#moskva missile cruiser

[anastasiamaru]

The moskva missile cruiser is a flagship and pride of the russians.First it eventually did go fuck itself, and then in April, two Ukrainian Neptune missiles sent the ship underwater. As it turned out, the nature itself helped to sink the vessel — a radar had identified the enemy’s cruiser in a way it was not designed to.

#neptune #russian warship go fuck yourself #ukraine #war in ukraine #moskva missile cruiser now is the home for the fish #moskva missile cruiser #pray for ukraine #pray for ukrainian armed forces #pray for ukrainian soldiers #pray for ukrainians #ukrainians #stand with ukraine #russia is a terrorist state #resistance #fight for motherland #war #russia must burn #russia must fall down #ukraine is my home #we will win #fight for freedom #brave ukraine #russian agression #war 2022 #ukrainians on tumblr #ship underwater

[blueiskewl]

The Sinking of the Russian Missile Cruiser Moskva

On 13 April, Ukrainian defenders were able to discover and reach the flagship of the Russian fleet, Moskva, with a Neptune missile due to bad weather and the arrogance of Russian sailors.

On April 13, the Russian missile cruiser Moskva was stationed in the Black Sea, about 120 km from the coast. Ukraine did not have over-the-horizon radars at the time of the Russian invasion, and conventional radar cannot show targets at such a distance. The invaders knew this, so they felt quite safe.

However, around 16:00 on 13 April, the operator of the Neptune complex received very unexpected data: a conventional radar showed a large target about 120 km from the coast. An object of this size in this sector of the Black Sea could only be the cruiser Moskva.

Ukrainian Rocket Forces say that nature itself helped them see the Russian target.

Since there were dense clouds over the sea, the radar signal was reflected from them to the surface of the water and from the water back to the clouds, and in such a corridor, the radar unexpectedly reached the Moskva cruiser.

The Russians were so confident in their inaccessibility to the Ukrainian forces that, according to the sources of the UP, they probably did not even activate the air defence systems. Although even the activated air defence does not see the Ukrainian subsonic missile because it flies over the water.

Western media published their versions of the defeat of the Moskva cruiser. Some wrote that the coordinates of the target were allegedly confirmed to Ukraine by the European centre of NATO; others wrote that an American P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft was involved in fulfilling Ukraine's request and provided the exact coordinates.

But UP sources in military circles say that the Ukrainians themselves could solve such problems of incredible complexity and that the Russian 120-metre mountain of iron was constantly seen and recorded by satellites. They claim that the difficulty was not in discovering Moskva but in reaching it.

But on 13 April, the Russian cruiser unexpectedly entered the zone of destruction for Ukrainian missiles. And as soon as this was recorded, two Neptunes were immediately launched.

Ukrainska Pravda also managed to get a photo of this historic missile launch.

According to the sources of the UP, the most interesting phase of the operation began just after the missiles flew into the sea. Neptune missiles had to cover the distance to the target in about six minutes.

But no one knew whether they hit because the Bayraktar operators refused to fly out to verify the hit. They would not have seen anything above the clouds, and under the clouds, they would have been 100% shot down.

It became clear that the Neptunes hit the target when the Moskva cruiser suddenly moved and tried to hide behind the Boiko towers. And also because four ships simultaneously rushed to the flagship of the Russian fleet from different directions. However, an unexpected storm developed at sea, complicating rescue operations.

When the Ukrainian military realized that a tugboat had left Crimea for Moskva, it became obvious to them that the situation on the cruiser was critical.

On the night of 14 April, one of the leading current security officials wrote to UP journalists: "Moskva is done".

#2022 russian invasion of ukraine #2022 russia-ukraine news #ukraine #russia #The Sinking of the Russian Missile Cruiser Moskva #neptune missile #war #world at war #weapons #battle #fighting

[molfarua]

A year ago. Cruise missiles 🚀 "Neptune", which destroyed the russian cruiser «moskva» and sent to 🐟🦈. The video shows the launch of those two Neptune cruise missiles that destroyed the russian cruiser «moskva». It is worth noting that «moscow» became the largest warship sunk in combat since the Falklands War in 1982.

#youtube #A year ago. Cruise missiles 🚀 Neptune which destroyed the russian cruiser «moskva» and sent to 🐟🦈. The video shows the launch of those tw

[captain-price-unofficially]

Russian guided missile cruiser Moskva sinking after taking two Ukrainian anti-ship missiles in the Black Sea, 14 April 2022

#naval #modern #Russo-Ukrainian War

[herukapadmajungiansworld]

Incredible timeline provided by Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar summarized the results of 500 days of Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine.

497 days ago, we destroyed the expectations of "Kyiv in three days" and the myth of "the second army of the world". 462 days ago we liberated Kyiv region and the north of Ukraine, the Russian mass media for the first time talked about our retreat as a "gesture of goodwill"

451 days since the defenders of Ukraine sent the Russian cruiser "Moskva" to the bottom of the Black Sea.

380 days ago, Ukraine received the first Himars from the Allies.

373 days , as the Snake Island was liberated.

305 days ago, a counteroffensive began in the Kharkiv region, "an unprecedentedly fast offensive with a cascading collapse of the Russian defense, which shocked the whole world," Malyar recalled.

273 days since the first attack on the Crimean bridge was made to disrupt Russian logistics, and 239 days ago "our Kherson was returned," the deputy minister noted.

