“Intel Slava Z
🇷🇺🇺🇦 Kirovograd region of Ukraine is completely de-energized”
interesting tidbit connected to this region that i stumbled onto..
wikipedia link so take it fwiw..
Remember about the Gas – Do not buy Russian goods!

Posted by: james | Dec 16 2022 16:35 utc | 4

This is one of the better things I read today, hits the nail on the head:
Ukrainian pro-Russian channels started calling Zelensky a “kapo” – a prisoner in a Nazi camp who was assigned by the SS guards to supervise forced labor or carry out administrative tasks. They also claim he is being called like that in Israel, it is the worst insult a Jew can give another Jew.
https://t.me/denatofication/4578

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Dec 16 2022 16:39 utc | 6

Reopen NS2!
For the European Union it will already be complicated to finish the winter at the speed it is emptying the gas reserves.
France has a huge electricity deficit because 30% of its nuclear power plants are out of service. It supplies gas to Germany to run power plants there and import in return the missing electricity.
As a result, electricity is now a rare and expensive product in Germany, more than 0,50 €/kWh!
And the price of gas has been multiplied by 3 to 0,20 €/kWh.
***
UGS Withdrawal just for Germany and France.
12.12.2022: Ge: 1291 Gwh, Fr: 1050 Gwh
12.12.2022: Ge: 2571 Gwh, Fr: 1200 Gwh
13.12.2022: Ge: 2793 GWh, Fr: 1307 Gwh
14.12.2022: Ge: 2506 Gwh, Fr: 937 Gwh
Italy and The Netherlands using 2 more TWh/day
https://gas.kyos.com/gas/de
4 days: 13,5 Twh Withdrawal,
remaining Ge 222 Twh+ Fr: 115 Twh 337Twh
Last month: Ge: 245 Twh +Fr: 133
378Twh – 337Twh= 41Twh / 1 month
But now, Winter is coming, Industries are closing but Withdrawal is 100 Twh per month.
Winter has not officially started and a small cold snap of 5 days is endangering the energy production.
And next April, we will have to find gas at 200 or 2000€ per Mwh.
Total cost 200,300, 500 billions or more to refuel.
Ukraine will probably be able to wait..

Posted by: La Bastille | Dec 16 2022 16:45 utc | 8

Zelensky gutted that FIFA won’t let him address the world just before the World Cup Footballing final between Argentina and France.
https://rsport.ria.ru/20221216/zelenskiy-1839189788.html

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Dec 16 2022 16:47 utc | 10

@ karlof1 | Dec 16 2022 16:46 utc | 9
of course pat ryder is full of shite! if she or he just came out and said the usa supports its banking, military and energy complex and will continue to do so – it would be much more honest and forthright… i have come to expect no honesty and forthrightness from the usa however.. sorry eric newhill.. at some point one has to call a spade a spade…

Posted by: james | Dec 16 2022 16:52 utc | 12

Two articles about the Ukrainian extreme right wing scene, in the same German newspaper, one from 2014, one from 2022.
2014: Right-wing radical becomes chief of police in Kiev
2022: Today’s Azov regiment has nothing to do with the “neo-Nazi” battalion
How times change.

Posted by: Passerby | Dec 16 2022 16:55 utc | 14

Dmitriy Medvedev-On the question of legitimate military objectives
The question of legal military objectives has been treated differently in the history of mankind. He is perceived differently during the current conflict with the Nazi regime of Ukraine. For example, by the way, Russophobic senile people from the American Senate like to exercise on this topic inopportunely. However, there is something in common that lies in the customs of war and international conventions. These are the rules of conduct during the war (jus in bello), which originate in sacred sources.
What are legitimate military targets today?
Within the framework of the named rules of war , this is:
1. Any enemy troops (legal combatants and illegal combatants) that have not been officially withdrawn from its armed forces.
2. Any military and auxiliary equipment of the enemy.
3. Any objects related to military infrastructure, as well as to civilian infrastructure that contributes to the achievement of military goals (bridges, transport stations, roads, energy facilities, factories and workshops, at least partially fulfilling military orders, etc.).
4. The military and political leadership of the enemy country.
5. The armed forces of other countries that have officially entered the war, which are allies of the enemy country, and the objects located on their territory mentioned in paragraphs 1-4.
Today, however, there is a major question: can the hybrid war, de facto declared by NATO to our country, be considered the Alliance’s entry into the war against Russia? Can the supply of a huge amount of weapons to Ukraine be considered an attack on Russia? And accordingly, are the military objectives of the North Atlantic Bloc listed in paragraphs 1-4 of this note legitimate?
The leaders of the NATO countries sing with one voice that their countries and the entire bloc are not at war with Russia.
But everyone understands well that everything is different…

https://t.me/azmilitary11/31033

Posted by: Down South | Dec 16 2022 16:57 utc | 16

👔👔An important achievement in recent months: The Western weapons are destroyed on the frontlines at a faster rate than they are being delivered to Kyiv.
 
