Ukrainian Drone Attacks on Moscow Force Airport to Shut Down

"Russian authorities say three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours, injuring
one person and prompting a temporary closure for traffic of one of four airports around the Russian capital." Breitbart

Arms for Ukraine Ending Up in Terrorists’ Hands in Africa, Burkina Faso’s Prez Says

"Western weapons sent to Ukraine are winding up in the hands of arms smugglers and
terrorists in Africa, and pose a threat to the continent, interim President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso has told Sputnik Africa.

“What’s my take [on the conflict in Ukraine, ed.]? I don’t have any take on this, because we’re also in conflict. We are at war against terrorism, and they [the West, ed.] are no longer concerned with our war. We only deplore that weapons destined for Ukraine are on our continent and continue to activate our war. This is what we deplore,” Traore said." Sputnik

Russia’s missile attack on Kryvyi Rih

"The death toll in Russia’s recent missile attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih has increased to
five. A 10-year-old girl was reported among the victims." Ukrin

Russian Forces Repel Ukrainian Attacks in Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Krasny Liman Directions

"Russian forces have repelled 3 Ukrainian attacks in the Krasny Lyman direction over the
past 24 hours, and the Ukrainian military lost up to 140 soldiers and 6 pieces of military equipment." Sputnik

Mysterious Chinese Bio-Lab Discovered In Remote California City

"Why would a bio-lab run by a shady Chinese company be operating in Reedley, CA in the central San Joaquin Valley?

What was supposed to be an empty building used only for storage was home to a black-market type of lab testing facility.

YourCentralValley.com reports that the discovery was made after a local code enforcement officer noticed this garden hose poking out a back wall of the building.

Public Health staff also observed blood, tissue and other bodily fluid samples and serums; and THOUSANDS of vials of unlabeled fluids and suspected biological material.

Additionally they found 900 genetically engineered mice, engineered to catch and carry COVID-19, living in “inhumane” conditions.....773 of the mice had to be euthanized, and officials found another 178 mice already dead.

“This is an unusual situation. I’ve been in government for 25 years. I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tested the substances and detected at least 20 potentially infectious agents, including coronavirus, HIV, hepatitis and herpes....Agents also found thousands of package boxes - many with shipping labels from China.  

The other addresses provided for identified authorized agents were either empty offices or addresses in China that could not be verified. 

Is this illegal lab the tip of the iceberg? How many additional bioagent labs will be found?" ZH

24 combat engagements recorded during the day

"During the day, 24 combat engagements took place between the units of the Defense Forces
of Ukraine and the Russian invaders." Ukrin

Russians threaten civilian vessels in Black Sea – border guards intercept conversation

"The Ukrainian border guards have intercepted threats to a merchant ship by a Russian ship in
the Black Sea. The radio intercept reveals that the Russians first ask about the flag of the country under which the vessel is travelling, then about the cargo, inquire whether there are weapons on board, and then voice a warning threat." Pravada

Kim Jong-un Shows Off ICBMs, Drones to Russian Defense Minister in North Korea

"North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un on Wednesday led Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu through a tour of a “weaponry exhibition house” in Pyongyang reportedly showcasing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and other advanced arms." Breitbart

Niger: Soldiers Seize Airwaves, Claim to Stage Coup on National TV

"A group of soldiers describing themselves as the “National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland” appeared on national television in Niger late Thursday night announcing they had overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum and “suspended” the operations of all government institutions.....reports from Niger’s main cities suggested many civilians going to work or otherwise behaving normally, with no indication of whether Bazoum’s government or the military was in charge. Bazoum has not appeared publicly since Thursday, but posted a message on Twitter in the early morning hours of Thursday vowing to protect “democracy and freedom.”.....Niger is a volatile Sahel country facing multiple jihadist insurgencies, including attacks by the Islamic State, its subsidiary Boko Haram, and some al-Qaeda elements. Bazoum’s government has been generally friendly to America.......It is currently surrounded by, in addition to jihadists, nations that have turned on the West and sought aid from Russia and the Wagner Private Military Group (PMC), most prominently Burkina Faso....Reports out of Niger suggested that Adramane had not organized the coup, but General Abdourhmane Tchiani, the head of the presidential guard." Breitbart

