Newsletter 18/07/2024
Daily news digest
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Russian TV, radio signal to be jammed in Ukraine’s frontline regions
In Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, a television and radio broadcasting system that can block enemy signal has been deployed.
Expert exposes details of Russia–North Korea WMD cooperation
While the recently signed agreement between Russia and North Korea has sparked concern in the West, the reality is that cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang on sensitive technology has come a long way and is merely coming out into the open.
SSU drones hit Russian coastguard base on Lake Donuzlav - source
As a result of a combined attack by sea and air drones on the Russian coast guard base, the following were hit and disabled: the headquarters with the control centre; an ammunition and equipment depot; an electrical substation; technical facilities; and enemy firing positions.
Source: Telegram channel Operational News of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Chinese military in Belarus on borders with NATO should ring alarm
The joint military exercises of China and Belarus should alarm NATO partners, because the Chinese military appeared literally on the borders of the Alliance practically for the first time.
"These are anti-terrorist exercises, so they should alert NATO partners. There is no threat of terrorism from within Belarus, so where is it coming from? They believe it’s coming directly from NATO Allies. That is why it is a threat," said Oleksandr Musienko, head of the Center for Military and Legal Research.
War
Information on 7,000 Ukrainians has already been established. 4,000 identified bodies, mostly Ukrainian defenders who died as a result of Russian aggression. Another 3,000 are still alive, mostly former prisoners of war.
Defence forces withdraw from positions in Urozhayne - OSG "Khortytsia"
"Due to the fact that the enemy destroyed almost everything in Urozhayne, the defence forces moved to other positions. A decision was made. It was made to save the lives and health of our servicemen who were holding the defence there," said the spokesman for the Khortytsia operational and strategic group (OSG) Nazar Voloshyn
Enemy unsuccessfully stormed AFU positions in Krynky area five times in 24 hours
Over the past 24 hours, the Southern Defence Forces repelled eight Russian assaults in the Orikhiv area and five on the left bank of the Dnipro River.
"To the battle": the work of artillerymen of the "Khartiia" brigade
Source: Official Telegram channel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
Defense
Ukraine’s DELTA battlefield management system passes NATO-standard cybersecurity test
The DELTA combat system has successfully passed the inspection of a leading international information security consulting company, confirming the compliance of its integrated information protection system with the established requirements.
Society
Crimeans fined RUB 23.7 million for "discrediting the Russian army" - OP
Residents of the temporarily occupied Crimea were fined 23.7 million Russian rubles (almost 11 million UAH) for "discrediting the Russian army". A total of 755 decisions were made to impose an administrative penalty in the form of a fine.
Economy
Ukraine mulling half-trillion increase of defense budget
In the near future, the Verkhovna Rada will consider the government’s draft law on the revision of the State Budget of Ukraine for 2024, with the expenditures set to increase by more than UAH 500 billion.
Politics
European Parliament re-elects Ursula von der Leyen European Commission President
Members of the newly elected European Parliament today, during the first plenary session in Strasbourg in a secret vote elected Ursula von der Leyen as the next president of the European Commission for the period 2024-2029.
Lavrov voices traditional propaganda messages before journalists at UN
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave a one-and-a-half-hour conference at the UN Headquarters on Wednesday, most of which he devoted to spreading propaganda narratives and disinformation about Ukraine.
He reiterated Russia’s unwillingness to participate in the "second round of the Peace conference" on Ukraine, as approaches are being put forward that are "unacceptable" to Russia and "many other" states, at the same time claiming Russia and its allies are allegedly sincerely interested in achieving peace.
Lavrov once again repeated the narratives about the 2014 "coup" in Ukraine, the "Kyiv regime", "Nazis" supported by the West, fables of 2022 peace talks, failure to implement the Minsk agreements ("we were deceived, again"), as well as about the allegedly “staged” mass murders in Bucha.
"The whole atmosphere was depressive," Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's Ambassador to the UN noted. "Although the press conference took place in the United States, it did not have the spirit of free journalism that would have been present had taken place outside the UN perimeter."
"This is an old Russian record player, where both the needle and vinyl have worn off," he added.