The sky has become a battleground for a potential conflict between Russia and NATO. In Ukraine, Vladimir Putin is showing staying power.
Kyiv – Niklas Masohr was wrong. But huge. Or the Americans were wrong. or Vladimir Putin Fool Them All: In February from Russia dictator in Ukraine war It launched its third fireworks display in the form of large-scale air strikes, at a cost of approximately 400 million euros, according to the magazine. Defense Express mentioned. Previously, he was said to have wasted nearly €600 million in January this year.
Niklas Masoher could not have imagined such massive blows at the end of the second year of the war. More than a year ago, the researcher said… Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) In Zurich opposite Federal Agency for Civic Education She clearly identified a different assessment of the situation.
“If you look at the observers that way Institute for the Study of War (ISW) In Washington, D.C., the last major missile strike is believed to have been about 100 missiles on the ground Ukraine One of the last major attacks at the moment. Russia will soon not be able to afford to use self-guided precision weapons such as Iskander or Kalibr missiles for such a complex strike – that is, missiles. The Russian army is running out of precision ammunition. “There were only limited supplies from the beginning, and it is likely that a certain percentage of them will be frozen in anticipation of a possible escalation with NATO.” It is a complete miscalculation.
Putin's weapons industry: an inexhaustible arsenal – thanks to German help
Because what is present at the front currently looks different. While many attacks remain stuck on the front lines, Putin's military is expanding its air strikes in the Ukraine war. The Germans and other Western companies are still working hard for the Russian arms industry, according to research by the editorial team Answer-magazine a screen. With international support for Ukraine declining, Russia's arsenal appears inexhaustible. This may also be due to the fact that Western technology continues to be delivered to Russia despite numerous sanctions imposed by the European Union. Despite all the punishments, it is a horror with no predictable end.
29 Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles from Tu-95MS bombers from Ingels (Caspian Sea);
04 Kh-22 cruise missiles from Tu-22M3 bombers from Sevastopol, Kursk;
03 Caliber cruise missiles launched from ships in the Black Sea;
03 Iskander-M ballistic missiles from Tarhankut (Crimea) and Voronezh (Russia);
05 S-300 surface-to-air missiles from Belgorod region (Russia).
Source: Kyiv Post
Experts still believe that the primary goal of these attacks appears to be to break Ukraine's will to resist. The goal is to worsen the humanitarian situation to such an extent that the Ukrainian population will put pressure on the government in Kiev. To make matters worse, the Russian side currently lacks the necessary momentum to carry out other far-reaching operations to regain the initiative. Masaher: “Such missile attacks are the only means that Russia currently has to strike Ukraine.” It is an expensive campaign. the Kyiv Post Provides estimates for Forbes magazine Latent.
Cost of each weapon type (estimated)
Watch-136 – 47,000 euros
Kh-101 missile – 12 million;
Kh-555 – 3.7 million;
KH-55 -1.9 million;
KH-22 – 930,000;
Caliber – 6 million;
Iskander – 2.8 million;
S-300 – up to 500,000.
Source: Forbes
Given the scale of Russia's attacks, NATO is debating the matter controversially – politicians expect something bad, but science sees Russia's fur slipping more clearly with each day of the Ukrainian campaign. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Scandinavian countries are currently spreading a touch of panic: Denmark must accelerate its military investments after new evidence suggests that Russia is rearming faster than expected and that it may attack a NATO country within three to five years. Newspaper Jyllands Boston. “Russia’s ability to produce military equipment has increased significantly,” he said.
It is conceivable that Russia will put Article 5 and NATO solidarity to the test within three to five years. “This was not the NATO assessment in 2023, but the new results that are emerging now,” Lund-Poulsen said. Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) spoke of up to eight years of preparation time. In the short term, the risk of an attack on the Alliance is likely to be low, Lydia Wax saysfromTank of thought Science and Policy Foundation: Russia's military capabilities, including its missiles, are sufficient to sustain the war in Ukraine – and in any case, there are no obvious immediate bottlenecks – the average number of cruise and ballistic missiles deployed alone is telling.
Putin's missile losses: 44 out of 64 missiles fell victim to anti-aircraft defense
At the same time, the country may need the remaining capabilities to achieve its political and military goals in Ukraine. However, it is expected that in the medium to long term Russia will be able to fully restore its capabilities. Wax estimates that even then, Russia probably has too few cruise missiles and rockets to wage a long conventional war with NATO. There is no doubt that the war in Ukraine is draining Russian arsenals; In addition, the accuracy of weapons is affected. Of the 64 missiles that recently penetrated Ukraine, Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses shot 44 missiles out of the sky. Among them are 26 Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles, 3 Kalibr cruise missiles, and 15 drones.
So far, Russia appears to have been unable to destroy or significantly weaken Ukrainian air defenses, and is therefore using its air forces in a fairly low-risk manner. Yet missiles are Vladimir Putin's weapon of choice, which is why the solidarity of NATO partners is so important. The second step of the “Sky Shield Initiative” has been achieved since the middle of last year. “To strengthen joint air defence, 19 European countries are currently uniting their efforts to procure appropriate weapon systems and ensure operations,” Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in Brussels at the end of last year. The framework conditions for cooperative procurement are therefore becoming more realistic in order to save costs for Europe and keep operating costs low.