113 days ago, Ukraine obtained an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in The Hague.

80 days after we received powerful air defense equipment from our partners - the Patriot system.

65 days since the Russian "supersonic" Dagger missile was shot down for the first time.

"At this very moment, our soldiers are liberating the occupied lands in the east and south in heavy battles. Very soon, we will start training pilots for the F-16. Victory is ahead," she emphasizedIn

#stop russian invasion #slava ukraini #ukraine resistance #ukraine war #i stand with ukraine #ukraine is winning #putin war criminal #putin war ukraine russia #stop putin

[tigermousse]

24.02.2023

Today I woke up at 5 am and had a panic attack. Because exactly one year ago, on 24.02.2022 I woke up too at 5 am in my flat in Kharkiv because of explosions. In less then 15 seconds I've grabbed my coat, boots, backpack with documents (which I packed several days ago) and Mr.Rat. I have only one thought "The war has started". I've never been so afraid in my whole life before. There was a lot of talking about war for months before. We discuss if the war will start and how it will be. Because since 2014 Russia started a war in Donbass region and annexed Crimea, so we were contemplating if it will be like it? It was nothing like it. First night I've spent inside a subway station, so did a lot of citizens from my district due to the fact that not a lot of shelters were fully functional. The sound is spreading on further distances underground, so whole night I've been listening to the sounds of battles in the northern part of Kharkiv region. Only on third day Russian troops reached Kharkiv - on 12 panzer cars - that was all that left from the tank division. They were wiped out till the end of day. And after that rocket attacks and heavy shelling started. Russians understood that they can't take city by storm, so they've decided to destroy it completely. The shelling doesn't stopped till now and probably will last till the end of war. Their targets are civilian houses, living quarters, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, shopping malls, industrial objects, historical objects - pretty much everything. In the spring of 2022 a lot of people choose to live inside subway stations, because it is safer and because some of them have no other place to live - because the largest and most populated living district of Kharkiv - Severnaya Saltovka - was basically destroyed. There isn't any houses that aren't damaged, most of them damaged permanently. Thousands of people lost everything they had. The problem is that Kharkiv situated very close to Russian border. From Kharkiv to Belgorod is only 40 kilometers and the flying time of a rocket is 43 seconds. If the rocket is launched there is no time to seek shelter - you can only hope that you are not the target. If you're inside, you can try to hide in bathroom or in corridor, and if you are outside, you need to fall to the ground immediately - and pray for the best. The audacity of Russia propaganda - they were talking about taking whole Ukraine in the first four days. In the morning of 24.02.22 russian news channels already were telling that large Ukrainian cities - Kharkiv, Odessa, Sumy - are "fallen without a fight and occupied", while russian troops and tanks were burning on their way to Kharkiv and Kyiv. Battle for Mariupol had lasted till May, 2022, and in the process the city was almost completely destroyed by Russian missiles. Suggestively more them 40 000 people were killed. Thousands of now-orphaned children were illegally transported to Russia. You can say that it is not really a war, it is genocide. Since the beginning of war Russia was able to occupy only one regional center - Kherson, which was freed till the end of year 2022. "Russian warship, go fuck yourself" ("Русский военный корабль, иди нахуй" ) was the answer of Ukrainian soldier on Zmiinyi (Snake)Island to the commander of russian cruiser "Moskva" which demanded to surrender or be destroyed. P.S. Later Snake Island returned under the control of Ukraine and cruiser Moskva sank after being shot by Ukrainian rocket Neptun in April 2022

#ukraine #war in ukraine #memories #russian ukrainian war #genocide #Kharkiv #my #personal #Tiger Mousse

[istandwithrussiaandpalestine30]

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Leonid Kuchma arrived on board a flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the missile cruiser "Moskva", Sevastopol on Sunday 29 July 2001, during joint celebrations of the Russian Navy Day.

#vladimir vladimirovich putin #vladdy daddy #leonid kuchma #Президент России Владимир Путин #июль #лето #Президент України Леонід Кучма

[realiv0]

And the new New Year’s Address (2022 into 2023):

New Year greetings of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Dear Ukrainians!

This year began on February 24. Without prefaces and preludes. Sharply. Early. At 4 o'clock.

It was dark. It was loud. It was hard for many and scary for some. 311 days have passed. It can still be dark, loud, and complicated for us. But we will definitely never be afraid again. And we'll never be ashamed.

It was our year. Year of Ukraine. Year of Ukrainians.

We woke up on February 24. Into another life. Being another people. Another Ukrainians. The first missiles finally destroyed the labyrinth of illusions. We saw who was who. What friends and enemy are capable of, and most importantly, what we are capable of.

On February 24, millions of us made a choice. Not a white flag, but a blue and yellow flag. Not escaping, but meeting. Meeting the enemy. Resisting and fighting.

The explosions on February 24 stunned us. Since then we have not heard everything. And we don't listen to everyone. We were told: you have no other option but to surrender. We say: we have no other option than to win.

On February 24, we began to create our victory. From many bricks – hundreds of other victories.

We have overcome the panic. We did not run away but united. We have overcome doubts, despair, and fear. We believed in ourselves and in our strength. The Armed Forces of Ukraine. Intelligence. National Guard. SBU. Special Operations Forces. Border guards. Territorial defense forces. Air defense forces. The police. The State Emergency Service. All our defense and security forces. I am proud of you all, our warriors!

