I did a huge data trawl of Russian military spending, sourced from SIPRI, the World Bank, Rostat, OECD, the Russian MOD, MOF, and other reputable sources. I determined it’s quite possible their spending trends indicate more military funding than the USA in 2023. It’s about 8600 words and has over 90 sources.
How Russia’s Military Came To Outspend The United States

Posted by: Aaron Lee | Mar 22 2023 16:34 utc | 4

Pasco @ 3
Thanks Paco thats absalutly brilliant! Made my day.
When he mentions America I presume he means both north and south.

Posted by: Mark2 | Mar 22 2023 16:45 utc | 6

Posted by: Paco | Mar 22 2023 16:34 utc | 3
tiny text is too small to read, how do you enlarge the image? Is that function only available to TG subscribers?
#6 America typically means USA. Americas would be all of America, but don’t quote me on that lol.

Posted by: nathan in WA US | Mar 22 2023 16:54 utc | 8

Wilhelm | Mar 22 2023 16:42 utc | 5
This document ‘The health hazards of depleted uranium munitions’ document 2001 has quite a detailed analysis of Uranium toxicity.
Basically seems to support evidence Alpha radiation from Depleted Uranium and compounds lodged long term in tissues like lungs and even short term non-lethal doses can cause DNA damage leading to cancers and birth defects.
https://royalsociety.org/~/media/royal_society_content/policy/publications/2001/10023.pdf

Posted by: Iain | Mar 22 2023 17:01 utc | 10

@Wilhelm | Mar 22 2023 16:42 utc | 5
From an uninformed/unscientific mind: we’re told that the depleted uranium rounds are known to cause many residual health problems, that military transporting these rounds also experienced cancer, and yet the oh so advanced U.S. tanks use depleted uranium as part of their armor. Does this suggest that the crews of these tanks are exposed to health risks, or those transporting the tanks are as well? Doesn’t seem to track.
The United States and other countries perpetuate imperialism by deploying depleted uranium without fully considering its long-term impact on the troops or on local communities. They just don’t give a damn — that “tracks.”
from the web:
>The two primary health concerns related to DU exposure are radiation and heavy metal toxicity. Radiation – since DU is less radioactive than naturally occurring uranium, this should not be a significant source of concern. Heavy metal toxicity – The first organs of concern are the kidneys.
> If a soldier accidentally breathes in or ingests depleted uranium, they may deal with long-term health problems. In addition, Veterans who suffer wounds from DU shrapnel may also end up suffering from similar conditions, primarily with kidney problems.
>Serving in the armed forces leads to potential exposure to dangerous substances. Veterans who were deployed to missions in the Persian Gulf, Bosnia, and Eastern Europe may have been exposed to depleted uranium. This byproduct of uranium enrichment was used in military vehicles and weaponry.
>Today, the Department of Defense (DOD) released the DOD Annual Report on Suicide in the Military: Calendar Year (CY) 2021, providing annual suicide data and outlining Calendar Year 2021 efforts to address and prevent suicide across the DOD. According to the report, in CY 2021, 519 Service members died by suicide with young, enlisted male Service members found to be at greatest risk.
>In 2020, there were 6,146 Veteran suicides, which averages to 16.8 Veterans dying by suicide every day. Additionally, in the two decades between 2001 and 2020, the prevalence of mental health or substance use disorder (SUD) among participants using Veterans Health Administration (VHA) rose from 27.9% to 41.9%.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 22 2023 17:11 utc | 12

Posted by: nathan in WA US | Mar 22 2023 16:54 utc | 8
Here’s the text of Prigozhin‘s letter:

