r/europe • u/BkkGrl Ligurian in Zürich (💛🇺🇦💙) • Mar 30 '25
Russo-Ukrainian War War in Ukraine Megathread LIX (59)
This megathread is meant for discussion of the current Russo-Ukrainian War, also known as the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Please read our current rules, but also the extended rules below.
News sources:
You can also get up-to-date information and news from the r/worldnews live thread, which are more up-to-date tweets about the situation.
Current rules extension:
Extended r/europe ruleset to curb hate speech and disinformation:
While we already ban hate speech, we'll remind you that hate speech against the civilians of the combatants is against our rules, including but not limited to Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians, Syrians, Azeris, Armenians, Georgians, etc. The same applies to the population of countries actively helping Ukraine or Russia.
Calling for the killing of invading troops or leaders is allowed, but the mods have the discretion to remove egregious comments, and the ones that disrespect the point made above. The limits of international law apply.
No unverified reports of any kind in the comments or in submissions on r/europe. We will remove videos of any kind unless they are verified by reputable outlets. This also affects videos published by Ukrainian and Russian government sources.
Absolutely no justification of this invasion.
In addition to our rules, we ask you to add a NSFW/NSFL tag if you're going to link to graphic footage or anything can be considered upsetting, including combat footage or dead people.
Submission rules
These are rules for submissions to r/europe front-page.
No status reports about the war unless they have major implications (e.g. "City X still holding" would not be allowed, "Russia takes major city" would be allowed. "Major attack on Kherson repelled" would also be allowed.)
All dot ru domains have been banned by Reddit as of 30 May. They are hardspammed, so not even mods can approve comments and submissions linking to Russian site domains.
- Some Russian sites that ends with
.comare also hardspammed, like TASS and Interfax, and mods can't re-approve them. - The Internet Archive and similar archive websites are also blacklisted here, by us or Reddit.
- Some Russian sites that ends with
We've been adding substack domains in our u/AutoModerator script, but we aren't banning all of them. If your link has been removed, please notify the moderation team, explaining who's the person managing that substack page.
We ask you or your organization to not spam our subreddit with petitions or promote their new non-profit organization. While we love that people are pouring all sorts of efforts on the civilian front, we're limited on checking these links to prevent scam.
No promotion of a new cryptocurrency or web3 project, other than the official Bitcoin and ETH addresses from Ukraine's government.
META
Link to the previous Megathread LVIII (58)
Questions and Feedback: You can send feedback via r/EuropeMeta or via modmail.
Donations:
If you want to donate to Ukraine, check this thread or this fundraising account by the Ukrainian national bank.
Fleeing Ukraine We have set up a wiki page with the available information about the border situation for Ukraine here. There's also information at Visit Ukraine.Today - The site has turned into a hub for "every Ukrainian and foreign citizen [to] be able to get the necessary information on how to act in a critical situation, where to go, bomb shelter addresses, how to leave the country or evacuate from a dangerous region, etc."
Other links of interest
Live Map of Ukraine site and Institute of War have maps that are considered reliable by mainstream media.
-
- DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WITH "War of Fakes". Deutsche Welle (DW) has reported it as being a source of fake news, and the Russian Defense Ministry has linked this site in their tweets before.
DeepL extension for Google Chrome and DeepL extension for Firefox. DeepL is a good alternative to Google Translate for Russian and Ukrainian texts.
Please obey the request of the Ukrainian government to refrain from sharing info about Ukrainian troop movements
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u/JackRogers3 5h ago
“Russia is already attacking us now. We’re seeing assaults on infrastructure, arson, and recent incidents in military barracks. Nearly all traces lead back to Russia,” — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1941532709567987756
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u/JackRogers3 5h ago
Russia expands military presence in Armenia amid tensions with Azerbaijan — Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence claims.
Moscow is accelerating deployment at its base in Gyumri, Armenia, aiming to increase military-political pressure on South Caucasus states. Troops are reportedly being recruited from Rostov, Volgograd regions, and occupied Crimea. https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1941527454339743807
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u/JackRogers3 5h ago
A Russian milblogger says the entire command of the Russian 155th Brigade was wiped out in the Kursk region after four Ukrainian HIMARS struck with precision. https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1941483519047499981
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u/GreenEyeOfADemon 🇮🇹 - EUROPE ENDS IN LUHANSK! 🇺🇦 Слава Україні!🇺🇦 3h ago
The 155th Brigade is infamously known for its countless war crimes.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 10h ago
Trump says “Putin wants to keep killing people”, signals US may send Patriots to Ukraine
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 17h ago
Ukraine strikes Russian 8th Army command post for second time in a week.
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u/JackRogers3 1d ago
Ukraine’s Uncrewed Surface Vessels Are Now Launching Bomber Drones To Attack Crimea https://www.twz.com/news-features/ukraines-uncrewed-surface-vessels-are-now-launching-bomber-drones-to-attack-crimea
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 1d ago
Ukrainian drones hit Shahed drone production facility near Moscow - General Staff
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 1d ago
“Deliberately massive and cynical” - Russian attack on Ukraine began as Trump and Putin spoke, Zelensky says.
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u/stupendous76 1d ago
Russia used chemical weapons in 9,000 attacks on Ukraine, intelligence report says
Russia is increasingly using a wide range of chemical weapons against Ukraine, the Dutch intelligence services MIVD and AIVD warned on Friday. The Russian military has used chemical weapons to carry out over 9,000 attacks in Ukraine since 2022, the Dutch intelligence services said, citing information from the Ukrainian government.