This year can be called a year of losses for Ukraine, for the whole of Europe, and the whole world. But it's wrong. We shouldn't say that.

We haven't lost anything. It was taken from us. Ukraine did not lose its sons and daughters – they were taken away by murderers. Ukrainians did not lose their homes – they were destroyed by terrorists. We did not lose our lands – they were occupied by invaders. The world did not lose peace – Russia destroyed it.

This year has struck our hearts. We've cried out all the tears. All the prayers have been yelled. 311 days. We have something to say about every minute. But most of the words are superfluous. They are not needed. No explanations or decorations are needed. Silence is needed to hear. Pauses are needed to realize.

The morning of February 24.

Hostomel. Bucha. Irpin. Borodianka. Kharkiv.

Mriya.

Kramatorsk Station. Toy.

Chernihiv.

Mariupol. Drama Theater. The word "Children" written.

Olenivka.

Odesa. Multi-story building. Girl. Three months old.

Vilniansk. Maternity hospital. Baby. Two days old.

Azovstal.

It's impossible to forget. And it's impossible to forgive. But it's possible to win.

We stood on our feet because there was something that kept us going. Our spirit.

Defense of Kyiv.

Kharkiv.

Mykolaiv.

Chornobayivka.

Snake Island.

HIMARS.

Antonivsky Bridge.

"Cotton" pops.

Crimean Bridge.

Neptune.

Cruiser Moskva.

Russian warship.

Izyum, Balakliya and Kupyansk.

Kherson.

And we pray that there will be Kreminna and Svatove, Melitopol, all of Donbas, Crimea.

We fight and will continue to fight. For the sake of the main word: "victory."

It will be for sure. We are approaching it for 311 days.

We gave it a lot of strength. But at the moment, when it seems that you can't go any further, remember that we have already passed with you.

I want to say to all of you: Ukrainians, you are incredible! See what we have done and what we are doing!

How our soldiers have been smashing this "second army of the world" since the first days.

How our people stopped their equipment and infantry columns.

How an old man used his hands to stop a tank.

How a woman knocked down a drone with a jar of tomatoes.

How enemy tanks, armored personnel carriers, helicopters, shells were stolen during the occupation.

How we fundraised for Shahed hunters, naval drones, armored vehicles, ambulance vehicles and Bayraktar drones in several hours.

How we withstood all threats, shelling, cluster bombs, cruise missiles, darkness and cold.

How we supported each other and the state.

Everyone is important in war.

Who holds a weapon, the steering wheel of a car, the helm of a ship or plane, a scalpel, or a pointer.

Everyone who is behind a laptop, who drives a combine harvester, a train.

Who is at a roadblock and a power plant.

Journalists and diplomats, utility workers and rescuers.

All. Who is working. Studying at a university or school. And even those who are just learning to walk.

All this is for their sake. Our children. Our people. Our country.

There are no small matters in a great war. There are no unnecessary ones. Each of us is a fighter. Each of us is a front. Each of us is the basis of the defense.

We fight as one team – the whole country, all our regions. I admire you all. I want to thank every invincible region of Ukraine.

Kharkiv. Mutilated but unconquered. You proved to the enemy that being close territorially does not mean being close in mind. Kharkiv is a Ukrainian city. The hero city.

Invincible Mykolaiv. Heroically withstands all blows. The city on a wave that overcomes all storms.

Sumy city and the region. You were one of the first to feel the full-scale invasion of the invaders. Sumy region became a bone in their throat for them. Ordinary people made Molotov cocktails, burned enemy columns, took the first prisoners. Sumy region is a force.

Dnipro. The support and reliable rear of our front. You received people, you got the lives of wounded soldiers back. Despite constant barrages, Dnipro lives on.

Odesa. Sunny and friendly, now a fortress. World fortress. Which defends us and which defends the world. Feeds it by sending millions of tonnes of salvation by sea every day. Because it is Odesa Mama.

Kherson! You are heroic people! You have been under occupation for more than eight months. No news. No communication. Separated from Ukraine.

Thousands of you took part in actions against the ruscists. You did not know whether we saw it in Ukraine or knew about it. The occupiers lied to you that Ukraine abandoned you and would not fight for you. But you believed and waited despite everything. The face of Kherson is cut by fragments of shells, but the main thing is that we welcome the New Year free and together under blue and yellow flags. And therefore, we will restore everything, rebuild everything. Just like Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhia, and Kramatorsk, and Bakhmut.

Those that became a refuge for millions of Ukrainians: Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Vinnytsia. I thank you! Those who receive and transfer millions of tonnes of aid from Europe and the world: Lviv, Uzhgorod, Chernivtsi, Lutsk. Thank you! Those who accept the evacuation of businesses, enterprises, universities: Khmelnytsky, Zhytomyr, Kropyvnytsky, Poltava, Cherkasy. Thank you!

And those who are waiting for Ukraine. And will wait. Donbas, Luhansk region, Crimea. Thanks to you, our warriors!

And, of course, Kyiv region and the city are our heart, which always beats thanks to you, all our Ukrainians!

We are all one family. One Ukraine.

This is the year when Ukraine changed the world. And the world discovered Ukraine. We were told to surrender. We chose a counterattack! We were told to make concessions and compromises. We are joining the European Union and NATO.

The world heard Ukraine. European Parliament, Bundestag, the UK Parliament, Knesset, the US Congress.

