
Brady Africk: Throughout the summer, Russian forces have worked to close gaps in their defensive lines and expand existing fortifications along highways in occupied Ukraine. This updated map shows many of Russia's new fortifications and links each to satellite imagery. (please view Africk’s detailed maps by clicking on his name)
Russian official claims drone downed over Kaluga Oblast. The governor of Russia's Kaluga Oblast, Vladislav Shapsha, reported on Aug. 7 that air defense shot down a drone over the region's Ferzikovo district at 2:30 a.m. local time.
The Russians have launched two artillery attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems with the projectiles filled with a chemical substance, likely chloropicrin, on an area near the settlement of Novodanylivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of the Tavriia operative strategic grouping of forces, on Telegram.
ISW: Ukraine struck two key road bridges along critical Russian grounds lines of communication (GLOCs) connecting occupied Crimea and occupied Kherson causing Russian forces to reroute road traffic from shorter eastern routes to longer western routes.
Ukrainian strikes significantly damaged a road bridge across the Henichesk Strait connecting Henichesk Raion to the Arabat Spit and caused minor damage to the Chonhar road bridge along the M-18 (Dzhankoi-Melitopol) highway connecting occupied Crimea with occupied Kherson.
Russian officials will reroute all traffic through the Armyansk and Perekop checkpoints along the M-17 (Armyansk-Oleshky) and T2202 (Armyansk-Nova Kakhovka) highways.
This means that most if not all Russian road traffic between Crimea and Kherson Oblast will have to pass along or close to one 20km section of the M-17.
Reuters: Russian missile developer hacked by North Korea. The computer networks of a one of Russia's top missile developers were breached by an "elite group of North Korean hackers". According to Reuters, cyber-espionage teams linked to the North Korean government "secretly installed stealthy digital backdoors into systems at NPO Mashinostroyeniya," a major Russian weapons developer. "Elite hacking teams" linked to North Korea, including ScarCruft and Lazarus, secretly implanted spyware into the Russian corporation's systems and had access to them from late 2021 to May 2022. It was then that Pyongyang announced major advances in its missile program. Monique: This story may not be true. I’ll be verifying it and keep you up-dated.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Amir Hossein, has reportedly denied the supply of drones to the Russian Federation. Despite evidence to the contrary, he states:
"During the conflict in Ukraine, we never supplied Iranian drones or weapons to Russia. It is the supply of weapons by Europe and America that leads to further destruction and carnage," he said.
FT: European companies suffer €100bn hit from Russia operations. Energy and utility groups have reported more than half the combined losses, according to FT analysis of direct impact of the Ukraine war. A survey of 600 European groups’ annual reports and 2023 financial statements shows that 176 companies have recorded asset impairments, foreign exchange-related charges and other one-off expenses as a result of the sale, closure or reduction of Russian businesses.
“Companies still there would be better off just writing the business off. I don’t think anyone is secure,” said Anna Vlasyuk, research fellow at KSE. “What was the pretext for appropriating Carlsberg? Is it really a national security issue? I don’t think so.”
Hurriyet reports that Putin might visit Türkiye as soon as the end of August. It is expected that Erdogan will try to get Putin and Russia back to the grain deal which allows grain export through the Black Sea to Istanbul where ship are inspected.
Russian losses in Ukraine. Skabeeva states they found 284,000 obituaries on social media. Just a reminder that Prigozhin had admitted in one of his last screeds that there were close to 300,000 deaths or “six times the deaths” that had been reported by the Russian officials. Up to the winter 2022, some articles in the Russian regional media had reported on the funerals of dead Russian soldiers or the proliferation of new cemetaries but then the Russian government prohibited the publication of obituaries from the regions, making it very difficult to conduct investigations.
As 40 countries discussed peace for Ukraine on Sunday, Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel that Kyiv ‘must beg for mercy.’ As diplomats and national security advisors from over 40 countries discussed ways of ending Russia's war against Ukraine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Russia's Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, known for spreading xenophobic remarks, said on Aug. 6 that Kyiv "must beg Moscow for mercy."
National Resistance Center: Russians set up sham 'election schools' for youth in occupied Kherson, the National Resistance Center reported on Aug. 6. The schools' stated purpose is to prepare high school students for the Russian presidential "elections. It should be noted that in Russia there is no such thing as elections," the Center said.
The reason why so many Ukrainians and other neighbouring countries stopped speaking Russian. For many, it’s a language that reminds them of death and violence.
The SBU reports that it has detained an informant who was preparing a Russian airstrike in the Mykolaiv region during the visit of President Zelenskyy. The informant reportedly gathered info on the visit as well as locations from EW systems/ammo depots. She faces 12yr in prison.
The Ministry of Defense of Belarus announced that on August 7, in some areas of the Grodno region and at the Gozhsky training ground, a command-staff exercise with the 6th separate guards mechanized brigade will begin.