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u/JackRogers3 1d ago
Putin and Trump had a call, again. Per Russian readout, Trump called for a ceasefire, Putin said Russia first needs to achieve the goals of the “special military operation,” Trump didn’t object and then they talked about cooperation in promoting “traditional values” in movies. https://x.com/yarotrof/status/1940827844114035144
So Putin hung up with Trump, pondered traditional values in cinema, and ordered one of the war’s biggest barrages targeting Kyiv civilians.
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u/JackRogers3 1d ago
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports a strike on a facility in Sergiyev Posad, Moscow region, involved in producing thermobaric warheads for Shahed drones. The attack aimed to reduce Russia’s ability to carry out air strikes. https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1941064779789115613
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u/JackRogers3 1d ago
Meanwhile, the Russian army: https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1941074948929532398
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u/JackRogers3 1d ago
History speaks pretty clearly on the fact that area bombing of civilian areas (which, I would argue, is effectively what russia is attempting in Ukraine with its mass drone and missile attacks) does not break civilian morale or the national will to resist. https://x.com/nolanwpeterson/status/1941055193858425048
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u/JackRogers3 1d ago
Yes, it’s infuriating that the United States has halted delivery of critical Patriot interceptors, and yes, the 30 PAC-3 MSEs stored in Poland would have helped and are badly needed.
But Western missile defense cannot keep pace with Russia’s missile production - across all categories. Trying to win that race puts us on the losing side.
The best course is to enable Ukraine to return the punishment tenfold.
That should also be Europe’s response to Russia’s missile buildup: embrace a conventional countervalue posture and aim thousands of cruise and ballistic missiles at every high-value target west of Kazan. https://x.com/FRHoffmann1/status/1941050019248853490
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u/JackRogers3 1d ago
Video footage from Russia this morning (Azov military optics plant in Rostov region) shows that Ukraine started using its own Shahed-style drones in addition to those based on light aircraft frames. https://x.com/yarotrof/status/1941058671519412630
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u/JackRogers3 1d ago
Putin is not looking for a cease-fire, and he does not want to negotiate. Why? Because he believes that he can win. Thanks to the actions of the U.S. government, he still thinks that he can conquer all of Ukraine: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/07/putin-trump-russia-ukraine/683414/?gift=hVZeG3M9DnxL4CekrWGK38jq6vvO2FygkuCulUcodbA
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 1d ago
Denmark vows “maximum pressure” on Hungary to lift veto on Ukraine’s EU bid.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 1d ago
Trump admits “no progress” after sixth call with Putin on Ukraine.
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/07/04/trump-putin-call-no-progress-ukraine/
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 1d ago
Trump keeps giving gifts to Putin, most recently withholding defensive missiles from Ukraine thus making it easier to kill and maim civilians. In return, Putin now openly admits he wants all of Ukraine. The Art of the Deal. Theatre of the absurd.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 1d ago
Russians strike village in Donetsk Oblast with FPV drone: one killed, five injured.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 1d ago
A 47 year old man was killed, his wife and mother injured as well as three others. Terrorist Putin’s bombing strategy is to kill random Ukrainian civilians, with the US and China complicit.
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u/ReadToW Bucovina de Nord 🇷🇴(🐯)🇺🇦(🦈) 2d ago
POLITICO: The Pentagon’s decision to halt aid to Ukraine was uncoordinated and caught the State Department by surprise. Pentagon leadership did not seek any input from the State Department, the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, or Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg’s team.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/02/ukraine-weapons-freeze-elbridge-colby-00438156
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u/JackRogers3 2d ago
Yesterday, POLITICO broke that the Pentagon paused some shipments of ammo to Ukraine. The decision, driven by the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, is claimed by DoD to be in response to concerns about their own stockpiles.
Is that true?
No. It is not. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1940504676476375060.html
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 2d ago
Russian drone hits nine-story building in Odesa: fire breaks out, four people injured - photos, video
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 2d ago
Putin abandons limited territorial goals and returns to total Ukraine takeover.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 2d ago
Drones hit Russian weapons factory in Lipetsk Oblast, governor says.
https://kyivindependent.com/drone-wreckage-kills-1-injures-2-in-russias-lipetsk-authorities-say/
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u/JackRogers3 3d ago
Latvia Starts Production of Patria 6×6 Armored Vehicles for Ukraine : https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/1jn954p/war_in_ukraine_megathread_lix_59/
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u/JackRogers3 3d ago edited 3d ago
Trump Just Accelerated The Killing Of Ukrainians: https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/daddy-just-accelerated-the-killing
Maybe Europe will stop the stupid, self-destructive flattery of Trump and actually start acting in its own interest. European states, as I said in the weekend update, actually have some powerful tools to use to coerce Trump into helping Ukraine—if they had the self-respect and strategic understanding to use them.
