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Ukraine Daily Summary - Wednesday, July 10 2024
Wednesday, July 10
Russia’s war against Ukraine
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg delivers remarks during the opening of the NATO 75th anniversary celebratory event at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium on July 9, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
US, NATO allies to deliver 'dozens' of air defense systems in coming months, including 4 Patriots. The U.S. and at least nine other NATO allies have agreed to send dozens of air defense systems in the coming months to Ukraine, including at least four Patriot batteries, according to a joint agreement issued on July 9.
US supplies Ukraine with Metal Shark high-speed boats. The boats are equipped with modern navigation and control systems, automatic fire extinguishing, as well as a video surveillance system, making them maneuverable, fast, and ergonomic, the State Border Guard Service said.
F-16s in Ukraine may 'create conditions for counterattack,' Polish general says. "Ukrainian aviation should receive long-range missiles to destroy Russia's infrastructure, including airfields. When this happens, the logistics of the Russian army will be cut off from the main forces. If this is done, Ukraine's army command should form a strike group and strike back," Kraszewski said.
NATO summit communique to describe Ukraine's path to alliance as 'irreversible,' CNN reports. The question of how strong guarantees to give Ukraine regarding its future membership in NATO has become a key source of debate inside the alliance, CNN reported. The final version of the document may contain changes, CNN wrote, but the presence of the "irreversible" Ukraine's accession to NATO would be "a significant signal to Kyiv and Moscow."
Ukraine struck airbase, oil depot, and energy facility in Russia overnight, source says. Ukrainian intelligence agencies carried out an attack against a Russian military airfield, an energy substation, and an oil depot in three different regions overnight on July 9, a military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent.
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UN assessment suggests Kyiv children's hospital suffered direct hit by Russian missile. Evidence from the scene of the children's hospital in Kyiv indicates "a high likelihood" of a direct hit by a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile on July 8, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMUN) said on July 9.
Republican Party committee approves 2024 platform, makes no mention of Ukraine, Russia. The 16-page document, which must be still approved at the upcoming Republican National Convention, focuses primarily on domestic issues.
Zelensky says Indian PM's embrace with Putin a 'huge disappointment' after Russian mass attack on Ukraine. "It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hug the world's most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X.
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Ukraine war latest: Rescue operations end at Kyiv children's hospital, at least 33 killed in capital overall
Search and rescue operations at the site of a Russian missile attack on Okhmatdyt hospital in Kyiv concluded on July 9, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Anadolu via Getty Images
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F-16s, multi-billion pledge, more Patriots, 'irreversible' membership – what Ukraine will and won't get at the NATO Summit
While 75th birthdays are usually a cause for joy and celebration, NATO's marking of this milestone at a three-day summit in Washington from 9-11 July is likely to be a rather more muted affair.
Photo: Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty Images
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Russia probes for air defense gaps to wreak havoc on Kyiv
Rather than evidence of some technological edge on Russia's side, experts linked the destruction wrought by the attack to Moscow's consistent probing for weaknesses in Ukrainian air defenses.
Photo: Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images
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Russian propagandists spin conflicting disinformation in bid to evade responsibility for missile strike on children’s hospital
As some Russian talking heads call for more Ukrainians to be killed, Zelensky’s top aide urges more Western help to stop a war of ‘genocide.’
Photo: Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images
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Human cost of war
Rescue operations end at Kyiv children's hospital, at least 33 killed in capital overall. In total, at least 33 people, including four children, were killed in Kyiv as a result of the July 8 attack, officials said the following day. Another 10 children are among the 117 injured.
International response
Saudi Arabia issued vague threats to G7 against seizing frozen Russian assets, Bloomberg reports. Saudi officials reportedly made "veiled threats" to Group of Seven (G7) nations hinting that the kingdom would sell some European debt holdings if Western allies seized about $300 billion in frozen Russian assets, Bloomberg reported on July 9, citing its sources.
North Korean military trainers travel to Russia weeks after signing of partnership agreement. A delegation of North Korean military trainers led by the head of a prestigious military academy in Pyongyang has begun a trip to Russia, North Korean state media reported on July 9.
'When innocent children killed, the heart bleeds,' Modi comments on Russian July 8 attack after meeting with Putin. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Moscow on July 8 in what was his first trip to Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Threat of Russian sabotage led to heightened security at US military bases in Europe, CNN reports. The heightened security alert was first reported earlier in July as being connected to a possible terrorist threat directed at several U.S. military installations across Europe, including the facility in Germany where the U.S. European Command is based.
