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Ukraine Invasion: Part 37

997 replies

MagicFox · 14/01/2023 15:52

Welcome all to thread 37. Thanks to everybody contributing to the backbone of these threads (extra hat tip to Ducks and Desdemona for posting daily updates) and to all lurkers too.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
129
Natsku · 13/02/2023 08:31

Igotjelly · 12/02/2023 22:18

i’m honestly at the stage a full scale alien invasion could take place and I wouldn’t be shocked. Sick to fuck of ‘living through history’ wish shit was boring again.

Same.

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 13/02/2023 11:03

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 13/02/2023 11:05

grrr wrong thread. sorry

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 13/02/2023 11:10

www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine-conflict-updates

Key inflections in ongoing military operations on February 12:

Ukrainian officials continued to question the Russian military’s ability to launch large-scale strategic offensive operations in Ukraine.[28]

The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) reported that Russian forces have likely suffered the highest rate of casualties in Ukraine since the first weeks of the invasion based on statistics obtained from the Ukrainian General Staff, with an average of 824 casualties per day in the past week.[29] The UK MoD stated that they cannot verify the Ukrainian General Staff’s methodology for counting Russian casualties.

A Russian State Duma parliamentarian called for increased censorship legislation to protect Russian military figures from criticism.[30]

The Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) released an intercepted call excerpt of Shahed drone operators in Ukraine speaking in Kurdish and Farsi and stated that Russian forces may be using Kurdish mercenaries to operate Iranian drones in Ukraine.[31]

Russian sources claimed that Russian forces are continuing offensive operations northwest of Svatove.[32] Russian forces continued offensive operations around Kreminna with a reported 23 combat clashes in the area.[33]

Russian forces continued ground attacks around Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Vuhledar.[34]

Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that Wagner Group forces seized Krasna Hora north of Bakhmut.[35] Prigozhin also falsely claimed that Wagner Group forces are the only Russian forces within a 50km radius of Bakhmut.[36]

Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces in Kherson Oblast lack the capability to start a full-scale offensive, supporting ISW’s prior assessments.[37]

Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) representative Vadym Skibitsky stated that Ukrainian officials believe that Russian officials will postpone a planned second wave of mobilization because of persisting problems associated with the first mobilization wave.[38]

Russian sources claimed that Russia may build a Black Sea Fleet base in occupied Mariupol.[39]

CNN published an interview with two POWs who were Wagner Group prison recruits who claimed that Wagner Group severely misled recruits about the nature of the war and combat missions.[40] The fighters claimed that Wagner forces used prison recruits in human-wave assaults in summer assaults around Lysychansk and sustained high casualties.

[in context of that other thread, there's an interesting piece on info warfare. Ill copy paste the highlights here]

"Russia has partially regained the ability to conduct successful information campaigns in support of strategic objectives and even discrete operational aims. Russian hybrid warfare theory has long called for the integration of information campaigns and military operations, with information operations sometimes taking precedence over kinetic activity... Russia skillfully conducted multiple information campaigns over the two decades preceding the re-invasion of Ukraine in February 2022"

"Russian information campaigns have supported a continuous strategic objective of deterring or slowing the West’s provision of material support to Ukraine...... These Russian information campaigns have been continuous in their pursuit of the common aim of inhibiting Western support for Ukraine regardless of battlefield conditions"

It is now clear that the Russian information campaign centering on peace negotiations that intensified in December 2022 was aimed—among other things—at delaying the provision of Western tanks and other advanced equipment essential for the continuation of Ukrainian mechanized counteroffensives in order to set conditions for Russia’s own planned offensives. The Kremlin sharply amplified a false negotiations narrative throughout December 2022, with numerous Russian officials giving intentionally misleading signals of Moscow’s willingness to engage in serious negotiations with Ukraine.
...The Russian peace-talks narrative was not, to be sure, the only or even the main reason for the delay in the Western provision of tanks to Ukraine. The timing of its onset, intensification, and dropping by the Kremlin, however, strongly suggests that it was timed to support the now ongoing Russian offensive.

Putin is working to restore his capabilities in this area and is achieving limited but important successes, especially when he can shape information campaigns that resonate with discussions and fears that are already salient in the West.

