Russia is moving toward Avdiivka again, and Ukrainian snipers are targeting officers. They let death lurk behind every fence.
Awdijwka – It would be better to leave the photography to someone else and remain invisible. Three Ukrainian snipers told the newspaper recently in an interview Kyiv Post I expressed. “I would say that for every ten missions we fly, we might actually fire one shot,” said Volodymyr Harbovsky (not his real name). „We get all kinds of missions and work with all kinds of units. Eliminating an enemy soldier is never a priority. It’s an opportunity you can take advantage of when it presents itself.”
Now you may have made a point against Vladimir Putin’s invading army: Ukrainian Pravda Ukrainian special forces published a report stating that their snipers on the Avdiivka front killed twelve Russian occupiers and wounded three. The next wave of Russian attacks is underway. The question has been on the table for days about how the Ukrainian war would continue if Avdyuka fell – into whose hands. This small Ukrainian town, with a population of about 30,000 people, is located within sight of Donetsk, that is, close to the areas of eastern Ukraine that have been occupied by Russia since 2014. The city has been a city on the front line for about ten years, and therefore it is constantly under fire. From both sides.
Strategically or psychologically, the city seems important to both sides, not least as it connects Russian forces lost in other sectors of the front. However, many Western observers believe they see increasing signs of fatigue among Ukrainian defenders, e.g Daily news He writes: Ukrainian forces are in a difficult situation. Russia has more drones, more artillery shells, more men, and is attacking in many places on the front. In the past few days, a large-scale deployment of armored personnel carriers has been observed – this means a significant increase in the number of mechanized shooters. Therefore it can also be assumed that there will be an increase in the deployment of combat tanks. The current wave of attacks has basically been going on since October – slowly, but seemingly never ending.
Putin’s target: a coke factory converted into a fortress
British intelligence currently says that it detected a pincer movement by the Russian invading army. British estimates indicate that the Russians have advanced two kilometers towards Avdyuka in the past few weeks. German political scientist Carlo Masala does not attribute any strategic importance to the small town near Donetsk – unlike other military experts. The focus could be on the Awdiijwka coke plant (AKHZ) – one of the largest coke producers in Europe. At its peak, up to 4,000 people were said to have worked there; The coke plant was an important supplier to the Ukrainian steel industry, supplying coke, for example, to the Azov Steelworks in Mariupol, to ArcelorMittal Kryuj-Reh and to the Yenakigoi Steel Company. And steel works.
Now, various sources claim that this industrial giant is the last bastion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces that can prevent the fall of Avdiivka Fortress. If the AKHZ fell, then Avdiivka would fall, and in addition, a paved road to transport supplies would be necessary. For both parties.
In fact, snipers can have a decisive influence on the outcome of this battle. Given the Russian military’s strict hierarchical command structure, targeted shootings of officers would hamper Russian efforts. “If you are preparing for an attack and suddenly the commander is gone, the entire unit will go into turmoil,” said US military expert and retired General Robert Scales. Wall Street Journal. “Small units are thrown into complete disarray when their leader is killed.” It’s also worth looking for experienced gunners whose skills are hard to replace, Scales says.
Opponents of Putin: Civilians who oppose him are heavily armed
the Kyiv Post He writes: “When the Russians invaded Ukraine at the end of February 2022, every man, if an experienced shooter but still a civilian, picked up his rifle and, like thousands of other Kievites, made his way to the front line north of Kiev. capital to fight against the Russian army. When the Russians retreated in early April, demand for suitable snipers in the Ukrainian armed forces was high.” At the beginning of the Russian invasion, the three Kyiv Post The men interviewed – all residents of the Kiev region – are civilians. Harbowski was an auto parts dealer, the second owned a firearms and camping equipment store, and the third owned a retail store.
Harbovsky says all Ukrainian snipers have one advantage over highly trained NATO snipers. “For two years now, no military sniper serving in the NATO National Army or anywhere else has come close to experiencing the deadly, bloody, dirty tactical lessons taught to professional shooters on the battlefields of Ukraine.” His fellow fighters were interviewed, and he had years of experience in sports shooting before mobilizing due to his good income. In Odigoka, successful snipers are said to have been about 1,000 meters away from their targets. A natural distance for these specialists.
At this range, the shooter not only has to deal with the basics like muzzle velocity, wind, and projectile weight; Consider long-range factors such as ball spin, as well as external forces affecting spin, ballistic coefficients, atmospheric density, angle relative to the target, and even Earth’s rotation. In principle, recreational shooters have been investing in their military utility for years without having the slightest idea.
