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Today’s focus: Two former Chinese defense ministers accused, Beijing suddenly hit by terror “June hailstorm”; Kim Jong-un deploys troops to Ukraine, US “Flying Tigers” may roam Ukrainian skies; 200,000-strong Ukrainian army prepares for major counterattack, thermobaric bomb hits Ukrainian drone control center; Ukraine strikes Russian deep space communication station, Chechen reconnaissance team blocks fleeing frontline.
The long-rumored major events involving two former Chinese defense ministers have now been confirmed. Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, these two generals, have fallen from grace.
On June 27, the Chinese Communist Party simultaneously announced the expulsion of former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu from the party. They have been referred to military procuratorate for review and prosecution. The rumors of the purge of these two figures have once again become reality. Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, who successively held the position of Chinese defense minister, with Wei previously serving as the first missile force commander in the party, and Li having positions in the strategic support forces, chief of staff, and equipment development department. So, why did these two fall from grace? According to the announcement by the Xinhua News Agency, Li Shangfu was said to have seriously violated political discipline, organizational discipline, and is suspected of bribery for personal gains. It specifically mentioned “disregarding mission and core principles, losing party loyalty.”
For high-ranking Chinese officials, especially at the level of defense minister, allegations of bribery are never the main issue. The problem arises from violating political discipline, essentially aligning oneself against the party’s leadership. If you make a misstep in this regard, terms like “corruption and bribery,” which are common among Chinese officials, are just secondary accusations.
The accusations against Wei Fenghe are similar to those against Li Shangfu: serious violation of political discipline, organizational discipline, and suspected bribery. However, it specifically mentioned two intriguing terms: “collapse of belief, disloyalty.” This raises the question, does the Chinese Communist Party still hold any belief? Ever since Jiang Zemin’s era of wealth accumulation in silence, the party has merely used Marxism and communism as a facade to fight for power and profit. Mentioning the “collapse of belief” implies that Wei Fenghe may have criticized Marxism or communism behind closed doors or embraced alternative beliefs, sparking curiosity about his statements and beliefs.
The two mainstay departments of the Chinese Communist Party, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense, have seen a series of high-profile dismissals in recent times, along with significant defections from the “Rocket Force.” The current internal decay and chaos within the Chinese Communist Party are unprecedented, leading some to believe that the term “collapse of belief” does indeed explain these circumstances. Moreover, the party’s efforts to prevent this collapse have finally solidified the highly anticipated date for the Third Plenary Session.
At a time when China’s economy is in distress and internal power struggles are escalating within the Chinese Communist Party, the postponed Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee has finally announced its meeting dates. The top leadership has decided that the Third Plenary Session will be held in Beijing from July 15 to 18. The party claims that the session will determine “further comprehensive deepening of reform and advancement of China’s modernization,” but in my opinion, the party’s authoritarian rule has reached a point where the historical opportunity for China’s transition has completely vanished, missing the chance to adjust economic and political systems. The so-called “deepening of reform” implies a further centralization of power and strengthened control.
Therefore, the true intention behind the Third Plenary Session, as announced by the Chinese Communist Party, is to “uphold the party’s overall leadership, firmly maintain the authority of the Party Central Committee, and strengthen centralized unified leadership.” The consequences of such actions are evident: economic decline across all sectors, political infighting intensifies, and international isolation deepens, with nobody willing to engage with China. As opinion commentator Yuan Bin mentioned, the demise of the Chinese Communist Party is inevitable, with no one able to reverse the course.
On June 27, while the Chinese Communist Party announced the date of the Third Plenary Session, in the afternoon, Beijing’s Yanqing area suddenly witnessed a strange phenomenon of “June snow.” Strong winds, heavy rain, and hailstorms swept the region, forming a thick layer of snow and ice on the streets, with some areas accumulating over a foot of hail. It seems that the Party is facing an increasingly difficult situation in “Yanqing.”
The changes in the Russia-Ukraine war seem to evolve dramatically every day, resembling a Hollywood script. What was initially thought to be the emergence of new weapons like the F-16, took an unexpected turn, as Kim Jong-un is now making his entrance before the F-16.
The largest Ukrainian media outlet, Kyiv Independent, published an article on June 26 with the headline: “Kim Jong-un announces dispatch of troops to Ukraine within the month.” This confirmation of previous rumors signifies an escalation in the war, indicating a direct confrontation between the two world camps, turning the Russia-Ukraine conflict into a global standoff, potentially igniting the spark for the third World War.
