The most difficult area on the front for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in recent weeks has been the section northwest of Avdiivka, a suburb of Donetsk captured by the Russians in February. The Russian army is currently advancing on Pokrovsk and storming Toretsk. However,
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in reality, the Russians are simply advancing on all sections of the front and advancing where they can push through the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defenses, military experts explain. After taking Avdiivka, the Russian army continued to slowly advance west and northwest,
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capturing several villages. An important event was the capture of the village of Ocheretyne, where Ukrainian positions were left unprotected when units were replaced. The front did not collapse, but in three months the Russians have expanded their bridgehead, occupying
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several villages around it. Further south, the Russians' successes are not as noticeable, but there is also progress. The Ukrainian General Staff notes that the Russians have concentrated significant forces in the Pokrovsk direction. According to a fighter of the Aidar
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In addition, in June, Russian troops began an assault on Toretsk, located to the east of Ocheretyne, and advanced several kilometers. Here, the relative success of the Russians is due to the fact that the Ukrainian units were primarily afraid of attacks from the flanks -
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from the north and south of the city, writes Ukrainian military analyst Konstantin Mashovets. However, the Russians did not achieve success on the flanks and began to storm Toretsk head-on - from the east, which came as a surprise to the Ukrainian commanders. Judging by
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the reports of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian troops are attacking near Toretsk no less intensively than in the Pokrovsk direction. Further advance in the area of the Ocheretyne breakthrough, as has already been said, will allow cutting off
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the supply line of the Ukrainian troops. And the capture of Toretsk will complicate the situation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Konstantinovka and Chasiv Yar. Russia is exerting pressure in several directions, probably to introduce strategic reserves where the transition
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of tactical successes into operational ones is expected. However, the Russian army used large reserves for the Kharkiv front, and they are exhausted, apparently. The lack of large reserves is also indicated by the fact that most new contract soldiers are at the front
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in record time. The successes of the Russian army in the last few months have become possible for three main reasons: the Russians have more artillery shells, they use powerful glide aerial bombs with the range extension kit UMPK in large quantities, commanders are ready
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to send fighters to assault, regardless of large losses. However, the Russians' superiority in the amount of ammunition and manpower is gradually fading. According to Michael Kofman, in the Kharkiv region, the opponents are conducting artillery fire with the same intensity,
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in other parts of the front the advantage of the Russians in shells does not exceed the ratio of 5:1 and is decreasing. Retired US Navy Colonel Mark Kansian already sees signs of stabilization of the front. John Kennedy from RAND believes that the main task of the Ukrainian
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Armed Forces is to prevent significant breakthroughs by the enemy until the fall. By that time, the Ukrainian units will be replenished with trained recruits, and the weather conditions will make it difficult for the Russian army to attack. The bombing of Ukrainian
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positions with aerial bombs remains an unresolved problem. Ukraine lacks modern air defense systems to counter Russian aircraft. However, the main thing is that Ukraine really surpasses Russia in terms of using drones and related technologies. Russia also has mass
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production and produces a huge number of drones, but Ukraine has relied on these technologies and this helps the Ukrainian soldiers level the situation at the front, having many times fewer resources. However, it must be understood that in a war of attrition, which this
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conflict has taken, taking one or two new settlements, especially after they are completely destroyed by FABs, does not affect the outcome of the conflict. The resources spent on this do. And Ukraine understands well the goal of many Russian attacks - to capture a city so
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that there is something to report to the authorities. Ukraine is trying to destroy Russia's logistics and resources. Often allowing the Russians to enter the city, but then cutting them off from drone supplies. Another big news story of the past week was the abandonment
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of Krynki. Experts argue about the feasibility of the entire operation and losses, but the Russians lost a huge amount of equipment and soldiers near Krynky. They were also forced to send more resources to the Kherson direction, unable to transfer them to the north.
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The Central Bank of Russia is suspending the publication of statistics on the over-the-counter currency market. This follows from a message on the regulator's website. The Central Bank explains that the decision was made to limit the impact of sanctions. This means that
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the ruble has absolutely no clear exchange rate. Now the Central Bank sets this rate at its own discretion. But the main expectation is July 26, when the Central Bank will announce an increase in the key rate. Experts predict growth from 16% to 18% but there may be surprises
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Ruble exchange rate statistics are not the only information prohibited from publication. The closed nature of gasoline production statistics in Russia also leads to problems. "The first problem is that we actually do not know exactly how much is produced, consumed, and so on
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1/7 Nowhere left to hide: regardless of the outcome of the November elections, France, Germany, and the UK will need to significantly increase their efforts. Take by @joni_askola
2/7 Regardless of the election outcome in November, the US will, to some extent, reduce its involvement in Ukraine and Europe to concentrate more on Asia, and perhaps the Middle East.
3/7 Until now, Europe has been able to hide behind US aid to save Ukraine. Europe has stepped up but clearly not enough. These times are over.
An elastic band from underwear helped refute Russian propaganda. A video was posted online showing a Russian soldier who, after being hit by an FPV drone, asked his comrade to stop the torture quickly, and his comrade prescribed him a lead painkiller in the head. Russian 1/9
propagandists claimed that the video showed Ukrainian soldiers and called the footage a sign of "fascism." However, the original video, which was studied by the editorial staff of Current Time, shows that the soldiers filming were Russian, not Ukrainian. The investigation 2/9
was conducted by the Sistema project. Numerous facts indicate that the soldiers filmed in the video are Russian. There are no chevrons or other signs indicating a specific unit on the uniform of the wounded soldier, but when he bends over in pain, a strip of underwear can be 3/9
Today marks 10 years since the tragedy when a Buk missile delivered from Russia shot down civilian flight MH-17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur over occupied Ukrainian territory. All 298 people on board died – 283 passengers and 15 crew members. However, this is not the first
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time the Russians have shot down a civilian aircraft. Recently, the wreckage of a Junkers Ju-52 named Kaleva of the Finnish airline Aero O/Y was found on the bottom of the Gulf of Finland. Flying from Tallinn to Helsinki, it was shot down on June 14, 1940 by Soviet military
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aircraft. There were 2 pilots and 7 passengers on board. Estonia had just been occupied by the Soviet Union but still maintained communications with other countries; the USSR sought to isolate the country from the outside world. But the USSR shot down not only foreign planes
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1/5 Germany plans to reduce its assistance to Ukraine in 2025, but this is unlikely to occur due to numerous reasons. Update and take by @joni_askola
2/5 As the United States gradually disengages from Ukraine and Europe, Europe must recognize the need to step up its aid.
3/5 The idea of giving less than before is not at all realistic. Germany plans to provide at least as much next year as it did this year, and countries such as France and the UK will need to significantly increase their aid, which has been unacceptably low.
1/6 It's been nearly ten years since russia shot down MH17, and they still haven't been held accountable for it. Update by @joni_askola
2/6 On July 17th, we will remember the 298 innocent individuals, including 80 children, representing 17 nationalities, who tragically lost their lives when russia shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 a decade ago.
3/6 The BUK surface-to-air missile system responsible for the downing of Flight MH17 unquestionably belonged to the armed forces of the russian federation. No russian disinformation campaign can divert attention from these fundamental facts, as confirmed by a court of law.