Military foils drone attack on Moscow

"Russian forces have destroyed a Ukrainian drone that was heading towards Moscow.....Russian officials have condemned the raids as “acts of terrorism.” RT

US drone locked weapons on Russian jets

"A US MQ-9 Reaper surveillance and attack drone flew “dangerously close” to a pair of
Russian Su-34 and Su-35 fighter jets in Syria......, the incident occurred shortly after 7:30 am local time over the northwestern Aleppo Province. He said the Russian planes automatically fired decoy flares after their radars showed that the Reaper had locked its weapons on them." RT

Ukraine’s Air Force launches 13 strikes on enemy targets

"The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has launched 11 strikes on enemy personnel,
ammunition and military equipment clusters, and two strikes on Russian surface-to-air missile systems.

Russian troops have launched 49 missile strikes and 37 air strikes, and opened fire with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) over 63 times." Ukrin

Largest US Power Grid Declares Emergency Alert Amid Scorching Heat

"PJM Interconnection LLC declared an Energy Emergency Alert Level 1 in 13 states that
stretch from Illinois to New Jersey with over 65 million customers. PJM is concerned about maintaining adequate power reserves on Thursday as power demand is set to soar because of air conditioners. It expects demand to reach 153,286 megawatts as of 1700 ET and has about 186,000 megawatts of generating capacity. " ZH

Russian military repels ‘massive’ Ukrainian offensive

"Russian troops have stopped an “intensive” effort by the Ukrainian military to break their
defensive lines near the village of Orekhov in the Zaporozhye Region. The village and its surroundings have been the scene of fierce fighting for weeks, as Ukraine’s floundering counteroffensive drags on." RT

Dozens dead and thousands evacuated as wildfires ravage Europe & Africa

"Wildfires have devastated swathes of Southern Europe and Northern Africa in the midst of
near-record high temperatures. Over 40 people have died in the last week..... The fires claimed 34 lives in Algeria, with 10 of the victims said to be soldiers attempting to evacuate the coastal province of Bejaia....At least four people have died in Italy as 10 separate fires raged in the south of the country....Footage from Sicily posted to social media showed entire stretches of road and hillside in flames. More than 20,000 people have been evacuated from homes and vacation spots on the Greek island of Rhodes, which has declared a state of emergency, while thousands have also been forced to leave the islands of Evia and Corfu while the island of Crete is on high alert....In Tunisia, wildfires forced the evacuation of 300 people from the coastal village of Melloula. Turkey saw wildfires break out in the southern province of Antalya. Croatia also reported wildfires south of Dubrovnik." RT

Armed Forces of Ukraine advancing in three directions

"The Ukrainian military continues going on the offensive in Bakhmut, Melitopol, and
Berdiansk directions." Ukrin

Russian Lawmakers Approve Bill Raising Maximum Draft Age

"Russian lawmakers passed a bill raising the upper age limit for military conscription and
banning draftees from leaving the country, as Moscow continues its efforts to widen the pool of potential recruits for its war in Ukraine.

Under current Russian law, all men aged 18-27 are required to complete a one-year term of compulsory military service, a requirement that has been in place since before the invasion of Ukraine.

Amendments published on the day of the bill’s third and final reading would raise the age limits for this compulsory military service to 18-30 starting in January 2024." MT

Ukrainian aircraft launched 15 strikes on enemy over past 24 hours

"Ukrainian aircraft launched one strike on the enemy's command post, eight strikes on military personnel concentration areas, and six strikes on the enemy's anti-aircraft missile systems over the last 24 hours." Ukrin

Moscow comes under attempted drone attack

"Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin says there was “no major damage” in the city following an attempted Ukrainian drone strike around 4am. The drones crashed into non-residential buildings after the military suppressed them using electronic warfare systems." RT

Russian Strike on Odesa Leaves One Dead, Dozens Injured and Historic Cathedral Badly Damaged

"Russia struck the Ukrainian

Black Sea city of Odesa again, local officials said, keeping up a
barrage of attacks that has damaged critical port infrastructure in southern Ukraine in the past week. At least one person was killed and 22 others wounded in the attack in the early hours.

Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said that four children were among those wounded in the blasts, which severely damaged the historic Transfiguration Cathedral, a landmark Orthodox cathedral in the city." Breitbart

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Recovering After Emergency Heart Surgery

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was recovering in hospital after being fitted with a pacemaker. 

