Our Wars, Today

🇷🇺 🇺🇦 DeepStateUA updated map showing #Russian advances in northern #Kharkiv Oblast, on the #Avdiivka-Pokrovsk front, on the #Kupiansk front, and towards #Robotyne. @deepstateua – Via Rob Lee on twitter. https://t.me/DeepStateUA/19530 https://deepstatemap.live/en#12/50.2550/36.6298

🇮🇱 🇵🇸 ICC Announces Application for Arrest Warrants Against Israeli and Hamas Officials – theatlasnews.co: International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim A. Khan has announced that applications for arrest warrants have been submitted against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, al-Qassam Brigades Commander Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, and Hamas Political Bureau head Ismail Haniyeh for alleged war crimes committed “in the context of the situation in the State of Palestine” In a statement, Khan said that “I have reasonable grounds to believe that Benjamin NETANYAHU, the Prime Minister of Israel, and Yoav GALLANT, the Minister of Defense of Israel, bear criminal responsibility for the following war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine (in the Gaza strip) from at least 8 October 2023: Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(b)(xxv) of the Statute; Wilfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health contrary to article 8(2)(a)(iii), or cruel treatment as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(c)(i); Wilful killing contrary to article 8(2)(a)(i), or Murder as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(c)(i); Intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as a war crime contrary to articles 8(2)(b)(i), or 8(2)(e)(i); Extermination and/or murder contrary to articles 7(1)(b) and 7(1)(a), including in the context of deaths caused by starvation, as a crime against humanity; Persecution as a crime against humanity contrary to article 7(1)(h); Other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity contrary to article 7(1)(k).” He went on to add that “On the basis of evidence collected and examined by my Office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Yahya SINWAR (Head of the Islamic Resistance Movement (“Hamas”) in the Gaza Strip), Mohammed Diab Ibrahim AL-MASRI, more commonly known as DEIF (Commander-in-Chief of the military wing of Hamas, known as the Al-Qassam Brigades), and Ismail HANIYEH (Head of Hamas Political Bureau) bear criminal responsibility for the following war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of Israel and the State of Palestine (in the Gaza strip) from at least 7 October 2023: Extermination as a crime against humanity, contrary to article 7(1)(b) of the Rome Statute; Murder as a crime against humanity, contrary to article 7(1)(a), and as a war crime, contrary to article 8(2)(c)(i); Taking hostages as a war crime, contrary to article 8(2)(c)(iii); Rape and other acts of sexual violence as crimes against humanity, contrary to article 7(1)(g), and also as war crimes pursuant to article 8(2)(e)(vi) in the context of captivity; Torture as a crime against humanity, contrary to article 7(1)(f), and also as a war crime, contrary to article 8(2)(c)(i), in the context of captivity; Other inhumane acts as a crime against humanity, contrary to article 7(l)(k), in the context of captivity; Cruel treatment as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(c)(i), in the context of captivity; and Outrages upon personal dignity as a war crime, contrary to article 8(2)(c)(ii), in the context of captivity.” “The independent judges of the International Criminal Court are the sole arbiters as to whether the necessary standard for the issuance of warrants of arrest has been met. Should they grant my applications and issue the requested warrants, I will then work closely with the Registrar in all efforts to apprehend the named individuals. I count on all States Parties to the Rome Statute to take these applications and the subsequent judicial decision with the same seriousness they have shown in other Situations, meeting their obligations under the Statute. I also stand ready to work with non-States Parties in our common pursuit of accountability,” the statement added. Via: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/05/20/icc-announces-application-for-arrest-warrants-against-israeli-and-hamas-officials/

🇮🇷 “No Survivors” in #Iran's President’s Helicopter Crash, Reports #Iranian State News: According to Iranian State News Agency IRINN and news agency Mehr news, there were “no survivors” at the crash site of a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. This news comes after repeated conflicting reports from state and non-state medias on the condition of the president. Earlier on May 19th, a helicopter carrying the president and foreign minister suffered a “hard landing” while on a return trip from Azerbaijan. The flight had incredibly poor weather conditions, with a heavy fog coating the land. The helicopter crashed in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. Via theatlasnews.co

I'm back home, cluster of posts coming likely soon.