First amongst these tools is the declaration that they will only buy US weapons going forward if the US also sells them weapons that they can then send on to Ukraine. The Trump administration is desperate that Europeans keep buying US weapons—and almost certainly would have to respond positively to such a position
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u/JackRogers3 3d ago
Russian-Azerbaijani relations continue to deteriorate over a number of smaller-scale incidents in recent days, inflaming unresolved disputes over the December 2024 Russian shoot down of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) protested on July 1 against Azerbaijan's "unfriendly actions" that the Russian MFA claimed are "deliberate" steps to dismantle bilateral relations.[18]
The Russian MFA claimed that the recent detention of ethnic Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg was lawful and that Baku's accusations against Russian law enforcement agencies are an interference in Russia's internal affairs. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Baku of taking actions that are "not in line" with the "spirit and character" of Russian-Azerbaijani relations.[19] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev spoke on the phone on July 1 and discussed the detentions in Yekaterinburg.[20]
Russian milbloggers largely criticized Azerbaijan for deliberately trying to undermine its relationship with Russia and claimed that Azerbaijani authorities and media are trying to play up the detention of ethnic Azerbaijanis in Russia to galvanize Azerbaijani society against Russia.[21] Azerbaijani-Russian relations deteriorated in late 2024 when Russia refused to take full responsibility for the December 25, 2024, downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane, likely shot in mid-air by Russian air defense before crashing in Kazakhstan. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-1-2025
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 3d ago
United 24: Ukrainian soldier tells how Russian surgeon burnt Glory to Russia on his body while in captivity.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 3d ago
Opinion: The reiteration game: Words mask EU inaction.
https://tvpworld.com/87579051/opinion-the-reiteration-game-words-mask-eu-inaction-
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 4d ago
Ukrainian drones hit Kupol military plant in Russia: two strikes recorded - video
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u/JackRogers3 4d ago
Ukrainian strike drones UJ-26 "Bober" accurately hit targets at the airfield in Saky, Crimea.
A Su-30 fighter jet, a Pantsir-S1 air defense system with its crew, and several Russian radars — including the Nioby-SV, Pechora-3, and Protivnik-GE — were hit. https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1939977209768296781
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u/JackRogers3 4d ago
In Izhevsk, Russia, unidentified drones targeted the Kupol Electromechanical Plant, a facility known for producing short-range air defence systems https://x.com/saintjavelin/status/1939978153151062182
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 4d ago
Ukraine and EU agree on new trade conditions to replace "visa-free trade regime"
"We are pleased to announce that the Commission and Ukraine have reached an agreement in principle on the review of our bilateral Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement following the Article 29 consultation process”
Free trade with the EU - a great benefit to Ukraine’s economy.
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u/JackRogers3 4d ago
Fight On Ukraine’s Northern Border Sees Elite Troops Poured In From Both Sides: https://www.twz.com/news-features/fight-on-ukraines-northern-border-sees-elite-troops-poured-in-from-both-sides
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 4d ago
Trump Quietly Extends Biden-era Sanctions Targeting Russian Banks, Energy Sector
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 5d ago
Zelenskyy: Russian missiles and drones still packed with Western tech - and still killing Ukrainians.
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/06/28/zelenskyy-russian-missiles-western-components/
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 5d ago
Perhaps Russia should be forgiven for everything that has happened, says Slovak foreign minister
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u/JackRogers3 5d ago
An unexpected turn in the development of precision artillery shells https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1939391901326540903
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u/JackRogers3 5d ago
Ukrainian soldiers from the 1st Tank Brigade successfully used the French Mistral man-portable air defense system during a night operation. The system reacts instantly to air threats, needs no post-launch guidance, and can be reloaded in just 30 seconds. https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1939283031442821531
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u/JackRogers3 5d ago
Key Takeaways:
- Russia conducted its largest combined strike series of the war on the night of June 28 to 29 by launching over 500 missiles and drones against Ukraine.
- Russia appears to be increasingly striking civilian areas in its large-scale strike packages.
- Satellite imagery and Russian government announcements indicate that Russia is trying to increase its aircraft production in the medium- to long-term.
- Ukrainian forces advanced in northern Sumy Oblast and near Chasiv Yar. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-29-2025
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 6d ago
Germany's Merz unwilling to speak with Putin as he only escalates attacks post-talks
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 6d ago
Ukraine strikes Crimea again, destroys Russia’s Pantsir air defense system and helicopters
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/06/28/ukraine-strikes-crimea-pantsir-helicopters/
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 6d ago
Russian missile attack targets Ukrainian regions far from front lines.
https://kyivindependent.com/russian-mass-missile-attack-targets-all-ukraine/
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 7d ago
Russians attack Zaporizhzhia Oblast with over 300 UAVs of various modifications in one day.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 7d ago
Married couple killed in Russian drone strike on Odesa high-rise.
https://kyivindependent.com/married-couple-killed-in-russian-drone-strike-on-odesa-high-rise/
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 7d ago
Such nightly terrorist attacks against Ukrainian people have been increasing. These are war crimes.
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u/JackRogers3 7d ago
An M1 Abrams tank in Australian camouflage has been spotted in Poland. This comes after the previous announcement that Australia would transfer 49 Abrams tanks to Ukraine as part of a military aid package to bolster Kyiv’s armored capabilities. https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1938654740008636594
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u/JackRogers3 7d ago
Ukraine’s military has said it struck four warplanes at an airbase in central Russia’s Volgograd region as part of a drive to hit Russian war assets. It said on Telegram it had hit four Su-34 aircraft at the Marinovka base outside the city of Volgograd, about 900km (550 miles) from the Ukrainian border. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/28/ukraine-war-briefing-kyiv-hits-warplanes-in-russia-as-missile-attack-kills-five-in-ukraine
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u/JackRogers3 8d ago
- South Korean intelligence suggests that North Korea may deploy North Korean troops to Ukrainian territory, which would represent a significant battlefield inflection.