Putin’s danger: If Avdyoka falls, the road to Donetsk is open
Former NATO General Erhard Bühler says Russian forces may have already lost up to a third of forces deployed around Avdyuka Multidrug resistant-What to do, Mr. General podcast. According to Bühler, the large-scale attacks so far are more like relief attacks for forces on the southern front in order to restrict the Ukrainians in the east. the Taz Ukraine sees the fight as a struggle for prestige in a similar way to the fight for Crimea: About Avdyuka In 2014, Ukraine halted attempts by Russia and the Donbas separatists it controls to bring the entire Donetsk region under their control. “Avdiyevka remained a Ukrainian thorn in the side of the Russian occupation of Donbass. If Russia suffers a serious defeat around Avdiivka, Ukraine will be able to reach the huge city of Donetsk, only 15 kilometers away.
Snipers are also supposed to help block this road. Your mission consists of two things, says Sergeant Major Shaheen K. (Name shortened to protect character) on the German Army Podcast inquire to explain. Shaheen K. He is a sniper squad leader in a security squadron of the 33rd Tactical Air Forces Squadron. It protects an air base in Rhineland-Palatinate. According to him, the goal of snipers is to intimidate opponents during the attack and during the postponed battle and to pacify their comrades with their presence. People interviewed from Kyiv Post He said the same thing: “The key to our work is preparation and patience. To do our job we have to survive, and to do that in this war we have to understand the danger out there.
Various media outlets frequently use the comparison with Bachmut to describe the current events surrounding Avdiijwka. A unit of 20 snipers – known by the code name „Ghosts of Bakhmut” – has been operating in the eastern city for a long time. According to their statements, they killed 524 Russian occupiers between January and July. However, this number cannot be verified. One of the shooters turned himself in in July BBC Confidently: „You can hide from artillery, but not from snipers.”
Russia and China demand a buffer zone for nuclear powers
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“China is looking for partners among US adversaries.”
Putin has once again chosen Beijing for his first foreign trip during his new term. Xi Jinping supports the Russian president. “The Chinese buy a lot of raw materials from the Russians, and that should not be underestimated,” says Moscow correspondent Christoph Wanner.
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Vladimir Putin has once again chosen Beijing as his first foreign trip during his new term. Xi Jinping supports the Russian president. In a statement, Beijing and Moscow called for the establishment of some kind of sphere of influence for nuclear powers.
DrThis plan is likely to be aimed primarily at Ukraine’s accession to NATO: Russia and China spoke in a joint declaration in favor of creating a buffer zone for nuclear powers compared to other military alliances.
“Nuclear powers must maintain global strategic stability, respect the principle of equal and indivisible security, and not infringe on each other’s vital interests,” said the joint statement issued by Kremlin President Vladimir Putin and Chinese state and party leader Xi Jinping on Thursday. In particular, “the expansion of military alliances and coalitions and the creation of direct military bridgeheads on the borders of other nuclear powers” should be avoided.
Russia also justified the war in Ukraine by NATO’s expansion eastward, and said it felt threatened. The buffer zone would in effect resemble a Russian sphere of influence, because Ukraine cannot become a member of NATO under this condition. Other former Soviet republics such as Georgia would also be affected by such a buffer zone.
Moscow and Beijing said on Wednesday that the political agreement was an option to resolve the conflict. “Both sides see that a political agreement is the right path to resolving the Ukrainian crisis,” Chinese state and party leader Xi Jinping said Thursday in Beijing during Russian President Putin’s state visit.
China and Russia object to US support for Taiwan
China, a nuclear power, also has a self-interest in securing its influence through a buffer zone. Beijing wants to reunite the island of Taiwan with the mainland, using military means if necessary. It also claims the Taiwan Strait, an international body of water, as its own.
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The two countries also accused the United States of transferring medium-range missiles to Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. “It is about the United States of America creating a global air defense system and deploying its elements in different parts of the world, in the Universe, as well as expanding the potential of high-precision non-nuclear weapons in Europe and the southern part of the Pacific Ocean,” the statement said.
Putin arrived in China on Thursday for a two-day visit. At the beginning of the talks on Thursday, Xi congratulated his „old friend” on his fifth term in office and expressed confidence that Russia’s development would make „great progress” under his leadership.
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Sino-Russian relations
Source: AFP/Alexander Ryumin
Xi described the relations as conducive to peace. Sino-Russian relations have become stronger and have withstood “the test of the changing international landscape.” The two sides signed an agreement aimed at deepening the existing partnership between the two countries.
Putin, who began another term in office at the beginning of May, traveled with a delegation of senior politicians and business leaders. These include Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, new Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina. Putin is also accompanied by the heads of some of Russia’s most important companies, such as Igor Sechin of the oil company Rosneft, German Gref of Sberbank, and industrialist Oleg Deripaska. Prime Minister Li Qiang was among the Chinese hosts.
