Thanks sln2002….welcome to the list club Rolando post 150…..yes….the massive movement of armour down to deep water port in the Southern U.S happened concurrently with Canadian equipment heading to Eastern ports. I suspect U.S is marshaling a strike force in Romania while Poland prepares to go east….the sudden very public and somewhat confusing NATO talk of armour transfers is meant to placate and confuse a frightened Western public as more and more equipment lands in Europe and it’s transferred east…. plausible deniability for all the trains and trucks. The West prepared for war while calling for peace during the Minsk negotiations and yet now are preparing for direct confrontation while using deception. It is no doubt Russia knows what is happening…it’s for the benefit of Western public consumption who are slowly catching on to the True significance of what is about to happen

Posted by: Joe | Jan 27 2023 0:09 utc | 204

The most important news for this week’s “Ukraine Update” is not the recent Russian capture of Soledar and Klishchiiva. The most important news is not that Bakhmut is being surrounded by the Russian forces. The important news is not that RF are surrounding Vuhledar.
The most important news for this week is:
1. that the West has escalated this conflict yet again by now giving the OK for M1 and Leopard tanks to be delivered to Ukraine.
2.that the West has escalated this conflict yet again by indicating F-16 fighter jets will now be provided Ukraine. I figure these jets will also come with Western fliers to fly them.
The continual escalator escalation of the Ukraine war no doubt will lead to nuclear war. The question is “WHEN?”
I think this will occur soon after the bear takes and secures the Donbas. This time frame would be in line with Daniel 7:5 and with the rate of escalation the West has continued to pursue and is pursuing.
My best guess, and this is only a guess, is that the nukes will fly around the middle of May 2023. The much better indicator of the “nuke date” is soon after (within a month) Russia takes and secures the Donbas.

Posted by: young | Jan 27 2023 0:19 utc | 206

Good News. Biletsky and the Azov gang are supposedly headed to Bakhmut. Like real Nazis, not just idiots with some runes.

Posted by: Eighthman | Jan 27 2023 0:34 utc | 208

I suspect the defeatist are Calvinist just realizing how flawed their ideology is and I agree with @karlof1 in #211 above.
BK

Posted by: Buffalo_Ken | Jan 27 2023 0:36 utc | 210

and it wasn’t a personal attack, but i see you took it that way and are in a pissy mood… fine..

Posted by: james | Jan 27 2023 0:40 utc | 212

and it wasn’t a personal attack, but i see you took it that way and are in a pissy mood… fine..
Posted by: james | Jan 27 2023 0:40 utc | 216
Have a nice day.

Posted by: jgalt | Jan 27 2023 0:46 utc | 214

Rolando | Jan 26 2023 21:35 utc | 150
>Observation of U$ movement of material.
>WTF are they / doing/ thinking ……
Rolando, hate to bother you, but…… the open source intell sites have been documenting the flood of war toys into Poland Lithuania Germany Romania and the big airbase in Italy at least since Oct-Nov-Dec 2019.
One night in Dec 2019 the U$ flew ?? More than 10 less than 20 C-19s into Germany.
There’s a reason Shoigu Lavrov Putin we’re seeking “security guarantees” at that time.
Twitter posts today are reporting there’s no “unallocated” Abrams in stock and the promised delivery to Ukraine will need procurement. (Meaning delays).
If one were to go trawling through past media and US rah-rah-rah, there’s been many (many) mentions of Abrams in Poland and Romania, going back years.
The Sanctions From Hell were intended to bleed Russia’s economy.
Once an economically failed state, then use military force to partition Russia along the lines we’ve seen posted (increasingly) over the years..
Russia hasn’t failed economically, but that doesn’t mean they have abandoned the Phase Two, military option.
“We” think invading and partitioning Russia is insane, because “we” believe a third (or a 4th if you include Napoleon) Land War in Europe is unthinkable ……
Rolande, I think they ARE thinking what you/we hope they are not thinking….

Posted by: Melaleuca | Jan 27 2023 0:59 utc | 216

@220 “I think they ARE thinking what you/we hope they are not thinking….”
They probably think Napoleon and Hitler failed to subjugate Russia because they didn’t have the right equipment. Times have changed. We’ve got all kinds of neat stuff now.

Posted by: dh | Jan 27 2023 1:13 utc | 218

Joe | Jan 27 2023 0:09 utc | 207
Re your reply to our new, and observant friend, Rolande.
Yes. The U$ transfer of war toys to Europe has been very very slow… all those summer NATO exercises over the years.
Toys are transferred in, most remains.
101st Airborne: “Our mission is to fight Russia in Ukraine if necessary”.
Later walked back to “defending NATO”.
But the original announcement would not have been made without several layers of official approval.
Today there’s commentary on Baerbock stating that Europe is fighting Russia, but that’s just the latest iteration.
I agree with you that the circus spruiking re Bradleys, Leopards, Abrams is to disguise from the public what’s being prepared.
In this day of social media… have to have a way to accommodate all those uploads of tanks and machines moving criss cross around Europe and beyond.