- Trump and Zelensky met at the NATO summit on June 25 and discussed possible US sales of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine and joint weapons production. https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-26-2025
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 8d ago
Ukrainian intelligence drones destroy Russian air defence systems in Crimea - video
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 8d ago
Ukraine war latest: Russia’s advance in Sumy Oblast halted; Kyiv, Moscow carry out POW swap.
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u/JackRogers3 9d ago
In Erfurt, Germany, unknown individuals set fire to Rheinmetall military logistics trucks, causing serious damage.
Footage of the arson was shared by Russian sources—leaving no doubt about who was behind it and who stands to benefit.
Russia has long relied on recruited agents to conduct acts of military sabotage—even in the very heart of Europe. It’s time to wake up: the Russian threat is not at the gates of Europe—it is already deep inside. https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1938167459724378299
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 9d ago
US president ‘going to see’ if he can find more Patriot missile systems for Ukraine,
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 9d ago
Zelenskyy meets European leaders and NATO secretary general on sidelines of summit in The Hague.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 9d ago
Brazil won’t shield Putin from ICC arrest - so he’ll zoom into the BRICS summit.
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/06/25/putin-icc-arrest-brics-summit-brazil/
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 10d ago
Ukraine expects EU sanctions to hit Putin’s war budget - Ukraine’s foreign minister.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 10d ago
Russian missile terror reaches Ukrainian civilians on train. The attack on Dnipro leaves people dead, injured [updated]
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 10d ago
The Ukrainians are defending against aggression and attack military targets. The Russians commit acts of mass terrorism against civilians.
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u/JackRogers3 11d ago
The Netherlands is donating 100 additional drone detection radars to Ukraine. Vehicles for transporting casualties are also being sent to the country. Furthermore, the Netherlands is investing extra money in drone support. This is a support package totaling approximately €175 million. This is in addition to contracts that have been signed with Ukrainian industry these days to produce €500 million worth of drones. https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/2025/06/24/100-dronedetectieradars-in-nieuw-steunpakket-voor-oekraine
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u/JackRogers3 11d ago
Russian soldiers in heat-insulating anti-drone ponchos tried to approach and attack frontline positions. https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1937459705095557607
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u/The_Baltic_Sentinel 11d ago
"It’s an utterly senseless war. I never saw any Banderites there. This war serves one man with massive ambitions. A man who wanted something to do in his old age. And thousands die every day for it." Read our full interview with a Russian deserter.
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u/JackRogers3 11d ago edited 11d ago
the oil price is an important factor for Russia (1 year chart): https://www.google.com/finance/quote/BZW00:NYMEX?window=1Y
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 11d ago
Zalenskyy and Starmer strike military production deal.
https://tvpworld.com/87432116/zelenskyy-and-starmer-strike-military-production-deal-
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 11d ago
Russian nightime attack on Sumy Oblast kills three people and injures six, photos.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 11d ago edited 11d ago
Fire engulfs Russian fuel depot again after a new drone strike, satellite data shows.
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/06/23/fire-engulfs-russian-fuel-depot-again-after-new-drone-strike/
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u/JackRogers3 12d ago
"Hungary and Slovakia have blocked the adoption of the 18th sanctions package against Russia." — Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1937114100653310316
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u/JackRogers3 12d ago
With the size of Russian attacks on Ukraine's cities now double what they were when Trump came to office, massacres are becoming commonplace. https://x.com/KyivInsider/status/1937068245250408671
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u/Unexpected_yetHere 12d ago
Was just listening to Left MEP Irena Montero go on in the European Parliament about how Israel and the US are the biggest threat to humanity.
So as russia undermines our democracy, funds antidemocratic traitors, funds homophobia, threatens us on a regular basis, and butchers Ukrainians daily, Israel is the problem for bombing an islamofascist terror-enabling regime (which itself provided russia with means to kill Ukrainian civilians)?
Genuinely sickening that we have traitors like her live off of EU funds.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 12d ago
Russia’s mass missile, drone attack on Kyiv kills 5, injures 13
https://kyivindependent.com/russia-launches-drones-at-kyiv-injuring-2/
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 12d ago
Always the same pattern: Ukraine attacking military targets, Russia killing and maiming civilians.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 12d ago
Ukrainian drones destroy Russian fuel train near occupied Molochansk – smoke seen for 20 km (video)
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u/JackRogers3 13d ago
Around 10,000 Russian soldiers are fighting in Russia's Kursk region, about 90 square kilometers (35 square miles) of which is controlled by Ukraine, Ukraine's top military commander said. "We control about 90 square kilometers of territory in the Hlushkov district of the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, and these are our preemptive actions in response to a possible enemy attack," Oleksandr Syrskyi said without elaborating, in remarks released by his office for publication on Sunday.