Netanyahu said: “A week ago I was fitted with a monitoring device. That device beeped this evening and said I must have a pacemaker and that I must do this already tonight." 

Breitbart

Ukraine Drone Strikes Crimean Munitions Depot, Cluster Bombs Belgorod

"A Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea Saturday blew up an ammunition depot, sparking
evacuations on the Moscow-annexed peninsula and halting rail traffic, just five days after drones damaged Russia’s symbolic bridge across the Kerch Strait." Breitbart

Wagner Paramilitary Troops Training Lukashenko’s Army in Belarus

"Belarus said Friday that instructors from the Russian mercenary force Wagner were training
its troops, following weeks of uncertainty about the future of the group after its failed mutiny in Russia....Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had cast doubt on the deal when he said earlier this month that no Wagner fighters had moved to the country yet....The Belarusian defense ministry appeared to confirm that at least some Wagner fighters had arrived." Breitbart

Russia Targets Ukraine’s Farm Storage Sites After Collapse of Black Sea Grain Deal

"Russia followed its withdrawal from a grain export deal by expanding its attacks from port
infrastructure to farm storage buildings in Ukraine’s Odesa region, while also practicing a Black Sea blockade.

Other Russian missiles damaged what officials described only as an “important infrastructure facility” southwest of the port city of Odesa, in what appeared to be an effort to cripple Ukraine’s food exports." Breitbart

Putin Comments on AI (Artificial Intelligence)

"Russian President Vladimir Putin said: “Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for
Russia, but for all humankind. It comes with enormous opportunities, but also threats that are difficult to predict. Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world.” LHF

Ukraine Begins Firing U.S.-Supplied Cluster Bombs on Battlefield

"Ukraine is using cluster bombs against Russian forces less than a week after they were first
delivered from U.S. reserve stores, the White House confirmed. Biden called the decision to send the deadly munitions “very difficult” while acting in defiance of allies like the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Spain who stand opposed their use. Cluster munitions are a category of rockets, bombs, missiles, and artillery projectiles that break apart in the air and blanket a large area. The munitions often fail and can devastate civilian populations." Breitbart

Explosions heard in Odesa region

"The spokesman for Odesa Regional Military Administration, Serhiy Bratchuk, citing the
Ukrainian Air Force, also reported in Telegram that supersonic anti-ship missiles Oniks had been launched towards Odesa region and urged people to stay in shelters.

As Ukrinform reported, Russian troops have been shelling Odesa region for several days in a row, with several people killed and wounded." Ukrin

Ukrainians complain of ‘morale-zapping’ Russian mines

"Ukrainian troops’ inability to breach Russian defensive lines is, to a large extent, due to
minefields that are “destroying NATO-supplied armor, wounding soldiers and zapping morale,” according to the Financial Times.

Kiev’s much-lauded counteroffensive, launched last month, has stalled in the face of staunch resistance from Russian troops.“We can push with 10 brigades but it won’t work because the mines are everywhere, every half a meter there are mines,” a Ukrainian unit commander told the British newspaper." RT

MI6 Chief Warns Of Chinese 'Data Traps' - Says UK Using AI To Disrupt Russian Weapons Flow

"The head of Britain's

MI6 intelligence service, Richard Moore, delivered a rare public speech
in Prague on Wednesday, where he warned that China has been striking deals with other countries which allow Beijing to capture data on foreign citizens and national projects.

Meanwhile, MI6 is using artificial intelligence "to augment, but not replace, their own judgement about how people might act in various situations," said Moore, who cited the use of bulk data "to identify and disrupt the flow of weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine." ZH

 

Russian Lancet Kamikaze Drone Destroy Ukrainian Air Defenses

"A clip published by the Defense Ministry shows Russian Airborne Forces taking out a
Ukrainian Osa air defense system with a Lancet kamikaze drone.

Loitering munition (a.k.a. kamikaze drone) is a projectile that can loiter by definition – passively wait for its prey and immediately attack once the target is located." Sputnik

Ukraine’s Air Force launches 12 strikes on enemy positions, hits three anti-aircraft missile systems

"Air Force of Ukraine carried out 12 strikes on Russian personnel, weapons and military
equipment clusters, also hitting three anti-aircraft systems." Ukrin

Ammo depot fire forces evacuation in Crimea

"Crimean authorities have shut down a major highway and ordered the evacuation of four
settlements in the immediate vicinity of an ammunition depot in the east of the peninsula, which “caught fire” on Wednesday morning.

