A fire in oil warehouses in the Rostov region of Russia – DW – 06/18/2024

Russia has lost more than 2,600 tanks since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to open source investigators.

In response to these losses, Russia ramped up production of new tanks, and also refurbished a large number of old World War II-era tanks that had been in storage.

However, some reports suggest that Russia may not replenish its tank fleet quickly enough to overcome these battlefield losses.

“Tanks seem old-fashioned, but they are necessary to penetrate the enemy’s front lines,” DW’s Ralph Martin said.

“If Russia loses too much, it will have to hold on to and defend its current front line without much hope of seizing more territory. That could mean stalemate on the ground after years of grinding conflict that has claimed countless lives.”

An Estonian court on Tuesday sentenced a former university professor to six years and three months in prison on charges of espionage.

In January, Vyacheslav Morozov, a Russian national who was studying political theory at the prestigious University of Tartu in Estonia, was arrested. The university terminated his contract after the arrest.

Morozov was accused of collecting information about Estonia’s security policy as well as its relations with members of the European Union and NATO, and transferring this information to Russian special services.

At the time of the arrest, Estonia’s internal security chief, Marjo Palusson, said it “demonstrates the desire of Russian intelligence services to infiltrate various areas of Estonian life, including the scientific sector.”

China urged NATO to “stop blaming” the war in Ukraine and criticized NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for accusing Beijing of exacerbating the conflict by supporting Russia.

In a speech during a visit to the United States on Monday, Stoltenberg called on China to face the consequences of what US officials described as a major export push to rebuild Russia’s defense industry.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in a regular press conference, “We advise (NATO) to stop blaming and sowing discord, and not add fuel to the fire and incite confrontation, but rather do something practical for the political settlement of the crisis.” .

The strategic partnership between China and Russia has become closer since the invasion of Ukraine. But Beijing rejected Western accusations that it was helping Moscow in its war efforts.

But it was a crucial lifeline for Russia’s isolated economy. Trade has flourished since the conflict began.

An early drone attack caused several oil storage tanks to catch fire near the town of Azov in southern Russia’s Rostov region, which borders Ukraine.

The governor of the Rostov region, Vasily Golubev, said via the Telegram messaging app: “Oil product tanks caught fire in Azov as a result of a drone attack. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties.”

The Russian Emergencies Ministry published videos showing smoke and flames emanating from what appear to be several oil storage tanks. She added that about 200 firefighters and emergency personnel were at the site to fight the fire.

Ukraine did not immediately claim responsibility. However, it has often carried out similar attacks, with Kiev saying such targets are legitimate because they serve to fuel the Russian army during its invasion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin heads to North Korea on his first visit to the isolated communist state in 24 years.

On his way to Pyongyang, where he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, he stopped in the Republic of Sakha in far eastern Russia, and held talks with the regional leader, according to Russian media.

Ahead of his visit to North Korea, Putin praised his country for its support of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“We highly appreciate that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) strongly supports Russia’s special military operations in Ukraine,” Putin wrote in an article published by Pyongyang’s state media, using the Kremlin’s preferred term to refer to Moscow’s unprovoked attack. “. .

Moscow and Pyongyang have long been close allies, and their relations have become closer since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The United States accused North Korea of ​​supplying Russia with weapons for use in the invasion, allegations that Pyongyang denied as “ridiculous.”

Both countries are under heavy Western sanctions – Russia over its 2014 invasion and annexation of Crimea, and North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme.