Only news & views related to the Ukraine conflict …
The open thread for other issues is here.
Back to Main
May 26, 2022
Ukraine Open Thread 2022-74
Comments
Posted by: Michael | May 26 2022 20:42 utc | 98
Fair enough. But would it be necessary to blow up every bridge in Venice, or maybe a far smaller of them that would deny access?
It still sounds like be to me.
Posted by: David F | May 26 2022 20:48 utc | 101
michaelj72 | May 26 2022 14:54 utc | 15
In case you didn’t notice, you just qualified yourself as a warmongering whore.
Posted by: peter | May 26 2022 20:49 utc | 102
Posted by: Karl luck | May 26 2022 20:40 utc | 97
“The columns of tanks to Kiev was clearly a divergence, for I do remember the panic in Kiev.”
Correct. What people don’t understand is that the Kiev operation could very well have been BOTH a feint AND an attempt to panic Kiev into an early surrender. At the very least, such a direct threat to Kiev – even if it was unworkable based on the forces involved – could have panicked the Ukrainian government into doing something stupid, as well as pinning Ukrainian forces in the region.
In other words, it doesn’t have to be a binary event. It always disgusts me how everything has to be turned into a binary argument by people with zero imagination to contemplate how it might actually be both.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 26 2022 20:49 utc | 103
Posted by: John V. Doe | May 26 2022 20:48 utc | 100
I ignore these maps completely. I mostly ignore all the talk about this city or that town captured. The maps are inconsistent and they contradict each other depending on whose map you’re looking at.
The only thing that matters is this: Are the Russians and LDR forces advancing or not overall? That’s it. Temporary tactical position adjustments are commonplace in war. They’re utterly irrelevant unless there are serious personnel or equipment losses associated with them or they indicate an overall retreat.
The Defense Politics Asia guy had some videos up where he played the maps in sequence over the previous month. Those maps show what is actually happening – Russia winning. That’s all one needs to do. The daily stuff is almost worthless absent any analysis in detail of why the moves are made, which are heavily dependent on the strategic, operational and tactical context. Almost none of these map guys have the intelligence to provide any of that.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 26 2022 20:57 utc | 104
This seems significant— from the Twitter account of Dmitry Polyanskiy
“We have counter proposal to our Baltic and Polish colleagues: if you are ashamed of your countries’ participation in disgraceful proxy war in #Ukraine against #Russia until the last Ukrainian we can shelter and protect you. Choose the right side of history before it’s too late!”
https://twitter.com/Dpol_un/status/1529863184923885569
Posted by: Bruised Northerner | May 26 2022 20:59 utc | 105
Paveway IV @ 95
For a caveman you are doing pretty good.
Only real impediment Ukraine would have to producing a bomb would be personnel. You and I can’t tell the players without a program. I will assume RF has a program. My guess would be most capable techs have long since emigrated or aged out. It would not take all that many.
If plutonium is available at all, plutonium would make one heck of a dirty bomb. The stuff is extremely toxic, not just explosive. Very hard to believe US would directly supply plutonium. Sadly stranger things have happened. We don’t know.
Posted by: oldhippie | May 26 2022 21:03 utc | 106
BroncoBilly | May 26 2022 20:38 utc | 94
I think Russian military will be taking notes. This is a different style of war to any before. For current Russian military experience Chechnya and Syria were similar, Georgia was more standard warfare, military not hiding behind civilians, but this is heavy weapons in many places hiding behind civilians working in conjunction with spotting/surveillance drones and US intel.
Larry Johnson’s piece on force multipliers – Ukraine has used that very effectively and I was surprised Russian forces had so little defense against the drones.
Martyanov’s casual dismissal of them saying counter battery radar was all that was required annoyed me a bit. If one side has a drone and the other side has counter battery radar, the side with the radar has to hope to survive the first hit then hope the opposing battery is still in position by the time the return fire reaches it.
But overall, Russian military will no doubt develop new tactics and so forth based on what they learn from this operation.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 26 2022 21:09 utc | 107
@Michael | May 26 2022 20:42 utc | 98
Lol. Though the Kiew area is certainly not Venice, we are speaking about the territories of the Kiew, Chernishev, Poltava, and Shitomir oblasts (maybe Sumy too, I do not read NYT as I refuse to register there). That is an area of in excess of 100k km^2, with a lot of rivers, and I am sure that there are more than 300 bridges, maybe more than 3000.
Posted by: aquadraht | May 26 2022 21:12 utc | 108
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 26 2022 21:09 utc | 107
Smoke.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 26 2022 21:12 utc | 109
Intel Slava Z, [26/05/2022 21:54]
🇷🇺🇺🇦 Judging by the speed with which the Armed Forces of Ukraine are fleeing from the cities of Donbass, specifically from the Donetsk group of the enemy, a moral breakdown has occurred. This is certainly not the final victory, but a very serious success. It is very difficult to storm urban development, and even with the numerical superiority of the enemy. I sincerely admire the courage of the guys who took Mariupol (a huge city prepared for a long defense) and those who are now liberating the cities of Donbass one by one.
In recent history, we have not yet seen such wars in dense urban areas, with the use of all types of weapons, excluding nuclear weapons, and in which so many personnel and equipment are involved.
I’m afraid of one thing, that now they will decide to kill Zelensky, and the new Fuhrer (with the support of the “international community”) will start a song about peace, trying to restore the combat capability of the army with this delay of time. There is nothing worse than unfinished wars. The war must burn itself and bring the final victory of one of the parties. Otherwise, it will not be peace, but a truce that will benefit the loser.
Posted by: Barofsky | May 26 2022 21:15 utc | 110
On the whole “polish” annexation rumors…. A thought occurred: even if Poland isn’t granted nato’s coveted article 5 assistance for clashing with Russia over Ukrainian territories in the event of a polish annexation of western Ukraine…. If others (states IN nato, like Lithuania or United Kingdom) give direct military aid and Russia deems them as enmities too, causing them to attack them… is that worthy of a article 5? (As in, the United States decides to go to war with Russia over that, Lithuania or any other Baltic state, who decided to send troops to the formerly Ukrainian, now polish terrortory. This causes them to be attacked and THEY invoke article 5. Will that cause the United States (the only nato state that really matters here) to budge? What if the United Kingdom decides to join the fight and sends troops there as well despite pushback by the Germans and French? What if they decide to use THEIR nuclear weapons in this conflict as a result? You see how could this easily spiral in to the United States deciding to get into this conflict because it’s getting so bad that they have to intervene. )
Posted by: Mathew Palmieri | May 26 2022 21:17 utc | 111
@John V. Doe | May 26 2022 20:48 utc | 100
Agreed. Looks to me that the Severnodonetsk group is dead meat already, judging from this link https://t.me/intelslava/30043 and this one https://t.me/intelslava/30045 . The troops are practically enclosed and pressed towards the river where the only bridge has been blown up days ago. So only escape would be swimming, not really recommended under fire.
Posted by: aquadraht | May 26 2022 21:17 utc | 112
Richard Steven Hack | May 26 2022 20:00 utc | 87
Richard “I know it so much better” Hack
Posted by: what the hack | May 26 2022 21:18 utc | 113
@ Chevrus | May 26 2022 16:49 utc | 43
thanks… i have also been following this since at least 2014, along with everything else.. i claim no special insight! i do believe though that the idea of ‘feigning’ an attack was at play on kiev and probably a few other places too, so i am mostly in agreement with you ( and richard steven hack ) on this.. like i said – the article was interesting, not that i agreed with it, but i thought it was worth the read… i tend to largely agree with richard – we are mostly dealing with speculation and we don’t have the numbers on how many have died, and etc. etc – how many in the field, etc. etc.. we only have propaganda – probably on both sides, and soothsayers, military types and etc – making guesstimates, or predictions on what is what… i generally tend to believe russia much more and am very mistrustful of ukraine or usa-uk west pronouncements.