A message attributed to Kirill Budanov, Ukraine’s chief of military intelligence, was reported in the media, saying the fire was the result of a joint operation by his department and the regular Ukrainian military. However, hours later a spokesman for the agency denied the reports, saying the social media channel quoted by the news outlets was not verified." RT

Moscow claims attacks were retaliatory

"Russia’s defence ministry says all targets were hit in overnight air attacks on Ukraine’s Odesa
and Mykolaiv ports, describing them as a “mass revenge strike” to avenge an assault on the Crimea bridge." AlJazeera

Zelensky, Pentagon Acknowledge Counteroffensive Had To Be "Paused" Amid Losses

"The New York Times in a weekend story admitted that things are looking grim for the
chances of Ukraine's counteroffensive, acknowledging that President Zelensky had been forced to put it on "pause" at one point....... losses have also slowed because the counteroffensive itself has slowed — and even halted in places — as Ukrainian soldiers struggle against Russia’s formidable defenses. And despite the losses, the Ukrainians have so far taken just five of the 60 miles they hope to cover to reach the sea in the south and split the Russian forces in two.....within the first couple weeks of the counteroffensive Ukraine forces lost some 20% of the weaponry newly supplied by the West, including tanks and armored vehicles. The report underscored that that the Pentagon has since publicly acknowledged the "pause"." ZH

Ukrainian attack on Crimean Bridge

"Russia has accused Ukraine of staging another attack on the Crimean Bridge, which claimed
the lives of two civilians and injured a child. The incident also resulted in considerable damage to one section of the roadway." RT

Invaders focusing on five areas, 39 combat clashes recorded over past day

"The enemy is concentrating its main efforts on the Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and
Marinka sectors, with 39 combat engagements recorded there within the past day." Ukrin

Partisans blow up two trucks with Russian invaders in Kherson region

"The Atesh military resistance movement has carried out a successful attack on the Russian
invaders in the occupied part of the Kherson region, blowing up two trucks and killing six soldiers." Ukrin

UK depot supplying missiles to Ukraine goes on strike

"British

deliveries of cutting-edge missiles to Ukraine could be in jeopardy due to a strike at a
key military facility where workers earn around minimum wage, the Daily Mirror reported. The strike was reportedly backed by 50 key employees at the Defence Equipment and Support depot in Beith, Scotland. The facility supplies Storm Shadow and Brimstone missiles – which Moscow says have been used to strike civilian targets – to Ukraine." RT

About 30 combat engagements recorded in five directions, heavy battles raging

"Russian forces continue to focus their main efforts on the Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut,
Avdiivka and Marinka directions, where about 30 combat clashes have occurred over the past day." Ukrin

War Effort In Shambles As Hawks Turn On Each Other At NATO Summit

".....a devastating behind-the-scenes account of a hot-headed Zelensky at the NATO summit in Vilnius, and the growing Western backlash in the face of his obvious frustration and what's being seen as ingratitude for the steady flow of billions of dollars in arms to Kiev......the Ukrainian leader having thrown a "tantrum" as he complained about the "weak" and "absurd" NATO stance on Ukraine's membership. The blistering tweet he issued in English while en route to Lithuania exposed cracks in the alliance.....That outburst in turn riled the partners who have funneled billions of dollars of weaponry and aid into Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion — the US had been given no warning before Zelenskiy unleashed his attack on social media...... "Over dinner in Vilnius, with US President Joe Biden back at his hotel, the other leaders delivered a clear message to Zelenskiy, according to one person who was present. You have to cool down and look at the full package, Zelenskiy was told."...."Whether we like it or not, people want to see gratitude," UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told reporters the following morning. "You’re persuading countries to give up their stock" of weapons and ammunition, he added...." ZH

22 combat engagements recorded in five sectors of the front, heavy fighting ongoing

"In the Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka directions, 22 combat
engagements have been recorded in the past day, heavy battles are ongoing." Ukrin