Spending on the battlefield and reduced supplies exacerbate heavy weapons shortages in the AFU. Kiev cannot promptly repair disabled tanks and armored vehicles due to the destruction of most military-industrial complex enterprises and power outages. 
Maintaining this rate of arms losses will result in the majority of Ukrainian units having only vehicles with mortars or multiple-launch rocket systems installed by spring. With their high maneuverability, such vehicles have no combat protection, so the number of irretrievable losses in the Armed Forces of Ukraine will increase.

https://t.me/Slavyangrad/25195

Posted by: Down South | Dec 16 2022 17:03 utc | 18

Posted by: james | Dec 16 2022 16:19 utc | 2
No problem!

Posted by: Down South | Dec 16 2022 17:04 utc | 20

“…. the training in Germany of 5000 Ukrainian operators will be necessary and will take 6 months at least.”
Posted by: La Bastille | Dec 16 2022 16:36 utc | 5
Great information to have, thank you.
So, if the Zelenskyy regime wants to ensure that thousands of the children of the elites, and/or of those who will pay, are safely removed from harm while still able to wear the AFU uniform, and not be seen as draft dodgers, they now have a place to put them. Inventing a requirement of a college degree would help ensure that it looked plausible why the commoners were excluded.
With just a bit of foot dragging the program won’t be delivering those 5000 operators back to Ukrainian soil until July or August of 2023, possibly just in time for an Armistice celebration.
And there’s a good chance that the trainees, and those training them, will benefit from having first rate accommodations while in Germany, what with the Treasury of Uncle Sam, and that of Germany, footing the bill. Can’t expect the highly expert contractors doing the training to put up with less than very nice housing, and it “only makes sense” to keep their trainees with them.

Posted by: Babel-17 | Dec 16 2022 17:16 utc | 22

Ukrainian pro-Russian channels started calling Zelensky a “kapo” – a prisoner in a Nazi camp who was assigned by the SS guards to supervise forced labor or carry out administrative tasks.
@ LightYearsFromHome | Dec 16 2022 16:39 utc | 6
Precisely. The idea that some Jews were instrumental in Hitler’s ascent is what got Hannah Arendt shadow-banned: you’re not supposed to talk about kapos.

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Dec 16 2022 17:24 utc | 24

When we start taking lessons from that antique war criminal Kissinger, who probably has the most blood on his hands of any crooked shyster, dead or still breathing, then is the time to pack it in!

Posted by: Vragtes | Dec 16 2022 17:30 utc | 26

Posted by: Passerby | Dec 16 2022 16:55 utc | 14
It is utterly disgusting that on the one hand, German politics indulges in various ways to make good on the atrocities done by the Nazis in WW II, be it against the Jews, the Roma, Sinti and the like – communists usually excluded. While on the other hand work hand in hand with right-wing nationalists and Nazi-fanboys in Ukraine, who name streets after Bandera and his fellow killers.
There was one really eye-opening article on a Polish portal, still being top of the pile despite being published in 2019. You won’t hear a whipser about that or the Nazi love-in amongst Ukrainian troops and civilians alike over here though …
https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/over-100000-slaughtered-with-axes-pitchforks-scythes-and-knives-the-wolyn-massacre-started-76-years-ago-today-and-lasted-for-two-years-6714

Posted by: CM of Berlin | Dec 16 2022 17:32 utc | 28

Medvedev, the social media warrior who does nothing else, should know that “rules of war” are related to wars, not to running in circles. They didn’t even dare to change the operation from special to anti-terrorist.

