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April 23, 2023
Ukraine Open Thread 2023-98
Comments
NATO head visits Ukraine
“We will help you transition for Soviet-era DOCTRINES to NATO standards”
Video https://twitter.com/AbrahamStein8/status/1650133129452036098?s=20
Posted by: Dave Oneil | Apr 23 2023 13:44 utc | 1
Oh the horror of this war breaks my heart. Russians and Ukrainians killing each other once again even after the bloodshed of the Russian Civil War. If this war was happening 40 years ago it would be taking place in Germany and all the Ukrainians would be fighting on the same side as the Russians. Truly the Slavs are the most unfortunate Europeans. The space between the Imperial Core and the periphery is not a good spot to be. The Ukrainians have it the worst, not only used by a pawn by the evil West but they will never be rewarded for their treachery.
Imagine if Mexico asked for Chinese nukes to be stationed along the American border, how the USA would react? Imagine if instead it was Texas or California, seceding from the Union and cavorting with foreign powers, outlawing any symbols of American culture or government. The hypocricy of mainstream US media astounds me, and the cruelty and sadism with which the West treats the Russians and Ukrainians saddens me.
Posted by: DeathToAmerica | Apr 23 2023 14:19 utc | 2
Wagner won’t take prisoners any more.
http://avia.pro/news/prigozhin-prikazal-bolshe-ne-brat-v-plen-ukrainskih-boycov
Kievan troops apparently crossed Dnieper and entered in Dachy.
https://twitter.com/spectatorindex/status/1650050894975889408
Posted by: La Beauté Glaciale | Apr 23 2023 14:38 utc | 4
Posted by: La Beauté Glaciale | Apr 23 2023 14:38 utc | 4
How are they going to be resupplied or reinforced? This type of operation is only successful if it’s covert. Stupid stunt to distract attention from the imminent loss of Bakhmut, that will costs lives, like the one last year near Kharkov. If I’m watching it on Twitter you’ll be damn sure RF drone operators for FAO’s/FAC’s are as well.
Posted by: Milites | Apr 23 2023 14:50 utc | 5
The Bakhmutovskaya meat grinder is dangerous because it takes too much infantry, and even more so professionals.
When the Russians cover houses with bombs and artillery in which Ukrainian snipers or special forces have settled, then no one gets them out from under the rubble. There are many such losses.
The APU also blows up residential buildings with TNT bombs when they retreat. As the source explains, in the Armed Forces of Ukraine this is called the mousetrap effect.
In the Bakhmut meat grinder, there is a standing war in which the Russians have an advantage. They have already begun massively jamming Ukrainian UAVs with the help of electronic warfare, which causes significant damage in technical terms.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have less ammunition than the Russians. This is reflected in the number of losses.
No one even talks about the loss of equipment – it is colossal. Only along one road to “hell” (as the soldiers call Bakhmut), the Armed Forces of Ukraine immediately lose 20-30% of equipment.
Posted by: Down South | Apr 23 2023 15:01 utc | 6
Russian DRGs used “cloaks of invisibility” for covert attacks on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at night. Previously, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Main Intelligence Directorate could not understand how the Russians managed to enter the rear of the Ukrainian positions, considering the version of betrayal or controlled surrender. But then Western partners and NATO military advisers explained to their Ukrainian colleagues that it could be “new Russian technologies” for camouflage.
This became known to the Ukrainian General Staff and NATO countries, and only after that the Russian media wrote about it.
A raincoat with elements of heat-insulating material that makes it difficult to see a person at night in a thermal imager. They are made of a material that absorbs heat generated by the human body and hides a person from a thermal imager, which, theoretically, allows the Russians to approach the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine unnoticed at night.
Some NATO countries have such technologies.
At the moment, the use of such raincoats by Russians is not common. Perhaps the Russians are still testing new developments in real conditions, the source explained.
Posted by: Down South | Apr 23 2023 15:03 utc | 7
Russian troops are actively using air bombs on high-rise buildings, which the Armed Forces of Ukraine are equipping for fortified areas. British intelligence warned the General Staff about Bakhmut, but now we see that they are being used all over the front line.
Today, the Russians carried out at least six strikes on Ugledar with FAB-500 bombs.
This was stated by the head of the press center of the Tauride Defense Forces Aleksey Dmitrashkovsky.
“There is significant destruction of houses. We are now clarifying the situation regarding the affected civilians,” the speaker said.
https://t.me/rezident_ua/17415
Posted by: Down South | Apr 23 2023 15:04 utc | 8
Our source in the OP said that the results of Ramstein greatly disappointed the Office of the President, the Pentagon refuses to supply us with aircraft, due to the lack of experienced pilots who are able to conduct air combat.