US announces moves against Russia-linked bot farm aimed at spreading disinformation. According to the Justice Department, the bot farm was organized by a Russian national who worked as the deputy editor-in-chief of RT in 2022, and expanded with funding from the Kremlin and collaboration with an official from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
Moscow court orders arrest in absentia of Yulia Navalnaya. A Moscow court said that it had "approved the request of the investigators and decided a preventive measure in the form of detention for two months." Yulia Navalnaya currently lives outside of Russia, but would face jail time if she returns.
Bulgaria sues Russian Gazprom, seeking compensation of more than $430 million. In 2023, the Russian gas giant suspended Bulgargaz's long-term contract, which covered 90% of the quantities of natural gas delivered by Bulgargaz to customers.
Switzerland announces new sanctions against Russia. Switzerland announced new sanctions against Russia on July 8, bringing the country further in line with the EU's 14th round of sanctions adopted in response to the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow agrees to discharge all Indians recruited into Russian army, Indian outlet reports. Moscow agreed to release all Indians serving in the Russian army and facilitate their return after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Vladimir Putin, Indian news publication NDTV reported on July 9, citing unnamed sources.
US provides Poland with $2 billion for financing of F-35s, Patriots, Abrams. The U.S. will provide Poland with a second $2 billion Foreign Military Financing loan to purchase defense equipment from the U.S., the State Department announced on July 8.
In other news
Ukrainian state defense company opens office in US. Ukraine's state-owned defense company Ukrainian Defense Industry, also known as Ukroboronprom, has opened a representative office in Washington as Kyiv seeks to strengthen defense partnerships abroad amid Russia's war.
Nearly $37,000 stolen from bank accounts of fallen soldiers in Dnipro. The suspects, with the help of an employee of the Regional Bureau of Forensic Medicine, stole payment cards and mobile phones registered in the online banking system from dead soldiers in a morgue.
Ukraine to be represented at 2024 Olympics by smallest number of athletes in history. Only 140 Ukrainian athletes will compete at the Olympic Games in Paris this year, the smallest number in the history of the country's participation in the games, as Russia's war has damaged or destroyed sports' facilities and frequent air raid alerts interrupt training.
EU freezes $32 million in defense funds for Georgia, halts accession process amid ‘low point’ in relations. Brussels has frozen 30 million euros ($32 million) in defense sector funding for Georgia after halting its EU accession process in June, EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski said on July 9.
Bloomberg names 12 oligarchs who earn billions in payouts from Russia's war economy. Russia's wartime economy has earned a dozen oligarchs $11 billion in dividends as Russian natural resource and finance giants earn record profits during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on July 9.
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Bloomberg names 12 oligarchs who earn billions in payouts from Russia's war economy
Russia's wartime economy has earned a dozen oligarchs $11 billion in dividends as Russian natural resource and finance giants earn record profits during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on July 9.Elsa Court (The Kyiv Independent)
#KeithDavidson stressed that #KarenMcDougal did not want to go public in telling her story, & he said that the competing deal w/ABC would have forced her to tell it.
Her goals were to rejuvenate her career, make money, & avoid becoming “the scarlet letter,”.
“Was AMI attractive because she would not actually have to tell her story?” Steinglass asked.
Davidson said, “That was one of her stated goals.”
#Trump #TrumpTrial #criminal #law
Howard to Davison, "Talk 1st thing, I will get you more than ANYONE for it. You know why..."
Davidson said he didn't know if he had a "clear understanding at the time" of Howard's text.
"But I knew that Dylan’s boss #DavidPecker & Mr. #Trump were longtime friends & had a former business relationship," Davison continued.
"Mr. Pecker published Trump magazine, & at the time, AMI had announced, …that they had endorsed Mr. Trump’s candidacy," Davidson continued.
In texts between #DylanHoward, the editor of The #NationalEnquirer, & #KeithDavidson, Davidson tells Howard, that #KarenMcDougal’s story “should be told” & Howard responds “I agree.” The NE, as the jurors know, had no intention of telling the story — instead it sought to bury it. So not only does this evidence remind us of David Pecker’s testimony last week, it also helps prosecutors double down on the idea that The NE was involved in a secret plot to help #Trump.
The text messages are damning. Jurors already know the basics of #KarenMcDougal’s account of an affair w/ #Trump. But now they are seeing it corroborated in texts, right after they were reminded Trump was married to Melania at the time.
Prosecutors are stitching their case together w/lots of different types of evidence.
Prosecutors are walking #KeithDavidson through his text messages w/ #DylanHoward, who was editor of The #NationalEnquirer, in which Davidson tells Howard: “I have blockbuster #Trump story.” In his reply, Howard asked, "did he cheat" on Melania.
Davidson is testifying about his agreement w/ #KarenMcDougal, a fmr Playboy model.