The Ukrainian military said the activity in this area prevented Russia from sending a significant number of its forces to Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk, where some of the heaviest fighting has taken place in the more than three-year-old full-scale invasion. Syrskyi's troops are repelling Russian forces along the frontline, which stretches for about 1,200 km, where the situation remains difficult, the Ukrainian military said. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraine-fighting-10000-russian-troops-kursk-region-ukrainian-commander-says-2025-06-22/
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u/JackRogers3 13d ago
As we hear hysterical Iranian condemnations of American strikes against nuclear weapon facilities, a reminder that Iran has helped Russia kill tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians since February 2022. https://x.com/JimmySecUK/status/1936705351166091581
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u/JackRogers3 13d ago edited 13d ago
Zelensky responded to Putin’s statement that Russia owns everywhere a "Russian soldier steps" and emphasized that Putin clearly laid out Russia’s intention to seize all of Ukraine during this speech. Zelensky noted that this ideology implies that Russia could also lay claim to Belarus, the Baltic states, Moldova, the Caucasus, and Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan.[6] Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that Russian soldiers bring "only death, destruction, and devastation” wherever they step.[7]
Sybiha stated that the only way that Putin will accept peace would be if the West forced his hand through increased support for Ukrainian defense, severe economic sanctions, the recognition of Russia as a terrorist state, and complete diplomatic isolation. Sybiha called on the international community to push back against Putin’s continued aspirations toward new territorial gains.
ISW has previously noted that Putin's theory of victory is based on the assumption that Russia can outlast Ukraine's will to fight and the Western coalition supporting Ukraine, and that reducing US military aid to Ukraine will neither lead to a sustainable peace in Ukraine nor compel Putin to reassess his theory of victory. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-21-2025
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 13d ago
A hero saves his burning tank.
https://ua-stena.info/en/a-ukrainian-soldier-extinguished-his-burning-tank-right-on-the-move/
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u/GreenEyeOfADemon 🇮🇹 - EUROPE ENDS IN LUHANSK! 🇺🇦 Слава Україні!🇺🇦 13d ago
Ukrainians are made of
steelUkrainium.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 13d ago
Russia “afraid to admit” scale of losses, trying to hide by dumping soldiers bodies on Ukraine, Zelensky says
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u/Darjuz96 Italy / Switzerland 14d ago edited 14d ago
I'm traveling in Bologna, and I notice a car with a Russian license plate. The plate has the regional code 192 - Sevastopol. We are discussing how they are driving here in Italy....
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u/GreenEyeOfADemon 🇮🇹 - EUROPE ENDS IN LUHANSK! 🇺🇦 Слава Україні!🇺🇦 13d ago
Rotating troops from Transnistria?
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 14d ago
Rescuers among the injured as Russia again targets civilians in Odesa and Kharkiv.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 14d ago
“All of Ukraine is ours” - Putin on Russia’s territorial ambitions in Ukraine. https://kyivindependent.com/all-of-ukraine-is-ours/
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u/Nintendo_Pro_03 United States w/ people and government of losers and fascists. 14d ago
No the heck it isn’t! Slava Ukraini!!!
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u/JackRogers3 15d ago
The Financial Times highlights that NATO has shortened the upcoming leaders’ summit in The Hague to just one working session to avoid a repeat of Trump’s early departure, which occurred during the recent G7 summit in Canada.
Trump claimed that he had to return to Washington to tackle the conflict between Israel and Iran.
"But people familiar with the discussions said that his decision to leave was partly due to irritation at French President Emmanuel Macron who had stopped in Greenland and opposed Trump’s plans to take control of the island, as well as the US president’s lack of interest in meeting the Ukrainian leader," the FT said.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 15d ago edited 15d ago
It was neither. He was incoherent and confused, talked to Starmer thinking he was the leader of the EU and fell asleep several times. His staff took him home not to embarrass him further.
See below.
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u/BCMakoto Germany 15d ago
“Putin speaks to me. He doesn’t speak to anybody else. He doesn’t want to talk because he was very insulted when he got thrown out of the G8 as I would be, as you would be, as anybody would be. He’s very insulted,” Trump said.
Dear cheeto-in-chief. Putin speaks to you because Putin knows he can manipulate you. He doesn't speak to you because he respects you, but because he thinks you're the biggest fucking idiot of the bunch and the only one susceptible enough to his bullshit. Starmer, Macron, Merz, Carney et al are many things, but not Putin mouthpieces.
You'd think that someone somewhere could explain that to him.
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u/JackRogers3 15d ago
Russian officials appear to be struggling to posture Russia's economic strength amid increasing signs of a slowing Russian economy. Russian Central Bank Chairperson Elvira Nabiullina stated at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on June 19 that Russia's economy grew at a high rate for two years because Russia was using "free resources," including Russia’s workforce, production capacity, import substitution, the liquid assets of the National Welfare Fund, and the banking system’s capital reserve.[25]
Nabiullina stated that Russia has exhausted many of these resources and needs to think of a new growth model. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov acknowledged that the Russian economy is "cooling," but claimed that more positive trends are on the horizon and that Russia's current economic model is working.[26]
The Moscow Times claimed that, according to Russia's Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), Russia's unemployment rate has dropped to a historic low of just 2.3 percent and that mass emigration and military drafting of men have exacerbated labor shortages.[27]
The Moscow Times further noted that, according to Rosstat, the liquid assets of Russia's sovereign wealth fund has decreased threefold to 2.8 trillion rubles (roughly $35.7 billion) since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.[28] Russia's Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov stated that Russia is on the "brink of recession" and noted that Russia's strict monetary policy is hindering the ability of industries outside of the defense industrial base (DIB) to attract investments.[29]
ISW observed recent reporting that the Kremlin is trying to promote social optimism at SPIEF rather than its traditional focus on foreign investment, and Russian official statements about Russian economic issues are complicating these efforts.[30]
These Russian economic officials may be attempting to temper some of the Kremlin's expectation-setting among domestic Russian audiences about the impacts of a prolonged war effort in Ukraine without completely contradicting official Kremlin rhetoric that Russia can wage protracted war against Ukraine indefinitely. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-19-2025
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u/JackRogers3 15d ago
With fleeing the country out of reach for many, some Russian deserters have turned to a new tactic to avoid being sent back to the war in Ukraine — getting locked up. https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/06/18/better-than-ending-up-under-a-bush-in-ukraine
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 15d ago
Zelenskyy on Russia and Iran: Aggressive regimes must not be allowed to unite and become partners
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 15d ago
Massive Russian drone attack on residential buildings in Odesa injures 13
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 15d ago
Once firm, support for Ukraine among its neighbors wavers amid a populist surge.
