Russia Seems To Be Preparing The Vital Kerch Bridge For Missile Attacks

July 5 - Russia has deployed a number of countermeasures to the Kerch Strait Bridge connecting Russia and Crimea, including decoy barges covered in radar reflectors as well as smokescreen capabilities that were used in test exercises over the weekend.

Launching a missile attack against the Kerch Strait Bridge would require the long-range weapons systems that the Ukrainian government has insisted on being in need of. To answer the call, both the United States and Denmark have donated a number of RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). The RGM-84 missile boasts a range of up to 67 miles under optimal circumstances. The use of a HIMARS is even more limited in terms of range than Harpoon.

Now that these systems are in action, though, Russia may still be worried about their employment against the bridge in some capacity, even if the chance of it happening would be remote.

British intelligence says Slavyansk will be liberated soon 😉

Explores Lisichansk after Russian-Led Forces Secure Lugansk

Murad Gazdiev reports from the city destroyed by recent fighting and speaks with locals following Ukraine’s withdrawal.

Ukraine has sold two French-donated 155mm Caesar howitzers to Russia

French and Ukrainian sources claim that in the hands of the Russian army there are two 155mm self-propelled howitzers Caesar, donated by France to Ukraine on February 24 this year.

The news of captured weapons would not surprise anyone in wartime. But French sources claim, according to a Donbas Insider, that the two Caesar self-propelled howitzers were sold, through an intermediary, by Ukrainians to Russians. The price, which is being discussed in tight circles, is $120,000 each. The unit value of a Caesar self-propelled howitzer varies around the amount of 7 million euros.

The sold howitzers will benefit the Russians. The Caesar self-propelled gun’s guidance and fire coordination system are of real interest to Russian military engineers. They are to be studied in detail, analyzed, and most likely copied.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in serious trouble

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in serious trouble — again — with more than three dozen members of his government resigning in the past day.

Ministers and aides, including two senior members of his cabinet, say they no longer have faith in his leadership after a series of scandals, the latest involving an ally accused of improper sexual conduct.

Among others the following officials resigned from the British government on Wednesday, July 6:

✔ Finance Minister Rishi Sunak (senior cabinet member)

✔ Health Secretary Sajid Javid (senior cabinet member)

✔ Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister John Glen

✔ Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice Victoria Atkins

✔ Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Department of Business Felicity Buchan

✔ British Minister for Children and Families Will Quince

✔ Lawmaker belonging to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party Laura Trott

Having a senior cabinet member resign is a big deal in British politics, and Sunak and Javid were in particularly important positions.

Five senior ministers represent critical mass. Among those are Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who indicated they would be staying and remained loyal to Boris Johnson.

Prime-minister Boris Johnson survived the no-confidence vote in June, so he should be safe from party challenges for the next year. However, the Conservative Private Members’ Committee in Parliament, informally known as the 1922 Committee, is set to meet next Wednesday and could vote to change the rules that protect Johnson from another no-confidence vote within a year. This would allow Johnson’s party colleagues to vote again, sooner on whether to keep him as their leader and, hence, as the Prime-minister.

The German Ministry of Defense refused to transfer 200 Fuchs armored personnel carriers to Ukraine

Defense Secretary Christine Lambrecht said that Germany wants help Ukraine, but must retain the ability to defend itself. At the same time, she called this request of the CDU/CSU opposition bloc “robbery”. “So it's irresponsible – want to plunder the Bundeswehr, especially in our time, and ignore the military advice of the Inspector General”, – said the minister.

General Ebergard Zorn, acting as Inspector General of the German Armed Forces, said earlier that the Bundeswehr is unable to transfer equipment from its stocks to Ukraine. It is worth noting that Germany has more than 800 Fuchs armored personnel carriers of various modifications are in service.

🇬🇧 Departures from ministerial office

Boris Johnson has resigned.

After just over 1,000 days in office, he overtook Theresa May in terms of the speed at which his ministers deserted him, according to the FT.

Without going too deeply into the shenanigans within the English political establishment, we would single out two main trends here:

▪️ The current economic crisis will inevitably develop into a political one. The current generation in the West has never experienced a 'protracted crisis' , has never lived in a situation of scarce resources, and has not faced a strategic impasse, where no action within the current range of available actions, can lead to a positive result. We are on the verge of a transformation of the economic and political architecture, and more politicians in Europe and the United States will follow Johnson. It's inevitable.

▪️ Degradation of the elite. Each successive politician will necessarily be worse than the one they replace. The trend is firm and stable; when it seems impossible to sink any further, a Biden or Johnson appears to surprise us by their talent for plumbing new depths. The degradation of the elite is a consequence of feedback disconnect, and this trend is manifested at all levels.

A survivor from Severodonetsk, who was held hostage by the Ukrainian nazis at the AZOT plant, told journalists her story of how the war criminals treated civilians. They didn't let women with kids go out, and constantly threatened to shoot anyone who tried to leave and go towards the city. Stagnant water caused health problems in the kids, so many people began to leave anyway, to save their children's lives. These war criminals are already awaiting trial.

Now in London on Downing Street 😄

Farmers have been protesting everywhere from the Netherlands, Italy, and now, Germany.

It seems that the people following this profession have had enough, they do not care about what happens in a region 700kms away from them, just about their own livelihoods.

With Boris being ousted by his party, I wouldn't be surprised if Rutte and Draghni bite the dust too.

A British journalist arrived in Donetsk – John Miller told Alina Lipp how shocked he was about what he saw here. “It is the Ukrainian side that has been killing civilians here for years, and this is not reported in the West".

European Commission’s budget unit blocks 1.5 billion euro loan for Ukraine

Ukraine is pushing for financial help from Europe to keep its economy afloat, but has seen the proposed loan blocked by the European Commission’s budget unit because of concerns over its financial reliability. The EU needs to make sure that Ukraine can absorb losses in the event of a Ukrainian default. The Finance Ministry in Kiev is running out of financing options, leaving the country increasingly reliant on outside help.

The salaries of the Ukrainian soldiers, which are allocated by Western countries in the form of loans to Ukraine, would not be have been plundered

Serbian man showed the Western interpretation of democracy