Russia strikes New York in Donbass with giant bomb - Video

A video of what is said to be the use of Russia’s new FAB-3000 heavy aerial bomb against Ukrainian positions in the settlement of New York in the Donetsk People’s Republic has emerged on social media.

According to reports by some Russian Telegram channels on Sunday, the three-ton high-explosive bomb equipped with a guidance module struck a Ukrainian command center, killing at least 60 troops and destroying four vehicles. The affected building “disappeared without a trace,” one of the reports claimed.

The drone footage of the strike, allegedly made in New York, captured a gigantic explosion. RT could not independently verify the authenticity of the clip. Russia’s Ministry of Defense has not commented on the matter.

The FAB-3000 was reportedly deployed for the first time in the village of Liptsy during Russia’s advance in the Kharkov Region two weeks ago.

Russian military experts said that FAB-3000 bombs pack a punch that’s enough to destroy even the strongest fortifications, and that new technology allows targets to be hit with a high degree of accuracy.

Western experts have also acknowledged that the FAB-3000 and smaller air-launched bombs, which Russia upgraded with pop-out wings and satellite navigation, pose an extremely serious threat to the Ukrainian military.

Defense News wrote earlier this week that “in recent months” Russia has used this kind of weaponry against Ukraine’s front-line troops. “Currently, Ukraine has few counters to glide bomb strikes,” it said.

The settlement of New York first appeared on the maps in the mid-19th century; the exact origins of its name are currently unclear. Some historians say it is related to an American entrepreneur, who operated in the village, while others link it to Mennonite settlers, who came to the area from the city of Jork in Germany. There’s also a suggestion that the Americanized name was simply a result of a transliteration error from the Latin to the Cyrillic alphabet.

Over the past several months, Russian troops have been making steady gains in Donbass. In early May, Moscow also launched an offensive in Kharkov Region. President Vladimir Putin said it was a response to the routine shelling of Russian civilian infrastructure by Ukrainian troops in the border regions, requiring the creation of a “sanitary zone.”

WATCH Russian military destroy US-supplied missile launcher in Ukraine

The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday reported the destruction of a US-made М270А1 MLRS missile system in Ukraine’s Nikolayev Region, sharing drone footage of the strike.

The system, a heavier-tracked cousin of HIMARS, capable of firing ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles as well as smaller projectiles, was spotted by surveillance drones near the village of Shevchenkovo, located to the south of the city of Nikolayev. The vehicle was apparently being prepared to fire missiles, yet it opted to return to its staging area for some unknown reason.

The launcher and its support vehicle were tracked to a civilian hangar on the southern outskirts of Shevchenkovo, footage shows. The building was promptly hit by a Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile. The powerful blast inflicted heavy damage on the hangar, with multiple secondary explosions observed by the surveillance drone.

“Objective control recorded the destruction of the target and a secondary detonation. Ukrainian Armed Forces militants, an M270A1 MLRS launcher, a support vehicle, as well as transport-loading vehicles with ammunition that were concealed in the hangar, were destroyed in the strike,” the military said in a statement.

The Russian military has been consistently hunting for high-value Ukrainian assets, including the HIMARS-family launchers. Throughout June, hits on several units of the type have been reported, with some of them corroborated by drone footage.

Touted by the Ukrainian military as a high-precision tool to strike important Russian military targets, such as airfields or command points, systems of this type have been routinely used for indiscriminate strikes deep into Russian territory.

On Sunday, for instance, the Ukrainian military fired five ATACMS missiles packed with cluster warheads at Crimea, according to the Russian military. While four missiles were intercepted, one made it through, spilling its contents along a beach, injuring over 150 people and killing at least five, including two children.

Watch Russian Kamikaze Drones Take Out Ukrainian Drone Control Center

Even as Ukrainian forces try to use UAVs to harass Russian troops in the Ukrainian conflict zone, their efforts are thwarted by Russian drone operators.

A Ukrainian drone control center in the Kherson region was rendered inoperable by a surgical drone strike by Russian forces.

