Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
April 11, 2023
Ukraine Open Thread 2023-87

After a long and somewhat lazy phase, which nevertheless killed a lot of Ukrainian troops, someone seems to have given an order to hurry up with taking Bakhmut.

Today's Ru MoD clobber report on Bakhmut / Artyomovsk:

In Donetsk direction, the main forces of the Russian troops were concentrated near the city of Artyomovsk. The Wagner assault groups continued fighting to seize blocks in the central part of Artyomovsk and push the enemy to the western outskirts of the settlement. On the flanks, the assault teams are supported by the Airborne Troops.

Missile Troops and Artillery of the Yug Group of Forces and Operational-Tactical Aviation provide air and fire support to the offensive. Over the past 24 hours, aircraft flew 11 sorties close to Artyomovsk and the Missile Troops and Artillery carried out 48 firing missions for this purpose. The enemy's losses amounted to over 450 Ukrainian troops and mercenaries, three tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles, six armoured fighting vehicles, D-20 and a MSTA-B howitzers, as well as two U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 radar stations over the past day in this direction.

This thread is only for news & views directly related to the Ukraine conflict.

The current open thread for other issues is here.

Please stick to the topic. Contribute facts. Do not attack other commentators.

Comments

Which is why they are following a similar strategy as the British did in WW2. Talking of demographic fragility, Col Macgregor was saying that Ukraine now had the population of the Netherlands, after attrition and mass migration and that the country was close to becoming unsustainable, as a result.

Posted by: Milites | Apr 11 2023 23:42 utc | 101

Peter AU1 @87 “The Russian move into Ukraine has brought all this stuff to the fore.”
IMO it was the swift move on Crimea that did it. Must have driven the Western planners crazy. They had such high hopes for Sebastopol.

Posted by: dh | Apr 11 2023 23:42 utc | 102

I’ll go back and read comments but just to want to lay this here I just came across at geromans (my best through the day update!)
‘– GEROMAN — @GeromanAT
@kthalps
·
9h
A German court will decide on Friday whether
@rogerwaters
can perform in Frankfurt this May. If you haven’t already, please sign & share this petition demanding that the Frankfurt government reverse its cancelation of Roger’s concert. And RT.‘
———————
The German population is crazy again if they let this shot happen. Again!?
My suggestion to the great Roger Waters if they Cancel him, just go do it in rebuilt Mariupol! For free.
Fuck this Collective West. Then Next year do Bakhmut/Artewhatever.
People in U.K. are finally beginning to smell the dead rat. It’s going to be a ‘interesting’ summer.

Posted by: DunGroanin | Apr 11 2023 23:49 utc | 103

Quid Me Vexare | Apr 11 2023 23:39 utc | 100
I think I put up a comment on one of these threads about splattered docs and Russian military targeting health facilities. Ru MoD will most likely hit them hard. Just a matter of waiting for the headlines.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 11 2023 23:52 utc | 104

dh | Apr 11 2023 23:42 utc | 102
US embassy Ukraine had tenders out for upgrades to Sevastopol buildings. I guess that could be likened to premature ejaculation.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 11 2023 23:55 utc | 105

Posted by: dh | Apr 11 2023 23:42 utc | 102
Also helped by Clinton’s defeat in 2016, they tried to implement Nuland’s scheme six years later; however, they failed to take into account how Russia’s financial and military capabilities had changed in the interim.

Posted by: Milites | Apr 12 2023 0:04 utc | 106

Posted by: pretzelattack | Apr 11 2023 23:05 utc | 90

.. I favor general strikes, I figure as the country collapses we will eventually reach that point, but I’m not optimistic. ..

In all EU countries, the “General strike” won’t be arising unless civilians are sitting at home as some “ducks” and stand-up – to not be hit further by its MSM narratives and state police controls, but may be except for in France up-rising ‘street ‘power’, but shall see ..
Living style in EU is still ‘very convenient’ despite growing inflation that have boiled as a frog step-by-step up to that max. 99 C degree will be reached.
Only some upper guys are watching that increasing temperature, but nothing will happen soon ..
Good luck today with the v.d.Liars & Hunters of Biden & Stolzenbergs & several esoteric 5-Eyes power operators, etc.

Posted by: spare_truth | Apr 12 2023 0:06 utc | 107

Can anyone who’s still on Twitter go to this character’s tweet and ask him if it’s ten days yet?
Also ask him why he removed the blueyellow nazi rag from his profile.
He’ll block you immediately but it’ll be worth it.
https://twitter.com/netshrink/status/1500555876373266432?s=20

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Apr 12 2023 0:10 utc | 108

re: Sundance | Apr 11 2023 22:50 utc | 86
You say: “. . . a nuclear exchange by one or the other will lead to the other also be turned into a glass parking lot.
You overstate the prompt effects of nuclear weapons. Yes, major cities would have significant areas more or less resembling “glass parking lots”, but the real consequences would result from the long-term environmental consequences of nuclear war.

Posted by: Perimetr | Apr 12 2023 0:17 utc | 109

Outraged
I think to much at times. I have never been in combat against humans. I did spend some time professional shooting. I would watch through the scope as the top of the skull flew six meters into the air. There came a day when I could no longer shoot. I looked through the scope one evening , the front trigger didn’t need to be pulled. I just touched the side of it. I looked through the scope for some time, then put the gun up and went home. Too soft I guess.
Nuisance animals I could still shoot until I gave my guns to my son. Have you been in combat, and I ask that in respect.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 0:20 utc | 110

@b
After a long and somewhat lazy phase, which nevertheless killed a lot of Ukrainian troops, someone seems to have given an order to hurry up with taking Bakhmut.
If Wagner is on a cost-plus contract, it has no incentive to finish Bakhmut. Ever. I hope Russia’s MoD was smart enough to insist on a fixed-price contract.
Another thought: why is Wagner in Ukraine? Why does Ru MoD need to hire mercenaries?

Posted by: Cyril | Apr 12 2023 0:32 utc | 111

Peter AU1 @95–
Agreed. The added bit Crooke provided about post WW2 British Cabinet meetings was quite apt–“How not to look too weak.” The interview gives me a third chance at insight into Crooke’s mind that greatly supplements the two written items he does weekly. His latest SCF, “We are Closening to a Move Through the Cycle – But First Will Come Disorder”, describes a coming dystopia that’s worse than the one we already inhabit. What he’s musing about is the modern version of the sacking of Rome and onset of what are still called the Dark Ages, with the calamity to come restricted to the West and by its own hand. The two writings he cites (not the FT item at the end) I’ve only glanced at but appear to be worth the time to read. This excerpt says much:

Elements of such crises of inflection are today everywhere present: Deep schism in the U.S.; mass protest in France, and across Europe. A crisis in Israel. Faltering economies; and the threat of some, as yet undefined, financial crisis chilling the air.
Yet, anger erupts at the very suggestion that the West is in difficulties; that its ‘moment in the sun’ must give place to others,and to other cultures’ ways of doing things. The consequence to such a moment of epochal ‘in-betweeness’ has been characterised historically by the irruption of disorder, the breakdown of ethical norms, and the loss of a grip on what is real: Black becomes white; right becomes wrong; up becomes down.
That’s where we are – in the grip of western élite anxiety and a desperation to keep the ‘old machinery’s’ wheels spinning; its ratchets loudly opening and closing, and its levers clanging into, and out of place – all to give the impression of forward motion when, in truth, practically all of western energy is consumed in simply keeping the mechanism noisily aloft, and not crashing to an irreversible, dysfunctional stop.
So, this is the paradigm that governs western politics today: Doubling-down on the Rules Order with no strategic blueprint of what it is supposed to achieve – in fact no blueprint at all, except for ‘fingers crossed’ that something beneficial for the West will emerge, ex machina. The various foreign policy ‘narratives’ (Taiwan, Ukraine, Iran, Israel) contain little of substance. They are all clever linguistics; appeals to emotion, and with no real substance.

IMO, this didn’t just begin with Russia’s SMO; it’s been brewing since at least the Fall of The Wall when people within the Collective West expected a Peace Dividend, the end of confrontational hegemonic systems, and a new flowering of a better life for all, not just the top 10%. And the RoW also felt it would finally get better attention. But none of that happened because something darker, more insidious was planned–the game of Zero-sum King of the Hill what we say goes: A different type of Totalitarianism. And it’s that attempt that’s in the process of finally being defeated to the RoW’s glee whereas the West shudders as Crooke muses:
“A major inflection point is typically a period in history when all the negative components from the outgoing era ‘come into play’ – all at once, and all together; and when an anxious ruling class resorts to widespread repression.”
Ironically, the first Star Wars was retitled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope as Lucas honed in on his portrayal of the Outlaw US Empire which was made clear in The Phantom Menace. And yet again we’re back to the dualism of Good versus Evil. Fiction and reality dueling yet again. Will the Outlaw US Empire finally face reality and desist?

