re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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The US Treasury Department allowed transactions with russian banks for calculations in the energy sector.

According to the license issued by the US department, the ban on operations is lifted until November 1, 2024.

In the decree, the ministry explained that transactions related to the extraction, production, processing, liquefaction, transportation or purchase of oil and other energy resources, including liquefied natural gas, wood, coal and uranium, will be considered energy-related.

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3 Russian air defense military units attacked in Crimea this night - Astra citing sources

It is reported about the strikes on the military unit in the village of Donskoye (Simferopol district) and on the facilities of the 31st air defense division of the Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation in the Chernomorsky and Saksky districts.

It is also claimed that ballistic missiles again attacked the Dzhankoy airfield, the location of the helicopter regiment of the 4th Air Force and Air Defense Command of the Southern Military District.

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The Icelandic Parliament has adopted a resolution on long-term support for Ukraine for the period 2024-2028

It aims to support independence, sovereignty, civilian security, humanitarian assistance and reconstruction in Ukraine

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The Ministry of Defense named the amounts of payments to the military for the destruction of russian equipment.

So, you can get UAH 12,180 for an enemy military vehicle, and UAH 48,720 for destroying a tank.

More than UAH 40,000 is paid for the destruction of armored vehicles, and more than UAH 100,000 for the destruction of an airplane or helicopter.

The largest amount is provided for the liquidation of a first-rank ship — more than UAH 243,000.

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The Kyiv-based Centre for Defence Strategies think tank reported two days ago that "Ukrainian Defense Forces ceased the deployment of GLMRS on the battlefield due to GPS signal suppression by the enemy." I am not sure whether the cessation is complete, but Russians significantly improved their ability to degrade the effectiveness of GPS-based munitions delivered by Ukraine's Western partners.

The effectiveness of Ukraine's Excalibur GPS-guided rounds decreased from 70% to 6% within six weeks as Russia adapted and employed various EW assets to counter them.

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Estonia will not issue men of draft age to Ukraine for mobilization - country's Interior Ministry

"Mobilization is a matter concerning the state and its citizens. The Interior Ministry has no plan to forcibly repatriate Ukrainian citizens legally residing in Estonia," the adviser of the Interior Ministry's citizenship and migration policy department, Anneli Viks, said.

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Lithuanian authorities have supported the idea of returning men of military age to Ukraine, reports Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonite.

President Gitanas Nauseda said that Ukraine should have the means and tools to "invite its young men to serve their country."

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Russia used North Korea's Hwasong-11 missile to strike Kharkiv on January 2 - Reuters

This is the conclusion reached by UN experts.

If this information is confirmed, it will mean that North Korea is violating the sanctions imposed on it by the UN Security Council

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Baltic states accused Russia of suppressing GPS systems near Kaliningrad

The Financial Times quoted a source as saying that Russia was jamming GPS signals to prevent drone attacks on Kaliningrad. Pilots claim they lose their geolocation signal in the air, which means they cannot safely reach their planned destination.

In March 2024, a British Air Force plane carrying British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps and a group of journalists lost its signal while returning from Poland and flew near Kaliningrad.

In April 2024, The Sun newspaper wrote that thousands of British flights had been subjected to GPS suppression. This is believed to have been done by Russia. Interference in Baltic airspace on more than 2,300 of its flights was reported by Ryanair, Wizz Air on nearly 1,400, British Airways on 82 and EasyJet on four.

On April 25 and 26, two Finnair planes traveling from Helsinki to the Estonian city of Tartu were forced to return to their departure airport due to GPS interference.

According to experts, tens of thousands of civilian flights have been affected by GPS jamming in recent months. The jamming, which affects all GPS users in the area, has also interfered with signals used by ships in the Baltic Sea, leading to warnings from the Swedish navy about the safety of shipping.

Baltic politicians are sounding the alarm, saying such actions by Russia could lead to tragic consequences.

"If someone turns off your headlights while you are driving at night, the trip becomes dangerous. The situation in the Baltic region near Russia's borders has now become too dangerous to ignore," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said.

"We perceive what is happening with GPS as part of Russia's hostile actions, and we will definitely discuss it with our allies," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said. She said she considered it "hybrid attacks."

Experts say there are several different sources of GPS interference: one appears to be based in Kaliningrad, another is responsible for interference in Estonia and Finland, and yet another source affects the far north of Norway and Finland.

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