Posted by: rk | Dec 16 2022 17:42 utc | 30

Kapo is the perfect description

Posted by: Exile | Dec 16 2022 18:05 utc | 32

Here’s the article on Geraniums vs. radars. Turns out the only effective defense against Geranium drones is either the “optical channel” a.k.a good old pop-pop-pop AA guns, or jamming the GPS or GLONASS link from ground based jamming devices. They need to be dispersed over a wide range of area, and they work on electricity. Of course, the drones also have the inertial gyro compass guidance, which may make them less accurate (probably not enough to miss something like a power plant or electrical distribution complex. Then you have some other methods which might be hard to implement.
Vzglyad, Yandex translation edited
Why is the Ukrainian air defence powerless against “air mopeds”
Dmitry Vinnik
professor of the Financial University, publicist
October 24, 2022, 18:55
The strikes of propellant projectiles, known as “Geran-2”, on the energy infrastructure and military facilities of Ukraine were so successful that they competed significantly with cruise missiles, at least in terms of price/quality of damage to the enemy. In Ukraine, a form of hysteria has begun about the urgent need to create a layered air defence. The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, in response to a request from the Kiev regime, said that it would be difficult to create a modern integrated air defense system in Ukraine “quickly.” Mark Milli clearly pitied the tender ears of Ukrainians. It is simply impossible to create such a system quickly. And not only in Ukraine, but anywhere. In fact, only Russia has a fully integrated air defence system. The United States does not need it, and the air defence of European NATO countries leaves much to be desired. Really: “Why all these bulky missiles on lorries, if there are American fighters of the fifth generation!?”
Nevertheless, the panic in Kiev is so strong that some measures against “air mopeds” will certainly be taken by the enemy. There is little sense from the nationwide shooting from hundreds of machine guns and carbines in the residential buildings of cities with millions of people, and there is a decent amount of harm – it is almost impossible to destroy the Geranium in the air, and it is quite possible to damage the steering wheels so that it falls on a residential building. Fifty kilograms of explosives is a lot, about as much in a 100-kilogram FAB-100 aerial bomb.
Anti-aircraft missiles against “Geraniums” are ineffective. “Air mopeds” are made of carbon fibre, and radars see it poorly. And the size is so modest that it can be confused with a bird. And if this kamikaze drone starts writing out eights when approaching the target, then the old locators will not detect it at all. To shoot, for example, a S-300 missile at such a thing is mind-bogglingly wasteful. There are also infrared-guided missiles. But the heat trace from the drone is very small and not contrasting enough – it is also difficult to get such a rocket. You can shoot visually, as the anti-aircraft gunners say: “through the optical channel.” The Osa air defence system copes with this quite well. But the AFU has few of them left, they are all at the front, and you can’t shoot at night. But it’s not just that. Almost any guided missile is many times more expensive than these rattles.
Against cheap, slow–moving and rattling drones, the good old rapid-firing anti-aircraft guns – various kinds of “infernal threshers”: “Shilki”, “Tunguska” and other “Cheetahs” (Gepardy) are effective. However, Ukraine does not have enough such guns either: there are several Tunguskas left, since the repair kits were made in Russia. The “Shilki” were removed from storage, but their radars have rotted, so they can only be fired visually. Germany promised 30 Cheetahs. To shoot, again, for the direct defence of objects, you will have to follow flat trajectories directly over residential buildings, and these are hundreds and even thousands of small, but quite lethal projectiles during the reflection of one attack.
The main hope in the fight against projectile aircraft in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is electronic warfare (EW). The fact is that “air mopeds” are guided by GLONASS and other global navigation systems. The geolocation signal is very sensitive to interference. As they write, during the second war in Iraq in 2003, led by the United States, several fairly powerful GPS jamming transmitters were installed on its territory. As a result of their work in the first three days, the Americans lost a significant number of cruise missiles – so much so that the shelling had to stop until the transmitters were destroyed.
According to Belarusian experts, in such a situation, it is better for the defending side to have smaller transmitters, but distributed over the territory in large numbers. This makes it difficult to detect and destroy system elements. The authors proposed options for placing interference transmitters on the ground by analogy with the coverage of the territory by a cellular communication system. Moreover, the cellular communication antennas themselves can be used to jam GPS with a small gain. But this is unlikely to help the Ukrainian regime. Firstly, it is very expensive and time-consuming to create a solid coating. Secondly, we will have time to de-electrify Ukraine earlier. Thirdly, there are effective breakthrough measures.
Of course, they will put active interference, and for sure they are already putting it. But it doesn’t do much good. There are six methods of counteraction. The easiest way is to abandon counteraction altogether, turn off the GPS receiver and control the projectile aircraft “inertially”: roughly speaking, the homing head remembers the target, and when the signal from the satellite is muffled, it goes and dives by gyrocompass and clock. This is not so accurate, it reduces the QUO (coefficient of probability deviation), but it will hit the target of the “free-standing power plant” type quite well. If the power of the jammer is weak, then the radius of the cover is small – the deviation will not be large.
But there are other methods of EW breakthrough. The most powerful is spatial signal selection: the use of a phased array antenna (HEADLIGHT) with “maxima” in the directions to the satellites or/and with “zeros” in the directions to the sources of interference. Headlights are radars that instead of a “dish” use a grid with hundreds of tiny antennas-“pins”. By the way, 5G towers are essentially headlights. Probably, theoretically, they can even be used to locate drones at distances of hundreds of meters. For the first time, the headlights were installed on the S-300 radar and the MIG-31 interceptor. Of course, no one will put such an expensive antenna on a hellish scooter. One such thing is probably worth dozens of such scooters. But to protect a more valuable cruise missile, it is quite appropriate.
There is also a method of equipping the homing head (homing) of a projectile aircraft with alternative navigation signal receivers. If one signal is suppressed, the other may well continue working. Each signal has its own range, and solid interference is rare. Here will be the number if it turns out that electrification disruptor drones use, among other things, American GPS. But this assumption is from the series “abused with special cynicism.” There is also, by the way, the Chinese Beidou system. According to TASS, on August 2 of this year we agreed on its joint use together with GLONASS, of course – for peaceful purposes.
In other words, Zelensky’s hopes that jamming will save their energy and management from being crushed by thousands of projectile planes are empty. By the way, the cellular communication system of Ukraine closer to the front line would also be nice to thin out.
Russia in a good way should have such a colossal number of aerial killer robots of various types that if an abstract Zelensky accidentally went out on the balcony on a fine day of another aerial retaliation, he should have ripples in his eyes and rattle in his ears.

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 16 2022 18:10 utc | 34

Peskov has said that Putin has not yet had a chance to review Kissinger’s peace proposal, but was anxious to do so.
I respectfully suggest he not waste his time, more of the same BS. Russia leaves the east and then negotiates Crimea…. LOLOLOL

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Dec 16 2022 18:27 utc | 36

Not possible since yesterday. Canada placed again sanctions on turbines, can’t be used.
Posted by: rk | Dec 16 2022 17:31 utc | 27

NS2 uses Russian made turbines. It was one of the points the Russians were using when urging the Germans to open NS2 back when Canada wouldn’t return the NS1 turbines.