The world felt Ukraine. Ukraine in the media. In the hearts of people. At the top of Google search.

The world saw Ukraine. On the main squares in Toronto, New York, London, Warsaw, Florence, Sydney, and other cities.

Ukrainians surprise. Ukrainians are applauded. Ukrainians inspire.

Is there anything that can scare us? No. Is there anyone who can stop us? No.

Because we are all together.

It is what we are fighting for. One for each other.

The best salute for us is at the warehouses of the occupiers. The best gift is the numbers in the report of the General Staff.

We do not know for sure what the new year 2023 will bring us. But ready for anything.

New achievements? We will be happy. New hits? We will be steadfast. Continuation of the fight? We will fight. And when we win, we will hug.

Dear Ukrainians!

A few minutes remain until the New Year. I want to wish all of us one thing – victory. And that's the main thing. One wish for all Ukrainians.

Let this year be the year of return. The return of our people. Soldiers – to their families. Prisoners – to their homes. Immigrants – to their Ukraine.

Return of our lands. And the temporarily occupied will become forever free.

Return to normal life. To happy moments without curfew. To earthly joys without air alerts.

The return of what has been stolen from us. The childhood of our children, the peaceful old age of our parents.

So that grandchildren come to visit their grandparents during the holidays. To eat watermelons in Kherson. And the cherry in Melitopol.

So that our cities are free. Our friends are faithful.

And so that our main figure and main success appeared in reports near the figure of 100,000 destroyed enemies, thousands of units of destroyed Russian equipment – it is 603,628 square kilometers. The area of independent Ukraine, as it was since 1991. As it will always be.

May the New Year bring all this. We are ready to fight for it. That's why each of us is here. I'm here. We are here. You are here. Everyone is here. We are all Ukraine.

Glory to Ukraine!

Happy New Year!

Source:

https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/novorichne-privitannya-prezidenta-ukrayini-volodimira-zelens-80197

#again #really emotional #volodymyr zelenskyy #volodymyr zelensky #Ukraine #new year #also #a lot of very good points #Youtube

[rederiswrites]

Checking three times to make sure I'm still on BBC News and not the Onion.

(photo ID: A screenshot of a BBC World News article on the Oct. 8 bombing of the Crimea Bridge, which reads: "

The rail and road crossing was opened in 2018 and is a key supply route for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

An adviser to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, did not directly claim Ukrainian responsibility but wrote: "Crimea, the bridge, the beginning.

"Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be expelled."

Ukraine's defence ministry compared the bridge explosion to the sinking of Russia's Moskva missile cruiser in April.

"Two notorious symbols of Russian power in Ukrainian Crimea have gone down," it tweeted. "What's next in line?"

The Ukrainian government itself simply tweeted: "Sick burn.")

#current events #ukraine #world news #I actually had to get up and walk this one off

[ukrainenews]

Daily Wrap Up January 3-4, 2023

Under the cut:

The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces has said up to 10 units of Russian military equipment of various types in occupied Makiivka were damaged or destroyed in a statement published late on Monday.

A number of prominent Russian pro-war bloggers and commentators acknowledged the attack on Makiivka, with many suggesting the number of casualties was higher than the figures officially reported. The attack sparked renewed criticism among pro-invasion bloggers and some officials over the state of Russia’s military and the decision to use civilian infrastructure to house soldiers.

Russia’s defence ministry on Wednesday blamed the use of mobile phones by its soldiers for a deadly Ukrainian missile strike that killed dozens of conscripts, sparking anger among relatives of the soldiers. Commenting on the deadliest single incident Moscow has acknowledged since the start of the war that it said killed 89 servicemen, Lt Gen Sergei Sevryukov said in a video statement that a commission was working to investigate the circumstances of what had happened.

The Ukrainian military said Wednesday the use of cell phones by Russian troops was not the main reason their position was located in Makiivka, leading to a devastating strike in the eastern Donetsk region. The Ukrainian military has claimed up to around 400 Russian soldiers died in the strike, but later added the number was "being clarified."

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday and said France would deliver light armored combat vehicles.

U.S. National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby said on Jan. 4 that Washington would soon announce a new aid package for Ukraine. According to Kirby, the new help could include additional HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), the supply of which was a game changer in Ukraine's fight against the Russian aggression.

“The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces has said up to 10 units of Russian military equipment of various types in occupied Makiivka were damaged or destroyed in a statement published late on Monday.

Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.

But its military reported the Makiivka attack as “a strike on Russian manpower and military equipment”.

On December 31, up to 10 units of enemy military equipment of various types were destroyed and damaged” in the town of Makiivka in the eastern region of Donetsk.

It said the human “losses” were still being established.”-via The Guardian

~

“Russia’s defence ministry on Wednesday blamed the use of mobile phones by its soldiers for a deadly Ukrainian missile strike that killed dozens of conscripts, sparking anger among relatives of the soldiers.

Commenting on the deadliest single incident Moscow has acknowledged since the start of the war that it said killed 89 servicemen, Lt Gen Sergei Sevryukov said in a video statement that a commission was working to investigate the circumstances of what had happened.

“But it is already obvious that the main reason … was the turning on and massive use by personnel of mobile phones within reach of enemy weapons contrary to the ban,” he said, without providing evidence for the claim.

The ministry also said in a statement that it would provide “all necessary help and support” to the families of the dead and punish those who allegedly were responsible for the incident.

