Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 10 2023 21:23 utc | 296
A complex situation and a hard ball play. Prigozhin has a lot of appeal especially to what I would define as the Russian “fly over country”, which would be basically the whole of Russia minus Moscow and St. Petersburg. Ideology is not a word that Prigozhin would use, he sounds like a sharp commoner with the language of someone that has served time which in fact he has, and he connects firmly with the majority, what Ukrainians pejoratively call vatniks. But there could be a multilayered game in play, today he posted a video, a new swipe at the “rublyovka” types which is a neighborhood in Moscow where all the billionaires have their mansions, he has attacked Shoigu indirectly and in my opinion rightly so, his son in law has insulted the “vatniks” while sunbathing in the middle east instead of joining the fight, a muscle pumping blogger that damages the image of the defense minister since Russians know very well that Stalin himself refused to exchange his captive son for a German general, and here you have this guy making fun of commoners at the front while enjoying the sweet life abroad. On the other hand it could be all theater to confuse the enemy, and at the same time it is another hit to keep demoting oligarchs and entrenched bureaucrats and remnants of the old guard, there are accusations of corruption and slow reaction to a new form of warfare, like drones and communications, but according to other actors the army has reacted and many problems have been solved while others remain. In any case he is at ease before a camera and his language coarse, brutal but sincere has a lot of appeal, I really enjoy listening to him, but then again, it is a complex game and it’s hard to tell how it’s going to end for him, either a great folk hero like the first batch of red commanders – Kotovsky, Stalin himself- or killed in combat, or horror of horrors for the West, as the successor of Putin and then all the bloody tales about the Kremlin villain would be closer to reality.
In this clip he makes fun of the rublyovka types and corrupt bureacrats.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin/80129

Posted by: Paco | Mar 10 2023 23:31 utc | 304

I see the Ukie thread has slowed to a crawl. Maybe this will excite barflies: “Tulsi Gabbard Explains Why US Threw Ukraine Under the Bus by Blaming Kiev for Nord Stream Blasts” while on the Tucker Carlson Show. She explicitly said the Empire did the deed: ““The reality is that [Washington is] responsible for this and there are short term and long term, serious implications for this action.” But Carlson said something even more important:
“‘This pipeline fed Germany, which is the economic engine of Europe,’ Carlson interjected. ‘Germany is the key player of NATO…We just wrecked the economy of our key NATO ally. If Germany blew up the Hoover Dam would they still be our tight NATO ally? Doesn’t NATO have to disintegrate after we get caught doing this?'”
Many barflies have asked that same question which makes the meeting between Scholtz and Biden even more inconceivable given reality and points to Scholtz knowing the pipeline was a goner as soon as he assumed the Chancellorship. And that begs yet another question: What did Merkle know? But is whatever she says about anything credible anymore after admitting her depth of deception and efforts against Germany’s interests? IMO, Germans need to undergo some very deep soul-searching about those representing them within the major political parties as they’re beginning to look a lot like the Outlaw US Empire’s Duopoly.
This tweet shows Carlson’s ratings compared to other cable news programs, but it must be admitted the number is rather small, less that 1% of the populace, even his March 6 show where he showed some of the Jan 6 videos drew less than 5 Million viewers (a debatable number since far more than one viewer might be watching).
The key, however, is the word is getting out about who is the guilty terrorist nation. How that affects the POTUS campaign will soon be seen.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 11 2023 0:44 utc | 306

