“I said to #Putin, ‘Yes we could take him out, it wouldn’t be a problem, if it doesn’t work the first time then it would the second.’ I told him: ‘Don’t do it, because afterwards there will be no negotiations and these guys will be ready to do anything,’” #Lukashenko claimed.| #Wagner #Prigozhin #Russia #Belarus

Putin’s portrayal of response to uprising as a #Kremlin win is proving a hard sell
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/27/putins-portrayal-of-response-to-uprising-as-a-kremlin-win-is-proving-a-hard-sell

"#BEIJING, June 27 (Reuters) - As news broke on Saturday that mercenary #Wagner troops were careering towards #Moscow in a short-lived rebellion, several businessmen from southern #China began frantically calling factories to halt shipments of goods destined for #Russia." #UkraineWar

Wagner mutiny exposes risks for China's deep Russian ties
https://www.reuters.com/world/wagner-mutiny-exposes-risks-chinas-deep-russian-ties-2023-06-27/

#PopeFrancis also told #Zelenskiy they'd help get the kidnapped Ukrainian children back.

The #Kremlin has confirmed the arrival of the papal envoy Cardinal #MatteoZuppi in #Moscow for peace talks | #UkraineWar
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/jun/28/russia-ukraine-war-live-kramatorsk-death-toll-rises-nato-to-strengthen-eastern-defences?page=with:block-649c14c28f08deda08fdd6bc#block-649c14c28f08deda08fdd6bc

Pick a card. Any card ♥️♠️♦️♣️

"A succession fight involving nukes, a private military up for grabs, an ascendant #Belarus — it’s all on the table in a post-#Wagner mutiny world."

Gaming out #Russia’s future
https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-war-ukraine-vladimir-putin-future/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Twitter

"US intelligence claims Gen Sergei #Surovikin, who has close ties to Yevgeny #Prigozhin, had prior knowledge of uprising" #Russia

Russian general who may have known about #Wagner mutiny goes missing
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/28/russian-general-wagner-mutiny-goes-missing

"The Belarusian President Alexander #Lukashenko is seeking credit for stepping in to broker #Wagner’s retreat and saving #Russia from chaos. FRANCE 24 spoke to #PavelSlunkin, a former Belarusian diplomat, who shed light on what this means for Lukasheko's relationship with Moscow, his own security and the course of the war in #Ukraine. " #UkraineWar

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230628-prigozhin-s-mutiny-putin-s-mess-how-lukashenko-came-out-looking-like-a-tactical-winner

"Citing two sources close to #Russia’s #DefenceMinistry, the Russian-language service of #TheMoscowTimes reported on Wednesday that #Surovikin was arrested due to what one of the unnamed sources said was choosing #Wagner chief Yevgeny '#Prigozhin’s side during the uprising'."

Russia holds General Sergei Surovikin over Wagner mutiny: Reports
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/29/russia-holds-general-sergei-surovikin-over-wagner-mutiny-reports

Good news for Ukraine’s counteroffensive 👍 #UkraineWar #Russia #Prigozhin

#Wagner mercenaries will no longer fight in #Ukraine after chief refuses to sign contracts with #Kremlin
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/jun/29/russia-ukraine-war-live-ukraine-makes-advances-in-south-and-east-top-general-says-putin-greets-crowds-in-rare-walkabout?page=with:block-649d685c8f08d551cf54a151#block-649d685c8f08d551cf54a151

Russian railway depots are clogged with empty #ShippingContainers from #China amid a deepening #TradeImbalance between the two countries, the independent business news outlet VPost reported Wednesday. #Russia #Economy #UkraineWar

Chinese Containers Clogging Russian Rail Depots – VPost
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/06/29/chinese-containers-clogging-russian-rail-depots-vpost-a81689

Very ironic after #Switzerland blocked so many #EU arms exports to #Ukraine for the sake of it's neutrality. It's hard not to laugh though, they tried so hard to be in the middle 🤣 #UkraineWar

My bet is on #Turkey as the site of peace talks. Even though they sold a ton of scout/killer drones to Ukraine.