Dear Mr. Secretary,
We see that today, taking advantage of the preoccupation of the Wagner PMC with the Ukrainian maters, the administrations of the United States and other countries are actively trying to reshape the “African pie” and impose sanctions on anyone who opposes you in this. However, I want to draw your attention to the fact that the long-term attempts of the United States and its satellites to “restore order” and ensure security in Africa have not bore any fruit.
Back in 2017-2018, when me and the Wagner PMC started actively operating in Africa, we managed to achieve great results in establishing security and order in every country we have been present in. Therefore, I invite you to support Wagner PC’s efforts in ensuring safety and security in Africa by sponsoring a new project named «Wagner. Safe Africa» (WSA), in which you can invest, thereby saving American taxpayer money. We are doing this way more efficiently than American proxies, who get payed large amounts of money but don’t provide security in Africa. Every single Wagner PMC project was financed by me as a private entity and was distinguished by the high efficiency of each invested dollar.
Since most Africans do not trust the policies of France and the United States, and their trust ratings are very low, I suggest that you abandon the attempt to exert political influence in Africa and focus solely on the security that the Wagner PMC can provide. In case the joint project WSA proves successful, I suggest we expand it to the American continent. Furthermore, in the case of fruitful cooperation we can expand our area of influence and launch projects WSA-2 (Wagner. Safe America), WSA-3 (Wagner. Safe Asia), WSA-4 (Wagner. Safe Australia), and WSA-5 (Wagner. Safe Antarctica).
Please send your representative to discuss this issue.
Best regards,
Y.V. Prigozhin

Posted by: Zet | Mar 22 2023 18:26 utc | 14

Just in:
“The International Monetary Fund, the global lender of last resort, has agreed a package of support for Ukraine of $15.6bn (£12.8bn).”

Posted by: ThusspakeZarathustra | Mar 22 2023 18:37 utc | 16

Posted by: Wilhelm | Mar 22 2023 16:42 utc
Camp Lejune had toxic water issues for 30+ years; Agent Orange is still ravaging soldiers who served in Vietnam. Please show me a history of our military caring about the long term health effects of weapons it uses.

Posted by: JMC | Mar 22 2023 18:43 utc | 18

DU munitions, if they go that way Russia will provide us with REAL uranium says Lukashenko. If they follow the madness path and use that type of munition the answer is going to be fearsome.
https://www.gazeta.ru/army/2023/03/22/16439851.shtml?ysclid=lfk1gpqxpo778103596

Posted by: Paco | Mar 22 2023 18:51 utc | 20

Posted by: nathan in WA US | Mar 22 2023 16:54 utc | 8
“CTRL +” (bigger) “CTRL -” (smaller) works for me.

Posted by: lux | Mar 22 2023 18:57 utc | 22

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/05/31/italys-defense-minister-backs-link-between-cancer-in-military-personnel-and-exposure-to-toxic-uranium/
(May 31, 2019) ROME — Italian military personnel who develop diseases they believe are linked to depleted uranium exposure will find it easier to win compensation under new rules proposed by Italy’s defense minister.
…
In recent years, 366 Italian military personnel have died, and 7,500 have taken sick with conditions potentially linked to depleted uranium, prompting courts in Italy to demand compensation, despite denials from military officials that any link existed. …
Depleted uranium = Albright’s Kiss?

Posted by: anon2020 | Mar 22 2023 19:08 utc | 24

I was once speaking with a guy who was providing security at an event. It came up that he was in the army for a long time. Yugoslavia came up and I asked about DU. He said none of them would go near anything that was blown up with DU weapons. It was an odd conversation. He was very forthcoming about that and other stuff. I don’t know if he was telling me the truth, but he was quite aware of the dangers of the inhalation of exploded DU weapons particulate.

Posted by: lex talionis | Mar 22 2023 19:15 utc | 26

Posted by: ThusspakeZarathustra | Mar 22 2023 18:37 utc | 12
the US is using all its tools, the ICC, IMF, to double down on its project to take Russia apart. I feel like an observer in the period just before World War 1. or better like I felt in the runup to Iraq, except Iraq didn’t have nukes. The US is getting progressively more reckless.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Mar 22 2023 19:20 utc | 28

A lot of negative videos began to appear against the authorities due to corruption, theft, nepotism, bureaucratic lawlessness, and so on.
Therefore, the authorities urgently need:
1. Shift the focus to the evil Russians. Today again there was a strange, single shelling of a residential building with victims (the results of the investigation will always point to the Russian trail, even though there will be a missile from Western air defense, etc.). The war is going on dirty and the life of Ukrainians has depreciated.
2. Demonstrate the heroism of the first (Zelensky). Today’s trip to Donbass and previous ones.
3. Zelensky’s return closer to the people (today’s video from the gas station). We are waiting for the trip to the people …
4. Discrediting the opposition (arrests, stuffing, deportation of manual activists, etc.).
5. Intimidation of dissenters
6. Ban on any freedom of speech and so on. (They tighten the screws on social networks, forbid writing the truth about the situation in the army, corruption, etc.).
Ze/Yermak is trying in every possible way to retain power, slipping the Ukrainians the illusion that everything is fine. It looks something like this: “The authorities live with the people on $1 a day, there is no corruption and nepotism, there are no problems in the army, everything is cool around”!
You look so soon you will wake up in the worst parody of the “scoop”.

