Pray for brothers and sisters in Ukraine

[JasperWalls11]

On 5/23/2023 at 10:48 AM, Justin Adams said:

[Britain has been training pilots for at least a year]

The Pentagon is convinced that the transfer of F-16 fighters to Ukraine can last several months, and this is at best. It was stated by U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, CNN reports.

It would take “several months at best” before Ukraine could exploit the F-16, he said. And it is also necessary to work out a number of details before the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine can use Western aircraft in large numbers.

“We are not under any circumstances going to get F-16s or another Western fighter in significant numbers into the hands of the Ukrainian Air Force in something less than at least several months,” Kendall said.

At the same time, the U.S. the Air Force Secretary, in communication with journalists from the Defense Writers Group, drew attention to the fact that this is still a relatively short time, since it usually takes more than 2 years to train a new American pilot to work with such an aircraft. Even a refresher course for an F-16 pilot who hasn't flown in a while can last up to 5 months.

It is worth noting that in public, the United States has argued for months that fighter jets are not at the top of the priority list, will quickly deplete the available funding to help Ukraine instead of more important weapons, such as Abrams tanks and Patriot missiles.

“Kendall described what appeared to be a sudden about-face for the Biden administration as a decision that it was the right time to begin preparing Ukraine’s military for the future,” CNN reports.

“Ukraine is going to remain an independent nation. It’s going to need a full suite of military capabilities for its requirements, and so it’s time to start thinking longer term about what that military might look like and what it will include,” Kendall said.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on May 18, the American publication Yahoo News, citing internal assessment materials from the U.S. Air Force, reported that it would take only four months to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighters.

Britain will begin training Ukrainian pilots in the summer and is working to provide F-16 fighters for Ukraine.

 

 

I am doubtful that they can train the Ukrainians sufficiently in a matter of months.  American pilots train constantly for various scenarios.  It takes a long time to master those planes and they will be going up against Russian pilots who have years of training under their belts.  I have a feeling that the Ukranian pilots will fall like flies. 

[Justin Adams]

Russian occupation forces are now suffering their heaviest losses since the peak of the battle for Bakhmut in March. This is stated in the intelligence review of the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain on Twitter.

Thus, according to the department, fierce fighting has been going on for the last few days - the most intense are concentrated in the Zaporizhzhia Region, in the west of the Donetsk Region and around Bakhmut.

It is indicated that Ukraine continues to conduct offensive operations in all the indicated directions and has achieved small successes.

The review added that, meanwhile, enemy forces in the south often conduct relatively effective defensive operations.

"Both sides are suffering heavy losses, with Russian casualties likely to be the heaviest since the peak of the battle for Bakhmut in March," the UK Defense Ministry said.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, today, June 18, Vladimir Rogov, a collaborator and so-called "governor" of the occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia Region, said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine took control of the settlement of Pyatykhatky.

Meanwhile, in a report by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), it was noted that the Armed Forces of Ukraine continued counteroffensive actions on at least four areas of the front on Saturday, June 17.

[Justin Adams]

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) has made progress both on the northern and southern flanks of the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Region.

This is stated in a new intelligence review of the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain.

Thus, it is indicated that as part of a broader counteroffensive, Ukraine received a boost in its assaults around Bakhmut in the Donetsk Region. In particular, in operation, with the participation of several brigades, Ukrainian troops made progress both on the northern and southern flanks of the city.

"There has been little evidence that Russia maintains any significant ground forces operational level reserves which could be used to reinforce against the multiple threats it is now facing in widely separated sectors, from Bakhmut to the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, over 200km away," British intelligence said.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, according to the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Maliar, at the end of last week, the AFU in the east began counteroffensive actions in the areas of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bakhmut, Bohdanivka, Yahidne, Klishchiyivka, and Kurdiumivka, on each of the axes of advancement from 1 to 2 km.

Also, according to her, since the beginning of the counteroffensive, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have liberated 130 square kilometers from the occupiers in southern Ukraine.

[Vine Abider]

Many reports now about the damage the Wagner group and it's leader have done to Putin and his crooked cause.  This will likely help the Ukrainian counteroffensive and may even bring about an end to the war!

But then there's there's another headline that sums up a concern: Could it go from Vlad to worse in Russia?

[Justin Adams]

The most direct route from the Crimean logistics hub in Dzhankoi to the Zaporizhzhia sector, where Russia is currently defending itself against a major Ukrainian offensive, runs through the bridges in Chonhar.

The British Ministry of Defense reported this on Twitter.

As noted in the British intelligence report, on the morning of June 22, 2023, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) hit the road bridges in Chonhar between the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula and the Kherson Region. These bridges are one of the two main roads between Crimea and Kherson.

According to British intelligence, the temporary route closure meant that vital Russian logistics convoys took at least 50% longer to reach the front via alternative routes.

At the same time, the Russian authorities built a replacement in the form of a pontoon bridge within 24 hours of the strike. The crossing is likely used only for the movement of the military.

"The speed with which the spare crossing was built shows how vital this route is for Russia's military operations in the occupied territory of Ukraine," the British Ministry of Defense notes.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, Volodymyr Saldo, a collaborator and so-called head of the occupation administration of the Kherson Region, stated that on the night of June 22, the Chonhar bridge on the border of Crimea and the Kherson Region was hit.

On June 22, the representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine, Andrii Yusov, commented on the destruction of the Chonhar Bridge on the border of Crimea and the Kherson Region.