The attack was carried out using kamikaze drones that managed to bypass Ukrainian defenses and deliver a precise blow that likely hampered Ukrainian drone operations in the region.

This short video released by the Russian Ministry of Defense shows how this strike was executed.

Watch Russian Su-30 SM Fighter Jets on Combat Duty in Special Op Zone

Su-30 was designed to quickly gain air dominance in the conflict zones and eliminate other air targets.

The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage showing a Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM patrolling the skies in the Special Military Operation Zone. The Su-30SM proved to be particularly effective against various targets, including naval drones.

The footage shows crews patrolling the designated areas and providing fire support to other planes and helicopters pounding Ukrainian infrastructure.

Deadly Sevastopol strike & attack on Europe’s biggest nuclear plant: The week in the Ukraine conflict - VIDEOS

A day of mourning is declared in the wake of the deadly Ukrainian strike on Sevastopol, Russia, on June 23, 2024.
©Sputnik/Konstantin Mikhalchevsky

The Russian Armed Forces have pressed the advance in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past week as military activity continued along the front lines. Ukraine has launched several major attacks against sensitive locations in Russia, including the Crimean port city of Sevastopol and the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant – the biggest such facility in Europe.

On Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the liberation of the village of Shumy, located just east of Toretsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Since 2014, Kiev’s forces have turned the town into a major stronghold. The front line in the area remained relatively stable, from the beginning of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine until this week, when Moscow’s troops started actively moving west, towards Toretsk.

The city is located roughly between two other areas of the Donetsk People’s Republic where Russian troops have actively been seeking to advance over the past months: the Avdeevka area to the south and the town of Chasov Yar to the north.

Chasov Yar in particular remains one of the hottest points along the front line. The area had been turned into a major logistics hub and a heavily fortified stronghold by Kiev’s troops. No major changes to the front line have been reported over the past days near the town itself, but the Russian Defense Ministry reported liberating the village of Razdolovka located northeast of Chasov Yar and north of another key Donbass stronghold, Artyomovsk (known as Bakhmut in Ukraine).

Kiev’s forces have suffered heavy losses in the battle for Razdolovka, according to the Russian military. Up to 4,410 Ukrainian servicemen were lost there in just one week, the Russian ministry said.

Deadly strike on Sevastopol

Last Sunday, Ukraine targeted Sevastopol, the most important naval port in Crimea and the largest city on the peninsula, using five US-supplied ATACMS missiles with cluster warheads, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry. Four rockets were destroyed in mid-air, but the fifth veered off-course after being damaged by air defenses and detonated above the city. Disturbing videos from Sevastopol captured numerous bomblets landing in a packed seaside area and terrified beachgoers running for cover. The city authorities said four civilians, including two children, were killed in the strike and more than 150 others were wounded.

Moscow summoned the US ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, over the incident and told her that the US bears responsibility for it as well, since American specialists were involved in the ATACMS flight mission’s planning. Washington has sought to distance itself from the attack, claiming that Ukraine itself decides what to do with Western-supplied arms.

On Friday, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said that he had ordered the military to come up with plans on how to respond to an “increased number of US strategic drone missions flown over the Black Sea.” According to the minister, the UAVs “conduct reconnaissance and provide targeting data for weapons, which Western nations supply to conduct strikes on Russian targets.” Such actions increase the risk of direct clashes between Russia and NATO aircraft, the minister warned, adding that NATO should be held responsible for them if they do happen.

Attack on Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian military shelled a radiation monitoring station near the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), the officials working at the station said. The attack targeted a monitoring station in Velikaya Znamenka, a village around 15km west of the nuclear facility. The station was completely destroyed by Ukrainian artillery fire, according to the authorities. The facility was a part of a sensor network designed to monitor any potential radiation leaks.

Russia has been in control of the Zaporozhye NPP since the early weeks of the hostilities with Ukraine. The power plant, however, has been regularly subjected to attacks throughout the Ukraine conflict. Last week, local officials reported several Ukrainian attacks on its key infrastructure, in which two transformer substations were damaged.