Posted by: Melaleuca | Jan 27 2023 1:21 utc | 220

https://labourheartlands.com/jacques-baud-the-military-situation-in-the-ukraine-update/
Thanks for this much appreciated. Very detailed. Took a while to read and it’s almost a year old but very interesting.

Posted by: Inki | Jan 27 2023 1:25 utc | 222

@ jgalt | Jan 27 2023 1:20 utc | 223
i say that based on your sweet have a nice day addendum!
Posted by: james | Jan 27 2023 1:25 utc | 227
Awe so precious. Have a nice day, and thanks for all your valuable insights today. I am deeply touched, so rare to meet someone of such intellectual depth these days.

Posted by: jgalt | Jan 27 2023 1:28 utc | 224

well, if you can read thru the lines, you know what i actually think, but i am not counting on it!

Posted by: james | Jan 27 2023 1:29 utc | 226

okay…i am off to have a nice day, lololol……………….

Posted by: james | Jan 27 2023 1:32 utc | 228

Hi Mel, and yes I also doubt the RF elites are bluffing! I can’t remeber who said it, maybe Medvedev or Putin or both, and others, but I do think they see the US elites as ultimately pragmatic realists, unlike their view of the European ‘leaders’ who seem to be inbred vassals and completely blinded by racist Aryan hubris.

Posted by: Zeug Gezeugt | Jan 27 2023 1:38 utc | 230

Ok, the tanks were a bust and the F-16s got taken down….
next step on the munitions ladder, they’ll press for nukes?
Posted by: Likklemore | Jan 26 2023 23:07 utc | 187
There is at least cruise missiles between F-16s and nuclear bombs. A Ukrainian official was saying the other that people living comfortably in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg would have the war brought to them. Although he left it open that some other country would be sending the missiles.

Posted by: Simon | Jan 27 2023 1:44 utc | 232

Regarding the use of nukes, I refer the reader to the cuban missile crisis, it was the us that blinkened first. nuclear war could harm election prospects and the donors would not be happy.

Posted by: Oh | Jan 27 2023 1:56 utc | 234

@213 Buffalo Ken
How I tire of both camps, the ‘there absolutely will be a Nuclear war’ camp, and your ‘there absolutely won’t be a Nuclear war’ camp.
You don’t know better than anyone else what is to come, and while I think the chances of a Nuclear war are extremely slim, to say that there absolutely will not be one is ignorant.
As long as we have the weapons and the stupid and/or psychotic people to launch them, the possibility is always there.
Sorry to disappoint you, but you’re not clairvoyant, and if by some miracle you are, Ill take this weekends lottery numbers … didn’t think so.

Posted by: Bob Jenkins | Jan 27 2023 2:19 utc | 236

Gee, looks like Troll Happy Hour at the bar. Well, it’s 6pm Pacific and back to regular pricing.
/////
Lavrov was in Eritrea today, and after his meetings delivered a statement and answered questions. Here’s the portion that pertains to our topic:

