Ukrainian Troops Blown Up By Their Own Mines – Russian Military

A group of Ukrainian infantry troops were taken out their own mines while attempting an attack in the direction of Ugledar in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), a Russian soldier with the call sign "Buka" from the 2nd Dmitry Donskoy Rifle Battalion said.

"Just a few days ago, there was another attempt by the Ukrainian forces to launch an offensive in the direction of Ugledar. A group of infantry accompanied by three units of heavy equipment tried to advance, but the attempt was unsuccessful as they couldn't reach our positions; instead, they triggered their own mines."

"In addition, our Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) quickly responded with additional air strikes, once again thwarting their offensive," the source said.

He emphasized that the Ukrainian armed forces are constantly trying to launch offensives against the Russian positions, but to no avail. Last Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the elimination of Ukrainian troops and equipment in the area of Ugledar and Makarovka.

Yesterday, on the sidelines of the Second Russia-Africa Summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the intensification of Ukrainian Armed Forces activity in the special operation zone, saying that Russian forces had stopped their counteroffensive attempts and pushed Ukrainian troops back, causing them heavy losses.

Kiev's main attack was in Zaporozhye Region. In just one day of the counteroffensive, Ukraine lost 39 pieces of military equipment, including 26 tanks, and over 200 men in battles in the region.

Despite much hype, the Ukrainian counteroffensive, which began in June, has failed to achieve any meaningful objectives and resulted in significant losses of troops and equipment.

Russian Army Destroys 3 German Leopard Tanks and 2 French AMX Wheeled Tanks in South Donetsk

The Ukrainian military lost nearly 300 soldiers and five tanks in the South Donetsk direction in the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

The ministry mentioned that the Ukrainian forces have continued to make attempts to attack in South Donetsk, Donetsk, and Krasny Liman directions. The ministry mentioned that all attacks have been repelled.

"Up to 180 Ukrainian servicemen [in Zaporozhye and South Donetsk area], five tanks, including three German Leopards and two French AMX wheeled tanks, 17 infantry fighting vehicles, two armored fighting vehicles, a US-made M777 artillery system, and an anti-aircraft missile system combat vehicle were destroyed, as well as the fighting vehicle of the anti-aircraft missile system Strela-10," the ministry said in a statement, adding that another attack was repelled near Vremevka Ledge, where Ukraine lost up to 110 soldiers after its sabotage group was neutralized.

According to the ministry, Ukraine lost 90 soldiers in Krasny Liman direction following four failed attacks and 260 soldiers in Donetsk direction, where Russia repelled seven attacks. In addition, Russian forces managed to advance in Sergeevka area in the Lugansk People’s Republic by 1 mile.

Ukraine Bombed Residential Area With Cluster Munitions, Killing One Woman

The Ukrainian Armed Forces three times shelled the town of Tokmak in Zaporozhye with cluster munitions, killing a civilian woman, the acting governor of the region, Yevgeny Balitsky, reported on his Telegram channel.

"Yesterday, the enemy launched three rocket attacks with cluster munitions on the residential area of Tokmak. As a result of the shelling, a private residential building caught fire and a woman was killed," he posted on social media.

Another local resident was injured and has been hospitalized. Balitsky noted that the second missile was intercepted by air defense systems, and the third projectile did not explode, and will be safely disposed of by sappers.

Since March 2022, Tokmak has been under the control of Russian forces.

In July, US President Joe Biden announced the White House's decision to supply Kiev with cluster munitions. Commenting on the supplies, Russian President Vladimir Putin recalled that previous US administrations had called such actions criminal. According to him, "this is how it should be treated."

The peculiarity of these munitions is the lack of self-destruct mechanisms. According to the US military, between 5 and 14 percent of these munitions may not detonate at all due to prolonged storage. In this case, they function as mines and pose a threat to civilians even after the conflict is over.

Russia, African countries call for just multipolar world — Putin

©Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Russia and African countries are calling for the formation of a just multipolar world order based on the principles of equality of countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a reception in honor of the participants of the Russia-Africa summit.

"Russia and African countries are now jointly calling for the formation of a just multipolar world order based on the principles of sovereign equality of countries, non-interference in their internal affairs, respect for the right of peoples to determine their own fate," he said.

Putin said Russia will continue to make "a real contribution to resolving current crises and preventing new hotbeds of tension on the continent." Russia will also help "in the fight against terrorism and extremism, against pandemics and famine, in addressing issues of environmental, food and information security," the president said.

