Politico: "Germany approves tank sales to Ukraine, bowing to pressure"
Did Germany really decide to deliver tanks to the Ukraine?
The German government said Tuesday it will deliver anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine after facing strong pressure at home and abroad to abandon its reluctance to supply heavy weapons to Kyiv.The decision to provide the “Gepard” tanks, which come from German defense industry stocks, was made at a closed-door government meeting on Monday, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht told reporters at a Ukraine security conference at a U.S. airbase in Ramstein, Germany. There was no immediate information on how many tanks Germany would deliver.
The announcement marks a notable shift for Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who as recently as last week was still ruling out sending German tanks to Ukraine, insisting it would make more sense for Eastern NATO countries to give Kyiv old Soviet-era tanks already familiar to the Ukrainian military. Scholz promised Germany would then send those countries replacement German tanks.
I find it amusing how many misunderstand this move. First off - the Gepard (Cheetah) is not a tank as the turret has very little protective armor.

bigger
It is a short range (5 km / 3 miles) anti-air system on a tank chassis useful against helicopters, drones and low flying planes.
That Scholz decided to offer these, instead of real tanks or armored infantry carriers as the U.S. and the camouflage-Green party demanded, is a nice way out. It guarantees that the Ukrainians will not be able to use them before the war is over.
The Gepard system with its two 35mm cannons is more than 50 years old but has been upgraded two or three times. The Germany army retired their last one of these in 2010. They have since been held in storage.
I remember them well from my time in the Bundeswehr. While my primary training was as a gunner on a real tank, the Leopard 1A3, two people I knew were trained as gunners for the Gepard. There was a huge difference though. It took 6 months of training to become a reasonably good tank gunner. It took 12 month, including hundreds of hours in a simulator, to become a gunner on a Gepard. The commander role required even more training.
The system was excellent for its time but also really complicate. The two radars have various modes for different purposes. One would better use the right one or risk to attract explosive countermeasures. The startup of the turret systems and the handling of their various error modes that could occur were not easy to handle. The tank chassis is also more complicate than the original one. It has an additional motor which powers five electric generators, two Metadyne rotary transformers and a flywheel to handle the extraordinary fast movements of the turret (2.5 sec for a 360°turn).
There are probably less than ten people in the current Bundeswehr who still know how to operate and maintain a Gepard. There is thus little chance to find German crews for them.
If the Ukrainians really want to use these outdated systems they will have to train fresh crews for at least a year. Otherwise those guns will be ineffective and of little use.
My hunch though is that none of these will ever be delivered. The Swiss, who manufactured the cannons and their ammunition, have seen to that:
Neutral Switzerland has vetoed the re-export of Swiss-made ammunition used in Gepard anti-aircraft tanks that Germany is sending to Ukraine, the government said on Tuesday.Germany earlier announced its first delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine to help it fend off Russian attacks following weeks of pressure at home and abroad to do so.
The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) confirmed a report by broadcaster SRF that it had blocked Germany from sending munitions for the Gepard tank to Ukraine.
Chancellor Scholz likely knew all that. The offer of Gepards is a safe way to relieve the pressure put onto him to send arms to Ukraine. It is an offer of a system that can not be used within the timeframe of the war and for which he can not deliver the necessary specialized ammunition.
Are there still some Lockheed F-104 Starfighter in German storage? If so those flying coffins should be offered next.
Posted by b on April 27, 2022 at 10:24 UTC | Permalink
next page »If that was really the intention of Chancellor Scholz than I really underestimated him.
The Gepard looks fency and powerful at first sight, like a real tank to the public audience, but in reality it is just a playtoy only capable of terrorizing civilians in a village.
Still I wonder what the purpose is for NATO countries in general to pump weapons into Ukraine?
They will never arrive in time to the battlefield, not even talking about training and tactical alignment for Ukie troops.
So either MIC is shouting loud to empty the equipment inventory of NATO states so they buy more weapons for their own army --> big business
Or NATO plans to prepare UA for a counter offensive in Autumn '22 or Spring '23 --> prolong the way dragging Russia deeper and depper into the conflict.
Posted by: Rasta | Apr 27 2022 10:45 utc | 2
LOL Is this a circus or what? Next time, send Ukraine some P-51 Mustangs. They should do wonders against an SU-35. :-)
Hey, I bet Hollywood can find some old Tiger tanks from the movie "Kelly's Heroes" to send! LMFAO
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 27 2022 10:49 utc | 3
I suspect that the offloading of old and outdated weaponry, ammunition, tanks and other materiel onto Ukraine by NATO members is part of a deal or a plan in which NATO members agree to buy US replacements for ageing junk they otherwise can't get rid of for lack of space in their own territories, and that way they fulfil US demands or expectations that they spend up to 2% of their annual GDPs on armaments.
The Russians might consider this possibility and maybe pause in the use of their own weapons to shoot up old NATO junk to avoid running out of their own ammunition. Though they are probably aware that whatever replacements come from the US into European NATO countries are not likely to match their own weapons and armaments in usefulness and precision.
Posted by: Jen | Apr 27 2022 10:49 utc | 4
LOL
I wondered about these “tanks” when I saw the pictures in MSM.
More virtue signalling. ( or mere)
Posted by: Platero | Apr 27 2022 10:54 utc | 5
Bernhard,
Tell us what do you think is going to happen in Transnistria?
Would Russia cut its losses and blow up the ammunition dump there?
Can paratroopers and reinforcements arrive in sufficient numbers to defend the long sliver of land?
Posted by: PJB | Apr 27 2022 10:54 utc | 6
I wonder what the effect on the Ukrainian public mood might be when they discover that they are being asked to fight as long as possible whilst being sent trainloads of outdated weapons to support them in that fight?
Talk about cruel.
Posted by: Jeremn | Apr 27 2022 10:55 utc | 7
@Rasta | Apr 27 2022 10:45 utc | 2
"Still I wonder what the purpose is for NATO countries in general to pump weapons into Ukraine?"
Simply to support the official narrative from the Script Department.
It is all about headlines in a staged virtual show.
The actual reality is of lesser value (in the western media context) until the end -- then it is silence and "Look, Squirels!"
Posted by: imo | Apr 27 2022 10:59 utc | 8
Posted by: imo | Apr 27 2022 10:59 utc | 9
"Simply to support the official narrative from the Script Department."
That would be too easy, for sure there is some by-product to simply setting the stage for propaganda war.
I believe what Jen said is more realistic ("is part of a deal or a plan in which NATO members agree to buy US replacements for ageing junk they otherwise can't get rid of for lack of space in their own territories, and that way they fulfil US demands or expectations that they spend up to 2% of their annual GDPs on armaments.").
EU is just a wealthy but weak and stupid golden goose.
What really is worrying me now is the recent developments in Transnistria. NATO is playing with fire if they really drag romanian soldiers into the conflict. They really must be desperate about the sitting ducks in Asovstal.
Posted by: Rasta | Apr 27 2022 11:14 utc | 9
Posted by: PJB | Apr 27 2022 10:54 utc | 6
"Would Russia cut its losses and blow up the ammunition dump there?"
According to an article I posted in the last thread, there is 20,000 tons of explosives in that dump (used to be 40,000). Blowing it up would be the equivalent of a small A-bomb. In fact, I suggested that was the "WMD provocation" the CIA is looking for: have Ukraine invade Transnistria, then blow up the dump and accuse Russia of using a "tactical nuke"...
Absurd, perhaps, but the CIA have thought up dumber plots. The whole idea of using Ukrainian, Romanian and Moldovian troops to attack Transnistria is absurd, but is apparently being considered. Nothing is too stupid as long as it gets a war between NATO and Russia going.
"Can paratroopers and reinforcements arrive in sufficient numbers to defend the long sliver of land?'