Kiev considers the power plant to be illegally occupied and has accused Russia of using it for military purposes – something that Moscow has repeatedly denied. The UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), maintains an observer mission at the site, but has declined to attribute blame for any attacks affecting the station.

Children killed in Ukrainian attack on Russian region

Five people, including two small children, were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike in Russia’s Kursk Region, local governor Aleksey Smirnov said on Saturday. Two more people were hospitalized and remain in critical condition, he added.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported what it called at least six attempts by “the Kiev regime to carry out terrorist attacks on Russian territory with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles” that were intercepted by the nation’s air defenses overnight. Two drones were destroyed in Tver Region, one in Bryansk Region, one in Belgorod Region and two in Crimea, the statement read.

The Russian regions of Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk, all of which border Ukraine, have been the targets of Ukrainian missile, mortar and drone attacks on an almos daily basis since the outbreak of the conflict in February 2022. The strikes have targeted energy and civilian infrastructure as well as residential areas, resulting in deaths and injuries.

Hunt for Western-supplied equipment continues

Several videos have emerged over the week showing Russian troops successfully destroying or capturing military equipment supplied to Ukraine by its Western backers. Last weekend, the first Senator armored personnel carrier (APC) provided to Kiev by the Canadian company Roshel was hit by Moscow’s forces.

The vehicle, advertised back in 2018 as a “combat proven platform” and described by some Western media as capable of “surviving the apocalypse,” was destroyed during an offensive in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic and Zaporozhye Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said at that time.

On Thursday, a video published by a Telegram channel showed Russian artillery destroying a German-supplied Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled 155mm howitzer. The artillery piece was reportedly hit near the key Donbass town of Avdeevka, which was liberated by Russian troops in mid-February. The Western-supplied equipment was observed by the Russian surveillance drones and tracked from its firing position to a wooded area nearby, where it was targeted by Russian forces.

Kiev has received at least 28 weapons of the type; multiple units have been destroyed by the Russian military in artillery duels and kamikaze drone strikes. Early this year, Germany pledged to supply Ukraine with 18 additional PzH 2000s.

On Saturday, another video surfaced on social media, demonstrating the Russian soldiers capturing a US-supplied Ukrainian M1 Abrams tank. The armor piece was reportedly seized somewhere near Avdeevka.

Footage shows the soldiers examining the relatively intact tank, which still has visible burn marks on its hull and appears to have been abandoned while standing on the edge of a field.

Washington has pledged to deliver some 31 M1 Abrams tanks and several M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles – which share the same chassis – to Kiev early last year. The delivery was only completed in mid-October. The tanks made their actual battlefield debut in February this year; they were deployed by Kiev with the aim of stopping Moscow’s westward push in Donbass following the liberation of Avdeevka.

The Russian military have since repeatedly published videos of the US-supplied tanks being destroyed, mostly by drones.

Russia’s long-range strikes continue

Russia’s long-range airstrikes continued throughout the week, with Moscow adding Ukrainian airfields to its list of usual targets; the airfields are being prepared to host the F-16 fighter jets that the West has promised to supply.

Last Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that it had carried out a group strike overnight using long-range air and sea-based weapons and drones on Ukrainian energy infrastructure facilities supporting Kiev’s defense industry as well as warehouses storing ammo and missiles supplied to Ukraine by the US and its allies. “The goals of the strike have been achieved. All designated targets have been hit,” it said.

A similar bombardment took place across Ukraine the next day, with a training site for flight and technical personnel of the Ukrainian Air Force being hit among other things, according to Moscow.

On Monday, a day after the attack on Sevastopol, the Russian military said that it targeted a “large logistics center of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” which was used for the “accumulation, storage and redistribution of weapons, including missiles, delivered to the Kiev regime by Western countries.”

