[Red State] Ukrainian Navy drones attacked and sank a Russian patrol ship in the Kerch Strait overnight Tuesday. The lost ship was the 1,300-ton Project 22160 ship Sergei Kotov. Ukrainian Magura V5 unmanned surface vehicles struck it at least three times. There is no official Russian admission of casualties; the Ukrainians claim the butcher's bill is seven dead and 27 wounded.
[MAIL] Extraordinary new footage has revealed the sheer terror faced by Russian sailors aboard a large landing ship sunk by Ukrainian kamikaze sea drones last month.
A GoPro video, taken by sailors aboard the doomed Caesar Kunikov military vessel, showed in shocking detail how the navy men desperately tried to fight off the oncoming drones in an intense 20-minute sea battle before their vessel was destroyed in a fiery explosion.
The warship was lost on February 14, but the footage has only just been released by Russian Telegram channel FighterBomber.
The hellish, chaotic scene saw a small group of seamen unloading their weapons into the murky water. Explosions rang out around them as the drones one by one slammed into the ship's hull and lit up the night sky.
But the clip also highlights how the conflict in Ukraine and Kyiv's deployment of kamikaze sea-based drones have changed the face of naval warfare.
Despite the crew letting loose thousands of rounds at the oncoming threat, the Russian battleship was powerless to defend against a flotilla of high-speed, high-explosive MAGURA V5 drones controlled by operators hundreds of miles away.
No official death toll has emerged but local reports suggest several crew members were lost as the Caesar Kunikov sank.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:35 In Europe, voices are growing louder about the need to quickly strengthen defense capabilities and rearmament. Russia's war against Ukraine and the prospects of US President Donald Trump winning the election with his anti-NATO rhetoric are the factors that made the Europeans stir. The European Commission has unveiled a defense industrial strategy and proposed an "ambitious set" of new measures to maintain the competitiveness and readiness of the EU defense industry. Read more in the material The EU is arming itself.
22:26 The Biden administration is considering whether it can take $200 million from US Army funding for urgent assistance to Ukraine, Bloomberg writes.
21:53 The new bill on mobilization, which the Verkhovna Rada supported in the first reading and is being finalized, provides for the abolition of conscript service in Ukraine. In its place, compulsory basic military training will be introduced. All men from 18 to 25 years old will be sent to undergo training. Read more in the material Basic military training: how it will work.
21:40 Putin said that “the reunification of Russia and Ukraine on a spiritual level is inevitable”; this is allegedly hampered by “disgusting manifestations of nationalism.”
21:17 The third assault brigade states that Russian troops cannot break through the defenses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Avdievka, but continue to advance. Most of all, the Russian troops are “erased on Orlovka,” said deputy brigade commander Maxim Zhorin.
20:48 Victoria Nuland, the third-highest ranking American diplomat, will leave her post by the end of the month. Nuland has repeatedly provoked an angry reaction from the Russian leadership for her open support of Ukraine, especially after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. More details about her and her position towards Ukraine can be found in the article The Thunderstorm of Russia.
20:23 The Czech Republic has found almost all the funds to purchase 800 thousand shells for Ukraine, Bloomberg writes, citing sources. According to them, artillery shells can be delivered to Ukraine within a few weeks.
19:49 The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense confirmed the liquidation of Svetlana Samoilenko, a collaborator and organizer of the “elections” of the President of the Russian Federation, in Berdyansk, Zaporozhye region. After the occupation of the city in 2022, the woman voluntarily cooperated with the Russians and was appointed “Deputy Mayor for Economics, Agricultural Sector and Finance.” Samoilenko’s husband and adult son also serve the occupiers. In preparation for the pseudo-elections, Samoilenko intimidated and terrorized the residents of Berdyansk, forcing them to participate in the “voting”.
19:26 IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said that he met with Putin in Sochi: “The exchange of information with the Russian President on the nuclear safety of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and other global challenges in the field of non-proliferation is important.”
19:08 The Russians fired artillery at Nikopol, Dnepropetrovsk region - a fire broke out in a large store on an area of 4000 square meters. m, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak. No people were hurt. In addition, during the day the enemy struck the city with a kamikaze drone, one person was injured.
18:57 The commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Alexander Pavlyuk, announced plans to carry out counterattack actions this year: “Everything is being done in order to seize the initiative. Our task is to stabilize the front line, destroy the enemy as much as possible, regroup as much as possible to withdraw units that need restoration, create a strike force and carry out counterstrike operations this year. We are succeeding. The situation is stabilizing."
According to the commander, there are several hot directions left: Avdeevka, Chasov Yar, as well as Terny towards Liman. “I think that we will stabilize the situation in the near future and will do everything to ensure that the troops take active action and seize the initiative,” Pavlyuk added.
18:52 Latvia will join the Czech initiative to purchase 800 thousand artillery ammunition for Ukraine, Defense Minister Andris Spruds said.
18:45 The visit of the Ukrainian president and the delegation from Greece to Odessa took place in extreme secrecy, foreign media write. It was at this time that the Russian army attacked the city with ballistics. The strike hit the seaport when Zelensky was supposed to be giving a tour to the Prime Minister of Greece. According to unofficial information, five people were killed and five more were injured as a result of the attack. Everything that is known about this is in the material Russian Federation attack on Zelensky’s motorcade in Odessa.
18:28 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that today at 11:40 am the Russian armed forces launched a missile attack on a hangar in the port area of Odessa, where allegedly “preparations were underway for the combat use of Ukrainian unmanned boats.”
17:53 Ukraine and Greece have begun preparing a bilateral agreement on security guarantees, Zelensky said. “We must record in it the already achieved level of cooperation and support for this year, as well as for the next ten years,” the president added.
17:40 Germany will allocate money for the purchase of shells for Ukraine as part of the Czech initiative, said German government speaker Steffen Hebestreit. He did not give an exact figure, but noted that it would be a “three-digit million amount.”
17:32 The police clarified that Russia hit the village of Borovaya, Kharkov region, with an Iskander-M missile. As a result of the strike, one person was killed and seven were injured. A woman and her five children were rescued from the rubble of a private house, and a resident of a neighboring house was also injured.
17:09 Russia struck Odessa when Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Zelensky were visiting the city. The Greek publication Protothema writes that the target of the Russian Federation was Zelensky’s motorcade - the explosion occurred 150 meters from the location of the Greek delegation. The publication's sources say that no one from the Greek delegation was injured.
Zelensky, during a press conference, confirmed information about the Russian strike: “We saw this strike today. You see who we are dealing with, they don’t care where to hit. I know that there were casualties today. I don’t know all the details yet, but I know that there are dead and wounded."
In turn, Mitsotakis said that they did not have time to hide in a shelter: “President Zelensky and his headquarters showed us and explained the importance of the port and what is being done to restore and strengthen the Ukrainian maritime route, what damage it suffered during the attacks. Already in "At the very end we heard the sound of sirens and explosions that were very close to us. We did not have time to go to a protected place, it was a very impressive experience."
