Ukraine Lost 26,000 Troops and 3,000 Arms Since Start of Counteroffensive – Shoigu

©Russian Ministry of Defence / Go to the mediabank

Starting from June 4, the armed forces of Ukraine lost over 26,000 servicemen and more than 3,000 items of military hardware during their so-called counter-offensive, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has told reporters.

"The adversary’s losses beginning from June 4 have reached over 26,000 servicemen and 3,000 items of various pieces of armament," he said.

In his words, Russian troops destroyed 21 planes, five helicopters, 1,244 tanks and other armored vehicles, 17 German-made Leopard tanks, five AMX tanks produced by France and 12 US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles in the reported period.

Moreover, Russian forces eliminated 914 special automotive equipment, two air defense systems, 25 multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS), 403 field artillery cannons and mortars.

Russian air defense systems shot down 176 HIMARS rockets, 27 Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles and 483 drones of the Ukrainian armed forces.

Shoigu underscored the damage done to the Ukrainian artillery.

"Once again, I repeat, 403 [artillery] weapons [have been destroyed], including 43 US-made artillery pieces and 46 self-propelled artillery weapons from Poland, the United States and France," the minister emphasized.

He added that Russian troops continue to strike the enemy’s reserves and West-supplied military equipment with its high-precision weapons, thus reducing the offensive potential of the Ukrainian armed forces.

According to Shoigu, foreign intelligence services, primarily those of the United States and NATO, are closely following and analyzing Russia’s combat operations and note "the high efficacy of our defense lines and barrier minefields, [and the] professional work of army aviation and ground-attack aircraft who carry out pre-emptive strike at the adversary’s targets.".

Unsuccessfull Counteroffensive Effort

He stressed that Kiev continues to unsuccessfully try to break through the defense of the Russian military in different directions, and several waves of attacks have been launched in two days, the minister said.

"They are actively fighting, trying to break through our defenses in different directions. Just over the past two days, several waves of attacks have been launched," the minister said.

High-precision strikes of the Russian military against the reserves of the Ukrainian military, including Western equipment, significantly reduce the offensive potential of the enemy, the minister concluded. Shoigu stressed that should the US supply Ukraine with cluster munitions, the Russian Armed Forces would use similar arms against Kiev militants.

Sergey Shoigu added that the Russian Armed Forces launched its own counterattack in Krasny Liman direction and advanced 1.5 km.

Shoigu - Russia warns US about cluster bombs

If Washington makes good on its promise to send cluster munitions to Kiev, the Russian military will use its own diverse arsenal on the battlefield, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Tuesday.

“If the US supplies cluster munitions to Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces will be compelled to use equivalent weapons against the Ukrainian forces, by way of response,” Shoigu told reporters while visiting military factories in Tatarstan.

“It should be noted that Russia has cluster munitions, as they say, for all occasions,” Shoigu added. “They are much more effective than American ones, their range is broader and more diverse.”

Just like the US and Ukraine, Russia is not a party to the Convention of Cluster Munitions, Shoigu noted. However, Moscow has refrained from using its arsenal during the current conflict, “cognizant of the threat that such ammunition poses to the civilian population.

send dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM) artillery shells to Ukraine, claiming the danger to civilians was not great because Russia has allegedly used such ammunition before. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl told reporters that the US was aware of the danger such weapons pose to civilians, but that a Russian victory would be worse.

Shoigu pointed out that the US has given “various excuses” for the cluster bomb decision, including that they have run out of conventional 155mm artillery ammunition. This was a reference to what US President Joe Biden said in an interview with CNN, aired over the weekend.

Moscow’s ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, has described the delivery of cluster munitions to Ukraine as “a gesture of desperation” and an “act of madness” showcasing the impotence of Americans and their satellites.

According to Shoigu, Russian forces are already taking “organizational and technical” measures to protect both men and vehicles from the effects of US cluster munitions. The defense minister was in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan on Tuesday to visit the Central Military District. As part of his visit, he toured the Kamaz military vehicle factory and several other defense enterprises.