During the year of the war, our pilots did not win a single confrontation, and Western instructors never participated in a real air battle against modern Russian fighters. The United States decided to repeat the situation with tanks and are ready to give us old models of fighters, and the European countries should be the first.
https://t.me/rezident_ua/17417
Posted by: Down South | Apr 23 2023 15:05 utc | 9
The General Staff is urgently trying to change the defense tactics of Bakhmut/Avdeevka/Ugledar, due to the massive use of aerial bombs by Russian troops. The main principle was built around the creation of fortified areas from high-rise buildings, in which snipers were located on the upper floors, and warehouses and headquarters of units in the basements.
In recent days, Russian troops have been conducting reconnaissance using drones, and then bombing the buildings, after which nothing remains of the houses, and those who are in the basements are simply buried alive, since there is no way to dismantle the rubble. The losses are so significant that the General Staff is forced to change the strategy for the defense of cities.
https://t.me/rezident_ua/17418
Posted by: Down South | Apr 23 2023 15:07 utc | 10
The West is not going to accept Ukraine into NATO, and they never thought about it, and all the statements of politicians are mere speculation. You can set goals and even go towards them, but the reality is that we are used as a battering ram against the Russian Federation in order to achieve their interests.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that now the decision on Ukraine’s membership in NATO is not relevant. “The doors are ajar a little, but now is not the time to decide this issue,” – so put it Pistorius.
He believes that while the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is going on, it is impossible to discuss this seriously: “You must make decisions with a cool head and a warm heart, and not vice versa.”
https://t.me/rezident_ua/17420
Posted by: Down South | Apr 23 2023 15:09 utc | 11
from Stars & Stripes
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — The United States is delivering Abrams tanks next month to the Army’s sprawling base in Grafenwoehr, where it will train Ukrainian soldiers to use them in their fight against Russia, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday.
A total of 31 training tanks will arrive at Grafenwoehr Training Area in Bavaria at the end of May, and the troops will start training a couple of weeks later, U.S. officials said. Training will last about 10 weeks. . .here
from the National Guard
Job training for an M-1 Abrams Tank Systems Maintainer requires 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training and 16 weeks of Advanced Individual Training with on-the-job instructions. Part of this time is spent in the classroom, and part takes place in the field.
Some of the skills you’ll learn are:
Electronic and mechanical principles and concepts
Use of electronic, electrical and mechanical test equipment
Use of schematics, drawings and wiring diagrams
Operation, testing and maintenance of weapons systems. .. .here
Posted by: Don Bacon | Apr 23 2023 15:09 utc | 12
A year of the 25% refinancing rate effectively destroyed the banking system, while inflation failed to be curbed. The hryvnia is kept artificially, by increasing the external debt. The reserves have become virtual – this is actually a credit line, and not property that is accumulated in the accounts of the NBU, but we are not allowed to use it for the economy.
https://t.me/rezident_ua/17422
Posted by: Down South | Apr 23 2023 15:10 utc | 13
Vostok battalion documentary:
https://odysee.com/@Overthrown:6/video_2023-04-22_15-42-25:9
Posted by: the pessimist | Apr 23 2023 15:18 utc | 14
Latest from Weeb Union is that there is still fighting over the 05-06 highway and it has become a bit of a gray zone.
However it is still operationally cut by the Russian forces, and now so heavily bombed as to be useless for resupply of Artemosvk.
One wonders why Ukrainian leadership is so stupid as to waste 300-400 lives a day on this.
That is a 9-11 death toll every 10 days. If the fighting goes on another month, another 10k soldiers are food for the worms and there goes any hope of a counteroffensive.
Who do the dolts in the west think are going to fight?
Poles?
Posted by: Chris | Apr 23 2023 15:30 utc | 15
Kievan troops apparently crossed Dnieper and entered in Dachy.
https://twitter.com/spectatorindex/status/1650050894975889408
Posted by: La Beauté Glaciale | Apr 23 2023 14:38 utc | 4
What is the strategy behind this? Ukraine will be in the same position where Russia was before they retreated across the river: they can get people over, but not heavy equipment and ammunition in sufficient quantities.
Or can they? The bridges are still unusable, presumably, and there is still the risk of someone blowing up the dam and washing away a couple of tenthousand troups in the floodwave?
Posted by: Marvin | Apr 23 2023 15:39 utc | 16
Trapped
https://southfront.org/wagner-dashes-ukrainian-hopes-in-bakhmut/
Posted by: jo6pac | Apr 23 2023 15:42 utc | 17
German newspaper FAZ has a “breaking” story on Europe struggling to deliver the 1 Mio units of ammunition they promised Ukraine:
“According to the report, as of Friday, the states have submitted invoices to the EEAS for 1080 missiles, such as for multiple rocket launchers and air defense systems, as well as for 41,000 shells. The total amounts to 601 million euros. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba complained last week that the EU’s “inability to implement its own decisions on munitions procurement is frustrating.””
