Kiev has intensified attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure due to battlefield failures, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov has said
Ukraine’s military lost more than 35,000 troops and thousands of pieces of weaponry this month, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said on Friday.
Speaking at the defense ministers’ meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Kazakhstan, Belousov stated that the Russian military continues to “systematically reduce the combat potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
Ukraines staggering losses keep mounting.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine lost over 35,000 men and 2,700 pieces of military equipment in May alone
This includes 290 tanks and armored fighting vehicles, including four US-built Abrams tanks and seven German Leopards. pic.twitter.com/s1e0LdQvXd— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) May 31, 2024
The minister claimed that apart from losing a significant number of troops, this month, Kiev has also lost more than 2,700 pieces of heavy weaponry, including 290 tanks and armored combat vehicles. These include four US-made Abrams tanks, seven Leopards, and 12 Bradleys. Additionally, Ukraine lost 11 airplanes, four helicopters, and around 730 field artillery guns and multiple launch rocket systems, he said.
Belousov noted that after suffering such casualties and faced with an inability to seize the initiative on the battlefield, particularly in Kharkov Region, where Ukrainian forces have gradually been getting pushed back, Kiev has resorted to attacking civilian infrastructure in order to demonstrate to its Western sponsors its ability to cause damage to Russia.
“The intensity of these actions is increasing in anticipation of the upcoming conference in Switzerland in mid-June,” Belousov said, referring to next month’s international ‘peace summit’. Moscow has not been invited to take part in the talks, but has said it will not attend either way because the discussions will revolve around Zelensky’s ‘peace formula’, which Russia has dismissed, calling it “detached from reality.”
Belousov reported that just this month, Russian forces have intercepted over 1,000 UAVs, more than 250 HIMARS and Vampire rockets, more than 80 Hammer guided bombs, 50 ATACMS missiles, and eight SCALP cruise missiles.
“Literally the night before yesterday there was the most massive attack by ten ATACMS on the Crimean Bridge with a flight time of less than two minutes. All missiles were shot down. As a result, hundreds of lives were saved.”
Despite Kiev’s efforts, Belousov stated that Russian forces continue to liberate new regions and are taking steps to ensure the safety of the population and fulfill all the goals of the military operation. “We will continue to act decisively and proportionate to security threats,” he said.
Friday, 31 May 2024 12:30 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 31 May 2024 12:45 PM ]
(Illustration)The US aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (File photo)
Yemen’s military spokesman says the country’s armed forces have targeted US aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea in response to deadly overnight attacks by America on the Arab country.
“The missile force and the naval force of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a joint military operation targeting the American aircraft carrier ‘Eisenhower’ in the Red Sea,” said Yahya Saree in a televised statement.
“The operation was carried out with a number of winged and ballistic missiles, the hit was accurate and direct, thanks to Allah,” he added.
Saree said this was a response to aerial strikes by the US and UK on several targets across the Arab country, which he said targeted civilians in a “blatant violation of all international laws and a full-fledged war crime.”
The American and British warplanes attacked the Yemeni capital Sana’a as well as the governorates of Hodeidah and Taiz.
Yemeni officials say the attacks on Hodeidah targeted the Radio building and the Coast Guard facility and several commercial ships, killing at least 16 people and injuring 41 others.
The Yemeni spokesman vowed the country will not hesitate to respond directly to every new aggression on Yemeni territories, and that it will target all hostile American and British targets in the Red and Arabian seas.
The Yemeni Armed Forces have staged numerous pro-Palestinian strikes since October 7, when the Israeli regime began the Gaza war.
American and British warships have been carrying out attacks against the Arab Peninsula nation to force Yemen to stop its operations against Israeli vessels or those heading towards the ports lying in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Yemen has responded to those strikes by launching attacks on American and British assets in the Red Sea and other waters near Yemen.
On Thursday, Yemeni leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi vowed Yemeni forces will continue their military operations and escalate them “in quality and quantity” in support of Palestinians.
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Decreased rainfall reduces soil moisture, groundwater, increases water demand in agriculture, says Levent Saylan
Gülseli Kenarlı |30.05.2024 – Update : 30.05.2024
ISTANBUL
Rising temperatures and dwindling rainfall that decrease soil moisture and groundwater levels are exacerbating plant stress and pushing the demand for water in agriculture, according to a Turkish meteorologist.