"#Russia rules out Switzerland as location for peace talks, saying it had 'lost its status as a neutral state' after supporting EU sanctions"
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/jun/29/russia-ukraine-war-live-ukraine-makes-advances-in-south-and-east-top-general-says-putin-greets-crowds-in-rare-walkabout?page=with:block-649d8c8f8f08ff8b60150539#block-649d8c8f8f08ff8b60150539

“Confirmed: Metrics show a disruption to #satellite #InternetProvider Dozor-Teleport which supplies #Russia's #FSB (Federal Security Service), #Gazprom, #Rosatom and military installations,” internet traffic monitor NetBlocks reported." #UkraineWar

'#Wagner' Hackers Say They Shut Down Russian Satellite Internet Provider
https://www.pcmag.com/news/wagner-hackers-say-they-shut-down-russian-satellite-internet-provider

"Admission that Russia paid 86bn roubles to Yevgeny #Prigozhin’s mercenaries this year is potentially significant, say legal experts" #UkraineWar

#Putin claim that #Russia funds #Wagner group may make it easier to try him for #WarCrimes
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/01/putin-claim-that-russia-funds-wagner-group-may-make-it-easier-to-try-him-for-war-crimes

"Since 2018 when #Wagner arrived in Central African Republic (#CAR) to fight off a #RebelUprising, the armed group has expanded its footprint, later launching operations in #Mali, #Sudan and #Libya. For African governments struggling to deal with escalating domestic insecurity, Wagner became a lifeline." #Africa #Russia #Prigozhin

After mutiny, clouds hover over Wagner’s operations in Africa
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/1/after-mutiny-clouds-hover-over-wagners-operations-in-africa

"Aliaksandr Azarau, leader of the anti-#Lukashenko BYPOL guerrilla group of former military members, told the #AssociatedPress by phone on Thursday that construction of a site for #Wagner mercenaries was underway near #Osipovichi." #Prigozhin #Russia

#SatellitePhotos, reports suggest Belarus is building an army camp for Wagner fighters
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1796286/satellite-photos-reports-suggest-belarus-is-building-an-army-camp-for-wagner-fighters

" The ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (#LDPR) is working on a bill that would temporarily ban the travel of close relatives of high-ranking officials to 'unfriendly countries,' the RIA state news agency reported on Sunday." #Russia #UkraineWar

#UltraNationalists aim to restrict travel for Russian officials' families
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ultra-nationalists-aim-to-restrict-travel-for-russian-officials-families/ar-AA1djCrV

"Yevgeny #Prigozhin’s media holding group is to shut down, the director of one of its outlets said, highlighting the mercenary chief’s worsening fortunes a week after the collapse of a brief mutiny staged by his #WagnerGroup fighters, #Reuters reports." #Russia

#Wagner chief's media holding group to shut down
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/jul/02/russia-ukraine-war-live-russia-launches-first-overnight-drone-strike-on-kyiv-in-12-days?page=with:block-64a141768f08ff8b601520f0#block-64a141768f08ff8b601520f0

"Speaking to reporters on Monday, Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of the #NATO military committee, said that although the bulk of #Russia’s land forces are fighting in #Ukraine, he believes the #Kremlin’s forces are still a threat." #Russia #UkraineWar

Never underestimate Russia, top NATO military official warns
https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-ukraine-war-nato-military-admiral-rob-bauer/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social

"The town of #Nikopol – current population 50,000 – and other nearby cities are taking the threat of damage to the #NuclearPlant seriously. Last week for the first time they carried out #radiation drills, a rehearsal for what locals should do in case of a repeat of the 1986 #Chornobyl disaster" #Chernobyl #UkraineWar #Russia

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/jul/04/russia-ukraine-war-live-nato-expected-to-extend-stoltenberg-term-drones-reportedly-intercepted-in-moscow-region?page=with:block-64a3ec288f08de3d08ecd342#block-64a3ec288f08de3d08ecd342