There is supposedly several thousand troops, both Transnistrian and Russian, there plus 100 tanks and more. Possibly enough to hold off Ukraine forces alone long enough for a Russian paratrooper division to fly in, backed by Russian air power and missiles.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 27 2022 11:18 utc | 10
According to the British Ministry of defense, Ukraine has somehow got control over their airspace again in large parts of Ukraine.
This is of course a complete fairy tail , they control the airspace with what ? Ukrainian airfields are out of commission, their fighter planes have largely been destroyed before they even took of in the first couple of days of the war. Any radar guide SAM's have been destroyed.
The only thing the Ukrainians realistically have as air defense systems are infrared guided missiles like Manpads and AAA. Which are completely ineffective against high flying aircraft.
Russian airplanes can bomb whatever they want in Ukraine with impunity if the stay above the infrared missile ceiling of about 5 km. As soon as any Ukrainian SAM that can go higher turns on its radar it will immediately be spotted by Russian AWACS an planes with anti radiation missiles will hunt them.
The British MOD website looks as if it's the website of the Ukrainian MOD. A constant barrage of BS propaganda to keep morale high in the west, same thing as the Ukrainians are doing for their own population, and the media in the west is publishing it all without any questions.
Like what is the difference even between state owned media that publishes what their government tells them to, or corporate media in the west, that publishes every press release of their government , every leak from "anonymous" government officials, without questions as if they are their stenographers ? The second one is more cunning I would say.
Posted by: Jimmy | Apr 27 2022 11:22 utc | 12
Even the slightly suspect Taibbi mob summed this up one day ago with this take down of Ukraine as a 'get rich' scheme . Buy into what ever side of it you wish, the only proviso is exactly the same as it should always be. That is: "If your debate were won, can you guarantee that tomorrow the world is gonna be in a better place than the world would be if you hadn't.
Anything else is superfluous, just more grist for the greedy's mill.
Posted by: Debsisdead | Apr 27 2022 11:26 utc | 13
They never give up and they never stop...until Russia stops them...
Austin leaves open possibility of Ukraine reapplying for NATO membership
"I think that NATO will always stand by its principles of maintaining an open door, so I don't want to speculate on what could come," he said. "I do believe that in the future, if the possibility exists, I think Ukraine will seek to, once again, apply to become a member of NATO. But again, that's probably a bit down the road, and speculation at this point is not very helpful."The defense secretary also explained that this group, which featured other defense leaders from NATO and non-NATO countries, will start meeting monthly.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 27 2022 11:27 utc | 14
A interesting article on a Bulgarian pro-NATO site.
Ukraine is switching to NATO weapons, Minister Kuleba announced - СЕГА, April 26, 2022We are in a qualitatively new phase that no one had dreamed of, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba, quoted by UNIAN. The Ukrainian army is switching to NATO. By the end of the working week, Russia will be under pressure from more sanctions, and the Ukrainian army will have something to fight.
"This is a completely new phase that no one thought about two months ago. The Ukrainian army is moving to NATO standards, we haven't even dreamed of that," Kuleba said. According to him, Zelensky has managed to convince his American counterpart Biden that the time has come for this to happen.
"Howitzers are already coming to us ... but this is just the beginning. Many more weapons will arrive. This is a historic turning point," the minister said. He added that the Ukrainian military has managed to learn to handle new weapons faster than partner countries have managed to decide on supplies. He warned Ukrainians not to be afraid of Russian threats to use nuclear weapons, because "this is proof that Moscow admits its defeat."
Does this mean Ukraine has lost all its Soviet and domestic weapons?
30 years ago Ukraine had enough weapons to fight World War 3. It inherited the best front-line weapons of the Soviet Army and had some of the biggest and best weapons factories. The T-64 and T-80 were reserved for the elite Soviet armies. They were produced in Kharkov and never exported outside the Soviet Union. The T-72 that Russia uses was considered and inferior tank.
Posted by: Petri Krohn | Apr 27 2022 11:35 utc | 15
Yes, I reckon that's some face saving, evasive action by Scholz. Same applies to the delivery of hopelessly outdated 50yr old Leopards. None of them are likely to reach the Battlefield, anyway.
Hopefully, the bellicists from the coalition, e.g.:
Baerbock, Foreign Minister and hardcore WEF young leaded, molded by US-centric Thinking
Strack-Zimmermann, FDP, chairwoman of the Defence Committee
Lamprecht, SPD, War Minister
and Friedrich Merz, Ex-Blackrock Atlanticist, Head of CDU
will not succeed in furter undermining and even toppling Scholz.
In German Media there is a widespread illusionary, manipulative lopsided Thinking as to the Nature of Maidan 2014, the Zelensky regime, the course of the war and Ignorance over europe's role as a welcome pawn ("Bauernopfer)"in the geoplitical reckoning of the declining USA.
Posted by: bagradian | Apr 27 2022 11:35 utc | 16
CIA busy fixing up its Transnistria page:
During the prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian military intelligence claimed on 14 January 2022 that they had evidence that the Russian government was covertly planning false flag "provocations" against Russian soldiers stationed in Transnistria, which would justify a Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian government denied the claims.
On 15 March 2022, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recognized Transnistria as a Moldovan territory occupied by Russia.
With the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, many Ukrainians fled to Moldova through Transnistria.[citation needed]
On 14 April, Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar stated that Russia was massing its troops along the borders with Transnistria but the Transnistrian authorities denied it.[103] According to the Transnistrian authorities, on April 25 there was an attack on the premises of the Ministry for State Security and on the next day two transmitting antennas broadcasting Russian radio programs at Grigoriopol transmitter near the Ukrainian border were blown up.[104] The Moldovan authorities called these events a provocation aimed at destabilizing the situation in the region. The Russian army has a military base and a large ammunition dump in the region. Russia has about 1,500 soldiers stationed in breakaway Transnistria. They are supposed to serve there as peacekeepers.
As of 2007, the armed forces and the paramilitary of Transnistria were composed of around 4,500–7,500 soldiers, divided into four motorised infantry brigades in Tiraspol, Bender, Rîbnița, and Dubăsari. They have 18 tanks, 107 armoured personnel carriers, 73 field guns, 46 anti-aircraft installations, and 173 tank destroyer units. The airforce is composed of 9 Mi-8T helicopters, 6 Mi-24 helicopters, 2 Mi-2 helicopters, and several fixed-wing aircraft, including, An-2, An-26 and Yak-18 types.
After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Transnistria declared it would maintain its neutrality in the situation and denied claims that it would assist in the attack on Ukraine. However, in early March, American senator Marco Rubio suggested that a Transnistrian involvement in the conflict would take place without any apparent evidence.
Posted by: Chaka Khagan | Apr 27 2022 11:58 utc | 17
since the current phase is turning more on infantry battles, you can always use this meat mower. the 2x35 gun should rock on this,no need complicated training.
Posted by: murgen23 | Apr 27 2022 12:01 utc | 18
@Rasta | Apr 27 2022 11:14 utc | 10
Well, both can exist as operational logic, but of course you are correct on the hard end of the stick. Did I read somewhere recently that the USA were reactivating their WW2 Lend Lease scam (which I think the UK only finished paying off in the 1980's?).
So, it's empty the shelves and restock on the credit card with 30 years to pay it off at who knows what interest rates. Slightly more sophisticated and face saving that the straight out blantant vassel tribute by the Australian boot licking cretins in Canberra for some useless submarines for delivery in 2050! We'll all be speaking Mandarin in Oz by then. Lol.
I note today the Euro is down to almost 1:1 with the usd$ -- so that is the end of one alternative to the usd$ as a stable reserve currency. There really does seem to be something in the water across Europe at the moment.
