Don's Weekly, 14 July 2025: Part 2
by Donald Hill
(…continued from Part 1…)
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Pokrovsk
The VKS continues flying heavy air strikes on Volodymyrivka and the treelines to the south. There were also a lot of rockets landing in that area. Russia continues to advance west to Razine and north to Popiv Yar. They also moved north from Shevchenko. Ukraine may have re-taken Novoserhiivka but that hasn’t been confirmed - which makes it as likely as that this was just yet another of Syrsky’s pointless counterattacks. Launched because he was in need of a win to report to Yermak…
Vehicles in Pokrovsk are hit by drones. The Russian post claims that they all belonged to the 425th Skala Regiment, probably because the 425th has been so effective against them. They are currently operating closer to Fedorivka. A Ukrainian BTR is immobilized and abandoned in Fedorivka.
The 91st Anti-Tank battalion eliminated Russian vehicles near Novoekonomichne. Mines dropped by drones destroy Russian logistical vehicles at Malynivka.
School No. 10 was shelled in Pokrovsk and a local resident views the damage.
In Rodynske, a family in a car is killed by a Russian drone. CAUTION: Bodies are shown.
Russians in Novosergiivka are pursued by drones.
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Komar
Russia continues to expand and consolidate north and east of Komar.
Russian forces are attacked east of Voskresenka.
The 37th Marines recapture Dachne.
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Zaporizhzhia
A bridge was previously destroyed in Kamianske. The Russians erected a temporary bridge and a Ukrainian airstrike destroyed it.
12 bombs hit Ukrainian-controlled Plavni. This was repeated a couple days later. There were more strikes in northern Kamienske and Russia may have advanced 500 meters at most.
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Kherson
A Russian drone drops a grenade on a bicyclist in Kherson. Which means: the Russian saffair for civilians of Kherson is going on. Is yet another ‘norm’ of this war. Perfectly fine not only with Pudding, but foremost with all the zombie idiots of ‘the West’… Kind of, ‘read about it, then return to watching the women’s world cup in football, live on TV, from Switzerland’…
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Crimea
Atesh partisans obtained classified documents describing details of the Black Sea fleet escorting shadow fleet tankers smuggling oil.
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Arctic Ocean
Russia continues to jam the Baltic Sea navigation signals and the Arctic states are preparing alternate navigation tools that don’t rely on GPS. Everything, just not doing something against the Russians. That could upset Pudding, you know?
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Occupied Territories
Ukraine’s military intelligence teamed up with partisans to kill five Russian National Guard soldiers that were unloading a truck in Melitopol. The blast also destroyed a satellite communication station.
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Unknown Location
It is very difficult to drive a MaxxPro MRAP at high speeds on three wheels. It is not impossible. At 0:55 the remains of the wheel departs.
Because the Russian crew survived there are two views of a drone attack on an armored vehicle. A follow-on strike drone records the fate of the vehicle.
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Russia
Seven explosions were reported at the Krasnozavodsk Chemical Plant near Moscow. Among the explosive materials it produces is warheads for Shahed drones. The Ilsky oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai was hit but no details of damage has been posted. An aviation plant near Moscow that produces MiG-29 and MiG-31 jets and develops Geran drones was attacked and several powerful explosions were reported. An aircraft factory in Taganrog was hit again. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was attacked at Novorossiysk but there was no evidence of damage.
As should be well-known in the public - but is not - the electronics in the Su-35s and Su-34s are both of Western origins (yes: made by Western manufacturers). Indeed, over 62% of the parts for the avionics of these two types are coming from the good ol’ US of A. With other words: it doesn’t matter if one is buying some F-35s, or Su-35s. The stuff installed into them is, essentially, of the same origin. The sole difference is the way in which it was aquired by the corporations manufacturing them.
Unsurprisingly, Russia’s dependence on foreign electronics for drones, missiles and other weapon systems make them vulnerable to sanctions and that is impacting their manufacturing capabilities. Russian court documents show that some components that were received were incompatible, showed signs of tampering, or failed to meet technical standards. But most cases involved manufacturers that could not fulfill their contracts because parts that were ordered never arrived.