The second Russia-Africa summit is taking place at St. Petersburg’s Expoforum convention center from July 27-28. An economic and humanitarian forum is running in parallel to the event. Like the previous summit, the upcoming one will be held under the motto For Peace, Security and Development. The Roscongress Foundation is the summit’s organizer while TASS is the summit’s photo hosting agency and media partner. TASS is also holding the second Russia-Africa Media Forum

Ex-Austrian FM Kneissl Hails Russia-Africa Summit as Outshining EU's 'Negative Approach

The second Russia-Africa Summit, aimed at improving rapport between Moscow and African states, kicked off in St. Petersburg on July 27, 2023.

The event, which attracted nearly 50 delegations from African countries and regional and sub-regional integration associations, is expected to help enhance economic, cultural and security cooperation between Russia and African states, as well as to aid the continent in attaining “food sovereignty.”

Former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl who attended the plenary session at the summit, told Sputnik about the “good atmosphere” at the event and about “lots of very solid projects” being discussed there, with everybody at the summit “getting along in a very smooth and cool way.”

“Plus, I enjoyed very much listening to Dilma Rousseff, the former Brazilian president who was appointed director of the BRICS bank. She elaborated a lot on this watershed line that we are currently observing, which is called de-dollarization,” she added.

Comparing Russia’s approach in dealing with African states with the approach adopted by the European Union, Kneissl said that the EU seems to care only about “migration” and, unlike Russia, does not appear to be interested in engaging in business projects with African nations as equals.

“Now the EU is concluding contracts with Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco. But it's a very negative approach. It's something like 'you keep your refugees and we will then do some sort of business.' Because it is not real business. It's not a true equal footing business,” said Kneissl who was involved in the EU-Africa Summit of 2018.

Regarding the activity of Russian companies on the African continent, Kneissl pointed out that “they are now fully engaged” there, pointing out that, while it was “mostly about oil and gas” in the past, now their interests have also expanded to “metals.”

“It's uranium for Rosatom in Namibia. It is metals for the new age artificial intelligence and all whatever you need in that segment. So I would say companies are quicker than other institutions such as universities, which are lagging behind,” she remarked. “But the companies had the presence, are present, and I think they are simply enlarging their cooperation.”

Video - Ka-52 Alligator Helicopters Wipe Out Ukrainian Positions

Ka-52 helicopter crews are essential units the Russian Armed Forces uses on a daily basis to achieve goals of the special operation in Ukraine. Russian 'Alligator' helicopters control the Ukrainian air space, rendering Kiev's military actions entirely futile.

A clip published by the Defense Ministry shows Russian Aerospace Forces destroying a Ukrainian Army command post and armoured vehicles.

The Ka-52 helicopter is a unique weapon designed in the Soviet period, and has continued to dismantle modern NATO armored vehicles and ravage Ukrainian positions.

The counteroffensive effort launched by the Kiev regime in June has resulted in severe losses in Ukrainian servicemen and Western military equipment.

Msta-B Howitzer Blast Ukrainian Positions to Kingdom Come

Not a day passes without Russia's Armed Forces unleashing their Msta-B 152 mm howitzers against the Ukrainian adversary. Combat artillery work is crucial in the special operation to suppress the enemy's firepower and advance further.

A clip released by the Defense Ministry shows Russian artillerymen using high-explosive fragmentary shells to inflict maximum damage on the enemy.

The Msta howitzers are Russian artillery weapons designed to be deployed as an unarmored towed gun, or to be fitted in armored self-propelled artillery vehicles. The Msta howitzers are widely used in the special op zone due to their high fire rate of up to 8 rounds per minute and a considerable range of over 24 km.

The Kiev regime was hyping its counteroffensive effort for months, but, after its launch in June, it has been floundering, while suffering heavy losses in troops and West-supplied military equipment.

Almost 20% of NATO supplies to Ukraine already lost – FT

A Ukrainian Leopard 2 tank and several Bradley fighting vehicles destroyed by the Russian forces.
©Telegram / Russian Defense Ministry

The Ukrainian military is changing its tactics in an attempt to avoid the significant casualties that have so far blighted its counteroffensive against Russian forces, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing officials in Kiev and the West.

The outlet’s sources claimed that Ukrainian losses had been “heavy” in the first weeks of its much-anticipated operation, with attempts to penetrate Russian defensive lines so far costing Kiev “almost a fifth of NATO kit” provided for the effort.

The FT report follows a similar article by the New York Times earlier this month, which claimed that Kiev had lost almost 20% of the weapons it sent to the battlefield in just the first two weeks of the counteroffensive. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has also confirmed that Ukraine has lost a “significant” number of troops, but claimed it still had “substantial” reserves.