Western Intelligence Study the Combat Work of Russian Armed Forces

The intelligence services of the United States and other NATO countries carefully monitor and analyze the results of the combat work of the Russian military, Shoigu stressed.

"We know that the results of our combat work are carefully monitored and analyzed by foreign intelligence services, primarily the United States and NATO countries," Shoigu said.

Western intelligence agencies note the high efficiency of the defense of the Russian armed forces, minefields, preemptive airstrikes, as well as the highest resilience of the Russian military and the prompt response measures of commanders, the minister concluded.

Russian Supreme Commander-in-Chief Carefully Monitors the Situation

Russian President Vladimir Putin carefully monitors the situation – he is is briefed twice a day by the command of the Combined Group, as well as individual commanders with detailed reports on the current situation of the special military operation, Shoigu said.

"I want to emphasize that, despite his workload, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief twice a day hears in detail the report of the command of the Combined Group, as well as individual commanders on the situation. In detail in each direction," Defense Minister stressed.

All commanders at all levels understand and feel the full responsibility for the tasks assigned to them, the minister underscored.

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NATO Sees Adversary in Russia, as Moscow Vows to Closely Follow Vilnius Summit – Kremlin

FILE PHOTO: The flags of the EU and member states in front of the European Parliament in Brussel © FrankyDeMeyer/Getty Images

NATO countries perceive Russia as an enemy and adversary, it is in this vein that discussions will be held at the alliance's summit in Vilnius, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, adding that Moscow will closely monitor events at the summit.

"Definitely, we are talking about the summit of the association, which has a pronounced concentrated anti-Russian nature. Russia is also perceived by them as an enemy, as an adversary, and it is in this vein that discussions will be conducted," Peskov told reporters," adding that Moscow "is closely following" the summit.

On Turkiye Foreign Policy Stance

Europe does not want to see Turkiye becoming part of it, so Ankara should have no illusions in this regard, Kremlin spokesman added.

"Turkiye can orient itself to the West, we know that in the history of the Republic of Turkiye there were periods of intense orientation to the West, there were periods of less intense, but we also know that, to call things by their names, no one wants Turkiye in Europe, I mean the Europeans. On this matter our Turkish partners probably should not have any illusions either," Peskov told a briefing. Ankara's support for Sweden's accession to NATO is determined by Turkiye's membership in the alliance and Russia has never had any illusions on this matter, the spokesman stressed.

Peskov added that Russia and Turkiye have some differences on certain issue, but there is also that part of the relationship that corresponds to the interests of the two countries, and Moscow intends to continue dialogue.

Russia realizes that Türkiye has commitments to NATO, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday. “We never put on rose-tinted glasses in that regard,” he said. But neither should Ankara wear the proverbial accessory when it comes to EU membership, the official added.

“Calling a spade a spade, nobody wants to see Türkiye in Europe. I am referring to Europeans,” Peskov stated.

The remarks followed Turkey’s apparent agreement to drop its objection to Sweden joining NATO. The process cannot be completed unless all members of the 31-strong military organization agree to it, and Ankara has voiced objections.

“First, come and open the way for Türkiye at the European Union and then we will open the way for Sweden, just as we did for Finland,” he said, ahead of a NATO leaders’ summit in Lithuania this week.

"Therefore, I repeat once again, regardless of all well-known disagreements, we intend to develop our dialogue, our relations with the Republic of Turkiye where it is beneficial to us, and where it is beneficial to them," Kremlin spokesman told a briefing.

On Security Risks of Accelerated Accession of Ukraine to NATO

The accelerated accession of Ukraine to NATO is very dangerous for European security, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added.

Earlier in the day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg proposed to cancel the membership action plan for Ukraine, which will allow to shorten Kiev's accession process from a two-step to a one-step one.

