re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict.

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Last week, we read about the confiscation and arrest of Konstantin Strukov, the CEO of Russia’s third-largest gold producer Yuzhuralzoloto. As very few people in the Kremlin know anything about running a gold mining company, a re-sale was predicted to 'capture value'. Well, here it is, just a week later. This is what passes for corporate regulation in Russia.

Now the entire corporation is up for sale by Anton Siluanov, the Minister of Finance. That was some fast valuation-to-share price work. To say nothing about the quick resolution of all those pesky legal issues which were the basis for the seizure. But I'm sure prospective buyers will be allowed to review all the GAAP-compliant books before putting in a bid.

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Russia drops 500-kg bomb on shopping center in Donetsk Oblast — killing 2, injuring 28

July 17, 2025 12:14 am

Russian forces dropped a 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) aerial bomb on the city of Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast, killing at least two people and injuring 28 others, regional officials reported July 16.

Vadym Filashkin, head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, said the strike targeted a shopping center in the heart of the city. The explosion damaged 54 retail outlets, 304 apartments, and eight vehicles, Filashkin reported on Telegram.

A fire broke out following the attack, according to officials, and emergency crews were dispatched to extinguish it.

The Kyiv Independent

Suspilne on-site report, enable CC for english translation

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That would level the playing field with air superiority.

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If "we" really wanted Russia defeated...

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There are thousands of experienced pilots and maintenance crew too. Volunteer contractors could have them in action in no time.


The problem with your scenario is that out of the “thousands” of pilots maybe 10 give a frick.

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That's not true and it's not like they would be working for free.

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Not the case at all. A friend who retired as an A-10 squadron commander told me that there were plenty of A-10 pilots who would fly in Ukraine and it is more about matching their skills against the foe. The problem with A-10 was a very long logistical support tail. This was back in 2022. He's also an Aggie.

A biz friend's son would leave LA Nat Guard (which made him a brig gen) in a heartbeat to get back to flying F-15E's which he did before becoming a col and forced behind a desk.

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A-10 would be a death trap in Ukraine.
Flying without the US C2/3/4/5/6/ISR advantages?

F-15 EX is a more valid plane for Ukrainian work.

But remember, the Russians knocked down some F-16s.

Flying outside the US bubble (Discounting the Israelis) is a different world.
The Indians proved that with their French planes.

Details Emerge About An-124 Condor’s Mystery Flight Through Kyiv’s Restricted Airspace

Howard Altman
Wed, July 16, 2025 at 5:16 PM CDT

The Antonov company today provided new details about its massive An-124-100 Ruslan (NATO reporting name Condor) cargo jet that mysteriously appeared in the highly restricted skies of Kyiv last week. The jet caused a stir because only military aircraft and limited government and rescue helicopter flights are allowed over Kyiv after Russia’s full-on invasion. Since then, runways have been blocked to prevent Russian landing attempts and international transportation to and from the Ukrainian capital has been conducted by train.

Condors have been used by the U.S. and other nations to move military supplies, including weapons provided to Ukraine and other outsized loads. The jets, one of the world’s largest aircraft, have been a source of pride in Ukraine, where they were manufactured.

As we suspected, we now know that this particular aircraft, tail number UR-82073, flew from the Antonov repair facility in Kyiv to the company’s new headquarters in Leipzig, Germany on Friday. The flight was launched after completion of a four-year modernization effort, the company explained on Facebook. That work began before the outbreak of the all-out invasion of Ukraine.

You can see the jet taxi and take off from Kyiv and land to a water cannon salute in Leipzig in the following video.



The WarZone

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Many would fly just for to test their skills vs Russian skills.

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That world is long dead.
Pilots today fly with the backing of their entire nations military power behind them.

A solo pilot put into a Ukrainian environment without the US joint environment would be dead really fast.

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This type of action will be a large component of any warfare in the future. IT security already rules the world and will increase in influence going forward as this type of crime does not recognize any ceasefire.

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EU anti-crime agencies Europol and Eurojust announced on July 16 they had led the dismantling of a pro-Russian cybercrime network responsible for cyberattacks on critical infrastructure in Europe.

The cyber-network, known as NoName057(16), was allegedly dismantled after authorities conducted 24 raids in 12 countries between July 14 and 17, Europol said. The investigation led to two arrests, with one being carried out in France and another in Spain.

Authorities also issued seven arrest warrants, targeting six individuals in Russia, including two arrest warrants for individuals identified as central figures in the criminal network.

"The actions led to the disruption of an attack-infrastructure consisting of over one hundred computer systems worldwide, while a major part of the group's central server infrastructure was taken offline," Europol announced in a statement.

Authorities allege that the hacking group, which is mainly Russian-speaking and ideologically aligned with Moscow, carried out 73 denial-of-service (DDos) attack per day, on average, first primarily targeting Ukraine, later shifting focus to attack Kyiv's European and NATO allies.

France24 reported that the cyber group had been responsible for critical infrastructure attacks, including on Europe's electricity suppliers and public transport systems.

Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States participated directly in the investigation, with the support of a number of other countries, including Ukraine.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale war in February 2022, Russia and its proxies have launched thousands of cyberattacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure, including power grids, telecom networks, the financial system, in an attempt to disrupt the country's abilities to sustain its defenses.

In addition to coordinating cyberattacks against Ukraine, the Kremlin continues to target Ukraine's Western allies as it attempts to disrupt military supplies for the embattled country and damage Western resolve.

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Russia Quietly Cancels Flagship Arms Expo – Reports

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Russia’s Defense Ministry has quietly canceled this year’s Army-2025 military and technical forum, its largest annual defense exhibition where the country typically showcases its latest weapons and military innovations, the pro-Kremlin daily Izvestia reported Wednesday, citing an anonymous source familiar with the situation.

The Kommersant business daily later corroborated the report, citing several sources in the defense industry. The forum, which had been scheduled for Aug. 11-14 at the military-themed Patriot Park outside Moscow, has been removed from the venue’s event calendar without explanation.

An archived version of the Patriot Park website shows Army-2025 on its calendar. The official Army-2025 website remains active, and no formal announcement of the cancellation has been made through its Telegram channel or VKontakte page.

Held annually since 2015, the Army forum serves as the Defense Ministry’s flagship platform for presenting new technologies from Russia’s defense industry.

Though the event has never been canceled before, not even during the Covid-19 pandemic its scale has diminished in recent years. After traditionally spanning a week, the 2024 edition was shortened to three days.

Organizers had previously claimed that more than 800 companies, including some international participants, had reserved exhibition space for this year’s event. The Defense Ministry has not yet confirmed the reports.

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Damn, hundreds of Russian prostitutes will have to apply for welfare.

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