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 11 2023 0:44 utc | 308
Good information, thank you for the heads-up and insight. I’m a supporter of Gabbard for years now, and a paid-up member of her Locals page.
If some serious players in Germany commit to taking issue with the Biden administration arranging the destruction of their pipeline, they might reasonably have decided that part of their methodology would be to include the data of how much damage to the environment occurred because of it, both directly and indirectly. All that gas spewing into the atmosphere, and also polluting the water. And in addition it resulted in a lot more coal getting used, and for cargo ships hauling fuel used as a replacement to log many more miles. Not to mention the negative environmental effects of the embargoes, with more transportation overhead, and more use of less clean fuel.
…………………………………………………………………
Imo an important takeaway from the viewership numbers of shows like the ones of Carlson, Maddow, or Anderson Cooper, is how well do they affect the undecided and independent voters, and how well do they motivate people to vote, and donate money.
Maddow does few shows these days, but as a respected icon of those who identify as liberals she can spur donations. People who watch her show are extremely likely to vote, whether or not Maddow continues to appear on TV in the future.
Carlson however is even more effective, imo, at getting those who don’t identify as liberals to whip out their credit cards and checkbooks. His audience is much larger than Maddow’s, but it perhaps needs more goading of its fringes to get them to show up on election day. Carlson has a larger percentage of younger people watching his show than watch Maddow, or any other CNN or MSNBC show. A lot of those young voters benefit from constant reaffirmations of how Biden and the Democrats are creepy corrupt warmongers, ones who want to control and dominate them.
Elections are determined by which party can motivate the independent/undecided voters in the swing districts of purple states. It’s a relatively small number of voters, and a decent chunk of them either watch Carlson on TV, or see clips of his shows in places like YouTube and Twitter.

Posted by: Babel-17 | Mar 11 2023 1:19 utc | 308

Some videos for today.
RT follows Russian troops advancing as fighting on front lines intensifies (another good frontline report):
https://odysee.com/@RT:fd/donbass-frontline-fighting:1
Kiev regime attack on DPR’s Volnovakha kills civilian:
https://odysee.com/@RT:fd/donetsk-artillery-attack:e
Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters conduct combat operations:
https://odysee.com/@RT:fd/mod-ka52-(1):b
Russian Grad launchers pound enemy position:
https://rutube.ru/video/a24323f5828cc43ab10ba64c35cde066/

Posted by: Nate | Mar 11 2023 1:47 utc | 310

A counteroffensive to relieve Bakhmut, of successful, would be a major victory. But there’s a reasonable chance that Ukraine has one major counteroffensive left and that it probably isn’t ready for it. Nor is this where its patrons want that counteroffensive. There’s nothing strategic from the US perspective about Bakhmut or even Donbass as far as DC is concerned. They want crimea or at least a humiliating severing of the land bridge.
The talk about number of troops is misleading. What Ukraine has now are mostly untrained mobilized (many against their will) but not the equipment or ammunition for offensive operations. The whole point of the “spring” offensive talk was time to train and supply with the hope that Kharkov could be repeated. Zelensky is fucking up DC’s plans and recent table top war game planning for the spring/summer. So if he demands to throw what he has at Bakhmut and fails, there might not be a spring/summer offensive.
As for how many Ukrainian troops are gathered for it, the actual number may differ depending on whether the counters are looking at number of brigades and assuming full strength vs actual numbers. If they’ve been transferred from elsewhere it weakens wherever they left. Are they redeploying directly from other combat operations and straight into an offensive or have they been tested and reequipped?

Posted by: Lex | Mar 11 2023 2:02 utc | 312

The recent wave of RF missile-strikes against American Ukraine seems to’ve focused largely as usual on electrical infrastructure, does not seem to’ve been keyed to any RF ground-operation, and RF MOD itself stated it was retaliation for the recent attacks on civilians in the pre-SMO RF, dubbed (properly for once) terrorist, by “pro-Ukrainian groups.”
As emphasis, one or more higher-level US colonial (“NATO”) command-and-control centers are also reported to have been targets.
And one or more, reportedly eight, Kinzhals, “Daggers,” hypersonics, used as well.
More information or at least Telegram-gleanings on these centers and hypersonic targets would be greatly appreciated.