After failing to achieve significant progress in the first phases of the operation, Ukrainian commanders have now begun to adopt new tactics, according to the FT. The shift reportedly involves a focus on bombarding Russian positions with artillery fire instead of trying to break through Russian minefields with NATO armored vehicles.

Ukrainian soldiers told the FT that while the resistance they have faced from Russian forces was stiffer than expected, they have started losing significantly fewer tanks and combat vehicles since adopting a more reserved strategy.

However, the more cautious approach has come at the expense of speed, with President Vladimir Zelensky admitting that the counteroffensive is developing “slower than we would like.”

The Ukrainian leader attributed the lackluster results of the operation to insufficient military support and training from Kiev’s Western backers, insisting that the Ukrainian army did not have enough weapons to carry out the counteroffensive on the scale initially intended.

Washington, however, has insisted that it is too early to call the counteroffensive a “failure,” with top Pentagon officials insisting that they always expected the operation to be bloody and protracted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Sunday that the Ukrainian operation has failed after suffering “catastrophic” losses of over 26,000 active service members as well as large numbers of foreign fighters.

Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s ‘storming’ of Al-Aqsa mosque

Saudi Arabia on Thursday condemned what it described as the “provocative act” of “extremist” Israeli minister in storming Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.

Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and a group of settlers had earlier visited Al-Aqsa Mosque amid rising tensions between the Israeli army and Palestinians in the West Bank.

In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry said the visit was a “flagrant violation” of international law and “provocation” to Muslims across the world.

“The Kingdom holds the Israeli army accountable for the consequences of such repeated violations,” the foreign ministry said.

It urged the international community to interfere in ending the Israeli army’s escalation and providing the necessary protection for Palestinian civilians.

Jordan has also condemned the minister’s visit, warning that breaches on holy sites could lead to further escalation.

In a statement, Jordan “warned of the serious consequences of allowing extremists to break into the holy shrine and carry out provocative practices under the protection of the Israeli occupation police.”

Thursday was Ben-Gvir’s third known visit to the contested site since becoming a minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government.

The Israeli minister was joining what will likely be hundreds of Jews visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to mark the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av, a day of mourning and repentance when Jews reflect on the destruction of the First and Second Temples, key events in Jewish history.

Muslim Countries Condemn Israeli Minister’s ‘Storming’ Of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Muslim countries on Thursday condemned what they described as the “provocative act” of “extremist” an Israeli minister in storming Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.

Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and a group of settlers had earlier visited Al-Aqsa Mosque amid rising tensions between the Israeli army and Palestinians in the West Bank

Thursday was Ben-Gvir’s third known visit to the contested site since becoming a minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government.

The Israeli minister was joining what will likely be hundreds of Jews visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to mark the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av, a day of mourning and repentance when Jews reflect on the destruction of the First and Second Temples, key events in Jewish history.

In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry said the visit was a “flagrant violation” of international law and “provocation” to Muslims across the world.

It urged the international community to interfere in ending the Israeli army’s escalation and providing the necessary protection for Palestinian civilians.

Jordan has also condemned the minister’s visit, warning that breaches on holy sites could lead to further escalation.

In a statement, Jordan “warned of the serious consequences of allowing extremists to break into the holy shrine and carry out provocative practices under the protection of the Israeli occupation police.”

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said “the Israeli government provides official backing for continued raids and aggression against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and attempts to change the status quo,” referring to the 1967 agreement between Israel and Jordan which prohibits Jews from praying at the holy site.

“We call on Israeli authorities to take necessary measures in a serious manner to restrain these provocations which violate the sanctity of Al Aqsa Mosque and its historical status based on the international law, and to prevent escalation of the tension,” a Turkish foreign ministry statement said.

Puan Temui Airlangga, PDIP-Golkar Akan Bentuk Tim Teknis Pemilu

Ketua Umum Partai Golkar, Airlangga Hartarto, menerima kunjungan Ketua DPD PDI Perjuangan, Puan Maharani di kediamannya di bilangan Jakarta Selatan, Kamis (27/7)/Ist

Ketua DPP PDIP Puan Maharani menuturkan, tim teknis ini diharapkan akan membawa kedua partai berlabuh dalam satu kapal pada Pemilu 2024.