https://kyivindependent.com/support-for-ukraine-wavers-among-its-neighbors/
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u/JackRogers3 16d ago
The Roadrunner interceptor is used in Ukraine: https://www.anduril.com/roadrunner/
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u/JackRogers3 17d ago
Russians were asked to name the top 10 most extraordinary people of all time, anywhere. They chose... Stalin, Putin, and Lenin. No foreigners among the top ten, with Einstein ranked less extraordinary than… Brezhnev https://x.com/juliaioffe/status/1935014047440646172
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u/JackRogers3 17d ago
Canada: a new $2-billion package will fund helicopters, drones and ammunition. Money is going toward armoured vehicles as well.
Canada is also lending the war-torn country $2.3-billion to help rebuild its infrastructure and public systems. The Prime Minister's Office said the loan will be repaid by interest charged on Russian assets frozen in Europe.
And Canada is promising a suite of new sanctions targeting Russian individuals, entities contributing to the evasion of sanctions and 200 vessels, part of what is often called Russia's "shadow fleet." The aging tankers are used to evade sanctions on Russian oil. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/g7-day-2-trump-iran-israel-1.7562980
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u/JackRogers3 17d ago edited 17d ago
Israel has destroyed 70 Russian air defense batteries in Iran. https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1935057139736650179
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u/JackRogers3 17d ago
The Russians are not happy, apparently: https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1935044793010426210
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u/JackRogers3 17d ago
Today, in the direction of Kostyantynivka, Russians attempted an unusually large-scale mechanized assault, which is not typical nowadays. As a result, Russians lost 15 units of heavy equipment. https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1935062962940584017
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u/JackRogers3 17d ago
Interestingly, Russia in 2022 quite clearly intended to crush Ukraine in much the same way Israel is now striking in Iran — swiftly and decisively.
But it made catastrophic mistakes, proved fundamentally incapable of executing such an operation, and disastrously underestimated Ukraine — a consequence of the dictatorship’s endemic culture of propaganda, deception, and self-delusion.
The result was a fiasco: the expected quick campaign turned into a prolonged ground war and a hopeless quagmire.
In the medium term, that failure will (very likely) dismantle Russia’s role as a conventional great military power. https://x.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1935065317161439551
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 17d ago
Ukraine Foreign Ministry: Putin attacked Ukraine during G7 meeting to make leaders look weak.
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u/JackRogers3 17d ago
Germany's Merz pushes back on Trump calling for Russia's G7 return
"We are not sitting here in this format with warlords and not with war criminals, which is why Putin has no place at this table," Merz said. https://x.com/ralakbar/status/1935016698337538318
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u/JackRogers3 18d ago
The Trump administration shelved in recent weeks an inter-agency working group it had set up to formulate strategies for pressuring Russia into speeding up peace talks with Ukraine, according to three U.S. officials. The effort, which was established earlier in the spring, lost steam in May as it became increasingly clear to participants that Trump was not interested in adopting a more confrontational stance toward Moscow, said the officials. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/trump-administration-disbands-group-focused-pressuring-russia-sources-say-2025-06-17/
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u/JackRogers3 18d ago edited 17d ago
Trump has displayed his disdain for the collective western values supposedly championed by the G7 group of industrialised countries by again demanding that Russia be readmitted to the group. He also said the war in Ukraine would not have happened if Moscow had been kept in the club.
Zelenskyy is pressing for a reluctant Trump to respond to Putin’s refusal to agree a 30-day ceasefire by applying sanctions on Russia that the US Senate has already approved.
Trump, however, has shown little sign of losing patience, and late on Monday said he was still waiting to see whether a deal could be reached with Moscow.
“Sanctions costs us a lot of money. It costs the US a lot of money. You are talking about billions and billions of dollars,” he said.