Posted by: John Kennard | Mar 11 2023 2:26 utc | 314

⚡️🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ #Chronicle of the Special Military Operation for 10 Mar 2023⚡️
🔹#Russia’s Border Areas:
▪️ In the #Bryansk region, Ukrainian terrorist formations struck the village of #Belevitsa in Pogarsky district, without casualties or destruction.
▪️ In the #Belgorod region, the enemy terrorists shelled the village of Yasnye Zori, damaging one of the hangars of an agricultural enterprise and wounding a man.
🔹#Kharkov Region:
▪️ Following massive missile strikes by the RF Armed Forces on critical infrastructure in #Kharkov, a large part of the city remains without power supply and in some areas without water and heating.
🔹#Starobelsk Direction:
▪️ In the #Kupyansk sector are no significant changes. Artillery duels continue along the entire line of contact
▪️ In the #Liman sector, Ukrainian formations attacked in the direction of #Chervonopopovka, but failed and withdrew under barrage of artillery fire.
▪️In the #Lisichansk sector’s area of the #Serebryanskoye forestry, Russian servicemen managed to storm several AFU strongholds, capturing enemy fighters in the process.
🔹#Soledar (#Bakhmut) Direction:
▪️ In the northwest, Russian forces continue to advance near #Bogdanovka to finally cut off all routes leading to #Bakhmut from the direction of Chasov Yar and #Konstantinovka.
▪️ In #Bakhmut itself, assault squads of the Wagner PMC have begun storming the Artyomovsk Metal Processing Plant. Taking control of the facility is somewhat complicated by bomb shelters and a network of underground communications on the territory of the plant.
▪️ Furthermore, intense fighting continues in the south of the city, as well as in the southwest near the #Bakhmut – #Konstantinovka highway.
▪️ Russian forces carried out a series of strikes against AFU facilities on the second line of defence behind #Bakhmut. Ammunition depots in #Druzhkovka and #Slavyansk, as well as facilities in #Kramatorsk and #Konstantinovka have been hit.
🔹#Donetsk Direction:
▪️ Clashes continue in the vicinity of the #Avdeyevka fortification near the villages of #Severnoye and #Krasnogorovka.
▪️ Ukrainian formations again shelled the #Donetsk agglomeration: the capital of the DNR and its suburbs, as well as# Yasinovataya, came under fire.
🔹#SouthDonetsk Direction:
▪️ In #Maryinka, Russian troops are cracking down on the enemy’s defences in the central part of the city.
▪️ In #Novosyolovka, Russian troops have destroyed a Ukrainian army ammunition depot with a precision artillery strike.
🔹#Zaporozhye Direction:
▪️ The AFU launched at least five strikes on an industrial zone and an embankment in #Energodar, without any casualties or major damage.

https://t.me/sitreports/5632

Posted by: Down South | Mar 11 2023 2:53 utc | 316

🇺🇦 The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been informed by President Zelensky’s government that it is to be expelled from its holiest site – the Kiev Caves Lavra – by the end of March.
The canonically-recognised Orthodox church in the country has prayed and struggled there for over 1,000 years.

https://t.me/intelslava/45693

Posted by: Down South | Mar 11 2023 2:58 utc | 318

Posted by: Down South | Mar 11 2023 2:58 utc | 320

Expulsion from the monastery: The monks of the 🇺🇦Kiev Pechersk Lavra were obliged to leave the monastery by March 29.
The Kiev regime, which does not even try to hide its plans to destroy Orthodoxy as such in the country, continues purposeful persecution of the main holy place in Ukraine, namely Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Scandals around the Lavra have been raging since last year: searches, prohibitions for priests to attend Christmas services, detentions, and finally official plans to transfer the holy monastery to the dissenters. The latter are quite sympathetic to the Zelensky regime because of their talent for making fun of sacred objects, such as dancing with a tambourine and an accordion at the altar, for which they are literally related to the president’s office. 
Now the permanent residents of the monastery, the monks, are officially expelled from the monastery and are ordered to leave by March 29.

https://t.me/Slavyangrad/36636

Posted by: Down South | Mar 11 2023 3:07 utc | 320

karlof1@308….Merkle didn’t need to say anything, not a word. But she chose to speak out. She did Putin a big favour, put the icing on the ‘non agreement capable’ west cake.
No illusions for Russia from there out….
Cheers M
Awesome work you do btw, it is much appreciated.

Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Mar 11 2023 3:47 utc | 322

I’ve been in Lavre, and in the catacombs beneath, where there are many alcoves from previous centuries. Only able to visit with candlelight. One of the most spiritual experiences of my life! If Ukraine is ever reconstituted as a viable country, the common people will never forgive this travesty. My misguided Ukrainian friend says this is necessary, because they have Russian influence. Total BS and unconscionable!

Posted by: Wilhelm | Mar 11 2023 4:38 utc | 324

Who in their right mind would believe the Ukraineian general staff would post their war plans to the general public?

Posted by: Joe | Mar 11 2023 4:49 utc | 326

Posted by: Trycep | Mar 9 2023 22:21 utc | 147
Considering Russia’s chronic fiscal surplus, it seems pointless to highlight Russia’s fiscal deficit?
The US debt could be solved by financial repression, but bond owners and banks are reluctant.

Posted by: Colin | Mar 11 2023 5:22 utc | 328

Posted by: Technophobe | Mar 10 2023 1:48 utc | 190
The Moscow Times is just neoliberal color revolution shit

Posted by: Colin | Mar 11 2023 5:32 utc | 330

Posted by: chet380 | Mar 11 2023 3:53 utc | 325
Regarding the Ukraine assumed offensives, the main effort might not be at Chasov yar. Military Summary thinks that they will be approximately:
Toretsk -> north east -> Kurdumivka
Slavyansk -> south west -> Krasna Gora
Seversk -> south -> Soledar/Yakovlivka
So they might have 55k force, spread into 3 groups over a front of 50k. That puts approximately 15-20k per group. How many guns and tanks will they have? The Russians generally are claimed to overmatch them by a factor of 10 in the whole Ukrainian theater. They could overmatch them in tanks at least as much.
How they are deployed is another question. Will UAF be able to achieve local superiority? Even considering previous question, it seems unlikely, especially now that the plan is no surprise. The force dispositions should be revealed to the Russian intelligence, enabling of formulating a counter-plan or matching force dispositions.
Ukraine has no front line close air support, except for some strike drones, and maybe himars (which aren’t really front line support, but whatever). Russia has strong front line close air support.
This is just considering this particular theater. According to the report, Ukraine force dispositions in this front line may be achieved by stripping forces from other fronts.

Posted by: unimperator | Mar 11 2023 6:18 utc | 332

🇬🇪🇺🇸🇷🇺Biden’s aide warned the Georgian president against participating in circumvention of sanctions against Russia
Jake Sullivan and Salome Zurabishvili discussed “the need to ensure that Russia continues to fully feel the economic consequences” of restrictions and export restrictions
Assistant to the American President for National Security Jake Sullivan at a meeting with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili on Friday warned that the republic should not participate in evading anti-Russian sanctions. This is stated in a statement issued by the White House press service.
Biden’s aide and the President of Georgia discussed the situation in the republic at the meeting Georgia announced the arrival of fighters from Ukraine to warm up the revolutionary scenario
As follows from the document, the parties discussed “the need to ensure that Russia continues to fully feel the economic consequences of sanctions, export restrictions and other economic restrictions imposed by the United States” and their allies in connection with a special military operation in Ukraine. According to the document, “Sullivan stressed the need for Georgia to avoid becoming a platform for evading [sanctions] and filling” with other companies niches formed as a result of restrictions against the Russian Federation.
The statement also says that Sullivan and Zurabishvili “discussed recent events in Georgia and noted a common interest in the Euro-Atlantic integration” of the republic. “They said that President Zurabishvili stands for a common and inclusive approach to the implementation of reforms necessary to advance Georgia to the status of a candidate for EU membership,” the White House press service reported. – They also discussed the general concern about the draft law on registration and censure of civil organizations for receiving funds from abroad, which could hinder the activities of hundreds of Georgian non-governmental organizations working to improve life. They welcomed the government’s recent decision to withdraw two bills.”
Thousands of protests took place in Tbilisi on March 7 and 8 after the parliament adopted the Georgian version of the bill on foreign agents in the first reading. During the rallies, the police used water cannons and tear gas. More than 130 people were detained during two days of protests. After the unrest in the capital on the morning of March 9, the ruling Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia party decided to withdraw the bill.