Posted by: karlof1 | Apr 12 2023 0:32 utc | 112

Russia is a Brown Bear? No, my friends, Russia is a Grizzly Bear. Let’s just say that I’ve read and researched a lot of things. In the Old West, a Grizzly could outrun a horse and kill almost anything it encountered. It took many bullets to kill one. Cheers.

Posted by: Immaculate deception | Apr 12 2023 0:33 utc | 113

@ Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 0:20 utc | 110
Hear ya. Hunted since I was a kid. When was still able would still stalk Deer for the challenge, fitness & serenity re environment/isolation. By then once had the Deer downwind would position, sight & take the shot, dry fire. Didn’t/don’t, simply have it in me anymore …
End of previous thread, Ukraine Sitrep. Took a break posting over Easter, just lurking, casually reviewing threads/posts, what a Dog-Damned heap of shit-posting, by idgets, re Classified Docu, pissed me right off.

Posted by: Outraged | Apr 12 2023 0:33 utc | 114

Something that strikes me is the western sustainability to bullshit. That clown not able to access rus mod. fucking troll. I give him/her/it links ect and the piece of shit comes back with bullshit.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 0:35 utc | 115

NATO doesnt retreat. this will be their downfall. they pinned ukraine as the next footstep, the reaction to being pushed out is pages of speculation here. i look forward to this day where NATO evaporates from its fake rock of unity and becoming the shifting sands

Posted by: hankster | Apr 12 2023 0:39 utc | 116

Outraged | Apr 12 2023 0:33 utc | 114
Cheers man. Keep well.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 0:40 utc | 117

Some videos for today.
Impossible odds — Russian troops secure 75% of Artemovsk (another good frontline report):
https://odysee.com/@RT:fd/artyomovsk-secured:6
Russian airborne troops storm enemy positions:
https://rutube.ru/video/27b73d817408bfcbdc79193d04e96f17/
Russian Smerch multiple-launch rocket systems on combat mission:
https://odysee.com/@RT:fd/smerch-inaction:a
Russian TOS-1A system annihilates Kiev regime column:
https://odysee.com/@Overthrown:6/video_2023-04-11_15-00-50:5
Russian airborne troops making progress on the Kremennaya front:
https://odysee.com/@Overthrown:6/2023-04-10_18-33-39:9

Posted by: Nate | Apr 12 2023 0:46 utc | 118

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 0:20 utc | 110
BLOCKQUOTE>.. I think to much at times. I have never been in combat against humans. ..
You have my respect on that of that post.
Nobody of having a heart can kill other humans’s brain and/or heart.
That’s for sure !
I regret doing so once, in an extra emergency case some years ago, but beside of any war situation as a soldier (you might think also as a UKR/RU soldier?)
Thanks for state here, that of your above statement. (Tom)

Posted by: spare_truth | Apr 12 2023 0:48 utc | 119

Re: partitioning Ukraine
Sounds problematic on many fronts. Not just the Azov Nazis turning around and attacking the Poles, but also all that debt Ukraine ran up with the IMF.
If Poland, Hungary and Romania get the Territory then they may also get the debt. I doubt that Blackrock is gonna just write that off. Look what they did to Argentina.
I think the only “plan” is to keep fighting to the last Ukrainian or Russia is defeated and saddled with war reparations.
Of course that ain’t gonna happen. But there is no plan “B” in the minds of the neocons.
For grins and giggles, look up the term “odious debt.”
I would argue all debt taken out by Ukrainian puppet masters in the west since 2008 is odious.

Posted by: Chris | Apr 12 2023 0:50 utc | 120

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 0:20 utc | 110
BLOCKQUOTE>.. I think to much at times. I have never been in combat against humans. ..
(Sorry, repeated by wrong HTML-5 format)
You have my respect on that of that post.
Nobody of having a heart can kill other humans’s brain and/or heart.
That’s for sure !
I regret doing so once, in an extra emergency case some years ago, but beside of any war situation as a soldier (you might think also as a UKR/RU soldier?)
Thanks for state here, that of your above statement. (Tom)

Posted by: spare_truth | Apr 12 2023 0:51 utc | 121

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 0:20 utc | 110
BLOCKQUOTE>.. I think to much at times. I have never been in combat against humans. ..

You have my respect on that of that post.
Nobody of having a heart can kill other humans’s brain and/or heart.
That’s for sure !
I regret doing so once, in an extra emergency case some years ago, but beside of any war situation as a soldier (you might think also as a UKR/RU soldier?)
Thanks for state here, that of your above statement. (Tom)

Posted by: spare_truth | Apr 12 2023 0:54 utc | 122

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 0:20 utc | 110

.. I think to much at times. I have never been in combat against humans. ..

You have my respect on that of that post.
Nobody of having a heart can kill other humans’s brain and/or heart.
That’s for sure !
I regret doing so once, in an extra emergency case some years ago, but beside of any war situation as a soldier (you might think also as a UKR/RU soldier?)
Thanks for state here, that of your above statement. (Tom)

Posted by: spare_truth | Apr 12 2023 0:56 utc | 123

Karl “How not to look too weak”.
I am a bit uncouth In my way of communicating. With my gut no longer functioning, depending on what I try to eat, my farts can down the weak hearted. The stench now coming from the US, the global south simply holds its nose and watches the implosion. Not to mention the Russian middle finger.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 0:57 utc | 124

You guys are probably going to see a ‘Russian beheading a Ukrainian POW’ soon if you haven’t already. No need to watch it. It is fake as fuck.

Posted by: LGB! | Apr 12 2023 1:00 utc | 125

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 0:57 utc | 124

.. Karl “How not to look too weak”…

Hi Peter,
that’s a normal feeling in your current situation.
May take an ASPIRIN and pls. try then to calm down on your mind ..

Posted by: spare_truth | Apr 12 2023 1:03 utc | 126

spare_truth | Apr 12 2023 0:56 utc | 123
Combat. It is a terrible thing. And we see US, war and moor war.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 1:04 utc | 127

re: German industry potentially leaving
German text (use deepl.com)
https://www.telepolis.de/features/Energiepreise-Steuern-Staatsknete-Deutsche-Unternehmen-investieren-zunehmend-im-Ausland-8935786.html
one of the mentioned sources here, Handelsblatt:
“Highest rate of German companies investing outside Germany in 15 years, for high energy costs”:
https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/konjunktur/nachrichten/standortpolitik-so-viele-deutsche-firmen-wie-seit-15-jahren-nicht-wandern-aus-kostengruenden-ab/29084292.html

Posted by: AG | Apr 12 2023 1:13 utc | 128

spare_truth | Apr 12 2023 1:03 utc | 126
Aspirin… I cant think of what to type. Fucking doctors prescribed that to me in my teenage years. Take care. we Live in a weird and wonderful age. History in the making. But for us in the so called west, the emphasis being on weird.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 1:23 utc | 129

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 1:04 utc | 127
Hi Peter, don’t worry.
As I said @124, take an Aspirin & calm down within 10 minutes.
The new multi-billion investments of US/UK/AUKUS Australian submarines deal will be shipped some years later, but won’t be defeated by RU/China military,
and newly even JAPAN will join the China/RU military testing of that sea areas defense !
That’s really a good news – isn’t it ?

Posted by: spare_truth | Apr 12 2023 1:24 utc | 130

The conflict isn’t happening only over the 1500km of fierce grinding zone where Ukrainians and Russians are fighting.
The economic stage where geopolitical forces play titanic clashes to bring down the petrodollar is shrinking personal budgets every month when going to the supermarket and gas station. Bankruptcies are everywhere. London already lost his unmatched position as global trade center to NYC which will loose it to see it going somewhere on the Far East.
It might seem to be lazy the unfolding war in Ukraine if we are all just looking in one thing which unlikely can be solved just finishing the current war. Nothing can be more far from reality than this point of view. We are witnessing a vertical rupture in our human civilization. It is very rare and it can take decades to completely unfold.

Posted by: Maquiavel | Apr 12 2023 1:24 utc | 131

Great simple explanation of the leaks from American lee Camp to counter the trend here that made the leaks into the newest religion that we must “believe in” or be denounced as trolls.
Lee Camp is not claiming to know the truth he is proposing a likely scenario.
The Kremlin and the leader of the Donbass have made statements that essentially agree with Lee’s summary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33ORKhR0Bc4
I love how his humor cuts through the talking heads BS like a hot knife through butter. Particularly about the part where the US has “infiltrated” all levels of Russian society.