16:24 The SBU showed testing of the first registered sea drone Sea Baby called Avdiivka. This is an improved version - more maneuverable and with a larger warhead. The SBU says that the new generation Sea Baby is capable of delivering almost a ton of explosives over more than 1,000 km and is conceived as a universal platform for various weapons. In total, Ukrainians collected almost 300 million hryvnia for 35 such drones.
16:08 Russian troops attacked Berislav, Kherson region, from drones, two people were wounded, OVA reported. Also, the enemy shelled Kherson several times during the day, two people were wounded.
15:56 The number of victims as a result of the Russian strike on the village of Borovaya, Izyum district, Kharkov region, has increased to seven, one person died, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. Among the wounded were three teenagers aged 12 to 16 years.
15:17 Bulgaria has begun sending the promised armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, BTV reports. According to the publication, the first armored personnel carrier was loaded onto the platform and departed from the base of the General Directorate of the Gendarmerie in Sofia to the railway station in Novi Iskari. A total of 110 armored personnel carriers will be sent to Ukraine.
15:09 Russian troops attacked the Sumy region for the first time with cluster bombs. From the air they mined two villages in the Shostkinsky district - Staraya Guta and Marchikhina Buda, said the head of the OVA, Vladimir Artyukh. According to him, since January 1, the number of strikes by drones and guided bombs has increased significantly.
14:51 The Russians struck Borovaya in the Izyum district of the Kharkov region - according to preliminary data, one person was killed, four were injured, three of them children, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov.
14:23 British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that London is ready to provide Ukraine with a loan in the amount of frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank in Britain on the basis that Russia will be forced to pay reparations to Ukraine after the end of the war: “There is the possibility of using something like a syndicated loan or bonds "effectively using frozen Russian assets as a guarantee to get this money to the Ukrainians, knowing that we will get it back when Russia pays reparations. This may be the best way to do it."
13:58 One of the organizers of pseudo-elections was blown up in Berdyansk, local publics write. The Russians announced a terrorist attack in the city related to the organization of “elections.” It is known that the woman died as a result of the explosion.
13:16 Russian media report an explosion near an oil storage facility near Voronezh.
12:27 The Greek publication Newsit writes that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is on a short visit to Ukraine. According to information not confirmed by the government, he is scheduled to meet with Zelensky in Odessa. Social networks, meanwhile, report a strong explosion in Odessa during an air raid raid. Monitoring publics write that there was a ballistic strike. There is no official information yet.
11:59 The IT coalition has already united 11 states and has accumulated enough contributions for the first purchases according to the priority requests of Ukraine, said Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. According to him, “Estonia and Luxembourg are demonstrating true leadership and partnership as countries presiding over the coalition and helping us bring in new members.”
11:24 As a result of a night drone attack, regional power supply networks were damaged in the Khmelnitsky and Odessa regions, Ukrenergo reported. In the Khmelnitsky region, 30 settlements and 14,425 consumers were cut off. As of this morning, seven settlements and 2,506 consumers remain without power, and emergency restoration work continues.
In the Odessa region, 234 consumers were de-energized due to hostilities; repair crews plan to restore power supply during the day. In general, the night attack did not cause critical consequences for the operation of the energy system, Ukrenergo noted.
11:06 As a result of the destruction of the Russian ship Sergei Kotov, at least 27 crew members were injured, seven were killed, the Main Intelligence Directorate reported. The information is being clarified.
10:51 Governor of the Kursk region Roman Starovoyt announced the second drone strike on the fuel and lubricants warehouse of the Mikhailovsky Mining and Processing Plant in the Zheleznogorsk district, no casualties.
10:42 In Sumy, as a result of a night drone attack, seven people were injured, including a ten-year-old child, the prosecutor’s office reported. 11 apartment buildings, a preschool building, and about 20 cars were damaged. Secretary of the City Council Artem Kobzar clarified that one of the drones hit a critical infrastructure facility, and two more hit civilian objects.
10:27 In the Odessa region, during a night attack, air defense forces destroyed 18 enemy drones. The drones were aimed at populated areas and industrial facilities in the coastal zone, said head Oleg Kiper. As a result of falling debris in the Odessa region, a recreational facility, a gas pipeline and residential buildings in the private sector were damaged. No people were hurt.
09:58 The British edition of The Times writes, with reference to the speaker of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Pyotr Yatsenko, that Chechen paramilitary groups are ransoming Ukrainian prisoners of war from other Russian military units in order to then exchange them for Chechen prisoners held by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
09:22 Russian public pages write that in the Kursk region, after a drone attack, a fuel tank is burning on the territory of the Mikhailovsky mining and processing plant. The enterprise is one of the largest in Russia and the CIS for the extraction and processing of iron ore.
09:07 In the Khmelnytsky region, an infrastructure facility was damaged during a night attack by drones. Several settlements were cut off and one private house was damaged. No people were injured, the OVA reported.
09:03 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 6:
personnel - about 420,270 (+1250) people,
tanks - 6678 (+21),
armored combat vehicles - 12,728 (+40),
artillery systems - 10 308 (+50),
MLRS - 1008 (+1),
air defense systems - 701 (+1),
aircraft - 347 (+0),
helicopters - 325 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 7921 (+58),
cruise missiles - 1918 (+1),
ships/boats - 26 (+1),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 13,479 (+56),
special equipment - 1642 (+12).
08:56 Over the past 24 hours, 86 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In particular, the enemy tried 39 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the Georgievka, Novomikhailovka, Prechistovka and Krasnohorivka areas of the Donetsk region. Another 23 attacks were repelled in the Avdeevsky direction - in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye, Vodyanoye, Nevelskoye, Semenovka and Orlovka in the Donetsk region.
The enemy did not conduct offensive actions in the Kupyansk direction. In the Liman direction, six enemy attacks were repelled in the Verkhnekamensky and Ternov areas of the Donetsk region; in Bakhmutskoye - two attacks in the Ivanovo and Belaya Gora areas of the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - five attacks in the areas of Gulyai-Polye, Malinovka and Rabotino of the Zaporozhye region; on Kherson - three attacks.
08:45 First lady Elena Zelenskaya refused to attend Biden’s address to Congress on Thursday, March 7, where she was invited by the White House, The Washington Post writes. According to the newspaper's sources, the reason is that Zelenskaya was going to be put next to Navalny's widow Yulia. The White House's plan was that the image of both women, each a symbol of resistance to Putin, "would provide a powerful backdrop to President Biden's speech." But Navalnaya's presence "caused discomfort among Ukrainians" due to her husband's comments about the "Russian" status of Crimea, sources said.
08:31 Governor of the Kursk region Roman Starovoyt said that after the drone attack, a warehouse of fuels and lubricants caught fire.