The quick response by Russian officials, who admitted mass casualties in Makiivka a day after the shelling, will be seen as an attempt to defuse public anger. The Kremlin has previously been accused of concealing information about the deaths of its soldiers.

Most notably, the reaction was in contrast to the sinking of the flagship cruiser Moskva last April when it took days for Moscow to admit that conscripts had died; and the Kremlin to this day does not acknowledge that the ship was hit by Ukrainian missiles.

Some of the relatives in the southern Russian city of Samara, where many of the Makiivka conscripts came from, criticised the defence ministry’s official version of events on Wednesday, claiming the army was scapegoating their loved ones.

“It is easier to blame everything on our soldiers than to admit incompetence among our commanders. I didn’t expect anything else,” said Maksim, the brother of a soldier who was injured in Makiivka.

A number of social media groups have also sprung up with soldiers’ relatives gathering information and criticising the alleged lack of transparency from the authorities. “Why haven’t they released the full list of deceased? The fate of so many children remains unknown,” said one post on the social media network VK.

The ministry of defence statements on Wednesday also angered the pro-war nationalist correspondents who have gained influence in recent months.

Semen Pegov, a military blogger who recently received a medal from Putin, said in a post on Telegram that while the use of mobile phones near the frontlines was “obviously” not a good thing, “the story with ‘mobiles’ is not convincing”.

He added: “This is not a personal opinion, it is objective. It is a blatant attempt to smear blame … The only real solution to prevent this in the future is to not place personnel en masse in big buildings.” He referred to the decision to use civilian infrastructure to house hundreds of soldiers.

But while there were calls on Wednesday by relatives and pro-war commentators to punish military officials deemed responsible for the events, there was little direct criticism of Vladimir Putin or of the war in general.

Instead, Maksim and others called for new attacks on Ukraine. “We should strike them twice as hard to teach them a lesson,” Maksim said.

During a remembrance ceremony in Samara, Ekaterina Kolotovkina, head of a group of army spouses, called for the victims of Makiivka to be avenged. “We will crush the enemy together. We are left with no choice,” she told about 200 mourners.

The deadly strike on the conscripts in Makiivka came amid warnings from Ukrainian officials that Russia was planning to order a second mobilisation drive for a new offensive.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said in his nightly video address on Tuesday: “We have no doubt that the current masters of Russia will throw everything they have left and everyone they can round up to try to turn the tide of the war and at least delay their defeat. We have to disrupt this Russian scenario. We are preparing for this. The terrorists must lose. Any attempt at their new offensive must fail.”

Ukraine received a boost late on Wednesday when French president Emmanuel Macron told Zelenskiy that the Paris government would send light AMX-10 RC armoured combat vehicles to help in the war against Russia.

“This is the first time that western-made armoured vehicles are being delivered in support of the Ukrainian army,” a French official told journalists after the phone call between the two leaders.

The official did not give any details about the volume or timing of the planned shipments.

Zelenskiy on Twitter said that he had a “long and detailed conversation” with Macron, taking the French president for the “decision to transfer light tanks and Bastion APCs to Ukraine”.”-via The Guardian

~

“The Ukrainian military said Wednesday the use of cell phones by Russian troops was not the main reason their position was located in Makiivka, leading to a devastating strike in the eastern Donetsk region.

“Of course, using phones with geolocation is a mistake. But it is clear that this version looks a bit ridiculous,” according to the spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Serhii Cherevatyi.

The Russian Ministry of Defense on Wednesday appeared to blame the soldiers themselves for the Ukrainian strike, saying that “the main cause” of the incident was the widespread use of cell phones by Russian soldiers “contrary to the ban,” allowing Ukraine to “track and determine the coordinates of the soldiers' locations.” Russia also revised its estimate of soldiers killed, from 63 to 89.

Cherevatyi said “to deploy such large batches of newly mobilized — which means not very trained, not very coordinated — people in large rooms unsuitable for sheltering in case of danger, is a very weak excuse.”

“Of course, this is a mistake [of the Russians], and I think that now they are engaged in [searching for] who is to blame. They are putting the blame on each other,” he continued.

“It is clear that this [use of phones] was not the main reason. The main reason was that they were unable to covertly deploy these personnel. And we took advantage of that, having detected the target powerfully and destroyed it,” Cherevatyi added.

Four rockets from US-made HIMARS launchers were used in the strike in Makiivka, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The Ukrainian military has claimed up to around 400 Russian soldiers died in the strike, but later added the number was "being clarified."

CNN cannot independently verify either figure.”-via CNN

~

“French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday and said France would deliver light armored combat vehicles.

Zelensky thanked Macron on Telegram and said both presidents “agreed on further cooperation to significantly strengthen our air defense and other defense capabilities.”

The call lasted just over an hour, according to the Elysee Palace.

The exact number of light armored combat vehicles is not known, and no delivery date was mentioned.”-via CNN

~

“U.S. National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby said on Jan. 4 that Washington would soon announce a new aid package for Ukraine.

According to Kirby, the new help could include additional HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), the supply of which was a game changer in Ukraine's fight against the Russian aggression.

“(The military aid) included HIMARS in the past, and it could very well include more HIMARS going forward,” Kirby said.

Washington announced a $1.85 billion package of military aid to Ukraine on Dec. 21, which includes the first long-sought Patriot air defense system.

The announcement occurred before President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. Joe Biden on his first visit abroad since Russia’s full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24.