Posted by: K | Apr 12 2023 1:25 utc | 132

spare_truth

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 1:28 utc | 133

spare_truth

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 1:28 utc | 134

80 – So, will this be a “trumped up” false charge like the neocons are trying against the orange man? I seriously doubt they are actual classified materials, and this is all their ploy to try to rein in the loss of the narrative. They are losing badly, but pray tell, why is Biden not being charged for holding classified materials he has no right to as he grabbed them while VP?

Posted by: Arcticman | Apr 12 2023 1:30 utc | 135

spare_truth
Looks like we are cross posting. I will sit back for a bit.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 1:33 utc | 136

@Milites 98
thx for the link.
But isn´t Shaffer overestimating the secrecy of the material.
A many people have shown by now, much of what is in there stems from open sources.
No need for Nuland to pull of such twisted ploy in the tradition of an MI-6 or KGB sting operation.
And frankly, she is not the kind a gal who would care about public opinion. She is a fan of force. Just like Kissinger in the old days.
More of a hammer person, not a needle.

Posted by: AG | Apr 12 2023 1:37 utc | 137

The Diplomatic Sh1t-Show for the US continues apace …
Neat summary from Palki Sharma …
USA’s Alliances In Trouble As Intel Leak Proves Washington Spied On Allies|Vantage with Palki Sharma [6 mins]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRznZGeit0c
As the English might put it: Tsk – bad form to peek on one’s chums – simply not cricket …
As noted earlier – nothing new here for those in the know – but in this case it has reached the Public Domains, the MSM, and the Public Spheres of US ‘Allies’ … placing pressure on their political leaderships

Posted by: Don Firineach | Apr 12 2023 1:42 utc | 138

Al Jazeera …
How serious is Pentagon files leak for US and its allies? | Inside Story [30 mins]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7LQ-7s8lD0

Posted by: Don Firineach | Apr 12 2023 1:47 utc | 139

Posted by: Arcticman | Apr 12 2023 1:30 utc | 135

.. why is Biden not being charged for holding classified materials he has no right to as he grabbed them while VP?

Mr. Sleepy Joe B. isn’t any more aware of anything that’s going around him.
But the puppet controllers behind (Hillary C., Nuland etc.) will lead him more or less ‘perfectly’ speaking on any press. That’s known here whenever the “President” remarks on any current issues.
So, may be listening more behind the curtain, what persons are “speaking” there ?
Those “Esoteric 5-Eyes 5edged-Pentagon esoteric persons (best mostly black/female/young selected)” will tell “The World” what’s going on now. Nothing will change that public approach in future.
So we have to live with that US- and Canada like politicians a further some decades from now on, despite having “eliminated” those decision making deep-state “persons”.
Or not?

Posted by: spare_truth | Apr 12 2023 1:47 utc | 140

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 11 2023 20:01 utc | 52
I see Australia as gone mad woke, they are about the change the constitution to allow aborigines to pretty much veto any upcoming legislation they don’t like, something was needed here but allowing a low IQ group to run the country is insanity (of course there are some clever aboriginals but sorry the bulk are not, especially the activist contingent). Then we have the destruction of cheap reliable power to be replaced by intermittent expensive fake green power, again idiocy.
Victoria, the most woke and corrupt state, also leans to China no doubt as a bit of a legacy from its leftist past, now replaced of course by wokeness. Even if that fool Albanese can make headway with China the US will shoot it down. He isn’t spending $350 billion plus on unneeded subs and opening the country up to US bases for no reason, he is a trained poodle. His predecessor Morrison was a traitor and a fool, he started the whole mess.
There is little manufacturing, the green lobby wants to shut down mining the only source of income, the housing ponzi is due to burst, Australia is stuffed, maybe not tomorrow but soon.

Posted by: Organic | Apr 12 2023 1:59 utc | 141

Posted by: AG | Apr 12 2023 1:37 utc | 137
You could be right, but he did intimate more was going to come out, which is the SOP for such operations, whet the public appetite before the big reveal. He might also be reacting to the information revealed that other, lesser informed, commentators are ignorant of its significance, or have a good idea about the nature of the information about to be revealed.
I thought his comment about using the FBI, not the DOD internal agencies, to protect the Whitehouse did ring true though.
We really should run an MoA sweepstake for all the competing theories!

Posted by: Milites | Apr 12 2023 2:02 utc | 142

@Milites 142
as of these details DoD or FBI – I can only learn from every single phrase from these comments.
It is an interesting game of theories, who would benefit from FBI investigating.
Are they truly that corrupt? Or is he pushing the Trump people´s anti FBI narrative, since Shaffer was on his team I believe.
Anyhow.
I debunked it. And it´s too good a spy story to be true.So far.
But on the other hand it has been the most thought-provoking assumption today apart from Alastair Crooke´s appearance on Judge Freedom a little while earlier.
Let´s wait and see.
p.s. on this occasion I checked out the story of Shaffer´s redacted Afhganistan book:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Dark_Heart
(nothing of this would have come to me without you posting 😉

Posted by: AG | Apr 12 2023 2:17 utc | 143

Posted by: Doug Hillman | Apr 11 2023 19:46 utc | 49
“I’m so glad you’re not back.”
You’re welcome.
As an aside, I had a crappy night with my RLS and cramps after seeing my doctor yesterday. As an even deeper aside, I had to tell HER what the proper drug regimen was for my condition – she had prescribed the wrong gabapentin version, and didn’t even know about the right one. Then today, after telling me the prescription was sent in, I go down to the drug store – they never heard of it. Had to go back down to clinic and bitch and moan until they told me it wasn’t covered by insurance and they had to get “authorization” which would take several days.
Since I’d been running around for an hour in a 50mph wind here in San Francisco today, I was already royally pissed off. This crap about the prescription really ticked me off, especially since inability to get prescriptions refilled on time despite ten days notice was the reason I stopped going to that clinic three years ago.
To top it off, my Comcast Xfinity Internet went down art 11:30AM, and wasn’t fixed until 5:30PM. So more raging.
So now I’m eating cookies, chips and a cheeseburger – off the diet for another day – while listening to “Soundtrack to a Supervillain” epic music. This is how I assuage my general contempt for everything human.
As the greatest philosopher of the 20th Century – Woody Allen – once summed up the human experience in five words: “Nothing works and nobody cares.”
Of course, I’m not getting blown up by Russians in Ukraine, so I suppose I’m really in a good place. But then I’m not stupid enough to be Ukrainian in the first place, so there’s that.
I dropped a Substack Notes message to Sy Hersh about my Google Drive folder of leaked documents on the off chance that he’s following this story, which I assume he is – and probably already has copies of the entire alleged hundred pages of documents. I hope so, anyway, I’d like to see him cover this story. He certainly has the contacts in the IC to do it.
I’ve decided that I agree with McGovern, Crooke and Johnson that these docs are likely real, and are likely a “Snowden-style” leak from someone in the Pentagon who is opposed to the US policy on Ukraine and has code word level access. As Johnson said, such docs are kept in a SCIF and there is no way to get them out of a SCIF except by printing them and walking them out. There’s no thumb drives allowed any more since Snowden, he said, and no phones allowed in. So someone with real access printed them, took them, photographed them later, and posted them…somewhere, where others apparently found them.
One point he and McGovern made was that the outrage over allies being spied on is BS – everyone knows everyone spies on everyone else. Period. End of story. So all the “outrage” is just for geopolitical leverage and PR.
The Lira interview with Johnson and McGovern was very good, unfortunately my Internet died in the middle of it. I did get the Crooke interview with Napolitano downloaded this morning, so I got to see that. Recommend both to everyone here.
Also everyone should download the docs from my Google Drive and pore over them if you have any interest. As I said earlier, I’m just going to go by what the expert consensus turns out to be.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 12 2023 2:21 utc | 144

More Public Sphere – Germany
US intel leak: “Egypt secretly ordered production of 40,000 rockets for Russia” | DW News
Sisi following Nasser …. old favours .. or maybe he needs Grain …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJOG4hX4IkU

Posted by: Don Firineach | Apr 12 2023 2:21 utc | 145

@pretzelattack | Apr 11 2023 22:07 utc | 78
I think what the leak shows most clearly is how the US ‘intelligence’ agencies function these days. Starting in the 90s (maybe after the fall of the USSR) intelligence functions were increasingly outsourced to private contractors, and actual intelligence sources (spys if you will) were considered less important. After 9-11 and the beginning of the Iraq war it became clear that what was desired (as an intelligence product) was material that could effectively serve policy objectives rather than unbiased assessments. What we saw after the downing of MH17 was that information (regardless of veracity) gleaned from social media could be effectively used to support predetermined narratives. Put all these trends together and you have what we see in these leaked documents: a mishmash real information, rumor, and unverified ‘facts’ provided by informants that have considerable incentive to lie and/or obfuscate. The intel gleaned from remote sensors (satellites, manned flights, and drones) regarding the disposition of Russian forces is pretty decent. The information provided by Ukraine can hardly be called “intelligence” – just a combination of lies, obfuscation, and stonewalling that serves Ukrainian objectives. The hardware accounting seems accurate, but of course the US is in control of this. We also see the power of the US to collect signals intelligence and spy on whom so ever they desire, however what they do with this – how effective they are in evaluating and using the information seems to vary.
Contractors perform fee for service (probably much of it with “cost-plus” contracts) tasks without concern for anything beyond fulfilling the terms of the contract sufficiently to keep the money flowing. For the intelligence agencies to rely on such a system is just asking for trouble, and when those people driving policy have no need of accurate information but simply desire a useful product then this is what the contractors will strive to provide.
I suspect the leaker was just some dude trying to prove a point to his mates without any grander agenda – a symptom of the bloated and corrupt system that employs them.

