CitizenVectron

Yesterday Ukraine hit Crimea with 12+ ATACMS in a coordinated strike against air defense systems. Russia claims to have shot down 9+ missiles (believe it when I see it). Despite this, it appears that multiple S-300 and S-400 launchers and radar systems were destroyed. Ukraine appears to be demolishing Russia's southern air defense system piece by piece. Russia just deployed a brand-new S-500 system to Crimea this week...we'll see how long it lasts.

US signs long-awaited bilateral security agreement with Ukraine

KYIVINDEPENDENT.COM

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President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden signed a long-awaited bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and the U.S. on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy on June 13, Reuters reported.

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The U.S. joins 15 other countries, including the U.K., Germany, and France, that have signed similar bilateral treaties to help Kyiv repel Russia's aggression.

Zelensky and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida signed an agreement between Ukraine and Japan hours earlier on June 13.

A major tangible part of this agreement is the commitment to provision multiple squadrons of F-16 attack aircraft. The US is not providing the jets (European nations are), but it looks like the US will fully equip them with weapons. 

Oops, he did it again:

Pope Francis uses homophobic slur for gay men for 2nd time in just weeks, Italian news agency says

WWW.CBSNEWS.COM

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Pope Francis again used a slur while talking about gay men just weeks after an apology was issued for his first use, Italy's ANSA news agency says.

Sony Pictures Acquires Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Landmark Deal That Puts Studios Back in Theater Game

WWW.HOLLYWOODREPORTER.COM

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For more than seven decades, studios weren't allowed to own an exhibition company under the Paramount Consent Decrees, which were rescinded in 2020.

We begin to re-enter the age of vertical studio-theatre integration. This was illegal until the law was repealed under the Trump administration.

7 minutes ago, Mr.Vic20 said:

And if the mass theft of children and presumably putting them in reprogramming camps isn't a war crime, what is? 

Yep, exactly. Russia is war-criming their way through Ukraine. It's infuriating when the NYT or other publication will have a major story on how Ukraine is "responsible" for an apartment building in Russia being destroyed (when a Russia AA missile fails mid-flight and hits one of their own buildings), even though Ukraine is taking incredible pains to not hit civilians or do anything of that sort. At the same time, Russia is going out of its way (with the blind eye of the Red Cross and others!) to illegally torture POWs, kidnap children, etc.

9 minutes ago, CayceG said:

Seven

 

Hundred

 

Thousand.

The primary reason I have no room for anyone arguing that there should be peace on Russia's terms, that NATO is to blame, etc. Russia is literally taking most Ukrainian children in conquered territories and shipping them back to Russia to help increase the population.

Our school division has around 8,000 Windows laptops, and about 200 Apple devices (mix of iMacs and iPads). Let me tell you that I am ecstatic that we are getting rid of almost all our Apple products this summer and replacing them with more PCs/laptops. Apple stuff just really sucks to manage in an enterprise environment. Apple is always changing their security policies and it makes it harder and harder to remotely deploy/manage things compared to Windows (where you can use SCCM or Intune to do pretty much anything).

If anyone needs another reason to confirm that Russia is evil: they've kidnapped over 700,000 children, at last count:

4 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

 

That's more-or-less the point they ultimately make as they go after the "anti-woke" crowd just as heavily. It's calling out both "changing it for the sake of changing it and being lazy" and "omg why did you change something that doesn't matter".

It's shocking and disturbing how many people can't actually absorb media without the protagonist being exactly the same as them. 

4 hours ago, Spork3245 said:

I think the message that they were attempting is “doing gender/race swaps for the sake of pandering (not for the best actor) is lazy, and making unique characters, like Miles Morales, is much better” as there’s even a spot where someone complains about a “black spider-man” as part of pandering, and (I think) Stan says “no, Morales is his own character with his own personality and back story, and he’s awesome”.

I’m not saying that the message they were going for is right or wrong, but I also don’t think it’s right wing talking point either.