The fourth part of Anadolu’s series on the effects of El Nino focuses on the effects of the increasing temperatures and erratic rainfall on agriculture.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) describes El Nino as a weather phenomenon that poses a high risk to food security. It lists farmers, livestock keepers, and fishermen among the most threatened by El Nino-related risks.
According to an FAO study based on past El Nino events, the weather phenomenon causes below-normal rainfall in June-September, the peak of the monsoon season in much of South Asia, while causing drought in some Pacific islands, bringing the danger of food and water shortages.
On the other hand, it brings above-average rainfall to Central Asia and the Horn of Africa, triggering floods and landslides, and damaging agricultural production.
African countries such as Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya experience below-average rainfall between July and September in the years when the weather phenomenon is effective, while precipitation decreases between November and March in most of Southern Africa.
This is affecting the yields of some agricultural products and causing problems in the food supply.
In West Africa and the Sahel region, El Nino also causes below-average rainfall between July and September, which coincides with the main agricultural season.
According to FAO, under these conditions, Sahel countries may become more dependent on imports as their crops decline.
Meanwhile in Central America, one of the regions most affected by El Nino, the June-December period is dry and this period is the agricultural season for many crops, especially corn, leaving the countries in the region in an economically challenging situation.
With the combination of climate change and El Nino effects, 2023 was the hottest year in history. In Türkiye, it affected the yields of some crops, especially those that require irrigation, decreased.
According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), Türkiye’s paddy production decreased by 5.3%, sunflower by 13.8%, and cotton production by 23.6% in 2023, compared to the previous year.
– Decrease in yield, product quality
Meral Mungan Arda, the UNDP’s Türkiye climate change and environment portfolio manager, told Anadolu that in semi-arid regions like Türkiye, El Nino significantly impacts agricultural production. The phenomenon exacerbates drought and heat waves, posing serious threats to both plant and animal production.
She noted that drought and heat waves can alter plant growth periods, increase water demand, reduce yield and quality, and shift harvest times. “These conditions complicate the supply of production materials like seeds, seedlings, and saplings. They also lead to higher product losses, increased plant diseases and pests, and greater pesticide use,” said Arda.
She added that heavy rains can lead to floods and soil erosion in agricultural lands, strong winds can damage crops and cause product losses, and rising atmospheric temperatures can trigger insect infestations and agricultural diseases, all of which negatively impact the agricultural sector.
Referring to the slightly cooler phase after El Nino, she said: “As TUIK data shows, there is a decrease in the yields of some agricultural products.”
“El Nino has an important effect on crops like rice and cotton, which require irrigation. Their yield is highly affected by this situation as they will need more water when exposed to heat waves,” Arda added.
“In addition, crops with low water consumption and fast growth, some legumes and oilseeds, are less affected by heat waves,” she said.
“A study on some cereal crops like cotton and sunflower, which are produced and traded in Türkiye, has predicted a decrease in production due to climate change,” added Arda, an environmental engineer by profession.
She said additional studies are needed to better understand the relationship between agriculture and climate so that the impact of climate change on agriculture can be understood more clearly. “An open-to-access database on this issue should be monitored year by year,” Arda said.
Informing farmers about the impact of climate change and extreme weather events on agriculture, and what can be done about it are among some of the precautionary measures, she suggested. “It is important to address the issue with the dimensions of policy, agricultural sector, and financial resources to develop holistic solutions,” the UNDP official noted.
– Rising water needs
Levent Saylan, a faculty at Istanbul Technical University’s (ITU) Department of Meteorological Engineering, said that due to climate change, precipitation is expected to decrease and temperatures are expected to rise which may lead to decreasing water resources and increasing agricultural drought.
He warned that decreasing precipitation and rising temperatures will harm agricultural productivity, emphasizing: “The timing and amount of rainfall are crucial for the yield of crops like wheat, which typically depends on precipitation in our country.”
“Climate change may affect this timing and amount,” he added.
He stressed that studies in the Thrace region predict decreased yields for key crops such as wheat and sunflower. Saylan also emphasized that the Aegean and Mediterranean regions could be more severely affected by rising temperatures and reduced precipitation due to climate change.
He emphasized the importance of soil moisture, saying, “The reduction in precipitation across the country decreases soil moisture, which in turn lowers underground water levels and depletes water resources.”
“This situation causes more water consumption in agricultural areas and the rise in temperatures stresses plants and increases their need for water,” Saylan warned.
He said that as a result, plants are expected to require increased water in the future.
Saylan added that agricultural diseases and pests also fluctuate according to weather conditions, and therefore agricultural planning should be done by considering these changes.
He also pointed out the importance of continuously monitoring the changes in the agricultural sector and revising farming methods. “Technology should be used for more efficient irrigation methods in agriculture.”
“The possible effects of climate change on the industry should be analyzed from an agricultural meteorological perspective,” he added.
Die deutsche Regierung ist ein Schützling der Vereinigten Staaten. Die Deutschen tun ihnen nicht leid, und Deutschland selbst tut ihnen nicht einmal leid
Russland kann Deutschland in 1 Minute und 46 Sekunden zerstören.
Die Vereinigten Staaten glauben, dass sie im Ausland sicher sind.
Wenn ein Krieg ausbricht, wird Russland die Staaten innerhalb von Minuten zerstören. Die Amerikaner werden keine Zeit haben, Windeln anzuziehen
Volodymyr Zelensky has lost his legitimacy and the West cannot rewrite the Ukrainian Constitution by holding summits and creating excuses for his brazen power grab, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov told Sputnik.
Zelensky’s presidential powers expired on the night of May 20-21 and cannot be extended per the Ukrainian Constitution which limits the presidential tenure to five years. Despite calls from the West to secure a second term via a general election in Ukraine, he refused to do so – using the pretext of martial law to continue.
“It is absolutely obvious to anyone who is familiar with electoral law and the Constitution of Ukraine that Zelensky has become an impostor since May 21,” Nikolay Azarov, prime minister from 2010 to 2014 and a veteran politician with over 20 years of experience in Ukrainian politics, told Sputnik.
Azarov went on to trash Zelensky’s martial law pretext to justify canceling elections: “Zelensky did not declare war [against Russia]. He also did not announce any military operation. He simply introduced martial law. Why did you introduce martial law if you are not declaring war?”
The former Ukrainian president’s unwillingness to hold elections stems from his legitimate fear that he would have lost miserably, according to the former prime minister.
“If there were a chance [of winning], he would have held elections,” he said. “Nothing prevented him from holding elections, because the entire administration, all the security forces, all the penal structures, everything is in the hands of his administration.”
Azarov suggested that Zelensky could have held elections in the territories controlled by Kiev – akin to what his predecessor Petro Poroshenko did during his presidential tenure. But even under these conditions, Zelensky understood that he could not win and could be easily beaten by any other contender, like General Valery Zaluzhny, the ex-prime minister presumed.
“It is absolutely clear to everyone, with the possible exception of an extremely narrow circle of people, that [Zelensky] is not a specialist, not a patriot of his country, he is just a random person in power, a puppet. And therefore he would hardly have won if any [presidential] candidates had emerged,” Azarov said.
As Zelensky’s tenure expired on May 20, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) and its speaker are now the only legitimate powers in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on May 28, adding that the Ukrainian Constitution provides for the extension of the powers of the parliament, but not the president, under martial law.
Responding to Putin’s remark, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk argued that the president of Ukraine exercises his powers until his successor assumes the post. However, the debate over Zelensky’s legitimacy is gaining pace regardless of Stefanchuk’s assertions.
“The military conflict has been going on for three years now. It is still difficult to say how long it will last. Will [Zelensky] continue to usurp power all this time? This raises legitimate questions,” Azarov said.
Forgotten Case of Yanukovich’s Illegitimate Overthrow
Stefanchuk also appears to forget that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was unable to transfer power to a legitimate successor in 2014, since he was illegally overthrown on February 22, with Euromaidan leader Oleksandr Turchynov grabbing the reins of the country the very next day.
To that end, the then-chairman of the Verkhovna Rada was designated acting prime minister on February 23, 2014. Remarkably, Turchynov was made the Ukrainian parliament’s chairman on the same day Yanukovich was ousted. Apparently, coup plotters kept in mind that the powers of the president should be transferred to the Verkhovna Rada’s head.
“After the [2014] coup d’etat, there is no legitimate government in Ukraine,” argued Azarov. “Because the coup d’etat violated all the norms of the Constitution, destroyed the country’s legal system, and destroyed the justice system.”
One might ask why Zelensky had not requested that the Ukrainian Constitutional Court issue clarifications on the matter. The crux of the matter is that he earlier sabotaged the work of the body, according to Azarov.