Posted by: the pessimist | Apr 12 2023 2:23 utc | 146

According to the Russian SMO, as this still remaining as the prior subject of this forum, there seem to be no new infos to the current combat situation on-ground so far.
Moving some square meters to the left and back to the right direction, that’s all.
Some clashes towards either side, but not RF nor the AFU military have singnaled any significant movements on any of its “offensives”.
So let’s wait what either sides have planned for the next 7 days ..

Posted by: spare_truth | Apr 12 2023 2:27 utc | 147

@rsh 144
I would like to thank you for publishing your illuminating sub stack piece on the historical origins of project Ukraine.
I naively thought this project only went back to around 1990 or so. It’s pretty sobering to read but I would rather know the truth.

Posted by: Chris | Apr 12 2023 2:35 utc | 148

Posted by: the pessimist | Apr 12 2023 2:23 utc | 146
I agree with your assessment of the state of intelligence. I’ve been aware for some time – at least since Snowden – how much of the IC community is contractors. This goes back “The Falcon and the Snowman”, if you remember that book and movie.
Posted by: Chris | Apr 12 2023 2:35 utc | 148
You’re welcome.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 12 2023 2:43 utc | 149

Back to GeoPolitics and GeoEconomics
India. Pivotal …. Palki Sharma – note v. hostile towards China and discussing the evolving partnership (AUKAS) with the US vs China …
And note both India and China in SCO and India trade vital to Russian Federation
Border Tensions: India’s Secret Weapon Against China | US Pokes China | Vantage with Palki Sharma [ 1 hour but this is a good current affairs show from Ind perspective]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3fISNOKhSM

Posted by: Don Firineach | Apr 12 2023 2:46 utc | 150

karlof1@112
A peculiar feature of the Crooke article to which you refer is his argument that the ‘elites’ are bent upon ‘levelling’ the population into equality.
Would that it were so.
The opposite is true as every social metric known to man shows: after fifty years of unrelenting neo-liberalism capitalist societies are more unequal than ever.
To take just the United Kingdom the great reforms of the war and post war years were effective in making society much more equal: kids had a much more equal chance of getting an education, the University system expanded and tuition was low or free, while most students had living allowances from the government. There was no fear of graduating with mountainous debt to deter young people from finishing their education.
The result-evident throughout anglophone culture- was enhanced social mobility and a very dynamic and culturally rich society.
And that was only the tip of an iceberg: Trade Unions were powerful, respected and able to shape legislation and living standards. Unemployment was not only kept low but an accident from which all were automatically insured. Those in need to claim benefits with minimal difficulty. There were no beggars or homeless people to be seen.
The Health Service was efficient and embraced every aspect of health, including dentistry and pharmaceuticals without payment. It was buttressed by a public health system which included nursing at home for the elderly and free milk, vitamins, fish oil etc for pregnant and nursing mothers and infants. School meals were free and every child was supplied with a third of a pint of milk in midmorning.
A large part of the population lived in ‘council housing’ let at a low rent based on cost to working people.
Work was generally protected by comprehensive regulations as well as unions and ‘unofficial’ action at the workplace which saw grievances dealt with quickly.
Now all these ‘levelling’ measures have been rescinded: in every respect the UK is a badly unequal society in which the poor are unprotected and victimised.
This is the reality throughout the western world. Crooke seems oblivious to the fact of the near revolutionary situation in France in which millions are fighting to protect pensions from neo-liberal ideologues, at the service of a ruling class which grows greedier and greedier as it scythes its way through the markers of equality and fraternity generations strove to establish- for themselves but also for millions of others.
This is what the ‘cycle’ which is passing is distinguished by not levelling but accelerating inequalities throughout imperial society.
A society in which, for example, the distribution of wealth and property becomes increasingly unequal with the great mass of wealth being owned by a tiny slice of society, and the great mass of people being virtually without property.
The various agendas of the WEF are nothing new, they are the current aims of the neo-liberals.
Crooke, who sees the minimal and largely irrelevant questions of transexuality and homosexuality, which have almost nothing to do with the problems most people face, as of major importance then characterises the burgeoning BRICS cultures as comfortably conservative and underpinned by religious belief.
And there is some truth in this but not enough to obscure the fact that setting the pace in BRICS are movements which see neo-liberalism and the rule of capitalist classes, in their own interests, as the major cause of the destructive imperialism practised by the US and its satraps.
Without going into detail surely even Crooke can understand that the Chinese government, ruling according to the counsels of the Communist Party not only calls for more and more equality but, in lifting hundreds of millions of the poorest people on earth into comfortable subsistence in its pursuit of socialism, but is guided by principles derived from the Marxist tradition.

Posted by: bevin | Apr 12 2023 2:56 utc | 151

No doubt another load of Ukrainian bullshit… Nothing like dredging up Russiagate yet again… Reuters can’t verify any of it, which is telling…
Ukrainian hackers say they have compromised Russian spy who hacked Democrats in 2016
https://www.reuters.com/world/ukrainian-hackers-say-they-have-compromised-russian-spy-who-hacked-democrats-2023-04-11/
Hacked: Russian GRU officer wanted by the FBI, leader of the hacker group APT 28
https://informnapalm.org/en/hacked-russian-gru-officer/

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 12 2023 3:27 utc | 152

Posted by: bevin | Apr 12 2023 2:56 utc | 151
“‘levelling’ the population into equality.”
Well, if you interpret that phrase as “leveling everyone – except themselves – into the ground”, then it makes perfect sense. When everyone is s slave – except the masters – everyone is “equal”.
Q.E.D.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 12 2023 3:29 utc | 153

Posted by: begob | Apr 11 2023 21:48 utc | 71

The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches,[a] are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (sui iuris) particular churches of the Catholic Church, in full communion with the Pope in Rome.
Although they are distinct theologically, liturgically, and historically from the Latin Church, they are all in full communion with it and with each other. Eastern Catholics are a distinct minority within the Catholic Church; of the 1.3 billion Catholics in communion with the Pope, approximately 18 million are members of the eastern churches.
The majority of the Eastern Catholic Churches are groups that, at different points in the past, used to belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox churches, or the historic Church of the East; these churches underwent various schisms throughout history.
The Eastern Catholics churches are communities of Eastern Christians that either returned to communion with the Pope, or in some cases have never broken communion

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Churches

Posted by: Down South | Apr 12 2023 3:42 utc | 154

⚡️🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ War Map and the Situation on the Fronts in the Evening of 11 Apr 2023; pub. 00:05⚡️
⚔️ Situation on the Fronts for the past Day
🔹#Svatovo – #Kremennaya Direction:
➖ The Russian army continues to advance in the #Serebryanskoye forestry.
➖ Also ours, supported by artillery, attacked near #Yampolovka, #Torskoye, #Nevskoye and #Makeyevka.
➖ Also, the AFU are concentrating forces near #Seversk, either preparing for defence or an offensive.
🔹#Artyomovsk (#Bakhmut) Sector:
▪️ Currently 80% of #Artyomovsk, the main administrative and industrial facilities have been liberated. Fighters of the Wagner PMC are mopping up and storming the western part of the city, in addition, they have managed to advance in the northern part.
▪️The “Orchestra” also stated that the RF Armed Forces are covering sections of the front to the north and south of #Artyomovsk.
🔹#Donetsk Direction:
➖ In the #Avdeyevka sector, our army led an offensive near #Keramik, #Berdychi and #Severnoye.
➖ The heavy assault on #Pervomayskoye continues.
➖ In #Maryinka, Russian soldiers continue to squeeze the militants out of the western part of the town.
💡 Everyone has heard about “Afghan Syndrome” or “Chechen Syndrome”. And about the “Donbass Syndrome”? Probably not, but it is a matter of time, and in order not to waste it, it is necessary to think about psychological assistance to veterans. Some regions already have successful examples of helping both the military and their families, but to address the problem comprehensively, then we need to take it to the federal level.

https://t.me/sitreports/7041

Posted by: Down South | Apr 12 2023 3:45 utc | 155

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Apr 12 2023 0:10 utc | 108
+++++++++++++++++
Done!
Do I get a prize?