https://t.me/azmilitary11/40478

Posted by: Down South | Mar 11 2023 7:27 utc | 334

Posted by: Paco | Mar 10 2023 23:31 utc | 306
Great summary. complete agreement here. Could be a ruse, something’s going on either way. What an invigorating fellow Prigozhin is =)
Then there’s the curious case of Alexander Lapin. Is he in fact a “Hero of the Russian Federation” or a mediocre dipshit of such low caliber as to warrant being stripped of all honours and forcibly transported to the front …. Kadyrov’s people clearly though so. He can’t be both and there really isn’t any middle ground there.
I think the utterly undeserved elevation of Lapin is case study in rotten wood of the RF General Staff promoting reliable dross to protect their seat on the gravy train and watch their backs against corruption charges when in retirement.
A better man than Lapin would have known to decline the honour and would have volunteered for combat duty to prove his worth. Lapin, his defenders and promoters, are a bunch of ignoble clowns.
The whole SMO should be handed over to Surovikin, let him decide what to do with Wagner.
As for this Shoigu-Gerasimov Axis, Putin believes that one should never corner a rat, so if there really is a lot of rubble and dross behind scenes, it should be given the opportunity to retire quietly on the understanding that investigators won’t look too closely at their conduct while in uniform.
Better that than clogging up the General Staff with all sorts of rubbish in an era of momentous change.

Posted by: anon2020 | Mar 11 2023 8:15 utc | 336

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Mar 11 2023 4:43 utc | 327
Another amateur commentator who is thrashing about in an ever-increasingly crowded pool, trying to be noticed. There is a saying in journalism, ‘if it bleeds it leads’, which tends to mitigate against sober, measured analysis. Some commentators attack Martyanov’s blog, but he does understand FAR more about Russian military planning methodologies than the YouTubers with their pretty maps, thereby focusing on and predicting the important operational and strategic issues, that the SMO generates.
If anyone is interested in the Russian mathematical approach to war, this 2020 Rand overview is a useful primer.
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR4200/RR4235/RAND_RR4235.pdf
Chapter 8, pp 135 gives an insight into why the Russian forces are are now quantifiable superior to when they initiated the SMO and why any Ukrainian counter-moves are unlikely to achieve any lasting impact on the conflict, none of the German offensives in late 44-45 achieved anything; except speed up the rate of the destruction of the committed forces and shorten the the war.
This is where Martyanov is coming from, when he says the SMO’s outcome is already decided and nothing, short of direct NATO intervention, will prevent the eventual outcome.

Posted by: Milites | Mar 11 2023 8:23 utc | 338

#337
The color revolution is a infomercial played “ad infinitum”
The rest of the civilized word has an idea of this recurring pattern
A destabilized Georgia, it’s not an unmanageable situation.
It reflects badly on the instigators.

Posted by: Dingo | Mar 11 2023 8:32 utc | 340

Posted by: Dingo | Mar 11 2023 8:22 utc | 339
Militarily Georgia is a nothing burger. But the real threat is they start harboring jihadists and takfiris and shuttle them to the other side of the mountain which could be difficult to prevent. Maybe they can make some agreement with Turkey to keep a lid on harmful activity conducted through Georgia.