Question (translated from English): How can Russia help in the post-conflict settlement of the situation in the province of Tigray? Has the European Union taken steps to end the conflict?
Sergey Lavrov: We welcomed the agreement between the Government of Ethiopia and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray. It was achieved with the mediation of the President of Angola J. Lourenço, as well as the former presidents of Nigeria and Kenya O. Obasanjo and U. Kenyatta.
As for the reasons for certain actions or inactions of the European Union, it is difficult to comment on this topic. Now it is generally difficult to understand what is the policy of the EU. Especially after he recently signed a declaration of full engagement with NATO. They must decide what kind of future they are plotting for themselves. There’s nothing we can do to help. But we won’t get in the way.
Question (translated from English): A multipolar world is being formed now. What will be Africa’s place in it?
Sergey Lavrov: The formation of a multipolar world is an objective and unstoppable process. The “collective West”, the US, NATO and the EU, which are completely under the control of Washington, are trying to reverse the process. These efforts are in vain. The most they can count on is some inhibition of the objective course of history.
We see that the North Atlantic Alliance makes claims not only to its former area of responsibility, but also extends them to the entire Asia-Pacific region. We know that American, British and other European delegations regularly appear in Africa, who, with a tenacity worthy of better application, demand that African countries not cooperate with the Russian delegation, not to break out of the general discipline by which the West understands the restoration, by and large, of colonial dependence, but in a new form.
No visits with mentoring councils, hybrid wars of the West (including in Ukraine) will be able to stop the development of new centers of economic power, financial and political influence. Countries such as China and India are already overtaking the US and EU members by many indicators. Turkey, Egypt, the Countries of the Persian Gulf, Brazil and other Latin American countries are developing as influential independent centers. They are the future centers of multipolarity.
Africa is one of the most serious centres with enormous potential. This is the richest continent, including in terms of natural resources, which for many centuries were subject to exploitation. The West would prefer to maintain this exploitative policy towards Africa. I understand that the President of Angola has proposed to consider convening a summit of the African Union devoted to determining Africa’s place in the emerging world order, primarily from the point of view of economic development.
Similar trends are observed in Latin America, where the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, in connection with the resumption of its work and the full participation of Brazil, is thinking about developing its own mechanisms for monetary and financial relations (even mentioning a common currency). The main goal is to protect oneself from chains and mechanisms controlled by the West and which have shown their unreliability.
The strengthening of regional identity in parts of the developing world does not mean that multipolarity does not take place in the global dimension. The embodiment of global multipolarity is BRICS. The organization unites five states, but more than a dozen states are interested in joining its work. The topic of developing BRICS ties with other countries will be one of the central ones at the upcoming summit of the “five” in August in Durban (South Africa). The clock of multipolar history is ticking in the right direction….
Question: At the news conference in Eswatini, you touched upon the topic of anti-Russian propaganda and stressed the importance of providing truthful information about Russia’s foreign policy. During the African tour, did you have to face difficulties caused by the dissemination of false information about Moscow’s actions by Westerners?
Sergey Lavrov: There were media correspondents in South Africa, Eswatini and Angola who openly represented the interests of the West’s information machine. Governments are well aware of this. There were attempts to cover our visits in a distorted and distorted way. They reproduced the picture that the American and European media are trying to draw. You can see how a couple of days ago euronews commented on a trip to South Africa. They said that “I am going there, although this allegedly causes a negative reaction in the country.”
Our partners in Africa and elsewhere understand this very well. We talked about how events that are somehow connected with the hybrid war waged by the West through Ukraine are covered in the Russian media and in their country. Despite the well-known criticism that is also heard in Russia against some of our state and other channels, nevertheless, any report on Russia’s relations with the West contains direct quotes and statements by Western leaders, with which they speak in a sharply anti-Russian way. Only then do our commentators and political scientists react. I was not lazy and during the business trip I watched Western TV channels. There is no question of at least partially presenting Russian arguments. Only their slogans. With these slogans, the channels broadcast to viewers. What happened to the Republic of Tatarstan and our other channels in terms of closing their representative offices under one pretext or another shows how the West is building an information – I would like to say work – war.
In 1990, at the initiative of France, the OSCE adopted a declaration on the right of everyone to access information from any source inside his country and abroad. In recent years (not at all after the start of a special military operation), this declaration and solemn obligations have been systematically violated by a group of Western states. Several countries are at the head, including the initiator of the document – France.
We have not been and are not at all eager to limit the work of the media, but in response to hostile, aggressive, sometimes boorish actions of our partners towards our journalists, we are forced to reciprocate. Freedom of information and access to it began to be destroyed by Western partners.

Here’s what TASS chose to focus on:
“As for the reasons for certain actions or inactions of the European Union, it is difficult to comment on this topic. Now it is generally difficult to understand what is the policy of the EU. Especially after he recently signed a declaration of full engagement with NATO. They must decide what kind of future they are plotting for themselves. There’s nothing we can do to help. But we won’t get in the way.” [My Emphasis]
IMO, if that future is to continue the war against Russia, Russia most certainly will get in the way. There’s also what Lavrov said about multipolarity’s inevitability and how the former colonial plunderers are contesting that process of which the NATO’s Ukraine Proxy War is a facet.
Another informative interview by Ros Media about arms control with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Ryabkov I’ll post on the current open thread.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 27 2023 2:26 utc | 238

Right through the great patriotic war the USSR’s biggest concern was that ‘the west’ aka at that time USuk would join with Germany and attack the Soviet Union.
The only thing holding them back was domestic public opinion where both nations ‘suffered’ from a population which empathised greatly with the USSR. Yep even in amerika where Murrow’s nightly CBS radio broadcasts from europe had kept people across issues such as the so-called Molotov – Ribbentrop pact, a deal which as Murrow informed them was forced upon the Soviets by England France and Poland’s refusal to sign a treaty allowing the Soviets to attack the nazis as soon as the nazis entered Poland, no said FukP, the Soviets had to wait until the fascists crossed from Poland into the USSR before they could fight ’em. The carping & deceit, particularly from england went on for nearly 18 months before the USSR decided “Bugger it we’ll just look after ourselves” and did a deal. The deal wasn’t to prevent a war with the nazis which the Soviets knew was inevitable (they had read Mein Kampf), but to delay it to allow themselves time to produce munitions before the nazis attacked them.
During the Great Patriotic War there was two attempts made to have the nazis & USuk fight USSR together The first was Rudolf Hess’ rather clumsy effort, the second was after amerika had made a cock-up of the Italy landing and a group of amerikan diplomats met with the nazis in Northern Italy.
Churchill stymied the first and FDR the second but only a naif would imagine this was done out of honour or decency as the conclusion of the Great Patriotic War when the USSR successfully invaded Berlin causing the hitler grub to top himself and the nazis to surrender resulted in exactly what the USSR had predicted.
USuk grabbed all the nazi engineers and scientists they could moved the politicians & security nazis to Canada, Australia and Latin America then set about economic warfare on the USSR.
It was only a couple of years after the end of the Great Patriotic War that Churchill made his “Iron Curtain” speech in amerika, dubbing and therefore dehumanising the Soviet Union while media on both sides of the atlantic set about demonizing their former friends in the USSR.
That was a deliberate act to shift public opinion although it never really succeeded with USuk citizens who had been through WW2 and it was only after they had lost all forms of power that the attacks became blatant and only after they died that the attacks turned into out and out war.

