Not sure why Germany has to wait for ATACMS (not that America shouldn't send ATACMS) when they aren't even the same type of weapon and Taurus equivalent is Storm Shadow/SCALP. Also if ATACMS does get sent then all that bullshit about "not having enough, we can't send any cause others are buying them" is well, bullshit. Just send them for fucks sake.

If our minister of defence Pistorius could decide stuff like that on his own then Ukraine would have them already but Scholz is Scholz...he won't allow anything big (Leopard 2, Taurus, jets (we probably have none for Ukraine but if) without USA doing the same with "similar" weaponry.

I still have to say, many complain about Germany but we still send the second most military equipment to Ukraine (even more than UK who get praised) and many other countries only sent tanks because of our Ringtausch program to replace their tanks they gave to Ukraine. And that's not even taking the EU share into account or that Germany also has millions of refugees which other EU countries don't have. It's just that we do a lot for Ukraine's air defence and other stuff but everything which is about "killing" is something Scholz is scared about even though killing Russian soldiers should be an easier decision as to let Russian soldiers kill.

Storm Shadow and SCALP are both 250km (the one Ukraine is using) but Taurus has a range of supposedly 500km. Storm Shadow's export version has always been less than the 500km internal version, I wonder if the hold up with Germany is that they are thinking about sending the 500km version so they want America to send ATACMS which is 300km...But that would be stupid because that's only 50km more than the Storm Shadow/SCALP they currently have.

Likely I'm wrong though and Taurus will be nerfed like Storm Shadow/SCALP down to 250km..

A number of Wagner Group mercenaries returning from Ukraine have been killed on their home soil, including one who was stoned to death, according to local media reports.

Two more veterans, one reported to be a former Wagnerite, were stoned to death by four local citizens in the Krasnodar region of Russia, near the village of Dederkoy, the local Kuban24 outlet and state TV channel Tsargrad reported on Monday. Their lifeless bodies were discovered on a riverbank on August 5.

Returning Wagner Mercenaries Are Not Getting Hero's Welcome in Russia

Russia Police Chief Decries Staff Exodus as War Draws Labor Away - Bloomberg

Kyiv is considering canceling the visa-free regime with Israel and will request the country be excluded from Ramstein meetings due to its “unfriendly actions towards Ukraine and pro-Russian position on the international arena,” Kyiv Post has been told.

“The Israeli authorities never provided any real help,” a source in Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (RNBO) told Kyiv Post.

Ukraine Plans to Cancel Visa-Free Regime with Israel and Request Its Exclusion From Ramstein

Verstka, a news organization founded shortly after the conflict began, cited figures from the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation in its claim that a total of 83 explosions occurred in Russia in 2022—more than four times the number recorded in 2021 (20 explosions).

According to Verstka, explosions on Russian territory last year killed 55 people and injured 10,647 others. The outlet reported that the yearly number of explosions in Russia hasn't exceeded 20 in the past 10 years, despite terrorist attacks and gas leaks in residential buildings. It also said that before 2022, the number of victims was in the hundreds, not thousands.

Russia Sees Explosions Quadruple Since War Began: Report

Both topical for the site, and a reminder of how Putin’s Russia is cracking down on dissent.

https://www.escapistmagazine.com/metro-author-sentenced-to-8-years-in-prison-for-speaking-negatively-about-russia/

Good thing he isn't in Russia anymore so Russia can stick their sentence up their ass.

Wonder what country he is in, hopefully one that hates Russia as much as the rest of us and will laugh at any extradite request.

Bundestag Opposes Idea of Limiting Taurus Range If Sent to Ukraine | European Pravda

"Ukraine needs German Taurus missiles to have the capability to attack purely military positions on Russian territory, from where constant attacks on Ukraine are carried out," Tagesschau quotes the MP.

Lukashenko Against Severing Ties with EU

“Now we make money primarily in the East: in Russia, China. But we must not discard contacts with the high-tech West. They are nearby, the European Union is our neighbor. And we should maintain contacts with them. We are ready for this, but there should be due consideration for our interests. Believe me, the time will come (using your professional terms, I would say that now we are going through the period of turbulence), and in 2024-2025 there will be serious changes in the world,” the head of state said.