Posted by: CPY | Dec 16 2022 18:28 utc | 38

My understanding is that neon is a gas which is distilled from thin air. Ukraine does not exactly have strategic neon deposits.
Posted by: catdog | Dec 16 2022 18:06 utc | 33
Your understanding is correct. However, air doesn’t produce pur neon by itself. Per wiki:
“About 70% of global neon supply is produced in Ukraine[43] as a by-product of steel production in Russia.[44] As of 2020, the company Iceblick, with plants in Odessa and Moscow, supplies 65 per cent of the world’s production of neon, as well as 15% of the krypton and xenon.[45][46]”

Posted by: Mary | Dec 16 2022 18:32 utc | 40

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 16 2022 16:46 utc | 9:

How many barflies can clearly see the contradiction in the following statement:
“Pentagon Claims US Not Seeking Conflict With Russia, Focused on Providing Help to Ukraine”

My guess is that 99% of barflies here would see the ludicrous contradiction, but less than 1% of the population in the US, whom the Pentagon claim was meant to hear, would see any contradiction. That is the big problem of the society you and live in today.

Posted by: Oriental Voice | Dec 16 2022 18:47 utc | 42

Down South I echo James’ recognition of your postings. I am unable to get telegram so I look for your updates multiple times per day. Deep appreciation and respect.

Posted by: migueljose | Dec 16 2022 18:54 utc | 44

@chunga 7 –
“Its one thing to be hoodwinked by fake news. It’s entirely another thing to *want* the fake things they see to be true.”
Very good comment! It is about whether one values truth, and holds truth to be higher than one’s own biases. The thing about the truth is – either one is 10% committed or not at all. One cannot adhere to the truth when it benefits one, and bend and falsify it when it doesn’t.

Posted by: Moses22 | Dec 16 2022 19:06 utc | 46

Hmm. This perspective might be appreciated here.
“Caesar Vlad, on the other hand, rules a land that can do what no other can. His land can produce, end to end, a complete chain of production for all he needs to continue in power. Indefinitely. That is what the Russian world is. Let me give you an extreme example. What country can produce, from nose to tail, a nuclear powered titanium-hulled submarine carrying ICBM’s that can reach any point on earth in under an hour. With something equally nuclear.
No, not even the West can do that. We can produce that same result, but only so long as the Imperial supply chain remains unbroken. What have the last three years taught us about supply chains? Simple, Komrade. They aren’t under Imperial control anymore. We farmed too much out to our enemies.
Vlad has used the time from 2000 till now to reclaim control of the vast resources of Russia, which account for approximately two thirds of all mineral wealth, in almost every category. And our idiotic sanctions have driven his minions to create internal alternatives to Western products. From the simplest to the most exotic. And no, the military might of Russia does not depend on four-nanometer chip technology. They build brutally simple weapons in brutally brilliant ways. To the point where we, in our sociological fever swamp, have fallen generations behind.”
https://www.wmbriggs.com/post/44064/

Posted by: cameron232 | Dec 16 2022 19:12 utc | 48

I imagine that you all heard, saw, and read the statement of Medvedev. Everything is the target now that can contribute of any kind to AFU. Even political leadership and foreign armies on 404 territory soil. So, more cards are on the table. The intention is to break the spine of the 404ers and their will to resist.
I think we have been patient long enough. Our missiles will darken the sky of their cities. Nazi worshipers will be the first target. Including you, dear, dear Cypso. We will hit you one by one, and when you think you are safe, we will knock loudly. And all the crimes you committed against people will be avenged. For those who helped you, we will never forget what you did. We will take you one by one.
Some will live in fear of our retribution. We are back in business. Let God have mercy on your soul because we won’t.

https://t.me/Slavyangrad/25209

Posted by: Down South | Dec 16 2022 19:22 utc | 50

@48; @cameron232
Yes, that perspective will be very well appreciated here. It is another delusional Westerner believing in Putinist hype machine.
Reality:
Putin has completed destruction of remains of Soviet industry left over from Yeltsin.
Machine tools, machinery, all implements required for industrial production were sourced from the West (primarily Germany, Japan, Italy, Czech Republic…) in the last 15 years.
Everything Russian sold to oligarchs who are friends of Putin to sell for scrap.
“Import substitution” consisted of things like importing a Czech made tractor, putting new decals on, and calling it “Russian”.
All the West has to do is wait for the high-tech machine tooling to wear out and all Russian industry is paralysed.
They can’t rebuild it because the factories were turned into scrap, the educated specialists are retired, and the profits went to an oligarch to build a megayacht (in Germany).
The ONLY thing that can prevent catastrophe is massive Chinese assistance.
They don’t seem very interested.

Posted by: moaobserver | Dec 16 2022 19:25 utc | 52

The inbred Aristo elite martial families of the natzo empire in Britain have been undertaking an undeclared war against the European Union and Russia – a long planned and facistically implemented one.
The gongs are already prepared. A few were announced in November – to some military NCO types. Wtf have the Tank batallion, the Nursing Corps and the Submarine doodahs been doing to earn mentions in dispatches
Like I said the New Year gongs are going to be revelatory wonder how many posthumous retired military and obscure civil servants no one has ever heard of are to be announced.
The Big Lie is unraveling.