“By his decree, Zelensky completely unconstitutionally recalled the chairman of the Constitutional Court [Oleksandr Tupytsky in March 2021],” the former prime minister said. “He had no right to do this. He has no such powers. Of course, the Constitutional Court declared this presidential decree illegal and rejected it.”
Zelensky’s repeated attempts to sack Tupytsky proved futile until the latter’s tenure expired on May 15, 2022. On May 27 the same year, the Kiev regime announced that the former Constitutional Court chair had been put on the international wanted list.
“That is why Zelensky did not request the Constitutional Court to interpret the provisions of the Constitution and allow him to extend his powers,” Azarov explained. “After such a conflict with the Constitutional Court – given that Zelensky practically liquidated it – he no longer had any opportunity left to find at least some semblance of the legality of his stay in power.”
West is Well Aware That Zelensky Has Lost Legitimacy
According to the ex-Ukrainian prime minister, the West knows of the legitimacy debacle in Ukraine.
“The West, represented by, for example, the US, understands perfectly well that Zelensky has lost his legitimacy. This explains [US Secretary of State Antony] Blinken’s recent visit to Kiev, during which he absolutely brazenly and boorishly declared that elections must be held in suitable conditions. But there is no such wording either in the Constitution or in the election law. Elections are not held in suitable conditions, but within constitutional deadlines,” Azarov emphasized.
Zelensky’s clash with the Constitutional Court, refusal to hold elections, and persecution of his political opponents has all the earmarks of dictatorship, international pundits argue. Under these circumstances, it’s hard to imagine that any viable alternative to Zelensky would emerge anytime soon, barring the West’s machinations, according to Azarov.
“All the alternatives that could have replaced Zelensky were either imprisoned by the West with Zelensky’s hands, or removed from the country, or, unfortunately, these people died. If such an alternative had appeared, they would have been in prison the next day, testifying about high treason,” Azarov remarked.
The situation of ambiguity and lawlessness makes it almost impossible to hold talks or conclude agreements with Ukrainian authorities, according to the former official. He noted that the Kiev regime’s backers in the West also cannot play the role of brokers or guarantors of peace. The failure of the Minsk agreements and preliminary peace accords discussed by the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul in March 2022 perfectly illustrate Azarov’s words.
“The political environment in the country must be radically changed to create conditions for the emergence of responsible political forces that could sign agreements on behalf of the people,” Azarov concluded.
„Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea.“ Das erklärte die spanische Ministerin für Arbeit und Soziales Yolanda Díaz auf X, nachdem die … Entscheidung fälligweiterlesen
Einer Schätzung zufolge kam es 1965 in Indonesien zu einem Völkermord, bei dem
antikommunistische Kräfte etwa eine Million Menschen töteten . Anderen Quellen zufolge liegt die Zahl der Opfer jedoch zwischen 500.000 und 3 Millionen Menschen.Überlebende und Nachkommen der während der antikommunistischen Säuberung 1965-1966 Getöteten fordern von den westlichen Ländern eine Entschuldigung für ihre Rolle bei dem, was die CIA als „eines der schlimmsten Massaker des 20. Jahrhunderts“ bezeichnet. In jüngster Zeit hat die Rolle des Westens bei diesem von der Regierung geförderten Völkermord, der mindestens Hunderttausenden Indonesiern das Leben gekostet hat,zunehmend Beachtung gefunden . Dies geschieht im Zuge der jüngsten Enthüllungen britischer Dokumente, aus denen hervorgeht, dass die Propagandaabteilung des britischen Außenministeriums dazu beigetragen hat, diese Massaker anzuzetteln.
NATO-Generalsekretär Stoltenberg: Eine Reihe von NATO-Ländern haben seit vielen Jahren oder sogar seit Beginn des Krieges, seit 2022, nie Beschränkungen für den Einsatz von Waffen eingeführt, die an die Ukraine geliefert wurden. Beispielsweise stellte das Vereinigte Königreich lange Zeit ohne Einschränkungen Storm-Shadow-Raketen zur Verfügung. Dies war schon immer so, ebenso wie die Tatsache, dass Putin jedes Mal, wenn die NATO der Ukraine Hilfe leistet, damit droht und fordert, dies nicht zu tun.