"Potentially, this is very dangerous for European security. Indeed, this is fraught with very great dangers, and those who will make the decision should be aware of this," Peskov told a briefing, commenting on Ukraine's possible accelerated accession to NATO.

On French Plan to Transfer LRM Missiles to Kiev

France's plans to transfer long-range missiles to Ukraine was an erroneous decision, which will have consequences for Kiev, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed.

Earlier in the day, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France has decided to transfer long-range missiles to Kiev to support the offensive of the Ukrainian armed forces.

"Of course, it remains to be clarified and determined exactly what radius we are talking about. This, from our point of view, is an erroneous decision, fraught with consequences for the Ukrainian side, because, naturally, it will force us to take countermeasures," Peskov told a briefing.

On Risks of Moving NATO Infrastructure to Russian Borders

It is a mistake that Europe did not understand the risks from decisions to bring NATO's military infrastructure closer to the borders of Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

Western media reported on Monday that Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda believes that NATO should abandon its restrictions on the establishment of permanent military bases near the borders with Russia.

"It seems that the Europeans do not understand this mistake, it is very important to be aware that the Russian military infrastructure has never moved towards Western Europe, there has always been a movement in the opposite direction. If the Europeans do not understand this mistake, then, of course, this is regrettable," Peskov told reporters. The promotion of NATO's military infrastructure closer to Russia is one of the reasons behind the current situation, the official added.

On Russian Response Measures to Sweden Accession to NATO

Measures by Moscow in response to the accession of Sweden to NATO will be similar to those taken against Finland's accession to the alliance, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

"The measures are actually similar to those that are being designed, are planned in the context of Finland's accession that already took place," Peskov told reporter when asked about Russia's response to Sweden's accession to NATO.

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Indonesia menyita kapal tanker berbendera Iran yang diduga melakukan transfer minyak ilegal

Indonesia sita kapal tanker MT Arman 114 berbendera Iran yang diduga melakukan transshipment minyak secara ilegal. Foto/Marine Traffic

Bakamla (Badan Keamanan Laut) mengatakan telah menyita kapal suoer tangker MT Arman 114 yang membawa 272.569 metrik ton minyak mentah ringan dan diduga sedang mentransfer minyak ke kapal lain tanpa izin pada hari Selasa, 11/07/2023.

"MT Arman juga diduga melanggar peraturan maritim lainnya, seperti memutar sistem identifikasi otomatis, berlayar tanpa bendera dan beroperasi tanpa izin pelabuhan," kata Bakamla

Kapal Tangker MT Arman 114 membawa 272.569 metrik ton minyak mentah ringan, senilai 4,6 triliun rupiah ($304 juta), ketika disita minggu lalu, kata pihak berwenang Indonesia.

Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) diduga mentransfer minyak ke kapal lain tanpa izin pada hari Jumat, kata badan keamanan maritim negara Asia Tenggara itu.

Kapal itu ditangkap setelah terlihat di Laut Natuna Utara Indonesia, melakukan transfer minyak kapal-ke-kapal dengan MT S Tinos berbendera Kamerun, kata kepala badan tersebut, Aan Kurnia.

"MT Arman memalsukan sistem identifikasi otomatis (AIS) mereka untuk menunjukkan posisinya di Laut Merah tetapi kenyataannya ada di sini," kata Aan kepada wartawan.

"Jadi sepertinya mereka sudah berniat jahat," kata Aan, menambahkan bahwa kapal tersebut juga membuang minyak ke laut, yang melanggar hukum lingkungan Indonesia.

Operator kapal tidak dapat segera dihubungi untuk memberikan komentar.

Bersama dengan Arman, pihak berwenang menahan kapten berkebangsaan Mesir, 28 awak dan 3 penumpang, yang merupakan keluarga seorang petugas keamanan di kapal, kata kantor berita itu.

Setelah dua supertanker berusaha melarikan diri, pihak berwenang memfokuskan pengejaran mereka pada Arman, dibantu oleh pihak berwenang Malaysia saat kapal tersebut berlayar ke perairan mereka, kata Aan.