Putin's Future Terror: Arrow-3 – Experts decry this
Therefore, Germany is also purchasing IRIS-T SLM weapon systems (Infrared Imaging System – Medium-Range Surface Launched Tail/Thrust Controlled Weapon Systems), which have already proven themselves under combat conditions in Ukraine. However, the German army currently lacks systems capable of protecting German territory against long-range missiles. Therefore, the federal government is purchasing the Israeli-American Arrow 3 missile defense system for about four billion euros – a type of satellite that collides with an enemy missile at an altitude of about 100 kilometers in its path and thus destroys it.
The purchase was met with widespread approval in political Berlin, but raised eyebrows internationally. Unlike the Bundeswehr's existing Patriot missiles and the recently ordered Iris-T air defense systems, the Arrow-3 appears to be completely unsuitable for intercepting Russian missiles or cruise missiles. The arrow propels itself high into the Earth's atmosphere, and Russian missiles dive beneath it. Simon Hojbjerg-Petersen, a ballistic missile defense expert, called the Arrow-3 purchase “the strangest purchasing decision I've seen in a long time,” Frank Kuhn wrote.
Con is the project coordinator Arms Control Research Groups in the Natural and Technological Sciences (CNTR) In the Leibniz Institute for Peace and Conflict Research He argues critically against the Arrow-3: The greatest threat to Germany and Europe currently comes from the Russian 9K720 Iskander short-range missiles and the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic weapon as well as Russian cruise missiles. But what all these weapon systems have in common is that they do not leave the Earth's atmosphere during flight. “In other words, the Arrow-3 cannot intercept Russian short-range missiles or cruise missiles at all,” Kuhn wrote.
the Mirror Cohen simply views the purchase as a “quick fix,” and is under the impression “that the purchase, similar to Turkey’s purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system, was made primarily for symbolic reasons. In light of the turning point in foreign and security policy announced by the Chancellor Olaf Schulz, this would be a fatal signal. It remains to be seen how far Cohen has reached the goal.
In an interview, Reinhold Messner, 79, settled scores with his sons. Now the son of the mountaineering star is coming forward – and revealing new details.
Updated as of July 25, 2024 at 2:45 PM: Reinhold Messner caused a stir in an interview last weekend. The mountaineering legend described, among other things, the early inheritance of his sons as “one of my biggest mistakes”. The 79-year-old revealed that “the question of who got more was the main focus”. But now son Simon responds: “It’s unfortunate and sad.” Bavaria Radio His father’s accusations.
He himself greatly values the inheritance he received from his father: two mountain farms in Vinschgau in South Tyrol, and he always passed this on to his father. „That’s why I fundamentally don’t understand this accusation,” says Simon Messner. He sees no similarity between the inheritance and the break in the family, which happened gradually and had other causes, says Simon Messner. Father Reinhold did not want to comment further on this topic.
After inheritance dispute: Mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner 'on the brink’
First report dated July 21, 2024: Bolzano – Mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner turns 80 in September. But things don’t always go well for Messner, especially in his old age – he recently drew attention to himself with a thoughtful Instagram post in which he wrote: “I’m coming to the end.” Now the 79-year-old is talking about the circumstances in his family. In an interview with Pharmacy Journal Miser gives insight into his relationship with his children, which was strained by his decision to leave the majority of his assets to them in his will before his death.
Reinhold Messner talks about the biggest mistake of his life – the 79-year-old was 'on the edge of the abyss’
“One of my biggest mistakes was leaving them the majority of my assets in my will before I died,” Meisner says of his children. “They don’t understand that everything was a gift and don’t appreciate my generosity.” This is very disappointing to him, especially compared to his childhood, when there was nothing to bequeath but respect and gratitude.
Meisner explains to Pharmacy Journal “We were a big family, with many brothers and sisters, and we took care of our parents when they were old. For me, it was the opposite. The moment I distributed my material inheritance to my children and my wife, the family collapsed. The question of who got more was at the forefront and I was on the edge of the abyss when I was 75 years old.
Reinhold Messner
September 17, 1944
Brixen (South Tyrol)
Member of the European Parliament (1999-2004)
Climbing Mount Everest Without Oxygen
Asked if he would like to improve the relationship again, Meisner replies, “What parent wouldn’t want to?” He stresses that each person should find their own path rather than following in the footsteps of others: “Everyone should do it. Follow their own path, go their own way.”
’I’m Coming to the End’: Reinhold Messner’s Fans Worried
Recently, Messner caused concern among fans with his Instagram post: “I’ve reached the end, this is reality,” the mountaineering legend used the words to say. Messner’s post caused great concern among some fans.
“I leave with a clear conscience and the knowledge that I was a good person, did my best, was a loving father, a good friend, and a good brother,” Meisner continued in his post. “Now it’s time to live my last dreams and love the people who mean the most to me, but most importantly, gratitude.”