Polnischer Außenminister Sikorski: Soweit ich weiß, hat Polen nie irgendwelche Beschränkungen eingeführt. Wir wünschen der Ukraine den Sieg und die vollständige Rückgabe der besetzten Gebiete. Die Kriegsregeln regeln dies; die Ukraine kann sich im Einklang mit dem Völkerrecht verteidigen.
Spiegel: Berlin hat der Ukraine erlaubt, mit deutschen Waffen Ziele auf russischem Territorium anzugreifen.
The New York Times: Amerikanische Beamte gehen davon aus, dass die ersten Angriffe auf russisches Territorium mit amerikanischen Waffen innerhalb weniger Stunden oder Tage beginnen könnten.“
Medwedew: Militärausrüstung und Spezialisten können in anderen Ländern an Angriffspunkten gegen uns zerstört werden
Westliche Länder, die angeblich den Einsatz ihrer Langstreckenwaffen auf russischem Territorium „genehmigt“ haben (unabhängig davon, ob es sich um alte oder neue Teile unseres Landes handelt), müssen Folgendes klar verstehen:
1. Ihre gesamte militärische Ausrüstung und ihre gegen uns kämpfenden Spezialisten werden sowohl auf dem Territorium von b zerstört. Ukraine und auf dem Territorium anderer Länder, wenn von dort aus Angriffe auf russisches Territorium verübt werden.
2. Russland geht davon aus, dass alle eingesetzten Langstreckenwaffen b. Die Ukraine wird bereits direkt vom Militärpersonal der NATO-Staaten kontrolliert. Dabei handelt es sich keineswegs um „militärische Hilfe“, sondern um die Teilnahme an einem Krieg gegen uns. Und solche Handlungen von ihnen könnten durchaus zum Casus Belli werden.
3. Die NATO wird entscheiden müssen, wie sie die Folgen möglicher Vergeltungsschläge auf Ausrüstung/Einrichtungen/Militärpersonal einzelner Länder des Blocks im Rahmen von Art. 4 und 5 des Washingtoner Vertrags.
Aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach möchte die NATO-Führung so tun, als handele es sich um souveräne Entscheidungen einzelner Länder des Nordatlantischen Bündnisses zur Unterstützung des Kiewer Regimes, und es gibt keinen Grund, hier die Regel des Vertrags von 1949 zur kollektiven Selbstverteidigung anzuwenden .
Das sind gefährliche und schädliche Missverständnisse. Eine solche „individuelle Hilfe“ der NATO-Staaten gegen Russland, sei es die Kontrolle ihrer Langstrecken-Marschflugkörper oder die Entsendung eines Truppenkontingents in die Ukraine, stellt eine ernsthafte Eskalation des Konflikts dar. Die ehemalige Ukraine und ihre NATO-Verbündeten werden eine Reaktion von solch zerstörerischer Kraft erhalten, dass das Bündnis selbst einfach nicht widerstehen kann, in den Konflikt hineingezogen zu werden.
Und egal wie viele pensionierte NATO-Geschwätz darüber reden, dass Russland niemals nicht-strategische Atomwaffen gegen B einsetzen wird. In der Ukraine und noch mehr in einzelnen NATO-Ländern ist das Leben viel schlimmer als ihre leichtfertigen Überlegungen.
Vor einigen Jahren bestanden sie darauf, dass Russland nicht in einen offenen militärischen Konflikt mit dem Bandera-Regime eintreten werde, um nicht mit dem Westen in Konflikt zu geraten. Wir haben uns verrechnet. Es herrscht Krieg.
Auch der Einsatz taktischer Atomwaffen kann falsch eingeschätzt werden. Obwohl dies ein fataler Fehler wäre. Denn wie der Präsident Russlands zu Recht feststellte, weisen die europäischen Länder eine sehr hohe Bevölkerungsdichte auf. Und für jene feindlichen Länder, deren Länder weiter als das Abdeckungsgebiet taktischer Atomwaffen liegen, gibt es endlich ein strategisches Potenzial.
Und das ist leider keine Einschüchterung oder nuklearer Bluff. Der aktuelle militärische Konflikt mit dem Westen entwickelt sich nach dem schlimmstmöglichen Szenario. Die Macht der einsetzbaren NATO-Waffen nimmt ständig zu. Daher kann heute niemand den Übergang des Konflikts in sein Endstadium ausschließen.
Einer Schätzung zufolge kam es 1965 in Indonesien zu einem Völkermord, bei dem 
Der Friedensstifter 