Posted by: imo | Apr 27 2022 12:03 utc | 19
Posted by: Chaka Khagan | Apr 27 2022 11:58 utc | 18
The source I and Nightvision quoted says they have 100 tanks in Transnistria. Maybe that's the Transnistrian component and the Russians have more.
I quote Nightvision's report from The Saker thread...
“What troops protect the PMR?At the moment, there are 2,500-3,000 Russian servicemen in the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR). These are the 82nd and 113th separate guards motorized rifle battalions, and the 540th separate control battalion.
The total strength of the PMR Armed Forces is 15,000 people. The PMR Armed Forces have 4 motorized rifle brigades located in the cities of Tiraspol, Bendery, Dubossary and Rybnitsa, of which one is guards (deployed in the city of Tiraspol). Four special forces battalions. Mob reserve up to 80 thousand people.
In addition, there is information that a detachment of helicopters is located there, as well as two battalions of military unit No. 13962 to protect one of the largest weapons and ammunition depots in Europe in Kolbasna.
100 tanks
Up to 200 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles
· 35,000 vehicles
Combat vehicles with ATGMs
BDRM
500 units of military engineering equipment
200 air defense systems
MLRS “Grad”
Artillery guns and mortars”“Mobilization potential of #Transnistria|n army:
—7.5k active service
—15-20k active reservists
—80k deep reserve
In addition, Transnistria went through the conflict with #Moldova at the beginning of the 90s, most men are soldiers. It has universal conscription (1 year).”” Although opening #PMR/#Transnistria front makes sense for #Ukraine from standpoint of opening up maneuvering, it is a very risky proposition. It bets on #Russia swooping in to defend PMR. But why would #RF? PMR is fully capable of stalling anything Ukraine, by itself, brings. 4/7
Which is why rumours of #Poland preparing an expeditionary force in #Romania cannot entirely be dismissed. Similarly, the rumours of Romania preparing to get involved to try to effect an anschluss of #Moldova and #PMR are also worrisome. #Transnistria would have a hard time. 5/7
Defending against the battered #Ukraine|ian forces is one thing—at this point, #PMR will definitely succeed in at least stalling them, and, more likely, in completely rebuffing or defeating them. Facing a dual front, with #Poland/#Romania/#Moldova coalition on one side, 6/7
& #Ukraine—on other side, is something #PMR/#Transnistria can withstand only for a very short time. Essentially, dragging #Russia into PMR conflict (and opening up room for maneuver for #Ukraine) must rely on dual strike on Transnistria. Which is why all this is important. 7/7 ”Like they said above ^ it seems to me if those numbers are accurate that it’s a fairly good number, enough to defend and stall a sizable opponent for some time, particularly if it’s a Ukrainian attack they could hold out against them indefinitely. The only ones they wouldn’t be able to handle is some sort of mass Romanian/Moldovan joint attack or something to that extent.
And as others have said, Ukraine would risk alot by getting its precious forces tied up over there as Russia would be able to potentially snatch Nikolayev/Odessa from under their nose
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 27 2022 12:12 utc | 20
Seems similar to the ZSU23-4. We saw them in the Gulf War. A nasty piece of work for a helicopter that gets too close - and very dangerous to APCs and Infantry. But easy meat for attack aircraft. All the ones I came across had big holes blown in them from high altitude.
Posted by: Maxda | Apr 27 2022 12:18 utc | 21
The European countries just need to grow themselves a pair and ditch the U.S. and England, and both NATO and the EU, too. With the U.S. out of Europe, everything would settle down. If the U.S. had gone home in 1990, none of what's going on in Ukraine now, would be going on.
Posted by: James | Apr 27 2022 12:18 utc | 22
The Flakpanzer Gepard is very similar to the Soviet ZSU-23-4 Shilka, except it is twice as heavy and has twice the fuel consumption.
The last time I saw a ZSU-23-4 Shilka in combat was in Libya in 2011. The Balakleya ammunition depot in the Kharkov region recently captured by Russian troops had a few of them undergoing service.
The Shilka may still be useful against infantry, but that role has been taken over by Toyota ratmobiles (known as Banderamobiles in the Ukraine).
***
The Balakleya ammunition depot blew up in 2017. I now looked at satellite photos. Some 90% of the warehouses have been pulverized. I find it hard to believe that a single initial explosion could have destroyed all this. Did Petrov and Boshirov volunteer for the Ukrainian army?
Posted by: Petri Krohn | Apr 27 2022 12:24 utc | 23
And is this how Herr Scholz wants to make sure that Russia does not win? How pathetic and unstatemanly.
Posted by: Steve | Apr 27 2022 12:28 utc | 24
NEW
Russia grabbed tons of Ukraine weapons and taunts the USA at end of video
Watch VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks7YDpZ5zo0
Posted by: Dean Oneil | Apr 27 2022 12:33 utc | 25
Posted by: James | Apr 27 2022 12:18 utc | 23
EU politicians are simply incompetent at politics. BreXit enabled UK to free itself of EU Council of Ministers and use NATO to take over EU which was so obvious. Why EU politicians refused to cut a deal with UK after BreXit and caused so many problems is risible - the UK would obviously use Baltic States and Poland to stir the pot Lithuania had been stirring in Ukraine for years (which us why Honorary Lithuanian Consul was liquidated years back)
Now EU is totally under thumb of NATO and Russia can now point out how EU was only ever a cipher for NATO and USA and that UK is director of strategy in Europe. Using Poland and Baltics UK has outflanked Germany which will dismember its own economy and isolated France. Very astute politics and so very easy.
Germany is trapped. China thought it had a deal with Merkel on an Investment Treaty and Germany would be a gateway into sidelining USA in EU - now US and UK have scotched that and EU is now a defined colony of USA with a new burins iron curtain to cut off the EU link to Eurasia.
China will invest in Mariupol once that Azovstal environmental disaster is expunged and it will be a major port and resort at the end of the tramline from Shanghai with a new port to service Med and Rotterdam.
Germany will lose its manufacturing and be reliant on its reputation for Customer Service in the new Deindustrialised Futureworld with a very soft Euro
Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Apr 27 2022 12:33 utc | 26
@ Rasta | 10:45 utc | 2
If that was really the intention of Chancellor Scholz than I really underestimated him.
If that's true, then you are one of the only people on this blog who "underestimated" him.
Chancellor Scholz has--since his ascension to the Chancellorship--been caught between the Scylla (NAT) and Charybdis (The US) throughout the entire conflict the US manufactured in Ukraine, starting back in 2014.
That tension has been an acute point of discussion, here on this blog.
Germany is a significant weak point in NATO fannnnnntasies about what might-or-might-not happen in Ukraine.
Apparently, the US believes that West Germans exert a significantly stronger hold over policy than East Germans--presumably based upon past performance indices established back during the Destruction of Yugoslavia.
Also apparently: that presumption is wrong.
Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | Apr 27 2022 12:41 utc | 27
F-104 Starfighter was called the 'widowmaker'. Not widows of troops it may have targeted -- widows of the pilots that flew them.
I know you were just being sarcastic, but didn't Germany and Holland load off their Starfighters to Turkey, that needed them to fight Kurds?
So long ago...
Posted by: bjd | Apr 27 2022 12:43 utc | 28
Rybar's analysis of the Transnistria situation...from their Telegram channel...
What is happening in Transnistria?For the third day on the territory of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, acts of sabotage are taking place, for which no one wants to take responsibility.
And most of all, the Ukrainian side denies its involvement.
She is helped in this by President Maia Sandu, who publicly links the terrorist attacks in Transnistria "with opposing forces within the region."
But let's go in order.25th of April
According to the media (https://t.me/rusputnikmd/22686), around 17.15, a sabotage group crosses the border with Pridnestrovie in the Novovladimirovka region (only 8 km from Tiraspol), launches a grenade attack (https://t.me/rybar /31767) of the MGB building and returns back along the same route.Around 23.00 there are reports (https://t.me/rusputnikmd/22619) about explosions in a military unit in the village of Parkany, less than 10 km from the site of the last terrorist attack.
26 April
Two explosions occur on the territory of the Pridnestrovian TV and Radio Center (https://t.me/mvdpmr/13093): the first at 6.40, the second at 7.05.
As a result, the two most powerful PTRTs antennas, which relayed Russian radio, were disabled.On the eve of the incident, a report appeared on one of the Ukrainian Telegram channels about the transfer of four modern thermal imagers to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. One of them is received by a "mobile group in the city of Podolsk, patrolling the border with Transnistria."
This confirms the active activity of the DRG of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the area where the last two terrorist attacks were carried out.April 27
At night, several UAVs launched from the territory of Ukraine are noticed in the sky over the village of Kolbasna (https://t.me/mvdpmr/13113).At 8:45 am, shots from small arms are heard in the area of the settlement.
According to eyewitnesses (https://t.me/pridnestrovec/19292), shooting is being carried out from the Ukrainian village of Stanislavka.
Such acts of sabotage and terrorist attacks will continue in the near future, and their intensity and scale will most likely increase. After the plan to protect Transnistria announced by Russian officials, the region could not help but flare up. Confirmed information about the formation and transfer of armored personnel carriers from Poland to the territory of Romania with subsequent entry into Moldova is another confirmation of this.
Of course, there are ambitions to capture thermal power plants and hydroelectric power stations. There is a military warehouse in Kolbasny (however, the stocks there are very far from the declared ones, since the place is “bread”, if you know what we mean). [MY NOTE: I assume this implies the stocks are being sold off illegally to arms buyers.]
Pridnestrovie is also important as a symbol: no one will look at the fact that both the leadership of the PMR and the Moldovan authorities have long been oriented towards Russia. This is a “place staked out by Russia”. And this is a vulnerable sore point that will be put under pressure.
Map in high resolution
(https://i.ibb.co/rbVwyv2/25-27.jpg) # Moldova # Transnistria # Russia # Ukraine
@rybar
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 27 2022 12:46 utc | 29
Just a pre-emptive strike, here:
"East Germans" does not, in my estimation, equal "Former Nazis."
Pretty much any sane person who understands post-war WWII politics in the Soviet bloc knows that Nazis--first and foremost--were exterminated without regret.
Rather like North American Indigenous peoples were exterminated by the Anglo-Norman leadership--except that Nazis were political people who loved killing people, while the Indigenous peoples were begging to be allowed to exist.
Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | Apr 27 2022 12:50 utc | 30
From Sputnik News Telegram channel...
Several Ukrainian reconnaissance drones have already been shot down over Russian territory.Another drone was destroyed that night near Voronezh. The situation was commented on by military expert Sputnik Alexander Khrolenko @AKhrolenko.
Today's night work of air defense in the Belgorod, Kursk and Voronezh regions is an indicator of the effectiveness of air defense. Ukrainian UAVs do not return to the base. Even a relatively small reconnaissance drone on the outskirts of Voronezh failed to complete the task.
The air defense system in the western border regions of Russia is designed mainly for large air targets — cruise and ballistic missiles, aircraft, heavy drones.
Military facilities and nuclear power plants, military-industrial complex enterprises are more reliably protected.
US and NATO reconnaissance and targeting aircraft (AWACS type) help to lay routes bypassing dense air defense zones and fly hundreds of kilometers over the territory of the Russian Federation. They transmit maps of radar fields in western Russia to the APU online around the clock.
Therefore, it is important to continue actively destroying base airfields, AFU combat control points, supply logistics, railway bridges — on the territory of Ukraine.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 27 2022 13:02 utc | 31
Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Apr 27 2022 12:33 utc | 27
"China will invest in Mariupol once that Azovstal environmental disaster is expunged and it will be a major port and resort at the end of the tramline from Shanghai with a new port to service Med and Rotterdam."
Agreed, except Odessa might be the resort. Or China builds a few dozen new ones in a few months just because they can...
Posted by: Scorpion | Apr 27 2022 13:06 utc | 32
More from Sputnik News Telegram channel on Transnistria... Re the Ukrainian statement about missile attacks, I think we can assume that's their next step...
According to Pridnestrovie, the situation by this hour:The perpetrators of the terrorist attacks were caught on video cameras, there is clear evidence that they then left for Ukraine — the Foreign Ministry of Pridnestrovie.
The Bureau for the Reintegration of Moldova — the solution of the Transnistrian conflict excludes military and military actions, it is possible only by peaceful means. This is a response to the statements of the adviser to the office of the President of Ukraine Arestovich, he called on Chisinau to attack Transnistria.
The Operational Command "South" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine declares that "provocations with missile strikes on Transnistria are allegedly being prepared in order to blame Ukraine." In turn, the Ukrainian Armed Forces accuse Russia of preparing provocations.
The head of the administration of the village of Kolbasna said that "drones fly every day." One of them hovered over ammunition depots, then flew away towards Ukraine.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 27 2022 13:06 utc | 33
NATO appears to have taken the opportunity to 'arm' Kiev as the greatest demil exercise of all time. Apart from the lighter/man-portable armament, the rest is ancient junk that would have been quite costly to finally dispose of legally, and the Germans have led in this Euro fly-tipping game. Even though, it must be said that, after sending 30+ years old Strelas that the Bundeswehr had deemed risky to use, now these Gepards make their efforts to look as if they are helping Ukraine without pissing off Moscow blatant. But to be honest, their effrontery towards their NATO-handlers is almost endearing.
Posted by: Cunctator | Apr 27 2022 13:07 utc | 34
There’s an entire air force for the giving at the Flugausstellung Junior near Hermeskeil.
Posted by: Cato the Uncensored | Apr 27 2022 13:10 utc | 35
I wonder if this type of thing ever happen in the five eyes.
A party in the Netherlands is interested in the origin of $ 850 million from ZelenskyThe Dutch conservative party Forum voor Democratie is interested in the origin of the $850 million fortune of Volodymyr Zelensky. The political force announced the assets of the politician for such an amount on April 25.
“According to various estimates, Zelensky’s fortune is estimated at $850 million. He did not receive most of this amount until he became president,” the party said on its Twitter page.
The political force continued that the origin of these funds is unclear.
“And more importantly, what are they going for?” – concluded in the party.
At the end of March, members of the Forum for Democracy party refused to listen to the online speech of the President of Ukraine in the parliament of their country and did not take part in subsequent debates. They stated that they consider it inappropriate to make a “saint” out of the Ukrainian leader and take his side in the conflict based on emotions.
As pointed out in the party, the Dutch Parliament is “not a platform for unilateral statements.” The deputies recalled that Zelensky’s name appears in the very dubious “Panama Dossier” in connection with financial fraud. In addition, the military of his army often pose with Nazi symbols.
Earlier, a similar situation occurred in Italy, where parliamentarians from the 5 Star Movement and League parties, guided by the principle of equality, suggested that after the speech of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 22 in the country’s parliament, they should be invited to speak by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
...
https://thenewsglory.com/a-party-in-the-netherlands-is-interested-in-the-origin-of-850-million-from-zelensky/
Posted by: Sundial | Apr 27 2022 13:10 utc | 36
From Intel Slave Z Telegram channel... Nice hit!
On April 26 at 11:00 a.m., a Kalibr cruise missile hit a secret neo-Nazi training center disguised on the territory of the Zaporozhye aluminum plant.Up to 1,500 militants were trained on its territory under the leadership of 60 British mercenaries, as well as British SAS troops. The fact of the attack is carefully concealed by the Ukrainian intelligence agency.