@ BroncoBilly | May 26 2022 20:08 utc | 89
thanks.. it was an interesting article, but anything that conforms with nyt would be immediately questionable in my mind!! also, i think we may see the play towards kiev differently.. all good! i share @ David F | May 26 2022 20:33 utc | 92 concerns and etc..
@ Karl luck | May 26 2022 20:40 utc | 97
good comments.. i agree with you and richard! its a good thing we aren’t voting on all this… we are just sharing alternate viewpoints which is the beauty of moa..
@ 99 richard question to peter au… i am curious about that too… i wonder what peters response will be? peter au – i dig your posts.. thanks for participating here..
Posted by: james | May 26 2022 21:21 utc | 114
Latest Russian MoD briefing… Note the “foreign engineering specialists” killed today…
Briefing by Russian Defence Ministry
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation in Ukraine.
High-precision air-based missiles have hit 48 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration, 2 artillery batteries, and 2 ammunition depots near Nikolaevka and Berestovoe in Donetsk People’s Republic during the day.
1 Ukrainian electronic reconnaissance centre near Dneprovskoe, Nikolaev Region, has been destroyed, including 11 servicemen from the combat unit, as well as 15 foreign engineering specialists who arrived with security guards.
In addition, 1 Osa-AKM anti-aircraft missile system launcher has been destroyed near Nikolaevka in Donetsk People’s Republic, and 1 radar of the Ukrainian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system near Chuhuev in Kharkov region.
Operational-tactical and army aviation have hit 49 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration, 2 mortar crews, as well as 1 depot of missile and artillery weapons and ammunition.
The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 350 nationalists and up to 96 armoured and motor vehicles.
Russian air defence means have shot down 1 Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopter over Husarovka, Kharkov Region. 1 Ukrainian Air Force military transport aircraft delivering ammunition and weapons has been also shot down in mid-air near Kremidovka, Odessa Region.
In addition, 13 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down near Zelenyi Gai in Kherson Region, Bolshie and Malye Prokhody, Gavrilovka, Veseloe in Kharkov Region, and Epifanovka and Kirovsk in Lugansk People’s Republic, including 2 Soviet-made Tu-143 Reis jets near Melovatka in Lugansk People’s Republic.
Missile troops and artillery have hit 62 command posts, 407 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration, 47 artillery and mortar units at firing positions, as well as 3 ammunition depots.
Units and military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, which arrived to reinforce the Ukrainian grouping in Donbass, have been destroyed during unloading near Pokrovsk railway station in Donetsk People’s Republic.
In total, 179 Ukrainian airplanes and 127 helicopters, 1,019 unmanned aerial vehicles, 323 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,266 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 433 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,682 field artillery and mortars, as well as 3,190 units of special military vehicles were destroyed during the operation.
#MoD #Russia #Ukraine #Briefing
@mod_russia_en
My note: How’s that working out for Ukrainian artillery – 1,682 destroyed? How many Russian artillery destroyed? No one knows. Yet we have people here presuming Russia is at a disadvantage…
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 26 2022 21:21 utc | 115
“In the Belly of the Beast” by (iirc) a guy named Abbott about his experiences in prison got some attention back in the day, not least because Norman Mailer and others got him released from prison, to which he returned after stabbing a waiter.
Posted by: pretzelattack | May 26 2022 21:24 utc | 116
Mathew Palmieri | May 26 2022 21:17 utc | 111
At the moment, spiraling into nuclear war stuff seems to have passed. US wanted the war and sanctions to break Russia – economically and socially whereas it has had the opposite effect.
No it seems as though they have settled on keeping Ukraine fighting as long as possible to kill as many Russians as possible and make Russia pay a ‘cost’.
https://www.rt.com/news/555809-george-bush-tells-ukraine-kill-more-russians/
The former US president proceeded to define what in his view should be Ukraine’s main focus – “Your mission is to destroy as many Russian troops as you can.”
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 26 2022 21:25 utc | 118
The New York City Department of Transportation owns and operates nearly 800 bridges and tunnels. So perhaps 600 bridges in Kiev is not that outlandish.
Posted by: Lysias | May 26 2022 21:30 utc | 119
@Peter AU1 | May 26 2022 21:09 utc | 107
I think Russian military will be taking notes. This is a different style of war to any before. For current Russian military experience Chechnya and Syria were similar, Georgia was more standard warfare, military not hiding behind civilians, but this is heavy weapons in many places hiding behind civilians working in conjunction with spotting/surveillance drones and US intel.
I think what tells this war from others are 2 things:
1. The absolute ruthlessness of UA warfare, ignoring all rules of humanitarian rules as Hague Conventions, Geneva Conventions and accords about ICRC during wartime. Even the Nazis were not worse, sometimes rather better respecting those rules (albeit not much).
The war crimes of UA units are legion, be it soldiers disguised as civilians, soldiers travelling in ambulance cars, military installations in civilian settlements, soldiers habitually camping in schools and kindergartens.
Further on mass human rights violations, abuse, torture, and murder of prisoners of war, and the complete breakdown of civilization with torture and lynchings like pillories and floggings. Nazi Ukraine at par with IS.
2. Even more striking the propaganda barrage in western media, absolutely ignoring the above, and even outlawing any open criticism. In Germany, displaying the letter Z can be pursued as a crime. Fascism is spreading westward in fast pace.
Posted by: aquadraht | May 26 2022 21:32 utc | 120
Comment from https://t.me/polkovnik_hodarenok Telegram channel on the new FH70 howitzers being supplied to Ukraine…
Ukrainian propaganda has taken a turn for the worse. They have a complete confusion in terminology. Either their guns are self-propelled, or they are trailed. But in itself, the appearance of the FH70 on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is remarkable in a number of ways.
Firstly, the American M777 turned out to be unsafe, they are calculated by GPS and sound vibrations. After determining the coordinates, an UAV flies to the shooting site and strikes.
Secondly, it was not possible to train a large number of artillerymen on American guns. Instead of six months, the course was reduced to a week. What kind of shooting quality can there be – think for yourself.
Thirdly, the M777 has a number of parameters that make it easy to identify them from the air. Italian howitzers differ from American ones in appearance, although they are built for the same 155-mm caliber.
In general, it is sad to watch how the third army of Europe begs and asks for cast-offs from the United States and NATO. How the Armed Forces of Ukraine barked almost all field artillery in three months is absolutely incomprehensible to me.
#SupplyArms
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 26 2022 21:34 utc | 121
I very much doubt if the UK can use its nukes without US advance permission.
Posted by: Lysias | May 26 2022 21:37 utc | 122
Comment from https://t.me/polkovnik_hodarenok Telegram channel on the “Caesar” howitzers being supplied to Ukraine… These are wheeled howitzers, not tracked.
French self-propelled guns “Caesar” – this is a good weapon, but, as you understand, it is not without flaws.
Firstly, there is practically no off-road patency. Kind of like a truck, kind of big, but driving through the deserts in the Central African Republic is one thing. In Ukraine, with mud and rivers, it’s different.
Secondly, almost zero security. Booking “Caesar” is only bulletproof. The arrival of the projectile is guaranteed to turn the self-propelled guns into a salad.