Wade Venture (37) staunte nicht schlecht, als er das Rolltor zu einer Lagerbox in Portland (US-Bundesstaat Oregon) öffnete und begann, in den Kisten zu stöbern, die sich dort türmten.
Der Amerikaner hatte die verlassene Einheit bei einer Versteigerung für umgerechnet etwas mehr als 370 Euro ergattert. Dann stellte sich heraus: Der Inhalt war 70 000 Dollar (mehr als 64 000 Euro) wert!
Der Kauf war ein „Blind-Kauf“
Venture hat Erfahrung mit solchen „Blind-Käufen“: Nach eigener Aussage hat er bereits zwischen 400 und 500 Lagerräume gekauft. Und er schlug auch bei diesem zu – ohne zu wissen, was ihn erwarten würde. Doch einen solchen Schatz hatte er noch nie gefunden. Unglaublich: Die Vorbesitzerin der Box hatte Designerkleidung ohne Ende hinterlassen – unbenutzt!
Hunderte Schuhe entdeckte Wade in dem Lagerraum
Foto: action press
Unter den Fundstücken: Schuhe von Luxus-Labels wie Gucci
Foto: action press
Es war unfassbares Glück
Venture gegenüber US-Medien fassungslos: „Es ist selten, dass man eine solche Einheit findet, oft findet man Haushaltsgegenstände oder Müll.“ In der Vergangenheit hatte er den minderwertigen Inhalt seiner „Fundgruben“ oft einfach für wohltätige Zwecke gespendet. Venture weiter: „Die Leute denken, ich mache das schon so lange, dass ich schon alles gesehen habe, aber so eine Einheit habe ich noch nie gefunden.“
Wade zeigt einen der Mäntel aus seiner Fundgrube
Foto: action press
Auch reichlich Handtaschen hatte die Vorbesitzerin in dem Raum gelagert
Foto: action press
Hunderte Paare nagelneuer Schuhe
Unter den Fundstücken in seiner neuesten Schnäppchen-Schatztruhe: Mehr als 400 Paar Schuhe (u.a. von der Luxus-Marke Gucci), Pelzmäntel und Accessoires im Wert von mehreren Tausend Dollar. Viele der Stücke trugen sogar noch die originalen Verkaufsetiketten.
Schuhe, Schuhe, Schuhe! Wade hat damit begonnen, die Ware zu verkaufen
Foto: action press
Besitzerin hatte wohl Problem mit Shopping
Der glückliche Finder: „Normalerweise finde ich Dinge, die zu 30 Prozent neu und zu 70 Prozent gebraucht sind. Aber das hier war alles brandneu.“ Mittlerweile hat er damit angefangen, die Kleidungsstücke zu verkaufen. Allein für einen der Mäntel bekam er 1500 Dollar (rund 1400 Euro), berichtet Venture.
Eine Theorie über die Vorbesitzerin der Lagerbox hat er auch. Venture: „Es ist mehr als wahrscheinlich, dass sie ein Shopping-Problem hatte.“
Und weiter: „Man munkelt, dass sie das vielleicht vor ihrem Mann geheim halten musste.“
DrSlovak MP Lubos Blaha is not exactly known for his soft tones. Even on Wednesday, shortly after learning of an attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico, left-wing populist Blaha, a Fico supporter, had not backed down. “This anger, this anger, this hatred: this is your job today,” he told Slovak TV cameras. “The opposition, the progressives and the liberal media. “We are full of emotions,” Blaha said. The fact that FICO is unpopular with all segments of the population is due, among other things, to the planned judicial and media reform.
Milan Nick, an expert on Eastern Central Europe at the German Foreign Policy Association, is not surprised by this reaction. “It does not surprise me that Blaha, known for such rhetoric, would say this. But so far it has been an exception, as many politicians from various parties, including Fico Smer’s party, have expressed their dissatisfaction and called for calm and caution.
Robert Fico, here in Budapest in January
Source: Associated Press/Denis Erdos
In fact, Liberal President Zuzana Čaputová gave a well-received speech. She clearly condemned the attack and wished „that Robert Fico would have a lot of strength at this critical moment so that he could recover from the attack. Peter Pellegrini, the president-elect, made a similar statement.” Pellegrini comes from the government coalition led by Robert Fico and was elected president in April. However, he will not be sworn in until June.
Meanwhile, 59-year-old Fiko is still receiving treatment in hospital in the town of Banska Bystrica. His deputy, Thomas Taraba, told the BBC late on Wednesday evening that he appeared to have survived an emergency operation after the attack and was no longer in a life-threatening situation. Slovak media reported early Thursday morning that Fico had regained consciousness.
After a cabinet meeting on Wednesday in the town of Handelova, when Fico went out into the street, a 71-year-old man fired four to five shots at him. The suspected perpetrator was arrested at the scene and the Prime Minister was airlifted to hospital by helicopter.