A cyberattack carried out by our units on the servers of healthcare institutions in the Zaporozhye region made it possible to collect information on the number of those killed and wounded.
So far 523 killed and 347 wounded.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 27 2022 13:12 utc | 37
From Pepe Escobar's Telegram channel forwarded from another... Who knows if these figures are correct? I'm doubtful anyone knows. But if true, it's impressive.
Pepe Escobar [4/27/22 6:11 AM]
[Forwarded from Eurasia & Multipolarity]
So far the Russian Army has used for its special military operation in Ukraine:
_ 12% of its soldiers (total includes trained draftees)
_ 10% of its fighter jets
_ 7% of its tanks
_ 5% of its missiles
_ 4% of its artillery
And keeps advancing on a daily basis.
We can discuss about the decision to opt for this kind of limited intervention in terms of losses but it's still a success no matter if the pace is slower than some expected.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 27 2022 13:17 utc | 38
It’s either right or wrong. Bowing to pressure is sheer moral cowardice.
Posted by: Lou | Apr 27 2022 13:21 utc | 39
Mutti picked Scholz and left Germany in as safe hands as possible with the coalition’s it requires. PR is messy but warts and all it is better than any other western democratic system devised.
Ukraine is just another play of the same old avarice - as so beautifully simply stated by Elijah Magnier today of the history of Hitlers rise. These Germans who suffered and remember will be rightly working at avoiding being sacrificed yet again.
Posted by: DunGroanin | Apr 27 2022 13:24 utc | 40
@ Jen #4
"I suspect that the offloading of old and outdated weaponry, ammunition, tanks and other materiel onto Ukraine by NATO members is part of a deal or a plan in which NATO members agree to buy US replacements for ageing junk they otherwise can't get rid of for lack of space in their own territories,"
Only half the story of the scam. Yes, to replace the junk, they will order modern replacements. But the key element of the plan is that the cost of modern replacement equipment will then be back-charged to Russia the Aggressor and they expect to be re-imbursed from frozen Russian money.
Great scam.
But I am sure that in any settlement Russia will require Ukraine to indemnify it for any such amounts deducted from its frozen funds, so in the end the Rump Ukrainians will be screwed two times, 1 They get junk, 2 They get to pay modern prices for the replacements.
Posted by: Ltexpat | Apr 27 2022 13:35 utc | 42
"East Germans" does not, in my estimation, equal "Former Nazis."
I am frankly astounded ! Why "Nazis" should be associated with East Germany in particular eludes me. It is true there was a youth movement of Neo-Nazis in GDR expressing antipathy towards SED regime, which in itself is funny as 33% SED membership in 1950s was former-Nazis.
It is true also that camps like KZ Buchenwald contained postwar a "Special Camp" where SMERSH and SMAD executed and cremated political "heretics" which obviously included Nazis. However many of the Buchenwald camp doctors had wonderful careers in postwar West Germany as doctors and died of old age.
Germany both East and West was riddled with Nazis at all levels of administration, military, Intelligence, judiciary, Daimler-Benz - but it is a fact that Eastern Germany is not anti-Russian or pro-SPD.
It maybe the huge War Memorial in Leipzig 1813 to Russian war dead fighting Napoleon or the plethora of Soviet war cemeteries across Eastern Germany. - there are none in West Germany and the mass-graves for Soviet POWs murdered are neglected and hidden away in forests so few visit.
The biggest Soviet helicopter base outside USSR was outside Weimar where 8th Guards Army was stationed. Carl Zeiss in Jena produced optical systems for T-72 tanks........Russian was taught in schools........moreover the Russians withdrew without a shot being fired and the US was not permitted to establish bases in Eastern Germany by 2+4 Treaty
Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Apr 27 2022 13:47 utc | 43
Allies from 40 nations met to bolster Kyiv’s defence against Moscow during an April 26 meeting called by the US at its Ramstein airbase in southwestern Germany.
At the talks, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said Berlin has agreed to give the go-ahead to the delivery of used Gepard anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine.
The move towards heavy weapons deliveries marked a turning point from Germany’s timid backing for Kyiv which has put Chancellor Olaf Scholz under fire at home and abroad.
Lambrecht admitted that the Bundeswehr’s weapons stocks are limited, but said it will turn to the inventory of Germany’s armaments manufacturers.
“Ukraine orders and Germany pays,” she said.. . .here
Posted by: d | Apr 27 2022 13:49 utc | 44
Mutti picked Scholz and left Germany in as safe hands as possible with the coalition’s it requires.
Are you afflicted with madness ?
Scholz is Leader of SPD
Merkel was Leader of CDU
Since when has the Leader of one political party chosen the Leader of the other political party ?
Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Apr 27 2022 13:49 utc | 45
Exporting scrap metal from Ukraine to India/China for recycling and processing is going to be big business for a few years. It will easily replace the lost production from Astoval.
Posted by: Opport Knocks | Apr 27 2022 14:00 utc | 46
. . .the Washington BS. . .
U.S. will accept 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing war, Biden says
“Many Ukrainian refugees will wish to stay in Europe, closer to their homes, but we’ll also welcome 100,000 Ukrainians to the United States with a focus on reuniting families,” Biden said. . . .here March 24.
. . .the actual. . .
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) visited Tijuana on April 13 to better understand and observe the situation for Ukrainians at the border. . .Mexican officials and Ukrainians in the shelter confirmed that it has become nearly impossible to present yourself at an embassy in Europe and obtain a visa as a Ukrainian to travel directly to the United States. Instead, the easiest pathway to enter the United States at this time appears to be through Tijuana, creating a migration pathway from Europe through Mexico. In order to enter Mexico, Ukrainians . . .here
Posted by: Don Bacon | Apr 27 2022 14:00 utc | 47
Great site! Thanks to b. With all the talk of the obtuse move by Germany to provide weapons to the neo nazi Ukraine army, I can feel for those who experienced WWII, however, what of China? IMO this may indeed be a proxy war by China. Is it just a coincidence that this operation began just days after a meet between Putin and Xi. The west and NATO seem to be in their own existential war of survival. We are indeed in the throws of WWIII. The military industrial complex is the only party in the west that is winning. I hope that the world will see the sense in negotiating. If only the west had diplomats like Lavrov who understand "raison de'tre". I am truly sickened by the vacuous news networks that peddle the lies they are given without question or investigation. I don't agree with war...but I'm not a Russian speaking resident of the Donbas.
Posted by: Tobias | Apr 27 2022 14:02 utc | 48
@ James | Apr 27 2022 12:18 utc | 23
I completely agree but obviously that isn't the plot that our deranged overlords had in mind.
Posted by: MarkU | Apr 27 2022 14:05 utc | 49
It's escalator time. . .
“Mysterious Explosions Throughout Russia, Belgorod Ammunition Depot on Fire”
Posted by: Don Bacon | Apr 27 2022 14:07 utc | 50
This thread is so good, interesting info on Transnistria; the news from RSH is great, thank you. Paul Greenwood, Pacifica Advocate, yes and yes and I gotta go; too bad for me!
Posted by: Circe | Apr 27 2022 14:12 utc | 51
Stingers come up short. . .
from DefenseOne
It will be years before Raytheon Technologies can build new Stinger shoulder-fired missiles due to a dwindling supply of weapons parts, the company’s CEO said Tuesday.
