Ukraine’s Forces Are Advancing but Appear to Be Miles From Russia’s Main Defensive Line. A Much Tougher Fight Lies Ahead.

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Ukrainian counteroffensive operations are underway, and it’s been hard fighting for Kyiv’s forces. But Ukraine is still miles from Russia’s main line of defense, and a tougher fight is probably still to come, experts say.

Ukrainian forces appear to be about 10 to 15 kilometers from the main defensive line, depending on the location of the fighting, George Barros, a Russia analyst who is the geospatial-intelligence team lead at the Institute for the Study of War, told Insider.

Jack Watling, a land-warfare expert at the Royal United Services Institute, suggested it could be as much as 20 kilometers.

Ukraine has been fighting its way through Russian defensive positions consisting of foxholes and hand-dug trenches backed by minefields and protected by drones and artillery, Watling wrote in an article published Wednesday. But that is not the main line of defense.

“The main defence line, still 15-20 km from Ukrainian positions, has properly dug trenches and concrete-reinforced firing posts, tank obstacles, ground-laid cable to coordinate artillery strikes, and even more mines,” he wrote. (Read more from “Ukraine’s Forces Are Advancing but Appear to Be Miles From Russia’s Main Defensive Line. A Much Tougher Fight Lies Ahead.” HERE)

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Putin Claims Ukraine Counter-Offensive Is Failing

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Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that Ukraine’s counter-offensive has been unsuccessful, with its army suffering major losses.

Speaking at a meeting of war correspondents, he said that Kyiv’s losses were approaching a “catastrophic” level.

That has not been verified, and Ukrainian President Zelensky has denied the counter-offensive is failing. . .

Kyiv’s counter-offensive is in its early stages, and modest gains have been made in the eastern Donetsk and south-eastern Zaporizhzhia regions. Mr Zelensky has also claimed advances in Bakhmut.

But the situation is not as clear-cut than the triumphant claims of liberation which came from Kyiv earlier this week. (Read more from “Putin Claims Ukraine Counter-Offensive Is Failing” HERE)

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Russia’s Lancet Drone Is Hampering Ukraine’s Counteroffensive, Smashing Western Gear and Exposing Poor Air Defenses

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In recent weeks Ukraine has been pushing hard to retake ground from Russia, as part of a sweeping counteroffensive.

The full picture is still emerging, but in places it has been a bruising experience.

Russian officials have gleefully shared videos of piled-up wreckage, and often cited as the cause the Russian-made Lancet drone.

The Lancet is a loitering munition made by a subsection of Russia’s Kalashnikov arms manufacturer. It’s new — first used in 2019 — and meant for precision strikes.

James Patton Rogers, a drone expert at the Cornell Tech Policy Institute and the University of Southern Denmark, said that the type being fielded by Russia in Ukraine is the Lancet-3, an upgraded version. (Read more from “Russia’s Lancet Drone Is Hampering Ukraine’s Counteroffensive, Smashing Western Gear and Exposing Poor Air Defenses” HERE)

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Scientists Working at Wuhan Institute of Virology Alongside Chinese Military ‘Were Combining World’s Most Deadly Coronaviruses to Create Mutant Strain Capable of Sparking a Pandemic Just Before the COVID Outbreak Began’

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Scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were running risky experiments to create deadly mutant coronaviruses by fusing newly discovered strains – just before the outbreak of Covid-19.

US investigators believe Covid-19 was created by scientists at the Wuhan lab through experiments on a similar coronavirus discovered in a mineshaft in southern China.

Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were fusing deadly coronaviruses to create highly-infectious mutant strains, that were then used to infect albino mice, the US investigators claim.

The research programme was kept secret and covered up due to it being funded by the Chinese military with the aim of developing bioweapons, the investigators believe.

The secret initiative in turn led to the creation of Covid-19, which was then leaked into the city of Wuhan through a lab accident, before it spread across the globe, the US investigators claim. (Read more from “Scientists Working at Wuhan Institute of Virology Alongside Chinese Military ‘Were Combining World’s Most Deadly Coronaviruses to Create Mutant Strain Capable of Sparking a Pandemic Just Before the COVID Outbreak Began’” HERE)

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Foreign Legion Fighter Reports Massive Casualties Among Ukrainian Troops

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A Taiwanese volunteer soldier in Ukraine’s foreign legion on Sunday (June 4) uploaded a detailed account of the realities of fighting in the Russo-Ukrainian War.

The Taiwanese soldier, who goes by the handle “I don’t know Mount Lushan” (不識廬山), has recently returned from duty in Ukraine and Sunday uploaded an extremely detailed thread with advice to would-be volunteers considering joining the fight. Topics he covered were the expenses, physical demands, necessary language skills, combat training needed, and the mentality one should possess. . .

The volunteer advised that the lack of sleep and intense physical exertion caused by long missions are taxing. Worse, the soldier warned that the life and death situations on the battlefield, shellshock from constant bombardments, and death of team members can easily “destroy a person’s mind.”

He said that even experienced soldiers can panic and lose their judgment and ability to fight due to fear. The veteran noted that his unit had a casualty rate of 50% and 20% of his teammates were killed in action.