08:16 Russian public pages write about an attack on an airfield and oil depot in the Voronezh region. In particular, the drone attempted to attack the Baltimore military airfield in Voronezh, but was allegedly “shot down by air defense systems a few kilometers from the airfield.” Two more drones tried to attack an oil depot in the Anninsky municipal district of the region. The drones were allegedly shot down, but the debris of one of them fell into the tank, the second also fell on the territory of the oil depot.
07:28 Air defense at night destroyed 38 of 42 Shahed attack drones, which Russia attacked from four directions - Chauda, Balaklava, Kursk region and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, the Air Force command reported. The drones were destroyed within the Dnepropetrovsk, Odessa, Kherson, Khmelnitsky, Cherkassy, Kharkov, Vinnytsia and Sumy regions.
In addition, the enemy attacked with five S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the occupied territory of the Donetsk region.
05:24 Argentine President Javier Miley said that he intends to visit Ukraine and meet with Zelensky. According to Infobae, the trip is planned for June. Miley will become the first leader of Latin America to come to Ukraine during the large-scale military aggression of the Russian Federation.
02:37 The Russians attacked Sumy with strike drones, three hits were recorded in different parts of the city. There were casualties, the results of the attack are being clarified, the OVA reported.
02:19 Orban will discuss with Trump the issue of establishing peace in Ukraine on March 8, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said. According to him, in Budapest they believe that “peace in Ukraine is President Trump.” “And without his election, we see much less hope for peace in the foreseeable future in Ukraine than in the case of his election. We understand that with our position we do not represent the majority in Europe. But nevertheless, we are convinced of this,” - Szijjártó explained.
In a mobile defensive scheme, you have little choice but for counterattacks.
[Korrespondent] Pavlyuk is confident that in the near future the situation at the front will stabilize and Ukrainian troops will go into active action.
Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Alexander Pavlyuk said that the situation at the front remains difficult, but controllable. Ukraine plans to carry out counterstrike operations this year. He said this on the telethon.
According to Pavlyuk, the Russians are doing everything to occupy the territories as much as possible before the presidential elections in Russia. According to intercepted conversations, the enemy is throwing even those who came to the front without preparation a week or two ago into assaults.
“Everything is being done in order to seize the initiative. Our task is to stabilize the front line, destroy the enemy as much as possible, regroup as much as possible to withdraw units that require restoration, create a strike group and carry out counterattack operations this year. We are succeeding. The situation is stabilizing,” – said the commander of the Ground Forces.
He added that there were several hot directions left: the direction of Avdievka; direction of Chasovoy Yar; direction Terna towards Liman.
“I think that we will stabilize the situation in the near future and will do everything to ensure that the troops take active action and seize the initiative,” Pavlyuk noted.
Strengthening the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Avdeevsky direction.
Active work on the construction of fortifications began in December 2023 and was carried out even before the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Avdievka.
The representative of the Tavria operational-strategic group, Dmitry Likhovy, on Wednesday, March 6, published on Facebook photos of engineering and fortification structures at four different points in the Avdeevsky direction. In particular, 2 km before the then combat line, in the “red zone”.
According to him, the defense fortifications have already been largely built. In some places (a little further from the front line) they are still being built.
Depending on the line, this is done by regional administrations, civil contractors - construction companies; State Special Transport Service; engineering units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, engineering units of mechanized and motorized infantry brigades.
“There were and are certain organizational difficulties. Lack of people, funds, some materials and weapons, proximity to the front line, inertia and delay, bureaucracy, democracy, in the end, the fields are someone else’s. But there is a result. You can touch it, feel it, and eventually climb into it and hide from shelling,” noted the OSUV speaker.
Likhovy claims that active work on the construction of fortifications began in December 2023, and was carried out even before the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Avdievka, and after the withdrawal they became more active.
In the Donetsk region, new engineering and fortification structures do not look like “walls” or “lines”. This is an extensive system of new platoon strong points (VPs) on the second defensive line, to which infantry units will withdraw if necessary. Units that participated in the order and partly in the construction of these supports.
There are dozens of these new GPs. To different depths of defense lines. They run through hundreds of meters of zigzag trenches - with fire cells on different sides, blocked by cracks, and here and there with armored capsules. These are also caponiers, anti-tank ditches, concrete bunkers, “dragon’s teeth”, other fortifications and obstacles, depending on the proximity to the line of combat.
According to Likhoviya, if the old standards provided for a trench height of 1.5 meters and a width of 0.8 meters, then the new trenches are 2 meters high and 1 meter wide - so that soldiers can move without bending down and have the opportunity to carry them if necessary. along the trench of the wounded on stretchers.
Let us remind you that on the night of February 17, units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces left Avdievka. This happened after several months of continuous assaults by the Russian aggressors, who lost tens of thousands of military personnel and hundreds of pieces of equipment in the battles for the city.
Ukrainian defenders successfully repulse occupier attacks west of Avdievka, exploiting the shortcomings of the Russian army.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled 20 Russian attacks in the Avdeevsky direction.
The Russian invaders carried out assault operations in six directions, a total of 76 military clashes took place.
During the day, Ukrainian defenders repulsed 20 Russian attacks near Berdichiv, Tonenky, Pervomaisky, Nevelsky, Donetsk region in the Avdeevsky direction. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced this in an evening report on Wednesday, March 6.
In total, 76 military clashes took place within 24 hours. Russian troops carried out five missile and 75 air strikes, and carried out 65 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems on the positions of our troops and populated areas.
In the Kupyansky direction, the Defense Forces repelled three enemy attacks in the area of the settlement of Tabaevka, Kharkov region.
In the Liman direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled seven attacks by Russian invaders in the areas of the settlements of Belogorovka in the Luhansk region and Terny, Spornoye in the Donetsk region, where the enemy, with the support of aviation, tried to break through the defenses.
In the Bakhmut direction, the Defense Forces repelled 11 enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Ivanovskoye, Klishchievka, Andreevka in the Donetsk region, where the enemy tried to improve its tactical position.
In the Avdeevsky direction, Ukrainian defenders repulsed 20 attacks by the invaders in the areas of the settlements of Berdichi, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye, Nevelskoye in the Donetsk region.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, defense forces continue to restrain the Russians in the areas of the settlements of Georgievka, Pobeda, Novomikhailovka in the Donetsk region, where, with the support of aviation, they tried to break through the defense 18 times.
In the Orekhovsky direction, the enemy made four unsuccessful attacks in the area of the village of Robotino, Zaporozhye region. In the Dnieper (Kherson) direction the enemy did not carry out assault operations during the day.
During the day, defense aviation carried out strikes on seven areas where Russian army personnel were concentrated. The missile force units damaged the enemy's ammunition and four artillery weapons.
Let us remind you that over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have eliminated another 1,250 Russian invaders. The total losses of the Russian Army in personnel since the beginning of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine amounted to 420,270 people.
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[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted fire damage on cluster of manpower and military hardware of the 14th Mechanised, 25th Airborne, and 68th Jaeger brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Novosyolovka, Serebryanka (Donetsk People's Republic), and Sverdlovka (Lugansk People's Republic).