The U.S. has shipped Stingers to Ukraine’s military, which has used them to shoot down Russian aircraft. But there’s only a finite supply as Raytheon has not made Stinger missiles for the U.S. military in nearly two decades. . .here
Posted by: Don Bacon | Apr 27 2022 14:14 utc | 52
The Daily Beast reports about some Aleksey, son of Mariupol cinematographer Olga Novikova, who was kidnapped and for who 5000 euro ransom is asked. The article suggests it could be rogue soldiers from the DPR.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-troops-to-desperate-mom-pay-ransom-or-well-send-your-sons-execution-video
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2022/04/25/they-promised-to-kill-him-and-send-me-a-video
Posted by: Wim | Apr 27 2022 14:21 utc | 53
It’s either right or wrong. Bowing to pressure is sheer moral cowardice.Posted by: Lou | Apr 27 2022 13:21 utc | 40
Not in geopolitics. Fulfilling a directive in a manner that subverts the objective is called "living to fight another day".
Posted by: Opport Knocks | Apr 27 2022 14:21 utc | 54
Posted by: Debsisdead | Apr 27 2022 11:26 utc | 14
Thanks for that brilliant video by Matt Orfalea. Everyone should watch it.
Posted by: farm ecologist | Apr 27 2022 14:22 utc | 55
Posted by: Don Bacon | Apr 27 2022 14:00 utc | 48
The US will not give most of those Ukrainians a refugee status. Instead they will be allowed under a humanitarian parole program that only allows them to stay for two years.
Posted by: Wim | Apr 27 2022 14:24 utc | 56
Switzerland can’t control what Germany does with the ammunition; as the latter can simply lie on where they went. They can say we used it here in Germany for practice. It wouldnt be the first time that countries lie about where they resell or ship arms. It is an open secret in geopolitics and government that this happens all the time.
However, I agree ,Ukraine will likely never see too many of these to use in anger for the reasons of long training, uselessness of the design and interdiction by the Russians.
Posted by: Brother Ma | Apr 27 2022 14:26 utc | 57
Fighter Jets
.. .from Sandboxx. . .
Ukraine is flying more MiG-29s than it did a few weeks ago. This shows that two months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the skies are still contested.
The Russian Aerospace Forces have failed to achieve air dominance for several reasons. As a result, despite the overwhelming superiority of its Russian counterpart, the Ukrainian Air Force is flying dozens of fighter and attack aircraft more than 60 days into the conflict.
The Pentagon: “I would just say without getting into what other nations are providing that they have received additional platforms and parts to be able to increase their fleet size—their aircraft fleet size, I think I’d leave it at that. Platforms and parts,” the Pentagon press secretary said.
Not only are the Ukrainians flying dozens of aircraft, but they are also flying them increasingly more because other nations have been helping.
Ukrainians wrote a cryptic sentence that leaves some room for speculation.
“With the assistance of the US Government, the Ukrainian Air Force received spare parts and components for the restoration and repair of the fleet of aircraft in the Armed Forces, which will allow to put into service more equipment,” the Ukrainian Air Force said on Twitter. . .here
Posted by: Don Bacon | Apr 27 2022 14:26 utc | 58
@ Wim 57
Ukrainians are not allowed to enter the US is the point, so the "we’ll also welcome 100,000 Ukrainians to the United States" is Biden BS.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Apr 27 2022 14:32 utc | 59
Doctorow is monitoring Russian public opinion.
https://gilbertdoctorow.com/
Posted by: bevin | Apr 27 2022 14:34 utc | 60
[email protected]'t that the meat and potatoes....from the start we do not who, from where and how many NATOistas, have gone to their just rewards. May well explain the hysterical yelping coming from the West.
Cheers M
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Apr 27 2022 14:35 utc | 61
When will the first AVACS be shot down?
It’s a mercenary device an a legitimate target.
Posted by: njet | Apr 27 2022 14:36 utc | 62
"There are probably less than ten people in the current Bundeswehr who still know how to operate and maintain a Gepard. There is thus little chance to find German crews for them."
I dare say there are ex-Bundeswehr mercenaries out there who know how to use them. Additionally, according to the the wiki page for this piece of equipment, Brazil, Jordan and Romania are included on the list of current operators of the vehicle. Qatar is on the list of future operators of the vehicle and Belgium, Netherlands and Chile are listed as former operators.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flakpanzer_Gepard
I think it would be naive to imagine that trained crew and ammunition will be unobtainable.
Posted by: MarkU | Apr 27 2022 14:39 utc | 63
The EU is rupturing.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned companies not to bend to Russia’s demands to pay for gas in rubles, as the continent scrambles to respond to Moscow’s move to start switching off supplies. This is this "an instrument of blackmail" she said.
Two countries followed her edict, and the gas has been shut off for Poland and Bularia. Bloomberg reports citing a person close to Russian gas giant Gazprom, that already Europe's fake united front is cracking as four European gas buyers have already paid for supplies in rubles as Russia demanded.
Might one of them be Germany?
FRANKFURT, April 26 (Reuters) - German utility Uniper (UN01.DE) on Tuesday reported a 3 billion euro ($3.2 billion) net loss for the first quarter, citing impairment charges related to its Russian unit Unipro (UPRO.MM) and its involvement in the suspended Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
And reports are that ten European companies have already opened the accounts at Gazprombank needed to meet President Vladimir Putin’s payment demands.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Apr 27 2022 14:56 utc | 64
In addition to what B notes, how would the "tanks" or any other large weapons systems be delivered to the UKR military? My understanding is that the Russians have destroyed all strategic railroad junctures. Trucks? I don't think so. Even if UKR had sufficient trucks of the right model for the job, they'd be extremely vulnerable on the roads.
The whole concept is a ridiculous charade. Every day the war drags on more people die and Zelensky gets wealthier by pocketing a skim from all of the aid he is receiving. The comic becomes wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. So much better than playing piano with his penis for a living. I'm sure some of the skim goes back to the Big Man (Biden) and friends.
Posted by: Eric Newhill | Apr 27 2022 14:57 utc | 65
https://www.rt.com/business/554553-russia-ruble-gold-standard/
Russia moving closer to a gold standard – official
Russian experts are working on a project to create a two-loop monetary and financial system in the country, Secretary of the Security Council Nikolay Patrushev said on Tuesday, in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.He explained that the project involves the provision of the Russian currency with both gold and a range of goods representing a currency value. As a result, the ruble exchange rate would correspond to its real purchasing power parity, he said.
To ensure the sovereignty of any national financial system, it is necessary that its means of payment have intrinsic value and price stability, and is not tied to the dollar, Patrushev said.
Another important condition for Russian economic security is the restructuring of its economy based on modern technologies, he added.
“We are not against a market economy … but … the West allows other countries to be its partner only when it is beneficial for it,” Patrushev stressed, noting that Russia’s development should be based on its internal potential.
On March 25, the Bank of Russia announced a fixed price for buying gold with rubles. It set a price of 5,000 rubles ($59 at the time) for a gram of gold.
The security secretary also stressed that Washington was trying to solve its problems at the expense of the rest of the world, thereby creating a “human-induced global crisis.” And its European allies would be the first to suffer from those actions, Patrushev said.
While the White House is discussing a possible default by Russia, the situation is such that “it’s time for them to declare their own default,” Patrushev said, pointing out that the US’ external debt has exceeded $30 trillion.
Posted by: Sundial | Apr 27 2022 15:01 utc | 66
https://t.me/dimsmirnov175/32845
Putin: I would like to emphasize once again that if someone intends to interfere in the events taking place from the outside and creates threats of a strategic nature unacceptable to Russia, they should know that our retaliatory strikes will be lightning fast. We have all the tools for this. Such as no one can boast of now. And we won't brag. We will use them if necessary. And I want everyone to know about it - we have made all the decisions on this matter!
Posted by: Norwegian | Apr 27 2022 15:01 utc | 67
Thank you for this post, b, and for your personal reflections. My father's regiment in WW2 was focussed on anti-aircraft weaponry. My only memory of seeing part of the equipment was a visit to a military complex in New Zealand as a youngster. He put me in the rotating seat of the enormous anti-aircraft gun structure - unforgettable experience. I must have been ten years old at the time.
