Reflected Ukraine
Current stories on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. reflectedukraine.substack.com
Thu, January 04, 2024
Drone Attack on Moscow Disrupts Major Airport
News selection and analysis by Tor Rauden Källstigen . Subscribe to Reflected Ukraine on Spotify or Apple Podcasts .*** Drone Attack on Moscow Disrupts Major Airport Flights at Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport were diverted on Tuesday following what the Russian Defence Ministry reports as a drone attack from Ukraine. Five drones were allegedly deployed, targeting various locations in and around the capital. The ministry claims to have shot down all drones, with no resultant casualties or damage. Flights from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt were among the disrupted. Despite the allegations from Russia, Ukraine has yet to claim responsibility for the purported attack. Russia’s foreign ministry branded the assault as a terrorist act by the Kyiv regime. This incident is not the first drone attack aimed at Moscow. A similar attack in May, also attributed to Kyiv, resulted in minor damage. This story was originally reported by BBC *** Russia Escalating Use of Anti-Tank Mines Russia has stepped up its military tactics, aiming to disrupt the Ukrainian armoured counter-offensive in southern Ukraine. This is reported by the UK Ministry of Defence. Central to this strategy is the unprecedented use of anti-tank mines, surpassing limits in Russia's military doctrine. After impeding Ukraine's advance, Russia has resorted to attacking Ukrainian armoured vehicles using uncrewed aerial vehicles, helicopters, and artillery. Despite initial successes, Russian forces face challenges, particularly overextended units and an artillery munitions shortage. *** War Shadows Over Crimea's Tourism In the midst of escalating war tension near Crimea, Russian occupying forces are pushing hard to keep the tourism industry thriving. Crimea has been the target of multiple drone attacks on naval facilities, rail lines, and oil depots. Amid speculations of Ukraine's potential counteroffensive to reclaim the peninsula, the authorities have played down fears, insisting it's business as usual for the summer tourist season. Messages touting the alluring beaches overwhelm Russian social media, promising a holiday of a lifetime. Yet, a mere sixteen months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the war is casting a dark shadow over Crimea's tourism sector. Riddled with an extensive coastline, limestone plateaus, and rows of poplar trees, Crimea has been a favored getaway destination for Russians. It is a place of respite from the chaos of Moscow and other cities.
Thu, January 04, 2024
Putin Aims to Undermine Wagner Group Financier's Reputation
Ukrainian armed forces disrupted vital supply route to Crimea says UK Ministry of Defence . Putin aims to undermine Wagner Group financier's reputation reports ISW . Financial Times has interviewed Ukraine’s Minister of Defence. News selection and analysis by Tor Rauden Källstigen . Subscribe to Reflected Ukraine on Spotify or Apple Podcasts . *** Ukrainian Armed Forces Disrupted Vital Supply Route to Crimea Early on the morning of 22 June 2023, the Ukraine launched a strike on the Chonhar road bridges connecting the Crimean Peninsula and the Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast. These bridges play a crucial role as one of the main road supply routes linking Crimea and Kherson. The Chonhar bridges provide the most direct path between Russia's Crimean logistics hub in Dzhankoi, and the Zaporizhzhia sector, where Russia is currently engaged in defending against a significant Ukrainian offensive. Following the temporary closure of this route, essential Russian logistics convoys now face an increase of at least 50% in travel time as they navigate alternative routes. Reports indicate that Russian authorities have swiftly constructed a pontoon bridge as a replacement crossing within 24 hours of the attack. "The speed at which an alternative crossing was established highlights the critical importance of this route for the Russian military operations in occupied Ukraine," reports United Kingdom’s ministry of defense. *** Putin Aims to Undermine Wagner Group Financier's Reputation In a surprising move, Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken steps to publicly tarnish the reputation of Yevgeny Prigozhin, financier of the Wagner Group, painting him as both corrupt and deceitful. Putin accused Prigozhin of lying about Wagner’s independence from the Kremlin, and the lack of state compensation for Wagner personnel. Publicly stating for the first time since Wagner's inception that the Kremlin "fully funds" and "fully supplies" the Wagner private military company, Putin claimed that the Kremlin made various payments to Wagner personnel and their families from Russia's federal budget. Putin revealed that "the owner of the Concord Company," Prigozhin's catering firm's parent company, received eighty billion rubles, close to a billion euros, between May 2022 and May 2023
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