In addition, three counter-attacks launched by the AFU 32nd Mechanised Brigade, 57th Motorised Infantry Brigade were repelled near Sin'kovka (Khar'kov region) and Terny (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 165 Ukrainian troops, one tank, and three motor vehicles.
In the course of counterbattery warfare, three Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery systems, and one U.S.-made M198 howitzer were neutralised.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines along the front lines and inflicted losses on units of the AFU 5th, 92th Assault brigades, 22nd, 28th, 54th Mechanised brigades, and 56th Motorised Rifle Brigade near Bogdanovka, Kleshcheyevka, Andreyevka, Zakotnoye, and Pershe Travnya (Donetsk People's Republic).
Two counterattacks of the AFU 31st and 33rd Mechanised brigades were repelled near Novomikhailovka and Pobega (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 260 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, 14 motor vehicles, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, and two 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems. In addition, three AFU ammunition depots were destroyed.
In Avdeyevka direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions.
Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of the AFU 23rd, 42nd, 47th, 53rd, 61st, 92nd Mechanised brigades, and 59th Motorised Rifle Brigade near Novopokrovskoye, Ocheretino, Novosyolovka Pervaya, and Toretsk (Donetsk People's Republic).
In addition, three attacks launched by AFU assault detachments were repelled near Leninskoye and Novgorodskoye, as well as nine counter-attacks near Berdichi, Tonenkoye, Pervomayskoye, Orlovka, and Vodyanoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 460 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, one of which was the U.S.-made Abrams tank wiped out by the T-72B3 tank crew by the first shot, one Buk self-propelled air defence system, four infantry fighting vehicles, two armoured fighting vehicles, and five motor vehicles.
In the course of counterbattery warfare, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, two U.S.-made M119 howitzers, one U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS, and one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery warfare radar station were neutralised.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on enemy manpower and hardware near Mirnoye and Ugledar (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 210 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, three motor vehicles, one Stela-10 anti-air system, and one ammunition depot.
In Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 118th Mechanised Brigade, 126th Territorial Defence Brigade, and 23rd Ukrainian National Guard Brigade near Rabotino, Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region), Tokaryovka, Sadovoye (Kherson region), and Vyshetarasovka (Dnepropetrovsk region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 30 Ukrainian troops and two motor vehicles.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Groups of Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation wiped out aircraft, aircraft ammunition and POL depots on Lozovatka airfield (Dnepropetrovsk region) and Starokonstantinov airfield (Khmelnitsky region), one ammunition depot of the Donetsk operational-tactical group, as well as manpower and military hardware in 113 areas.
Over the past 24 hours, air defence units shot down nine U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles and one French-made AASM Hammer guided aerial bomb.
Moreover, 135 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted near Sladkoye, Pavlovka, Signalnoye, Verkhetoretskoye, Orlynskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), Golikovo, Chernopopovka, Novodruzhesk (Lugansk People's Republic), Mirnoye, Magedovo, Shevchenkovo, and Novoye (Zaporozhye region).
In total, 576 airplanes and 267 helicopters, 14,440 unmanned aerial vehicles, 481 air defence missile systems, 15,377 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,234 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,309 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 19,415 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[AnewsFront] 21:35 Strike by an ODAB-1500 aerial bomb from a UMPC on the Ukrainian Armed Forces deployment point in Krasnogorovka -video. 20:03 Russian Army destroyed base in Odessa, where preparations were underway for new attacks by naval drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
At 11.40 Moscow time, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a high-precision missile strike on a hangar in the industrial port area of Odessa, where preparations were being made for the combat use of unmanned boats of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense reports.
Let us remember that Kyiv previously passed off this blow as an attempt on Zelensky’s life.
19:11 Special military operation. Situation on March 6 –photo.
18:42 Statement by the head of the press center of the Dnepr group -video.
In the Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr group of troops defeated the manpower and equipment of the 118th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 126th Territorial Defense Brigade and the 23rd Brigade of the National Guard in the areas of the settlements of Rabotino, Verbovoye of the Zaporozhye region, Tokarevka, Sadovoye of the Kherson region and Vysshetarasovka Dnepropetrovsk region.
Enemy losses amounted to up to 30 military personnel and two vehicles.
18:05 Promotion of the RF Armed Forces –photo.
1. Rabotino (main successes west of Verbovoy).
2. Sin'kovka
3. Bogdanovka
4. Krasnohorivka
17:57 Statement by the head of the press center of the Vostok group -video.
In the South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok group of troops, as a result of active actions, improved the tactical situation and inflicted fire damage on enemy personnel and equipment in the areas of the settlements of Mirnoye and Ugledar of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces amounted to up to 210 military personnel, two tanks, three cars, a launcher for the Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile system, as well as an ammunition depot.
17:33 Statement by the head of the press center of the Center group -video.
In the Avdeevsky direction, units of the “Center” group of troops, as a result of coordinated actions, occupied more advantageous lines and positions.
Fire damage was caused to manpower and equipment of the 23rd, 42nd, 47th, 53rd, 61st, 92nd Mechanized and 59th Motorized Infantry brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Novopokrovskoye, Ocheretino, Novoselovka Pervaya and Toretsk Donetsk People's Republic.
In addition, three attacks by Ukrainian Armed Forces assault groups in the areas of populated areas were repelled, as well as nine counterattacks in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoe, Orlovka and Vodyanoye of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost up to 460 military personnel, two tanks, one of them a US-made Abrams was destroyed by the crew of a T-72B3 tank from the first shot, a self-propelled firing installation of the Buk anti-aircraft missile system, four infantry fighting vehicles, two armored combat vehicles and five cars.
During the counterbattery fight, the following were hit: a 152mm Msta-B howitzer, two M119 howitzers made in the USA, a HIMARS multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle made in the US, as well as an AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery radar station made in the USA.
16:50 Statement by the senior officer of the press center of the “South” group -video.
In the Donetsk direction, units of the “Southern” group of forces, conducting active combat operations, occupied more advantageous positions along the front line, defeated formations of the 5th, 92nd assault, 22nd, 28th and 54th Mechanized, as well as 56th Motorized Infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Bogdanovka, Kleshcheevka, Andreevka, Zakotnoye and Pershe Travnya of the Donetsk People's Republic.
In the areas of the settlements of Novomikhailovka and Pobeda of the Donetsk People's Republic, two counterattacks of the 31st and 33rd Mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelled.
Enemy losses amounted to up to 260 military personnel, two tanks, two armored personnel carriers, two armored combat vehicles, 14 vehicles, a 152mm Msta-B howitzer and two 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mounts. Three Ukrainian Armed Forces ammunition depots were also destroyed.
16:25 Statement by the head of the press center of the “West” group -video.
In the Kupyansk direction, units of the “Western” group of forces improved the tactical position and defeated the manpower and equipment of the 14th Mechanized, 25th Airborne, 68th Jaeger brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine in the areas of Novoselovka settlements, Serebryanka of the Donetsk People's Republic and Sverdlovka of the Lugansk People's Republic.
