#Russia (#Ingushetia) 🇷🇺: A new photo posted by the Ingush Liberation Army in an unspecified location.

Members can be seen with "AT4" anti-tank weapons (originally supplied to #Ukraine 🇺🇦), RPG-7 Launchers with PG-7VT & PG-7VR Tandem rockets and Makarov pistol with silencer.

https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1767179444450406435

#Russia / #Ukraine 🇷🇺🇺🇦: New video of Rustam Azhiev (Abdul Hakim Al-Shishani) —former emir of #Chechen militant group "Ajnad al-Kavkaz" in #Syria.

Azhiev, who joined #Ukrainian Forces, is carrying a CZ 806 BREN-2 assault rifle which was supplied by #CzechRepublic (#Czechia) 🇨🇿.

https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1768330594151170402

⚡️🇦🇿🇹🇷🇷🇺 Weapons from Azerbaijan to Ukraine

One can find many interesting things by examining various Ukrainian documents available online.

📌For instance, the decision of the Kyiv Economic Court sheds light on the military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Ukraine.

▪️ At the end of December, the Kyiv Economic Court reviewed a claim from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense against UkrSpetsExport to recover 82,696,776.00 hryvnia for breaching a state contract for weapon supply.

▪️ Representatives of the Ukrainian company signed a deal with a “foreign supplier - production association (Azerbaijan Republic)” for providing 95 units of 23-mm ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, followed by another 40 units. In total, 135 ZU-23-2 were supplied.

▪️ The delivery was done via sea containers in parts through a “third country”, leading to a delay in the delivery.

▪️ Considering the geographical location, Turkey might have been the third party for receiving ZU-23-2 from Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan.

▪️ The delivery dates also support the Turkey version: at that time, the well-established grain corridor was fully operational, with Turkey being one of the guarantors. The use of the sea route for supplying Ukraine might indicate direct Turkish involvement.

📌This can be seen as the first concrete confirmation of Azerbaijan supplying weapons to the AFU. The document states, “On November 2, 2022, and November 3, 2022, the entire batch of 135 units under the contract was imported into Ukraine in parts,”.

❗️Azerbaijan's collaboration with Ukraine is not new. Previously, the authorities in Baku provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Subsequently, it was revealed that ammunition was being produced for the AFU, and Azerbaijani mercenaries were involved on the side of the AFU. This arms transfer once again raises questions about Azerbaijan's stance towards Russia.

High-resolution infographics
English version

#Azerbaijan #Turkey #Ukraine
@rybar

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#Russia / #Ukraine 🇷🇺🇺🇦: #Russian Forces captured weapons & ammo from "Russian Volunteer Corps" (defected Russian unit of #Ukrainian Forces) in #Belgorod.

RBG-6 grenade launchers (from #Croatia 🇭🇷), Pansarskott m/86 anti-tank weapon (from #Sweden 🇸🇪), FN Minimi machine gun, M67 grenades (from #USA 🇺🇸), GHO-1 grenades (from #Bulgaria 🇧🇬) and more can be seen.

https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1771988420199432691

#Russia / #Ukraine 🇷🇺🇺🇦: #Russian combatants released photos of various projectiles with "For #Crocus" ("За #Крокус") writings on the shells.

Seemingly, the units use #NorthKorea / #DPRK-made 🇰🇵 120mm HE-FRAG mortar bombs and 152mm HE-FRAG artillery projectiles.

https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1772720431922893032

🔎🇨🇳🇷🇺🇺🇦 Through the Lens: Chinese think-tank on the Ukraine crisis

Throughout the year, the crisis in Ukraine has exhibited several features. A war of attrition with significant losses — the Ukraine crisis has thus far lasted more than 600 days, and both sides have invested considerable human, material, and financial resources.

A protracted tug-of-war — in 2023, the two sides have made limited changes in the front. Neither Russia nor Ukraine can launch a decisive offensive to turn the tide of the war.

The road to a political settlement Is long and difficult. The reasons are:

1️⃣ The Russian and Ukrainian positions are diametrically opposed. Russia cannot accept defeat, refuses to abandon the existing front, and will continue pushing forward. Ukraine refuses to acknowledge the status quo and seeks to recover its territory. The battlefield will remain relatively balanced in the short term, making it difficult to see fundamental changes.

2️⃣ The United States and Europe will continue to aid Ukraine, but fatigue is becoming apparent. At the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, 72% of Americans actively supported aid to Ukraine, but that number had fallen to approximately 63% by October 2023. In April 2022, 33% of EU respondents strongly supported supplying arms to Ukraine, a figure that had dropped to 24% in August 2023.

Broad and far-reaching global impact

The prolonged Ukraine crisis has contributed to a reconfiguration of relations among the major countries and the global order.

▪️One such change is the definitive termination of the post-Cold War order. Russia and the United States are at loggerheads, and through the Ukrainian crisis, they hope to push for a renewal of the international order.

The second is the rising risk of conflict between the major countries. The Ukraine crisis has lowered the bottom line of national competition. All parties are now willing to resort to extreme means to achieve their goals.

▪️The third is the strengthening of the Western camp. The US has also greatly exaggerated the “Russian threat” and further activated small multilateral security mechanisms with Japan and South Korea, the UK, and Australia.

The strategic buffer between NATO and Russia has disappeared, creating a clear geopolitical divide and plunging Europe into a new Cold War.

🔻 The Ukraine crisis has sparked a series of regional hotspots:

In September 2023, Azerbaijan began an anti-terrorist operation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, achieving total victory.

The US and the West have pushed Japan and South Korea to strengthen cooperation and plotted to strengthen the Northeast Asian alliance system; this is likely to result in the great power game around the Korean Peninsula becoming increasingly fierce.

The adjustment of relations between the major countries brought about by the Ukraine crisis is also an incentive for resuming the Israeli—Palestinian conflict.

❗️The protracted Ukraine crisis is one of the most critical events in the evolution of the contemporary international order. The international community must make concerted efforts to advance the peace process.

Full report

China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations is a prominent think-tank working directly under Chinese government.

#China #Russia #Ukraine

@asianomics