https://t.me/legitimniy/15006

Posted by: Down South | Mar 22 2023 19:23 utc | 30

Colleagues, Zelensky is not in Bakhmut, but in the Bakhmutovsky direction.
Our source insider says that the meeting took place in an “abandoned” hangar in Konstantinovka.
Yes, this is a response to Putin’s trip to Mariupol, and yes, this is an attempt to convey a public message that Bakhmut will be kept sparing no effort and means. Most likely, he personally came to the headquarters, where he confirmed the sending of additional reserves to the Bakhmut meat grinder, since a boiler was planned there.
The price is not important for the President, the “fortress Bakhmut” will stand – the source quotes conversations that are held at meetings in the Office of the President.

https://t.me/legitimniy/15004

Posted by: Down South | Mar 22 2023 19:25 utc | 32

Posted by: JB | Mar 22 2023 19:16 utc | 26
oh so Russia bears the burden of proving it is innocent before a corrupt judiciary. right, i wonder how that process will work out.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Mar 22 2023 19:27 utc | 34

Article in ” the Independent” 📰newspaper on the consequences of the use of depleted uranium projectiles in Iraq
“A study titled Cancer, Infant Mortality, and Sex Ratio at Birth in Fallujah, Iraq, 2005–2009” by Dr. Busby, Malak Hamdan, and Entesar Ariabi concludes that anecdotal evidence of a sharp rise in rates of cancer and congenital malformations is correct. Infant mortality was 80 per 1,000 births, compared with 19 in Egypt, 17 in Jordan, and 9.7 in Kuwait. The report says the types of cancer are “similar to those of Hiroshima survivors, exposed to ionizing radiation from the bomb and uranium in fallout.”
The researchers found a 38-fold increase in leukemia, a tenfold increase in breast cancer in women, and a significant increase in lymphoma and brain tumors in adults. In Hiroshima, leukemia increased 17-fold among survivors, but in Fallujah, according to Dr. Busby, what is striking is not only the high prevalence of cancer, but also the speed with which it affects people.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/toxic-legacy-of-us-assault-on-fallujah-worse-than-hiroshima-2034065.html

https://t.me/Slavyangrad/38635

Posted by: Down South | Mar 22 2023 19:30 utc | 36

The journalist of Komsomolskaya Pravda suggests that Russia may give ‘a sniff of nuclear dust to the Anglo-Saxons’ themselves (at the very end of this article)
https://www.kp.ru/daily/27481/4737466/
From “uranium” shells, Ukraine will turn into an uninhabited moon: What kind of ammunition is this and why are they so terrible
Why does Britain promise radioactive munitions to Kiev, and who will risk buying Ukrainian grain and swimming in the Dnieper after that?
March 21, Deputy British Defense Secretary Annabelle Goldie said that “in addition to the Challenger battle tank squadron, her country will transfer depleted uranium shells to Ukraine.”
What is this ammo? And why are they so scary?
Let’s try to answer in order.
1. Why do the British need it?
There are two goals here. Political – another demonstration of London’s support for the Ukrainian regime. Kyiv was “offended” by the British that they were giving him “too few tanks.” And in order to wash off such claims, the British decided to compensate for a small number of their Challengers by supplying depleted uranium shells to them. And this is the second goal – military-technical.
An alloy of depleted uranium with titanium is superstrong. Such shells are capable of penetrating meter-thick armor. They don’t even have explosives. The projectile simply hits the crew and ammunition inside the tank with shrapnel. Moreover, such ammunition is cheaper than tungsten, which is used by Russia and other countries for their tank sub-caliber shells.
There is, however, another important point. Recently, the Russian command has been increasing the dynamic protection of tanks (additional “boxes” with explosives are superimposed on the armor, which do not allow a conventional projectile to pierce the armor). It cannot be ruled out that Kiev itself, for this reason, asked London for uranium shells.
2. What is the danger of such ammunition?
In its normal state, such a shell does not have much radioactive radiation (although even tankers dealing with uranium shells complain of fatigue, and after 10-15 years they begin to develop cancer). But in the event of an explosion, a uranium warhead is very toxic. Fine dust is formed, which enters the respiratory tract of a person, onto the ground, into the water. There is a dispersion of small particles of this infection over large areas. With a strong wind, such deadly dust can be carried for tens and hundreds of kilometers. It cannot be deactivated.
Uranium dust is deadly not only for the soldiers of both warring parties (after all, the Challengers will also explode in the battle formations of the Ukrainian army), but also for the local population. Studies that were conducted in the United States showed that where the Americans used these munitions, oncological diseases increased by about 6 times. Scientists say that the half-life of uranium reaches 4.5 billion (!!!) years. Therefore, the land covered with uranium dust becomes unsuitable for growing grains and vegetables – they become poisonous. And here we can assume that after the use of British uranium munitions in Ukraine, it is unlikely that there will be buyers of its contaminated agricultural products in the world.
3. Where have they already been used?
This was during the US military operations in Yugoslavia and Iraq. By the way, just these days – March 24 – the anniversary of the start of the bombing of Yugoslavia (in 1999). As you can see, the Anglo-Saxons did not hesitate to announce the preparation of a new “uranium atrocity” on the date of their previous crime.
Why did they have to use such a “dirty weapon”? In order to destroy as much of the enemy’s military equipment as possible and infect as many of his troops as possible. And at the same time – and “etch” the local population.
4. What were the consequences?
In Yugoslavia, for example, more than 10,000 people who swallowed uranium dust have already died of cancer. And about 30 thousand more suffer from severe oncological diseases.
Even worse are the consequences in Iraq. There, after the American military operation with the use of tank shells with depleted uranium, more than 400 thousand people died from oncology. And more than a million suffer from it.
One of the American journalists, who was filming a documentary about the consequences of the use of uranium munitions in Iraq, refused to show the audience the terrible deformities that Iraqis were born and live with, who fell victim to toxic dust.
5. What could be the scope of infection in Ukraine?
If combat depleted uranium is used,
the world’s best “fat” chernozems of Ukraine and the South of Russia will turn into poisoned fields. Who will grow wheat, sunflower, potatoes, tomatoes, watermelons on the contaminated land? Only suicide.
How can you not think that the British with their uranium shells are bringing famine to Ukraine? The already miserable Kyiv treasury is being deprived of the last income from grain exports. Apparently, in London and Kyiv they have already said goodbye, since they are ready for this?
And what if uranium dust gets into the Dnieper and other rivers? If contaminated water floats through them into the Black Sea? Then all the Black Sea countries will drown in grief.
I myself often remember my childhood in the Kharkiv region, when I liked to walk with the boys in the spacious fields and look at the collective farm melons, where the ancient watchman – grandfather Gaidash – treated us to savory kavuns and melons. Today’s and future boys on that land may no longer have such luxury.
6. Why do the Anglo-Saxons get away with everything?
Indeed, it was the Anglo-Saxons who dropped atomic bombs on Japan, and then uranium bombs on Yugoslavia and fired uranium shells in Iraq … No one else risked such crimes against humanity, although uranium ammunition is in the warehouses of many leading military powers.
By the way, Japan, which survived the terrible American atomic bombing in 1945, and is still (in what generation!) experiencing its consequences, “takes an example” from the USA and Great Britain, frivolously handling nuclear waste. After the catastrophe at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, tons of nuclear contagion spills into the ocean – help yourself, humanity. Catch infectious fish in the ocean.
Already, Kyiv is doing “nuclear pranks”, aiming at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. And the UK calls the uranium shells that have already brought disaster to hundreds of thousands of people “a standard component of ammunition that has nothing to do with nuclear weapons.” Typical Anglo-Saxon hypocrisy, which even a schoolboy will strike with a question:
– Isn’t depleted uranium a nuclear material?
7. How should Russia react?
Vladimir Putin has already stated that Russia will be forced to respond if the collective West begins to use weapons with a nuclear component. How exactly, the President has not yet specified.
So I’m just going to be careful with my assumptions. It is very possible that our army will simply have to stop the delivery of Challenger tanks with British uranium shells to Ukraine (in other words, hit a legitimate military target – columns with this military iron, as long as they are away from the borders of Russia). Although we have another opportunity – “to give a sniff of nuclear dust” to the Anglo-Saxons themselves, as they say, at their place of residence. But for now, I don’t want to think about it. Maybe they can change their minds?