The U.S. has already disbursed more than $20 billion of military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration in January 2021.

In 2022, the Biden administration and the U.S. Congress pledged nearly $50 billion in assistance to Ukraine, which includes humanitarian, financial, and military support, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute.”-via Kyiv Independent

#Daily Update #Ukraine #Russia #War in Ukraine #Makiivka #France #US

[mariacallous]

After months of difficult slogging on the southern front, Ukraine made a decisive strike overnight Tuesday on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula, home of what was just days ago the pride of the remnants of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Now it is little more than a salvage operation—both in the waters around the dry dock, where an advanced diesel submarine and an amphibious ship got roughly handled, and for Russia’s shrinking international credibility.

The strike is important not just because it shrinks the size of Russia’s naval assets off the coast of southern Ukraine, under siege for about 500 days and with little chance to export its grains and other goods. Moscow had long warned that serious strikes on the Crimean Peninsula, the first part of Ukraine that it illegally occupied in 2014, would trigger broader retaliation, even nuclear strikes. But no. Ukraine, a country lacking in naval ships, already sank one Russian capital ship. Now it has sunk a sub.

“If you’re on a Russian naval ship, you’re not safe anywhere in the Black Sea, but you’re particularly not safe in a fixed location—in port or at anchor—where reasonable targeting information can be relayed to drones that can come out and get you,” said Mark Montgomery, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral who is now at the Foundation for Defense for Democracies.

After using drones to disable air defense radar around Russia’s key naval base of Sevastopol in Crimea, Ukraine fired a salvo of missiles, reportedly British long-range Storm Shadows, into one of Russia’s largest dry docks early Wednesday morning, obliterating—according to satellite photos of the aftermath—a Kilo-class diesel submarine and mauling an amphibious landing ship. They also wrecked the docks, in one of the largest strikes on Sevastopol since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.

Wednesday’s strike puts growing pressure on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, which has been ground down by Ukraine’s MacGyver-like tactics, using U.S.-made Harpoon anti-ship missiles fired from truck beds and Ukrainian-made Neptune missiles, like the ones that put the Russian cruiser Moskva on the seafloor in April 2022, to keep itself supplied. Even though Ukraine has just a handful of small surface ships, maritime control is a different game now: There are fewer places for Russia to find safe harbor from Ukraine’s long-range missiles and drones, let alone refit its ships and men.

“Now they can’t rest and reconstitute in port,” Montgomery said.

Though the Kremlin is insisting that both ships damaged in Wednesday morning’s strike can be patched up relatively quickly, the attack, which left 24 people injured, raises new questions about the viability of Russia’s operations in Sevastopol, experts said. And that calls into question Russia’s entire control of the Black Sea.

The news comes as the Ukrainian counteroffensive on land runs into resistance. Russia has begun to harden a third line of defense in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday, including anti-tank obstacles and roadblocks south of Robotyne that Ukrainian forces liberated in August.

Kyiv can likely keep up the pressure on Crimea for a while, if not for too long. While the Russian-occupied peninsula is fair game for military targeting in the eyes of Western officials, Ukraine has a limited number of the British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles and French-made SCALP equivalents. Ukraine’s efforts to repeatedly hammer the Russian bridge across the Kerch Strait, to the east of Crimea, causing collapses of parts of the span in October 2022 and in July, show the vulnerability of the peninsula as a major resupply hub for Russian forces.

But if the Ukrainian offensive continues to pick up steam moving south, it could cause headaches for Kremlin military planners, who may have to move elements of command and control out of missile range. They may have to pull back even farther: The Biden administration is reportedly close to a decision over whether to send the long-range U.S. Army Tactical Missile System to Ukraine that could hit Russian targets up to 200 miles away.

It’s also a sign that Ukraine is getting naval capability from nontraditional sources, experts said, such as Western commando training for riverine operations and drones. They’re not the lightweights that the Russians might still think they are, said Jim Townsend, a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO. “These guys are very clever. They’re fighting all over the place.”

Ukrainian officials also said on Monday that they had retaken several oil platforms in the Black Sea known as the Boyko Towers, taking away Russia’s ability to use them as floating bases.

But the increasing pace of strikes in Crimea could also force Russia to move more air defense assets onto the peninsula at a time when it can ill afford to take those batteries out of other occupied areas of Ukraine.

“If you’re a Russian, or if you live there in Crimea, you’re going to start feeling pretty vulnerable,” Townsend said. “It’s a psychological blow for sure.”

[collapsedsquid]

It’s an awfully nice frigate you have there Mr Putin

[captain-price-unofficially]

Project 1164-class guided missile cruiser Moskva sinking in the Black Sea, 14 April 2022

#naval #Russo-Ukrainian War #modern

[beardedmrbean]

Ukrainian military officials on Wednesday said that nine Russian warplanes on the Crimean Peninsula were destroyed, but Ukraine has still not officially taken credit for the action.

Explosive attacks at the Saki air base in Crimea were worse than described by the Kremlin, The New York Times reported, with Russia's defense ministry initially stating that no equipment had been destroyed and no casualties occurred. Videos have purportedly showed more damage than Russian officials have acknowledged.

In social media posts on Facebook and Telegram, the Ukrainian Air Force displayed wartime statistics since the conflict began February 24—adding that the "nine invader planes" are included. Totals since the war's inception include the destruction of 232 Russian aircraft and 193 helicopters.