In addition, three counterattacks of the 32nd Mechanized and 57th Motorized Infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelled in the areas of the settlements of Sin'kovka, Khar'kov region and Terny, Donetsk People's Republic.
Enemy losses amounted to up to 165 military personnel, a tank and three vehicles.
During the counterbattery fight, three Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery mounts, as well as a US-made M198 howitzer, were hit.
13:30 Telegram channel «Fisherman":
Avdeevsky direction: heavy fighting in Berdychi and Tonenkoy,
the situation as of 12.00 March 6, 2024
Ukrainian formations are not giving up attempts to push Russian fighters out of their occupied positions at the Berdychi-Orlovka-Tonenkoye line.
The forces of seven army brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been assembled at the site, whose task is to seize the initiative, prevent a breakthrough of the Russian Armed Forces and gain time to dig in the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Semyonovka, Yasnoborodovka, Umansky and Novopokrovka.
In the entire Krasnoarmeysk direction, up to 105 enemy battalions from 15 brigades are involved.
In the first echelon there are surviving units of the 3rd separate assault PR brigade “Azov”, as well as the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade. Units of the 61st Mechanized Brigade are going on the defensive, and the 120th Separate Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been transferred to the site.
A status quo has developed in Berdychi: the western part of the village is under enemy control, the eastern part is under the stable control of the Russian Armed Forces. Army aviation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces operates to the west of the settlement, but does not fly into Berdychi itself.
Semyonovka is used as a hub for the distribution of assault groups, which are thrown into battle both in Berdychi and Orlovka. Russian artillery and aviation are operating along the forward positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and advance routes.
The northwestern tip of Orlovka is still a battle zone, with neither side able to achieve confident success.
In the northwestern part of Tonenkoye, another attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the position of the 1st Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces was repulsed.
The enemy group remains present in the pockets between populated areas. Due to the extensive network of trenches and strong points, as well as minefields, Russian troops are so far limited to fire damage.
12:25 Statement by the head of the press center of the Center group -video.
The Center group of troops continues to carry out combat missions in the special military operation zone.
The group’s artillery fire hit 300 identified targets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including 11 strongholds and more than 60 artillery positions. Bomber, attack and army aviation carried out strikes on areas where enemy manpower, equipment and fire weapons were concentrated in the areas of Berdychi, Kamyshevka, and Ocheretino.
Enemy losses amounted to 430 military personnel. A Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, two armored combat vehicles, including an M-113, four vehicles, and two unmanned aircraft control posts were destroyed.
11:10 Telegram channel “Fisherman":
Offensive west of Donetsk: successes of the Russian army
situation as of 11.00 March 6, 2024
In the Donetsk direction, during the fighting, Russian troops were able to advance on two sectors of the front at once.
On the southern outskirts of Krasnogorovka, the Russian Armed Forces during the assault were able to advance along Geologicheskaya Street to the railway. Now Russian military personnel have managed to gain a foothold on the outskirts of Lermontov and Zheleznodorozhnaya streets.
Quite a significant achievement considering that the enemy several days ago transferred up to two battalions from an unidentified unit to hold the settlement.
However, moving further north will not be a cakewalk. The central part of Krasnogorovka can rightfully be considered one large industrial zone, which is difficult to storm. Without support from those attacking from the east, it is much easier for Ukrainian formations to defend themselves.
A little further south in Georgievka there were also significant successes: the assault groups of the Russian Armed Forces were able to occupy almost the entire territory adjacent to the Osikova River, both from the south and from the north.
The most difficult task now will be to gain a foothold in the occupied territories, since Georgievka is located in a lowland, and positions near the reservoir are shot into the heights near the Krasnogorsk reserve, which makes it difficult to storm the populated area.
Nevertheless, this may be facilitated by the success of the Russian Armed Forces north of Pobeda. After the liberation of the village, there was practically no news from there, but according to the latest data, Russian troops expanded the zone of control to the H15 road.
The road is located higher than Georgievka, and with further development of success in this area, the Ukrainian Armed Forces may find themselves semi-encircled, which may also force the enemy to retreat to more advantageous lines in Maksimilyanovka
. 10:20 Telegram channel «Fisherman":
Chronicle of a special military operation for March 5, 2024
Russian troops continue to strike targets in the so-called rear regions. Ukraine: in Odessa, kamikaze drones hit the location of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as the port infrastructure. One of the central events of the day was the first well-documented destruction of the American M142 HIMARS MLRS north of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk).
In the Avdeevsky direction in the Berdychi area, the enemy, after transferring reinforcements, carries out counterattacks, forcing the Russian Armed Forces to withdraw from some positions. At the same time, in this area, Russian troops knocked out another American-made M1 Abrams tank.
In the Donetsk direction, the Russian Armed Forces are advancing on the southern outskirts of Krasnogorovka: after taking the forest belt south of the railway, they secured a foothold on the outskirts of Vatutina and Lermontov streets. In the Pobeda area, the Russian Armed Forces advanced in forest belts to the west of the O0532 highway towards Georgievka.
On the night of March 5, the enemy carried out an attack with naval drones on the Crimean Bridge. During it, the patrol ship “Sergei Kotov” received several holes and sank near Feodosia.
09:49 The criminal Kiev regime continues to fire at the civilian infrastructure of settlements on the left bank of the Kherson region, yesterday during the day the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired from cannon artillery:
-- n.p. Kazachi Lagery three rounds;
-- n.p. Golaya Pristan four rounds;
-- n.p. Alyosha three rounds;
-- n.p. Staraya Zburevka two rounds;
-- n.p. Novaya Kakhovka six rounds.
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the village. Peschanivka, n.p. Korsunka, n.p. Golaya Pristan, n.p. Dnepryany, n.p. Novaya Zburevka, firing a total of 21 rounds from cannon artillery
Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being determined.
09:15 In the Kleshcheevka area, a 155mm self-propelled gun “Crab” was destroyed -video.
08:58 The assault on Kleshcheevka began.
08:19 The enemy’s 152mm D-20 howitzer was destroyed by an accurate hit from a 203mm 2S7 “Pion” crew of the 305th Artillery Brigade of the 5th Army –video.
08:01 Morning summary March 6, 2024
At night, the Geranium UAV attacked Ukrainian Armed Forces facilities in Odessa, Sumy, Kharkov, Pokrovsky district, Starokonstantinov and Ternopil. In the Kherson direction there are battles in Krynki, the enemy is trying to increase artillery and drone attacks on our positions in the forest and on the outskirts of the village. The Russian Armed Forces intensified work on targets in the area of Stanislav and the Dnieper estuary.
On the Zaporozhye Front, the Russian Army concentrated its main efforts in the Rabotino area. Assault groups of our troops operate in the area of the village center near the school, replacing each other. The front, according to our servicemen, resembles a “layer cake” - the LBS is not static. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are mining the area, bringing in reserves and armored vehicles.