"Western officials had hoped to formally welcome #Sweden into the bloc before next Tuesday’s summit.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip #Erdoğan, however, has frustrated western leaders by linking approval for Sweden’s bid to demands that #Stockholm crack down on members of opposition Kurdish movements, such as the Kurdistan Workers’ party (#PKK). "

Biden ratchets up efforts to secure Sweden’s #Nato membership ahead of key summit | #UkraineWar | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/06/biden-ratchets-up-efforts-to-secure-swedens-nato-membership-ahead-of-key-summit

"Tension is gradually decreasing," Nataliya Gumenyuk, an army spokeswoman, said, adding that this was thanks to the "powerful work" of #Kyiv's military and diplomatic efforts "with our foreign partners, who put pressure" on #Russia. #UkraineWar #

Kyiv says tension around #Zaporizhzhia #NuclearPowerPlant is decreasing
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/07/06/kyiv-says-tension-around-zaporizhzhia-plant-decreasing-a81758

"In the survey, carried out by Kantar Public, 53 percent of those questioned said that burning holy scriptures of any religion in public should be prohibited, while 34 percent answered that it should be allowed, and 13 percent were undecided." #Sweden #NATO

Most Swedes want ban on #Quran burnings after global outcry
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/6/most-swedes-want-ban-on-quran-burnings-after-global-outcry

"This week, Volodymyr #Zelenskiy hit out against critics who say his #counteroffensive has been slow and underwhelming. The Ukrainian president pointed out that his country’s battlefield success was directly dependent on western supplies of heavy weapons."

‘We need #Russia’s complete defeat’: Ukrainian forces upbeat on the frontline | #UkraineWar | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/07/we-need-russias-complete-defeat-ukrainian-forces-on-the-frontline-

"#Telegram is the opposite of mainstream platforms such as #Facebook: it gives free rein to content makers, deplatforming them only for illegal #pornography, #scams or #spam, and calls for #violence. This has made the platform a haven for those escaping censorship from autocrats but also for extremists, conspiracy theorists, and criminals." #Russia #UkraineWar

Telegram has become a window into war - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/7/23786422/telegram-russia-war-news-blogging-censorship-disinformation

"The #WhiteHouse argument is simple: that the end justifies the means. #Ukraine is burning through its available supply of conventional artillery shells. #Washington’s money pit is not bottomless and public patience is not inexhaustible." #UkraineWar

End justifies means for #Biden in sending #ClusterBombs to Ukraine
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/07/biden-ukraine-cluster-bombs-us-military

Home at last 👏 End of the war soon 😁

"The Ukrainian defenders held out in tunnels and bunkers under the #Azovstal steel plant, until they were finally ordered by #Kyiv to surrender in May last year.

#Moscow freed some of them in September in a prisoner swap brokered by #Ankara, under terms that required the commanders to remain in #Turkey until the end of the war."

Moscow denounces return of Mariupol commanders sent to Turkey in prisoner swap | #UkraineWar
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/08/ukraine-brings-home-five-commanders-captured-in-mariupol-siege

This is a major, major ask from Erdogan.

"Turkish President Recep Tayyip #Erdogan says his country could approve #Sweden’s membership in #NATO if European nations 'open the way' to Turkey’s bid to join the #EuropeanUnion" #UkraineWar

#Turkey’s Erdogan demands #EU membership talks for backing Swedish #NATO bid
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230710-sweden-s-pm-tries-to-break-turkish-resistance-in-nato-talks

Hands down, the best fighting force in Europe. The #Philippines should learn from them.

"#Europe would thus be wise to incorporate commercially available software into its defense planning and military operations, as #Ukraine has so adroitly done, demonstrating that laying cutting edge #software over older generations of hardware can significantly improve performance." #UkraineWar

Ukraine has set the standard on #SoftwarePower
https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-has-set-the-standard-on-software-power-russia-war/

Sweden is in! And they will support Turkey’s accession to the #EU. Guess the #F16 fighter jets from the US are heading to Ankara soon.