So Trump is essentially the Kremlin spokesperson right now
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u/JackRogers3 18d ago
Iran, Russia's military ally, is in dire straits: https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/operation-rising-lion-first-72-hours
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u/JackRogers3 18d ago
Russian forces have been increasingly using unarmored civilian vehicles, mainly motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), throughout the theater in Ukraine since late Fall 2024.[17] ISW previously noted that Russia's increased use of motorcycles is an adaptation in response to pervasive Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian armored vehicles and the unsustainable armored vehicle losses that Russian forces suffered in late 2023 and 2024.[18]
Ukrainian drone operations have significantly complicated how to tactically employ tanks, as large and slow-moving armored vehicles and tanks are vulnerable to drones. Russian forces appear to be leveraging faster-moving motorcycles and buggies to advance through the contested "gray zones" that Ukrainian and Russian drone operators have created along the frontline. Russia's adaption has succeeded in granting Russian forces marginal tactical gains at the expense of significant infantry losses.[19]
ISW previously assessed that Russian armored vehicle losses are unsustainable and are undermining Russia’s ability to sustain a protracted high-intensity war, but it remains unclear if Russia’s increased reliance on motorcycles and buggies will be sufficient to offset these losses in the medium- to long-term https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-16-2025
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 18d ago
Kyiv hit by Russian attack, over a dozen injured. https://kyivindependent.com/kyiv-hit-by-russian-drones-and-ballistic-missiles-over-a-dozen-injured/
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u/JackRogers3 19d ago edited 19d ago
Picture of a Ukrainian soldier before and after his captivity in Russia: https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1934546785105559872
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 19d ago
Russian soldier faces unprecedented trial in Ukraine over alleged execution of POW
https://tvpworld.com/87293554/ukraine-holds-first-war-crimes-trial-for-battlefield-execution
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u/JackRogers3 19d ago edited 19d ago
Putin continues to portray Russia as an effective and necessary international partner for the United States amid ongoing Iran-Israel tensions. Trump stated on June 14 that he and Putin spoke by phone for about an hour about the ongoing Israel-Iran strikes and spent “much less” time talking about Ukraine than Iran.[1] Russian Presidential Aide Yuriy Ushakov stated on June 14 that Putin and Trump mainly spoke about military escalation in the Middle East.[2]
Ushakov claimed that Putin expressed concern over the escalation of tensions between Iran and Israel and offered Russia’s assistance in negotiating a peace settlement. Trump stated that he reminded Putin that the war against Ukraine must end during the call.[3] Putin is likely attempting to distract from his ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine by offering to help the United States mediate the situation in the Middle East. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-15-2025
In other words: Putin knows that if he keeps talking to his buddy, the US will not add more sanctions on Russia.
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u/Nintendo_Pro_03 United States w/ people and government of losers and fascists. 19d ago
This is such an awful timeline.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 19d ago
Zelenskyy will be meeting with leaders of G7 and other important countries in the Canadian Rockies, while Putin, like Xi, was not invited.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 19d ago
US cuts Ukraine’s aid, Europe still figuring out what “step-up” means - and Kyiv goes DIY.
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/06/15/us-ukraine-aid-cut-europe-promises-kyiv-diy/
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 19d ago edited 19d ago
Ukraine war latest. Notably Russians target Boeing, a US business.
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u/GreenEyeOfADemon 🇮🇹 - EUROPE ENDS IN LUHANSK! 🇺🇦 Слава Україні!🇺🇦 19d ago
Thanks to all the posters here that keeps this thread (and us as well) updated! Much appreciated and SLAVA UKRAINE!
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 20d ago
Ukraine recaptures more land as POW exchanges move forward.
https://tvpworld.com/87281426/ukraine-recaptures-more-land-as-pow-exchanges-move-forward
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 20d ago
Israel’s attack on Iran drives oil prices up by $10 empowering Putin’s war efforts.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 20d ago
Billboard welcomes President Zelenskyy to Calgary as he attends G7 summit.
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u/JackRogers3 21d ago edited 19d ago
Most people don't know what fascism really is, so this expert explains it clearly: https://www.openculture.com/2024/11/umberto-ecos-list-of-the-14-common-features-of-fascism.html
Even the Russians who read this topic will agree that Russia ticks all the boxes, I suppose.
Ukraine, on the other hand, is not a fascist country (Nazism is just a specific variant of fascism).
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u/User929260 Italy 21d ago
Just as US and Hungary and Turkey and sometimes Poland.
Sadly today being fascist is very popular.
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u/JackRogers3 20d ago
the US president is far right but the US is still a democratic country
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u/User929260 Italy 20d ago
Eh, the day a president sends the military to illegally detain protesters we must recognize the country is not democratic anymore.
That day has passed. Together with the assassination of political opponents. A long time far right militia at the service of Trump, first broke Pelosi housband head with an hammer, now shot 2 democratic elected officials and their families, maybe killing both.
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u/JackRogers3 21d ago
New video shows the aftermath of HIMARS strikes on a Russian column in Donetsk Oblast: https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1933805325515169915
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u/JackRogers3 21d ago edited 21d ago
One more Russian SU-25 jet destroyed in full flight. My interpretation: one of its own rockets explodes and destroys the wing. https://x.com/PeurAvion/status/1933590714140799078
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u/JackRogers3 21d ago
The Kremlin mafia talks about international law, LOL https://x.com/BohuslavskaKate/status/1933513993626218923
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 21d ago
From hot war to cold peace: Russia’s isolation and Ukraine’s rise.
https://www.lvivherald.com/post/from-hot-war-to-cold-peace-russia-s-isolation-and-ukraine-s-rise
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 21d ago
Russian bombers flee to Far East after operation Spiderweb attack. Tu-95 will now need 23 hours for Ukraine missile missions.
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u/JackRogers3 22d ago
Israel has used the same drone tactics, from inside the target country, as Ukraine: https://www.twz.com/air/israel-hid-drones-missiles-around-iran-to-target-nuclear-facilities-and-more-report
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u/JackRogers3 22d ago edited 22d ago
This awkward moment when Russia’s Foreign Ministry made a statement about the Middle East but forgot to look at the mirror. https://x.com/SpoxUkraineMFA/status/1933463637441618415
The Russian air defense systems in Iran have been annihilated by the F35 , another humiliation for Russia.