Posted by: unimperator | Mar 11 2023 8:51 utc | 342

Posted by: Milites | Mar 11 2023 8:23 utc | 340
Agreed. And thanks for the link to the Rand report.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 11 2023 9:16 utc | 344

The US and Ukraine were the only two countries that opposed a UN General Assembly vote on condemning the NAZI ideology. It is no wonder that the US White House bestowed the International Women of Courage Award on Yulia Paevskaya, who goes by the nickname ‘Taira’ who is a member of the Azov Ukrainian nationalist battalion.
Posted by: Krollchem | Mar 9 2023 21:26 utc | 112
Well, to be fair, America has had a not-so-secret love affair with Nazism dating back to even before World War 2, throughout the Cold War, and continuing to this very day.
So the Americans are just defending their Nazi Best Friends Forever with their refusal to condemn Nazi ideology in the United Nations.
Seven Decades Of Nazi Collaboration: America’s Dirty Little Ukraine Secret
https://fpif.org/seven-decades-nazi-collaboration-americas-dirty-little-ukraine-secret/
And I think when the Russians say that their plan is DeNazification, that likely won’t be limited to Ukraine either. 😉

Posted by: ak74 | Mar 11 2023 9:35 utc | 346

https://sonar21.com/how-could-western-intelligence-have-got-it-wrong-again-they-didnt-they-had-other-purposes/
A good summation of the damage that the cancer of group-think, and it’s attendant institutional mind-guards, causes to intelligence services. I’d add that just as the intelligence analyst’s role of ‘barking dog’ has been diminished, the pernicious idea that policy is driven by experts has increased; to the detriment of everyone but the expert and their backers.

Posted by: Milites | Mar 11 2023 9:54 utc | 348

@uncle tungsten | Mar 11 2023 9:41 utc | 349

Schweinisch Bandera-Reich (Bandera Pig Regime) is Ukraine’s new unspeakable name.

😎 That’s responding to Zelensky spending his time suggesting Russia to be renamed to ‘Moscovia’. You would think he had more pressing things to attand to, but nooo…. Zelensky should obviously lay off the cocaine.

Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 11 2023 10:10 utc | 350

It looks like no more supplies to the trapped UAF:
https://t.me/Slavyangrad/36724
⚡️ Fighters of the Wagner PMC cut the key supply route for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Artemovsk.
Fighters from the Wagner PMC cut the last major route of Ukrainian supplies to Artemovsk (Bakhmut). This was reported by military correspondents.
📝 “In fact, the route has not been passable for more than a week, and alternative routes are engaged.” The situation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is critical. “The fighting is very heavy.” “The Wagnerians got close to the route and kept it under fire control,” military correspondents report.
🇷🇺 It is also specified that Wagner forces are extending their northern flank to the west, attacking the village of Bogdanivka and seeking to bypass the village of Khromovoye from the east.

Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 11 2023 10:27 utc | 352

Posted by: Inki | Mar 11 2023 10:37 utc | 355
I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” Tolkien’s ‘Fellowship of the Ring’
A book, that is, I’m reliably informed (by a government who actively supports a neo-fascist state) a key indicator of having extreme-Right-Wing sympathies.

Posted by: Milites | Mar 11 2023 10:50 utc | 354

“Do you think Russia’s latest use of the Kinzhal was intended to make the world hold its breath? Because that would be really strategic, wouldn’t it?”
a more prosaic reason is testing. yep they keep doing it. using such a wide variety of missiles as they did suggests they’re normalizing or half-disguising the use of Kinzhals. the technology is new, there’s still a lot to correct and perfect.

Posted by: not-listened-analyst | Mar 11 2023 11:07 utc | 356

@not-listened-analyst | Mar 11 2023 11:07 utc | 358

a more prosaic reason is testing. yep they keep doing it. using such a wide variety of missiles as they did suggests they’re normalizing or half-disguising the use of Kinzhals. the technology is new, there’s still a lot to correct and perfect.

I don’t believe Kinzhals are used for testing and/or against random targets. They were used already a year ago with extremely high precision against the mercenary camp in western Ukraine. There must be some real reasons why they are used now. I would like to know some specifics.

Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 11 2023 11:49 utc | 358

@Stonebird | Mar 11 2023 11:58 utc | 361

Almost certainly command centers/Bunkers, but there is unlikely to be any “confirmation” if those same centers had US or NATO as the soft filling inside.

