8 May, 2023 19:03

New weapon ‘changing course’ of Ukraine conflict – Telegraph

Russian glide bombs are complicating Kiev’s plans for a grand offensive, the UK outlet said

Russia is using bombs fitted with wings to bypass Ukraine’s air defenses and pummel forces assembling for the much-heralded spring offensive, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. Kiev is citing this new development to once again demand F-16 fighters from the West.

“Russia’s newest weapon is changing the course of Ukraine war,” the Telegraph headline proclaimed, referring to glide bombs such as the FAB-500. Kiev officials have estimated that the Russian Air Force is using at least 20 such bombs per day.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yury Ignat said the weapon has been used “intensely” for the past month, and described it as a “serious threat.”

According to Ignat, the use of glide bombs means Moscow is “running low” on cruise missiles after “failing to take control of the skies over Ukraine.” The Telegraph explained that the bombs outrange Ukrainian tactical air defenses, which have been moved to the frontline to support the much-anticipated offensive.

Ignat told reporters last week that Kiev was powerless to stop the bombs and pleaded for the US and its allies to send F-16 fighters. He repeated that plea to The Telegraph on Sunday.

“Just one or two would be enough to deter them, because the Russians would see that a couple of these things are in the air and they would avoid approaching,” he said.

For several days in a row now, Russia has used cruise missiles and drones in waves of strikes on Ukrainian railheads, fuel and ammunition depots, and troop concentration areas for several days. Tactical drones have also been reported picking off Ukrainian air defenses along the frontline. Several US military experts have also noted the increased use of glide bombs recently, predicting increased Russian aerial superiority as Ukraine’s air defenses continue to deteriorate.

This poses a challenge to Kiev’s plans for a spring offensive, according to Justin Crump of the British intelligence consultancy company Sibylline. The troops and tanks brought up to the front line for the anticipated attack need to be scattered to avoid damage from the airstrikes, but would have to assemble very quickly once it is time to advance.

“Dispersion and rapid concentration of force is vital in this environment,” Crump told the Telegraph.

According to Western officials, Ukraine has put together at least nine NATO-trained brigades and several hundred armored vehicles provided by the US, UK, Germany and France, in preparation for a massive attack, speculated to be aimed at Crimea. Kiev has repeatedly postponed the offensive, however, citing weather concerns and equipment shortages, while Western governments have sought to manage expectations in case of its failure.

https://www.rt.com/russia/575978-ukraine-glide-bombs-offensive/

8 May, 2023 21:30

Italy urges citizens to leave Ukraine

The Italian Embassy in Kiev has warned Russia is launching “increasingly heavy missile attacks” in the city

Italy’s foreign ministry in Kiev has advised its citizens to leave Ukraine immediately, citing “increasingly heavy missile attacks” from Russia in a message posted to the Viaggiare Sicuri website on Monday.

“Compatriots still in Ukraine are strongly advised to use the means still available, including trains, toleave the country immediately, at times when the curfew is not in force,” the message reads, warning that missile attacks have been recorded both “in Kiev and throughout Ukraine.”

“Extreme caution is advised. All travel to Ukraine, in any capacity, is strongly discouraged,” it added. Viaggiare Sicuri is operated by the Crisis Unit of the Farnesina – Italy’s foreign ministry.

The country recalled its non-essential staff from the Ukrainian embassy last year when Russia began its military operation, pointedly urging Italians to avoid the Donetsk and Lugansk regions and Crimea.

Donetsk and Lugansk have since been incorporated into Russia following referendums, while Crimea voted to become part of the country in 2014.

Ukraine reported several Russian drone and missile attacks early Monday morning, claiming it shot down 35 kamikaze drones over Kiev, while Russian Air Force bombers reportedly launched eight missiles in the direction of Odessa Region. Explosions in Chernigov and Dnepropetrovsk Regions – as well as the city of Zaporozhye – have also been reported.

While Ukraine prepares to launch a much-touted counteroffensive, itsallies are reportedly concerned about Russian retaliation for attacks on Crimea, with some Western politicians reportedly suggesting Kiev leave the peninsula alone. Ukrainian drones have reportedly struck several targets there in the last week.

(Things ramping up, the drones at the Kremlin didn't help Ukraine)

https://www.rt.com/news/575983-italy-citizens-leave-ukraine-missiles/

>>18817462

Scott Ritter was right, when Russia loses their patience, there's no stopping them and Russia will win

8 May, 2023 17:29

Russia’s deal with West is key to ending Ukraine conflict – Erdogan aide

The ongoing hostilities come as a part of a broader ‘Cold War 2.0’ standoff between Moscow and the West, Ibrahim Kalin has claimed

The conflict between Moscow and Kiev is effectively a conflict between Russia and the collective West and so it can be resolved only by reaching a “strategic agreement,” Ibrahim Kalin, a top Turkish presidential adviser on foreign policy, believes.

“This war will not end with positional gains, but with a new security agreement between the two global blocs,” Kalin said during an interview with Haberturk TV on Sunday. The official said he discussed the issue and Moscow’s stance on it with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his recent visit to the country.

While Türkiye itself has been working towards reaching the “perspective” of such an agreement, the current “international climate is in favor of war rather than peace,” Kalin admitted. “The great powers want this war to continue,” he added, without naming the purported pro-war actors.

The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has become a “hot” episode of a broader conflict between Moscow and the collective West, Kalin explained, describing the standoff as the “Cold War 2.0.”While Russia apparently tried to avoid hostilitieswhen it tabled a comprehensive security agreement shortly before the conflict broke out, the West rejected it, Kalin noted.

“This war is not between Russia and Ukraine, but between Russia and the Western bloc. Cold War 2.0,” he stressed.

The position voiced by Kalin appeared to be reminiscent of statements repeatedly made by Russia’s top officials, who repeatedly described the ongoing hostilities as a proxy war between Russia and the West, merely waged at the hands of Ukrainians. The stance was reiterated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday, with the top diplomat stating that any negotiations would not be held “with [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky, who is a puppet in the hands of the West, but directly with his masters.”

Amid the broader conflict between Russia and the West, Türkiye has asserted itself as a mediator, with Ankara hosting peace talks between Russia and Ukraine early into the ongoing hostilities. While the diplomatic effort ultimately flopped, Türkiye continued its efforts, repeatedly urging both sides to return to negotiations, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stating that “even the worst peace will be better than war.”

(This is not good, the US, EU & Zelensky will get Ukraine blown up)

https://www.rt.com/news/575970-ukraine-russia-cold-war/