Posted by: Debsisdead | Jan 27 2023 2:36 utc | 240

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/26/europe/ukraine-tanks-fighter-jets-intl/index.html
Cnn what I’m supposed think infotainment, but it’s also great for the powers that be to broadcast to their public what to cheer for and what to expect.
One of the lines is “troops, of course”
That’s the signal valuable western weapon systems come with western operators, wherever needed.

Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Jan 27 2023 2:37 utc | 242

Likklemore @187
Because Blinken is a member of the Most Chosen, he receives his orders directly from City of London without even needing to go through the Agency.

Posted by: aristodemos | Jan 27 2023 2:49 utc | 244

” @ Zeug Gezeugt | Jan 27 2023 0:06 utc | 206
Has it occurred to you or others that the Polish/Romanian Leopards and US M1Abrams may already be in Western Ukraine and on the right bank of the Dneiper, ready to assume prepared positions within hours?
Posted by: Jerr | Jan 27 2023 2:30 utc | 244 ”
You mean to say that this whole tank ” debate ” is only soap opera theather ? I’m flabbergasted, JUST FLABBERGASTED. Next you’ll say the ZioWest has been prepping for this moment for decades. Oh, the vapors.

Posted by: Deplorable Commissar | Jan 27 2023 3:00 utc | 246

Posted by: Jerr | Jan 27 2023 2:30 utc | 244

Has it occurred to you or others that the Polish/Romanian Leopards and US M1Abrams may already be in Western Ukraine and on the right bank of the Dneiper, ready to assume prepared positions within hours?

This has been the pattern of U.S escalation until now.
The entire media kabuki theater has been to mask this.
Training has been going on for months, tanks are shipped.
However, this will not change the fact that these tanks are nothing more than convenient packages to ship NATO bodies to the slaughter.
NATO is screwed whether it sends a few tanks or a very many:
If high volumes of tanks are shipped and concentrated on the battlefield, the better for the Russians: Then the economics of focusing air and artillery power on mobile armour become highly efficient.
If the tanks get pushed through in “penny packets” they get attrited by basic anti-tank means.
And we haven’t even started talking about the actual defects and deficiencies in the tanks and their support networks themselves or whether the Ukrainians have the entire support and integration to operate a western tank fleet efficiently – without air power.
Bottom line: Whether the tanks show up tomorrow or next year doesn’t matter, the problems they face will be the same.
(Aside: Besides, if they were already to jump into action ‘tomorrow’ do you think Soledar and Bakhmut would be in the current predicament?)

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jan 27 2023 3:08 utc | 248

dh@222
Thanks for revealing yourself as a fanboy of the Evil Empire. Karma is a bitch. Be aware of that.

Posted by: aristodemos | Jan 27 2023 3:11 utc | 250

“slippery slope.. might makes right… drones are okay, even if you accidentally take out the wrong family and etc. etc..”
james | Jan 26 2023 22:08 utc | 164
______
Wholly agree, James! It’s still too difficult for some of us to fully conceptualize the different world most of humanity yearns for. We’ve been marinating too long in the perverse propaganda of an exceptional worldview … an exceptionally psychotic worldview, that is. As a naturalized American citizen, born abroad, I never really acclimated; realized years later that Americans are the most propagandized populace on the planet. “Truth, justice, and the egalitarian American way” is mostly a twisted myth. The radical paradigm shift now underway will be a confusing and painful transition for many Americans.

Posted by: Doug Hillman | Jan 27 2023 3:18 utc | 252

An important read is this open memo to the president, written and signed by retired Intelligence Officers.
Leopards vs. the Russian Bear
January 26, 2023
ALERT MEMORANDUM FOR: The President

FROM: VETERAN INTELLIGENCE PROFESSIONALS FOR SANITY (VIPS)

SUBJECT: Leopards vs. the Russian Bear
Decisions in an Intelligence Vacuum

Dear President Biden:
We are aware that the just-reported decision to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine responds to Berlin’s coy insistence that “you go first.” Now Leopard tanks from Germany and other allies will also be sent. Trouble is that those few that make it into Ukraine will be late to the party.
What your advisers should have told you is that none of the newly promised weaponry will stop Russia from defeating what’s left of the Ukrainian army. If you have been told otherwise, replace your intelligence and military advisers with competent professionals – the sooner the better.
Poorly Served
It has long been clear that you have not been adequately briefed on two issues of major importance: (1) the war in Ukraine, and (2) the strategic partnership between Russia and China. We chose this genre of “ALERT MEMORANDUM” because we want to prepare you for a major shock. Russia’s winter offensive is about to roll over the Ukrainian army. At that point, unwelcome choices will have to be made. Off-ramps must be sought – again, the sooner the better.
Your intelligence advisers seem blissfully unaware of what is coming. Still less do they appear able to offer you options to head off further disaster for Ukraine without still more dangerous escalation. As for China, the partnership with Russia is now so close that there is now a risk of a two-front war with two strong nuclear powers strongly supporting each other against the U.S.
Escalation Dominance
[.]Several of us undersigned were intelligence officers during Vietnam 55 years ago, when the Vietnamese Communists mounted a fierce country-wide offensive at Tet (late Jan. – early Feb. 1968). Earlier, smiley-face intelligence reporting from the military in Saigon left policymakers totally unprepared for the debacle. Recrimination was so widespread and bitter that President Johnson announced the following month that he would not run again for president.[.]
Read on
https://original.antiwar.com/veteran-intelligence-professionals-for-sanity2/2023/01/25/leopards-vs-the-russian-bear/