Thirdly, a very small ammunition load for 18 shots. Then almost an hour to recharge and service, and only then you can shoot again. Unlike our Msta-S, this is a kindergarten, pants with straps.
But in the absence of fish, the “Caesar” will fit, because the APU has only scooters from self-propelled artillery.
#SPG #Caesar #Lend-Lease
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 26 2022 21:39 utc | 123
From Intel Slava Z Telegram channel… Beginning to look like Ukraine wants to open a second front with Belarus… LOL I read somewhere that Ukraine has sent 20,000 troops to the Belarus border.
Lukashenko ordered to immediately create an operational command of the Belarusian Armed Forces in the Ukrainian direction.
“A new front has opened. We immediately need to create an operational direction on the southern flank.
He explained that Minsk expects pressure from Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, in particular, with the help of NATO troops stationed there.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 26 2022 21:50 utc | 124
US is now using sanctions to prevent Russia making payment on debt. The only reason I can think of for this is to be able to steal Russian assets it has frozen.
Have a show trial legal case then seize assets for not payment of debt.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 26 2022 22:00 utc | 125
@ 125 peter au.. the west is playing a very rigged game here, hoping that people like us don’t notice…
@ aquadraht | May 26 2022 21:32 utc | 119
thanks for your post.. i share your viewpoint.. it goes along with everything else, including what peter au mentions above..
Posted by: james | May 26 2022 22:02 utc | 126
@122 RSG quoting the telegram post
“because the APU has only scooters from self-propelled artillery”
re: UA running low on equipment…. in the Donbas area, sure.
Not necessarily in other areas on the long front that UA expects to defend eventually: firstly Odessa, Nikolaev, Nikopol, Zaporozh’e, and Kharkov, prob also Kiev and Dnipropetrovsk, and maybe Sumy and Chernigov) all with local powers who want their real estate to survive, some like Kiev with more political sway than the VSU generals in the East… each place would be hoarding at least some share of the overall equipment and manpower to go with it.
That being said clearing out LNR/DNR is understandably the first priority after 8 years of shelling etc
Posted by: ptb | May 26 2022 22:18 utc | 127
re aquadraht | May 26 2022 21:32 utc | 119
I agree with both your points, especially the first about Ukraine armed forces ignoring international law and conventions, and the many customary humanitarian rules of war. shocking.
And what are we to make of their masters, the nations which are now apparently technically co-belligerents to this whole sad sorry affair? are they war criminals as well, in the US, UK and nations such as Poland and Romania who are so actively supporting the Ukrainian forces; especially the big master of them all the USA
Posted by: michaelj72 | May 26 2022 22:37 utc | 128
Posted by: c1ue | May 26 2022 16:38 utc | 41
All of that assumes that NATO wants Ukraine to resist effectively. In fact it suits US/NATO for Ukraine to use large numbers of poorly trained Volksturm/TDUs. We recall at the beginning of the conflict there was much talk of grandmas and schoolteachers using Molotov’s against tanks in the streets, etc, etc. This never developed and the narrative melted away not least because we saw images of what a BMP’s 30mm can do against 5 guys with only a few AKs and a bag full of petrol bombs. Yet this is what the Western media and political narrative demands—not a conventional war between ostensibly professional militaries but a David v Goliath, Shire v Orcs, story of people ‘like you and I’ rising up to defend freedom and democracy.
This alternate plan, to retrain and resupply a new AFU, is too little, too late. Even if successfully launched its success against Russia would be moot. The West wanted a Hollywood script and instead now receive an abject lesson in how History actually works. Scott Ritter may be right, but a million conscripts thrown into the conflict with no experienced backbone from the old military (officers and experienced NCOs) will be a slaughter no matter how tricked out they are with fancy gear.
Ukraine has been played for 30 years. Maybe they’re realising that Russia is actually their ally and will articulate a better future for them than the black hole the West turned them into. The guy slapping you across the face may be your friend trying to wake you up.
Posted by: Patroklos | May 26 2022 22:41 utc | 129
Re.training: Soldiers in all militaries are seriously undertrained. It does not show, since the problem is on all sides.
A swimmer who never makes it to the finals in the US Olympic trials will nonetheless be in the water 6 days week, sometimes twice a day.
Where is there a solder training with his equipment daily? Often the ammunition is too expensive (artillery rounds, antitank missiles,…) or it’s too cumbersome to get the equipment to a training range.
Is there any tank commander out there driving his tank in battle simulation 6 days a week? A pilot flying six days a week?
By comparison to athletics soldiers are on a _much_ lower level of skill while the demands may be more varied than in most sports.
Exceptions are people like the Azovs that live for the cause, reload their sniper rounds to find the perfect load for individual guns and are at it every day. You can only do this with small arms (for cost reasons).
If I remember this correctly for each hit from an infantry rifle in excess of ten thousand rounds are fired. This really is all you need to know.
Posted by: bottle | May 26 2022 22:55 utc | 130
Posted by: ptb | May 26 2022 22:18 utc | 127
“each place would be hoarding at least some share of the overall equipment and manpower to go with it.”
And it will be less than what was in Donbass, and it will be destroyed just as quickly when matched against the overwhelming amount of artillery in the Russian units, not to mention air power and armor which also works against artillery and which Ukraine does not have.
It’s a simple matter of numbers. Russia has and always will have more men and weapons than Ukraine, no matter what is sent in from the West.
Even if only a tenth of Russia’s overall resources is committed to Ukraine, once the overall conflict was shaped in the first week, in any given battle, Russia will always outnumber Ukraine or at worst be at parity – a parity with air and armor superiority in both quantity and quality.
Once again, the strategic and operational plan is what matters.
People keep trying and trying to dredge up some way, any way, to find a chink in the Russian SMO… There isn’t any that can alter the outcome of this war.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 26 2022 22:56 utc | 131
Andrei Martyanov’s “talking head” for today… As with his previous videos on “operational art”, this one is valuable for explaining to people who have no clue how military operations are planned.
More Operations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h99vQ-CMgu8
I refer all the concern trolls once again to his previous videos on that subject:
Surprise, Not!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgIgXjSnCJM
Operational Art 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaZGb5vnzkg
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 26 2022 23:00 utc | 132
@ 125 peter
@ 126 James
US is now using sanctions to prevent Russia making payment on debt. The only reason I can think of for this is to be able to steal Russian assets it has frozen. Have a show trial legal case then seize assets for not payment of debt
Thanks for pointing this out. I believe this is how they did it w/ Iran so it’s clearly what they are up to. Further escalation, EU might be getting shaky legs but USA/UK is not winding this down.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | May 26 2022 23:03 utc | 133
To give you a concrete example of a desirable skill level: hand grenade throwing.
Ideally you should be able to put an hand grenade on a 6 foot by 6 foot square from 70 feet out and judge the flight time (for various distances) so it will explode in the air when appropriate.
The skill needs to be automatic.
This would require more than 2000 throws, possibly more. You see the problem.
You can see videos where they throw hand grenades at each other that land nowhere near the target.
Posted by: bottle | May 26 2022 23:13 utc | 134
Posted by: bottle | May 26 2022 23:13 utc | 134
Heh, I was lousy at throwing grenades during basic training in 1967. I could barely throw the thing 30 feet. Fortunately you’re behind a wood barricade in training, so I didn’t kill anyone. Well, I never played much baseball so my pitching sucked. LOL
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 26 2022 23:16 utc | 135
ct@46
This is fake news!!!
It took 9 reactors at Hanford Washington dedicated to plutonium production for over 20 years to produce 67.4 tons of plutonium.