Posted by: DunGroanin | Dec 16 2022 19:28 utc | 54

Gilbert Doctorow’s monitoring of Russian public opinion today includes analysis of political talk shows (of the sort no longer to be found in the anglophone world.) Highly recommended.
On one show the chairman of the Duma’s Defence Committee calls for plans to bomb London.
“…. the war in Ukraine held its own thanks to some fiery statements by a retired high military officer who is now the head of the State Duma’s Committee on Defense. His opening remarks were sure to attract riveted attention: he called for the putting in place of plans to bomb London! Why not, he asked rhetorically, given that the British have spoken publicly about the possibility of bombing Moscow. Russia should destroy the military command infrastructure in and around London using either conventional or nuclear arms. Like others on the show, this panelist sees the war through the prism of armed conflict between Russia and NATO, where Ukraine is only the designated territory of combat. From this perspective it will indeed be a ‘long war’ that goes on for many years to come.
“Otherwise, the number one Ukrainian topic of the evening was the unprecedented Ukrainian rocket and artillery attack the day before on the provincial capital of Donetsk, which received more than 150 incoming missiles, many from US-provided launchers. None of the blasts was directed against military targets; all struck residential buildings, markets, social infrastructure buildings at morning hours when there would be a maximum of people in the targeted structures or open spaces. Photos from the scene of destruction were put up on the screen and included images of the main cathedral of Donetsk, whose cupola was struck directly by one missile; this was held up as one more demonstration of the ‘satanic’ nature of the Kievan rulers, whose intent was clearly to traumatize the Donbas population.Many commentators, myself included, have explained this remark as self-justificatory in the context of ongoing vilification of Merkel in German media and political spheres for having been ‘soft’ on the Russians during her time in office. However, last night’s panelist said that Merkel’s political statements are never accidental or incidental, but are substantive. Her intention was to ride the current wave of thinking in German political circles by making negotiations with Russia impossible due to total breakdown in mutual trust. This is part and parcel of the ‘long war’ policy against Russia…”
“…Otherwise, as is often the case in recent editions of the show, yesterday’s Evening with Vladimir Solovyov was given over to philosophizing over the new identity Russia must adopt now that its love affair with the West is finally over. The debate is now no longer between Western-oriented Liberals and Conservatives. It is among Conservatives themselves, who have split between Nationalists and Centrists. On this show, the former tend to be represented by Duma members or LDPR party stalwarts and the latter by university deans and think tank presidents.
“When leader of the LDPR party Vladimir Zhirinovsky was alive, he was frequently invited onto the Solovyov show and was given unlimited use of the microphone, never interrupted as was so often the practice suffered by other panelists. Now the nationalist positions of Zhirinovsky are advanced by others, including RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonian and by Duma member Andrey Lugovoy, best known in the West as the KGB operative wanted by the British police on suspicion of murdering Alexander Litvinenko, and by Solovyov himself. I have little doubt that in the weeks ahead we will see the recent prisoner exchange Viktor Bout on the Solovyov program given that he has just been inducted into the LDPR Party.
“What all of these Nationalists have in common that sets them apart from the academicians in the Centrist group is strong leanings towards Soviet era mobilization of the whole population of Russia around national defense in the coming ‘long war’ with the USA and NATO. Solovyov himself repeatedly speaks of the need to establish ongoing military training of all able-bodied males so as to prepare a 3-million strong Russian army. As regards the economy, these Nationalists take a dim view of the market and seek state direction of industry.”
https://gilbertdoctorow.com/

Posted by: bevin | Dec 16 2022 19:31 utc | 56

Posted by: Down South | Dec 16 2022 19:19 utc | 49

.. Artillery shells are running low..

All you’ve referred by ‘geromanat’ seem to be realistic, but with that one exception:
So means, the artillery shells are NOT yet running low still today.
Pls. note the ever day-by-day increasing of shelling the Donetzk City, causing more & more than before civilian deaths & casualties. That shows today’s UAF strikes have a still strong support and supply of rockets (HIMARS) available on UAF side, that obviously cannot be eliminated by RF/DNR forces!

Posted by: spare_truth | Dec 16 2022 19:40 utc | 58

So if the NS2 doesn’t use Canada turbines then I don’t understand why Canada put back sanctions on them. Must be a trick
Today I read that new sanctions fom eu include Kadyrov’s children and many political parties. And Armed forces of all sorts. Russians must be laughing hard this evening. Another funny thing is that Greece wants to give s300 to ukr in exchange for patriot.