There is a place somewhere in the deserts of Libya or Tunisia where all the weaponry from WW2 operations in North Africa were parked. In the desert, metal doesn't rust - my son has discovered this attribute visiting the junk yard for parts for his car here in New Mexico. Does Ukraine have a desert region?
Posted by: juliania | Apr 27 2022 15:03 utc | 68
B,
My strong impression has been for a while that you and your blog are German military intelligence. But before this Ukraine invasion, I couldn't really put the pieces together.
What an actual blog purporting to provide MoA services would be looking at (besides providing a Western outlet for "Tankies") should be the dynamics of German Russian relations in context of total capitulation of Germany in WW II and subsequent 'bitch' status of USSR and USA cum NATO.
Tell us about Schroeder and "non-Nazi" German long term plan to use (yet another) secret German Russian agreement to get US out of Europe. NS2 and all that.
As for the jokers who claim Ukrainians are manipulated to fight for their country, you and your ever present voice on MoA do a great deal to hammer the final nails in the credibility of this German 'outlet'. Ukraine is about to PISS on Stalingrad and the Great Patriotic War of the every whining Russians.
Posted by: ping | Apr 27 2022 15:06 utc | 69
Don Bacon | Apr 27 2022 14:26 utc | 59
Although my flying experience is only in GA aircraft, it has always been a integral part of my flight planning to have both an airstrip to take off from and an airstrip to land on.
Posted by: Eric Blair | Apr 27 2022 15:24 utc | 70
The idiocy of the EU. Poland gets its gas shut off so many minions scramble to get gazprom accounts. Polands gas gets paid through another countries account and its gas is turned on again. Idiots no doubt paying high spot prices plus a middlemans fee to the third country.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 27 2022 15:24 utc | 71
Ukraine is about to PISS on Stalingrad and the Great Patriotic War of the every whining Russians.
Posted by: ping | Apr 27 2022 15:06 utc | 70
Can you elaborate or back this statement up in any way?
Posted by: Wook | Apr 27 2022 15:27 utc | 72
What is relevant in this story is not the effectiveness or not of the armored vehicle, whether it's a tank or not, but it's all about a change of bias. What really matters is Germany putting its hand on the red-hot boiler.
Posted by: Célio | Apr 27 2022 15:28 utc | 73
I wonder, are any of those decision making centers in London or Brussels or DC area?
Posted by: jared | Apr 27 2022 15:37 utc | 74
Célio | Apr 27 2022 15:28 utc | 74
I believe there was something happening to remove Scholz for not sending weapons to Ukraine. The Greens are too dumb to know what he just done but I think the Russians will have picked up on the move. The warmongers in Germany will be happy because a bit of unusable military scrap gets to the border of Ukraine and Scholz keeps his job.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 27 2022 15:40 utc | 75
I would thing that Russia would be justified in adding a surcharge on exports to recover expenses of siezed assets and ns2 project - where they have pricing leeway.
Posted by: jared | Apr 27 2022 15:45 utc | 76
They could be retrofitted with trailer hitches, and be used for hauling old WW1 cannons around the country... minus the ammo?
Posted by: Steve Abbott | Apr 27 2022 15:54 utc | 77
@ Posted by: ping | Apr 27 2022 15:06 utc | 70
The Ukrainian people should look to thier own government and themselves for the source of thier troubles. They have a right to make thier own choices, but must live with the results.
To this day, Russia is open to a negotiated settlement - which would leave what remains of Ukraine to pursue its own economic interests.
Posted by: jared | Apr 27 2022 15:55 utc | 78
Polands gas gets paid through another countries account and its gas is turned on again. Idiots no doubt paying high spot prices plus a middlemans fee to the third country.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 27 2022 15:24 utc | 72
Russia said that it would service existing contracts, not that it would be ready to massively upgrade the quantity of gas delivered to Germany for example so that it could be re-diverted to Poland. Poland might, though, do like Ukraine did, and simply siphon off gas crossing its territory in one of the pipelines. But then other neighbouring countries would be in deficit.
Posted by: laguerre | Apr 27 2022 15:57 utc | 79
Camouflage-Green Party.
With the TreeHugging Trampoline Gymnast Baerbock.
ROTFL!
Nice One, Bernhard.
EU had the Equestrian Social Affairs Minister riding her way up to Defense Minister and President.
Principal Folly of Western Govts - Failure to require Govt Positions involving the Military and Veterans to be filled by A)Veterans and B)Require Family/Relatives of such Officials and Military Staff to be in the Active Military/Reserves.
In other words, the "Skin in the Game Policy" for Senior Govt Officials and Military High Command.
Posted by: IronForge | Apr 27 2022 15:59 utc | 80
A most interesting development.
Sadly, given the vehicles spec's. Max effective engagement range is around 4K. Equals zero competition! For the longer range standoff modern tank killer missiles. The retired obsolete tanks designed for last centuries wars. Are just fresh additional cannon fodder for the Ukraine battlefront............
Stupid is as stupid does............
Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | Apr 27 2022 16:01 utc | 81
Anyone who believes ukistan has "dozens" of fighter jets needs their heads examined. But that is typical of the online community that is waging its own war in their pajamas.
Posted by: nook | Apr 27 2022 16:08 utc | 82
The EU is rupturing
Posted by: Don Bacon | Apr 27 2022 14:56 utc | 65
Meanwhile, the head of German energy supplier Eon, Karl-Ludwig Kley, demands gas to be distributed to industry first, private households may freeze. here (in german). I wonder if this is a wake-up call loud enough for the german public.
----
When will the first AVACS be shot down?
It’s a mercenary device an a legitimate target.
Posted by: njet | Apr 27 2022 14:36 utc | 63
Maybe if they enter ukrainian or Russian airspace, otherwise I have serious doubts that the Russains risk an escalation.
Posted by: TomD | Apr 27 2022 16:09 utc | 83
Don Bacon @ 53: great to hear the USA is finally disarming.
Posted by: Bill Notclinton | Apr 27 2022 16:12 utc | 84
The former EU employee that now runs Moldova will quickly cry for Nato to come to their Aid. The Romanian army will be invited to set up bases next to Transneistria and the bitch that runs Moldova will get a huge check in the mail. 15 countries sendin arms to Ukraine and another 10 or 20 that will continue the Hate propaganda towards the Russians. Let's see how many send troops into the fight.
Even the Jews are crying that Russia is a War Criminal - lol Russia needs to set up one way flights to Tel Aviv and start cleanin House.
Posted by: GMC | Apr 27 2022 16:16 utc | 85
Posted by: laguerre | Apr 27 2022 15:57 utc | 80
Poland might, though, do like Ukraine did, and simply siphon off gas crossing its territory in one of the pipelines.
That is a fascinating scenario.......do explain.
Yamal Pipeline cuts off supply in Belarus so no gas flows to Poland.
If Germany chooses to buy additional gas through Nordstream 1 (as if Russia would not notice a spot price bid) then Poland would be back-fed from Germany from German end of Yamal.
Yamal Pipeline in Poland is 50:50 Polish-Gazprom ownership so Poland would be liable for transit fees which it would not/could not pay...........so Germany could face limits from Russia to contracted volumes only
Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Apr 27 2022 16:17 utc | 86
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 27 2022 15:40 utc | 76
I cannot see Scholz should lose his job having only been elected in Sept 2021 and only been in the new Coalition since December. Since his party is the largest grouping in the Coalition and the CDU is getting creamed in State elections it seems hard to envisage Merz getting himself into office with Greens and FDP. - unless of course he joins up with AfD
Scholz has a very strong hand if he wants to play it. Lindner is destroying his party with wild spending plans and the prospect of higher interest rates to prop up the valueless Euro (no energy backing for Euro and only German budget discipline and trade surplus)
Baerbock has yet to see how shoppers react to empty shelves and rising energy/transport/food costs. - so far the regime in Berlin has done nothing to help ordinary families
Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Apr 27 2022 16:23 utc | 87
This is not world war 2. Tanks do not play vital role in a war any more.