Posted by: Likklemore | Jan 27 2023 3:23 utc | 254

In response to
”
aristodemos | Jan 27 2023 2:36 utc | 246
Debsisdead | Jan 27 2023 2:36 utc | 245
Thanks for the calibre of posts that keep this best lil info/intel source on the internet.
And Bevin has already bought Karlof1 a well deserved toddy.
Keep going @bar. The noise from the side bar just shows how desperately they want to drown out the conversation here.
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jan 27 2023 3:15 utc | 256
”
As an old timer here is is gratifying to see other “human adults” stand up at the MoA bar in addition to the core of which you write and a few others.
The most recent recurrent noise that caught my eye was the insistence that Russia counter Might-Makes-Right empire with more Might-Makes-Right instead of controlled humanistic opposition as evidenced by the Ukraine SMO in contrast to the US Iraq “invasion”…..its a civilization/barbarism war and you get to guess which side is which…grin
Carry on and thanks!

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jan 27 2023 3:28 utc | 256

Posted by: Buffalo_Ken | Jan 27 2023 0:34 utc | 213
There is a big difference between all out nuclear war and the US detonating nuclear bombs again.
i think it’s predictable that they will do do it again, in fact are itching to.
what Russia does in response or preemptively will be to avert all out nuclear war. imho.

Posted by: K | Jan 27 2023 3:34 utc | 258

@ Arch Bungle | Jan 27 2023 3:08 utc | 253
They may have decided to concede those areas and others east of the Dpneir.
Focus is now on Odessa to maintain access to Black Sea, and Kiev for politics. Fighting in Dombas to fix RF resources.
Think reverse airborne operation. Rather than using airborne infantry to secure forward position and wait for heavies to follow; pre-position heavies and deploy airborne infantry to support advance if needed.
Regarding equipment, you play with the hand you are dealt.

Posted by: Jerr | Jan 27 2023 3:48 utc | 260

@ aristodemos | Jan 27 2023 3:11 utc | 255
I may have misinterpreted dh but I read his comment as being facetious.

Posted by: suzan | Jan 27 2023 3:53 utc | 262

@ aristodemos | Jan 27 2023 3:11 utc | 255
Rather confident dh forgot the /s 😉

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 27 2023 3:59 utc | 264

Posted by: K | Jan 27 2023 3:34 utc | 263
I am not sure what you mean?????.
Where would the US detonate a bomb? If it is a test, then OK Russia, China, India, Pakistan etc will shortly follow
If they drop a nuke on Russian territory then this is what will happen
Russia will launch 50-100 missiles at the US and other NATO assets . With luck they may NOT be nuclear tipped or they may just match like for like ie if US drops 1 bomb then Russia will include 1 nuclear warhead.
First targets hit will be US aircraft carriers
then US bases in Europe, and
then oil refineries/storage in US and Europe.
After that it is anyone’s guess what happens. Escalation to full on nuclear war would be at the call of the USA.

Posted by: watcher | Jan 27 2023 4:05 utc | 266

MG | Jan 27 2023 4:02 utc | 270
Welcome.
Plenty more “interesting” and “doh” insights available free @bar.
Look back to 2017/18 Russia-gate.
All the connections crying “Russian electoral interference”, were Ukrainian.

Posted by: Melaleuca | Jan 27 2023 4:18 utc | 268

aristodemos @262–
Thermobaric weaponry comes in different forms. “Heavy flamethrower systems TOS-1A in Special Operations” is a good overview report of this weapon. Unfortunately, there are only still pics and no vids. However, there are many vids online showing the awesome destructive nature of this. An entire battery firing a salvo and the destruction caused is extremely impressive. You don’t want to be aware in close proximity to such bombardment. Here’s a vid

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 27 2023 4:50 utc | 270

suzan@267
You may be right. Had he couched the statement a bit more smoothly, my dandruff would not have been aroused.