While I agree that simply doing a gender/ethnic swap is the laziest way of handling diversity and representation, it's still not a bad thing. Simply having more representation in media is a good thing for marginalized people. When I see chuds say things like "there's no reason for X character to be a woman now!" I always have to ask "well, what was the reason they had to be a man before?"

Biden just announced the US is providing another Patriot system.

1 minute ago, mclumber1 said:

Need to have high power lasers (kw range) that use targeting data from radar, thermal, and visual cameras to take down multiple drones, big and small.  Expending ammunition doesn't seem like the right approach with so many drones entering the current battlefield. 

Ironically, one of the more cost-effective (ammunition-wise) defenses has become old-school-style AA guns.

A few air defense items today, along with musings:

• Germany donating 100 Patriot missiles to Ukraine
• Ukraine destroyed a BUK-M2 air defense system with a small switchblade drone
• Ukraine destroyed a Pantsir-S1 air defense system with HIMARS

Basically, we are in a new age where $10,000-$30,000 drones are able to take out $100 million+ defense systems. I can't imagine the theorizing inside the Pentagon and other areas about how to stop future waves of drones. What does an American forward position do in 2032 when there are 100+ drone strikes per day on their position, and the missiles that can take them down cost 10x as much as the drone?

This morning emails went out advising Russian air defense personnel stationed in Crimea to pack and prepare their families to evacuate to the southern Russian military district. It's possible this is just a poorly worded email advising of standard rotation out of Crimea, or it's possible that Russia is pulling back some of its air defense units into Russia since they can't seem to hit anything, anyway (and are being destroyed). Hopefully the latter!

I think it's clear that Ukraine is helping pave the way for F-16s being delivered this summer. The US-provided glide bombs have apparently been very effective (90%+ successful hits) when jerry rigged to Ukrainian fighters, so I think they will be one of the primary tools for frontline assault moving forward. Ukraine is also apparently developing their own glide bomb that should be in the field soon.

Last night Ukraine used ten ATACMS to strike air defense systems in Crimea. In total, one full S-400 and two full S-300 systems (radar, launchers, etc) were destroyed. None of the ATACMS were intercepted.

Not good.

4 minutes ago, TUFKAK said:

Ukraine S tier confirmed 

Though incompetence (and shortage of actual resources) is likely to blame for Russia failing to hit most of Ukraine's recent drone and missile strikes, it does appear that Ukraine is doing an amazing job of targeting and taking out advanced Russian AA systems with...easy-to-hit drones. The exception are ATACMS strikes, which Russia does seem completely incapable of stopping. But there is no reason these long-range drones should be getting 1,000+ km into Russia without being taken down. They are effectively strapping explosives to light airplanes (think cesnas) and getting free kills for reason, but I'm not going to complain!

It's far more likely that internal Russian defense units are just incredibly corrupt and full of drunk relatives of high-ranking officials, but hey, I'll take a good Russian panic:

1 hour ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

A Ukrainian drone strike on an airbase pretty deep inside southern Russia appears to have damaged one of Russia's few SU-57s.

 

Russia's top Su-57 stealth fighter jet hit for first time, Ukraine's military intelligence says

WWW.BUSINESSINSIDER.COM

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Ukraine claims to have struck one of Russia's advanced Su-57 stealth fighter jets deep inside Russia.

 

 

Excellent. Ukraine is striking deeper and deeper inside Russia. Here is a map of regions with confirmed strikes or interceptions of Ukrainian long-range drones. Pretty much the entire European Russia:

New polls show Labour at 500+ seats, with the next-closest party at 45. It's a bloodbath. 

Oh, the 77-year-old homophobic, climate-denying, right-wing piece of shit? He's a part of my childhood, but is a total nutso asshole, now.

No link yet, but Macron just announced that France will supply Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine. Also train 4,500 soldiers for Ukraine.