Posted by: Oblomovka daydream | Mar 22 2023 19:34 utc | 38

@ JB 26
The Ukrainian children were removed from the total toxicity of USUKIS created Nazism, the shelling, the brainwashing and the racism. No brained imho. I know USUKIS have no brains but that’s a different problem.

Posted by: Giyane | Mar 22 2023 19:38 utc | 40

Re “that the children were not taken against their will”, the will of children is irrelevant here. Responsible parents/guardians don’t give children what they want–they do what’s best for them.

Posted by: Boris Badenov | Mar 22 2023 19:39 utc | 42

Posted by: AntiSpin | Mar 22 2023 19:28 utc | 35
The full size JPG image of the Prigozhin letter is available from this link to my Google Drive. Download from the button in the upper right.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lXwZk_M-fub1uKsN0w_XeMr1pT_YJEqe/view?usp=sharing

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 22 2023 19:44 utc | 44

Question – when Blinken demands ‘Russians’ stop occupying the Ukraine – is he advocating the ethnic ckeansing of 10 million people ?

Posted by: Exile | Mar 22 2023 19:48 utc | 46

Simplicius has a new Substack post up… It’s more of a historical post than a current one. He cover the dissolution of the Soviet Union, followed by the events of the 90s, the rise of the neocons, the predecessor to 9/11 in 1993, Afghanistan and the failures of the neocons.
How the USSR’s Fall Unleashed a Neocon Goldrush to the Heartland
The dissolution of the USSR kicked off immediate plans to seize the most vaunted corridor in history, one that would rupture the prized World Island.
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/how-the-ussrs-fall-unleashed-a-neocon?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Many people are aware of the various disparate geopolitical events of the 1990s and their respective imports—from the dissolution of the USSR, to the rise of the American Neocon movement to center stage, which precipitated the imperialist military actions of the end of the 20th to the 21st centuries. But few recognize the essential teleological link binding these events with a direct causality.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 22 2023 19:52 utc | 48

I’ve got a question.
Everyone seems certain that a big Russian offensive would not work. This isn’t the Second World War, and Operation Bagration never had to deal with NATO technology.
Yet people are quite happy to consider a big Ukrainian offensive – which can perhaps take out Melitopol and isolate, or even capture, Crimea.
So what is the contradiction? Why is it possible for Ukraine to have a big offensive, given it would be crazy for the Russian to have one?

Posted by: Technophobe | Mar 22 2023 19:57 utc | 50

Last Saturday (March 18), Mercouris opened his daily Duran video with an analysis of the ICC indictment. It provides a lot of context as to why the ICC action is little more than a form of “lawfare” and carries no legal weight outside of its information-war purpose. Understanding the context will make the Russian responses more comprehensible, and forestall arguments that this event should be taken at all seriously.

Posted by: jayc | Mar 22 2023 20:04 utc | 52

Posted by: JB | Mar 22 2023 19:32 utc | 38
it is easy why they do that, they opened an investigation against the ICC so they now accuse them and well they want to provide their evidence 🙂

Posted by: Macpott | Mar 22 2023 20:04 utc | 54

Posted by: Technophobe | Mar 22 2023 19:57 utc | 51
I thinks it’s more a case of: The Russians wouldn’t be that stupid, don’t need to as they own the clock and are achieving the desired attrition rates; whereas the Ukrainians are desperate, have little time left and are not inflicting the predicted casualties in their defensive battles. The very fact that the Ukrainians are even thinking of such a last-minute gamble is proof that the Western narrative is a perverted projection of reality.

Posted by: Milites | Mar 22 2023 20:08 utc | 56

Posted by: Elmer Fudd | Mar 22 2023 19:31 utc | 37

I see that people are still shitting their panties over Depleted Uranium. One particularly ignorant poster even claims that DU contains traces of Plutonium. How does this happen when the DU has never been irradiated in a reactor?