The plutonium was concentrated and made into plutonium pits at the 325 building.
https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/US-details-plutonium-stocks
The Ukrainian reactors are and were used for power generation!
All nuclear weapons in Ukraine were turned over to Russia for dismantling. Much of the uranium is sold to the US to fuel the US commercial reactors.
America only produces about 1% of its uranium fuel needs with Russia, Kazakhstan and Canada providing most of the US needs.
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/where-our-uranium-comes-from.php
I have visited an abandoned uranium deposit in Moffet county Colorado but there are many others.
https://www.epa.gov/radiation/uranium-mines-and-mills-location-database-0
Posted by: krollchem | May 26 2022 23:17 utc | 136
bottle @134–
Yes, that’s a hard skill to learn and not allowed nearly enough practice time, even with dummies, at least back when I did by training, although I was awarded the Expert Badge. And oddly, there was never any residual training unlike with your rifle.
/////
Trial Balloon: Ukraine to Blackmail Hungary:
“Ukraine has ‘a wonderful lever of pressure’ on Hungary via the Druzhba – which translates to ‘Friendship’ – oil pipeline, Ukrainian energy minister adviser Lana Zerkal claimed on Thursday.”
Hungary and Austria are several EU nations blocking the Outlaw US Empire’s efforts to starve the EU of all Russian hydrocarbons since illegal EU sanctions demand that all its nations become criminals via consensus. Blocking the pipeline would be considered an act of war by Ukraine.
I’m getting sick and tired of comments being blocked by type pad. Here’s what I wrote, RT URL removed:
bottle @134–
Yes, that’s a hard skill to learn and not allowed nearly enough practice time, even with dummies, at least back when I did by training, although I was awarded the Expert Badge. And oddly, there was never any residual training unlike with your rifle.
/////
Trial Balloon: Ukraine to Blackmail Hungary:
“Ukraine has ‘a wonderful lever of pressure’ on Hungary via the Druzhba – which translates to ‘Friendship’ – oil pipeline, Ukrainian energy minister adviser Lana Zerkal claimed on Thursday.”
Hungary and Austria are several EU nations blocking the Outlaw US Empire’s efforts to starve the EU of all Russian hydrocarbons since illegal EU sanctions demand that all its nations become criminals via consensus. Blocking the pipeline would be considered an act of war by Ukraine.
Amsterdam count the current number of bridges to 1753
https://a-bike.nl/how-many-bridges-are-there-in-amsterdam/
where as Venice only have 400, according the article.
Posted by: Anne B | May 26 2022 23:36 utc | 139
karlof1 | May 26 2022 23:30 utc | 137
I believe Orban declared a state of emergency a day or two back.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 26 2022 23:40 utc | 140
It’s unlikely, I know, but I’m enjoying the fantasy of an emergency NATO meeting prompted by a 404 attack on, say, Hungary. It would be embarrassing to see Jens & Co. having to walk back their sacred Article 5.
Posted by: malenkov | May 26 2022 23:46 utc | 141
Heh, I was lousy at throwing grenades during basic training in 1967.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 26 2022 23:16 utc | 135
Possibly your aim has improved with age. Venerable pitchers gain in “stuff” what they lose in “heat”, they say. Your ERA in here seems stingy enough, at any rate.
Posted by: Aleph_Null | May 26 2022 23:47 utc | 142
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/hungarys-pro-putin-leader-viktor-orban-announces-new-state-of-emergency-due-to-ukraine-concerns/ar-AAXFXDq?
In a video on social media, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the war in Ukraine represents ‘a constant threat to Hungary’ which was ‘putting our physical security at risk and threatening the energy and financial security of our economy and families.’
In response, he said, a ‘war state of danger’ would take effect beginning Wednesday, allowing the government ‘to respond immediately and protect Hungary and Hungarian families by any means possible.’
The move came after Orban’s ruling party passed a constitutional amendment Tuesday allowing for legal states of danger to be declared when armed conflicts, wars or humanitarian disasters were taking place in neighboring countries.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 26 2022 23:47 utc | 143
The more I read about this including the various statements coming from the governments of EU countries, the more I think that they really are making a huge all-or-nothing bet that Putin’s government and coalition will be regime-changed and replaced with a new Yeltsin. That would certainly get the pipelines and other Russian energy supply routes moving in a hurry. This may not be revelatory to anyone here, but I hadn’t previously considered that the EU committing economic suicide may be intentional (including the notion of a ‘reset’ and further consolidation of wealth by the 0.01%), but with the opinion that it will soon change via new leadership in Russia and markets will operate freely. I also happen to think they, and the NATOFUKUS leadership are delusional.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 26 2022 23:57 utc | 144
@137 karlof1
re: UA threat to shut oil pipeline
Might work as a headfake or PR stunt, print headlines for a few days that unnerve the German business class. But if they actually try it for real, the sponsors of the coalition gov’t in Berlin (and elsewhere in continental Europe, due to the interconnected nature of the market) will not be amused.
In the long run though, oil is not nearly as expensive as natgas to transport (as a percent of its value). Some refineries would need to be reconfigured, which isn’t trivial. But EU could in a couple years time “swap oil suppliers” with China. It would be dumb, distance traveled by tankers would be longer, effort to retool refineries is completely pointless. But new pipes can get built, and the long run cost impact won’t be as dramatic as natgas and all the many things enabled by that. Short run, this will get smacked down (ie some public hint that such actions are not helpful for aspiring future EU member states). EU has all the economic pain it wants on its plate already.
Posted by: ptb | May 26 2022 23:59 utc | 145
106
I for one are highly dubious of the claims made of plutonium’s toxicity.
There are videos out there of US scientists rolling balls of plutonium around in their bare hands.
They lived long lives,probably the daily swims in the cooling ponds that did it.Yes they did exactly that as well.
History is a set of lies agreed to.
The actual ‘strength” of nuclear tests also seemed to require much doctoring of the photos, obvious these days but people
rarely go back and look closely.Why would they doctor those photos ?
I was a WEO looking after nuke weapons on a tour of duty on a warship.Even I’m not convinced anymore of their actual power vs
stated.
Posted by: winston | May 27 2022 0:06 utc | 146
Posted this in the wrong thread so will repost here..
Looks like it was Olsen that came out of Azovstal. It has now been officialy denied.
https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-navy-admiral-ukraine-photo-195827964649
Reached by The Associated Press, Olson said he is not in Ukraine and was not captured by Russians…
…Olson confirmed to the AP that he is “not in Ukraine and was not captured by Russians.”…
..The State Department declined to provide further comments on the retired admiral’s location for privacy reasons…
AP reached him but state department aren’t giving out his location?
From wikipedia
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. Its members are U.S. newspapers and broadcasters.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 27 2022 0:08 utc | 147
For those wondering about the macro economic view of things, please look at this link:
https://tradingeconomics.com/matrix
(I can’t verify where the numbers came from, so just accept them as they are)
Clicking on the country gives an expanded view and explanation of the country.
Note that Russia is #12 in GDP, US is #1.
Russia debt to GDP is 18%, which is up recently.
US is 137%. also going up.
But…
Russia is running Government at .8% GAIN this qtr,
US is running at -16.7%, the highest in the top 35.
So who is kidding who?
Sanctions only work (somewhat) if you are in the drivers seat. The US and Euro zone are not in the drivers seat. They are sanctioning basic necessities for modern living that come from Russia.
The US was already on the edge of recession, and the longer this goes on, the worse it will get for them. Elections are in November.
Maybe that is another reason why Putin is “taking his time”.