[Justin Adams]

A group of servicemen of the Russian occupation army in the Zaporizhzhia Region refused to take part in the hostilities and arbitrarily left their positions.

It was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the command, those were about 50 servicemen of the Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy. Their positions are located in the area of the village of Dorozhnianka, Zaporizhzhia Region.

"They refused to take part in the fighting. The Russian refuseniks disabled weapons available in unit," the report said.

The General Staff noted that against the background of successful actions of the Defense Forces of Ukraine and heavy losses among the occupiers, the number of cases of desertion and unauthorized abandonment of positions is increasing.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in mid-June it became known that a group of soldiers from the Storm Z PMC deserted in the temporarily occupied part of the Luhansk Region. Before that, they robbed a nearby unit.

And in early June, about 40 invaders deserted in the Luhansk Region. To find them, the Russians were forced to raise helicopters into the air.

[Justin Adams]

Whoa, this is ominous...

As of the morning of July 2, nine enemy ships were on combat duty in the Black Sea, including 4 carriers of Kalibr cruise missiles. Total volley made up to 24 missiles. This is stated in the message of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Besides, 1 enemy ship is located in the Sea of Azov. And in the Mediterranean, there are up to 8 enemy ships, including 1 carrier of Kalibr cruise missiles, a total volley of up to 16 missiles.

In a day, in the interests of the aggressor country of the Russian Federation, the following passed along the Kerch-Yenikal Strait:

• to the Sea of Azov - 25 ships, of which 5 moved from the Bosphorus Strait;
• to the Black Sea - 17 ships, of which 5 moved in the direction of the Bosphorus Strait.

Russia continues to violate the 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), turning off automatic identification systems (AIS) on civilian vessels in the waters of the Sea of Azov, the statement added.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Russian occupation army during the past day conducted offensive actions on four front lines in the Luhansk and Donetsk Regions. There were 46 combat clashes between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and the enemy.

[Justin Adams]

The Russian occupiers have taken 700,000 children from Ukraine and the territory of the Russian Federation in recent years.

This was announced by Russian official Grigory Karasin on his Telegram.

"In recent years, 700,000 children have found refuge with us, escaping from bombings and shelling from the conflict zone in Ukraine," Karasin wrote.

Since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, Russia has been deporting Ukrainian children en masse from the occupied territories. They are taken to Crimea, the Russian Federation, or Belarus, supposedly for "rehabilitation" or to rest in camps.

According to the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, 19,393 children were illegally taken to Russia.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the Defense Intelligence believes that Ukraine's children have become a military trophy for the occupying forces of Russia. Kidnapping and deportation of minor citizens of Ukraine are on the list of grave crimes committed by the aggressor state.

On March 7, 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin over the deportation of children from the occupied parts of Ukraine.

[Justin Adams]

More than a thousand components produced by foreign companies were found in the weapons and equipment of the Russian occupation army. Most of the components were produced by companies from the USA.

This is stated in a document published by the Yermak-McFaul sanctions group.

An analysis of captured and destroyed Russian military equipment showed that they contained 1,057 components that were produced by 155 companies.

Most of the components in Russian weapons were produced by American companies AMD, Analog Devices, Texas Instruments, Microchip Technology, Intel Corporation, German Infineon Technologies and Korean Samsung.

Foreign components reach Russia through companies from China. Some suppliers from Turkey, Vietnam, South Korea and the countries of the European Union help the Russians to circumvent the sanctions.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in February 2023, analysts of the American Institute for the Study of War stated that Russia was able to purchase components for the production of attack drones in the United States.

And in November 2022, the American publication The New York Times published an article in which it was reported that Russia had begun stockpiling components long before the start of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

[Justin Adams]

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) recognized the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism, and Wagner PMC as a terrorist organization.

This was reported by Yevheniya Kravchuk, a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the OSCE PA, deputy head of the Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada, on her Facebook page.

"The OSCE PA recognized the Russian Federation as a state-sponsor of terrorism, and Wagner PMC as a terrorist organization!" she informed.

Thus, according to Kravchuk, a final declaration was adopted at the session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Vancouver, which, in particular, states that:

• terrorism is one of the biggest threats to international peace and security;
• the actions of the Wagner Group on behalf of the Russian government can be rightly characterized as terrorist (emphasizing that the president of the Russian Federation personally admitted that the Wagner Group was "fully financed" by the state);
• OSCE member states should take measures against the Wagner Group and its affiliated and successor structures, including by declaring them a terrorist organization;
• calling on member states to strengthen international norms that clearly recognize the terrorist nature of the Wagner Group and its actions; the responsibility of the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of this terrorist organization; the inadmissibility of involving such subjects in interstate relations.

In addition, Kravchuk emphasized that for the first time such wording has been fixed in an official document of an international organization.

"By the way, the legislation of the USA, which is also a member of the OSCE, knows the similar term "state sponsor of terrorism". I hope that this decision will become a catalyst for the recognition of the aggressor state as a sponsor of terrorism not only in the USA, but also throughout the world. After all, terrorism should not be left out of attention and fair punishment," she added.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on June 10, it was reported that the U.S. Congress submitted a bill to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. The document was submitted by Congressman from the Democratic Party Ted Lieu, the initiative was supported by representatives of both U.S. parties.

In May, the adviser to the head of the President's Office, Mykhailo Podoliak, said that the aggressor country, Russia, should be recognized as a state sponsor of terrorism in order to limit its trade and influence in the world.