Posted by: aristodemos | Jan 27 2023 4:57 utc | 272

⚡️🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ #Chronicle of the Special Military Operation for 26 Jan 2023⚡️
💥 Russian forces have again carried out massive 👉 strikes on targets in #Ukraine. Energy infrastructure was hit in #Odessa and #Kiev regions, as well as in #Kiev.
At the same time, in #Zaporozhye and #Kramatorsk, strikes targeted industrial zones and other facilities used by the AFU.
♦️#Belgorod Region:
◾️ Ukrainian militants shelled the border village of #Murom, damaging power lines. There were no casualties among civilians.
♦️#Starobelsk Direction:
▪️ There are still no significant changes on the frontline. Positional fighting and artillery duels continue along the line of contact.
♦️#Soledar Direction:
▪️ In the #Soledar section, Wagner PMC troops are fighting on the approaches to #Razdolovka northeast of #Sol station.
▪️ In the area of Krasnaya Gora and #Paraskoviyevka, fierce fighting continues for control of settlements, the liberation of which will cut off the enemy’s retreat routes from #Bakhmut in the north.
▪️ Northwest of #Kleshchiyevka, the “Wagnerians” are advancing on #Krasnoye village, through which the #Bakhmut – #Konstantinovka trunk road passes.
▪️ in #Toretsk sector, the RF Armed Forces have hit the location of the 5th Assault Regiment , killing about 50 people.
♦️#Donetsk Direction (MAP):
▪️ In #Maryinka, fighting continues in the western outskirts of the town. The losses of the Ukrainian militants in the area are increasing, but they continue to hold the defence for now.
▪️ In the #Ugledar sector, marines are clearing the southeastern suburbs of #Ugledar. Last night, Russian troops entered the pumping station area and entrenched themselves in a neighbourhood nearby.
♦️#Zaporozhye Direction (MAP):
▪️ In the #Orekhov sector, Russian troops are continuously shelling enemy positions near #Orekhov in anticipation of a possible new assault. Russian units are also conducting sorties on Ukrainian army strongholds.
♦️#SouthFront:
▪️ In the #Kherson direction, artillery duels are taking place along the entire line of contact. The RF Armed Forces striking #Kherson and its environs, as well as #Berislav and #Dudchany.
▪️ In #Odessa region, the RF Armed Forces hit the Novoodesskaya substation. In addition, despite the strike on the Usatovo substation, there is no exact confirmation of the destruction of the object. Ukrainian forces may have used camouflage to conceal the actual state of the station.

https://t.me/sitreports/3823

Posted by: Down South | Jan 27 2023 5:03 utc | 274

🇫🇷🇺🇦🇷🇺Macron hesitates whether to supply French Leclerc tanks to Ukraine, although he usually spoke in the forefront.
Spiegel writes about this.
The publication notes that it’s not about any “taboos”, but about the quality of the tanks themselves, which Spiegel calls “fragile monsters”.
“The 50-ton Leclerc tank, equipped with a 120-mm cannon, is considered a “strong, but at the same time fragile” monster. Leclerc maintenance is extremely difficult. 13 Leclerc tanks have been deployed in Romania since November last year. 200 military personnel are engaged in their maintenance. According to the military, while one Leclerc is in operation, two are under repair,” writes Spiegel.
The publication also reports that France has few tanks.
“France is unlikely to be able to supply a large number of Leclerc tanks without jeopardizing the combat capability of its own army. Stocks – 226 tanks; in the early 2000s there were 800 more. Of the 226 tanks, only 60% are currently in operation, the remaining 40% are used for training purposes,” the publication says.
Spiegel clarifies that Leclerc is very different from Leopards and Abrams, and if France can supply 20-25 tanks, then for the sake of such a number there is no point in training Ukrainian soldiers. https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/frankreich-emmanuel-macron-zoegert-kampfpanzer-an-die-ukraine-zu-liefern-a-2f08e24c-316a-4449-8bca-bfb0bca4068f
Now German media is preparing the public and putting pressure on France to send the “Leclerc” tanks…Which Macron for sure will send them…

https://t.me/azmilitary11/35079

Posted by: Down South | Jan 27 2023 5:06 utc | 276

@Johannes S. Herbst | Jan 26 2023 23:31 utc | 196
You didn’t even try to answer most of my questions, which should raise a host of red flags. However, if your latest suggestion is as ludicrous as I suspect it might be, that would be academic. so, let’s see how well your suggestion works.
Even if the Ukraine had the plant to produce Biofuels in the quantity needed, and they don’t, or the plants to convert into Biofuels, and they don’t, and the climate and farmers with the skills needed to grow suitable feedstocks, and they don’t, attempting to implement this suggestion might be even more shortsighted and stupid than is usual for the Ukraine. After all, biofuels cost 70% to 140% more than the fuels they purport to replace; displace food crops; embed more energy than they provide; and, waste critical resources including topsoil, phosphates and fresh water. Biofuels serve exactly one purpose, to transform tax revenues (which the Ukraine no longer has) into lucrative subsidies for companies wealthy enough to buy and operate farmland.
A 500 MW diesel generator is equivalent to 500,000 kW per hour. Assuming a very high efficiency of 0.3l/kWhr, this implies at least 150,000 liters per hour per turbine. At their current price of USD 1.42/l diesel, that would be USD 213,000. Even at Ulraine current USD 0.039 (domestic) and USD 0.080 (commercial) per kWh, that would be USD 19,500 and USD 40,000 for 500,000 kWh. So you are talking about electricity costing 5 to 11 times more than at present.
While it would be indescribably stupid to try to produce biodiesel from wheat, a
We know that we can obtain 150kg biodiesel per hectare per year from corn (maize) and as the mass of biodiesel is about 0.87 kg/L, that is about 170 litres per hectare. However, between nitrate fertilizer and tillage, you will net about half that, or 85 litres per hectare per year. This means that you need about 1765 hectare of corn production for every hour of operation of one 500 MWe generator. Now in 2022 the Ukraine sowed around 6 million hectares of winter wheat, but this year this is expected to fall to just 3.8 million hectares. Assuming that all of this were switched to corn, and all the corn were used to run these generators, the entire crop could power one of these generators for about 2153 hours. Or a little under 3 months of operation. Of one generator.
Before the conflict, the Ukraine had a capacity of some 52 GW. 500 MW is 0.5 GW. So Ukraine would need 104 of these generators to substitute for its preconflict energy capacity. Which would need 183560 hectare per hour to provide fuel, and the entire planted grain area of Ukraine could run the generators for almost 21 hours. Nearly a day.
Would you now like to try to assess how practical your suggestion was?