Posted by: BroncoBilly | May 27 2022 0:09 utc | 148
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 27 2022 0:08 utc | 146
soooo Cloutier is bunking with Navalny. alrighty then.
Posted by: sln2002 | May 27 2022 0:23 utc | 149
@ David F | May 26 2022 20:33 utc | 92
Pittsburgh, PA had at one count 1,728 steel structure bridges, including a bridge to nowhere that went halfway across the Monongehela River. Places with a combination of watercourses and hills can easily collect alot of bridges. Being on a man-made lake like Kiev, can turn what would have been little creek culverts into more involved bridges in order to cross an arm of the lake.
Posted by: lemoyne | May 27 2022 0:25 utc | 150
BroncoBilly @147–
The Outlaw US Empire’s GDP is also @$5-8 Trillion less than advertised and continues to shrink.
Peter AU1 @139 & 142–
Yes, I saw that, which makes sense. Orban won’t hesitate to slap Ukraine if it fucks with him/Hungary.
sln2002 | May 27 2022 0:23 utc | 148
I think so. And Kadyrov may have been rewarded for delivering the big fish to Putin. Perhaps a little Chechen style interrogation for this bloke.
https://t.me/azmilitary11/5265
“DAVID KASATKIN(THE ONE WHO THREATENED RAMZAN KADYROV’S FAMILY) WAS TAKEN TO PRE-TRIAL DETENTION CENTER IN GROZNY,FOR CONDUICTING INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITIES ON A WIDE RANGE OF CRIMES”
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 27 2022 0:29 utc | 152
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 26 2022 23:57 utc | 143
Heh, so they’re delusional to cut off the gas with no other options, and they’re delusional to think by doing so they can overthrow Putin.
I’d say that’s a lose-lose proposition. Let’s just decide they’re delusional – which is pretty much what every rational analyst has said. As Mercouris says, these people simply should not be running a government – either the US or the EU.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 27 2022 0:33 utc | 153
Posted by: ptb | May 26 2022 23:59 utc | 144
“EU could in a couple years time “swap oil suppliers” with China.”
So Russia sells oil to China, and the EU buys oil from China?
Yeah, that will go over well…
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 27 2022 0:35 utc | 154
Jesus, can we please get off the bridge stuff…?
According to Wikipedia there are 43 crossings of the Dnieper River in Ukraine…with pictures – and helpful coordinates for the Russian missile force. From a military standpoint, those presumably are the only ones that count. Blow those and no rail supplies are going east. Every other bridge in Ukraine is irrelevant – this is why Russian have pontoon systems.
List of crossings of the Dnieper River
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crossings_of_the_Dnieper_River
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 27 2022 0:42 utc | 155
More US junk to Ukraine
https://www.stalkerzone.org/true-detective-how-the-russian-army-hacked-secret-us-howitzers-in-ukraine/
Posted by: Andrew B. | May 27 2022 0:44 utc | 156
Oh, this is good… From Pepe Escobar’s Telegram channel, a link to an article at StalkerZone… Read the whole thing. And Ritter thinks this is making the Ukraine army “effective” on the front lines…
True Detective: How the Russian Army “Hacked” Secret US Howitzers in Ukraine
https://www.stalkerzone.org/true-detective-how-the-russian-army-hacked-secret-us-howitzers-in-ukraine/
The first and most important problem with the use of American howitzers is the shortage of ammunition. Most of Ukraine’s weapons depots in the eastern and central parts of the country have been destroyed, and “Kalibr” missiles and Russian aircraft regularly conduct raids to destroy “Western military aid” even as weapons are being brought to the intermediate point for distribution. But this problem is partially solved by sending 20,000 shells. However, their transfer and distribution among several divisions of 89 howitzers is unlikely to help the Ukrainian artillerymen.
“Giatsint” and “Kub” vs M777
The first M777 howitzers were destroyed by Russian troops a week ago. Positions of the UAF artillery were spotted near the village of Podgornoye, and, according to some reports, at least three American-made 155-mm M777 howitzers were destroyed by the fire raid. First, the positions were hit by “Kub” drones, and then, when trying to move foreign weapons, by heavy “Giatsint-B” self-propelled artillery. The Ukrainian military is still trying to understand why the Russian army reached the M777 position so quickly — all the secrecy conditions seem to have been met, the transfer was carried out in compliance with all the rules of disguise.
At the disposal of Life News is a closed report of the centre for retraining of US personnel – “Naval Postgraduate School”, according to which the combat capabilities of the M777 are significantly worse than any similar systems. As a comparison, analyst Kyle Browne cites several foreign-made artillery systems – the French CAESAR self-propelled artillery, the Korean K9 and even the Russian BM-21 “Grad”.
The basic M777 self-propelled artillery delivered to Ukraine (it is first on the list) loses to self-propelled systems with a lot of restrictions on weight, ammunition and other features in everything. The American howitzer has the longest deployment time to the combat position, the most numerous crew (at least 7 people are needed to shoot), it cannot be used from cover, and the maximum firing range of 40 kilometres is achieved only with rocket-assisted projectiles, that is, those that have never been delivered to Ukraine. The firing range of conventional projectiles is 20 kilometres. By the way, the D-20 152-mm cannon-howitzer, developed immediately after the Great Patriotic War, has the same capabilities. Modern weapons of the Russian Armed Forces, such as “Msta” self-propelled artillery, “three axes” are also inferior both in range and in general. But the main difficulty for the Ukrainian Armed Forces is not even in this.
The first officers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to accept M777 howitzers into the army were transferred to US training centres in Germany a few weeks before the first deliveries of artillery to Ukraine. The transfer of knowledge from American artillerymen to Ukrainian ones took eight days, and the accelerated training course included only theory and a few test firings. At the same time, from the “Naval Postgraduate School” report it should be noted that the basic training course is at least 5 weeks and 25 training days with practical shooting. However, this time is not enough for combat coordination and interaction development: According to Edwin Willie [name may have been literally lost in translation from Russian – SZ], a Marine Corps veteran and former deputy head of the weapons storage service at Camp Pendleton, it takes at least six months to train an artillery company.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 27 2022 0:50 utc | 157
By the way, you’re probably going to need a VPN to access Stalkerzone. When I tried without it, my system went straight to 127.0.0.1…
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 27 2022 0:51 utc | 158
Go and teach them a lesson
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/putin-ally-ready-to-attack-poland-better-take-back-your-weapons/ar-AAXJ9EV
Posted by: Andrew B. | May 27 2022 0:52 utc | 159
It is not slow, the AFU is hidden in every hole and crack they could find Russia has to walk through every inch of forest and search every house in every town and city they enter.
The reason they kept predicting Russia will declare war is that they have hundreds of thousands of NATO trained fighters and an untold amount of mercenaries.
Time magazine has a report about Blackwater and Trumps buddies trying to take the factory China bought away and set up the worlds largest Mercenary farm—- this happened before all this came to head.
I do believe Russia is fighting the largest meanest group of paid soldiers that the west has ever set up. They (Russians) are heavily outnumbered and no matter what hype the news tells you the AFU has more weapons than they have people.
It’s a tough battle and Russia is putting up a far better fight that the west had predicted. When you expect Russia to need 1 million troops and they only use 150 000….
Posted by: Spammer | May 27 2022 0:56 utc | 160
@153 RSH
EU buys more from Gulfies, less from Russia
China buys less from Gulfies, more from Russia
In theory global supply / demand same.
IRL increased transport burden is a hassle, but nothing like the catastrophe that would be with EU quitting Russian natgas (completely untenable position despite the bravado). Mismatched oil grades a bigger hassle, but we’ve seen this kind of adaptation already after the scale-up of unconventional products like super light fracked Permian oil, and diluted bitumen from Canada.