Shoigu Swapped: #Russian state media is reporting that #Putin has proposed Andrei Belousov, the former Russian Deputy Prime Minister, as a potential replacement to Sergei Shoigu as the Russian Minister of Defence, who has seemingly been removed from the position. Shoigu is reportedly to replace Nikolai Patrushev as the Secretary of the National Security Council, a notable demotion within Russian politics. The exact circumstances of Shoigu’s demotion are unclear, however Shoigu has repeatedly been accused of incompetence by a number of critics, including former Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin, who headed a ‘rebellion’ last year seeking Shoigu’s replacement. Via theatlasnews.co

The Palestinian Ministry of Health this morning in Gaza has released a statement claiming that the healthcare system within Gaza is only “hours away” from a complete collapse due to a supreme lack of fuel needed to run the generators the hospitals are running on. Via theatlasnews.co

🇮🇱 🇵🇸 #NEW #Israel's war cabinet has unanimously approved expanding combat operations in #Rafah, setting the stage for a full ground assault into the city. The IDF said four of their soldiers were killed today and that scores of Hamas and PIJ militants were killed in Rafah. Heavy artillery and gunfire continued from Thursday to Friday, say AP correspondents. This comes as Israeli forces began ground operations over the past several days to secure the Rafah border crossing between #Egypt and #Palestine and set up positions along the eastern outskirts of the city amid continued calls of civilian evacuations. Meanwhile, airstrikes have been underway across the area against what the IDF has described as “terrorist infrastructure,”, civilian casualties have also been reported in these strikes. Via theatlasnews.co --- Over a million Palestinians previously have fled to Rafah to escape fighting elsewhere, with many packed into U.N.-run shelters or squalid tent camps. The city on the border with Egypt and is a crucial hub for bringing in food, medicine, fuel, and other goods. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says about 110,000 people have fled Rafah and that food and fuel supplies in the city are critically low. Georgios Petropoulos, an OCHA official working in Rafah, said the two main crossings near the city remain closed, cutting off supplies, medical evacuations, and the movement of humanitarian staff. The U.N.'s World Food Program will run out of food for southern Gaza by Saturday he said, adding that 30,000 people were leaving Rafah daily in search of safety, but that humanitarian workers had no supplies to help them set up camp in a new place. “We simply have no tents, we have no blankets, no bedding, none of the items that you would expect a population on the move to be able to get from the humanitarian system,” Rafah was the main point of entry for fuel needed to power vehicles, as well as the generators on which hospitals and water treatment plants rely. Via AP.

🇷🇺 🇺🇦 #Russian vehicles were seen destroyed, and troops were killed in #Kharkiv assaults after response by #Ukrainian forces to the border crossings. Further mustering of forces to the newly opened northeast front by Russia is expected. At least several BMPs and a Ural truck, along with separate infantry groupings, have been ID'd as being destroyed. Other fires and smoke as a result of reportedly destroyed equipment groups can be seen on the skyline. Several Ukrainian POWs have been claimed to have been taken in the region as well. Before the ground invasion forces, Russian artillery strikes and UAV attacks targeted Vovchansk in Kharkiv and other Ukrainian settlements nearby, as shown on the second video. Ukrainian emergency channels have announced evacuations for civilians from the border area where Russian forces are attacking. At least two civilians were killed, and five more were injured during heavy Russian shelling of border settlements, said Oleh Synehubov, governor of Kharkiv region. This comes at the same time as unconfirmed reports from Ukraine that the Russian military may try to create a DMZ buffer of 10 kilometers by pushing their forces past the LOC into Ukraine reports Reuters citing unnamed Ukrainian defense officials. So far, Russian forces have advanced approximately 1km towards Vovchansk in the northeast. @ourwarstoday

Russian forces have launched an early morning assault against the Kharkiv Oblast, which saw primary incursions over the border into the villages of Pylna, Strilecha, and Borysivka, along with reports of incursions in the area of Pletenivka near the city of Vovchansk. DeepstateUA images show the first ID'd destroyed Russian column in the attack. In a statement, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said that “these attacks have been repelled; battles of varying intensity continue,” adding that “Reserve units have been deployed to strengthen the defense in this area of the front. The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to hold back the enemy’s offensive.” So far, there has not been any official statements by Russia on the situation. The extent of the operation, as well as its tactical objectives, remain unclear, however, this does not appear to be part of a larger, immediate offensive campaign at this time. One Ukrainian military source claimed to AFP that Russian forces are attempting to create a buffer zone along the border to prevent attacks into Russian territory. Russian milbloggers have described the assault as “reconnaissance,” which could be setting the stage for combat operations to support an upcoming Russian offensive in the Kupyansk direction. While cross border raids and attacks between Ukraine and Russia have been commonplace, this latest operation potentially marks the largest ground assault against the area since Russian forces were pushed out of Kharkiv following the Fall 2022 counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces. Via theatlasnews.co @ourwarstoday