"Dari tim teknis itu lah yang akan membahas apa saja yang bisa menjadi persamaan, apa yang harus dicari titik temunya. Sehingga insyaAllah kita nantinya bisa bersama-sama. Anggotanya nanti akan kami pilih,” ujar Puan di kediaman Ketum Partai Golkar Airlangga Hartarto, Jalan Tirtayasa, Jakarta Selatan, hari Kamis, 27/07/2023.

Puan menegaskan, hubungan PDIP dan Golkar sudah berlangsung lama dan harmonis. Bukan hanya dari sisi politik praktis, tapi juga di lembaga legislatif maupun pemerintahan.

"Apa yang kami bicarakan hari ini tentu saja bukan suatu pertemuan pertama kemudian terakhir, namun banyak sekali pertemuan-pertemuan informal yang sudah kami lakukan. Bukan hanya saya saja, tapi teman-teman yang lain dari PDIP dan Partai Golkar,” tuturnya.

Mantan Menko PMK ini menambahkan, dalam penentuan cawapres dari PDIP, hal tersebut tidak lepas dari pertemuan politik dengan parpol-parpol lain. Meski begitu ia mengaku pertemuan kali ini tidak fokus membahas siapa cawapres yang akan mendampingi bacapres PDIP, Ganjar Pranowo.

"Dalam silaturahmi ini kita bisa bertukar pikiran, saling menjajaki keinginan. Bagaimana cita-cita dari setiap partai yang tentunya mempunyai target, strategi, dan cita-cita," jelas Puan.

"Jadi jangan sampai ada miskomunikasi. Boleh saja kemudian kita berbeda pilihan tapi jangan sampai kemudian membuat komunikasi yang ada itu menjadi terpecah belah. Sehingga kita menjadi satu bangsa itu tidak bisa menjaga persatuan dan kesatuan di pesta demokrasi,” demikian Puan.

Gang Kecil Pecinan Surken Bogor Lokasi Favorit Tempel Narkoba - Satnarkoba Bogor Kota

Salah satu tempat peredaran Narkoba ada di gang yang ada di kawasan Suryakencana atau dikenal dengan Surken Kota Bogor, Jawa Barat. Lokasinya tepat di Gang Roda V, Suryakencana, Kecamatan Bogor Tengah.

Hal tersebut diungkapkan Kasat Narkoba Polresta Bogor Kota, Kompol Eka Chandra Mulyana.

"Salah satunya itu (aman). Ya, seperti sudah jadi favoritnya mereka (pemain)," kata eka Chandra pada hari Rabu, 26/7/2023.

Pemain narkotika itu, sambung Eka, memetakan terlebih dahulu tempat yang akan dijadikan sebagai tempat mengedarkan narkoba.

Jika dirasa aman, para pemain langsung menempelkan narkoba pesanan agar bisa diambil oleh pembeli lainnya. Maka tak aneh Gang Roda V kerap dijadikan tempat tempelan narkoba,

"Ga asal-asal juga. Dari periode Januari-Juli sistemnya memang gitu. Mereka me-mapping dulu tempatnya. Di tempat yang sama mereka juga bisa satu sampai dua kali nempelinnya," jelas Eka.

Meski begitu, pihaknya akan terus menekan peredaran narkotika sistem tempel di Kota Bogor ini.

Pihaknya juga meminta, para warga sekitar, agar segera melaporkan kejadian ini jika menemukan langsung.

"Ada bhabinkambtibmas. Silakan saja langsung melaporkan kedia. Kalau, ada kenalan dengan Satnarkoba, itu lebih baik. Langsung lapor dan kita akan tindak lanjuti," tambahnya.

Menurut keterangan Wali Kota Bogor Bima Arya menyebutkan, pengawasan di Gang Roda V itu harus dilakukan oleh warga sekitar.

Punggawa Surken akan segera diaktifasi agar turut menjaga lingkungan sekitarnya.

"Ini saya sedang minta cek apakah ada CCTV. Pak camat sekarang sedang cek. Tapi, memang ini harus dihidupkan selain CCTV pengawasan dari warga. Kita akan aktivasi segera Punggawa Surken. Punggawa Surken ini salah satu contoh pemberdayaan masyarakat, warga yang akan menjaga, merawat wilayahnya sendiri," kata Bima Arya.

Jalan di Gang Roda V semuanya menggunakan material paving block dengan lampu hias menggunakan kotak yang terhubung dengan kawasan utama Surken.

Kesaksian warga sekitar

Kawasan Suryakencana (Surken), Kecamatan Bogor Tengah, Kota Bogor kerap menjadi destinasi wisata para pelancong.

Namun sisi lain, lokasi tersebut kerap menjadi lokasi peredaran narkoba. Hal tersebut dijelaskan warga sekitar bernama Yanti pada hari Selasa, 25/7/2023.