Davidson’s contract w/McDougal consisted of an agreement to either make a claim against #Trump, negotiate a confidentiality agreement w/ Trump, sell her life rights as related to her story of an affair w/ Trump, promote herself in an “exclusive” press opportunity, or some or all of the above.
#Trump has been sitting w/his eyes closed for significant portions of testimony this morning. It is unclear how the jurors, who have to sit through this same testimony, will feel about a defendant closing their eyes so much.
Joshua Steinglass asks #KeithDavidson if he knows 2 key witnesses: #DavidPecker, who the jurors already have heard from, & #MichaelCohen, who they’ve heard a lot about. Steinglass is tying Davidson into the case, helping the courtroom understand where he’s situated. Davidson just said that he represented #StormyDaniels as her lawyer — Daniels, whose name has been dangled in front of jurors several times, is of course another key player & potential witness.
#Trump #TrumpTrial #law #criminal
Joshua Steinglass, the prosecutor, asks #KeithDavidson if he was given immunity from prosecution in this case. Davidson says, despite not having wanted to be here, that he did not seek immunity. This is a way for prosecutors to show that he is not simply cooperating to avoid prosecution himself.
#Trump #TrumpTrial #law #criminal
Rebecca Mangold, one of the prosecutors, had Phillip Thompson walk through the validity of the transcript of Trump’s deposition in one of the #EJeanCarroll cases. We are now seeing video clips of #Trump in that deposition verifying that Truth Social is his social media site & what his handle is.
Asked to describe Truth Social, Trump answers, “It’s a platform that’s been opened by me as an alternative to Twitter.”
The third video shows #Trump at a news conference in 2017 during the presidential transition, saying, “#MichaelCohen is a very talented lawyer, he’s a good lawyer.”
Defense had no questions.
We've moved on to a new witness, someone named Phillip Thompson who works at a company supplying court reporters, interpreters that transcribed Trump's deposition in #EJeanCarroll trial. He was subpoenaed.
Prosecutors played #CSPAN clips, starting w/one from an Oct 2016 #Trump campaign rally in NC, where he talks about 2 women who said Trump sexually assaulted them. “I have no idea who these women are,” Trump said at the time. “These are lies being pushed by the media & the Clinton campaign to try & keep their grip on our country. They’re all false, totally invented, fiction.”
Trump seems to be watching himself as the C-SPAN clip plays on the monitor in front of him.
The next witness is being called, & it’s not someone we’re familiar with. He is identified as Dr. Robert Browning.
Some laughter in the courtroom as Dr. Browning says he’s a “little bit” nervous about testifying for the first time.
#TrumpTrial #law #contempt #criminal #Trump
The judge returned to the bench but #Trump took some extra time to return to the courtroom, which is unusual in this case. Now Trump is back & #Merchan has warned Todd #Blanche, his lawyer: “Let’s try to keep the breaks short.”
Trump is joined by his son Eric again, although Susie Wiles & Dan Scavino, two of his aides, have not re-entered the courtroom.
During the break, the lawyers have continued to discuss the case with the judge. Now, a prosecutor, Matthew Colangelo, rises & says that if #Trump testifies, the prosecution would seek to cross-examine him about the judge’s ruling on the #GagOrder. This issue will be argued at length sometime later — & possibly not even today — but Colangelo raises it now.
Justice #Merchan explicitly called #Trump’s claim that reposts don’t count as violations of the #GagOrder “counterintuitive and absurd.”
Justice Merchan rejected the defense’s claims that Trump had merely reposted the messages from others and that he had largely been acting in response to political attacks from two potential witnesses in the case: #MichaelCohen & #StormyDaniels.
Justice #Merchan wrote that he was “keenly aware of, and protective of, Defendant’s First Amendment rights.” But nonetheless, he wrote that he would not tolerate continued violations of his orders and that if necessary & appropriate, he would “impose an incarceratory sentence.” In plain language, he is warning #Trump that he will send him to #jail if necessary.
Already, prosecutors have alerted to the judge to 4 new potential violations. Those were not covered by Justice #Merchan’s order & will be discussed at another hearing, which will be held on Thurs morning.
In addition to fining #Trump after finding him in #contempt, Justice Merchan ordered him to remove the offending Truth Social posts today.
The judge, Juan M. #Merchan, fined him $9,000, punishing the former president for repeatedly violating a #GagOrder that bars him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors & jurors.
Merchan determined that #Trump had broken the #GagOrder by making several public statements on social media & on his campaign website in which he attacked #witnesses & the #jury.
The judge says the people have met their burden of proof on some violations & fines #Trump $2,000 to begin with. There are more fines coming.
#TrumpTrial 🧵
Testimony started w/a bang last week as David #Pecker, the fmr publisher of The #NationalEnquirer, said that he had entered into a secret plot w/ #Trump & #MichaelCohen to #CatchAndKill negative stories about Trump as he ran for president in 2016.