Ukraine Invasion: Part 37
MissConductUS · 13/02/2023 11:40

notimagain · 13/02/2023 08:02

I'd guess one possibility would be that the balloons were being detected at the raw radar level but were being filtered out in the signal processing at some point because of their (lack of) speed and possibly their altitude.... effectively something very slow was not perceived as a threat so not displayed to avoid cluttering up the screens.

Tweak the filters and...🤔

OTOH the puzzle for me is that very large balloons are visible from the ground with the naked eye and there are plenty of people who take and interest in the sky (for example as you may know there's a big interest in amateur astronomy in the States). Given that I'd be surprised if very large balloons have been getting away with overflying the US undetected/unreported until recently.

I heard on NPR this morning that the USAF General commanding NORAD announced that they had adjusted the speed gates on their radars to allow detection of slower moving targets, so that's the explanation.

notimagain · 13/02/2023 11:48

MissConductUS · 13/02/2023 11:40

I heard on NPR this morning that the USAF General commanding NORAD announced that they had adjusted the speed gates on their radars to allow detection of slower moving targets, so that's the explanation.

Makes absolute perfect sense to me, thank you.

Dragging this back to a Ukraine context there's a chance filtering might have been one of the reasons why it appeared (initially at least) as if the Ukrainians were having problems detecting/engaging the Iranian drones when they first appeared on the scene.

It's a tough choice....do you knock such filtering out and have difficulty finding the targets you want to engage because they are buried in the clutter on the screen, or do you leave filtering in and risk not being able to engage a really slow mover?

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 13/02/2023 11:53

Kyiv Independent Telegram

⚡️ Ukraine's finance minister Sergii Marchenko: ‘Time to cut (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/finance-minister-time-to-cut-russia-out-of-global-financial-system) Russia out of global financial system.’
he wrote in the Financial Times ahead of FATF meeting.
FATF, the Financial Action Task Force, is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.
Its members will gather on Feb. 24, the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine

⚡️ Ukraine imposes (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/ukraine-imposes-sanctions-against-200-individuals) sanctions against 200 people.
The measures are predominantly economic.
The only Ukrainian on the list is a former deputy chief engineer at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant seized by Russia, who allegedly agreed to collaborate with the Russian occupiers.

⚡️ Swiss media: Credit Suisse bank freezes (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/swiss-media-credit-suisse-bank-freezes-19-billion-in-russian-assets) $19 billion in Russian assets.
By doing so, Credit Suisse alone froze a third of all declared Russian assets in Switzerland, according to SonntagsZeitung newspaper.

⚡️ Ukraine’s Armed Forces: Over 200 Russian soldiers killed (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/ukraines-armes-forces-200-russian-soldiers-killed-near-bakhmut-in-24-hours) near Bakhmut in 24 hours.

⚡️ Andrzej Duda: ‘If Ukraine doesn’t receive arms in coming weeks, Putin may win (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/andrzej-duda-if-ukraine-doesnt-receive-arms-in-coming-weeks-putin-may-win).’
Ukraine’s need for Western arms is urgent and will determine the outcome on the battlefield, Polish President Andrzej Duda said in an interview with the French media outlet Le Figaro.

⚡️Guardian: Iran smuggles (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/guardian-iran-smuggles-long-range-combat-drones-to-russia-for-war-against-ukraine) long-range combat drones to Russia for war against Ukraine.
Iran smuggled at least 18 long-range Mohajer-6 combat drones to Russia in November for the war against Ukraine shortly after a Russian delegation visited Tehran, the Guardian reported on Feb. 12, citing sources in Iran.

⚡️Air Force: Russia uses (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/air-force-russia-uses-drone-spy-balloons-for-reconnaissance-in-dnipropetrovsk-oblast) drone, spy balloons for reconnaissance in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that the Russian military used a reconnaissance drone and several spy balloons in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Feb. 12

Ukraine war latest: Russia's Wagner Group claims it captured Krasna Hora, West says Russia's casualties at its peak (kyivindependent.com/national/ukraine-war-latest-russias-wagner-group-claims-it-captured-krasna-hora-west-says-russias-casualties-at-its-peak)

⚡️Russian attacks
(kyivindependent.com/news-feed/russian-attacks-across-7-ukrainian-oblasts-kill-4-injure-3-over-past-24-hours)across 7 Ukrainian oblasts kill 4, injure 3 over past 24 hours.