Government officials assume a „political motive.” There are many photos and video recordings of the attack itself. Slovak news platform aktuality.sk She also stated that the suspected killer was legally in possession of a gun. The 71-year-old was not undergoing psychiatric treatment. These rumors have been reported previously.
There is also speculation on social media in Slovakia about the possible politicization of the alleged killer. This intensifies the already heated mood in the country, which reached two peaks during the parliamentary elections in September last year and the presidential elections in April this year.
Security forces arrested the suspected shooter at the scene
Source: Agence France-Presse/-
Both elections were accompanied by an aggressive mood and disinformation campaigns on social media, as well as questionable rhetoric by the actors involved. Fico’s Smer Party considers itself a social democratic party, but in the eyes of many observers it is characterized as a left-wing nationalist. It became the strongest force in the recent parliamentary elections, with 22.9 percent of the votes. In October 2023, Fico was able to assume the reins of government in a coalition with the Social Democratic Party of Halas and the far right.
He is considered a veteran of Slovak politics, having ruled from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018. His companion Peter Pellegrini won the presidential election in April. Fico polarized the country for several months and thousands of Slovaks took to the streets against his policies.
There are major concerns among many Slovaks about an authoritarian state restructuring similar to what happened in Hungary or Poland. The Slovak Parliament approved a first legislative package in April as part of a controversial judicial restructuring process. The law provides, among other things, for the dissolution of the Special Public Prosecutor’s Office or the reduction of penalties for serious crimes such as murder.
The EU Commission has already expressed concern that the so-called judicial reform could violate EU law. In addition, there are verbal attacks on journalists from politicians – and concrete plans to control the media. Public television station RTVS is set to be transformed into a state broadcaster over which the government will have enormous influence. A similar law could be passed in June.
Before the Cabinet meeting in Handelova, Fico received local residents. After the meeting he was shot
Source: German Press Agency/Radovan Stoklasa
The NGO Transparency Law also made international headlines. If an organization receives €5,000 or more from abroad in one year, it should in the future be classified as an “organisation receiving support from abroad”. Critics fear the government will ban organizations it doesn’t like as a result.
Fico also reoriented Slovakia’s foreign policy. He himself and other members of the government have loudly criticized the course of the European allies towards Russia and Ukraine. Fico criticizes Russian sanctions as well as arms shipments to Ukraine. His government stopped supplying weapons from Slovak stockpiles to Ukraine. The partly pro-Russian policy of Slovakia, a member of the European Union and NATO, is also worrying diplomats and politicians in Brussels and other European capitals.
It is striking that Slovak society now seems to be uniting and that politicians from different political camps are strongly condemning the attack. Religious organizations, bishops and Islamic associations also commented on this. Expert Nick said, „The assassination attempt on Fico represents a turning point for Slovak politics, regardless of whether he will be able to take office again or not.”
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Another turning point for Slovakia was the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova in 2018. Through his research, Kuciak uncovered organized crime connections in Slovak politics. He worked for aktuality.sk, a news portal of Ringier Axel Springer Slovakia, a joint venture between Axel Springer SE (including WELT and “Bild”) and Swiss Ringier AG.
The murder of Kuciak and his fiancée attracted much attention in Slovakia and internationally. Fico, who was prime minister at the time, was forced to resign after mass protests following the killings. Even then, Fico’s policies were radically rejected by many Slovaks, but he always enjoyed a stable fan base, as demonstrated by his recent electoral victory in 2023.
However, expert Nick does not see a direct link between the assassination attempt on Fico and the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak and his wife. “This aggression against politicians and the cruelty of the conflict is not just a Slovak phenomenon. We see something like this everywhere in Europe, and unfortunately also attacks on politicians. Look at Germany: from the assassination attempt on Wolfgang Schäuble many years ago to the recent attacks on politicians,” says Nick.
Speculation about the paramilitary organization
Despite voices calling for calm in Slovakia, observers are also concerned that the government camp, after a brief period of calm, will use the attack to further divide society and consolidate its power. Blaha statements are the first sign. Fake news is also likely to spread quickly on social media, and disinformation campaigns can be launched.
The evening after the attack on Fiko, a report was published in Slovak online media that was likely to increase speculation about the background of the crime: the famous Hungarian investigative journalist Száblocs Bánje shared old photos of the alleged killer, which had a connection to a loyalist Slovak paramilitary women’s organization. For Russia, it is called the „Slovak Brotherhood”. Photos from 2016 are considered original.
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“However, in the next few days we are likely to see an increase in disinformation campaigns and the like on social networks. What happened is a reason for this,” says Milan Nick. But a lot will depend on whether Fico will survive the attack.