Posted by: ptb | May 27 2022 0:57 utc | 161
@ Peter AU1 146
When a Democrat is President, AP = Administration Press
When a Republican is President, AP = Antagonistic Press
Posted by: BroncoBilly | May 27 2022 0:58 utc | 162
Posted by: ptb | May 27 2022 0:57 utc | 160
You’re missing the point. The EU ends up buying Russian oil from China. That is not going to go over well politically. Yes, they can fake it, but everyone will know that’s what’s going on.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 27 2022 1:11 utc | 163
Seems like there is only room for one general in the bar – the newly promoted General Hack, self styled expert on all things military.
Personally I preferred his previous incarnation as The Reverend Doctor of the Cult of Covid.
How to sanitize door knobs and shoes. Correct usage of masks and rubber gloves. How to clean the seat of the shared toilet in the SRO. How to deal with people not observing correct social distancing…..all documented in his highly detailed ‘cleansing ritual’ – preserved somewhere in the archives of MOA.
Basically we were all trying to murder him if we didn’t wear a mask.
My advice is that when the good general gets a bit uppity think of him sanitizing a shared toilet seat in a shitty bug infested SRO in San Francisco.
Posted by: ted001 | May 27 2022 1:11 utc | 164
@RSH
In the scenario I was trying to describe, they would be buying Persian Gulf oil. But yes still transparently a fraud. After the first year (if even), would have no effect the demand available to Russia, while throwing away more money of their citizens and industrials. Tho they have not yet paid any political price for the all time worst disaster of the natgas market (from the point of view of consumers that is), created out of nothing.
Posted by: ptb | May 27 2022 1:25 utc | 165
re: “slow”
If you look at the estimates of magnitude of casualty rate, especially for VSU, but also RF/DNR/LNR, it’s definitely not slow
Posted by: ptb | May 27 2022 1:30 utc | 166
krollchem@136 – This is fake news!!! Re: ct@46
Surprisingly, it’s the IAEA Director General’s own words at Davos. Here, interviewed by Bloomberg:
Ukraine Nuclear Plant Faces Political Problems: IAEA
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi discusses Russian control of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, investigating Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and nuclear tests conducted by North Korea. He speaks with Francine Lacqua at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on “Bloomberg Markets Europe.”
He obviously didn’t elaborate for a financial news reporter, but one would think he means in the spent fuel.
Curiously enough, Ukraine’s nuclear regulator was quick to point out that everything should be accounted for, but that can’t be guaranteed any longer since Russia is occupying the plant. In other words, you’ll never prove Ukraine diverted any spent fuel and if anything is missing, then Russia stole it for sure! Even though Russia has tons of both stockpiled for its weapons and power reactor fuel programs. IAEA mission at Zaporizhia NPP unacceptable until plant site, Enerhodar de-occupied – Ukraine’s nuclear regulator
ptb | May 27 2022 1:30 utc | 165
As b said at the grinding down with artillery. What has interested me though is the frontal attack on the fortified line rather than putting the main offensives into pushing up behind that line from north and south. It is as though the strategy is to draw all the Ukraine forces into that line and use it as a killing field.
The brotherly stuff may have changed a bit with Ukraine nazi’s torturing and killing POW’s and posting it to social media.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 27 2022 1:45 utc | 168
167 should have been – ‘As b said at the beginning,…’
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 27 2022 1:52 utc | 169
Posted by: Barofsky | May 26 2022 21:15 utc | 110
My guess is that the nato want Zelly as long as he obeys orders. He is the perfect puppet. It seems it may be a Feyd Rautha and the Beast Rabban kind of option, good cop bad cop. Hard to believe Zelly hasn’t thrown in the towel and disappeared yet considering he is so unlikely to survive when his subordinates don’t need him any more. He is the perfect scapegoat for losses and collapse.
Posted by: Tard | May 27 2022 2:01 utc | 170
Posted by: Tard | May 27 2022 2:01 utc | 169
[Not-Z]elensky is an actor. He’s playing a part for applause and money. And figure that the US/West has “pictures” on him and that he’s got little choice but to continue prancing on the stage (until the stage collapses).
Posted by: Seer | May 27 2022 2:09 utc | 171
PavewayIV | May 27 2022 1:44 utc | 166
My thought is if plutonium and enriched uranium where stockpiled at that power plant – my thought is why, how, who. With hindsight, that and Chernobyl were two of Russia’s primary targets when they made their fast move into Ukraine. I gather nothing amiss was found at Chernobyl and Russia left there, but with whats its called, Russia is keeping it and have told Ukraine they will sell them some electricity.
Similar to the Bio lab at Mariupol where the incriminating documents have come from. Not to mention Azov and possibly Nato headquarters. Russia went all out to secure those two nuclear sites and the bag full of mixed lollies at Mariupol in the shortest possible time.
What Ritter and other military people have said was a feint on Kiev was I think to tie up forces and allow Russia to achieve those objectives. Russia only pulled back from the north once Mariupol and the nuke power station were solidly locked in.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 27 2022 2:09 utc | 172
winston@145 – “I for one are highly dubious of the claims made of plutonium’s toxicity.
There are videos out there of US scientists rolling balls of plutonium around in their bare hands.”
Here’s what the Associate Lab Director at Argonne National Laboratory West, nuclear physicist Dr. Charles Till has to say about it:
…
Q: What is plutonium? Is it a metal like uranium?
A: Plutonium is, in fact, a metal very like uranium. If you hold it [in] your hand (and I’ve held tons of it my hand, a pound or two at a time), it’s heavy, like lead. It’s toxic, like lead or arsenic, but not much more so.
Q: How can plutonium harm you?
A: You have to eat it in order to harm yourself with it. It is radioactive, naturally. Radioactive, but much less so than radium, for example, which is scattered again all over the earth’s crust. So it’s not a very frightening material.
Q: So you say you hold it in your hand. What about the radiation that is emitted by plutonium?
A: The radiation from plutonium tends to be very easily stopped by any kind of shielding around the plutonium. A pair of gloves, paper. Certainly, a thin film of steel will stop the radiation from plutonium, so that it’s perfectly safe.
Q: Is the skin on your hand is enough to shield yourself from plutonium’s radiation?
A: The skin on your hand is probably sufficient to stop most of it.
Q: We’ve all heard that it’s the most toxic substance in the world. Isn’t it?
A: Well, I think it’s absurd. It’s not toxic. As I say, it’s no more toxic than any other heavy metal, and its radioactivity is very considerably less than many other things that are on the earth’s surface. It’s an absurd statement.
…
The above from a FRONTLINE interview with Dr. Till in Q/A form here.
Seer | May 27 2022 2:09 utc | 170
Not to mention he is now worth 850 million according to a Dutch investigation. Play acting a president seems a very lucrative gig.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 27 2022 2:16 utc | 174
Re:fanto | May 26 2022 14:19 utc | 13
The views expressed by Bishop Williamson (see video on Cerena 2) are totally in line with the information provided on him in Wikipedia. Thus it is very unlikely that we are dealing here with merely an electronic forgery. Incidentally, they are also in line with the views of Archbishop Vigano.
Posted by: Adrian | May 27 2022 2:22 utc | 175
@ tard, seer and peter au… my astro prediction – he exits stage left beginning of august… lets see if there is anything to this astro b.s., lol… i am used to egg on face!