Posted by: rk | Dec 16 2022 19:47 utc | 60

Hasbara has entered the chat in the form of moaobservor

Posted by: Exile | Dec 16 2022 19:55 utc | 62

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Dec 16 2022 19:33 utc | 58
I think you need a chill pill mate. This is a bit theory conspiring. But a nice theory haha… you are implying that the western rulers are smart, which they should be by all logic, but they are the bad guys like the emperor in star wars so they are not very smart, maybe in treating their citizens like sheep and brainwashing them they are smart, but outsmarting Russia I dont think so. Cant outsmart the good guys, it opposes the very being of our existence that dark can overcome light. If you know what I mean. 😀
Watch the new atlas video about patriot and it will be clear to you they dont even have enough rockets for patriots, if they sent all the patriots around the globe to ukraine hehe… its not possible since they gotta have them in taiwan/japan/south korea/i dont know where the fuck they are “defending” their vassals. Russia is not their only adversary around the globe, even North Korea could nuke the shit out of Japs/Koreans if shit hits the fan. China, Iran etc. If someone still thinks hollywood air force could take on china/russia/iran/north korea combined (USA hollywood shit aint even got supersonic delivery rockets yet, so China and Russia could erase them and their every base/carrier in 10 minutes given they have printed enough by now lol, which they should have since its an existential matter to them.) you guys are reading the wrong stuff I guess. Good luck and get better at reading.

Posted by: Jzo | Dec 16 2022 20:07 utc | 64

I do like that dry Russian sense of humor:
Asked about Kissinger’s proposal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “eager to give the article a thorough reading,” but “hasn’t had a chance to do so yet, unfortunately.”

Posted by: Bemildred | Dec 16 2022 20:25 utc | 66

The most concerning news today is John Kirby’s announcement that the White House agrees to Ukraine conducting military operations in Crimea. That seems to me to be a serious escalation of the war beyond the Patriot missile systems, beyond the 9th set of sanctions.
https://scooptrade.com/white-house-recognizes-ukraines-right-to-conduct-operations-in-crimea/

Posted by: Belle | Dec 16 2022 20:32 utc | 68

The question still remains, given the weather conditions and the necessity to use major arterials, how does Ukraine continue to maintain its logistics to the front without interdiction?
Also the Chinese axis seems to be a fairytale, otherwise there’d be thousands of Chinese drones at the front.
My fear is that Russia is a tiger surrounded by a pack of dogs and slowly bleeding and all the dogs (including China) are waiting for it to bleed out.

Posted by: Johnycomelately | Dec 16 2022 20:41 utc | 70

I have been trying to follow the arguments over numbers here and elsewhere, and offer some thoughts. Some of these are informed by some very serious albeit amateur research on WW2 losses and attrition rates – and though that war ended in 1945 there is still considerable confusion, academic disagreement and downright mis-information about losses and basic numbers.
A good rule of thumb though is that for every KIA, maybe 3 guys are WIA. Of those 2 may have a future career back in the military after re-hab, but the other poor guy will not – the wounds are too serious (loss of limbs etc). Unless there are large scale encirclements/surrenders MIA are relatively few in numbers – though being hit by an artillery shell tends to create an MIA not a verifiable KIA.
The recycling of WIA back to the line depends on definitions to a point. Every army has its own. So for example Army A may call a minor flesh wound a wound, whereas Army B may ignore it and not report the wound. But maybe 6 months to a year is normal for WIA to go through the system and back to units. So we would expect a proportion of both sides’ wounded to be redeployed by now after a 10 month campaign.
After ten months and around 300 days – and given the nature of the fighting – I would be astonished if UAF KIA were less than 150,000. There have also been some notable encirclements. So maybe permanent losses are 150,000 KIA and 20,000 MIA (prisoners). They may have suffered up to 450,000 additional wounded, of whom 150,000 will never fight again. Of the other 300,000 maybe 100,000 are back in the ranks and 200,000 in hospital. There is a wrinkle here that the reports of UAF medivac services are poor so it is possible that many WIA subsequently die but are not counted as KIA as they died in hospital or on their way to one. The point though is that when counting numbers of soldiers, you included those lying in hospital beds in overall totals – they are still enlisted.
All of these numbers are of course broad guesses but I doubt even the Ukrainian high command have accurate figure on losses, or even where and how many troops they have now, and still less at any moment in time how many are “combat trained”. And even that depends on a definition. Is this to NATO standards or the 1 month crash course provided by say the UK? Though these numbers are guesses I would argue they are directionally correct and in the right sort of scale.
It is possible that the UAF has 700,000 men. However in WW2 the much vaunted Wehrmacht was noted for its lean tail to tooth ratio and western forces – and subsequently NATO ones – had and have a greater bias to a smaller fighting arm and good logistics. Nevertheless the Wehrmacht was rarely able to field more than half its forces in the field armies and the balance were in training, home defence and garrison duties and also hospitals. So in 1944 say – going from memory here – the Wehrmacht fielded around 10M men, of who only about 5M were in field armies – though the Kreigsmarine and Luftwaffe absorbed several million also. The SS were included in overall totals and I suspect the UAF equivalent (Azov etc) are similarly counted.
The UAF though might have the following sorts of numbers:
“Trained” troops with combat units 100,000
Semi-trained troops in the line 100,000
Troops in training 100,000
Guys in hospital 200,000
Navy (including marines) 50,000
Air force 50,000
Home defence and internal security 100,000
TOTAL 700,000
Counting MIA and KIA of maybe 170,00 and WIA lost to the force structure of 150,000 this equates roughly to the 1 million men Ukraine earlier claimed to have mobilised. They will also have a militarised police force to call on for home defence, possibly other para-military type organisations.
This is all educated guesswork but I think the nuances and simple definitions etc are important in trying to understand what is being said, quite apart from the deliberate misinformation and propaganda.
Russian numbers and losses are even more opaque but I suggest they have also suffered serious losses but lower than the UAF and if they do not outnumber significantly the UAF in “trained” deployable manpower at this moment in time they have got something very badly wrong.