⚡️Politico: Russia may have lost
(kyivindependent.com/news-feed/politico-russia-may-have-lost-entire-elite-brigade-near-vuhledar)entire elite brigade near Vuhledar.
Ukraine's Armed Forces might have destroyed "almost an entire brigade" of Russia's elite 155th naval infantry in the battles over Donetsk Oblast's Vuhledar, Politico reported, citing Ukrainian military official Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi.
The brigade totaled about 5,000 soldiers, whose members were killed, wounded, or captured, according to Dmytrashkivskyi.

⚡️Moldovan president says (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/moldovan-president-says-russia-plans-to-seize-power-in-moldova) Russia plans coup d'etat in Moldova.
Russia is planning a coup d'état in Moldova, involving attacks on government buildings and hostage-taking, according to Moldovan President Maia Sandu.

Lower losses. Which still means over 500. But lower.

Ukraine Invasion: Part 37
ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 13/02/2023 12:55

⚡️Reznikov leaves for Ramstein-9 summit, names (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/reznikov-leaves-for-ramstein-9-summit-names-main-issues-on-agenda) main issues on agenda.

Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that he's en route to the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, also known as Ramstein, set to take place on Feb. 14 at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 13/02/2023 13:02

UNITED24 Media

The US Embassy in Russia called on Americans to leave the country immediately
"U.S. citizens living or traveling in Russia should leave the country immediately," the message emphasizes.

If Russia announces a second wave of mobilization, it will face the same problems as during the first one, said Vadym Skibitskyi, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal

At the beginning of February, Pakistan sent more than 10,000 shells for Grad anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, The Economic Times reports
They are transported to Ukraine through the German port of Emden in transit through Poland.

American MALE MQ-9A Reaper drones have arrived in Poland and will conduct reconnaissance on the country's eastern border. The drones were leased from the US as part of an urgent operational need.

Earthquakes in Türkiye caused losses to the country's economy in the amount of $84 billion, or about 10% of GDP

The Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and the AN/TWQ-1 Avenger air defense system, which are bound for Ukraine, have arrived at the German port of Bremerhaven

Finland has not yet made a decision on the transfer of Leopard tanks to Ukraine, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said

Austria has issued visas to sanctioned Russians to participate in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, — AP News
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria insists that since the headquarters of the OSCE is located in Vienna, the ministry has the full right to issue visas to delegations of participating countries who wish to participate in the OSCE PA.

Hackers attacked the site of the headquarters of the NATO Special Operations Forces and other resources of the Alliance, – the DPA agency
The cyber attack affected several NATO sites and is currently being investigated by cyber security experts.
Initially, the attack was linked to the pro-Russian hacker group Killnet.

The Ukrainian military received German-Dutch armored Fennek reconnaissance vehicles

The US Congress is "very disappointed" by MPs who oppose aid to Ukraine, – Republican Mike Turner said in an interview with CNN

Berdyansk port is being turned into a Russian military base

Ukraine is completely independent of Russian nuclear fuel, said Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko

Already in 2023, Ukraine can start negotiations on joining the European Union, – Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna

The Russians in Berdyansk created a "commission for minors": what does it do
The occupying authorities in Berdyansk continue repression against those who do not send their children to schools with a Russian curriculum. The Russians created a "commission for minors" to hunt down those who study under the Ukrainian educational program.

Austria does not want to train the Ukrainian military on Leopard 2 tanks, Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner said

The Russians started bragging about another special invention, but something went wrong 🤡
The head of Primorye proudly reported on the test flights of the "new Russian drone". He even said that more than half of the components for them are produced in the region. They also shot a demonstration video of the tests in the classics of the genre – keeping the location and identity of the "testers" a secret.
The fairy tale would be very good if this "unique" drone was not online in two clicks and was not sold on Aliexpress. There, they ask for this UAV in the top configuration from $18,000.

Ukraine Invasion: Part 37
Ukraine Invasion: Part 37
blueshoes · 13/02/2023 13:03

Ducks, thanks again for the takeaways.

⚡️ Swiss media: Credit Suisse bank freezes (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/swiss-media-credit-suisse-bank-freezes-19-billion-in-russian-assets) $19 billion in Russian assets.
By doing so, Credit Suisse alone froze a third of all declared Russian assets in Switzerland, according to SonntagsZeitung newspaper.

This is a big deal, right? I thought Switzerland was trying to stay neutral. Hopefully sitting on the fence is no longer an option for them.

