The Ukraine war thread
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"Putin has been invited to a BRICS summit in Johannesburg next month but is the target of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant -- a provision that Pretoria as an ICC member would be expected to implement were he to attend.
South Africa's diplomatic dilemma is playing out in court, where the leading opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), is trying to force the government's hand and ensure the Kremlin leader is held and handed over to the ICC if he steps foot in the country."
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A counter-offensive would not surprise me, especially after the Ukrainians have been on the offensive (which requires more equipment, munitions and tends to generate higher casualties). Maybe the Russians think they have worn the Ukrainians down sufficiently to make considerable gains.
The Ukrainians desperately need more and better air assets, tanks and tank killers, artillery and probably munitions of all kinds.
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Sign up, oldster!
Under amendments to legislation titled "on military duty and military service," citizens with the ranks that include "soldiers, sailors and sergeants" could be mobilized until the age of 40, 50, or 55 depending on the category.
A higher age limit has also been introduced for those in Russia's mobilized reserve who signed up for occasional military training and a stipend when their compulsory military service ends, according to Reuters.
The age for men with the highest ranks in the reserves can be called up "remains" at 70. For other senior ranks it has risen to up to 65, while for junior officers, it is now up until the age of 60. Meanwhile, general reservists can be brought back into service until the age of 55, 10 years older than previously.
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Just 200m from Nato-territory
Just waiting for some kind of 'accident'...
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Good piece on the Russian pullout of the grain deal and bombarding Odessa.
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About 15 miles from the center of Moscow.
MOSCOW, August 1 - RIA Novosti. In Lyubertsy, three hangars caught fire on the territory of the construction base, RIA Novosti was told in the press service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry.
Earlier, the regional head office of the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported a fire at a construction base in Kotelnichesky passage.
"Three hangars are on fire. The area is being specified," the source said.
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Russian warship damaged in Ukrainian attack
A Russian warship was seriously damaged in an overnight Ukrainian naval drone attack on Russia's Black Sea navy base at Novorossiysk, two sources said on Friday, after Russia said it had fended off the attack.
The civilian port, which handles 2% of the world's oil supply and also exports grain, temporarily halted all ship movement before resuming normal operations, according to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium which operates an oil terminal there.
Russia's Defence Ministry said in a short statement that the Ukrainian attack by two sea drones had been repelled in the waters outside the base and that the drones had been destroyed. It made no mention of any damage.
A Ukrainian intelligence source said the Olenegorsky Gornyak, a Russian Navy landing ship, had suffered a serious breach and could not conduct combat missions following a joint operation by the Ukrainian Navy and SBU intelligence service.
There was a crew of around 100 Russian servicemen on the vessel when it was attacked by a sea drone carrying 450 kilograms of TNT, the source said, without giving any information on any casualties.
Separately, a source with knowledge of the port's operations said a large Russian naval vessel had to be towed ashore because it could not move under its own power after being damaged.
The source, who did not name the vessel, said oil and grain loadings were still taking place at the port, which resumed normal operations hours after the attack.
The ship:
Here's what it looks like now, apparently being towed away.