Posted by: james | May 27 2022 2:24 utc | 176
Re bridges
According to The Telegraph, so very reputable, Hamburg is the winner with over 2300 allowing containerships and international access.
https://www.traveltrivia.com/cities-with-most-bridges/XqgZkXU1XQAGkiVC
Sorry cranky grandpas or uncles, but bridges are important.
Babi Yar Memorial Bridge–> Babi Yar is a Holocaust site at what used to be a ravine on the outskirts of Kyiv.
After the Nazis took Kiev in 1941 they marched the Jewish inhabitants of the city to Babi Yar and in two days they murdered 30,000 Jews at this site. Over 70,000 more people died there over the course of the war, primarily Jews, but also anyone who resisted the Nazis in any way. As the Soviets advanced and it became clear that Kiev would be retaken, the Nazis ordered the bodies to be dug up and burned, so that their crimes would be hidden. Despite these precautions, word had spread of what happened here. The killings here were so brutal that the Nazis decided to build death camps like Auschwitz so that the executioners would be less traumatised.
Posted by: Michael | May 27 2022 2:27 utc | 177
Peter AU1@171 – I agree completely. Russia was irritated as hell with Ukraine, but the thought of a nuclear-armed Ukraine was simply too much for them. It’s not inconsistent with their objective of disarming Ukraine to seize and inspect both sites – on their way through.
Kharkiv was a bit much to tackle for Russia originally, but they probably would have loved to get their hands on documents for whatever ‘projects’ the National Science Centre Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology had going. In March, the institute’s director general denied that they were trying to develop any nuclear weapons there. They do operate a small accelerator for medical isotopes and maybe a research reactor, but they really couldn’t be used for bulk plutonium production AFIK. Russia suggested the work there was more theoretical and design, but undeclared (U.S.-supplied) weapons-grade plutonium could have been hidden there undetected since many other nuclear materials are normally present on site. The IAEA monitors nuclear-related activity reported at NSC Kharkiv, but obviously wouldn’t know about covert programs or undeclared material without inspecting every inch of the institute.
I have no idea if Ukraine did, in fact, have a covert weapons development program. But it’s easy to imagine considering the die-hard ultra-nationalists running amok and the generally sketchy ZATO pals that Ukraine seems to have in abundance whispering “Kill the Russians. Kill them NOW!” in it’s ears. Russia has every right to be paranoid about their crazy neighbor.
james | May 27 2022 2:24 utc | 175
I suspect Zelensky and his cross dressing offsider will be done away with in the not too distant future. If I’m still around and it occurs according to your stars, remind me. I guess I am not a believer but always interested to see how things line up. If it doesn’t I wont be throwing eggs.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 27 2022 2:40 utc | 179
@Posted by: ibnGibbon | May 26 2022 19:04 utc | 75
Hi barflies. I have heard a couple of commentators now claim that the so called Wagner Group is playing a significant role in the SMO in the Donbas. In particular I just watched a guy who claimed up to 8000 of them might be actively fighting there. Can any of the the folk here who are paying more attention to the situation than I am find evidence that the Wagner boys are involved to a significant degree? Seems kind of surprising that the RF would hire a private mercernary army when they have so many regular forces in reserve… Or maybe it’s not that surprising. Apparently Blackwater is also in Ukraine, so maybe this is the future of war after all…
I know nothing about the Wagner Group other than that the CIA/MSM says it is a Russian mercenary group that does bad things.
As the Russian government says it has no mercenary groups, and as everything the CIA/MSM says turns out to be false, I assume the Wagner Group is a mercenary group that does bad things that are blamed on Russia by the CIA/MSM.
Posted by: Linda Wood | May 27 2022 2:46 utc | 180
PavewayIV | May 27 2022 2:36 utc | 177
My thought on the Kharkov site was that if Russia had intel they wanted to check out they would have taken it. Russia has only put about 10% of its military power into this operation.
Much appreciate your input on the nuclear side of things.
Re the dangers of plutonium. I watched a documentary on wildlife living and thriving within the Chernobyl exclusion zone a year or two or three back. I guess the exclusion of humans allowed the wildlife to thrive. Perhaps they had a bit shorter lifespan but everything on camera looked healthy.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 27 2022 2:58 utc | 181
@Posted by: PavewayIV | May 27 2022 2:12 utc | 172
Plutonium produces alpha radiation, which does not penetrate very deeply. Thats why the skin can act to protect the rest of the body. The real danger is if plutonium gets into the body through the air, or through contamination of food, water etc and then within cells, where it can do much more damage than beta and gamma radiation.
@Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 27 2022 1:11 utc | 162
This will be very obvious in Chinese trade statistics as their oil import and oil export figures go up. Perhaps China will produce oil products from Russian oil and then export those oil products to Europe, they have a lot of refining capacity and have historically exporting oil products to SE Asia (China imports more than a million barrels of oil more than required just domestic purposes and exports significant amounts of oil products).
People talk about the ‘Ukro-Nazis’ and so on. Look the whole ‘West’ is simply fascist. For example, the U.K. is fascist, and the U.S.A. has been fascist, beginning with the invention of the fake democracy U.S.A. Constitution, a stealth fascist document if there ever was one. Most contrary to what everybody has been taught in fascist educational institutions, fascism is not some political-economic arrangement at all. Fascism is a social configuration of three distinct classes. There is a secret hidden master class, and a middle class, and a despised victim class. The victim class must always exist, but if it becomes over-exterminated, a war against some external society must be waged. It is really very simple. Europe is pretty much fascist too.
Fascists, the master class, must lie constantly to its middle class. It all must be very theatrical. Although I protested many U.S. wars, I came to find that it was mostly useless. For one thing, the middle class is generally in thrall to the endless lies. Formerly it was the Jews and Roma and so on. For now it’s just the Russians. Zelensky is a Jew? So what? Soros is too.
It is truly depressing to arrive at the point where you realize you were lied to in school, in the ‘news’, and everywhere.
Posted by: blues | May 27 2022 3:12 utc | 184
44… Also for the next day 10 years of captivity the Ukrainian POWs will be rebuilding the destruction caused so far. They might get a small salary.
Posted by: Hutch | May 27 2022 3:20 utc | 185
It appears plutonium would make a particularly nasty dirty bomb. Dust, water contamination ect.
But then there is the large amount of enriched uranium at that power station? Not described as fuel rods.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 27 2022 3:21 utc | 186
fye, of some
at the link, a photo of V. Putin on the phone
and above the photo the inserted text, “Hello, Finland, do you want to win Eurovision next year?”
https://twitter.com/200_zoka/status/1529499004085608450
11:25 AM · May 25, 2022 440 Retweets 36 Quote Tweets 2,417 Likes
Posted by: michaelj72 | May 27 2022 3:23 utc | 187
The UK “Ministry of Truth”
Latest variation of self air poopaganda “Russia uses Orwellian propaganda news vans in Mariupol”
‘Large TVs play Russian state news in support of invasion in war-torn city still lacking electricity and water’
Wait there is more! On the site of the long discredited and staged by country 404 war crime. The fake theater bombing……….
They did admit these units were in close proximity to bottled water distribution points(please do not mention food). Not the country of origin of this material aid. In closing the new local currency is the gold back one. Not the worthless air based country 404. Basically printed on used toilet paper………..lol
Then for a good measure added the myth. “The Russians are virtually kidnapping the surviving residents.
Smells like a stenchy script dictated to UK Media for general issue . By the UK PR officer office of PM BOJO. Under the current poopaganda ‘D’ notice …………..
Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | May 27 2022 3:29 utc | 188
The current three Gonzalo Lira videos from today. He’s basically right about the first two, but I can’t speculate on the third one, although it’s not unreasonable at first glance.