Perhaps, after apologising for its stupidity, the ignorant говнюк quoted above would do well take this question up with its friends in NATO who, after all, favour the use the weapons and know of the contamination of the DU with other isotopes, including plutonium:

It has been long established that there may be trace elements of U-236 and Plutonium in Depleted Uranium, which is a by-product of the nuclear industry. According to independent experts, however, the levels found are so low as to present no cause for concern.
https://www.nato.int/docu/pr/2001/p01-006e.htm

Posted by: Lengai | Mar 22 2023 20:14 utc | 58

@Likklemore | Mar 22 2023 20:10 utc | 58

cue a colour revolution south of the US border.

It is needed much more north of the border.

Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 22 2023 20:16 utc | 60

@ pretzelattack 28
USUKIS has created an echo chamber of unjustified Russophobia. I live in an an echochamber of unjustied anglophone in thexKashmiri Muslim community in Birmingham.
The Russophobia is a centuries old obsession of the Brits which they themselves call a Game. Thexanglophobia relates to a 250 year old symbiotic political relationship between Brits and South Asians. Nothing whatsoever to do with me.
The Jashmiris see Ramadhan as a Festival of culture in which they cook themselves in the mosque without opening the windows listening to a language they don’t understand. It is supposed to be a chance to learn from the Qur’an.
The good thing is that their misuse of Ramadhan is their spiritual loss , not mine and USUKIS pushing their ancient game is bankrupting them, not Russia. Now they want the IMF to fork out for Ukraine. They’re gambling everything on a totally uninformed opinion and will lose everything.
Like intoning a voodoo charm. Both of them.
USUKIS and the Cash smearies. Utter losers, both of them. Summyun Bukmun Ummyun /
Blind , deaf and dumb.

Posted by: Giyane | Mar 22 2023 20:25 utc | 62

Don’t know why but the editor at Global Times wrote “the Russia-Ukraine conflict has fallen into a stalemate,” which will be news to both Russian and Ukie soldiers. IMO, the man’s completely confused about the entire SMO and lacks the most basic understanding of Russia’s strategy.
As for statements by the Outlaw US Empire about China’s “incorrect” position on Ukraine, the best counterpoint IMO is what Xi said in his statement to the media yesterday:
“Our position is based on the very essence of the issue and the truth.”
And that’s what myself and other barflies have done since 2014–to provide “the very essence of the issue and the truth,” which is also what Russia’s leaders have done. The proven liars related to this “issue” and many more are the Collective West led by the Outlaw US Empire of Lies, whose documented history of supporting Nazism in Ukraine goes back to 1945. The Truth indicts, judges and convicts the USA of massive crimes against humanity and its vassals of abetting those crimes. Because of that reality, is it any wonder that Xi, China, and RoW’s “position is based on the very essence of the issue and the truth”? The Outlaw US Empire has no argument, no rebuttal, but it does have many trolls at its command who circulate cyberspace spreading FUD and falsehoods. The result for the trolls is they condemn themselves as immoral abettors in the crimes of their master, but they don’t seem to have the brainpower to figure that out.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 22 2023 20:29 utc | 64

Pretzel attack no. 28
Likklemore no. 39
It’s obscene. People starving to death, droughts all over the planet and these fuckers can just come up with £12 billion. Sick, sick, sick.

Posted by: ThusspakeZarathustra | Mar 22 2023 20:34 utc | 66

Posted by: Down South | Mar 22 2023 20:29 utc | 65
If one looks at MOD reports (and also claimed by Military summary channel), the Russians are not doing storming operations in any part of the front line, excluding Bakhmut. That’s also probably what the “up to x soldiers” usually mean, they are usually done by artillery and air strike, meaning they rely more on the mathematical model to guesstimate casualties. If they are doing actual close fighting, naturally casualty reports will be more precise, but currently it isn’t happening other than Bakhmut.