Posted by: marcjf | Dec 16 2022 20:47 utc | 72

Posted by: Belle | Dec 16 2022 20:32 utc | 69
But how could Ukraine conduct military exercises inside a foreign country with which it is currently at war? Is that coded language for conducting an actual attempt to retake Crimea?

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Dec 16 2022 21:09 utc | 74

It’s been discussed here before but for those who may have missed it regarding Telegram. The only way I can use it on a PC is by inserting an “s” before the name of the channel and then it’s possible to “preview” in channel in a browser. I’ll put the following links not as endorsements but examples. I think the problems with the desktop app I have stem from slow DSL.
https://t.me/s/rybar
https://t.me/s/wargonzo
https://t.me/s/intelslava

Posted by: chunga | Dec 16 2022 21:26 utc | 76

Posted by: Archie | Dec 16 2022 19:21 utc | 50
Exactly Archie – or at least one segment of them. It is of course an ambit claim but a pretty god beginning for Russia.
Now from the point of view of NATO, they need a viable Ukraine onto which you place missiles and offensive weapons. Combined with the recent, lets include Ukraine in NATO comment, then the idea may be give Russia Donesk and Luhansk, probably also most of Kherson and Zaporizhia, but save Odessa, Kiev and Kharkov.
Now Russia would be foolish to accept such a deal, but I guess none of us really know the real strength of its military, so they might accept it, if sanctions etc were lifted.
Russia would be foolish to accept any deal that did not involve complete neutrality in Ukraine and absolutely no offensive weapons or NATO forces. Removal of bases on Bulgaria and Romania might also be demanded. Getting them out of Poland and the Baltics may be an impossible goal, although Latvia looks to be in serious energy deficiency.

Posted by: watcher | Dec 16 2022 21:44 utc | 78

oops forgot the link to Doctorow. sorry
https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2022/12/16/what-are-they-now-talking-about-on-russian-talk-shows/

Posted by: michaelj72 | Dec 16 2022 21:52 utc | 80

Chris 11 – Thanks for the link to the Hudson interview.
LightYearsFromHome -58
Psyops and propaganda aside, I think it is important not to underestimate the cunning and viscousness of Empire. Who would have predicted the destruction of the NS pipelines? Ukraine has put up more resistance than originally predicted and necessitated the partial mobilisation of Russia.
The ruling elites who own everything and run Empire don’t really care how many Ukrainian, European or any other bodies it takes for them to remain in power. Nuclear war is ok too for them as long as they survive. I think in any broader war, the global elite power and decision-making nodes need to be mapped and taken out before they destroy the planet.

Posted by: Moses22 | Dec 16 2022 21:58 utc | 82

“That is why that, “Only a God can save us,” now.”
Then we are doomed.

Posted by: Klaatu | Dec 16 2022 22:00 utc | 84

Posted by: michaelj72 | Dec 16 2022 21:40 utc | 78
who is the ukraine Nazi Gang?
complete ukraine society and majority of ukraine civilians re infected by the Nazi Gang Bang virus
after 8 or 10 years nazi brainwashing it is pointless trying to go and heal Ukraine people, they can only heal themselves!
But they re not healing themselves on the contrary they (civilians) re killing and torturing their brothers and sisters.
Russia cannot however show any consideration towards ukraine brainwashed nazi civilians anymore, who re merely rusophobe and bloodthirsty.
In WWII the US & UK ve recognized that that the German civilian cant heal themselves from Nazi Virus.
They ve bombed Germany back to the stone age with special focus civilian targets.
All of the sudden the german nazi citizens started to heal themselves from Nazi virus.
This is the only medicine the Nazis understand. Its not Zeldnsky and Gang bangs. No its the total Ukraine civilian population who needs a German style healing.
But instead of Russia carpet bombing Ukraine cities like Dresden, Hamburg, Beelin….the Ukro Nazis performing this Antinazi medication today with Donezk, Luhansk,….
Putin loves the enemy more than his soldiers & his people

Posted by: Ćevapčići | Dec 16 2022 22:17 utc | 86

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Dec 16 2022 19:33 utc | 58 “If Russia looses air dominance over Ukraine it is in very big trouble”
What do you mean by “air dominance”?
I wonder if the terms don’t quite apply as they used to. The Russians don’t appear to be flying manned aircraft over the interior of Ukraine and barely over the front lines. Likely for fear of being shot down. But unmanned aircraft, from both sides seem to be roaming the sky. Yes, at this point, Russia has more armed drones.