In the Vremevsky direction, our troops are destroying field ammunition depots and hitting enemy positions.
To the north of Mar'inka there are battles in Krasnogorovka, to the west - battles in Georgievka with the task of breaking through to Kurakhovo, to the south - the battle in Novomikhailovka.
West of Avdievka, in the Berdychi area, the third Abrams tank was destroyed (plus a mine clearance vehicle based on this tank was previously destroyed). The enemy is conducting a maneuverable defense, but comes under fire from our troops when trying to counterattack with armored groups. There are battles in Tonenkoye, near Orlovka and Semyonovka
In the Krasnolimansky direction, the advance of our troops in the area of the settlement. Terny was several hundred meters away, enemy strongholds were taken.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Two Ukrainian servicemen were sentenced in the Donetsk People's Republic to life imprisonment in the case of the murder of five residents of Mariupol. The Prosecutor General's Office of Russia announced this on March 6.
“The Supreme Court of the DPR issued a verdict in a criminal case against servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 24-year-old Alexander Pecharsky and 48-year-old Sergei Georgiu. It was established that Pecharsky, Georgiou and other military personnel, following criminal orders from the command, opened fire on civilians, as a result of which five of them died, two managed to escape,” the department said in a statement.
The Prosecutor General's Office noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters committed crimes from March to April 2022. It is emphasized that they opened fire on civilians who were not related to the hostilities. Ukrainian military personnel will serve their sentences in a special regime correctional colony.
As Regnum reported, on November 10, 30 years in prison was given to a paramedic of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who participated in the execution of six civilians in Mariupol. The Supreme Court of the DPR found that Vitaly Matvienko, on March 29, 2022, together with his colleagues, received an order to shoot a car in which at that moment there was a family of several civilians.
On November 13, the DPR sentenced AFU sapper Oleg Zavaletsky to 30 years for the murder of six people in Mariupol. He was found guilty of using prohibited means and methods in an armed conflict, cruelty to civilians and the murder of two or more persons out of political and ideological hatred. In the basement of a Mariupol school, Zavaletsky shot two people, and another man later near a kindergarten.
Later, in December, the court sentenced Ukrainian Armed Forces fighter Dmitry Shalar, who was guilty of shooting civilians in Mariupol, to life imprisonment. The court found that he and his colleagues noticed a minibus and a car with white ribbons on the mirrors, decided that there were pro-Russian people there, and opened fire on the cars. Four people in the cars died from their injuries.
“When the Russian fighter approached, foreign military aircraft made a turn from the state border of the Russian Federation. The Russian plane returned safely to its home airfield. There were no violations of the state border,” the department said in a statement.
It is emphasized that the Su-30 carried out the flight in strict compliance with all international standards over neutral waters without crossing air routes or dangerously approaching foreign aircraft.
As Regnum reported, in October Russia scrambled Su-27 fighters because of three NATO aircraft over the Black Sea. Then NATO aircraft were heading towards the state border of the Russian Federation, the pilots similarly identified them as Typhoon multirole fighters and an RC-135 electronic reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft.
In August 2023, a Russian Su-30 destroyed a Ukrainian Armed Forces military boat with a crew east of Zmeiny Island in the Black Sea. On the night of August 30, Russian fighters hit four military boats with Ukrainian paratroopers in the Black Sea. There were a total of up to 50 people on board the destroyed boats. A few days earlier, Russian aircraft hit the high-speed military boat Willard Sea Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zmeinoye area, also with a Ukrainian landing force.
More from regnum.ru Expert Koshkin: information about the use of the F-35 in Ukraine may turn out to be a hoax
The statement by the Minister of Defense of Singapore about the use of F-35 fighter jets in Ukraine may be a deliberately organized information dump in the interests of the United States, which is trying to involve its military-political allies in the Ukrainian conflict to a greater extent. This version was expressed by Andrei Koshkin, an expert at the Association of Military Political Scientists, when commenting to a Regnum correspondent on information about the likely use of fifth-generation American combat aircraft in Ukraine.
According to Koshkin, the statement about the use of the latest types of military equipment in Ukraine, such as the F-35, is a clear signal that indicates that the United States is not only not reducing its participation in the Ukrainian conflict, but quite the contrary - it is strengthening its presence. And this, in turn, should encourage Washington’s military-political allies (primarily European) to act similarly.
It is no secret to anyone how involved the Western military machine, led by the United States, is in the conflict in Ukraine, the expert noted. These include high-ranking advisers, the provision of intelligence, and the supply of weapons and equipment, including Abrams tanks.
However, recently the Kiev regime began to suffer a clear defeat on the battlefield, expressed primarily in the failure of the “counter-offensive”, as well as in the absence of some of the funds previously promised in Washington, and in difficulties in attracting additional assistance for Ukraine from European countries.
“The United States is trying to shift the main burden of the Ukrainian conflict onto Europe’s shoulders and is very dissatisfied with the very sluggish actions of its European allies in this direction,” Koshkin noted.
As a result, fears have matured in the White House that the current Ukrainian regime will not cope with the task assigned to it by the West to defeat Russia on the battlefield. But in Washington they are trying to stretch out the conflict at least until November 5, 2024, when the presidential elections will be held in the United States, the political scientist is sure.
“And for this, the Americans are trying to drag European states into the conflict as much as possible - first in the information space, and then in the political and military-technical sphere,” the expert stated.
The F-35 is one of the most advanced modern combat vehicles in the air, Koshkin noted. And its use in Ukraine could theoretically be useful for the Pentagon to study the capabilities of the Russian air defense forces. But this is such an expensive product that it is not a good idea to deliver it to a combat zone or even test it there. However, reports of the alleged use of such fighters may well produce the impression Washington needs.
We should not forget that Singapore has fairly close bilateral ties with Washington, the interlocutor of IA Regnum recalled. In fact, the small Asian state is one of the US allies in Southeast Asia, and its participation in information support from the White House is not excluded.
The United States recently deployed its F-35 fighter jets in a special military operation (SVO) zone in Ukraine to identify the positions of Russian air defense forces (ADF). This statement was voiced by Singapore's Minister of Defense Ng Eng Hen on the official website of his department. A Pentagon spokesman denied this report.
Last summer, the British edition of the Economist reported that Western countries were transmitting information about Russian radars, electronic warfare (EW) and air defense systems to the Kiev regime. The article stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces use this information to launch attacks against the Russian military.
And last week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that US and British special services are supplying the Ukrainian military with intelligence for targeted missile attacks on Russian troops.
Even more from regnum.ru US B-52H and B1B strategic bombers fly over Sweden
US strategic bombers B-1B Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress flew over Swedish territory on March 6. As stated by the Royal Air Force, the flight took place during joint exercises.
“The Lancer and Stratofortress, accompanied by the Swedish Jas 39 Gripen, will fly over a large part of Swedish airspace and, weather permitting, will be visible over the center of Stockholm and Uppsala, as well as over other areas,” said the announcement on the Swedish Air Force website.