First he talks about the situation on the ground:
2022.05.26 Lysychansk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZvCGtAnohM
The next one basically trashes the notion of “game changers”:
2022.05.26 Game Changers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJO70I8FOX8
The third speculates that Zelenskyy is going to be replaced by a coup by someone, probably the head general of the Ukrainian military, and then speculates on what might follow from that. In other words, what happens in in the internal political situation in Ukraine once Donbass has collapsed.
2022.05.26 What Happens AFTER the Loss of the Donbas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8mOw_HMSy4
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 27 2022 3:31 utc | 189
Putin is clearly a shrewd and forward looking man; and you underestimate him to your own misfortune. After years of talking down to him our so-called “leaders” are finally beginning to realize that.
Back when Bobby and Boris were front page news, we kids all took up playing chess. After a while I learned that you had better consider that your opponent was closer to checkmating you then you were him.
The NATOstan buffoons appear to have believed all they needed to do was throw enough s*** at Russia and it’d be checkmate…. Game over. Never even considering that Putin might be a move ahead of them all the while. Well, they know now.
Austin and Milley didn’t call Russia seeking a ceasefire because NATO is winning.
Ukrainian troops aren’t blowing up bridges because they’re trying to prevent Russian troops from escaping.
Russia isn’t mocking NATO statements because they are looking for an exit out of Ukraine.
Henry Kissinger isn’t advising Zelensky to cede territory to Russia for peace because it’s Russia that is obviously losing.
Posted by: Citizenfitz | May 27 2022 3:48 utc | 190
@BroncoBilly
You think this is Iraq? Russia is fighting against some of the most capable air defense systems any military has ever faced. Those so-called UAS will be blown out of the sky like what we’re seeing. Heard of Army Aviation mentioned by Igor Konashenkov? What do you think that is? Choppers and other aircraft in the Army, not Air Force. Gotta have facts bro.
Posted by: Wizzy | May 27 2022 3:54 utc | 191
From reports on the liberation victories it seems clear that Scott Ritter has been correct in almost every assessment he has made. There are so many comments here that reflect his initial and ongoing interpretation of tactics.
Thank you Scott Ritter. And thank you to so many others that have contributed.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | May 27 2022 3:55 utc | 192
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 26 2022 21:34 utc | 120
Smells like a variant of the older “Gerald Bull” design Canadian GC-45 and the second son(or clone) of the South African G-5(slight upgrade).
The man called Gerald Bull, was and still is an unmatched genius when it comes to the design of long ranged large artillery weapons. Since his assassination by a group of out of control semitic language speakers. There has been very little advancement in the design of large mobile field artillery.
Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | May 27 2022 4:06 utc | 193
From the Washington Post! The travails of a company and a platoon commander of the 5th Separate Rifle Battalion near Toshkivka: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/26/ukraine-frontline-russia-military-severodonetsk/
Ukrainian volunteer fighters in the east feel abandoned
By Sudarsan Raghavan
Updated May 26, 2022 at 5:38 p.m. EDT|Published May 26, 2022 at 2:46 p.m. EDT
DRUZHKIVKA, Ukraine — Stuck in their trenches, the Ukrainian volunteers lived off a potato per day as Russian forces pounded them with artillery and Grad rockets on a key eastern front line. Outnumbered, untrained and clutching only light weapons, the men prayed for the barrage to end — and for their own tanks to stop targeting the Russians.
Posted by: Aristonicus | May 27 2022 4:10 utc | 194
@ PavewayIV | May 27 2022 2:36 utc | 177
thanks.. informative..
@ Peter AU1 | May 27 2022 2:40 utc | 178
thanks.. i will remind you and no big deal about the egg either way.. it’s a bit like making a specific prediction on the war here – it is essentially a fools game..
@ Citizenfitz | May 27 2022 3:48 utc | 189
good post… i don’t sign into google on your site, otherwise i would have told you on your site.. cheers..
Posted by: james | May 27 2022 4:12 utc | 195
Scott Ritter has changed recently and it is perfectly understandable. He is not a weapons expert and neither am I . I just deal in facts, something that has been long lost in the western society.
The West played a game about negotiations, hoping that Russia would not have the fortitude to withstand their combined pressure. They lost that battle.
Then came the sanctions that was supposed to cripple Russia, and they lost that battle too. The only thing left is to triple down on arms to Ukraine. They will lose that battle too.
The only thing left is to talk a bunch of conflicting bull shit, that clearly shows one side is differing from the other.
It was always about the west grip on this world, and COVID excaserbated the deep ecominc problems of the west, and their monetary schemes.
Soon, the west will have a choice; either capitulate which will be seen as a victory by the owned MSM, or get blown into hell.
Neither the Russians or Chinese have ever shown a desire to own this world, but I am quite sure that some will come out and say this.
But tell me what is so good about the status-quo where you are allowed to destroy countries, cultures, humanity for your own incessant greed?
Karl luck | May 27 2022 4:34 utc | 195
I would agree with that. Hackman seems to have developed a hard on over Ritter.
Although I don’t agree with some things, he is very much speaking what he thinks. Honesty is I think something that should be respected.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 27 2022 5:18 utc | 197
Posted by: Roger | May 27 2022 3:04 utc | 182
Perhaps China will produce oil products from Russian oil and then export those oil products to Europe, they have a lot of refining capacity and have historically exporting oil products to SE Asia.
A 20th-century adage about the Internet, attributed to John Gilmore states the following:
“The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.”
The same idea could be paraphrased as follows:
International trade interprets sanctions as damage and routes around them.
Posted by: Petri Krohn | May 27 2022 5:23 utc | 198
@ 195 karl… right on karl.. you say it a lot better then i..
Posted by: james | May 27 2022 5:24 utc | 199
George Webb commenting on the WHO meeting in Davos Geneva.
We said they would double the budget on the first day and make it mandatory so they’d never have to ask for money again. What did they do ? . .
What did they do the 2nd day? We said they were going to push in Tedros in a secret ballot
The 3rd day we said they were going to do straw polls on the emergency procedures to see if they could do reprisals against anybody who wasn’t for the emergency procedures. What did they do the 3rd day . . . Secret straw vote
. . . , and Tedros came out and said yesterday that there’s a recalcitrant minority that doesn’t want to sign the emergency procedures,
What are they gonna do the fourth day?
The 4th day they’re gonna have the emergency, which is, the US mission is going to declare a health emergency and we’re going to need somebody with dictatorial powers so that we can respond. If only we would have voted yesterday we could have declared an emergency for Ukraine. All these people that are sick and all these refugees we could be doing something today, but because you people didn’t vote yesterday for dictatorial powers for Tedros, now you’re causing this human catastrophe today. And gues what happened – that’s exactly what happened.
On the 5th day of the conference – on the last day of the conference we said they were gonna do a straw vote a secret straw vote on the emergency powers – if it passes they’ll let it go through – if it doesn’t they’ll exact reprisals on those people who voted against it and they’ll come back in a special session and put it throughh after that.
They’re gonna put this thing through.
They’re gonna declare an emergency health situation in Ukraine and all the countyries affected by Ukraine and they’re gonna move NATO in and the only question in my mind is are they’re going to include Russia or parts of Russia in this? And by saying hey there’s infected peopkle in Russia – and thats a threat against one of the NATO countries, and a threat against one is a threat against all, they’re going to invoke Article 5 and quarantine this part of Russia. And there’s your NATO counter-attack!
Posted by: Citron | May 27 2022 5:24 utc | 200