Russia said Wednesday that none of its aircraft had been impacted or destroyed, according to the Associated Press, and it did not acknowledge any attack on its fleet. However, The New York Times reported that the Kremlin-installed leader of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, declared a state of emergency after dozens of nearby homes and commercial structures were hit, leading to over 250 displaced residents.

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A senior Ukrainian military official also reportedly said Wednesday that Ukraine's special forces—in addition to local partisan resistance fighters loyal to the government in Kyiv—were responsible.

The newest reported attack comes on the heels of days of air-based back-and-forth strikes between both nations' militaries as weapons aid from the United States in the form of U.S.-made HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) have successfully connected with Russian targets.

Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to the minister of internal affairs of Ukraine, tweeted satellite images of the Saki airfield in Crimea that reportedly "show that more than 30 planes and helicopters were there before the explosion, worth more than $1 billion in total."

The replacement of them would take over 18 months even without sanctions, he added.

"Seems like no chance that a single plane remained intact. The impact of the yesterday's explosion is no less than the destruction of the cruiser Moskva. Dozens of warplanes will no longer be able to drop bombs and missiles on us," Gerashchenko tweeted Wednesday.

The Russian flagship Moskva cruiser was struck with a missile by Ukrainian forces in April, ultimately causing it to sink. It was then described by a former adviser of President Vladimir Putin as a "very, very painful blow" for the Russian military, both in terms of its fleet and symbolism.

On Wednesday, the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti referenced a Russian defense ministry report saying that Ukraine's 56th Motorized Infantry Brigade "lost its combat capability" following airstrikes near the settlement of Peski in the Donbas region.

"Up to 70 percent of the personnel were destroyed in the units of the formation," the report included, according to an English translation. "Most of the Ukrainian citizens mobilized to make up for the losses of the brigade refused to advance to the line of contact and deserted."

#nunyas news #that's gonna be nice for ukraine

[chrysocomae]

‘Apparently our guys have been forgotten’ Parents of Russian conscripts who disappeared aboard the Moskva still seeking answers one month later

11:48 am, May 17, 2022

Source: Meduza

A month has passed since a Ukrainian missile strike sank the Russian warship Moskva. In total, there were around 500 people aboard the vessel, which was the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship. The Russian Defense Ministry has only acknowledged that one sailor was killed, while claiming that another 27 are missing. On condition of anonymity, the mother of a conscripted sailor who disappeared aboard the Moskva told Meduza about her month-long battle with the Russian authorities for information about her son.

At the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian officials assured that draftees wouldn’t take part in the “special operation.” However, they later acknowledged that conscripts were in fact sent into combat. The crew of the Russian missile cruiser Moskva could have been more than half draftees, sources told the investigative outlet Agentstvo in early May. This is typical on board warships, where conscripts do all the “grunt work.” 

After a Ukrainian missile strike sank the Russian warship on April 14, the first person to report the disappearance of a conscript serving on board was Dmitry Shkrebets — the father of draftee Egor Shkrebets. On May 6, the Russian Defense Ministry sent Dmitry Shkrebets a letter that said Egor “had been declared missing from [his] military unit.” At the same time, the letter claimed that the Moskva didn’t enter Ukraine’s territorial waters and “was not included in the list of military formations and units involved in the special military operation” in Ukraine.

Dmitry Shkrebets published the letter on VKontakte, but deleted the post from his profile a few days later. He then wrote another post, thanking the command of the Black Sea Fleet for its “honest decision and humanity.” 

The Russian Defense Ministry has maintained the official position that the Moskva sank after an “ammunition detonation” on board the ship triggered a fire. The exact number of wounded and survivors has not been officially disclosed. According to a Meduza source close to the Black Sea Fleet���s command, at least 37 sailors were killed. Relatives of the Moskva’s missing crew members have been trying to get information about what happened to them for more than a month. Here is one mother’s story. 

Olga 

Name changed at her request

Now I understand that I need to ring all the alarm bells because apparently our guys have been forgotten. When I arrived in Crimea the first thing I did was go straight from the train station to the 810th Military Unit — where some of the surviving sailors from the cruiser Moskva were transferred. The captain [of the ship] met me there. He told me that he was involved in rescuing the guys, but it seemed to me that this wasn’t true. I looked at his hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, and hands — his body didn’t have any signs that he was there [like burns]. 

They [representatives of the Black Sea Fleet] really didn’t want me to talk to anyone from the media. They called every day and said that they were trying to find the missing sailors. The fleet’s leadership also assigned two women to me, who followed me constantly. I know that they followed me. I know perfectly well that none of them even lifted a finger.

I spoke with [the Black Sea Fleet’s Commander Igor] Osipov, he didn’t explain anything to me. At first he told me there were 19 people missing and three dead. The next day it turned out that there were 27 missing and one dead — [Ivan] Vakhrushev, who was a warrant officer on the ship. 

Osipov said there was a fire on the ship, however all of the guys who were there talked about thick, black smoke that made everyone vomit — no one saw a blazing fire. I tried to get information from them about what happened there and where our children are now.

Of course, they did a head count — and they know how many dead they have. Everyone understands everything, but I have no information. No one told me anything. 

Representatives of the Black Sea Fleet didn’t want to take me to the hospitals [where the sailors from the Moskva were being treated], but I managed to get into three. There, I saw normal, living guys, there were about 20 of them in total. I found out that they had signed something like a non-disclosure agreement for five years.