Posted by: Hermit | Jan 27 2023 5:10 utc | 278

The stakes are made — Washington sends “Abrams” and openly declares its desire to defeat Russia
Yesterday, a seemingly expected, but still significant event took place — Washington approved the shipment of Abrams tanks for the needs of Ukraine, despite the cost of such a gift of $ 400 million, the complexity of delivery and the possible need to purchase vehicles from third countries. “Tankers” are planned to send as many as two battalions. On top of everything else, old Joe Biden told the city and the world that American weapons should “help Ukraine regain lost territories, including Crimea.” This should be understood not as a rhetorical figure, but as an indication to action.
Our expectations turned out to be correct — the supply of equipment will be carried out at the expense of the Ukrainian Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which will keep American tank stocks intact. To date, the kit will include 31 Abrams M1 units, 8 M88A2 Hercules repair vehicles, as well as ammunition and necessary equipment. Together with the new package, the total amount of US spending on military assistance to Ukraine already exceeds the annual budget of the State Department, and no one is going to stop.
Despite the months it will take to send the equipment, in all Washington’s statements recently, one can trace the desire to do everything as quickly as possible. There are two reasons for this — the situation at the front and the situation inside American politics itself. The United States is trying to change the situation on the battlefield by supplying weapons, and to do it as quickly as possible — Joe himself said that he was preparing the APU for a counteroffensive. Biden has invested too much in the Ukrainian project, and defeat will be costly. Billions of dollars will burn, and with them the careers of many American politicians who put Russia on defeat will go into the fire. There is no question about Ukraine itself — the subjects are discussing, the objects are ordered.
Now everything depends on Russia’s determination and our successes on the battlefields.
Now everything depends on Russia’s determination and our successes on the battlefields. The West is not going to retreat and confirms this every day — too much is at stake.

https://t.me/Slavyangrad/30914

Posted by: Down South | Jan 27 2023 5:12 utc | 280

⚡️🇺🇸🇺🇦🇷🇺 The Politico publication claims that Ukraine will be supplied with a newer version of the Abrams tank under the M1A2, and not the M1A1, as previously assumed.
However, according to the publication, the tanks will be delivered without armor with uranium-ceramic filler. Indeed, the filling of the armor of the Abrams tanks is one of the best-kept secrets in the United States. Even the closest American allies previously received these tanks exclusively in the “export” modification, devoid of uranium armor. This suggests that the 120-mm projectiles supplied to Ukraine for the Abrams tanks will also not contain uranium cores, but will be equipped with export tungsten cores.
As for the significance of the difference between M1A1 and M1A2, everything is not so clear here. We still do not know for sure the exact modification of the delivered vehicles, however, for example, the M1A1 FEP tanks have been upgraded in such a way that they are almost identical to the more modern M1A2 SEP. In addition, it should be understood that the most modern Abrams tanks of the M1A2 SEP v2 and the M1A2 SEP v3 modifications are unlikely to end up in Ukraine, so the choice, for the most part, still consists of approximately equal vehicles.

https://t.me/intelslava/43829

Posted by: Down South | Jan 27 2023 5:14 utc | 282

@Buffalo_Ken | Jan 27 2023 0:05 utc | 205
In the absence of Churchill, neither WW I or II would have occurred. While he has more than the usual US academic’s animus against communism and the USSR, I recommend Buchanan Patrick J. (2008-05). Churchill, Hitler and the Unnecessary War: How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World. Crown. A book which relies on recently declassified archival material to cut through the propaganda and reinterpret what we know about WW II to make this case. In this, he is hardly alone. Let me provide a few other quotations supporting this.
The last thing that Hitler wanted to produce was another great war. — B. H. Liddell Hart
The one thing [Hitler] did not plan was the great war, often attributed to him. — A.J.P. Taylor
“Germany was not prepared in 1939—contrary to democratic assumption—for a long war or for total war; her economic and industrial effort was by no means fully harnessed: her factories were not producing war matériel at anything like full capacity. U.S. Maj. Gen. C. F. Robinson (1947).
In 1938–39, the last peacetime year, Germany spent on armaments about 15% of her gross national product. The British proportion was almost exactly the same. German expenditure on armaments was actually cut down after Munich and remained at this lower level, so that British production of aeroplanes, for example, was way ahead of German by 1940. When war broke out in 1939, Germany had 1450 modern fighter planes and 800 bombers, Great Britain and France had 950 fighters and 1300 bombers. The Germans had 3500 tanks; Great Britain and France had 3850. In each case Allied intelligence estimated German strength at more than twice the true figure. As usual, Hitler was thought to have planned and prepared for a great war. In fact, he had not.