Posted by: Bill Smith | Dec 16 2022 22:21 utc | 88

Strategic Culture skewers the Outlaw US Empire as a party to the war, “Not a Party to Conflict?… U.S. Government Media Outlet Directs Air Strikes on Crimea”:

The Radio Free Europe outlet this week blatantly published satellite images of Russian military bases in Crimea and openly advocated for the Kiev regime to launch strikes. The reality is even more sobering and grim. It would not be the Kiev regime carrying out such strikes, but rather U.S., British and other NATO special forces acting as the brains and stealthy hands of the regime.
Moscow has already inveighed against NATO as being a direct participant in hostilities in Ukraine. The RFE report corroborates Russia’s claims. It is self-admission by the United States of being a party to the conflict.
The satellite images were provided by a private U.S. company called Planet Labs which has a history of working closely with the Pentagon. The images included an airbase at Dzhankoy which is described as a main logistics hub. Naval sites at Sevastopol were also listed in detail as well as purported ammunition tunnels in the surrounding mountains. Other targets included anti-aircraft positions near Feodosia on the Crimean Peninsula. From Moscow’s viewpoint, the peninsula is the sovereign territory of the Russian Federation. Yet here we have the U.S. government’s media mouthpiece giving out the coordinates and calling for air strikes on “prime targets”.
RFE is wholly owned by the U.S. government and it has a long and tawdry history of acting as a CIA conduit in Eastern Europe during the height of the Cold War. For the publication to publish targets for military attack and to advocate for such action is tantamount to Washington openly declaring itself to be director of war operations by the Kiev regime.
This role by Washington and its NATO allies has long been surmised since the conflict in Ukraine erupted in February this year. Indeed for the eight years since the coup in Kiev in 2014, the United States and its NATO partners have been weaponizing and prepping the anti-Russian regime for war, as former German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently admitted.
But since hostilities flared over the past 10 months, the United States, Britain, Poland and other NATO members have been actively involved in providing not just weapons, but training, logistics and intelligence for attacking Russian forces. It is believed that American and British advisers have been directing Ukrainian air strikes at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, as well as more recently on air bases deep inside Russian territory. The assassination of over a dozen senior Russian military commanders in the battlefields is also thought to be as a result of close targeting information provided by U.S. intelligence.

Talk in the Duma ought to include bombing the Pentagon and CIA campuses if they’re going to talk about doing the same to UK’s similar institutions. Maybe if it gets shouted loud enough and is accompanied by many obscenities, the Outlaw US Empire’s Congress will actually hear it and react in some manner.
Bill Smith @89–
Why should Russia risk pilots and planes when their tasks can be accomplished in other ways? Welcome to the new way of war via robotics and AI. I’m sure the pilots would rather fly cause that’s what pilots want to do. But it’s clear those same pilots and their commanders have respect for Ukie’s old Soviet Buks and S-300s, and now isn’t the time to reach out and touch them in a more direct, riskier manner. IMO, by 2030, most piloted jets will be museum exhibits.

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 16 2022 22:44 utc | 90

Hermit 90
And if there were god thingies, Epicurus and you would have figured them all out using your five senses and reason powered by 120-140 IQ brainpower.
And here we don’t even know what Putin and Russia are planning for next month.

Posted by: Moses22 | Dec 16 2022 22:50 utc | 92

Readers will know that I relate Putin’s concern for Russia’s severe demographic problem–about the same number of Russians died during the Neoliberal rapine of the 199s as died during the Great Patriotic War…
Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 16 2022 22:21 utc | 88

Where did you get that dubious information? Many Russians emigrated during the 1990s for personal safety and security. I live with one and she communicates with former classmates all over the world.
Population of Russia 1992 = 148.3 million
Population of Russia 2002 = 145.2 million
Population of Russia 2009 = 142.7 million (modern low)
https://tass.com/society/1041670
Note that almost all countries now have birth rates below replacement rates and would have gradual population declines except for people living longer and immigration.

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Dec 16 2022 22:55 utc | 94

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 16 2022 22:44 utc | 91
Agree with a lot of that last paragraph. I think though some of those tasks aren’t accomplished quite a well with unmanned platforms as they would be with manned platforms. (Assuming they survive long enough to do it.) The ability of unmanned platforms will certainly increase, towards that of manned ones, as you suggest, within a decade or so.
Maybe “air dominance” just means the ability for your strikes to get though. So both sides in a conflict, could in theory have ‘air dominance”?

Posted by: Bill Smith | Dec 16 2022 22:57 utc | 96

Karlof1 ( Dec 16 2022 16:46 utc | 9 ) wrote:

How many barflies can clearly see the contradiction in the following statement:
“Pentagon Claims US Not Seeking Conflict With Russia, Focused on Providing Help to Ukraine”

I sure can.
Why aren’t they embarrassed? Whats wrong with them? I wrote about it in general terms on the non-Ukraine thread.
In a sense I guess it doesn’t matter: they are doomed anyway.
· · ·
LightYearsFromHome ( Dec 16 2022 19:33 utc | 58 ) wrote:

“It’s all one concerted effort and something very big is up.”

Maybe.
The Russians will know.
· · ·
And for those who may need it (a certain someone does!): most Russians do not comment or debate in English and those that do are not representative! 😀

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Dec 16 2022 23:03 utc | 98

If the gods are unable to prevent evil, then they are not all-powerful.
If the gods are not willing to prevent evil, then they are not all-good.
If the gods are both willing and able to prevent evil, then why does evil exist?
Posted by: Hermit | Dec 16 2022 22:31 utc | 90

If they exist, then we exist only for their amusement. Otherwise it would be boring to exist for eternity with little to do. Should be obvious, no?

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Dec 16 2022 23:10 utc | 100