That is a plausible guess, I agree. It is still curious why we have no facts at all.
It is also not just the Kinzhal, I saw this about another hypersonic missile, the R-37M:
https://t.me/DonbassDevushka/47671
The new Russian R-37M air-to-air missile showed the highest combat effectiveness in the special operation – its probability of hitting targets is almost one – that is, one missile is enough for one Ukrainian military aircraft , an informed source told RIA Novosti.
According to him, these missiles have been used in the special operation zone against various Ukrainian air targets from Russian Su-35S, MiG-31BM, as well as 5th generation Su-57 fighters.
The maximum launch range of the R-37M, according to open data, is 300 km, the target engagement height is from 30 m to 25 km, the maximum missile flight speed is 6 speeds of sound, that is, in fact, the missile is hypersonic

Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 11 2023 12:10 utc | 360

Almost certainly command centers/Bunkers, but there is unlikely to be any “confirmation” if those same centers had US or NATO as the soft filling inside.
Posted by: Stonebird | Mar 11 2023 11:58 utc | 361

Kinzhals exist in order to launch an unstoppable nuclear first strike on NATO installations in Europe and as a secondary purpose to be used as bunker busters. There was no first strike attack, so some bunkers were indeed busted given that even the Russian MoD acknowledged Kinzhals were used.

Posted by: shadowbanned | Mar 11 2023 12:33 utc | 362

This a quick unedited machine translation of the questions posed.

We publish a request from the editorial office of the publication “Voice of the People” and the answer:
Hello, Evgeny Viktorovich. Telegram channels are spreading information that a number of media outlets have received a training manual on the use of negative theses against you and the Wagner PMCs. In this regard, we ask you to answer the following questions:
1. Do you agree that you could buy ammunition for the Wagner PMCs yourself, and not demand them from the Ministry of Defense? Do you think that a private army should fight for its own money?
2. Are you really ready to sacrifice your fighters and Russians, arranging a loud scandal to take the place of the head of state or close to him? Earlier you said that you have no political ambitions. Is this really the case?
3. Can you confirm or deny the reports that everything has already been agreed with the Ukrainians, the GUR and the SBU, so that at a convenient moment for money and the lifting of sanctions to leave the front under the pretext of a scandal with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation?
4. A number of sources also write about corruption schemes in which you were allegedly involved in 2018-2019. Could you
comment on these accusations?

Posted by: Paco | Mar 11 2023 12:56 utc | 364

Viewing Ukr. comments on Slavyangrad, I am disgusted by their passivity. They ‘hope’ their leaders know what’s going on in Bakhmut. They call it a meat grinder and ‘suspect’ they’re being lied to. It’s as if they meekly object but obediently march off to nearly certain death.
This war is ice cold Darwinism and these ex librarians and academics and pensioners are being selected out of the gene pool permanently (along with teenagers now). It is hard to feel compassion for men who won’t resist de facto execution. A few psychopaths are leading willing sheep who bleat in protest occasionally.

Posted by: Eighthman | Mar 11 2023 14:14 utc | 366

Aleks at Black Mountain Analysis has a new update out. He claims the Odessa moment may have already happened.
https://bmanalysis.substack.com/p/update-a3e?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Posted by: morongobill | Mar 11 2023 14:57 utc | 368

I dunno about Odessa. His analysis completely depends on the total collapse of Ukr forces, including whatever they have left in the Odessa area. Failing that, Odessa looks difficult to approach. OTOH, the UKR. defense of Bakhmut is a gift to Russia delivering up opposing males to be eliminated with great convenience.