Overnight, Air Defense Forces destroy 26 Shaheds, enemy helicopter

"Russians attacked Ukraine from the southeast (Prymorsko-Akhtarsk) with Shahed-136/13
attack drones. 26 of the 28 Shaheds were destroyed.... the Air Forces destroyed an enemy helicopter (type to be specified), three 'Lancet' attack UAVs and four operational and tactical reconnaissance drones." Ukrin

Nearly half of Poles against Ukrainian NATO membership

"According to a poll by IBRiS and commissioned by the Rzeczpospolita newspaper, 47.7% of Poles do not want Ukraine to join NATO at present. Another 40% are in favor of immediate membership, while the rest voiced no preference." RT

About 30 combat engagements recorded in past day, heavy fighting ongoing

"About 30 combat engagements have been recorded in the past day: the enemy continues to focus its main efforts on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka directions, heavy fighting is ongoing." Ukrin

Globalist Dutch Government Collapses, PM Mark Rutte Resigns, as Pro-Farmer Populists Threaten to Upend Establishment in Upcoming Elections

"The fourth government of Mark Rutte, 56, the Netherlands’ longest-serving prime minister, collapsed as coalition partners were seemingly incapable of coming to a compromise on the issue of migration and asylum policy. This marks the third time since coming to power in 2010 that a Rutte government failed to complete a full term in office. The issue of mass migration has come to the fore of Dutch politics as the country’s infrastructure was stretched so thin that last year many migrants were forced to sleep outdoors as a result of lack of accommodation.

Vlaardingerbroek, who has been a champion of the Dutch farmer protest movement that saw thousands of farmers take to their tractors over the past two years in opposition to the EU-driven green agenda that threatens to shut down their farms forever, said, however, that the upcoming elections represent a “real chance of getting our country back” and to fight back against the “expropriation of our farmers, push back on immigration, and take back our national sovereignty from organisations like the EU and the WEF.” Breitbart

Occupiers claim cruise missile shot down near Kerch Bridge

"In Crimea, near the Kerch Bridge from the side of Kerch city, traffic on the bridge was
stopped in both directions after the occupying Russian air defense forces were activated....a cruise missile was shot down by air defense forces in the area of Kerch." Ukrin

Zelensky visits Snake Island, pays tribute to Ukrainian heroes

"President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has visited Snake [Zmiinyi] Island, paid tribute to Ukrainian heroes, and expressed gratitude to everyone who has been fighting against Russian aggression for the last 500 days.

President Zelensky left an inscription on Snake Island’s signpost. A reminder that Ukraine’s Defense Forces liberated Snake Island from Russian invader." Ukrin

Russian Troops Seize Near Intact UK Storm Shadow Missile, To Be Checked By Specialists

"Ukraine affirmed that it had received the first, long-anticipated, British-made Storm Shadow
cruise missiles, which were sent by the United Kingdom. The weapon is designed to destroy bunkers and other rugged, hard-to-reach targets.

Russian servicemen from the BARS-11 volunteer unit and the Tsar's Wolves captured an  intact British Storm Shadow cruise missile from the line of contact and handed it over to specialists for examination." Sputnik

Wagner Mutiny Deepens Divides in Russian Opposition

"The Wagner mercenary group’s rebellion against Russia’s military leadership has further
split Russia’s anti-Kremlin opposition, which is already largely divided over a litany of issues and geographically scattered in exile. 

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an exiled former oil tycoon turned opposition figure, swiftly emerged as the most vocal of Prigozhin’s unlikely supporters, while allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny repeatedly cautioned their followers against pledging allegiance to either side.

Khodorkovsky, who has over 230,000 followers on Telegram and over 608,000 on Instagram, later urged his followers to “arm themselves,” noting that the rebellion “proved that only armed people can stand up to dictatorship.” MT

Zelenskyy in public spat about the war with Bulgaria's pro-Russian president

"During his visit to Sofia Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had an argument with
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev about military aid for Ukraine and criticised Radev’s pro-Russian stance. The argument was captured on camera and broadcast on TV.

Radev said that there was "no military solution to this conflict" and that "more and more weapons hardly lead to that solution". Zelenskyy responded by asking what Radev would do if Russia invaded Bulgaria. Zelenskyy criticised Radev for using "conflict" rather than "war" to describe Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and brushed aside Radev’s suggestion of a diplomatic fix, explaining that military aid for Kyiv is a way for other countries, including Bulgaria, to ensure that "war does not come to you". Pravada