I tried to speak with one of the boys, he was with my son at the same time and place. But as soon as he started talking, the two women in uniform came over — and then he said that he couldn’t say anything because of the NDA. One boy managed to tell me in a whisper that they [the surviving sailors] were “scattered all over Russia.” 

The next day, I returned to the hospital again, but the boys flatly refused to talk. Some of the guys were in a very depressed state. I understand them perfectly. I tried to talk with them, albeit unsuccessfully. I showed them [the sailors in the hospital] photos of all the [missing] guys that I had. Some recognized them, but they conferred [with each other] and didn’t tell me anything about anyone.

I went to hospitals and the military units, I went digging wherever I could. There’s no information anywhere. As if there was no one anywhere. I wasn’t given any information and I had a feeling that I was being strung along. They didn’t show me any of the seriously wounded; I asked Osipov about it and I was even prepared to look in intensive care. 

I realized that no one was going to show me anything else and I left [Sevastopol] for home. A woman met me at the train station [in my city]. It turns out they got a call from Sevastopol to keep an eye on me. I don’t know who exactly she was, but I can guess that she was from a law enforcement agency. She and I agreed that we would continue to look for my son in hospitals, but they didn’t do anything. 

I contacted the conscription office in our city with a request for an investigation into where my son is and why a draftee was a participant in the military operation.

I promised them I wouldn’t speak to any media outlets. I said that if I find my child, then I’ll move away from here and even change my SIM card. They sent me a response, but there wasn’t a single word about combat activities [Editor’s note: Meduza is in possession of this document — it says that “these actions are not within the purview of the military commissariat” and recommends contacting the military prosecutor of the Black Sea Fleet]. 

I was also given paperwork to sign, saying that I agreed to reclassify him from “missing” to “deceased” — so I would receive money, more than 1 million rubles [$15,000]. But I turned it down. How can I bury my child when I believe he’s alive?

I went to see [the father of another missing conscript] Dmitry Shkrebets and his wife. He said he was going to find out the truth one way or another, and that he knew lawyers. I thought he’d see it through. I said to him: “Dima, ask the bosses what happened there.” But he didn’t talk to me. He seemed to be in communication with the command, but I can’t confirm this. He recently wrote a post [expressing his] gratitude to Black Sea Fleet. It shocked me. What gratitude? For the fact that they killed our children?

I called him and he started saying in a low voice that “they’ll come for us, he won’t say anything else.” Then I realized that we had nothing to talk about. Today, I broke down and wrote to him: “What, were you intimidated?” But he didn’t answer me. [Editor’s note: Meduza also tried to speak with Dmitry Shkrebets, but received no response]. 

A lot of people from Ukraine have written to me. They said: “It’s good that your son died.” They also asked when I was coming to pick up my “construction set” — and that they could send him to me in pieces. Only now do I realize what the word “war” means — it’s terrifying. I really want everyone to know about it. It really hurts me, but I have no other choice. All of the information is being hidden from us. I’m convinced that my child is alive, I just want to find him — may he be wounded, but found. 

#Россия #ukraine #moskva #sinking of the moskva #kursk submarine 2.0 #putin #russian invasion of ukraine #meduza #Україна #Москва

[tomorrowusa]

Russia has been trying to cover up the extent of the disaster of the sinking of the Moskva – Putin’s lost flagship in the Black Sea.

Not long after the sinking, the Kremlin released a photo of some members of the ship’s crew safe and on land. But some investigating revealed that this photo come from a vid recorded before the ship’s sinking.

The photograph sent to RFE/RL’s Siberia.Realities by an aunt of one of the sailors on board, Sergei Grudinin, 21, is some of the strongest evidence suggesting that the video is not what the Russian military made it out to be, but rather footage shot at some point before the sinking. Looking identical to parts of the video, it shows Grudinin standing, chin up, in a row of sailors in dark uniforms and caps. A total of about 10 men are in the frame.

[ ... ]

Grudinin was a conscript, meaning that, by law, he was not supposed to be sent into a combat zone. While Russia is fighting a war against Ukraine, with some of the fighting occurring along Ukraine’s Black Sea and Sea of Azov shores, the Defense Ministry has claimed that the ship was not involved in a combat operation.

Overall, the Moskva was a disaster waiting to happen.

This is a leaked report on the readiness status of Moskva as of February 10, 2022. 

Russia doesn’t just try to hide its disasters in Putin’s war, it apparently is also making up victories.

The Russians Got Caught Faking A TB-2 Drone Shoot-Down

Most recently, Russian forces apparently tried to create the impression they’ve shot down more of Ukraine’s TB-2s than they actually have, by staging old drone wreckage in a very sloppy mimicry of a recent crash.

The Russians have downed at least six of the slow-flying TB-2s that independent analysts can confirm. On Thursday they tried to assert an additional shoot-down—one that never actually happened. Purveyors of so-called “open-source intelligence” quickly revealed the fraud.

Russia has little to show for its invasion apart from genocide in Kyiv’s western suburbs, newly radioactive troops camping at Chernobyl, and looted washing machines and women’s underwear from Ukrainian homes and businesses.

#invasion of ukraine #moskva #sinking #cover-up #lies about lost sailors #russian propaganda #fake shoot-downs of uavs #putin's war #vladimir putin #russia #epic fail #владимир путин #россия #москва #предлог #показуха