According to the volunteer, his platoon was “annihilated twice” and he was the only member to come out unscathed. Furthermore, he observed that his unit did not fight in the “deadliest war zone.” (Read more from “Foreign Legion Fighter Reports Massive Casualties Among Ukrainian Troops” HERE)

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White House Sounds the Alarm on ‘Full-Scale Defense Partnership’ Between Russia and Iran

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Russia is providing billions of dollars in military aircraft and equipment in exchange for imports, as well as, ultimately, assistance with building attack drones for use in Ukraine, the White House said in a declassified intelligence report given to news outlets Friday.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed that Iran dug in supply lines to transfer the one-way attack drones to Russia through the Caspian sea, which are then provided to Russian forces to attack Ukrainian cities over long distances, according to The Associated Press. Iran has also agreed to provide materials for constructing a drone factory, and as repayment, Iran hopes to acquire Russian warplanes and air defense systems, The Washington Post reported.

“This is a full-scale defense partnership that is harmful to Ukraine, to Iran’s neighbors, and to the international community,” Kirby said, according to the AP.

The White House released satellite imagery of photos taken in April where the factory “will probably be built” in Russia’s Alabuga special economic zone, about 100 miles east of Moscow, according to the AP. U.S. intelligence said the plant could be operational next year. (Read more from “White House Sounds the Alarm on ‘Full-Scale Defense Partnership’ Between Russia and Iran” HERE)

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Saudi Crown Prince Threatened U.S. ‘Economic Consequences’ During Feud Over Oil Production: Report

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The Saudi crown prince privately threatened “major economic consequences” against the US last fall if the Biden administration retaliated against its decision to slash oil production, a new report revealed.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made the threat after President Biden promised unspecified “consequences” for Saudi Arabia over the kingdom’s decision to cut oil production during a time of high energy prices, according to a classified document obtained by The Washington Post.

The crown prince claimed in private that “he will not deal with the U.S. administration anymore” and promised “major economic consequences for Washington,” according to the document.

A second leaked document from December warned that Saudi plans to expand its “transactional relationship” with China by procuring drones, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and mass surveillance systems from Beijing.

Biden has not followed through on his word, despite Saudi Arabia’s recent pledge to cut oil production by a further 1 million barrels per day starting in July. (Read more from “Saudi Crown Prince Threatened U.S. ‘Economic Consequences’ During Feud Over Oil Production: Report” HERE)

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U.S. Issues Air Quality Warnings, Restrict Flights Over Smoke From Canada Fires

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U.S. agencies warned the public to avoid inhaling smoke from Canadian wildfires, which also disrupted travel on Thursday.

The Department of Energy and Environment issued an air quality warning and advised people in affected areas to stay indoors.

“Today the air quality is extremely unhealthy. Members of the general public may experience health effects and sensitive groups may experience more serious health issues. Some potential effects are heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, and decreased lung function,” the DOEE tweeted Thursday.

“Everyone should stay indoors as much as possible, especially sensitive groups such as children, elderly, pregnant women and people with heart and lung conditions like asthma and bronchitis,” the department continued. (Read more from “U.S. Issues Air Quality Warnings, Restrict Flights Over Smoke From Canada Fires” HERE)

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New Cold War? U.S., China Defense Chiefs Square Off in Singapore

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U.S. and Chinese military leaders squared off at a major security conference in Singapore: Beijing asserted that its forces are ready for war over Taiwan, while U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin chided China for its increasingly aggressive military actions in the region.

Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu bluntly told the Shangri-La dialogue defense conference that Beijing seeks “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan, but will “make no promise to renounce the use of force” if necessary to make the island democracy part of China.

“If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate for a second,” he said. “We will fear no opponents and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity regardless of any cost.”

Gen. Li’s comments came a day after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. military is stepping up plans, coordination and training to “deter aggression.”

The competing remarks, in speeches at Shangri-La last weekend, underscored the depths of U.S.-China tensions. The strains were on display ahead of the security conference when Chinese jets engaged in a dangerous aerial intercept of a U.S. surveillance aircraft in the region last week. (Read more from “New Cold War? U.S., China Defense Chiefs Square Off in Singapore” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

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U.S. Government Sanctions Foreign Companies for Censorship While Encouraging It at Home

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The U.S Department of State has sanctioned Iranian tech company Arvan Cloud, along with its two co-founders and its United Arab Emirates-based affiliate, for “their roles in facilitating the Iranian regime’s censorship of the Internet in Iran.”

Meanwhile, the very same U.S. Department of State has funded efforts to pressure western tech companies to censor Americans. Earlier this year, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) called out the State Department for funding the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), an organization that worked to blacklist conservative media companies for censorship and demonetization.

In its press release announcing the sanctions, the U.S. Treasury condemns Arvan for helping Iranian authorities “control and censor incoming and outgoing traffic,” and blocking websites at the request of the Iranian government.

Arvan is being sanctioned under the provisions of E.O. 13628, a Trump-era executive order that allows for the sanctioning of companies that assist the Iranian regime’s efforts to censor its citizens. (Read more from “U.S. Government Sanctions Foreign Companies for Censorship While Encouraging It at Home” HERE)

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