Midweek, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported a series of strikes on Ukrainian airfields that it said are slated to host Western-made jets. This time, the attacks involved Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, it added. After getting the approval from Washington a year ago, Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands promised to provide Kiev with dozens of F-16s, but none of the planes have been delivered yet.

Pemerintah pastikan harga Pertalite dan Solar tidak naik pada Juli

Arsip foto - Petugas saat mengisi pertamax ke tangki motor pelanggan di Balikpapan. Harga pertamax yang kini jauh di atas pertalite menyebabkan konsumen pertamax berpindah ke pertalite. ANTARA/HO-Patra Niaga.

Kementerian Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM) menegaskan bahwa harga bahan bakar minyak (BBM) bersubsidi, yakni Pertalite dan Solar, tidak akan mengalami kenaikan pada bulan Juli 2024.

"Pertalite yang JBKP (Jenis BBM Khusus Penugasan) belum disesuaikan, seperti Solar. Kalau Pertamax Cs mungkin," kata Kepala Biro Komunikasi, Layanan Informasi Publik, dan Kerja Sama Kementerian ESDM Agus Cahyono Adi dalam keterangannya yang diterima di Jakarta, Minggu.

Meskipun demikian, Agus mengatakan bahwa hingga saat ini harga BBM nonsubsidi, yakni Pertamax series dan Dex series, belum dipastikan apakah akan ada penyesuaian atau tetap.

“Sampai saat ini belum disesuaikan, kalau BBM umum nonsubsidi (Pertamax series dan Dex series) ditetapkan oleh badan usaha, sepanjang dalam kisaran harga formulasinya," katanya.

Agus juga mengatakan bahwa sejauh ini Harga Minyak Mentah Indonesia atau Indonesia Crude Oil Price (ICP) cenderung stagnan.

Meskipun, Agus mengakui, tetap ada beban berat yang berasal dari nilai tukar dolar Amerika Serikat (AS) terhadap rupiah.

"Kalau harga minyak ICP masih stagnan, namun yang berat kursnya," katanya.

Nilai tukar Dolar AS berdasarkan kurs tengah Bank Indonesia (BI) sampai 27 Juni 2024 berada di level Rp16.324. Sementara, untuk ICP sampai 27 Juni 2024 berada di level 79,12 dolar AS per barel.

Ketika dihubungi oleh ANTARA pada Jumat (28/6), Corporate Secretary PT Pertamina Patra Niaga Irto Ginting mengatakan bahwa saat ini Pertamina sedang meninjau kemungkinan penyesuaian harga BBM nonsubsidi untuk Juli 2024.

“Ini yang sedang kami tinjau,” kata Irto.

Pemerintah telah menahan kenaikan harga BBM, baik subsidi dan nonsubsidi, sejak awal tahun 2024.

Menteri ESDM Arifin Tasrif dalam kesempatan sebelumnya mengungkapkan pertimbangan pemerintah menahan harga BBM untuk tetap stabil hingga Juni 2024, yakni untuk mendukung pemulihan ekonomi masyarakat setelah pandemi COVID-19.

Gejolak harga minyak dunia, eskalasi konflik di Timur Tengah, hingga pelemahan kurs rupiah terhadap dolar AS membuat kompensasi dan anggaran subsidi BBM di dalam negeri membengkak.

Arifin juga mengatakan bahwa terkait kelanjutan harga BBM subsidi dan nonsubsidi pada Juli akan dibahas bersama Menteri BUMN Erick Thohir dan Menteri Keuangan Sri Mulyani.

Akan tetapi, hingga Jumat (28/6), Arifin mengungkapkan, belum ada keputusan apakah harga BBM nonsubsidi akan naik pada Juli 2024.

“(Keputusan harga) BBM belum putus,” kata Arifin.

Russian Mi-28NM Attack Helicopter on the Prowl in Ukrainian Conflict Zone – Video

Delivering a swift and deadly strike to enemy forces, evading return fire and returning to base safely – Russian combat helicopter pilots operating in the Ukrainian conflict zone have gotten it down to a science.

