Posted on 02/24/2024 5:59:01 AM PST by SpeedyInTexas
Mayors in UK of Sunderland, Birmingham, Brighton and Derby. Who voted for them? pic.twitter.com/Ybueapa3R6— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) May 23, 2025
No EU member state opposes the abolition of duty-free imports from Ukraine , according to Bloomberg.
The sharp increase in exports of cheap Ukrainian goods to the European Union has sparked resistance from farmers, including those from Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, the American…
pic.twitter.com/uY8bpdyPFZ— Sprinter Observer (@SprinterObserve) May 23, 2025
US Vice President J.D. Vance:
"The era of American global hegemony is over."pic.twitter.com/9F6MUoc19B— Sprinter Observer (@SprinterObserve) May 23, 2025
“The European Union will propose to G7 finance ministers to lower the price cap on Russian crude from the current $60 per barrel to $50, European Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said...
...many analysts argue the price cap has become less effective because Russia now largely reroutes its exports through a so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers that evade maritime oversight...
...Russia’s shadow fleet consists of approximately 500 (some estimate 700), mostly poorly insured and aging tankers that ship crude to countries such as India and China, in defiance of Western sanctions. These tankers, estimated to carry as much as 85% of Russia’s oil exports—which bring in a third of Russia’s export revenues—typically have opaque ownership structures and lack top-tier insurance or safety certification. Most belong to anonymous or newly formed shell companies based in jurisdictions such as Dubai, further complicating accountability.
The majority of shadow tankers sail across the Baltic Sea, a route considered critical for Russia’s energy exports. The shadow fleet uses various tactics to avoid detection, including ship-to-ship transfers in international waters, spoofed location data, and fake ship identification numbers. Some estimates suggest that approximately three shadow tankers carrying Russian crude pass through European waters each day, including the Danish straits and the Channel. Some experts estimate the shadow fleet may now include as many as 700 tankers.
However, Lithuanian National Security Advisor Kęstutis Budrys has highlighted the ambiguity surrounding the law on interdiction in international waters, warning that trying to stop the shadow fleet could risk an all-out military confrontation with Russia. Last week, a Russian fighter jet briefly entered Estonia’s airspace, in what some experts suspect was a reprisal for the Estonian military escorting a tanker named Jaguar out of the country’s economic waters. The Estonian navy acted quickly, believing the ship posed a threat to nearby underwater cables, and checked its status and registration. The Russian jet entered Estonian airspace without permission...
...”In the last four or five months of last year, we saw a roughly 10% decline in the amount of oil leaving from Russia,” Finnish Border Guard’s Head of Maritime Safety Mikko Hirvi told Reuters...
...A recent study found that limiting Russia’s shadow fleet may be more effective than simply lowering the oil price cap...
...In April report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found that Russia’s shadow fleet is shrinking. According to the report, shadow tankers transported 65% of Russian crude exports in April, down from 81% in January. Russia’s fossil fuel export revenues declined 6% month-on-month to EUR 585 million per day in April, while export volumes rose marginally by 1%.”
Russia sinks or swims, on its oil revenues. Europe is now talking about lowering the price cap on Russian oil for it’s next sanctions package, and cracking down on Russia’s shadow fleet - most of which pass through European waters in the Baltic Sea and Danish Straits.
OilPrice.com reports:
“The European Union will propose to G7 finance ministers to lower the price cap on Russian crude from the current $60 per barrel to $50, European Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said...
...many analysts argue the price cap has become less effective because Russia now largely reroutes its exports through a so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers that evade maritime oversight...
...Russia’s shadow fleet consists of approximately 500 (some estimate 700), mostly poorly insured and aging tankers that ship crude to countries such as India and China, in defiance of Western sanctions. These tankers, estimated to carry as much as 85% of Russia’s oil exports—which bring in a third of Russia’s export revenues—typically have opaque ownership structures and lack top-tier insurance or safety certification. Most belong to anonymous or newly formed shell companies based in jurisdictions such as Dubai, further complicating accountability.
