Don's Weekly, 3 June 2024: Part 4

(…continued from Part 3…)

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Ukraine

In the early morning of June 1st, Ukraine shot down 35 of 53 missiles and 46 of 47 drones. Ukraine’s largest underground gas storage facility a Stryi was one of primary targets…https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1796801509700624497

The Kremenchuk Hydroelectric Power Plant was likely damaged in that attack, too…https://x.com/3_bm15/status/1796854296018866489

A list of notable events involving Ukraine’s rail system:

●     The only rail line connecting Zaporizhzhia to Donetsk was within range of Ukrainian artillery. So they gathered 2,000 rail cars and created a barrier along that rail line to inhibit any Ukrainian movement should they ever happen to break through in that area.

●     The Russians also created a new rail line that will connect Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk and bypass the rail line that is interdicted by Ukrainian artillery.

●     Ukraine has more than 100 medevac trains that move wounded and ill civilians out of the conflict zones. They also have a hospital train that is operated by Doctors Without Borders.

●     The son of Warren Buffet provided a six-car food train that can provide 10,000 meals a day to areas without power and can operate for seven days before needing resupply.

●     Howard Buffet also contributed money to build a transshipment center on the Hungarian border so grain can be transferred from Ukraine’s wide gauge rail (compatible with Russian rail) to Hungary’s narrow gauge rail (compatible with Europe).

●     Over 10,000 Ukrainian rail employees joined the military. 1,000 have been demobilized or injured and Ukraine is helping them with recovery and new jobs in the rail industry.

75 prisoners, some held for two years, were returned to Ukraine…https://x.com/DefenceU/status/1796517968031121715

Cheka was a medic recently killed in the fighting in the Kharkiv region. She would have been 26 on June 1st. After a series of close calls, she wrote a letter over a year ago to be released if she died…https://x.com/saintjavelin/status/1796255636503863555

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Diplomacy

Sweden and Poland add their names to the list of nations that will allow its weapons to be used in Russia. At the time of this article, Germany and Italy still refuse. Italy’s logic is that they are not at war with anyone. Then Germany suggested that the framework of international law would allow Ukraine to use German weapons in Russia. Belgium is not on the list. The US Secretary of State said more words about impending potential possibilities and finally gave permission to use US weapons in Russian territory around Kharkiv only. Long-ranged strikes with ATACMS was specifically ruled out. I am unsure of how one part of Russia is different than another part of Russia. In any case, Germany soon after said Ukraine can use weapons they provided in Russia…https://www.thedefensepost.com/2024/05/27/sweden-ukraine-weapons-russia/#:~:text=Sweden%20has%20permitted%20Ukraine%20to,nations%20on%20their%20donated%20weapons.

Russian State TV has their own graphic on the ranges of different allied weapons if they were allowed to be used in Russia…https://x.com/TreasChest/status/1795941523609002260

A compilation of what is and is not allowed with US-provided weapons. Some people may hear echoes of Vietnam…https://x.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1796564954964791522

The Vatican is concerned that western weapons being used in Russia will lead to an escalation. The article doesn’t mention what the Vatican said about attacks on Kharkiv or other Ukrainian cities…https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/05/30/7458445/

Syrsky said he signed paperwork authorizing French troops to enter Ukraine to train Ukrainian troops, then he promptly said Ukraine was still in talks France and other nations about training in Ukraine. And then a member of the Ukrainian parliament says that the French are on their way. Moscow said that if French troops enter Ukraine they will be attacked…https://www.kyivpost.com/post/33365

The allies are still discussing how to use $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine. Given the legalities, one proposal that is gaining favor is to provide Ukraine $50 billion in loans guaranteed by the G7…https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/25/business/economy/g7-ukraine-russia-assets-china.html?u2g=c&unlocked_article_code=1.v00.juoO.H8a7Kt2uV5G8&smid=url-share

The US is providing Moldova with $50 million for industry, and to fight corruption and disinformation. They are also providing $85 million to reduce reliance on energy from the separatist region of Transnistria…https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/29/world/europe/blinken-ukraine-weapons-russia.html?pvid=q8jQSJUm_WKLrvd0weUMPuis&u2g=c&smid=url-share

Spain is sending a billion euros worth of aid to Ukraine, including Patriot missiles and 19 Leopard tanks…https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spain-send-patriot-missiles-leopard-tanks-ukraine-123-billion-package-2024-05-27/

….and yet another German spy.

Immigrants are still being sent from Russia through Belarus to Poland in an attempt to destabilize Europe…https://x.com/TOGAjano21/status/1796588191908233497

A peace march in Budapest protesting NATO unleashing a war in Europe…https://x.com/nexta_tv/status/1796893277842469170

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(…to be continued…)