Tinos seharusnya dibubarkan pada 2018, tambahnya. Itu dibangun pada tahun 1999 sedangkan Arman dibangun pada tahun 1997, menurut database pengiriman Equasis.

Armada "bayangan" tanker yang membawa minyak dari Iran, Rusia, dan Venezuela yang terkena sanksi telah memindahkan kargo di Selat Singapura untuk menghindari deteksi, sebuah analisis Reuters menunjukkan tahun ini.

Risiko tumpahan minyak dan kecelakaan meningkat karena ratusan kapal tambahan, beberapa tanpa perlindungan asuransi, telah bergabung dalam perdagangan paralel yang tidak jelas selama beberapa tahun terakhir.

Armada "bayangan" tanker yang membawa minyak dari Iran, Rusia, dan Venezuela yang terkena sanksi telah memindahkan kargo di Selat Singapura untuk menghindari deteksi, sebuah analisis Reuters menunjukkan tahun ini.

Risiko tumpahan minyak dan kecelakaan meningkat karena ratusan kapal tambahan, beberapa tanpa perlindungan asuransi, telah bergabung dalam perdagangan paralel yang tidak jelas selama beberapa tahun terakhir.

Aan berjanji bahwa penjaga pantai Indonesia, dibantu oleh otoritas lain, akan memperkuat patroli di perairannya. Indonesia adalah negara kepulauan terbesar di dunia, dengan sekitar 17.000 pulau.

"Kita harus tegas, tangguh," katanya. "Harus ada efek jera agar tidak terjadi lagi."

Pada 2021, Indonesia menyita kapal berbendera Iran dan Panama atas tuduhan serupa. Kapten kedua kapal tersebut menerima masa percobaan dua tahun dari pengadilan Indonesia.

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FBI colluded with Ukraine in social media crackdown – lawmakers

The bureau failed to properly vet information provided by Kiev, the US House Judiciary Committee says

A crest of the Federal Bureau of Investigation inside the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington, DC. © AFP/ Mandel Ngan

The FBI cooperated with Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) to clamp down on social media accounts disseminating alleged “Russian disinformation,” but ended up flagging pages run by the US State Department and American journalists, a report by the House Judiciary Committee has revealed. 

Released on Monday, the report accused the FBI of not properly vetting lists of accounts provided to it by the SBU before sending them to the likes of Meta, Google, and Twitter.

As a result, the two agencies “flagged for social media companies the authentic accounts of Americans, including a verified US State Department account and those belonging to American journalists,” and requested that those pages be deleted, the document read.

On some occasions, the FBI followed up to ensure that “these accounts were taken down,” according to the report, which was based on documents subpoenaed from Meta and Alphabet in February.

In one of the SBU’s lists forwarded by the FBI to Meta, the official Russian-language Instagram account of the US State Department was described as “distribut[ing] content that promotes war, inaccurately reflects events in Ukraine, justifies Russian war crimes in Ukraine in violation of international law,” the report stated.

CNN pointed out that Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, apparently did not comply with the request to delete the State Department page.

Another moderation request filed to Facebook by the US domestic security agency included a roster of 5,165 accounts, the House Judiciary Committee said.

The report cited an email by a senior Twitter employee who indicated to the FBI that “a few accounts of American and Canadian journalists” were on one of the lists sent to the company by the agency.

Alphabet platforms Google and YouTube were also approached about censoring alleged pro-Russian accounts. A high-ranking member of Google’s cybersecurity team told the authors of the report that the company had been “deluged with various requests” for the removal of content, mainly from “the Ukrainian government, other Eastern European governments, the European Union, and the European Commission.” 

The House Judiciary Committee suggested that the FBI had “violated the First Amendment rights of Americans and potentially undermined our national security” through its partnership with the SBU, claiming that the latter had been “infiltrated by Russian-aligned actors.” 

The author of the paper noted the purge within the SBU by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky last summer, which saw the agency’s head sacked and hundreds of criminal cases launched against employees on treason charges.