Still, ‘the West’ is not moving to sanction the smuggling of such items to Russia…
The owner of gold mines and the 12th richest person in Russia was trying to fly to Turkey on his $50 million bizjet. Officials confiscated his aircraft, his passport (which was voided), and are working to nationalize his company while he’s being investigated for corruption and financial misconduct. The only question unresolved yet is: when and where is he going to fall out of some window…
BTW, in the last three years Russia has seized $50 billion in assets.
Russia is producing 300 T-90 tanks a year now and could reach a rate of 1000 a year by 2028… IF they overcome shortages of necessary parts (don’t worry: both Mor… erm… Macron and Starmer are doing their best to enable the Russians exactly that). But, a Russian steel manufacturer filed three lawsuits against the producer of T-90 tanks for non-payment of 160 million rubles. Tupolev is being sued for 1 billion rubles for nonpayment. The manufacturer of ICBMs owes suppliers 211 million rubles. To solve the issue, Russia is considering nationalizing the suppliers that are demanding payment, or simply printing more money. Who cares if that is certain to contribute to inflation? In Pudding’s Russia: exactly nobody.
Russia had one aircraft carrier and began modernizing it in 2017 to extend its life for 25 more years. Prior to that, it suffered so many breakdowns that an ocean-going tug accompanied it during deployments. Heating issues in cold weather environments resulted in frozen pipes. It suffered a fire in 2009 and two more broke out in 2019 and 2022. A crane mounted on the ship collapsed in 2018 and sank the drydock holding the carrier. The crew was disbanded in 2024 and sent as a battalion to fight in Pokrovsk. Work on the carrier had stopped by then and the former commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet said that ‘carriers are a thing of the past’. That solved all the problems. Instantly.
BTW, given the difficulties, the cost and the state of Russia’s economy, but especially such wise conclusions, it is now near-certain that carrier will be decommissioned.
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Ukraine
Two German Skynex systems have been operating in Ukraine since September 2024. They use 35 mm ammo that explodes near the target and are effective up to 4000 meters. Both systems cost ‘mere’ €182 million and each engagement costs about €4000. But hey: that’s much, much less than a single surface-to-air missile of Western origin…
Ukraine released footage of 7 drones being intercepted on the night of July 11-12.
Huraaa! The mainstream media in the West has discovered the hot water… erm… Yermak.
…and so, according to the Economist, Yermak reportedly controls 85% of the information that flows to Zelensky and is planning to remove high-ranking officials and replace them with people loyal to him. He has repeatedly tried to fire the intelligence chief Budanov but pressure from the White House has supposedly saved his job. A former Ukrainian Minister of Economy doesn’t agree with the description but “that’s a discussion for after the war.”
Yes! Lets leave Yermak in his position until after the war. That way, Ukraine can loose quicker and this neverending nightmare will be over much earlier…
Ukraine arrested two Chinese nationals that tried to smuggle out documentation about the Neptune missile.
A senior Ukrainian intelligence officer was assassinated in Kyiv. The assassins were tracked down and killed when they resisted arrest.
An Antonov An-124 - a massive cargo aircraft - was seen while flying over Kyiv. Was as surprising because another aircraft flew from Odesa, a rarity since 2022. They had call signs of PTNPNH1 and PTNPNH2, which were reportedly derogatory to Putin. Eventually, it turned out the An-124 was parked at Dnipro since 2022, then repaired and successfully evacuated to Europe.
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(…to be continued…)
) PTN PNH (Путин, пошёл на хуй): Putin, go fuck yourself!
This is an abbreviated version of “Putin” and the above “Poshol na khuy” and can be seen scrawled in graffiti.
That’s a discussion for after the war… where have I heard that one before? Iran? India? Italy. (Not a war now… there was some country with I…) splendid idea. I am sure.