Posted by: unimperator | Mar 22 2023 20:41 utc | 68

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 22 2023 20:29 utc | 64
“Don’t know why but the editor at Global Times wrote ‘the Russia-Ukraine conflict has fallen into a stalemate,'”
Martyanov would say it’s simply because he “doesn’t understand real war.” Which is true. Almost no one outside the Russians and the Germans have a historical understanding of large scale modern war and only the Russians understand current technological level large-scale industrial war. Very few people outside the military understand the concept of the military balance or the concept of operational and strategic planning.
We see that here in the bar where idiots make pronouncements with certainty which are completely outside the realm of feasibility and/or rationality.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 22 2023 20:45 utc | 70

Posted by: S | Mar 22 2023 20:42 utc | 69
“According to Iraq Body Count, from March to April 2003 (2 months), a total of 7,434 civilians have been killed”
The figure is risible. The overall cost to Iraq from the 2003 invasion from all causes was estimated by the Lancet using viable models and on the ground research to be in the neighborhood of one million dead
Lancet surveys of Iraq War casualties
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancet_surveys_of_Iraq_War_casualties

a 95% confidence interval of 392,979 to 942,636 excess Iraqi deaths. 601,027 deaths (range of 426,369 to 793,663 using a 95% confidence interval) were due to violence. 31% (186,318) of those were attributed to the US-led Coalition, 24% (144,246) to others, and 46% (276,472) unknown.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 22 2023 20:52 utc | 72

JB | Mar 22 2023 19:16 utc | 27 …crimes of deportation of children from “occupied territories”…
Relax. It was not “deportation” but “evacuation”, or as in the case of Operation Babylift a “relocation”. Nobodoy was tried for that ever.

Over 2,500 children were relocated without their consent and adopted out to families in the United States and its allies.

As long as the Ukrainian terrorists shell purely civilian structures this relocation is justified, if not mandatory. If I was Russia, I wouldn’t waste my time with these double standard Assange-style lawfare cretins from the heavily greased by a war faction (EU) “International” Clown Court either.
Personal hint: Better have your Bellingcrap friends edit the cited Wiki page. RoW may be confused.

Posted by: OttoE | Mar 22 2023 21:12 utc | 74

90 % of the British public are totaly ignorant of what is taking place in Ukraine in their name.
How could they know ? Where would they go to get the truth.
The mind is like a computer if you put rubbish in you get rubbish out.
All along the public were encouraged to not be interested, for obveous reasons. Talk to them they switch off in an instant. It’s creepy but we all here have seen that exact same phenomenon.
They would rather die in a nucular holacost than face the truth.
I’d rather die knowing the truth and knowing who my true enemy is.
Ignorance isn’t not knowing something its not wanting to know.
I forget who said that.

Posted by: Mark2 | Mar 22 2023 21:18 utc | 76

I see that people are still clinging to their ignorance. Here is a simple primer on the relationship between decay rate (radioactivity) and half-life.
Posted by: Elmer Fudd | Mar 22 2023 20:45 utc | 71

Reminder, this is the troll that called me “particularly ignorant” for stating that DU is contaminated with other actinoid isotopes, including plutonium. I dare say, the only primer that it’s qualified to comment on is the primer on stupidity.

Posted by: Lengai | Mar 22 2023 21:25 utc | 78

Given what we´ve learnt about the effects of uranium shells on the people of Serbia and Iraq – and the ´Gulf War syndrome´, why is the British government sending these shells to their supposed “ally” (but we´re not at war!), the Ukraine?
Why would we want to poison the children and the agriculture of our “ally”? Because the Ukraine is where these uranium shells will be used.
Come to that, why are the British using uranium shells at all? Will it be cluster bombs next (as we already do in the Yemen)? And then poison gases (as we arranged for our “moderate rebels”) and then tried to blame Syria? And then will it be bio-weapons because, of course, Britain wants to be a “world leader” (Porton Down, etc.)?
Britain certainly is a world leader – in hypocrisy, depravity and venality.

Posted by: John Marks | Mar 22 2023 21:29 utc | 80

So pls. leave the Iraqian views of points – for a while, even it’s important thereto.
The “points” are always the same based on Western lies.
Whatever “YOU” want to have a “new type of the World”, whether living in New York or Boston or in Seattle or elsewhere in “The United States of America”, YOU (the US + EU-Partners) should be aware of the fact that YOU personally just have been targeted by any Snipers – engaged by anywhome worldwide !
Pls. look at Africanians newly “thinking young people” : US: have an answer due to US-Downsize methods?
Another state acc.to Western ammunition deliveries :
Here on MoA, many people might disregard the fact that US/UK support of warfare against RU may lead to an out-of-order situation on either sides.
You – MoA here- may think today, RU has an open available amount on artillery equipment,
that’s not true.
An open end artillery servive – up to 2030 – against them who it be – will have the US-Nazi Military Companies LLCs .. so sorry – must wait what’s going next .. on weakend US-Marshaqlls ideas ..
Carefully watched hour-by-hour by the RU-AD systems, but hoefully not only by a Kerosin spill ..