Thinking of the number of Swiss bank accounts of Russians who thought they could rely on Swiss banking secrecy and neutrality to open accounts in their own name without the hassle of concealing their ownership through complex corporate structures. Proving ownership by Russian sanctioned persons is one of the trickiest legal issues in seizing Russian assets. Hopefully Swiss bank accounts are like their sitting ducks.

DesdamonasHandkerchief · 13/02/2023 13:12

⚡️Moldovan president says (https://kyivindependent.com/news-feed/moldovan-president-says-russia-plans-to-seize-power-in-moldovaa**) Russia plans coup d'etat in Moldova.*
Russia is planning a coup d'état in Moldova, involving attacks on government buildings and hostage-taking, according to Moldovan President Maia Sandu.

Are they saying this was originally planned if plan A - 'Kyiv in 3 days' - had been successful? Or are they saying this is the Kremlin's next move? Surely not?
Russia is struggling to take Bakhmut, surely they're not going to take a pop at Moldova.
It does confirm that pacifying Putin by handing over occupied regions of Ukraine is pointless because Putin will never be content with 'just' Ukraine.

blueshoes · 13/02/2023 13:23

DesdamonasHandkerchief · 13/02/2023 13:12

⚡️Moldovan president says (https://kyivindependent.com/news-feed/moldovan-president-says-russia-plans-to-seize-power-in-moldovaa**) Russia plans coup d'etat in Moldova.*
Russia is planning a coup d'état in Moldova, involving attacks on government buildings and hostage-taking, according to Moldovan President Maia Sandu.

Are they saying this was originally planned if plan A - 'Kyiv in 3 days' - had been successful? Or are they saying this is the Kremlin's next move? Surely not?
Russia is struggling to take Bakhmut, surely they're not going to take a pop at Moldova.
It does confirm that pacifying Putin by handing over occupied regions of Ukraine is pointless because Putin will never be content with 'just' Ukraine.

I don't have any particular insight into the situation in Moldova but if this is true, Putin is looking for a easier target to tout his much-needed military success somewhere anywhere now that Ukraine is proving intractable.

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 13/02/2023 13:25

Zelenskyy:
I had the first phone call in the history of bilateral relations with President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr. I thanked him for supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We discussed further deepening of cooperation, in particular on international platforms.

Ihor Klymenko has been appointed Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

I introduced the newly appointed Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, a combat officer, Major General Vasyl Malyuk, to the senior staff of the Security Service of Ukraine.

Live: Ukraine Telegram

⚡️Ukrainian intelligence suggests that Russia could have involved Kurdish mercenaries in organizing the drone attack on Ukrainian territory.
Intelligence officials refer to a recording of a dialog between two Shahed drone operators who are specifying the coordinates of a target. This conversation was intercepted during a massive attack by "kamikaze drones" on the territory of Ukraine on February 10. The interlocutors are speaking a dialect of Kurdish with a sprinkling of Farsi words.

🇪🇺 Politico writes that the EU will impose restrictions on four more Russian banks in the tenth package of sanctions, including Russia's largest private bank, Alfa-Bank, add about 130 people and companies to the list, and expand import bans. It is proposed to ban the purchase of Russian rubber, asphalt or bitumen (petroleum product) and imports of trucks, construction machinery, electronic components, etc.

Italian Prime Minister Meloni reaffirmed her government's "firm" support for Ukraine after Berlusconi's scandalous statements about Zelenskyy.

Nothing out of the ordinary. Just postage stamps in Sierra Leone.

Ukraine Invasion: Part 37
ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 13/02/2023 13:34

Washington Post Telegram

Here is the latest from Ukraine:

(www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/02/12/russia-ukraine-war-latest-updates/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=telegram)- Kyiv appears to be optimistic that its Western allies will grant its requests for fighter jets. “Let’s wait and see. That’s what we heard about tanks,” Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain, told the BBC on Sunday, referring to apprehension from military backers before an agreement on tanks was made.

  • Zelensky named Ukraine’s security and defense agencies as the next targets of his promised zero-tolerance approach to corruption after high-profile dismissals in recent weeks related to his probe.

(www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/02/13/russia-ukraine-war-latest-updates/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook)- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is hosting a meeting Tuesday of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group — senior military officials from more than 50 nations who have been providing Ukraine with weapons and other aid — alongside a two-day gathering of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.

