@gbaznik.bsky.social

@AmericanU Int Relations & History. Focused on MENA & Europe conflicts, secessionist movements, & politics. Maps, news, & travel junkie.
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[Mykhailo Fedorov @FedorovMykhailo]

It has been a great honor to serve the Ukrainian people as the Minister of Defense.

Here is what our team managed to achieve:

1. Disabled Starlink access for Russian forces.

2. Took over a Ministry of Defense with zero budget, took a risk, reallocated funds from payroll from the end of the year, and effectively invested them in mid-strike capabilities, fiber-optic FPVs, low-cost reconnaissance, ground robotic platforms, interceptor drones, and deep-strike drones.

3. Launched "Logistical Lockdown", this cut off enemy logistics and initiated the isolation of Crimea.

4. Continued the funding program for the Drone Line.

5. Launched a support program for modern drone-assault units that rely primarily on advanced technologies in combat.

6. Introduced a 70% advance payment policy for procurements made via e-Points on the Brave1 Market portal.

7. Fundamentally overhauled the procurement system.

8. Procured thousands of pickup trucks, buggies, and ATVs for the military for the first time—and did so through open tenders.

9. The drone interception rate rose from 83% to 91%, and the cruise missile interception rate soared from 47% to 87%.

10. Contracted Patriot PAC-2 GEM-T missiles for the first time, and submitted an application through an EU loan to purchase PAC-3 missiles.

11. Launched a baseline drone supply system for brigades and corps.

12. Launched a massive grant program for manufacturers of explosives and missiles.

13. Initiated an unpopular but vital transformation of the military.

14. Conducted three UDCG meetings, where we successfully broke through the Russian information trap claiming our defeat, restoring partners' faith in Ukraine. This secured $40 billion in support announced for this year (excluding the EU loan).

15. Launched the mechanism to utilize the EU loan for our military priorities.

16. Found a way to scale cheap missiles against jet-powered Shaheds and signed a record-breaking contract.

17. Our domestic ballistics. We radically revised the technical specifications, maximized accuracy, and reduced the cost by 30%.

18. Signed a contract to procure Gripen fighter jets.

19. Collaborated with the military to plan and execute Operation Auchan, which halted the enemy's mechanized offensive for six months.

20. Opened up exports under the Drone Deal program to attract investment and scale up domestic defense-industrial complex (OPK) production.

21. Launched the Trophy Lab, providing partners with the opportunity to study captured Russian military technologies.

22. Launched the Defense AI Center A1 to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence on the battlefield.

Thank you to my entire team for their relentless 24/7 service. A special thank you to my family for their patience.

Thank you all for your support!

I will continue to work toward the mission I originally brought to the Ministry of Defense: defeating the enemy through asymmetry, the speed of innovation, and the power of organization.

To be continued.

[Egypt's Intel Observer @EGYOSINT]

🇮🇷 Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is confirmed to have been hit in recent US strikes on Iran. Today’s satellite imagery shows that a building at 28°49′49.14″N, 50°53′11.85″E, located near the reactor, was struck and destroyed.

[Egypt's Intel Observer @EGYOSINT]

Iran's IRGC says it struck a second "violating" vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, while the second phase of its retaliatory operation targeted Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar with ballistic missiles, claiming to have hit the base's fighter aircraft maintenance and command facilities.

[Egypt's Intel Observer @EGYOSINT]

Iran's IRGC says it launched the first phase of its retaliation against the U.S., claiming to have struck Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan with multiple ballistic missiles, targeting the base's command-and-control center and U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone hangars.

[Rob Lee @RALee85]

According to Hromadske, the commander of the 155th Mechanized Brigade (and former Chief of Staff of the 425th Skelya Assault Regiment), Stanislav Luchanov is being sought by the police after 9 of his soldiers, including a battalion commander, were detained on suspicion of kidnapping two men from the Kyiv region on June 27-28.
https://t.co/J6L1WkS6pm

[Syrian American Council (SAC) @sa_council]

Today, President Trump notified Congress of intent to rescind Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.

This starts a 45-day congressional review period; it is not yet final. If it goes through, it would remove one of the last major legal barriers to investment, banking access, and reconstruction aid for Syria. SAC has long called for this designation to be lifted.

We are watching the process closely and will share more as it develops.

[Egypt's Intel Observer @EGYOSINT]

The scope of the U.S. strikes on Iran appears to be expanding beyond military targets.

Iranian media outlets report that several projectiles reportedly struck the Aq Takkeh Khan Bridge along the railway line on the western outskirts of Aq Qala in Iran's Golestan Province.

[أسعد حسن الشيباني @AsaadHShaibani]

ضمن توجيهات فخامة رئيس الجمهورية أحمد الشرع، أغلقنا صفحة سوداء في تاريخ سوريا برفع التصنيف الذي فرض عليها بسبب سياسات النظام البائد 1979

كل الشكر والتقدير للولايات المتحدة بقيادة الرئيس ترامب على هذا القرار، ولصديقي وزير الخارجية ماركو روبيو وللسفير العزيز توم باراك ولكل من وقف إلى جانب سوريا.

[Andrew Leyden @PenguinSix]

The Great American State Fair is CLOSED due to heat. Everyone must exit until 5:00pm

[Faytuks Network @FaytuksNetwork]

NYT reports that Ghalibaf’s plane made an emergency landing in Mashhad after Iranian security forces warned of intelligence that Israel planned to attack it, claiming two Israeli fighter jets had entered Iranian airspace near the Iraqi border.

[WarTranslated @wartranslated]

Serbian President Vucic announced his resignation and snap parliamentary elections, saying he'll leave office within weeks.

[Middle East Eye @MiddleEastEye]

A report in the Wall Street Journal says the US is considering refurnishing its base in Bahrain and winding down its presence in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Two officials cited in the report suggest the US could relocate some bases to Israel
https://t.co/5U8h2q1B59

[Thomas van Linge @ThomasVLinge]

Si alguien busca a familiares o seres queridos en Venezuela, envíenme sus tweets.

Los retweet para darles mayor visibilidad 🙏🇻🇪

[Chef José Andrés 🕊️🥘🍳 @chefjoseandres]

We will immediately contribute 1 million dollars from the @LTFund to help Venezuela earthquake mayhem, supporting @WCKitchen who is already mobilizing! #ChefsForVenezuela Let’s hope is not as bad as it looks….🙏🙏

[Thomas van Linge @ThomasVLinge]

More missing person posters

Venezuela 🇻🇪

[Felipe Galli @FEscrutinio]

🇻🇪| Imágenes desde La Guaira, Venezuela, justo en la costa.

[Caracas Chronicles @CaracasChron]

The worst seismic event since 1967 shocked Venezuela.

Several buildings have collapsed in Caracas. Maiquetía Airport suffered damage.

The magnitud 7.1 earthquake was felt across 🇻🇪 and from Bogotá to Trinidad & Tobago.

We will keep updating this post👇https://t.co/BcmPqzxcQc

[Thomas van Linge @ThomasVLinge]

Venezuela 🇻🇪: hillside view of Caracas right after the earthquake. Multiple plumes of either smoke or debris dust can be seen rising from the city.

[AZ Intel @AZ_Intel_]

Structural collapse in Venezuela after 7.1 magnitude earthquake west of Caracas.

[OSINTtechnical @Osinttechnical]

Iran’s IRGC Navy announces that the Strait of Hormuz is closed again after the ceasefire failed in Lebanon - Mehr