Posted by: Drinky Crow | Apr 12 2023 3:52 utc | 156

Re: Posted by: Down South | Apr 11 2023 15:28 utc | 4

In the end, there will be another defeat and the loss of a major city. That is why they are already beginning to put down straws, although of course this will not prevent them from defending virtually for some time after the loss of Artemovsk, as they did in Soledar.

By no measure except a delusional one is Bakhmut a “Major City” – not even in theTop 20 cities in Ukraine!
Who comes up with this rubbish?!?

Posted by: Julian | Apr 12 2023 3:58 utc | 157

Russia is a Brown Bear? No, my friends, Russia is a Grizzly Bear. Let’s just say that I’ve read and researched a lot of things. In the Old West, a Grizzly could outrun a horse and kill almost anything it encountered. It took many bullets to kill one. Cheers.
Posted by: Immaculate deception | Apr 12 2023 0:33 utc | 113
+++++++++
Bollocks. There are no griz in Eurasia. Russia is a brown bear who are quite capable of causing calamity.
Mr. Griz could surprize a horse over short distance but not outrun a horse. Unless horse was in very bad shape.

Posted by: Drinky Crow | Apr 12 2023 4:05 utc | 158

@ Down South | Apr 12 2023 3:42 utc | 154 with the report on ” 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (sui iuris) particular churches of the Catholic Church, in full communion with the Pope in Rome.”
Pray tell, [pun intended] do these 23 approve of usury like Pope Frank and his direct flock?
Thanks for your reports DS

Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 12 2023 4:52 utc | 159

Listening to the latest Duran video…
Zelensky in a box, offensive success in doubt. Neocon Plan B, push Poland into conflict
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4IpzrBH_EI
Mercouris at 13 minutes in is once again saying that the “smart thing” for Ukraine to is negotiate. He suggests that China, Erdogan, etc. could allow channels for negotiation to open. He admits the US will try to block any such negotiations right off the bat, but still thinks Russia would negotiate if China mediated.
I don’t understand why he doesn’t get that there is absolutely zero chance that Russia is interested in negotiations of any kind, regardless of who is the mediator. Actually I do understand – he’s simply unconsciously afraid that this war will continue until Russia has annihilated the Ukrainian military, wrecked Ukraine totally, seized Kiev, and controlled everything to the Polish border (and possibly engaged Poland which he discusses later in the video.)
As I keep telling people, Russia has a plan for Ukraine. It is to eliminate Ukraine – any part of Ukraine – ever being a threat to Russia again in future history. Furthermore, Russia intends to “weaponize” Ukraine – just as it is doing in Belarus – to counter NATO specifically in Poland and Romania – and if Poland wants to fight, to accommodate NATO in Poland by obliterating the Polish army, no matter how big or with what NATO weapons.
There is in this scenario absolutely no requirement for ANY kind of negotiations with Ukraine or NATO or the US. That ship has fucking sailed, Alexander!
Not even China can rescue Ukraine at this stage. Putin made that clear when Xi visited him. Negotiations will not happen.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 12 2023 4:57 utc | 160

@James Hendrickson | Apr 11 2023 22:22 utc | 80
You are claiming US jurisdiction in Germany. You are part of the problem then.

Posted by: Norwegian | Apr 12 2023 5:14 utc | 161

@ Perimetr
No, the West won’t fly F-16s into Russian airspace because Russia will shoot them down moments after they enter Russian airspace, and if that process begins and continues, Russia will hit the bases from where the planes are flying out of.

Yes, there’s the reason why the US invested trillion betting on stealth. Already at the eighties, Russian AD was already an impenetrable foe for american fighter jets.
Then you could say: “well, just send the F-22 and F-35!”, but it is also not that simple. There’s plenty of speculation that modern russian AD is able to to detect and track the current generation of american stealth fighters. Either by long-wave radar, or by a network of IR sensors.
And in second place, but probably more important, the F-35 and the F-22 by themselves without a robust AWACS coverage are not that great, and hypersonics AA missiles from Russia make flying AWACS planes in the AOA a very risky proposition for the americans.
And lastly, the moment an F-35 open its bomb bays it is as if it lightened a christmas tree on every enemy radar. So you need lots of planes with superb coordination (in a heavy EW environment and probably without AWACS support) to strike as much defense radars as possible as fast as you can to have any significant effect.
And frankly, the USAF doesn’t even have the level of readiness to even entertain the idea of supporting such massive F-35 strikes in a war against russia on their backyard.

Posted by: Marcos E | Apr 12 2023 5:17 utc | 162

Currently 80% of #Artyomovsk, the main administrative and industrial facilities have been liberated.
Posted by: Down South | Apr 12 2023 3:45 utc | 155
It was 70% 2 weeks ago, so perhaps in 4 weeks it will finally be liberated from Zelensky’s zombies? Will May 10th be liberation day, we will have to wait and see…

Posted by: MiniMo | Apr 12 2023 5:22 utc | 163

Richard Steven Hack | Apr 12 2023 2:21 utc | 144
… So now I’m eating cookies, chips and a cheeseburger
On a personal level, and without knowing anything, try to add some decent food. Carrots, berries, any kind of greens. If you have a hot plate, wilt some collard greens. Etc. Lots of recipes on YouTube. Also, get the hell out of SF if you can. Godspeed.

Posted by: Boris Badenov | Apr 12 2023 5:26 utc | 164

@karlof1 | Apr 11 2023 23:05 utc | 89

The Judge makes the point that “American boys are shooting at Russian boys without any Congressional approval” whatsoever which has the potential to lead to disaster.

So shooting at Russians is not the problem, the problem is that it is done without “congressional approval”? I can’t say I am impressed by the ethics or even logic of this “judge”. US Americans should start to take in the fact that “Congress” or whatever does not extend to other countries. This is just more empire stuff.

Posted by: Norwegian | Apr 12 2023 5:26 utc | 165

Posted by: Boris Badenov | Apr 12 2023 5:26 utc | 164
This is only temporary – for today. Tomorrow I’m back on my strict keto diet. Lettuce, whey protein, low-carb meat. I’ll drop the five pounds I gain today over the next week. 🙂

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 12 2023 5:53 utc | 166

@ Norwegian | Apr 12 2023 5:26 utc | 165
He is probably referring to the fact that only Congress can declare war under the US
Constitution.
That limitation can be and is evaded in a number of ways, most simply by not calling the conflict in question a war (with Congress going along with it).

Posted by: John Kennard | Apr 12 2023 5:55 utc | 167

Posted by: Norwegian | Apr 12 2023 5:26 utc | 165
I don’t think Napolitano can be accused of wanting a war between the US and Russia, with or without “Congressional approval”. He’s just pointing out that the Biden administration is evading Congressional authorization in pursuit of its neocon aims outside of the US Constitution. View his videos and you’ll see that. It’s not wise to make judgements of people based on out-of-context snippets of statements.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 12 2023 5:56 utc | 168

@Julian | Apr 12 2023 3:58 utc | 157

By no measure except a delusional one is Bakhmut a “Major City” – not even in theTop 20 cities in Ukraine!
Who comes up with this rubbish?!?

https://postimg.cc/PvJwf4c5

Posted by: Norwegian | Apr 12 2023 6:00 utc | 169

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 12 2023 4:57 utc | 160
“there is absolutely zero chance that Russia is interested in negotiations of any kind”
My view on Russian objectives is that they may have changed, but perhaps when they launched the SMO they may have had an off chance of brow beating the Ukraine to gain the stated aims:
1 De-militarise it as a threat
2 De-Nazify Ukraine
3 Stop it joining NATO
The trouble with this view is that even had peace talks worked last April, by now none of these things would have been achieved, and in fact the opposite might have been sparked by the 2022 attack. 101 geopolitics. Finish what you start.
So regardless of what they Russians said I think they must have always known they were going to have to pursue this to the bitter end which will mean the end of Ukraine as currently constituted. A peace settlement now will simply result in the near future with a re-armed Ukraine, inside NATO and with an axe to grind.
The ultimate armistice negotiations will be “sign here”.
My view is that the glacial pace of operations is stringing out the war and allows the UAF repeated time and space to regenerate. We’ll need to see what occurs when the latest “12 brigades” of the reserve (I think the total higher btw) are demolished. However the Ukraine is certainly not yet dismantled (though badly damaged) and the longer this goes on the more chance that NATO support and involvement might prevent Russia’s war aims from being achieved.