According to the Swedish side, in this way the exercise participants practiced the defense of Sweden and joint interaction, after which the bombers headed to Norway to participate in the NATO Nordic Response 2024 maneuvers.
As Regnum reported, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on March 2 spoke about the response to the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO. He said it was surprising to see the speed with which these countries had changed the neutrality that had given them their reputation for decades. Long decades of good neighborliness, according to Lavrov, went up in smoke with their accession to the bloc, and therefore the Russian leadership decided to deploy additional weapons in the newly created Moscow and Leningrad military districts.
Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized at the end of 2023 that Russia has no reason to fight with NATO countries, but at the same time pointed out that the leaders of Western countries have not abandoned aggressive goals. NATO activity has increased sharply, and significant forces have been transferred from the United States to Russia’s borders, the president noted.
Military exercises Nordic Response will take place in northern Finland, Norway and Sweden from March 4 to 15 with the participation of more than 20 thousand troops from 14 countries. The maneuvers will be part of the North Atlantic Alliance's Steadfast Defender 2024 exercises, which started on January 31 and will last until May. According to legend, one of the NATO countries is attacked by a fictional country from the east. The exercises are planned to be carried out in territories from Romania to Norway.
“The appearance of the Typhoon, which for the first time accompanies a US reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea, is a challenge, a test of our weaknesses. Cooperation of the West in the military industry has turned into cooperation in support of the Kiev regime. I believe that the number of such flights will increase - and this must be taken into account in combat work,” Ivlev told RIA Novosti.
According to him, the appearance of NATO combat aircraft over the Black Sea is doomed to failure.
“Our pilots will not allow enemy aircraft to enter Russian airspace and, if necessary, will, without a doubt, carry out combat orders to destroy enemies. Russian pilots, trained in the tactics of air combat heroes - Russian Alexander Pokryshkin, Ukrainian Ivan Kozhedub, Crimean Tatar Amet- Khan Sultan, “are faithful to their oath. It has always been so, and it will continue to be so,” the deputy said.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Defense reported that the Russian Su-30 fighter prevented British Air Force aircraft from violating the state border over the Black Sea. As the Russian fighter approached, the RC-135 electronic reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft and two RAF Typhoon multi-role fighters turned around.
A day earlier, a similar incident occurred involving an E-3F long-range radar detection and control aircraft and two Rafal-S fighters of the French Aerospace Forces. Then the Russian Su-27 fighter was lifted into the air.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin.
Headline is mine.
[ColonelCassad] An entertaining video of the “organized retreat” of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Avdievka has appeared.
On February 17-18, the total losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Avdeevka and in the fields to the west of it amounted to 2,400 people. The enemy modestly admitted about 1,000 “missing” and prisoners.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Andrey Chervonets
[Chernovec] Today, with one missile strike, the Kremlin clearly conveyed a message to Zelensky that Moscow knows about all of his, President Nezalezhalaya’s, movements, and if Putin really wanted, several “Daggers” would fly to Zelensky’s location, as happened today in Odessa.
Today, the Ukrainian president met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who has already arrived in Ukraine. The moniker, President Nezalezhalaya, applied to Zelensky, is a sardonic portmanteau which translates into Mr. Independent.
The missile strike hit a hangar with unmanned “boats” that were supposed to be demonstrated to the Greek Prime Minister.
To “show off,” all of the “boats” were brought to one place.
The blow was delivered quickly, using ballistics. Moscow had not previously taken such demonstrative actions when Zelesky met with representatives of Western countries.
I hope that now the Ukrainian president and the Greek prime minister are full of impressions.
The Russian army attacked Odessa with ballistics during the visit of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and a delegation from Greece to the city. The strike hit the seaport when Zelensky was supposed to be giving a tour to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
According to media reports, the explosion occurred 150 meters away from them. In addition, according to unofficial information, five people were killed and five more were injured as a result of the attack.
WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE IMPACT
The Greek publication Protothema was the first to announce an attack on the delegation. Foreign journalists are convinced that the target of the Russian military was the motorcade of the Ukrainian president. According to them, the explosion occurred at 11:43 near Zelensky’s motorcade, which was 150 meters from the Greek delegation.
“We are all fine,” State Minister Stavros Papastavrou, who is at the Greek mission, told the media, which was organized in conditions of extreme secrecy and in which, in addition to the prime minister, there were eight people and their guards.
It is alleged that after the explosion, the meeting between Mitsotakis and Zelensky proceeded as usual with only a delay of 15 minutes. The two leaders also held a news conference, which was not broadcast live for security reasons.
IMPRESSION OF THE GREEKS
During his speech, the Prime Minister of Greece commented on the missile attack on Odessa.
"President Zelensky and his staff showed us and explained the importance of the port. Already at the end we heard the sound of sirens and explosions that were very close to us. We did not have time to go to a protected place, this is a very impressive experience," said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Later, Greek ERT journalist Georgia Skitsi, who was at the scene of the incident, spoke about her impressions.
“We suddenly heard sirens, we were informed that there had been a missile strike, which was responded to with countermeasures, but, unfortunately, there were three dead,” she said.
In turn, the Odessa publication Dumskaya writes that the Russians hit Odessa with an Iskander or Onyx missile. An air raid alert was declared in the city. As a result of the arrival, there are supposedly dead and injured.
Local publicists add that the attack killed five people and injured as many more.
WHAT ZELENSKY SAID
The President of Ukraine also confirmed the missile attack on Odessa at the moment when he met with the head of the Greek government.
“We saw this strike today. I know that there were casualties today. There are dead and wounded,” Zelensky said.
He added that the Russians are either crazy or they have no control over what their terrorist army is doing.
According to Zelensky, this attack is further evidence that Ukraine needs more modern air defense systems. The protection of the Ukrainian sky is gradually increasing, but not at the rate we would like.
STATEMENT BY THE RUSSIANS
In the evening, the propaganda agency RIA Novosti, citing the Russian Ministry of Defense, stated that the Russian army actually launched a missile strike on Odessa at 11.40. But, according to them, they seemed to be hitting a hangar in the port area of the city, where, as they claim, “preparations were underway for the combat use of Ukrainian unmanned boats.”
“The target of the missile strike was achieved, the object was hit,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Savin
[REGNUM] The current confrontation between Yemen's Houthis and the Western coalition in the Red Sea has opened a new dimension to the conflict. It is reported that on Monday, March 4, three cables that lie at the bottom of the Red Sea were damaged. These were Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE-1), Europe India Gateway and Seacom-TGN-Gulf, according to Hong Kong-based HGC Global Communications.
The report said restrictions caused by the damage affected 25% of traffic passing through the Red Sea. The company described the Red Sea route as critical for data transfers from Asia to Europe and said it had begun rerouting traffic.
Seacom, in turn, said: "Initial testing indicates that the affected segment is within the maritime jurisdictions of Yemen in the southern Red Sea." The approximate depth at the site of cable damage is 200 meters.