  • Zelensky announced sanctions for 200 people working for the Russian nuclear industry, without providing details on what sanctions would be. “Russia’s radiation blackmail of the world must be punished,” he said in his nightly address.
  • Several metropolitan areas, including the Kyiv, Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions are expected to have unrestricted access to electricity on Monday, utility Ukrenergo announced on Telegram, in a rare respite after months of rationing in freezing temperatures.
  • Russia is planning to showcase some 200 types of weapons at an exhibition in India on Monday, state news agency Tass reported. India’s position on the conflict has been mixed.

Russians abandon wartime Russia in historic exodus
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/02/13/russia-diaspora-war-ukraine/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=telegram

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war has set off a historic exodus of his own people. Initial data show that at least 500,000, and perhaps nearly 1 million, have left in the year since the invasion began — a tidal wave on scale with emigration following the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991.

Greenshake · 13/02/2023 13:39

Good to see Rihanna waving the Ukranian flag as she left the Super Bowl 🇺🇦

blueshoes · 13/02/2023 13:45

The Russians started bragging about another special invention, but something went wrong 🤡
The head of Primorye proudly reported on the test flights of the "new Russian drone". He even said that more than half of the components for them are produced in the region. They also shot a demonstration video of the tests in the classics of the genre – keeping the location and identity of the "testers" a secret.
The fairy tale would be very good if this "unique" drone was not online in two clicks and was not sold on Aliexpress. There, they ask for this UAV in the top configuration from $18,000.

Funnee.

Russia is sourcing drones from Aliexpress (Alibaba). Since AliExpress is Chinese-owned, that would make this an example of how Chinese private companies are trading with Russia to assist its war effort.

Surplus2requirements · 13/02/2023 14:12

DesdamonasHandkerchief · 13/02/2023 13:12

⚡️Moldovan president says (https://kyivindependent.com/news-feed/moldovan-president-says-russia-plans-to-seize-power-in-moldovaa**) Russia plans coup d'etat in Moldova.*
Russia is planning a coup d'état in Moldova, involving attacks on government buildings and hostage-taking, according to Moldovan President Maia Sandu.

Are they saying this was originally planned if plan A - 'Kyiv in 3 days' - had been successful? Or are they saying this is the Kremlin's next move? Surely not?
Russia is struggling to take Bakhmut, surely they're not going to take a pop at Moldova.
It does confirm that pacifying Putin by handing over occupied regions of Ukraine is pointless because Putin will never be content with 'just' Ukraine.

I think this has been an intention since the beginning.
There were (probable) false flag attacks on TV stations in Moldova back in last summer when the Russians were pushing alone the coast to set conditions for marching over the border after taking Odesa.

I doubt it's viable without first securing a land bridge.

I think more recent reports of the plan are more about evidence that plan existed than any liklihood of it happening unless there's drastic changes on the ground.

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 13/02/2023 14:33

About the disinformation war:

weaponizedspaces.substack.com/p/twitter-exec-says-hundreds-of-thousands

Twitter exec says 'hundreds of thousands' of Russian disinformation accounts still active on Twitter
Twitter's former head of Trust and Safety Yoel Roth told Congress that "counterfeit" Russian accounts targeting the US are still active as part of an "ongoing campaign"

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 14/02/2023 08:41

hi @Surplus2requirements

I think more recent reports of the plan are more about evidence that plan existed than any liklihood of it happening unless there's drastic changes on the ground.

Hope you're right. Something really strange is going on - for the entire govt to resign like that with no reason given is extraordinary.

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 14/02/2023 08:48

www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine-conflict-updates

Key Takeaways

Moscow continues to leverage its relationship with Iran to provide military support for the war in Ukraine.

The Wagner Group’s continued dissemination of deliberately brutal extrajudicial execution videos and generally graphic content is normalizing an increasing level of brutality and thuggishness within the domestic Russian information space.

Russian military command is facing challenges integrating irregular armed formations with conventional forces.

Russian authorities are increasingly undertaking measures to promote self-censorship in Russia under the guise of countering increased information threats resulting from the invasion of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to publicly stand by the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) as his naval infantry continues to suffer catastrophic casualties around Vuhledar, Donetsk Oblast.

Russian forces continued to conduct ground attacks northwest of Svatove and near Kreminna.