The majority of shadow tankers sail across the Baltic Sea, a route considered critical for Russia’s energy exports. The shadow fleet uses various tactics to avoid detection, including ship-to-ship transfers in international waters, spoofed location data, and fake ship identification numbers. Some estimates suggest that approximately three shadow tankers carrying Russian crude pass through European waters each day, including the Danish straits and the Channel. Some experts estimate the shadow fleet may now include as many as 700 tankers.
However, Lithuanian National Security Advisor Kęstutis Budrys has highlighted the ambiguity surrounding the law on interdiction in international waters, warning that trying to stop the shadow fleet could risk an all-out military confrontation with Russia. Last week, a Russian fighter jet briefly entered Estonia’s airspace, in what some experts suspect was a reprisal for the Estonian military escorting a tanker named Jaguar out of the country’s economic waters. The Estonian navy acted quickly, believing the ship posed a threat to nearby underwater cables, and checked its status and registration. The Russian jet entered Estonian airspace without permission...
...”In the last four or five months of last year, we saw a roughly 10% decline in the amount of oil leaving from Russia,” Finnish Border Guard’s Head of Maritime Safety Mikko Hirvi told Reuters...
...A recent study found that limiting Russia’s shadow fleet may be more effective than simply lowering the oil price cap...
...In April report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found that Russia’s shadow fleet is shrinking. According to the report, shadow tankers transported 65% of Russian crude exports in April, down from 81% in January. Russia’s fossil fuel export revenues declined 6% month-on-month to EUR 585 million per day in April, while export volumes rose marginally by 1%.”
JPost (Israel):
“Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei not ‘off limits,’ Israeli official tells WSJ”
...”This statement underscores Israel’s strategy, which goes beyond neutralizing Iran’s nuclear assets and extends to undermining the political and military pillars of the regime.”...
...”Israel’s goals are clear: the campaign will only cease once Iran has dismantled its nuclear program, or when Israel has ensured that Tehran cannot rebuild it.”
Okay. Who gets to tackle the centrifuges buried in the mountain. Is that why Israel has stated a weeks long timetable?
“Who gets to tackle the centrifuges buried in the mountain.” (Fordo).
That is a/the tough nut, requiring Massive Ordnance Penetrators, which can only be delivered by heavy bombers, like a B-2.
Or the regime could capitulate, and allow inspectors on the ground in to dismantle them.
“Who gets to tackle the centrifuges buried in the mountain.” (Fordo).
That is a/the tough nut, requiring Massive Ordnance Penetrators, which can only be delivered by heavy bombers, like a B-2.
Or the regime could capitulate, and allow inspectors on the ground in to dismantle them.
I like option 2 the best. But if option one is the only way, i would say this is for Khobar. Find out baby.
“this is for Khobar.”
The Pashtuns say, If it takes you a hundred years to get revenge, you are still rushing it.
Khameni has it coming.
“Find out baby.”
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 14, 2025
The Belarusian Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced the creation of a distinct branch of service that will encompass the use of unmanned systems and operate as an independent component of the Belarusian special forces. Belarusian Major General Pavel Muraveiko informed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of the creation of the unmanned systems branch during Lukashenko’s visit on June 13 to the 927th Center for Preparation and Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems in Byarova, Brest Oblast.[70] The Belarusian MoD reported that the center will work with both Belarusian military and civilian universities to train more than 20,000 students per year to be proficient in the use of drones and noted that the center trains both Belarusians and foreigners.[71] Lukashenko also inspected Belarusian-produced drones and anti-drone systems during his visit. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently reiterated that Russia is creating an unmanned systems force (USF) that will operate as a separate branch within the Russian MoD.[72]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-14-2025
Negotiations on unblocking Iranian weapons supplies to Russia will begin in the coming days
A source in the Ministry of Defense stated this. We reported that the supply of drones and other weapons to our country was stopped shortly after Israel attacked Iran. Russia hopes to get these weapons back. Not much of them are being supplied from Iran now, but they are important for conducting the joint military operation.
“You saw from the footage of the strikes on Israel, I think, that Iranian weapons are quite effective. Therefore, we need to resume their supplies. Vladimir Vladimirovich supported Iran publicly, in addition, we took certain measures to help our ally, which I will not mention for now. In the coming days, we will hold talks on resuming supplies,” the channel's interlocutor said. This information was also confirmed to us by other sources – in the Ministry of Defense and the Kremlin.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