Posted by: Man | Apr 27 2022 16:23 utc | 88
#---Rasta | Apr 27 2022 10:45 utc | 2
----The Gepard looks fency and powerful at first sight, like a real tank to the public audience, but in reality it is just a playtoy only capable of ---terrorizing civilians in a village.
---Still I wonder what the purpose is for NATO countries in general to pump weapons into Ukraine?
I'm afraid you just answered your own question. Terrorizing civilians in villages is our kind of warfare.
Posted by: Anne B | Apr 27 2022 16:25 utc | 89
Ruble @ 73.5. Does someone know which side is winning?
Posted by: oldhippie | Apr 27 2022 16:30 utc | 90
Olaf has a good sense of the dangerous path some idiots want him to follow.
Doing his best to stop the escalation protocol being enacted.
Posted by: Jpc | Apr 27 2022 16:31 utc | 91
I was never a fan of Democracy Now, but back in 2006 there were one of the few outlets critical of the Iraq war I'm not sure what happened between then and now but somewhere along the way they abandoned the Anti-war position and now they have not only embraced war as a tool of humanitarian intervention but are even worse than the mainstream media in promoting lies and misinformation, they are still true believers in Russia-gate, Ukraine-gate, the Biden laptop is "Russian misinformation" all of it. But now they reached a new peak in Russophobe madness. They have Alfred McCoy on and he is just flat out lying to the audience saying that Germany has refused to pay rubbles for Gas, that Putin has already capitulated, Russia is bluffing and that the EU can just "withhold" 20% of their gas payments and use this to pay for Ukrainian reconstruction.
I've said it before, but the entire concept of a Democracy is that an informed populous, making informed decisions about policies which are then carried out as per the agreed decision will produce the best results for the people. If the media lies to the populous about basic facts, censors alternative views and places the importance of narrative spin over actual reality. It doesn't just fatally undermine the concept and value of democracy as a system, it will produce disastrous, reckless, uninformed decisions that will fail at all levels. All of these hacks will be long dead by the time their failures are obvious, but we will be stuck with the results of those failures are decades
Posted by: Kadath | Apr 27 2022 16:31 utc | 92
Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Apr 27 2022 16:23 utc | 88
Mmmh, not so sure. CDU/CSU + FDP + Olive Greens have 407 seats of 736 in total. If all the war mongers unite, they can topple Scholz. FDP is anyway more inclined to the right, and the greens join with everyone that pushes us to war.
Posted by: TomD | Apr 27 2022 16:33 utc | 93
we will be stuck with the results of those failures are decades
Posted by: Kadath | Apr 27 2022 16:31 utc | 93
maybe centuries. depending on how radioactive a particular location is.
Posted by: pretzelattack | Apr 27 2022 16:34 utc | 94
From IntelSlava
🇬🇧🇺🇦😂 London betrayed Kyiv: During the operation in Ukraine, Britain imported Russian oil for 220 million pounds - about 1.9 million barrels:“The British government is no stranger to hypocrisy, but to promise ‘unwavering support’ to Ukraine while simultaneously shipping almost 2 million barrels of Russian oil is utter hypocrisy even by Boris Johnson’s standards,” Independent, citing a new Greenpeace study.
Posted by: Down South | Apr 27 2022 16:39 utc | 95
[email protected], parked in the desert. A friend had two cousins, both engineers, working in Iraq for a US company using German boring machines. Two year contract that was abruptly stopped after Iran blowed up the US base there. Sometimes they'd be stuck in bomb shelters for days, such was the rain of mortars coming from the Iraqis. The boring machines were used to bore tunnels under the desert, the tunnels are wide enough for two large military trucks to drive past each other. They were in the neighbourhood of 24 km long. They bored two tunnels like that, then parked all military their equipment there. Now if only some Iraqi could figure out how to flood the tunnels.....that'd be funny.
Cheers M
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Apr 27 2022 16:42 utc | 96
Posted by: Anne B | Apr 27 2022 16:25 utc | 90
You made my day, Anne, I am still hoping that there is some humanity in the western elite world so I did not think of that.
Regarding Olaf Scholz...He is trying to keep the balance between servitude and deescalation. I think he has some serious stuff for being blackmailed (CumEx, Wirecard,...) so he tries to go as far as he can but not too far so that somebody pulls the trigger.
Having a green Bundeskanzler would be a real catastrophy, Merz from CDU is also quite close to NATO, Blackrock angloamerican elite.
Interesting times and I hope that NATO is not doing some stupid shit over Transnistria, since there are russian soldiers stationed.
Regarding Mariupol, my only hope is that the psychopathic Ukro-Nazies realize that they were abandoned or wanted dead (to cary their secrets into their graves) so the act as egoistic as they are and surrender and start talking...of course leaving the civilians go to save their asses from severe prosecution by russian juristiction.
Hope is the last thing that dies...
Posted by: Rasta | Apr 27 2022 16:55 utc | 97
Thierry Meysen reports that purges are under way:
"The governor of the Ukrainian oblast of Mikolayiv, Vitaly Kim, closely linked to President Volodimir Zelensky, announced on April 21, on the Ukraine 24 television channel, that " all traitors will be executed " , before specifying: « I can't find a more appropriate word ».
Governor Vitaly Kim defined as " traitors " those who question President Zelensky's policy.
The police of the Ukrainian oblast of Mikolayiv have already proceeded to arrest citizens who distributed flyers calling to celebrate the upcoming anniversary of the defeat of fascism, the historical event that ended the Second World War.
Governor Vitaly Kim indicated that a Ukrainian state service has already started hunting for people included in the category of " opposition traitors ".
Posted by: bevin | Apr 27 2022 17:06 utc | 98
Posted by: Jimmy | Apr 27 2022 11:22 utc | 13
"As soon as any Ukrainian SAM that can go higher turns on its radar it will immediately be spotted by Russian AWACS an planes with anti radiation missiles will hunt them."
It's not clear if this detection network is in place. However SAM radar is not needed if Ukraine forces still get the NATO feed of the whole airspace. BTW SAM radar can function in a narrow elevation and might not be detected that quickly, depending to where it's being pointed. In combination with spotters and feeds from foreign nations, Russia might not risk to fly over S-300 land. The mobile units are still roaming around and are defended against a simple precision strike. SAM networks can be interlinked over great distances and compatible with various external feeds. This is the main reason it became a ground war. You need to root them out one by one as they are on the move with supporting air defense against standard cruise missile attack. I suppose Kalibr or Iskander can take them out but they started with 250 S-300P/PS/PT and 72 Buk units. Not sure how many are left. Once upon a time Ukraine was the country with the most dense (and effective) SAM network in the whole world. Not much left now but still enough.
Posted by: John Dowser | Apr 27 2022 17:07 utc | 99
#----Posted by: James | Apr 27 2022 12:18 utc | 23
The European countries just need to grow themselves a pair and ditch the U.S. and England, and both NATO and the EU, too. With the U.S. out of Europe, ----everything would settle down. If the U.S. had gone home in 1990, none of what's going on in Ukraine now, would be going on.
Far too many banksters - like Macron and Draghi. They haven't pillaged through yet.
Posted by: Anne B | Apr 27 2022 17:08 utc | 100
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Brill! Starfighters, no less - straight from the museum, no doubt.
Posted by: Merkin Scot | Apr 27 2022 10:43 utc | 1