#GaryFarro, the 3rd to testify, started off w/dry details about banking transactions. But #Farro is leading us to the #HushMoney payment
During his testimony, #KeithDavidson had to explain another text he sent to #DylanHoward where, in reference to the deal The #NationalEnquirer was making w/the fmr #KarenMcDougal, Davidson wrote:
“Throw in an ambassadorship for me. I’m thinking Isle of Man.”
Davidson said the text was a joke that referenced #Trump's campaign. Pressed further by the prosecutor, Joshua Steinglass, he added that he understood that getting McDougal a deal would help Trump’s candidacy.
#Blanche downplayed the 34 charges of falsfying records #Trump faces as a "business records violation."
He highlighted the disparity between the $130k #HushMoney payment & what was paid to #MichaelCohen. He asks them, if Trump really was so frugal, would he have repaid Cohen so much? "This was not a payback," he said, adding: “He was President Trump's personal atty."
"would a frugal business man …repay [a] $130k debt to the tune of $420k?"
It seems like #Blanche will seek to convince the jury that everything was appropriate & done by the book, not even worthy of notice. That #Cohen was #Trump's lawyer, & he was paid for #legal services. But he'll also seek to distance his client from the matter: "President Trump had nothing to do w/the invoice," he said.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
"I have a spoiler alert: There's nothing wrong w/trying to influence an election," #Blanche says. "It's called democracy." [not the charge. The charge is falsifying business records, the #MensRea is to influence. Besides which, influencing an election through illegal means is duh illegal]
"They put something sinsiter on this idea as if it were a crime," he continued. "You'll learn it's not."
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Blanche said that the prosecution told a “clean nice story," but that it is not as simple as they would have the #jury believe. He said that many of the docs in evidence are almost a decade old. The testimony, he suggests, is similarly old. He said, the story that #jurors heard "is not true."
#Trump largely avoided looking at the jury during prosecution's opening statement. He shifted his body in their direction during defense’s.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference
Todd #Blanche presented the defense's opening statement.
"President Trump is innocent," are the first words of Blanche's opening.
“President Trump did not commit any crimes."
"He is cloaked in innocence.”
Blanche highlights that #Trump is entitled to the presumption of innocence, which is something that some of his more heated critics sometimes lose sight of.
Blanche seeks to have the jurors relate to his client, as he says Trump is doing "what any of us would do."
#Colangelo encourages #jurors to "tune out the noise" & "focus on the facts" during the course of the #TrumpTrial. He summarizes the evidence again, & says after all the evidence is in, Joshua Steinglass, another prosecutor, will do the closing argument.
He ends by saying there is "only one conclusion: Donald Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree."
#criminal #law #Trump #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Colangelo depicted #MichaelCohen as a flawed man who has lied before, saying he lied about the payment to #StormyDaniels initially "to protect his boss."
"This case is about a #criminal #conspiracy & a #coverup," Colangelo says, st the start of his conclusion of his opening statement, adding that at the end of the case, jurors will have no #ReasonableDoubt about #Trump's #guilt.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Colangelo insists that much of #Cohen's testimony will be #corroborated, incl’g by witnesses from The #NationalEnquirer & "an extensive paper trail."
Because the prosecution bears the burden of proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt, it gets to go first (& last) in a #criminal case. The advantage of that can be seen in action here, as Colangelo gives the jury his own frame through which to view #MichaelCohen.
#law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
Finished w/describing the series of payoffs, #Colangelo details the part the #criminal charges stem from. He is describing the paperwork arrangement to reimburse #MichaelCohen for the #HushMoney payment he made to #StormyDaniels, & how #Trump & #AllenWeisselberg, sought to “disguise” the repayment.
There were chuckles in the courtroom as Colangelo says Trump was a "very frugal businessman" who watched all the spending at his empire.
Reportedly, #Trump pursed his lips at ↑ that & wrote a note which he passed to his atty Todd Blanche, then whispered to atty, Emil Bove.
#Colangelo described a communication from Keith Davidson, the lawyer for #KarenMcDougal, to Dylan Howard, a #NationalEnquirer editor, as it became clear Trump was winning the #election: "What have we done," he said.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
"Another story about sexual infidelity, especially w/ a porn star, on the heels of the '#AccessHollywood' tape, could have been devastating to his campaign," #Colangelo says of the #StormyDaniels story. He says that "w/pressure mounting & Election Day fast approaching, Donald #Trump agreed to the #payoff & directed #Cohen to proceed."
Colangelo says Trump told Cohen to drag out paying Daniels, in the hopes of getting past the #election & then not paying her at all.