Ukraine War ☠ Footage and Updates ⚠ Day 152

• Ukraine’s military reported that Russian forces were paving the way for an assault on the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region and were continuing efforts to assert control of the area around the Vuhlehirska power plant, 50km (31 miles) northeast of Donetsk city.
• Russia has charged 92 members of Ukraine’s armed forces with crimes against humanity and proposed an international tribunal backed by countries including Bolivia, Iran and Syria, the head of Russia’s investigative committee Alexander Bastrykin said
• Dozens of people have given their hobby and commercial drones to Ukraine after it appealed for “dronations” to help build its “army of drones”. The country is also asking for money to buy 200 military reconnaissance drones
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• “Polish PT-91 Twardy MBTs are in Ukraine,” Andriy Yermak wrote on Twitter on Monday. “A friend in need is a friend indeed,” he added
• According to CyberCube’s H2 2022 Global Threat Briefing, ransomware continues to be largely responsible for the insurable cyber losses experienced by companies including cyber activity following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, noting since February, both sides have been amassing cyber armies and hacktivists have pooled their efforts to attack Russia. There are currently more than 70 different cyber threat actors related to the war in Ukraine – double the number identified at the beginning of March. The research also examines the use of wiper-malware attacks spreading globally, erasing hard drives and severely damaging devices it encounters
• Grain and soybean futures surged in overnight trading after Russia attacked the port of Odesa in Ukraine, throwing into jeopardy an agreement that would allow Ukrainian grain to be shipped overseas

• Moldova, a European country that borders Ukraine, said it fears an invasion by Russia. A senior Russian commander said in April that Russia wanted to take all of southern Ukraine, which would give it a land connection to Transnistria. Russia has since retreated from much of Ukraine, and is focusing on taking the east
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• The Council of the European Union has decided to impose restrictive measures on an additional 54 individuals and ten entities as a response to the ongoing unprovoked Russian military aggression against Ukraine. The decision to target additional individuals and entities comes in addition to the ‘maintenance and alignment’ sanctions package that was adopted by the Council on July 21, 2022, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports
• The threat of radicalization among both religious and political factions remains high across Europe, according to Europol. The EU’s law enforcement agency claimed that the war in Ukraine poses new threats to the security of the European Union; it also warned that danger may arise from those returning to Europe from the war
• Twenty years of Putin’s rule and high energy prices have created a unique business model in Europe. Russia exports oil and gas to the West for money, but then it uses this money to buy things from the West because it doesn’t produce anything decent itself. So European countries benefit the most from this model. And yes sure, the Kremlin elite makes a good profit too. The point is that any tension on the border disrupts this balance. That is why for eight years, since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Western business people have been putting pressure on their governments to soften anti-Russian sanctions or ignore them altogether
• Russia appears to have reversed itself after the country’s top diplomat said Moscow’s overarching goal is to topple the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian artillery barrages and air strikes continue to pummel cities across Ukraine
• Local officials say tens of thousands of people who fled Ukraine’s embattled Donetsk region are returning to their homes near the front lines. Some who return say life away from home was either too expensive or too uncomfortable. But with the eastern Donbas region under constant attack by Russian forces, they face a dangerous and uncertain fate
• The operations of more than a hundred Russian online drone stores and military trading companies were paralysed. “Because of this, the Russians could not order the necessary equipment for their murderous soldiers who continue to wage war in Ukraine,” the Ministry of Digital Transformation added

How is Ukraine paying for drones?

Ukraine has launched a crowdfunding appeal to buy 200 military drones.

“As well as large drones like the [Bayraktar] TB2, they are looking for small, fixed-winged reconnaissance drones,”says Dr Watling.

• Dozens send ‘dronations’ to help Ukraine fight

Kalush Orchestra, the Ukrainian winners of the Eurovision Song Contest, sold the trophy for $900,000 (£712,000) which it donated to the drone appeal. It will buy three Ukrainian-made PD-2 drones.