Russian forces made marginal territorial gains near Bakhmut and continued to conduct ground attacks across the Donetsk Oblast front line.

Russian forces unsuccessfully attacked Ukrainian positions in western Zaporizhia Oblast while continuing to fortify their positions in the region.

Russian officials and regime-linked actors continue to exploit assets from captured Ukrainian cities for economic and military benefit.

lovely dry comment about the increasing control of what people are allowed to say "The Kremlin’s collective skin appears to be thinning as the war protracts at a rate that can be measured by the number of phrases and words Russians are forbidden to say."

Ukraine Invasion: Part 37
ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 14/02/2023 08:56

Kyiv Independent Telegram

⚡️ Survey: 89% of Ukrainians ready (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/survey-89-of-ukrainians-ready-to-continue-fighting-even-in-the-event-of-a-tactical-nuclear-strike) to keep fighting even if Russia uses tactical nukes.

⚡️ 2023 Munich Security Index: Ukraine’s global perception as an ally increased (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/munich-security-index-ukraines-global-perception-as-an-ally-increased-in-2022) by 22%.
The relationship between the U.K. and Ukraine rose from 13% to a staggering 64%, according to the 2023 Munch Security Index.

Ukrtelecom creates (api.kyivindependent.com/admin/resources/articles/49910/edit?viaResource&viaResourceId&viaRelationship) free Wi-Fi zones in the cities of Kyiv, Dnipro, Lviv, Odesa, and Kharkiv.

⚡️ Reznikov announces (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/oleksiy-reznikov-announces-upcoming-personnel-changes-within-ministry-of-defense) upcoming Defense Ministry personnel changes.

⚡️ Presidential decree allows (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/presidential-decree-allows-military-officials-to-become-first-deputy-minister-of-defense) military officials to become Defense Ministry's first deputy minister.
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on Feb. 13 allowing military personnel with the rank of lieutenant general or vice admiral to be appointed as the Defense Ministry's first deputy minister.

⚡️Infrastructure Ministry: Russia delays (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/infrastructure-ministry-the-rate-of-ships-arriving-in-odesa-ports-has-decreased-due-to-russian-sabotage) arrival of ships to Odesa ports.
Ukraine's Ministry of Infrastructure reported on Feb. 13 that in the last week 25 ships exported 1.1 million tons of agricultural products to countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. The Ministry accuses Russia of sabotage at its inspection zone in the Bosphorus, noting that as of Feb. 12, 145 ships have been waiting in line for inspection by the Joint Coordination Center, of which 122 are headed to Ukrainian ports for agricultural products.

⚡️Politico: US says it won’t send (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/politico-us-says-it-wont-send-ukraine-long-range-missiles-as-it-has-too-few) Ukraine long-range missiles as it has too few.

⚡️General Staff: Russian promises (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/general-staff-russian-promises-daily-cash-allowance-to-motivate-soldiers) daily cash allowance to motivate soldiers.

⚡️Ukrainians file (kyivindependent.com/news-feed/ukrainians-submit-over-325-000-reports-of-destroyed-or-damaged-housing) over 325,000 reports of destroyed, damaged housing.

In Kherson Oblast alone, thousands of Ukrainians were put through Russian torture chambers, according to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.

I'd say numbers rising nicely again over the 700, but it's a grim situation when you have to cheer 740 deaths. 2 planes down.

Ukraine Invasion: Part 37
ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 14/02/2023 09:06

UNITED24 Media Telegram

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, arrived in Minsk for talks with his Belarusian counterpart Sergej Aleynik, where he will present a peaceful position in connection with the ongoing war in Ukraine

Putin increasingly uses an armored train for long-distance trips to his residences, which he switched to in the fall of 2021, when the Russian army began preparing for the invasion of Ukraine. It is reported that the Russian dictator may have preferred an armored train for security reasons. Unlike airplanes, tracking a train is more difficult because there are no real-time passenger train tracking services.

The French Foreign Ministry called on its citizens to refrain from traveling to Belarus, citing "Russia's new offensive against Ukraine"

Berlusconi once again tried to justify Russian aggression against Ukraine by placing the responsibility on the victim. The way to peace, according to his version, lies through the capitulation of Ukraine.