Representatives of the top military leadership of Ukraine and Poland have held a meeting during which one of the key topics was the possible threats posed by the deployment of the Wagner Group in Belarus.
"Serhii Naiev stressed the importance of continuing to exchange information and experience in organising combat operations at control points. In addition, he shared the specifics of the practical use of various types of foreign weapons, noting the need for additional training of subordinate personnel in the operation and repair of Polish-made military equipment," the press release reads.
Poland’s border guard has asked the defence ministry to send another 1,000 troops to the border with Belarus. Reuters reports the move comes amid an increase in attempts to illegally cross the frontier. The head of the border guard, Tomasz Praga, said this year 19,000 people had tried to cross the Polish-Belarusian border illegally, up from 16,000 last year. In recent weeks, soldiers from the Wagner mercenary group have appeared near the border, which, according to prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki, is aimed at destabilising the situation on Nato’s eastern flank.
Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat reported on claims of missiles fired into Ukraine from Belarus, by saying that while Russian planes are freely using Belarus airspace, missiles are being launched from within Russia.
It [the missile] was launched from a MiG-31K aircraft from the Tambov area. As it flies along the route, at the crossroads of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, it enters Belarusian airspace, and there are no problems for the Russians here.
66-year-old Prozaroksk school teacher Alena Kiškurna arrested. She is accused by the Belarusian authorities of spreading "extremist" materials against the authorities via social media VKontakte The court ruled that the "extremist" post was deleted from her account in 2021 but her arrest was confirmed nonetheless.
Among others, this story confirms the level of repression in Belarus, as the authorities in Belarus comb the internet for posts which have been deleted.
German Taurus decision up-date: Yehor Cherniev, people's deputy of Ukraine and chairman of the Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence of the Verkhovna Rada reports that he was informed by members of the German national parliament that key parliamentary factions have reached a consensus on the transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. He says they are waiting for the official decision.
“We’ve worked for a long time with German parliamentarians to form a support group and now finally the ice has broken. We await an official decision,” he wrote on Facebook.
CNN: The first batch of Abrams tanks that the US is providing to Ukraine was approved for shipment over the weekend, and the tanks are on track to arrive in Ukraine by early fall, Army Acquisition Chief Doug Bush said on Monday.
Ukrainian FM Kuleba had held a phone call with his US counterpart Anthony Blinken during which he requested ATACMS long-range missiles. In a tweet, he said: “In our call, [Antony Blinken] and I discussed further steps to broaden global support for the peace formula and solutions to expand grain exports”
The Czech Republic transferred a simulator to Ukraine to prepare pilots on the F-16. On this simulator, the Ukrainian military is currently studying the features of modern technology and its capabilities. Zelenskyi personally tested the simulator.
The Czech authorities opened a criminal case against Arkady Rotenberg for circumventing international sanctions, the National Center for Combating Organized Crime said. According to law enforcers, in 2015 the defendant helped to transfer money to an “oligarch who has long been associated” with Russian President Vladimir Putin and who was under sanctions due to the annexation of Crimea. Subsequently, these funds were used in the Czech Republic.
Reuters reports that a conference hosted by Saudi Arabia to discuss a peace plan for Ukraine was a successful meeting because it showed the willingness of the international community to work towards ending the war, a German government spokesperson said on Monday. A spokesperson at a news conference in Berlin said:
Germany will also continue to engage actively including in this process.
China’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the talks in Jeddah helped “consolidate international consensus”. China’s special envoy for Eurasian Affairs, Li Hui, “had extensive contact and communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis … listened to all sides’ opinions and proposals, and further consolidated international consensus,” the foreign ministry said in a written statement.
China and Russia launched joint naval drill near US waters earlier this week. Eleven Russian and Chinese ships steamed close to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. It is believed to be the largest such flotilla to have approached American shores. Four US destroyers and a P-8 Poseidon aircraft were deployed in response to divert the ships away from American territory to avert a serious international incident, officials said. Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska, a Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told The Wall Street Journal the patrol was a reminder that the US has entered 'a new era of authoritarian aggression,' but praised the strong naval response. Russian warships and Chinese research vessels have been spotted in Arctic waters before, but joint patrols are a new development.
'Air and maritime assets under our commands conducted operations to assure the defense of the United States and Canada. The patrol remained in international waters and was not considered a threat,' the command told the WSJ.
Run4Ukraine on Sept 23: We are inviting you to join us for a one of a kind event - Run for Ukraine on September 23, 2023. You have many options to choose from a Live 5K or Virtual Run! Register here today! https://bit.ly/3Yr9HdQ
A big explosion happened in the northern Turkish seaport city of Derince. The cause of the explosion has not yet been reported. Emergency services are on the scene. It is said that 4 people were injured. The cause of the explosion has yet to be verified and up-dates will follow once more information becomes available.