Posted by: Eighthman | Mar 11 2023 15:32 utc | 370

Here’s something funny from al jazeera:
“Ukraine has decided to fight on in the ruined Bakhmut because the battle has engaged some of Russia’s best units and worn them down ahead of Moscow’s planned spring counteroffensive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s aide Mykhailo Podolyak said on Friday”
Spring counter offensive? Guess they missed the winter window now russia has to do it in the spring mud? Lol. Ok that’s how we now his reasoning is BS.
I daresay Zelensky is off the leash. Western media is full of bahkmut is falling, they need to save Ukrainian troops for their offensive.
Now it’s zelensky is foiling the russian offensive. Additionally Wagner is publicly acknowledging(thru cnn) that ukraine is preparing an offensive to relieve bahkmut.
So, the narrative that ukraine is foiling a russian offensive is a Freudian slip that Russia is foiling their counter offensive.
Zelensky has been told, by Biden no less, to leave it and use the tanks somewhere else. But he won’t. Now it’s personal between him and prigozhnin/Wagner. Biden is so weak even his puppets ignore his commands. Lol omg this is too funny.

Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Mar 11 2023 15:57 utc | 372

Like Biden gives him a hundred billion now Zelensky tells him to piss up a rope. I can’t even imagine what that relationship is. What can it possibly mean?

Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Mar 11 2023 16:10 utc | 374

Podolyak et.co. are pathological liars and psychopaths, but eventually it comes down to saying anything that they think can contribute to the Sugar daddy giving more money. The thing is, Ukrainian administration and officials get to skim off ridiculous amounts of money either directly or indirectly through sales of weapons or other items, off the top. They all have very expensive cars and villas or luxury condos on the French, Italian and Spanish Mediterranean coast.

Posted by: unimperator | Mar 11 2023 16:21 utc | 376

@379 lets not forget kieviens drafted and killed at the front. Ukrainian videos after the strikes show almost all women and old people. There ain’t no military age men around. They’re serving or dead.

Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Mar 11 2023 16:43 utc | 378

Re. Post by: Chris on Mar 11 2023 @ 16:05 utc | 375
The fact that the Zelensky clown brigade keeps changing their story tells me that they have no discipline. And that they’re liars extraordinaire, which we already knew.
Zelensky is such a fantastic liar that he has to hire someone to call his dog.

Posted by: Quid Me Vexare | Mar 11 2023 17:14 utc | 380

Patrick Lancaster has a new video up from the outskirts of Bakhmut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coXtU4b63_c
Signs of brutal fighting in the surrounding villages.

Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 11 2023 18:01 utc | 382

ThusspakeZarathustra | Mar 11 2023 16:19 utc | 377
‘shock and awe’ makes nice headlines, but…. it don’t make strategy!
“Ukraine must embrace West’s ‘manoeuvre warfare’ instead of being dragged into traditional Russian-style combat”
to effect the myth of the west’s ‘manoever warfare’ would require huge ‘logistics’ assets, vehicles the west does not have to contributes…..
to enjoy the mirage of german panzers in france 1940 or russia 1941 would requires organizing and equipping on a scale no one in the eu can donate and usa equipment is so logistics heavy and so far away as to be impossible.
and the banderites would need a few guderians’ and rommels’, talents long extinct in the west.

Posted by: paddy | Mar 11 2023 18:16 utc | 384

@ paddy | Mar 11 2023 18:16 utc | 386
Quite so.

Posted by: Outraged | Mar 11 2023 18:29 utc | 386

Oh, and most bank “investment” (recte: speculation) schemes are of course scams from the word go.
Not coincidentally, SVB was hip-deep in crypto.

Posted by: malenkov | Mar 12 2023 1:21 utc | 388

paddy @ 391

will a banking crisis take america’s mind off biden’s slide into nuclear war or the other way around.

The 23 trillion dollar question!

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Mar 12 2023 11:06 utc | 390

@Udkanten | Mar 9 2023 21:16 utc | 105
Betteridge’s law (of headlines) applies.
Betteridge’s law (of headlines) is an adage that states “Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no.” The sweeping generalization refers to the poor journalistic practice of writing sensational headlines in the form of a question in order to compensate for the author’s lack of facts.

Posted by: Hermit | Mar 12 2023 18:09 utc | 392