Ukraine hit Russia's space communications and early warning center
What's coming? – Ukraine hit Russia's space communications and early warning center – Moscow officially blames the US
Clearing operations continue in Abkhazia and Dagestan
After the strikes in Sevastopol and the loss of Russian civilians in Crimea and Dagestan, Ukraine also hit the valuable NIP-16 space monitoring and communication center near the city of Yevpatoria on the Black Sea coast.
This is a Soviet facility that was placed under the command of the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces for Nuclear Early Warning and Command Operations after Russia's unification with Crimea.
As can be seen, Kiev is now systematically hitting Russian targets of strategic importance. Moscow can no longer afford not to take action.
The NIP-16 installation includes two sites located 10 km apart: the receiving station at site 1, near the village of Vitino, and a transmitting station at site 2, near the village of Uyutnoe.
Like all other Soviet ground stations, NIP-16 was staffed with Soviet Army officers. The military unit had the official designation V/Ch 34346.
With the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia lost control of the space communications station, leaving the tracking network partially "blind". The “partial blindness” expanded as the Soviet fleet of supplementary surveillance networks languished in the chaotic 1990s.
Without them, Russia could only communicate with the spacecraft as they passed over Russian territory. The only other option was for NASA to integrate them into the US's extensive surveillance and communications satellite network. Which of course was not possible.
But the union with Crimea gave Russia an opportunity to boost its ability to communicate with its spacecraft and military satellites.
The Ukrainian Army released video of the launch of eight MGM-140 ATACMS missiles.
Russian Foreign Ministry: Washington organized the attack on civilians in Sevastopol
Russia has accused the US of being responsible for the Ukrainian attack that was launched today in Sevastopol, Crimea, with five US-sourced missiles. At least five people, including three children, were killed and 124 injured in the Ukrainian attack.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that four of the ATACMS missiles, delivered to Ukraine by the US, equipped with cluster warheads, were shot down by air defense systems and the ammunition of a fifth exploded in mid-air.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the Americans not only gave the specific weapon system to Ukraine but also assigned them the flight coordinates of the missiles based on information they had collected from American spy satellites, which means that Washington is directly responsible for the attack.
"The responsibility for the deliberate missile attack on civilians of Sevastopol rests above all on Washington, which supplied these weapons to Ukraine, and the Kiev regime, from whose territory this strike was carried out," the Russian ministry added.
At the same time, the head of the Security Committee of the State Duma, Vasily Piskarev, said that the United States is the organizer of the terrorist act in Sevastopol and must be held accountable.
"It is obvious that the blood of the peaceful residents of Sevastopol is not only on the hands of Nazi Zelensky, but also on the hands of Biden and his government, who supply missiles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The United States is the organizer of this terrorist act and must be held accountable for it," Piskarev wrote on his Telegram channel.
The General Prosecutor's Office and the FSB should start categorizing the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine as terrorist organizations, Piskarev stressed.
"No more red lines" – Pressure on Putin mounts
Russian war correspondent Alexander Sladkov, reacting to today's attack by Kiev with US missile weapons on a busy beach in Sevastopol, wrote the following on his Telegram channel:
"There are no more red lines.
This cannot by definition be an "artillery fault". This is already clear from Defense Department reports that the Americans are setting flight missions for ATACMS missiles based on US data from satellites and drones.
At the time of the Sevastopol strike, an American strategic reconnaissance drone continued to “circle” over the Black Sea, using the cover of international law to do so – operating covertly in neutral airspace.
You must shoot down these (American, NATO) drones when they appear near Crimea," he stressed.
They are scanning Abkhazia for the gunmen
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia is looking for those involved in the exchange of fire in the area of the Psou border post, the ministry's press service reports.
“The report of shooting at the Psou checkpoint was received by the service department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia at 16:55 on June 23. Interior Ministry criminal investigation officers immediately identified suspects in the commission of this crime, and operational and investigative activities are ongoing," the statement said.
According to the law enforcement agencies of the republic, three Ambazia citizens were injured and one more was killed.
Finally, the clearing operations in Dagestan were completed a while ago. The city is blocked. Entry and exit are prohibited.
Don't think Putin will be able to keep patiently managing the damage at this point...