Posted by: marcjf | Apr 12 2023 6:42 utc | 170

By no measure except a delusional one is Bakhmut a “Major City” – not even in theTop 20 cities in Ukraine!
Who comes up with this rubbish?!?

Posted by: Julian | Apr 12 2023 3:58 utc | 157
Not major in terms of population size but major in the military strategic sense. Some are even referring to it as Ukraine’s Stalingrad. Ukraine would not be throwing so much infantry in to the Bakhmut meat grinder if it wasn’t.

Posted by: Down South | Apr 12 2023 6:48 utc | 171

Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 12 2023 4:52 utc | 159
No problem.

Posted by: Down South | Apr 12 2023 6:49 utc | 172

🇷🇺🇺🇦🇺🇸🖇 @Rybar on the Leaked Secret US Docs
Last week, photo materials & documents marked SECRET & TOP SECRET unexpectedly appeared on the Web reflecting data on the preparation of the AFU for the spring-summer campaign from the training of Ukrainians to the deadlines for the supply of arms
It is pointless to go into details of what is specifically written in these documents, since all the content has already been sufficiently analyzed by our colleagues from War History Weapons , Search engine ZVI and LostArmour
We focus only on a few important points
🔻 How true is this data?
It’s no secret that the West is been preparing the AFU for an offensive. On the basis of the structure of the combined armed forces of NATO, 2 army corps were formed as part of the AFU, which included, among other things, the brigades indicated in the documents
If you look at the dates of the preliminary completion of the preparation of new formations, the transfer of weapons & military equipment- we can conclude that the information as of the end of February was not far from reality. Getting this information in the public domain is not such a big problem: as we wrote about this back in early February
In reality, the deadlines have changed a long time ago. Various difficulties arose somewhere in manpower, somewhere in the supply of equipment and other arms
❗️ As a result, only 47th, 67th, 117th and 118tn Mechanized Brigades from the list are now fully combat-ready, for the rest, the date of full staffing was postponed to May-June, and the 5th Separate Tank Brigade to December
🔻 So this data is real?
In the leaked lists at the end of February, only nine brigades are being formed but in fact more than 20 were being trained at various training grounds in Ukraine and in Western countries. And ready for the beginning of April:
▪️ 9 AC
➖47th, 67th Mechanized Brigades
➖3rd Separate Assault Brigade
➖1st Separate Special Purpose Brigade
➖4th Separate Tank Brigade
▪️ 10 AC
➖115th, 116th, 117th, 118th Mechanized Brigades
The 21st, 22nd Mechanized Brigades & 77th Air Assault Forces’ Separate Airmobile Brigade are equipped. Currently, the AFU in the state have 12 combat-ready units (to one degree or another) which are quite realistic to use in the spring-summer campaign, 13 more are in the process of formation
🔻 For what purpose could the documents be published?
Other “leaked” documents dealt with obvious things, the fact that the US is listening to the leadership of South Korea Separate documents talked about the lack of shells, failures in the products of the Western defense industry and the general “unpreparedness” of the AFU
And luckily, just a couple of weeks before the large-scale counteroffensive of the AFU , such convenient TOP SECRET files appeared on the Web. It all looks like a controlled leak & a massive disinformation campaign
This is also confirmed by the large-scale information support from the media giants WSJ, WP, CNN & others who are trying to overtake each other in an attempt to show how uncombat-ready the AFU are & in every possible way encourage the Russian military-political leadership to make a mistake
While in Russia they relish the lack of AFVs or SAMs in the AFU, the West continues to supply the AFU, Public demonstration of the southern regions as the main attack direction (however obvious it may be) can be a red herring
The offensive may begin somewhere in the Belgorod or Bryansk region. In the Kharkov region, near the border with Russia, a multi-thousand grouping of the AFU is noted incl. a unit of 67
🔻The AFU really had & still have problems at the preparation stage, in some brigades they are quite significant: lack of time, people, weapons affect the quality of trained formations; this is certainly taken into account in the US
In case the announced plan to “seize Crimea” fails- allegedly leaking secret info will make it possible to justify the failure against Russia by the inability of the AFU to properly implement the military assistance issued by the West

https://t.me/sitreports/7057

Posted by: Down South | Apr 12 2023 6:52 utc | 173

⚡️WE HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEARS AND NOW WE FINALLY HAVE THE DEFINATIVE PROOF:
🇩🇪New Zealand Christchurch Shooter Brenton Tarrant was trained by Ukrainian Azov Nazis🇺🇦
🤯The irony is that Jacinda, Scomo and Albo sponsored the Ukrainian Azov Battalion with ADF weapons and your tax payers $ millions..
🇦🇺Convicted terrorist Brenton Tarrant killed 51 innocent New Zealanders in the Christchurch terrorist attack in 2019.
❗️He was an Australian citizen who trained with the radical nazi Azov Battalion.

https://t.me/Slavyangrad/41500

Posted by: Down South | Apr 12 2023 6:57 utc | 174

Organic | Apr 12 2023 1:59 utc | 141
The biggest problem here in Australia is that the vast majority are too dumbfuck stupid to demand a referendum to abolish the foreign monarch. Any government at any time can be sacked by our foreign hereditary head of state.
A foreign head of state couple to US media pysops.
The voice? just more political bullshit. certainly woke. The media carries pics of white urban blacks. The sctual aboriginals that retain their culture ande language – they are fucked in the woke world.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 6:58 utc | 175

❗️🇷🇺🇺🇦 Highlights of Russian Military Operation in Ukraine on April 11
▪️Ukrainian drone equipped with explosive device collided with the fence of Belgorod international airport.
Detonation damaged the fence structure and alarm cable.
▪️In Lyman sector of the front, Russian forces are engaged in positional fighting and artillery duels near Makiivka and Balka Zhuravka.
Ukrainian formations continue to prepare for counteroffensive and pull additional reserves to the area of operations.
▪️In the northern neighbourhoods of Bakhmut, Wagner PMC assault squads continue their offensive in the Boarding school area.
At the same time, battles for control of School No. 24 building are underway. Despite desperate resistance, AFU continue to lose ground in the city.
▪️In the centre, Russian forces took control of a group of houses to the north of the police station and shifted the front line towards the railway line.
Continuous artillery fire is taking place to the west of the station, making it difficult for AFU to transfer reinforcements.
▪️In the south of Bakhmut, Wagner PMC fighters storm Ukrainian positions on Chajkovskogo st., trying to cut the road to Krasne.
Despite heavy losses in personnel, the enemy is trying to counterattack in attempt to seize the initiative.
▪️Russian troops are conducting operation to encircle Avdiivka stronghold from the south near Donetsk.
According to some reports, the frontline is less than a kilometre away from Sjeverne, where AFU major logistics hub is located.
▪️The Kyiv regime continues to shell the Donetsk agglomeration with barrel and rocket artillery.
As a result of the shelling of DPR’s capital, a residential building was destroyed, infrastructure facilities and vehicles damaged, and two people were wounded.

https://t.me/Slavyangrad/41502

Posted by: Down South | Apr 12 2023 6:58 utc | 176

Posted by: James Hendrickson | Apr 11 2023 22:22 utc | 80
Your comment sounds like a stern warning to all US/EU citizens. Thank god most people in the world don’t live in the territories controlled by the western democracies. Frankly, what we see happening lately about these so-called very secret documents, is nothing but another MSM PR by deeply corrupt US establishment. In all likelihood these so called documents are put together by a small/ private team of mostly gay, trans, lesbian, satan worship…individuals hired by the US military to supposedly conduct survey, research about the war in Ukraine in return for may be a couple of million dollars project funding that at the end a big chunk of the money would go into the pockets of the guy (most likely a normal heterosexually married US military official ) who made the deal using connections at the top. How do we know that? first of they look like children story book done in full color. A serious military doc. is usually done in codes etc. not like colorful chart for kids. Second, all the information in these docs are very rough estimates and guess work by people with elementary school knowledge about military issues. It substantiates our conclusion that it was done by a group of young Woke individuals. For example, in the doc. it mentions about total 97 NATO active personnel in Ukraine USA 14x PAX, GBR 50x PAX, FRA 15x PAX, LVA 17x PAX, NLD 1x PAX – Total: 97x PAX, so how come Poland is not mentioned? It’s known that Poland has already lost hundreds if not thousands of soldiers wearing Ukinazi uniforms in Donbass, already.