Tata Communications, part of the Indian conglomerate that operates the Seacom-TGN-Gulf line, said it had "initiated immediate and appropriate remedial action" after the cable was cut.
The first suspicions fell on Yemen's Houthis, who are attacking sea vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which they consider to belong to hostile states. It is significant that this was announced by the Western media, which touched on this problem earlier. Although even the New York Times did not make hasty introductions, calling the incident “mystical damage.”
It is believed that the cables may have been damaged as a result of the recent sinking of the British cargo ship Rubymar. On February 18, it became a target for Houthi forces and was abandoned by its crew.
After the attack, the ship was left adrift in the Red Sea for several days, dragging its anchor along the seabed, where it could cut one or more cables. There is no official confirmation of this yet. However, NetBlocks noticed internet outages in the East African country of Djibouti in late February.
Seacom noticed that data transmission had stopped on a line that runs from Mombasa in Kenya up the Red Sea to Zafarana in Egypt. At the same time, two cables connecting the west to the east were damaged.
There has been no confirmation from the Houthi Ansarallah movement itself. Moreover, they denied even the intention to sabotage international Internet communications. An official press release on Tuesday March 5 said the Houthi government was “committed to protecting all submarine telecommunications cables and related services from any possible risks” and also promised to provide funds for “cable repairs and maintenance.”
The Houthis blamed the damage on Britain and the United States, whose armed forces are conducting an operation against them.
Obviously, it is not possible to reasonably accuse any party due to the current lack of evidence. The fact that the incident occurred in a part controlled by Yemen, in accordance with international law, does not confirm the involvement of the Ansarallah movement. There are various opposition groups operating in Yemen, and in the northern part of the country there is even a “branch” of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda.
WHERE DO THE CABLES GO?
Fiberglass optical cables running along the bottom of seas and oceans, connecting countries and regions, look almost like a garden hose. More than 90% of all Internet traffic between Europe and Asia passes through such cables.
And a study published by the US Department of Homeland Security in 2017 said that 97% of all intercontinental electronic communications were carried out using undersea fiber-optic cables that lie at the bottom of the world's oceans.
The same study provided a clear example of how important cables are in the Middle East. After three divers tried to deliberately cut an undersea cable near Alexandria in 2013, internet speeds in Egypt dropped by about 60%.
There are approximately 550 submarine cables worldwide. However, if we talk about breaks, then on average they occur from 100 to 150 per year. Therefore, what happened in the Red Sea is not something extraordinary. The Western media are simply exaggerating this problem, introducing a political element and hinting at the guilt of the Houthis. They also often speculate that Russia could do something similar off the coast of France and Britain.
By the way, in most cases, the cause of cable breaks is human activity, and not military activity, for example, a ship dragging an anchor or a fishing trawl. There are also natural disasters: underwater earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
And if a single cable breaks, this is compensated by the redundancy built into the global system by operators. Even if all the cables in the Red Sea were cut, internet traffic could be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope at the tip of Africa or east through Singapore, Japan and the United States into Europe. Although this, of course, will affect speed and throughput.
But the Red Sea is of particular interest.
Back in November 2022, the specialized publication Wired noted that Egypt is the most vulnerable place in the submarine cable communications system.
Then journalists analyzed the recent rupture of the already mentioned AAE-1 cable (it connects Hong Kong with Marseille and provides Internet connectivity to more than ten countries), which led to a number of countries being disconnected from the Internet for several hours. Ethiopia lost 90% of its connectivity and Somalia lost 85%. Access to all Google, Amazon and Microsoft cloud servers has also disappeared.
Interestingly, that time the rupture occurred on land, not at sea, and the cause was never established.
In total, 17 cables pass through the Red Sea, and two of them should go into operation this year, and three more are planned to be put into operation only in 2025. All of them are connected into a relatively compact bundle in the area of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the exit from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
If you look at the global map of submarine cables, you can see several more places with an extreme concentration of Internet communications that pose a certain vulnerability. These are Hong Kong in China, the coasts of Japan, South Korea and Indonesia, as well as the southwestern coast of Britain. In the US, this is the New England region on the Atlantic coast, and on the Pacific coast there are hubs in California.
A global network of undersea cables forms a large part of the Internet's backbone, carrying much of the world's data and ultimately connecting to the networks that power cell towers and Wi-Fi connections.
In many cases, companies operating submarine cables have antennas and other equipment to connect to a backup satellite network. This helps restore communications within 15 minutes if the ground or underwater infrastructure is damaged for some reason.
Despite the possibility of prompt recovery, the recent failure had an increased effect, as it affected the work of a number of Western social networks and instant messengers.
RUSSIA'S WEAK SPOt
It is reasonable to ask: How closely is Russia connected to undersea internet highways, and are there vulnerabilities similar to those in the Red Sea? In general, there are few submarine cables in our jurisdiction relative to other countries and regions.
The state-owned Polar Express cable covers most of Russia, starting from Teriberka in the Murmansk region and running through all the northern and Far Eastern seas to Vladivostok.
It has the important function of transmitting traffic to Amderma, Dikson, Tiksi (these segments will start operating in 2025), Pevek, Petropalovsk-Kamchatsky, Anadyr, Nakhodka and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (coming in line by 2026). The Teriberka-Amderma section is currently operating.
In the Far East, communication with Kamchatka has been provided since 2016 by the Far Eastern Submarine Cable System and the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky-Anadyr cable, introduced in 2022.
In the Black Sea, a cable from Russia connects Sochi to Georgia, and from Georgia it runs along the seabed to Bulgaria. Since the Black Sea is now a conflict zone, this may also affect Internet communications.
The cable itself runs far from the Ukrainian borders, and even if the Ukrainians and their Western accomplices want to carry out sabotage, as they did with Nord Streams, then Georgia, not Russia, will suffer first.
In the Baltic Sea, starting from 2021, a Russian cable connects Kaliningrad and Kingisepp. There is also the BCS North-Phase 2 cable, which connects the Russian city of Kotka with Finland across the Baltic Sea. It belongs to the Swedish company Arelion, and the main traffic from Russia to Europe through Scandinavia goes through it.
Perhaps this is the most vulnerable place for Russia. And in light of the military-political confrontation with NATO, it is necessary to keep this in mind.
#2
The satellites really don't come into it.
It's kind like freight shipping: you can send stuff by air, but most everything actually goes by boat.
The sea floor cables carry 97% of the load.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
03/07/2024 9:36 Comments ||
Top||
#5
/\ I'm withholding judgment on Musk until a Brennan-Pelosi presser and Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States (Five Eyes) findings.
If the investigation reveals he's some sort of remote Afri-Jewish sect or Dutch Reformed Christian, he's toast.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Regnum] A Su-30 fighter of the Russian Aerospace Forces took off over the Black Sea as a British RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft and two Typhoon fighters of the British Air Force approached. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced this on March 6.
