Steve

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

I met with Italy’s @GiorgiaMeloni for an important conversation. I informed her about the situation in Ukraine.

Russia does not stop attacking our cities and communities. Today, there were ballistic missile strikes again, and attack drones were launched as well. Sadly, there are people killed in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson. Russia has taken the lives of five people. My condolences to their families and loved ones.

We discussed the prospects for our joint work in Europe on anti-ballistic capabilities to provide greater protection for everyone – both Ukraine and every country.

We spoke about the need for additional interceptors and we are counting very much on support. Italy has always helped in a principled way to protect life. Thank you!

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

I am deeply grateful to Canada for its new support package – a very substantial one worth $900 million. Our first concern is more air defense. Protecting lives is the main thing, and Russia's ballistic missile attacks, along with its other missile and drone strikes, are terror that must be confronted together with our partners. I am grateful to Canada, and to you personally, @MarkJCarney, for understanding this.

We are also preparing a Drone Deal between our countries. This is not only about drones – it is about building a new and effective security system, real capabilities proven in this war. It will definitely come in handy. During our meeting, Mark and I also discussed the current diplomatic situation. I shared ideas on how we can bring peace closer and create a real incentive for Russia to engage in negotiations. Canada has invited Ukraine to become a founding member of the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank. It will work to attract investment and develop defense industrial capacity and battle-tested technologies. Thank you!

[Toni Mikkola 🏴‍☠️ @virtaava]

A country that beheads enemy soldiers has no place in the Olympics.

A country that rapes and tortures civilians and POWs has no place in the Olympics.

A country that bombs children’s hospitals, then strikes again when medics arrive, has no place in the Olympics.

A country that uses chemical weapons and banned munitions has no place in the Olympics.

A country whose troops drag POWs to death and shoot surrendering soldiers on camera has no place in the Olympics.

A country that is led by an individual wanted for child abductions and war crimes has no place in the Olympics.

A country that employs the Wagner Group, and is responsible for every massacre they commit, has no place in the Olympics.

Russia has no place in the Olympics.
Not under a flag. Not under “neutrality.” Not as individuals.

In 2022, 88% of Russia’s Olympic medals were won by soldiers. That’s not sport. That’s military propaganda.

If you see this, RT and like. Let the International Olympic Committee @iocmedia hear us.
Let the world hear us.
Let justice be louder than silence. #RussiaIsATerroristState

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Ukraine is giving a fully justified response to Russia striking our country and prolonging the war.

Today, our long-range sanctions reached the Saratov region, Tatarstan, and Bashkortostan – roughly 800, 1,400, and 1,500 kilometers from the front line. They also reached the Voronezh region – about 300 kilometers from our border.

I thank the warriors of the Unmanned Systems Forces and the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, and our intelligence agencies for their accuracy.

The Saratov oil refinery was hit. Warriors of the Special Operations Forces struck an oil refinery in Tatarstan.

Russians must feel that their state is waging this war. I thank everyone who helps defend Ukraine!

[Paul Powlesland @paulpowlesland]

@CountBinface’s policy of making water company bosses swim in polluted rivers might sound ridiculous, but is actually far more effective as a response to the sewage crisis than anything Reform is proposing.

There are lots of places I could take the bosses of @thameswater to on the River Roding, as we have dozens of completely illegal sewage spills to choose from. I think the ideal spot would have to be the Cran Brook though. It’s convenient to get to: just 15 minutes walk from an Elizabeth Line Station & Ilford town centre where hundreds of thousands of people live & work. But that doesn’t stop Thames Water constantly dumping 750,000,000 litres of raw sewage into the Roding via this brook every single year, whilst refusing to commit to our fair demand to stop all spills by 2030. I guess they might say it’s unsafe to swim in a cocktail of raw shit, cooking fat, toilet tissue & chemicals? But if this water is too unsafe & disgusting for them to touch, surely it’s not safe to discharge into our river?

In trying to be silly, has Binface actually hit upon an eminently sensible policy that most people in Britain would support?

[Garry Kasparov @Kasparov63]

Speaking of corrupt sports federations… But here the IOC takes Russian cash for Ukrainian blood, not just a goal.

[Vladyslav Heraskevych OLY @heraskevych]

Absolutely shameful decision.
The IOC leadership is hitting yet another new low with its actions.
The current IOC leadership increasingly looks like yet another Russian asset that is simply working for Russian propaganda.

And all of this is happening against the backdrop of residential buildings being shelled in Ukraine, which literally happens every other day.

A huge number of Russian sports federations continue to operate in the occupied territories, and the IOC completely ignores this.

I hope that the NOCs of other countries will not tolerate this arbitrariness and will finally show a strong stance against these shameful decisions.

[Garry Kasparov @Kasparov63]

Is he still talking about his sanctions bill? The one that will never go anywhere unless the Republicans stand up to Trump and override his enduring devotion to Putin? It’s all part of the show, to talk tough and do nothing.

[UNITED24 Media @United24media]

⚡ Five NATO members have signed a historic deal to build a Patriot PAC-3 missile facility in Europe.

https://t.co/t9CHNOVUdr

[Ben Hodges @general_ben]

What are you waiting for, Senator?

[Alexander Stahel 🌻 @BurggrabenH]

The damage assessment from the Omsk refinery is starting to come in. If confirmed, Russia's gasoline crisis is about to accelerate.

Monday's strike hit Omsk (Gazprom Neft), Russia's largest refinery, accounting for 8-10% of national refining capacity and serving as the country's biggest gasoline producer. It was Ukraine's deepest strike of the war so far, reaching roughly 2,500km, reportedly with the new Fire Point FP-1 drone.