Mi-28NM helicopters have once again confirmed their reputation as the bane of enemy armored units and personnel, dealing yet another stinging blow to Ukrainian forces.

Having launched a salvo of unguided rockets at camouflaged Ukrainian positions, the pilots returned home safe and sound.

This short video disseminated by the Russian Ministry of Defense shows what such sorties look like.

WATCH Russian drone destroy Ukrainian military boat

A Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has successfully destroyed a Ukrainian military motorboat, according to a video that has been published on social media.

The 16-second clip starts with the drone locking onto its target, a quick-moving Ukrainian river vessel. The video's caption identifies the UAV as a Russian Lancet.

First-person-view footage then shows the UAV approaching the boat. The video continues with footage apparently taken by another drone, which shows the first smashing into the vessel and setting it on fire; the burning motorboat is then seen beaching. It is unclear where and when exactly the attack took place.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the video yet. The latest military report detailing the developments on the frontlines over the past 24 hours does not mention any boats among the Ukrainian equipment being destroyed by the Russian military.

The Lancet family of kamikaze drones, which are also known as loitering munitions, have frequently been mentioned in the context of successful Russian strikes; notably, they have been used to destroy several US-made Abrams tanks.

Earlier in June, one such exploding UAV destroyed a Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-25 that had been caught in the open at an airfield. The Russian loitering munition has a distinctive shape due to its two sets of X-wings and comes in two principal versions, with payloads weighing one and three kilograms, respectively.

Back in November 2023, the head of the Russian arms export agency Rosoboronexport, Aleksandr Mikheev, claimed that foreign buyers were showing a great deal of interest in the Lancets. At the time, Mikheev stressed that the drones were not being sold abroad at the moment because “the Russian armed forces have a high demand for it and there is no export permission for it yet.”

Ukraine loses up to 270 troops in area of responsibility of Russia’s Battlegroup North

Ukraine lost up to 270 troops in the area of responsibility of Russia’s Battlegroup North in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Units of Battlegroup North hit the troops and equipment of the 42nd and 57th mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian armed forces and the 105th Territorial Defense Brigade near Neskuchnoye, Volchansk and Liptsy in the Kharkov Region. The enemy lost up to 270 troops," the statement reads.

The Ukrainian army also lost a tank, four motor vehicles, a US-made M109 Paladin 155 mm howitzer, a 2A65 Msta-B 152 mm howitzer and three D-30 122 mm howitzers.

Battlegroup Dnepr eliminates up to 100 Ukrainian troops in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr eliminated up to 100 Ukrainian troops and destroyed a field ammunition depot in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Units of Battlegroup Dnepr hit the troops and equipment of the 65th Mechanized Brigade and the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces, as well as the 35th Marine Brigade, and the 15th National Guard Brigade, near Pyatkhatki, Rabotino and Malaya Tokmachka in the Zaporozhye Region and Novotyaginka in the Kherson Region. The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 100 troops, six motor vehicles, a US-made M777 155 mm howitzer, a D-20 152 mm howitzer and a Gvozdika 122 mm self-propelled howitzer. A Ukrainian field ammunition depot was also destroyed," the statement reads.

Ukraine loses up to 360 troops in area of responsibility of Russia’s Battlegroup Center

The Ukrainian army lost up to 360 troops in the area of responsibility of Russia’s Battlegroup Center in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, the battlegroup liberated the settlement of Shumy in the Donetsk People’s Republic and improved its tactical positions, inflicting a defeat on the forces of the 41st Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces and the 109th Territorial Defense Brigade in several settlements in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

Soldiers of the 80th Arctic Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces in the Kherson direction destroyed an anti-aircraft installation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

"Six counterattacks by assault teams of the 47th Mechanized Brigade, the 142nd Infantry Brigade and the 68th Ranger Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces were repelled in the past day. The enemy lost up to 360 troops, two armored combat vehicles, a motor vehicle, a D-20 152 mm howitzer, two D-30 122 mm howitzers, a US-made M119 105 mm howitzer and an MT-12 Rapira 100 mm anti-tank gun," the statement said.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts defeat on seven Ukrainian brigades

Units of Russia’s Battlegroup West moved to more advantageous positions in the past day, inflicting a defeat on seven Ukrainian brigades, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Units of Battlegroup West moved to more advantageous positions in the past day, inflicting a defeat on the forces of the 1st, 14th, 63rd and 116th mechanized and the 4th Tank Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces, the 112th Territorial Defense Brigade and the 1st National Guard Brigade near Petropavlovka, Sinkovka and Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region, Chervonaya Dibrova and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the statement reads.