The report was released ahead of FBI Director Christopher Wray’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, which is scheduled for Wednesday.

A Judiciary Committee aide told CNN that the Republicans on the panel are planning to question Wray about the content of the paper and use it to claim that the FBI interferes in free speech. 

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Video - Gunung Berapi Meletus di Barat Daya Islandia

Asap terlihat mengepul dari gunung berapi dari ibu kota terdekat Reykjavik
Foto: Kristinn Magnusson/AFP

Gunung berapi di dekat ibu kota Islandia, meletus pada hari Senin, 10/07/2023, menyusul periode aktivitas seismik di daerah tersebut, hampir 11 bulan setelah letusan terakhirnya berakhir secara resmi.

Letusan terjadi di lembah tak berpenghuni di Semenanjung Reykjanes di Islandia barat daya, kata badan meteorologi negara itu

Tidak ada tanda - tanda akan meletus

Letusannya kecil dan saat ini tidak ada emisi abu ke atmosfer, kata Badan Meteorologi Islandia, IMO. Lava muncul sebagai "serangkaian air mancur" dari retakan sepanjang 200 meter di lereng gunung, tambahnya.

Letusan gunung berapi Islandia cenderung mengingatkan orang pada April 2010, ketika gunung berapi Eyjafjallajokull memuntahkan awan abu yang sangat besar ke atmosfer.

Akibat kejadian ini, sebagian besar wilayah udara Eropa ditutup, meninggalkan hampir 100.000 penerbangan.

Daerah yang mulai meletus pada hari Senin (10/07), yang dikenal luas sebagai gunung berapi Fagradalsfjall, juga dekat dengan bandara utama Keflavik, tetapi beberapa letusan baru-baru ini tidak memengaruhi perjalanan udara.

Laporan media lokal menunjukkan lahar dan asap mengepul dari celah di tanah sisi gunung berapi Fagradalsfjall. Ribuan gempa kecil tercatat di daerah tersebut — titik panas vulkanik dan seismik — dalam seminggu menjelang letusan.

Semburan lahar kecil setidaknya saat letusan dimulai pada hari Senin (10/07)Foto: Juergen Merz/REUTERS

Magma menembus tanah sekitar pukul 16.40 waktu setempat, beberapa kilometer dari dua letusan sebelumnya dalam dua tahun terakhir.

Letusan pertama pada tahun 2021 berlangsung selama enam bulan, sedangkan letusan kedua terjadi pada tahun 2022 selama tiga minggu.

Islandia rata-rata mengalami satu letusan gunung berapi setiap empat hingga lima tahun.

Polisi Islandia telah membatasi akses ke gunung berapi yang telah memuntahkan "polusi gas beracun yang mengancam jiwa" sejak mulai meletus pada Senin, kata departemen perlindungan sipil dan manajemen darurat.

Warga semenanjung Reykjanes, dekat ibu kota Reykjavik, telah didorong untuk tidur dengan jendela tertutup dan mematikan ventilasi, kata departemen itu dalam sebuah pernyataan di Facebook pada Senin malam.

"Polisi, setelah nasihat dari para ilmuwan, telah memutuskan untuk membatasi akses ke lokasi letusan karena polusi gas beracun yang sangat besar dan mengancam jiwa," kata departemen itu.

“Untuk beberapa jam ke depan, kemungkinan besar gas akan terbentuk di sekitar lokasi erupsi akibat angin sepoi-sepoi. Mereka yang sudah atau sudah melakukan pendakian ke lokasi erupsi, sangat disarankan untuk meninggalkan area tersebut,” dia berkata.

Letusan mengikuti aktivitas seismik yang intens selama beberapa hari terakhir dan diklasifikasikan sebagai letusan celah, yang biasanya tidak menghasilkan ledakan besar atau sejumlah besar abu di stratosfer, kata pemerintah Islandia dalam sebuah pernyataan Senin malam.

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