According to industry sources, CDU-10, a crude distillation unit, the heart of any refinery, accounting for 38% of Omsk's throughput (24,580t/day), caught fire and was damaged. A second crude unit, CDU-11 (24,000t/day, 37% of capacity), was forced offline after essential utility links were damaged, although it may return to service later this year.

In theory, Omsk has two mothballed crude units, CDU-7 and CDU-8 (10,000t/day each), which could theoretically be restarted, though it remains unclear to me whether that is operationally feasible.

For more details, see my table below. You won't find better that on this platform.

[The Finance Guy @OneFinanceGuy]

Hey @IsabelOakeshott, your Isle of Wight flat has a personal secured loan from Simon Dolan, who has hosted George Cottrell and his friends several times in Mustique at the Mandalay property. You were with Cottrell when he was arrested. You are highly suspicious, to put politely

[Meaghan Mobbs @mobbs_mentality]

For all the morons in my comment section yelling, “but what about Dresden or Hiroshima?”

Let me explain.

There is a difference between tragedy and criminality. Dresden and Hiroshima were decisions made in pursuit of ending the deadliest war in human history. And every option before them carried immense human cost.

By contrast, Putin chose to start an illegal war against a peaceful neighbor. The strikes on Kyiv are part of his campaign to conquer a sovereign nation through terror and coercion. Russia is not trying to stop a genocidal aggressor. Russia IS the aggressor.

Bottom line: there is a profound moral difference between using overwhelming force to end a war of aggression and using indiscriminate violence to prosecute one.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

All six Kalibr missiles were shot down last night, and 31 out of 33 cruise missiles were intercepted, meaning whenever the necessary capabilities are available, our warriors deliver truly high interception rates. That is the only explanation for the problem with ballistic missiles – insufficient number of interceptors. This is especially true for Patriots.

We have proven to all our partners both the need, and more importantly, the possibility of providing greater protection of lives. It is simply nonsensical that, in today’s world, production has still not been scaled up to the level that is actually needed to protect people from ballistic terror. We have long made the case that we are capable of producing such defensive weapons ourselves. If Ukraine were granted U.S. licenses to produce Patriots, our own production would be sufficient both to protect Ukraine and to help partners in need.

We are in contact with everyone around the world who can provide air defense missiles now. This is our top priority.

[Meaghan Mobbs @mobbs_mentality]

Another Russian attack on Kyiv.

What military value is there in blowing apart apartment buildings? What battlefield advantage is gained by murdering civilians?

Russia can’t win on the front, so they take to slaughtering the innocent in their beds.

Pure barbarism.

[Hunter Biden @HunterBiden]

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. I know @realDonaldTrump and family did.

250 years ago we declared independence from a king who ran the colonies as a family business. In just 18 months the Trumps have made King George look like an amateur.

A $620 million Pentagon loan, the largest in the program’s history, to a company Don Jr.’s firm bought into three months before.

An Air Force drone contract to a startup the princelings took public through a golf course company they own a piece of.

The Army’s largest drone motor order ever, to a company where Don Jr. sits on the board and holds millions in stock.

A $24 million Pentagon robotics contract to the company that employs Eric as Chief Strategy Advisor.

A stake in the largest undeveloped tungsten deposit on earth, in Kazakhstan, backed by $1.6 billion in US government support.

Jared’s fund seeded with $2 billion from the Saudi crown prince, now $6.2 billion, 99% of it foreign money from Gulf governments. Over $110 million in fees collected from the Saudis alone. He negotiates American foreign policy with the governments that pay him.

$2.3 billion from crypto ventures their father regulates. More than a million people bought in and lost $2.3 billion. The money didn’t grow. It simply moved from the subjects pockets to the crown’s coffers.

And the next one is already drafted. A proposed ATF rule that will allow guns to be shipped straight to your front door. The government’s own estimate is 3.3 million home gun deliveries a year. Don Jr. sits on the board of the online gun megastore built to cash in. He holds 300,000 shares.

And that’s only the fraction they’ve allowed us to see. Not one subpoena served. Not one search executed. Why hide anything when you own the investigators?

Me? They searched a laptop for six years. Federal prosecutors. Grand juries. Subpoena power. Congressional hearings. They found nothing. I made about $200k a year selling paintings when my Dad was President, and they made my paintings part of an impeachment inquiry.

For six years they’ve asked Where’s Hunter? What about the laptop?

Wrong questions. The right one is 250 years old. Does America belong to a family?

They’ve given their answer. Long live the King.

[Arnold Schwarzenegger @Schwarzenegger]

Nope! I always say there is no such thing as self-made. It’s a myth.

It took millions of people - from my parents to mentors to friends to competitors to fans and voters - to write my success story. I did not write it alone.

That’s the American Dream - not a lie about going it alone - but the truth that none of us do, and there is always someone with their hand out to lift us up.

[Will Hutton @williamnhutton]

Reform looks increasingly less like a political party and more a private syndicate, populated by hoods and dodgy donors, whose aim is Farage
‘s self-enrichment and, when/if he wins power, their own. The disillusioned working class just prey. Important, revelatory journalism.

[Garry Kasparov @Kasparov63]

🙄 Nobody believes this crap anymore. It’s all been a sham, especially after Anchorage. Trump and Putin are on the same side, against Ukraine and the free world, seeking personal advantages only, and that’s all they ever talk about.

[auonsson @auonsson]

6 shadow tankers deviated from normal paths last days with 5 gathered off Kaliningrad and one having left the gathering and presently steaming into Irish EEZ in North Atlantic

Hypotheses: ship to ship activity (oil transfers) or more ominous: outfitting for hybrid activities? 🧵