In addition, two counterattacks by Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade were repelled. "Over the past day, the Ukrainian armed forces lost over 500 troops, three motor vehicles, a US-made M198 155 mm howitzer, a 2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm self-propelled howitzer and a D-30 122 mm howitzer," the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that two Ukrainian ammunition depots and a US-made AN/TPQ-50 radar system had also been destroyed.

Battlegroup Center liberates settlement of Shumy in Donetsk People’s Republic

Russia’s Battlegroup Center has liberated the settlement of Shumy in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Units of Battlegroup Center carried out successful operations, liberating the settlement of Shumy in the Donetsk People’s Republic and improving their tactical position. They also inflicted a defeat on the forces of the 41st Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces and the 109th Territorial Defense Brigade near Kirovo, Leninskoye, Sokol, Novgorodskoye and Novosyolovka Pervaya in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the statement reads.

Russian forces down MiG-29 aircraft of Ukrainian Air Force

Russian air defenses downed an MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Air defenses downed an MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, as well as 119 unmanned aerial vehicles, five US-made ATACMS missiles and ten US-made HIMARS rockets," the statement reads.

Russian forces destroy two launchers of Ukrainian S-300PS missile systems

The Russian Armed Forces destroyed two launchers of Ukraine’s S-300PS missile system in the course of the special military operation in Ukraine in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Russian tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery forces destroyed a division control center, an engagement radar, a low-altitude surveillance radar and two launchers of the S-300PS missile system. In addition, enemy troops and equipment were hit in 119 areas," the statement reads.

Battlegroup East moves to more advantageous positions, makes Ukraine lose up to 135 troops

Units of Russia’s Battlegroup East have moved to more advantageous positions, making Ukraine lose up to 135 troops, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Units of Battlegroup East moved to more advantageous positions and hit the troops and equipment of the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces and the 102nd Territorial Defense Brigade near Urozhainoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Kulturnoye in the Zaporozhye Region. In addition, two counterattacks by the enemy’s 72nd Motorized Infantry Brigade were repelled. The Ukrainian army lost up to 135 troops," the statement reads.

The enemy also lost five motor vehicles, a British-made FH-70 155 mm howitzer, a 2A65 Msta-B 152 mm howitzer, a 2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm self-propelled howitzer, a Grad 122 mm multiple rocket launcher and an MT-12 Rapira 100 mm anti-tank gun. Besides, an Anklav-N electronic warfare station was destroyed.

Battlegroup South improves positions, makes Ukraine lose over 430 troops

Ukraine lost up to 430 troops in the area of responsibility of Russia’s Battlegroup South in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Units of Battlegroup South improved their frontline positions and hit the troops and equipment of the 56th Motorized Infantry Brigade, the 72nd Mechanized Brigade and the 214th Special Battalion OPFOR of the Ukrainian armed forces near Zaliznyanskoye, Grigorovka, Chasov Yar, Kalinina and Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. A counterattack by the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces was repelled. The enemy lost over 430 troops, three armored vehicles and eight motor vehicles," the statement reads.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, two US-made M777 howitzers, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system, three D-20 howitzers, a D-30 howitzer, a British-made L-119 howitzer, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, a US-made AN/TPQ-50 radar system and two electronic warfare systems were destroyed by counterbattery fire. Five Ukrainian field ammunition depots were also wiped out.