Posted by: maskazer | Apr 12 2023 7:01 utc | 177

The real reason emerges why the Ukrainians are holding on so desperately to Artemovsk:

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230411/ukrainian-ex-presidents-wife-owns-giant-champagne-factory-in-embattled-artemovsk-dpr-chief-reveals-1109347444.html

Posted by: John Schmeeckle | Apr 12 2023 7:02 utc | 178

Posted by: Down South | Apr 12 2023 6:57 utc | 174
Same photo on Twitter
https://twitter.com/sumnjam/status/1646043340654116866

Posted by: Down South | Apr 12 2023 7:05 utc | 179

Chinese Foreign Ministry – News Conference LIVE
Never know what might pop up … just about to start ..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJE1aeg1svQ
# This is also useful .. oil, Saudi, and pivot to Asia – to China/Russia
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2023/04/saudi-u-s-relations-sour-further-on-huge-opec-surprise-cut.html

Posted by: Don Firineach | Apr 12 2023 7:06 utc | 180

Posted by: bevin | Apr 12 2023 2:56 utc | 151
Crooke has an irrational religious commitment to the idea that capitalism is God’s greatest work of perfection. But apart from that religious bigotry he is quite clear sighted

Posted by: Tim | Apr 12 2023 7:23 utc | 181

More men are sent to their deaths. This insanity is so tragic for Russia and Ukraine. Yet, here y’all are again as nasty little cheerleaders, sitting behind keyboards like the weak little toads y’all are… Cheering on death and destruction, as long as someone else’s son, husband, brother or father died in this sick patriotic fantasy…

Posted by: Peacetalk | Apr 12 2023 7:25 utc | 182

karlof1 | Apr 12 2023 0:32 utc | 112
“describes a coming dystopia that’s worse than the one we already inhabit. What he’s musing about is the modern version of the sacking of Rome and onset of what are still called the Dark Ages, with the calamity to come restricted to the West and by its own hand.”
“Will the Outlaw US Empire finally face reality and desist?”
I guess my answer to that ending question is the nominal head of the American empire. Perhaps he has just been put up as a sacrificial goat to take the blame but I think the culture runs too deep in the US deep state.
That parting remark by Xi to Putin… I talk to family and friends. absolute dystopia. Australia is simply an autonomous region of the US with the english monarch as head of state.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 7:31 utc | 183

@Down South #176
According to some reports, the frontline is less than a kilometre away from Sjeverne, where AFU major logistics hub is located.
A locally significant particular.
Between the particulars of the local SMO battlefield and the dizzying velocity of the tectonic shifts in universal geo-politics and geo-economics me poor head is spinning so much that I’m in danger of swirling into a state of semi-permanent vertigo ….
… thankfully, I’m not on the front-line … but we are all, one way or another, in-line of the change taking place before our eyes … we do live in interesting times …

Posted by: Don Firineach | Apr 12 2023 7:49 utc | 184

Posted by: marcjf | Apr 12 2023 6:42 utc | 170
Any part of rump Ukraine that remains will join EU/Nato. Even if there are only a population of 2 million. The characteristics of the country are irrelevant, since rump-Ukraine will be just used as exhibit A of the resistance to Russian invaders – and EUZato must help “Ukraine” to get their land back. It will be used to garner more war support in EUZato.
Of course, we all know this derives from Polish plans to recreate its empire. US has basically given up on western Europe and consolidated Slovakia, Poland, Czech, Baltics and Finland as primary war monger bloc. The rump Ukraine will also be tied up to this through EU and Nato.
TBH, Ukraine is gonna get defeated hard but it doesn’t matter for PR purposes which will be saved by the rump piece. And it’s far from certain Russia will go west enough to remove that off the board. They can go and burn down Lvov and Ivano-Frankovsk like Donbass was burned down and a lot of people would very much like to see that happen, but there might be more pragmatic reasons why they choose not to. More likely a wide buffer west of Dneper will form.

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 12 2023 8:02 utc | 185

Posted by: marcjf | Apr 12 2023 6:42 utc | 170
Except the “twelve brigades” is closer in real combat strength to four or five. Given that Russia was annihilating several brigades every week or two back during the Kherson “offensive”, they’ll be annihilated, as you say. After that, things will go a bit faster. Despite some people’s opinion, like Simplicius, once the Ukrainian army is done, that’s it. That’s when you’ll see a speedy advance across Ukraine regardless of a random brigade here or there or some hastily put down fortifications. Russia is not going to stretch this thing out for another year or two, no way. The only reason it’s taken this long is 1) the fortifications Ukraine laid down in Donbass over eight years forced the Russians to minimize casualties and take the long way; 2) Russia couldn’t fully use its air power due to Ukrainian AD. and 3) Russia is managing NATO’s reaction to avoid an over-reaction and an early NATO intervention, which if done early in the war, would indeed have prolonged it. Once Russia has annihilated the Ukrainian army, a NATO intervention will just turn into an annihilation of NATO’s army.
I’m convinced this will be over by end of the year, if not sooner, unless there is a full-scale NATO intervention before then – and even then, that will change the nature and tempo of the war and Russia may end that sooner than anyone expects. The risk, then, of course, is escalation to nuclear war.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 12 2023 8:06 utc | 186

I’m convinced this will be over by end of the year, if not sooner
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 12 2023 8:06 utc | 185

It will take some weeks to change the narrative from the re-capture of Crimea into a planned retreat Westward across the Dnieper.
Moving forward in reverse will be the main thing.

Posted by: too scents | Apr 12 2023 8:22 utc | 187

Just seen this: Zelensky is ready to transfer several western regions of the country to Poland in exchange for full-scale military assistance to the Ukraine army in the seizure of Crimea. This was stated by the former intelligence officer of the British intelligence service MI6 Alistair Crook.

Posted by: Geraint ap Iorwerth | Apr 12 2023 8:25 utc | 188

Posted by: Geraint ap Iorwerth | Apr 12 2023 8:25 utc | 187
Well, that seals the fate of Ukraine. No need to deal with any rumps, after all.

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 12 2023 8:35 utc | 189

187 – If Ukrainian nationalism was a genuine concept of any kind there would be objections to that, but perhaps it is not.

Posted by: Waldorf | Apr 12 2023 8:41 utc | 190

Of course, we all know this derives from Polish plans to recreate its empire.
Posted by: unimperator | Apr 12 2023 8:02 utc | 184
Anyone thinking this is a realistic objective is ,to put it mildly, dreaming.

Posted by: Tom_12 | Apr 12 2023 8:44 utc | 191

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 11 2023 17:05 utc | 27
Another great summary, drones are a huge wildcard. There is a video, which I have not watched, that claims to show a Russian tank completely destroyed by a copter-drone dropping a grenade into an open hatch.
The thought experiment of figuring out the minimum amount of explosive needed to wreck a weapon system and where it would need to be placed is an educational one. It is almost always a rather small amount of explosive and the task of placing that explosive is almost always within the plausible abilities of a low cost drone.
I find it puzzling that our resident war “accountants” don’t seem to factor in how suddenly the apparent order of things could be upended by quite logical extensions of existing technology.
But, as you note, RF recognises the risk.

Posted by: anon2020 | Apr 12 2023 8:45 utc | 192

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 12 2023 3:27 utc | 152
Interesting, this direct pandering to the Deep State’s ‘get Trump agenda’ either suggests that the Ukrainians are getting worried about the consequences of failing their masters and are desperately casting around for anything that makes them relevant again; or, it’s the Nuland clan, hand in glove with the alphabet agencies, trying to reanimate their ‘Russia, Russia’ hoax.
To me, both interpretations smack of a certain desperation and reinforces the feeling that we are wedged firmly into the endgame, but then again I see the glass as half-full, though never expect it to be topped up.

Posted by: Milites | Apr 12 2023 8:52 utc | 193

@ Tom_12 | Apr 12 2023 8:44 utc | 190
The storytellers are spinning out a fresh fable. It starts with the explanation of expanding Poland, and ends with the creation of New-Ukraine. An ethnic state that was always there, just much smaller than its current ambitions.
The story will be repeated often enough that everyone will accept it was always so. Shrunken New-Ukraine will be sold as a victory.

Posted by: too scents | Apr 12 2023 8:53 utc | 194

Posted by: anon2020 | Apr 12 2023 8:45 utc | 191
It’s a 21st C version of Guderian’s dictum IIRC, that all damaged Russian tanks should be destroyed to prevent possible recovery. That tank probably suffered a mobility kill due to mines, was abandoned by its crew and then ‘bombed’ to stop recovery. It also allows open source websites to claim that they have documentary evidence of two tanks destroyed. Ugledar was a perfect example of this dissembling approach, a replication of the later 44-45 ‘combat’ footage shown on Die Deutsche Wochenschau. Nazis copying Nazis, who’d have thunk it!