According to Reuters, North Korea’s detailed plan involves officially sending troops to Ukraine to fight alongside Russian forces. The initial wave will consist of engineering troops dispatched to Ukraine in July, primarily involved in building frontline bunkers and military defense structures. It was disclosed that North Korea had already delivered 1.6 million rounds of ammunition and about 74,000 tons of explosives to Russian forces. However, what Putin may not have foreseen is that the alliance with North Korea would first enrage South Korea rather than Ukraine. The South Korean newspaper, Chosun Ilbo, published an editorial stating that the South Korean government has begun considering providing “lethal weapons” to Ukraine, blaming it on “Russia’s own making.”
Many may not be aware that although South Korea has a small land area, its GDP is not far behind that of Russia. Due to the perennial threat posed by North Korea, South Korea’s conventional weapons production capabilities and stockpiles are unusually extensive, with particular abundance in the production and inventory of ammunition. The alliance between Russia and North Korea has provided South Korea with a strong impetus to assist Ukraine.
For Ukraine, the most significant achievement on June 27 was the signing of a bilateral security and defense agreement with the European Union. This agreement provides a legal basis for EU military assistance to Ukraine, enabling a smooth flow of military aid from EU countries to Ukraine. After signing the agreement, the EU transferred 1.9 billion euros in assistance funds to Ukraine.
For the frontline Russian troops, any agreement pales in comparison to the direct entry of US forces into the battlefield, which raises fears among the combatants. The US government is discussing allowing American military contractors and private armed forces to enter Ukraine to assist Ukrainian forces against the Russians. The famous American Flying Tigers of WWII may likely reappear in the Ukrainian skies.
Additionally, according to Russian Military Digest, following the end of the Russian-Ukrainian peace talks in Switzerland, Ukraine is mobilizing forces in two directions – Kharkiv and Zaporizhia. It has summoned 100,000 troops in each direction, preparing to launch a major counteroffensive with a 200,000-strong army within 45 days. This move is expected to bring about a breakthrough in the Russia-Ukraine stalemate on the eastern front.
Meanwhile, on June 26, Ukrainian President Zelensky and Chief Commander of the Ukrainian Army, General Serhiy, visited the front lines in Pokrovsk. The Ukrainian National Police Department announced the creation of three infantry brigades comprising active-duty police officers to boost frontline attacks.
For the soldiers on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as long as the war continues, no place is safe. As reported earlier, the Ukrainian military destroyed a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle training center inside Russia. In retaliation, on the 26th, Russian forces launched a 1.5-ton thermobaric bomb that hit the Ukrainian drone control center in Kherson region, causing significant losses on the Ukrainian side and exposing Ukraine’s weakness in air defense.
Recently, as Ukraine pushes back against Russian incursions, its targets have shifted beyond just military facilities to include striking the large deep-space communication station established by Russia in Crimea using US-made Army Tactical Missiles. These communication stations include about 20 large antennas, with eight antennas combined in a giant array within the synchronous drive unit.
The specific functions of these stations vary. Some say they serve as early warning systems for ballistic missile launches, while others claim they are employed for controlling Russian navigation satellites.
In the latest development, Ukrainian forces continue to attack Russia’s mainland. On the 26th, the railway area at Belgorod station in Russia was heavily bombed, causing a paralysis of traffic. Later that day, residents in the Belgorod region began hanging Ukrainian national flags on their homes to avoid attacks from Ukrainian drones.
Interestingly, according to local residents, the provincial governor instructed Russian police to turn a blind eye and not interfere. While this may seem ineffective, a video released by the Ukrainian military shows that when a drone spotted a large Ukrainian flag hoisted on the roof of a Russian residence, the building was indeed spared.
However, frontline Russian soldiers at the eastern front were not as fortunate. As the Russian forces faced difficulties at the Kharkiv front, more deserters emerged, prompting the high command to deploy Chechen “Akhmad” special forces as surveillance teams to intercept retreating soldiers and deserters, with orders to fire upon their own troops to halt withdrawal and escape attempts.
That concludes this edition of “Current Affairs Scan.” We appreciate your support, so please subscribe to our channel, support us, like, comment, and share. Your financial support is also greatly appreciated. Until next time.
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