Russia's Tsentr Group of Forces Takes Control of Village of Shumy

©Sputnik/Stanislav Krasilnikov/Go to the mediabank

Russia's Tsentr group of forces has taken control of the village of Shumy in the Donetsk People's Republic and repelled six Ukrainian counterattacks over the past 24 hours, eliminating up to 360 troops, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

"The units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have liberated Shumy (Donetsk People's Republic), improved their tactical position and defeated formations of the 41st Mechanised Brigade and the 109th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Kirovo, Leninskoye, Sokol, Novgorodskoye, and Novosyolovka Pervaya (Donetsk People's Republic).... The enemy losses were up to 360 servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, one motor vehicle, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, two 122-mm D-30 howitzers, one U.S.-made 105-mm M119 gun, and one 100-mm MT-12 Rapira anti-tank gun," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Sever group of forces struck Ukrainian forces near the villages of Neskuchnoye, Volchansk and Lyptsi, eliminating up to 270 soldiers, a tank and four vehicles, as well as a US-made Paladin self-propelled artillery system, an Msta-B howitzer and three D-30 howitzers, the ministry added.

At the same time, Russia's Zapad group of forces repelled two attacks by Ukraine, eliminating over 500 troops, the ministry said.

"The UAF [Ukirainian Armed Forces] losses were over 500 servicemen, one infantry fighting vehicle, three motor vehicles, one 155-mm U.S.-made M198 howitzer, one 122-mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer," the ministry added. Russia's Yug group of forces repelled a Ukrainian attack, eliminating over 430 servicepeople, the ministry noted. "The enemy losses were more than 430 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, and eight motor vehicles," the ministry said.

Russian Air Defenses Down Six Ukrainian Drones Over 4 Regions Overnight

Russian air defenses shot down overnight six Ukrainian drones over the Tver, Bryansk, Belgorod regions and Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

“During the past night, when the Kiev regime attempted to carry out terrorist attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles on the territory of the Russian Federation, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed two UAVs over the territory of the Tver Region, one UAV over the Bryansk Region, one UAV over the Belgorod Region and two UAVs over the Republic of Crimea,” the ministry said.

Ukraine has been sending drones towards Russia almost daily since it launched its botched counteroffensive attempt. Russian officials repeatedly stressed that deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure reveal the criminal nature of Kiev regime.

Russia Destroys Ukrainian S-300 Air Defense System in Odessa Region - Defense Ministry

The Russian armed forces destroyed the Ukrainian S-300 air defense system in the Odessa Region using an Iskander-M complex, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

"The Russian armed forces carried out a missile strike on the position of the Ukrainian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system using the Iskander missile system. Objective control confirmed the destruction of the target," the statement read.

The target position was located in the settlement of Velykodolynske in the Odesa Region, the ministry said.

Kim Dotcom: US Heading for Disaster Due to Proxy Wars, Propaganda, and Leadership

The recent debate between current US President Joe Biden and Republican candidate Donald Trump indicated that the country is headed for an imminent collapse, wrote entrepreneur and former owner of the largest file-sharing site Megaupload, Kim Dotcom, on the social network X.

Not only Americans watched the debate yesterday. The whole world did. The standing of the US Govt is damaged beyond repair. Proxy war, genocide, non-stop propaganda and a leader in adult diapers who’s mentally incapacitated. The wolves are circling. The end of empire is near.

— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) June 29, 2024

"Not only Americans watched the debate yesterday. The whole world did. […] The end of empire is near," he noted.

Dotcom emphasized that after this event, the reputation of the US government was completely undermined and beyond repair. In his opinion, Washington's proxy wars, continuous propaganda, and a mentally unfit leader will lead the country to disaster.

The US presidential election will be held on November 5, 2024. The main contenders in the race are the current head of state, Democrat Biden, and former US leader, Republican Trump.

On Friday, the candidates met in the first round of pre-election debates, which CNN broadcast live from a studio in Atlanta. During his speech, Biden stumbled, misspoke, and, at the end, needed his wife's help to leave the stage.