Posted by: spare_truth | Mar 22 2023 21:32 utc | 82

@OoCanada #75:

To be fair the Russians should be held guilty of war crimes…

So far we have only seen video evidence of Ukrainians committing war crimes.

Posted by: S | Mar 22 2023 21:39 utc | 84

The Greatest Spring Offensive… I can’t hear it anymore. Just bring me ANY spring offensive, Russian or Ukraine, or Chinese, or German, or English.. Canadian, South Korean.. Why not just call it:
The Mother of all Spring Offensives..
I am waiting..

Posted by: C | Mar 22 2023 21:41 utc | 86

C @ 86
Don’t be so offensive

Posted by: Mark2 | Mar 22 2023 21:45 utc | 88

Cost of rebuilding Western Ukraine = 400 billion $
Cost of replenishing NATO arms stocks = 400 billion $
Cost of energy bailouts for Europe = 800 billion $
And we are just in year 1 of the war.
LoL

Posted by: Comandante | Mar 22 2023 21:49 utc | 90

Thanks Pessimist (19). MOA forums have made me feel less crazy for my own hunches. Hanna Arendt says that the totalitarian isolates individual dissent. We think we’re the only ones having these thoughts because we get no media feedback. This is by design. Thanks for the repost. Salute!

Posted by: Aaron Lee | Mar 22 2023 21:53 utc | 92

Likklemore | Mar 22 2023 20:10 utc | 57 “…US must respond to Nord Stream accusations…”
Not sure about any obligation to respond to accusation. The “MUSTs” in a rules based order are manifold, however:
(1) Not only the US but also Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Germany MUST give satisfactory answers to the questions Russia submitted via diplomatic channels.
(2) Russia, the most affected country by this act of terrorism ever MUST be included in the investigations.
(3) Given the size (biggest or second biggest) of this act of terrorosm, and the technical difficulties, which hint to state-level involvement, the United Nations MUST engage with due diligence.
(4) Given the substance in Hersh’s revelations against the US, the AG of the US MUST seriously investigate.
Failure to act on these MUSTs by any of these four institutions tells only one thing: Complicity.

Posted by: OttoE | Mar 22 2023 21:55 utc | 94

The U.S. Has Killed More Than 20 Million People in 37 “Victim Nations” Since World War II
by James A. Lucas
The U.S. air assault started on January 17, 1991 and it lasted for 42 days. On February 23 President H.W. Bush ordered the U.S. ground assault to begin. The invasion took place with much needless killing of Iraqi military personnel. Only about 150 American military personnel died compared to about 200,000 Iraqis. Some of the Iraqis were mercilessly killed on the Highway of Death and about 400 tons of depleted uranium were left in that nation by the U.S.
Global Research

Posted by: SattaMassaGana | Mar 22 2023 21:57 utc | 96

Posted by: Comandante | Mar 22 2023 21:49 utc | 90
salute to el commandante! at least someone who counts the beans ,)

Posted by: Macpott | Mar 22 2023 22:03 utc | 98

I see the morons on Twitter on talking about Russia putting T-55 tanks into the war.
The propaganda never ends. Compare that crap with this report on Russian tanks and the number in reserve from 2017:
These are all the tanks in Russia’s arsenal
https://www.businessinsider.com/here-are-all-the-tanks-russias-arsenal-2017-6
There were 3,000 T-80s, 200 T-90s, 7,000 T-70s (not including 1,900 active) in reserve then. They would have us believe Russia has lost all those, PLUS the 2,000 T-64s and 2,500 T-62s that were in reserve. That’s in addition to 350 T-90s, 450 T-80s, and 1,900 T-72s that were in active duty.
So they are claiming Russia has lost in excess of 17,000 tanks so far.
This is the level of delusion the West is operating under. People under overdoses of LSD have a better grasp of reality. Dead people have a better grasp of reality. LOL

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 22 2023 22:12 utc | 100