Many years after his climbing career ended, Messner remains one of the world’s most famous mountaineers. He was the first person ever to climb all eight-thousanders. However, in his native South Tyrol, a different Messner has been in the spotlight in recent months: his younger brother Hubert Messner, 71, a former pediatrician who also took part in numerous expeditions, recently became health minister for the northern Italian region.
Recently, there was also a fuss about the Guinness World Records being stripped of Reinhold Messner’s record. The mountaineer spoke of „conspiracy theories”.
’Symbolic’ Consequences – EU Moves Ministerial Meeting From Budapest to Brussels
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Hungary, led by Viktor Orban, has held the presidency of the Council of the European Union since July 1.
Source: German Press Agency/Alexander Zemlianichenko
There is still a lot of anger in Brussels about Viktor Orbán’s “peace mission”: EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wants to ban Budapest from the next meeting of foreign and defence ministers. But the shot could backfire.
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DrThe European Commission is drawing further conclusions from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s unilateral actions: EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that upcoming meetings of foreign and defence ministers will be held in Brussels – not in the Hungarian capital Budapest.
Borrell said after a ministerial meeting in Brussels that he had taken the decision after a majority of ministers spoke out against Hungary and wanted to impose „symbolic” consequences on the country. According to Borrell, 25 foreign ministers condemned Orban’s behaviour. The Hungarian received support only from Slovakia.
But Borrell has also been heavily criticised for his uncoordinated move to cancel the Budapest meeting. “Spain does not support a boycott in the EU,” Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said. Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel called the idea of a boycott “nonsense”. Bettel said he would rather go to Budapest and express his opinion to the Hungarians. Germany, France and the Netherlands have also voiced opposition to Borrell’s proposal.
Read also
In Brussels, it cannot be ruled out that Borrell’s boycott campaign will ultimately backfire: several ministers are now said to be staying away from the Brussels meeting on 28-30 August in protest.
Read also
Hungary has held the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union since the beginning of July. Immediately after that visit began, Orbán made a surprise visit to Ukraine, Russia and China on a self-proclaimed “peace mission.” He also met with US presidential candidate Donald Trump. His meetings have drawn criticism from EU member states.
The European Commission had already reached its first conclusions a week ago. A Council spokesman had said that no commissioners would be sent to informal meetings of the Hungarian Council Presidency, but only senior officials. The decision was taken by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. There will also be no customary inaugural visit by the Commission to the new Council Presidency.
After Biden’s withdrawal from the US election campaign, Vice President Harris appears to be the new Democratic nominee. The Trump camp and the Republicans have already adjusted their strategy.
While US President Joe Biden is widely respected by Democrats for his decision, the reaction from Republicans seems somewhat different.
The crowd began to boo when Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, declared at a rally in Ohio: “Joe Biden is out of the race.” In his hometown of Middletown, the newly elected Vance has now thrown himself into the campaign.
That has changed dramatically for the Republican Party as a result of Biden’s withdrawal. So they are immediately adopting a new strategy and portraying the planned change of candidates as undemocratic.
Republicans make serious claims
Vance, for example, rails against the supposed Democratic elite who, in his view, were pulling the strings in the background: “Now to nominate someone else because George Soros and Barack Obama and a few elite Democrats decided behind closed doors to prioritize the Democrats.” Joe Biden is out “This is a threat to democracy. It’s not the Republican Party that fights for democracy every day.”
House Republican Leader Mike Johnson goes a step further. On CNN, he says that in some states you can’t just change the nominee. 14 million people voted for him in the primary — and Biden’s withdrawal now renders their votes invalid.
In the US states of Wisconsin, Georgia and Nevada, there are already regulations on how to conduct a candidate swap, but since Biden has not yet been formally nominated, it probably won’t help that Republicans go to court much.
The second strategy directly targets Biden’s likely successor, current Vice President Kamala Harris. Donald Trump, who is running for the White House as a Republican, has already made a pitch at a campaign event in Michigan..
Trump, who mispronounced her name, says he just calls her „Laughing Kamala.” „You can tell a lot from her amazing smile,” the 78-year-old said. „She’s crazy.”
But the attacks are not limited to the personal level: Trump and Republicans are also blaming Harris on the political level — for everything the Biden administration has done.
Just an hour after he announced he would not run for re-election, the first TV ads came out: Harris was accused of covering up Biden’s supposedly poor health.
The short ad reads: “Kamala knew Joe couldn’t do the job, so she did it.” What they achieved was an invasion of the border, soaring inflation, and the death of the American dream.
Attack Surface When It Comes to Immigration
The immigration issue in particular could make Harris vulnerable to Republicans. As vice president, President Biden has tasked her with immigration policy.
“She didn’t do her job,” Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said on Fox News. “Harris is a failure.” Abbott said Americans should reject her at the ballot box in November.
It remains unclear whether Kamala Harris will actually run as a Democrat. Republicans are certainly preparing for that.