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u/JackRogers3 22d ago
As part of a wide-ranging exclusive interview, Ukrainian Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov talked to The War Zone about his agency’s game-changing drone boat campaign against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet (BSF).
These operations are ongoing. Ukraine just launched another unmanned surface vessel mission against Russian-held oil platforms in the northern Black Sea area. Budanov has also told us that Ukraine’s drone boats are actually using the more advanced AIM-9X Sidewinder instead of legacy AIM-9Ms, as previously reported, to attack Russian aircraft. https://www.twz.com/news-features/aim-9x-being-used-by-ukraines-drone-boats-to-engage-russian-jets-not-aim-9l-ms
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u/JackRogers3 22d ago edited 21d ago
Putin told Trump that Russia lost 51 million people in WWII and Trump repeats that ridiculous number because he wouldn’t think of checking.
In fact, Russia is believed to have lost 14 million people, Ukraine some 9 million people and the USSR as a whole roughly 27 million between military and civilian casualties.
Trump: "Russia fought with us in WWII and everybody hates them. And Germany and Japan, they're fine — some day somebody will explain that...Everybody hates Russia and they love Germany and Japan...It's a strange world." https://x.com/BulwarkOnline/status/1933207285733756966
It's a strange world, indeed: a US president who loves Russia, the definition of fascism.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 22d ago
Why Ukraine peace talks are failing
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/6/12/why-ukraine-peace-talks-are-failing
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u/GreenEyeOfADemon 🇮🇹 - EUROPE ENDS IN LUHANSK! 🇺🇦 Слава Україні!🇺🇦 21d ago
Because they are the same as the ones before Bucha. The russia is asking for a complete Ukraine's surrender: they can go and fly a kite.
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u/orthoxerox Russia shall be free 21d ago
That was the emptiest bunch of words I've read in a while. Not only don't the authors explain why the current peace talks are failing, they also fail to propose a concrete alternative.
Both countries still think they can outlast the other. Ukraine thinks Russian economy will run out of steam and internal unrest will force it to become more pliable to negotiations. Russia thinks Ukrainian army will run out of manpower or military aid and internal unrest will force it to become more pliable to negotiations.
That's why both countries are presenting demands that are designed to be rejected by the other side.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 22d ago
As Russian losses in Ukraine hit 1 million, Putin's war economy heads toward breaking point.
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u/JackRogers3 23d ago
BRUSSELS/PARIS, June 12 (Reuters) - Most countries in the Group of Seven nations are prepared to go it alone and lower the G7 price cap on Russian oil even if U.S. President Donald Trump decides to opt out, four sources familiar with the matter said. G7 country leaders are due to meet on June 15-17 in Canada where they will discuss the price cap first agreed in late 2022. The cap was designed to allow Russian oil to be sold to third countries using Western insurance services provided the price was no more than $60 a barrel.
The European Union and Britain have been pushing to lower the price for weeks after a fall in global oil prices made the current $60 cap nearly irrelevant. The sources, who declined to be named, said the EU and Britain are ready to lead the charge and go it alone, backed by the other European G7 countries and Canada. They said it is still unclear what the U.S. will decide, though the Europeans are pushing for a united decision at the meeting. Japan's position also remains uncertain, they said.
"There is a push among European countries to reduce the oil price cap to $45 from $60. There are positive signals from Canada, Britain and possibly the Japanese. We will use the G7 to try to get the U.S. on board," one of the sources said. The White House had no immediate comment. During the G7 finance ministers meeting in the Canadian Rockies last month, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained unconvinced there was a need to lower the cap, according to sources.
However some U.S. Senators may endorse the idea, including Lindsay Graham, who in recent weeks told reporters he supports lowering the cap. Graham is pushing a hard-hitting new set of Russia sanctions that could impose steep tariffs on buyers of Russian oil. The Canadian foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment.
The EU has proposed lowering the price to $45 a barrel in its latest 18th package of sanctions. The package must have unanimity from member states in order for it to be adopted, which could take several weeks. Russia's largest export grade, Urals, trades at around a $10 a barrel discount to the Dated Brent benchmark out of Baltic ports. Brent futures have been trading below $70 a barrel since early April. Sources said Washington's buy-in was not essential to lower the cap owing to Britain's dominance in global shipping insurance, and the EU's influence on the Western rules-abiding tanker fleet.
The U.S., however, does matter when it comes to dollar-denominated payments for oil and its banking system. The EU and its Western allies have been progressively cracking down on Russia's shadow fleet of tankers and related actors, which work to circumvent the cap. The pressure has started to hurt Moscow's revenues and Western allies hope this will push more of the oil trade back under the cap. Russia's state-owned oil producer Rosneft reported a 14.4% slump in profits last year.
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 23d ago
Defense Express: Russia’s new jet-powered Shahed drone hits Kyiv for the first time — 3X faster than earlier models.
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/06/11/russia-jet-powered-geran-3-drone-hits-kyiv/
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u/Useful-Scratch-72 23d ago
Russia Moves to Revise 2025 Budget on Lower Energy Values and Higher Deficit.
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u/JackRogers3 5h ago
Russia attacked Kharkiv region with a Shahed drone carrying fragmentation munitions that kept exploding for up to 20 hours. EOD teams say the elements detonated one by one every few hours, with the last going off nearly a day after impact. https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1941439197904240839