Since the launch of the grain initiative, more than 21 million tons of agricultural products have been exported from the ports of Ukraine, – UN data
Of the total volume, corn accounts for 47%, wheat – 29%, sunflower oil and meal – 5% each, and other cargoes – 14%.
Most cargoes from Ukraine was delivered to China (4.2 million tons), Spain (3.8 million), Turkey (2.4 million), the Netherlands (1.2 million), and Egypt (724.7 thousand tons).

India has frozen negotiations on the purchase of Ka-226T helicopters from the Russian Federation
An agreement on the supply of multi-role helicopters was signed back in 2015, but the $1 billion contract was never signed.

Poland is disappointed with the 10th package of EU sanctions against Russia, — RMF
Poland's ambassador to the EU, Andrzej Sadoś, told reporters that the new package does not include:
▫️sanctions against Rosatom, which Warsaw and Kyiv insisted on;
▫️sanctions against persons involved in the adoption of deported Ukrainian children;
▫️exclusion of "Gazprom" from the UER system, which provides for the trading of emission certificates for hydrocarbon production;
▫️ban on the import of Russian diamonds, despite the active position of Belgium in this matter.

The head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, opposes any "red lines" in the provision of military aid to Ukraine

Every single day, brave Ukrainian combat medics risk their lives to save others. Even though they are protected by the Geneva Conventions, Russians specifically seek them out and target them.

🐟 The Russians additionally opened the sluice gates near the engine room of the Kakhovska HPP. Because of this, in some places, local residents do not have water in wells, – the mayor of Kakhovka, Volodymyr Kovalenko

NATO has publicly spoken about the problem of ammunition shortages due to the war in Ukraine
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that ammunition stocks of Ukraine's allies are running out faster than they can be produced.

Norwegian intelligence reported about Russian ships of the Northern Fleet with nuclear weapons, which for the first time since the time of the USSR went to sea.

The United States may send its warplanes to Ukraine or authorize the re-export of F-16 fighter jets that are in service in other countries, the Financial Times reported, citing several officials in Washington.

The North Atlantic alliance is creating a coordination office to improve the protection of critical infrastructure, including gas pipelines and submarine cables, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
Following the incidents at the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, this initiative aims to strengthen cooperation with industry representatives and identify potentially vulnerable areas.

❗️The United States believes that the critical moment in the war between Ukraine and Russia will come in the spring of 2023

Today, February 14, the ninth meeting in the Ramstein format will take place. This time, members of the Coalition for the Defense of Ukraine will gather at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Cant link it properly, but there's also a lovely clever little video by a professional musician using as instruments an RPG, machine gun and Javelin
t.me/United24media/4761

notimagain · 14/02/2023 09:18

Unlike airplanes, tracking a train is more difficult because there are no real-time passenger train tracking services.

Maybe... another reason might be that a train (I guess) is potentially more physically secure/can be made more secure than an aircraft.

As far as tracking goes there are ways of making aircraft invisible to the tracking services, it can actually be done pretty much with the flick of one switch.

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 14/02/2023 09:31

Live: Ukraine Telegram

❗️ Russians are increasing the presence of missile carriers in the Black Sea. A frigate has been added to the two submarines. Their total volley is 16 Kalibr missiles.
The enemy has stepped up its reconnaissance. The "South" Command urges not to ignore the alarms.

In Russia, the former deputy head of the Interior Ministry's department for combating extremism, Major General Vladimir Makarov, was found dead in the village of Golikovo near Moscow.
His death was confirmed by Russian state media. Previously, he allegedly shot himself because of depression. On January 27 this year, Putin dismissed him from his post.

⚡️The Foreign Ministries of France and Canada called on their citizens to leave Belarus as soon as possible.

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 14/02/2023 09:33

Zelenskyy:

I had a phone call with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. I thanked for the new defense package that will strengthen us on land, in the sky and at sea. I am also grateful for the substantial 5-year aid package that is being prepared for approval in Norway.

I had my first phone call with the President-elect of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and congratulated him on winning the election. I thanked Cyprus for the continued support of Ukraine and for humanitarian aid within the UN.

We have reached an important mutual understanding with the UK on long-range weapons and the need to speed up the delivery of tanks. We have a good agreement on artillery and ammunition. We have a full understanding of each other's positions on modern fighter jets.

I would also like to emphasize the negotiations with Poland. We discussed tanks and other weapons for defense on the ground; aircraft and other means of defense in the sky. As always, we have full understanding with our Polish brothers.