Posted by: Hermit | Jan 27 2023 5:22 utc | 284

@aristodemos | Jan 27 2023 5:12 utc | 286
Hermit 2020-11-07). Meet Victoria Nuland.
My mercifully brief assessment of the evil bitch, well supported by verifiable public sources, got one of my avatars silenced on Faecesbork on November 7, 2020, long before the current contremps in Ukraine.

Posted by: Hermit | Jan 27 2023 5:34 utc | 286

F.D. @292
There is no doubt in my mind whatsoforever that Russia WILL cross the Dnieper, probably somewhat upstream from Zap city in order to liberate Kherson, Nicolaev and Odessa. If the collective West gets really huffy with nuke threats, it is slightly possible that they might demur at advancing past Krivoi Rog. But I see that scenario as being highly unlikely, as a hostile Ukraine propped up by the Evil Empire, emanating from City of London and loudly echoed in the Di$trict of Corruption could be allowed to remain in a metastatic state.

Posted by: aristodemos | Jan 27 2023 5:51 utc | 288

Hermit | Jan 27 2023 5:22 utc | 289
Any good literature on hitler’s and molotov’s meetings in
berlin, november 12 and 13, 1940 ? Some say that hitler’s objective was to use SU as a proxy, to deprive UK of it’s Indian colony… SU did not bite the hook full of promises with full military and industrial support from Germany. This was the end of non-aggression pact.

Posted by: Alex Vadim | Jan 27 2023 6:15 utc | 290

I’m saddened reading through today’s commentary, as well as the past week and seeing “neocon” tossed about more and more with a sort of condescending blanket blame focused solely at it, like an exterminator intoxicated on too much cough syrup drank on lunch zeroing in brown roaches while black roaches are absolved of target status.
While neocons were surely propagated to be blamed for iraq and middle eastern MIC escapades, I expected even the most non-conspiritorial posters as well as readers to have realized that there is no difference between the geopolitical ideologies of either faux party “wing”. Replace neocons with neolibs and they’ll still be mistaken and overlooking the obvious fact that there is a gigantic demonic dragon in front of them whose both wings are equally evil and malevolent. The same goes with exopolitics.

Posted by: NJH | Jan 27 2023 6:18 utc | 292

Respected Canadian international lawyer Christopher Black interviewed by Irish journalist Finian Cunningham on US/NATO calls for war crimes prosecutions against Vladimir Putin and other Russian leaders over the conflict in Ukraine.
https://youtu.be/PD-i-9FsWF8
“A sure sign the Western powers are not willing or capable of finding a peaceful settlement…”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Jan 27 2023 6:30 utc | 294

This was already posted – but it’s so important to be reiterated. Zelensky has made an official request to extradite all males back to Ukraine (except those driving around with Porsche’s and BMWs of course). Apparently the plan is to use the Leopard 2 etc. tanks to form some mechanized corps with strength of several hundred of these tanks, and up to 60000 men.
There is massive forced conscription going on everywhere in Ukraine. Those men are not destined for the new mechanized strike corps, but territorial defense. They will be used as waves of kamikaze attacks, in an attempt to disrupt the defense, paving way for the Nato mechanized corps. UAF is gambling, staking all of its male population to achieve success in that attack. “Ultimate gamble.
I think in that case they may have a chance to capture yet again some territory, depending how well the defense can be prepared. We’ll see what happens. The state in its current form doesn’t have “years to live”, so it’s better to gamble everything at once with higher chance of death than withering and strangling away slowly.
https://southfront.org/war-to-last-ukrainian-accelerates-pressgangs-kidnap-men-for-front-overview-videos/

Posted by: unimperator | Jan 27 2023 6:37 utc | 296

@Buffalo_Ken | Jan 26 2023 22:44 utc | 179

Is Turkey not wise to refute Sweden and Finland from joining NATO and ain’t it in the interest of the citizens of Sweden and Finland?

Indeed, Turkey is the best ally the peoples of Sweden and Finland have at the moment.

Posted by: Norwegian | Jan 27 2023 6:54 utc | 298

Post 206 lays out a probable sequence of events. Post 209 adds a little Bible prophesy to the mix.
The west is striving to bring in the Davos inspired dystopian new world order. If we are in prophetic times Russia wins this contest and most likely destroys western civilization in the process. The world stage then centers on Jerusalem and the ME for the next set of events.
We are living in interesting times!

Posted by: Trimbly | Jan 27 2023 6:56 utc | 300