The President of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Alassane Ouattara stated tonight during an Address to the Nation that,
“We Condemn the ongoing Coup d'état in Niger and support the decisions that have been made by ECOWAS to assist in the return of Constitutional Order with the Restoration of the Democratically-Elected President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum.”
After soldiers detained Niger’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, on July 26, the Economic Community of West African States gave them an ultimatum: Restore democracy or face military action. Yesterday, the deadline the group had set for the military junta to reinstate the ousted president expired.
The junta also closed Niger's airspace in anticipation of that military threat, the BBC reports. It would seem that fellow coup-stricken Burkina Faso sent a plane to Niamey after the airspace was closed, suggesting that country's junta has followed through on its own vow to support Niger's junta with military support.
Officials from Nigeria, Guinea, and Algeria opposed an invasion of Niger. And it remains unclear what will happen with the French and U.S. military troops inside Niger, which together total more than 2,000 forces.
Hillel Neuer, Russian drone maker’s son at the UNIDIR
The son of Alexander Zakharov, mastermind of Russia's killer drones that attack civilians in Ukraine, is now interning at the U.N.'s disarmament institute. As cited in the Tribune de Genève, UNIDIR says he was selected through a "competitive and transparent recruitment process...on the basis of his qualifications, skills and experience for the position."
The drone unit is part of the Kalashnikov group now under Western sanctions, including in Switzerland.
Tribune de Genève: "The presence of Zakharov's son in Geneva implies that Switzerland issued him with a visa, which is compulsory for Russian nationals wishing to enter and stay in the country. When questioned, the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration would not comment on the case. Alexander Zakharov's son did not respond to our messages."
Former Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev, who defected last year because of the war in Ukraine, notes that the conflict has made it harder for Russians to get hired in the UN system. "Since Zakharov's son got the job during the war, we can assume that there was some form of assistance from his government to get it," he comments. We can only speculate, of course, but I'd be surprised if that wasn't the case."
UNIDIR says the Russian is working on "preventing and limiting the impact of the uncontrolled proliferation and use of conventional weapons and ammunition." UNIDIR works for "a stable and more secure world in which people are protected from threats of arms-related violence."
Russians hunting for cheap apartments in the occupied city of Mariupol—Business Insider
The BBC reported that as the Kremlin looks to reconstruct the occupied city of Mariupol into a Russian town, Russian families are starting to buy property in the area.
Russian forces took control of Mariupol in the Spring of 2022 following a deadly siege that drove out city officials. The besieged town is currently undergoing a transformation led by President Vladimir Putin, who visited the territory in February to inspect a new apartment building constructed by Russians.
Russian road signs are being erected, schools are being forced to change their curriculum, and Russians are now moving in with the prospect of cheap property, the BBC reported.
The publication identified dozens of Russians flooding VKontakte, Russia's most popular social networking site, similar to Facebook, to inquire about property in the area.
Vladimir, a Russian resident who sold his home in Murmansk to move to Mariupol, told the BBC in an interview that he wanted to move to Mariupol to live with his family in a cheap seaside apartment.
"Mariupol will be a beautiful city," Vladimir, who was only identified by his first name, told the publication.
Despite Russia's insistence that the city is now formally part of the country, reports from Russian officials paint a picture that Ukrainians are still fighting back.
Insider's Tom Porter reported that Ukrainian resistance fighters recently poisoned 17 Russian officers, killing at least two, per local reports.
Ukrainian civilians resisting occupation have also adopted " Ї " — a letter not found in the Russian alphabet — in opposition to Russians settling in the area, according to reports.
The war is hitting Russia at home
Interview with Harvard Professor Serhii Plokhy. He says that Ukraine’s success fighting Russian ships was “really unexpected”.
The Tuberville Impasse: Russia and China and any other adversary to the US is cheerfully clinking their prosecco glasses at the sight of domestic problems in the US, and especially so because it’s the US military. These countries try to recruit US military service men and women for spying and other operations. The US representatives, in this case Tuberville, are dicking around with fire and aiding in the weakening of the US military administration. I’m surprised no one has started digging into Tuberville’s background.
Tom Nichols: Why Trump’s indictments are important
Another reason is this: Frank Figliuzzi reports on The Donald chat board that was active before the January 6th coup and that was reactivated three days ago, calling for the death of the prosecutor Jack Smith and the grand jurors.
Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, a former federal prosecutor, as well as fellow Democrats Bennie Thompson, Gerald Connelly, and Henry "Hank" Johnson Jr. are requesting that the criminal proceedings in Donald Trump’s case be televised. They have collectively penned a letter to the administrative judge of the Washington D.C. federal court, the Honorable Rosslyn R. Mauskopf, urging the live broadcast of all criminal proceedings involving Donald J. Trump. Given the circus that the trials are becoming, I agree with televising the trials so that everyone can hear and see the evidence that is being presented without media manipulations.