"Di sini mah narkoba. Saya udah dua kali diinterogasi polisi loh. Awalnya di Gang Aut. Nempel (narkobanya) di sini," kata Yanti.

Ia menjelaskan aktivitas tersebut kerap dilakukan malam hari. Biasanya para pemain narkoba akan menempelkan narkoba di tiang-tiang listrik.

"Iya. Tiap malem ge ada. Nempelnya di tiang-tiang," ungkapnya.

Gang ini juga diakui Yanti menjadi arena tawuran bagi remaja.

"Tawuran mah di sini gang paling hehhh. Malem Minggu di situ pake stik golf. Kalau dari atas bawa senjata panjang banget. Pagi-pagi darah berceceran, itu aja," ujar dia.

Areal di gang ini juga kerap dijadikan sebagai tempat buang air kecil dan air besar sembarangan. Orang yang tidak peduli, kerap melakukan hal tersebut dengan sengaja.

Aroma pesing pun sangat pekat tercium di gang ini.

"Bisa dibilang ya gang di sini gang paling bau. Bahkan gang terjorok. Kadang ada yang kencing. Udah ga malu orang juga. Terus, ada juga yang buang air besar," tambahnya.

Selain itu sampah juga menumpuk di daerah tersebut.

"Awalnya ada tempat sampah. Tapi, sering ga diangkutin dan jadi bau. Nah sekarang ga ada. Sampahnya pindah ke dalam got," ujarnya.

Selain itu Yanti menyebut banyak orang iseng yang merusak fasilitas yang ada seperti lampu hias yang ada di gang tersebut.

Terbaru, besi penutup got digang ini, malah hilang dicuri.

"Itu abis juga (kotak lampu). Orang iseng kalo mabuk teriak-teriak. Lampunya aja pada ilang. Kalau gelap kan takut sendiri. Ini lampu gede punya saya, pasang sendiri. Kesel juga saya lama-lama. Takutnya kan bahaya ya. Anak-anak kalau pada ngumpul," tambahnya.

Yanti pun merasa resah dengan aktifitas tersebut. Dirinya pun sering mengeluhkan hal itu kepada pihak pemerintah setempat

Bahkan Wali Kota Bogor Bima Arya kerap dicurhati olehnya mengenai hal itu.

Menurutnya Bima Arya sendiri kerap beberapa kali mengunjungi gang ini lantaran di areal gang ini terdapat coffe shop.

"Saya sering ngomong ke Pak Wali, ‘coba dong pake CCTV dua biji aja satu atas satu bawah’. ‘Iya bu saya usahakan’. Mana sampai sekarang? Pak lurah, Pak RW, ah capek," kesalnya.

Penutup got hilang dicuri

Tak hanya urusan narkoba, besi penutup got di Gang Roda, Suyakencana juga kerap hilang karena dicuri.

Kepala Dinas PUPR, Rena Da Frina mengatakan, bahwa besi penutup got di gang tersebut memang sengaja diambil.

"Itu besinya diambil sama orang. Grill grill kita itu dicopotin dan diangkut langsung," kata Rena dikutip hari Rabu, 26/07/2023.

Rena menambahkan, untuk kejadian di Gang Roda khususnya di Gang Roda V ini memang luput dari pantauan.

Pihaknya tidak bisa mengenali pelaku karena tidak adanya CCTV di dekat got.

"Kemarin sempat tertangkap CCTV yang di BMC. Pelakunya pakai gerobak pemulung. Untuk di BMC sudah kami ganti lagi. Hanya saja yang salurannya dalam kita pakai grill bukan besi tapi coran biar ga dimaling lagi," jelas Rena.

Rencananya pihaknya akan memperkuat beberapa bagian agar tak mudah dicuri.

"Untuk yang di Roda, karena salurannya kecil kalau pake penutup coran ga mungkin. Nanti kami ganti besi yang sama tapi diperkuat lagi penutupnya," ujar dia.

"Harapannya bisa melindungi pejalan kaki karena banyak lansia yang turun ke bawah ke pasar," tambah dia.

Rencananya pihaknya akan bekerjasama dengan Satpol PP Kota Bogor agar terus mengawasi tempat itu.

"Ke depan akan koordinasi dengan Satpol PP. Kita juga rencananya ga akan pasang grill lagi. Mending langsung coran aja. Ya, waalaupun agak repot saat bersihin salurannya nanti. Tapi apa boleh buat?," tandasnya.