Posted by: Milites | Apr 12 2023 9:09 utc | 195

Too bad for Poland that Russia will never give up one inch of Ukraine territory to Poland, western Ukrainians there or not.
Poland already had its army (simulated fully equipped with F-35’s, Abrams tanks, etc.) annihilated in five days by the Russians in a war game, with another 200-300.000 Polish troops it should expand that to maybe…ten days? LOL
As Mercouris said on The Duran today, the consequences of Poland and the neocons trying this stunt are so disastrous as to beggar the imagination. He lists a myriad of ways this will backfire on Poland and Ukraine and the EU, resulting in massive damage to Poland and the complete wrecking of Ukraine and the likely collapse of NATO and the EU. That’s assuming it even gets off the ground and there are forces in Poland, not to mention Germany and elsewhere, who would like to see the whole idea dropped post haste. Still, he says, the neocons always get their way, so it’s quite possible it will be tried – and fail as disastrously as everything else the neocons have done.
Personally I’m looking forward to it – as long as it doesn’t turn into WWIII, of course, which is the real risk.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Apr 12 2023 9:16 utc | 196

anon2020 | Apr 12 2023 8:45 utc | 191
Yes I have seen a number of videos from both sides dropping grenades in open hatches.
Something I read time back is that a new technology on the battle field only lasts three months before the other side comes up with technology or tactics to defeat it.
If the Americans do come up with something as effective as the Russian lancet and in large numbers, they may will punch a big hole in Russian defenses. If it occurs, it will be a suicidal propaganda offensive but none the less may well punch a big hole.
What I see on Russia’s side is logistics, mindset and stem graduates.
What has been very instructive in this war is that amour, no matter what they are clad with cannot go up against six inch guns (gun surveillance drone combo).
If I was an American, I would be looking at taking out the guns with the flying bombs/drones then send the armour in.
One of Ukraine channels sometime back, resident or legitimate said the Americans wanted a single offensive in the south rather than splitting the force for two offensives like last time.
What is holding up the Americans is the many western wheeled vehicles sent are utterly useless in Ukraine spring time. They need summer hard ground. In the meantime, other events are occurring that may put and end to the vaunted offensive, but as I wrote and you noted, Rus mod is not taking it lightly.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 12 2023 9:26 utc | 197

Posted by: Milites | Apr 12 2023 9:09 utc | 194
Well, that certainly might be the truth if it, and I’m not about to stand on the authenticity of the video I mentioned because the Ukrainian info-sphere is pitifully ‘tarded and the fact remains that even tanks, let alone less well armoured artillery pieces, rocket launchers, EW units etc, are vulnerable to very small explosive charges placed in just the right location.
I’m less interest in what is conventional and easy to account for and more interested in what we’re potentially overlooking.

Posted by: anon2020 | Apr 12 2023 9:33 utc | 198

All about Russian agricultural oligarchs, Ukrainian land and the US investors who cling to their dream of owning all that well irrigated black soil in the swastika belt.
https://johnhelmer.net/tossing-rice-at-the-marriage-of-the-oligarchs-with-the-state/#more-87766

In Russian business Tkachev is as controversial as Arzhanov, though not for the same reasons. Tkachev’s tactics for asset accumulation drew protests at first from small farmers, and then from Russian kompromat reporters. Their reports have been cribbed by the anti-Russian think tanks and the US government’s propaganda organ, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. In 2014 Tkachev was sanctioned by the US Treasury, the Swiss and European Union governments.
His Agrocomplex holding has been expanding across the Ukrainian border, the US and Ukrainians say — without mentioning that the Ukrainian owners had illegally privatised their land since the Kiev putsch of 2014.
In a report on the US promotion of land “reform” in the Ukraine – one of the conditions for financing from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank – the Oakland Institute concluded in August 2021 that “imposing the creation of a land market in Ukraine will further concentrate control of land in the hands of oligarchs and large agribusinesses, while favouring the interests of foreign investors and banks. It is unfortunately the vast majority of Ukrainian farmers and citizens who will have to pay the cost.”
American and Canadian investors have been behind the Ukrainian oligarch takeover of farmland and agro-industry since 2014. For more on the Ukrainian oligarch group known as Kernel, read this. Next to Kernel, the US investment group NCH has been the largest Ukrainian landholder. NCH is based in New York; Harvard University is one of its largest unit investors.
Astarta, a major Ukrainian farmland holder, has a large Canadian investor, Fairfax Financial Holdings. Fairfax is the largest property and casualty insurer in the Ukraine. Since the putsch in Kiev in 2014, Fairfax’s share price on the Toronto stock exchange has more than doubled. At the same time, the group reported that it was excluding from its insurance loss balance-sheet “net losses of US$67.7 million (approximately 84% incurred but not reported losses) in 2022 relating to the Ukraine conflict primarily within the political risk and terrorism lines of business.” Underwriting profit in the group’s Ukrainian business increased by 46% at the same time.
In last week’s Kommersant, Tkachev was reported to be diversifying into rice growing. Following the drop in Krasnodar’s rice harvest last year, Anatoly Kostirev reported that “the large holdings are increasing assets in this sector. So, the structures associated with the agricultural complex of the ex-head of the Ministry of Agriculture Alexander Tkachev have acquired about 3,000 hectares in the region, where more than 15,000 tonnes of rice can be harvested per year. It will be difficult [for Tkachev] to increase the share in the domestic market, but it is possible to increase the export of products after the lifting of the ban on its export.”
Tkachev’s Agrocomplex bought out the regional rice grower Totriss from the Krasnodar company Agrochem LLC, which has operated the Mariansky rice processing plant in the region. Kommersant reported its sources as speculating that the sale had been forced on Totriss because it had run out of cash. In 2022 Totriss had planted just under 21,000 ha of rice, and harvested 149,000 tonnes – a drop of about 30% because of the water shortage. With the takeover of Totriss, Tkachev is likely to add 10% to his harvest area, or about 24,000 ha. This compares with 27,800 ha planted by Arzhanov’s AFRG National.
Since the start of the Special Military Operation, the flow of fresh water from the Dnieper River to the Crimea has been restored, and the Ukrainian blockade lifted. This has enabled rice growers to announce that this year in Crimea they will be sowing 3,500 ha for a target production of about 30,000 tonnes. This is five times more than the harvest of last year, the first since the reopening of the North Crimean Canal. It is not known who are the main growers.
As of last month, Russian agro-industry sources claim, the price of rice processed into groats (kasha) had risen 24% year on year to Rb64,130 ($855) per tonne. Unmilled rice was selling in January at Rb34, 140 per tonne, up 52% on the previous year. Price growth attracts investors; it deters consumers, and so even if Russian rice consumption slows to a halt, the restoration of irrigation water to Crimea and Krasnodar should lead the government to lifting the export ban in three months’ time. This is what the rice oligarchs want.
When the rice can be exported once more, the state investment in breeding special Russian rice varieties will be directed to the quality and taste of rice demanded by consumers abroad.

And lots more to consider here…

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Apr 12 2023 9:36 utc | 199

“Voenkor Evgeny Poddubny reports that today the Russian Aerospace Forces launched a second strike on the bridge across the Sudost River in the Chernihiv region. After yesterday’s attack by a Kh-29TD missile launched from a Su-34 aircraft, the bridge became unsuitable for moving equipment , but infantry could pass along the surviving half of the span.
Judging by the new footage that appeared today, the crossing was finished off with a second strike. This bridge was used by the enemy for the recent raid of the DRG in the Bryansk region. The second strike on this object shows the new approach of the Russian command to the destruction of enemy infrastructure.
Today, pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces dealt another blow to the bridge. The crews of the Su-34 guided aerial bombs inflicted a defeat on the bridge over the river Zherebets in the area of ​​​​the settlement of Nevskoye in the Svatovsky direction of the front. The bridge was actively used by the enemy for the transfer of units and equipment to the eastern bank of the river to the line of contact.
Now, in order to supply the grouping and transfer units, the enemy will have to build a pontoon crossing or move in the zone of artillery fire damage. Three strikes on bridges in the last 24 hours speak of a new approach to using precision-guided airborne munitions to disrupt enemy logistics.”
https://www.theinteldrop.org/2023/04/11/aerospace-forces-of-the-russian-federation-began-to-systematically-destroy-enemy-bridges/
So far it seems like the bridges are hit on the front/tactical level instead of strategical level trying to impede flow of Nato stuff. Either way, needing pontoon bridges create additional headache.

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 12 2023 9:37 utc | 200