"The surprise announcement ended nearly a year of brinkmanship by Turkey, which has insisted it will not accede to #Sweden’s application to join #Nato unless #Stockholm did more to clamp down on exiled Kurdish activists it accuses of terrorism." #UkraineWar

Turkey agrees to support Sweden’s Nato application
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/10/turkey-sweden-nato-application-proceed-erdogan

Got the chills reading this. It would explain a lot of things about the mutiny.

"A source in Russian occupied east #Ukraine, with knowledge of the matter, said this caused concern in the #Kremlin and provided impetus for a hastily negotiated end to the rebellion on the evening of 24 June, brokered by Belarusian President Alexander #Lukashenko." #Prigozhin #Putin #Russia #UkraineWar

#Wagner reached nuclear base to ‘raise stakes’ in mutiny: Ukraine spy chief
https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/wagner-reached-nuclear-base-to-raise-stakes-in-mutiny-ukraine-spy-chief/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

No invitation or timetable yet. The cancelation of the requirement for a Membership Action Plan (MAP) is a major concession to Ukraine.

'#Ukraine’s future is in #Nato', says ascension plan published by alliance #UkraineWar
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/jul/11/russia-ukraine-war-live-russia-missile-attack-kyiv-before-nato-zelenskiy?page=with:block-64ad72698f080a06e305d2c0#block-64ad72698f080a06e305d2c0

"#G7 countries are expected to announce an 'international framework for #Ukraine’s long-term security arrangements” on the margins of the #Nato summit in #Vilnius on Wednesday, the #UK government said in a statement." #UkraineWar

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/jul/12/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskiy-nato-invitation-membership-kyiv-missile-drone?page=with:block-64ae53338f08ce64897eaac5#block-64ae53338f08ce64897eaac5

"When #Ukraine’s President Volodymyr #Zelensky returned from a visit to #Turkey last weekend, he did not board the plane alone. Joining him were five former #Azov commanders, captured by #Russia in the 2022 siege of #Mariupol and later handed over to Turkey in a prisoner exchange. Their return to Ukraine was a major diplomatic win for Ukraine and a slap in the face for Russia" #UkraineWar

Azov commanders return home
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230712-azov-commanders-return-home-a-diplomatic-win-for-ukraine-a-slap-in-the-face-for-russia

Ben Wallace has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine from the very beginning of the #UkraineWar.
---
"#VILNIUS — #Ukraine must show “gratitude” to its allies, despite its disappointment over the way #NATO framed #Kyiv’s future membership prospects, in order to maintain long-term Western public and political support, the British defense secretary warned on Wednesday." #UK #BenWallace

Ukraine must show ‘gratitude’ to the West to keep support, UK defense minister warns
https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-show-gratitude-west-support-ben-wallace-nato/

"#Ukraine had achieved a lot at the summit: a commitment from all members of the #G7 to continue with military and economic aid long term, an agreement to start a training programme for its pilots on western #F16 jets with the help of 11 countries, a €700m (£600m) #MilitaryAid package from #Germany and many other fresh pledges, as well as a formal promise that 'Ukraine’s future is in #Nato.' " #UkraineWar

#Zelenskiy forced to recalibrate to avert Nato summit falling-out
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/12/zelenskiy-forced-to-recalibrate-to-avert-nato-summit-falling-out-ukraine

“Russian forces have captured a total of 282 square kilometers in the entire theater since January 1. In five weeks, Ukrainian forces have liberated nearly the same amount of territory that Russian forces captured in over six months,” the ISW said. #UkraineWar

Analysis: #Ukraine rolls back 6 months of Russian gains in 5 weeks
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/12/analysis-ukraine-rolls-back-6-months-of-russian-gains-in-5-weeks

"Such public criticism of #Russia’s military leadership from a battle-hardened general less than three weeks since the #Wagner mutiny indicates the level of discontent within the Russian army as it fights the biggest land war in #Europe since #WorldWarTwo." #UkraineWar

Russian general says top military brass betrayed soldiers fighting in #Ukraine
https://www.rappler.com/world/europe/russian-general-popov-dismissed-after-accusing-top-brass-failing-soldiers/