The ICC petitions to end Russia's plundering of Ukrainian museums
"Russia's aggression against Ukraine has resulted in the largest spoliation of cultural heritage in Europe during an international armed conflict since World War II," the group wrote in its complaint. "Since 2014, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been accompanied by a cultural war aimed at eradicating Ukrainian identity." The association asserted: "This spoliation is systematic, widespread and organized," and "planned at the highest levels of the Russian state."
The Russian federal law of March 18, 2023, allowed for the "incorporation of collections from 77 Ukrainian museums into the catalogue of Russian museums" in the Moscow-controlled regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and in Crimea, annexed in 2014. According to Ukraine's Ministry of Culture, as of July 2024, fewer than 1.2 million museum pieces remained in Crimea, compared with 12 million before the invasion.
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LeMonde
23 minutes ago
- LeMonde
Le Monde - retour à la une How the Russian and Ukrainian front lines are shifting
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the front lines of the war have never stopped shifting. These transformations have first and foremost been geographical, with advances, retreats and the stabilization of specific areas. They have also been morphological and technological. The front has hardened significantly: individual positions have gradually become entrenched, resulting in a complex network of trenches, bunkers, anti-tank ditches and minefields. However, this kind of positional warfare is not a return to the past: It is even undergoing a technological revolution. Drones – whether used for reconnaissance, bombing or as kamikaze units – have become omnipresent, transforming the tactics, tempo and organization of the battlefield. 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New types of drones have appeared, with specialized uses: hunting other drones, carrying out ultra-precise strikes against enemy artillery (artillery being the most difficult piece of equipment for the Russian defense industry to produce), etc. The two main uses of attack drones are to rush directly at their target (i.e. FPV drones) or to bomb them using onboard munitions. Artificial intelligence already enables them to conduct autonomous "swarm" attacks and helps identify targets. The range of attack drones has continually increased, and now reaches several dozen kilometers. "Mother drones," which carry multiple smaller drones, have begun to appear, and they can double or triple their operational range. This has expanded the "kill zone," the stretch of territory in which any movement is immediately spotted and struck, on both sides of the front, making assaults, defense and logistics increasingly difficult for dozens of kilometers. Leaving or reaching a position, resupplying, or even evacuating the wounded has become extremely dangerous. Military experts have predicted that the "kill zone" will continue to expand, eventually reaching 100 kilometers in width. The 'kill zone' New arsenal: Widespread robotization Ukrainian forces, on the defensive, have been subjected to barrages of FPV drones. Russia's widespread use of fiber optic cable drones has rendered radio jamming devices ineffective, as they are designed to neutralize radio-controlled drones. To protect themselves from these cable-equipped drones, which transmit high quality images, they have had to set up netting, and, as a last resort, use shotguns to shoot down the loitering munitions. As a result, fortifications, artillery and trenches have been systematically covered with camouflage netting. To reduce losses incurred during troop movements, Ukrainian forces have very rapidly developed ground drones to address their logistical challenges. These drones can resupply positions and evacuate the wounded. They can also be used offensively, to lay mines or even to carry out kamikaze strikes against enemy positions. THE UKRAINIAN SIDE A Russian countermeasure: using off-road motorcycles to attack through the 'kill zone' Nicknamed the 21st century "dragoons," in reference to historical military units that traveled on horseback but fought on foot, Russian infantry have, since the autumn of 2024, refined a new assault tactic: rapidly advancing on Ukrainian positions using off-road motorcycles. This has come as a countermeasure to the widespread use of drones by Ukrainian defenders. Over the past two years, drones have destroyed much of Russia's fleet of armored vehicles, which were previously their army's preferred means of transporting infantry for assaults. Drones have made approaching defensive positions extremely dangerous: No matter if the maneuver is mechanized or not, and regardless of how thick a vehicle's armor is, they threaten any kind of movement across the battlefield. Russian forces have found that the speed and maneuverability of off-road motorcycles make them harder to hit than slow, large targets, such as armored vehicles. They also give Ukrainian defenders less time to react to assaults once they are detected. The typical structure of a motorcycle assault group consists of six to eight motorcycles, with one or two soldiers per vehicle. Once they are within firing range of the targeted Ukrainian position, the riders dismount from their bikes to begin the actual attack, often striking from two or three flanks at once. Sources: ISW; Reuters; Le Monde Texts and research: Emmanuel Grynszpan and Flavie Holzinger Illustration: Victoria Denys Cartography: Xemartin Laborde Web development: Victor Simonnet Coordination: Riccardo Pravettoni English version: Zorro Maplestone
Euronews
6 hours ago
- Euronews
One person killed as Russia pounds Ukraine with 300 drones
Russia launched more than 300 drones and over 30 missiles towards different cities in Ukraine overnight into Saturday morning, killing at least one person and injuring several others, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. "Rescue operations are underway following the attack: the Donetsk, Kirovohrad, Dnipro, Sumy, Kherson, Volyn, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Zhytomyr regions were affected," he wrote on X. The Black Sea port city of Odesa came under fire by 20 drones and a missile, the city's mayor Hennadii Trukhanov, said Saturday on Telegram. The strike sparked a fire in an apartment block. Five people were rescued from their burning apartments, including one woman who died after she was rescued. At least six other people, including a child, were injured. Meanwhile in Sumy, critical infrastructure was damaged and thousands of families were left without electricity, according to Zelenskyy. Russia also launched a barrage of drones at Pavlohrad, damaging critical infrastructure and a residential building. According to the head of the Dnipro regional military administration, it was the largest attack on the city since Russia's full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian president thanked international leaders 'who understand how crucial it is to promptly implement our agreements' aimed at boosting Ukraine's defense capabilities, including joint weapons production, investment in drone manufacturing and the supply of air defence systems. In recent weeks, Russia has been intensifying its long-range attacks on Ukraine, often firing more drones in a single night than it did during some months in 2024. Analysts have warned the attacks are likely to escalate further. On 8 July, Russia fired a record-breaking number of more than 741 drones and missiles. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said it shot down 71 Ukrainian drones overnight, of which 13 drones were shot down as they approached Moscow, according to the city's mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
LeMonde
18 hours ago
- LeMonde
Secondhand medals reveal the existence of Russian intelligence cyber units
The insignia features a key, undamaged despite three menacing lightning bolts placed just above. Produced for employees of the "ST department" of the 16 th Center of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of the Russian Federation, this simple piece of metal reveals the existence of a previously unknown unit tasked with protecting communications within Russia's domestic intelligence agency. This is one of several key findings in a report published Thursday, July 18, by Checkfirst, a company that specializes in the fight against disinformation. The organization collected and analyzed several hundred photographs of medals, insignia and decorations, found on manufacturer websites or shared on specialized platforms for collectors. Russian security forces have a strong affinity for commemorative decorations and medals – a tradition inherited from the Soviet Union and one that remained particularly prevalent after the fall of the Berlin Wall. For the equivalent of a few dozen euros, these specialized websites allow former officers and soldiers to sell their insignia, which may commemorate a unit, an anniversary or an event.