On the upside, they already spent 60 % of the billion Euros earmarked for ammo deliveries …
Posted by: Marvin | Apr 23 2023 15:44 utc | 18
@ Don Bacon | Apr 23 2023 15:09 utc | 12
Thanks for that
US not in a hurry to be
United States is delivering Abrams tanks next month to the Army’s sprawling base in Grafenwoehr, where it will train Ukrainian soldier…
Job training for an M-1 Abrams Tank Systems Maintainer requires 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training and 16 weeks of Advanced Individual Training with on-the-job instructions.
Probably one more Ukrainian Winter Offensive 🤪
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
@ La Beauté Glaciale | Apr 23 2023 14:38 utc | 4
Just opened your provided link…
The Institute for the Study of War REPORTS…..
LOL
Ou en français : “mort de rire”
Pour le plaisir des yeux, une vraie Beauté Glaciale:
Anita Ekberg
https://www.parismatch.com/People/Sexy-Match-Anita-Ekberg-beaute-glaciale-1404683#2
Posted by: La Bastille | Apr 23 2023 15:45 utc | 19
Apparently this crossover of the Dnieper means the glorious counteroffensive has begun, LoL!
Posted by: Chris | Apr 23 2023 15:46 utc | 20
@ Don Bacon | Apr 23 2023 15:09 utc | 12
Thanks for that
US not in a hurry to be
United States is delivering Abrams tanks next month to the Army’s sprawling base in Grafenwoehr, where it will train Ukrainian soldier…
Job training for an M-1 Abrams Tank Systems Maintainer requires 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training and 16 weeks of Advanced Individual Training with on-the-job instructions.
Probably one more Ukrainian Winter Offensive 🤪
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
@ La Beauté Glaciale | Apr 23 2023 14:38 utc | 4
Just opened your provided link…
The Institute for the Study of War REPORTS…..
LOL
Ou en français : “mort de rire”
Pour le plaisir des yeux, une vraie Beauté Glaciale:
Anita Ekberg
https://www.parismatch.com/People/Sexy-Match-Anita-Ekberg-beaute-glaciale-1404683#2
Posted by: La Bastille | Apr 23 2023 15:53 utc | 21
Posted by: Marvin | Apr 23 2023 15:44 utc | 18
That’s simply because the production lines don’t exist. EU great reset guidelines consisting of environmental, energy, corporate and social responsibility directives dictate that no one will create any kind of new industrial production in Europe. That includes weapons. This problem will never be resolved or never go away, because it will get in direct conflict with WEF. Also, all weapons rely on on sourcing parts and sub-assembly manufacturing to non-western countries like China. EU is trying to end business relations with China, which will be detrimental to weapon supply chains.
All the stuff they get is made in USA or partially in South Korea.
Posted by: unimperator | Apr 23 2023 15:53 utc | 22
Posted by: Down South | Apr 23 2023 15:09 utc | 11
The West is not going to accept Ukraine into NATO, and they never thought about it, and all the statements of politicians are mere speculation. You can set goals and even go towards them, but the reality is that we are used as a battering ram against the Russian Federation in order to achieve their interests.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that now the decision on Ukraine’s membership in NATO is not relevant. “The doors are ajar a little, but now is not the time to decide this issue,” – so put it Pistorius.
He believes that while the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is going on, it is impossible to discuss this seriously: “You must make decisions with a cool head and a warm heart, and not vice versa.”
https://t.me/rezident_ua/17420
Ukraines are not “used as a battering ram against the Russian Federation in order to achieve their (Western) interests”. Firstly, it is about US interestes playing with them as their bloody toy. Secondly, the government of Ukraine volunteered without being asked by any European state. This solemn slogan, long before the war, comes from Kiev:
Ukraine is the bulwark to defend Europe from Russian aggression
Nobody ever asked Kiev. I have always warned that acting responsibly requires debunking such legends (which is why irrational promises about an Ukraine future in “NATO/EU family” are also problematic). They all quickly become myths and stab-in-the-back legends. Here you can see how a victim myth about betrayal is created. And we are just in the playzone. Once a war ends and tens of thousands of traumatized veterans in a completely impoverished and weak rump state experience neither reintegration into society nor help, then the real chaos threatens to begin. US will never care. It is sooo far away. Laying the faith of european security interest in the hand of Washington (as a leading military party in europe) was a real smart and responsible idea of old europe…
Posted by: Konrad | Apr 23 2023 15:59 utc | 23
@2 DTA
You’re the first one Ive seen to describe the situation more accurately than “Imagine Russia putting nukes in Mexico”
Much closer would be what you said: “Imagine putting biolabs and nukes in Texas or Cali or all the States of the Former Confederacy” But its even more outrageous than that.
Kiev is the birthplace of Russia. Kiev, after the fall of Constantinople, became the Holy City of the Russian Orthodox Church. Kiev to Russia is what Boston AND Philly are (or once were) to America. More so, actually. So imagine installing a fanatically Anti-American govt there
Posted by: Callmelennie | Apr 23 2023 15:59 utc | 24
Awful Avalanche has a Kots update from Artëmovsk:
https://awfulavalanche.wordpress.com/2023/04/23/ukraine-war-day-424-back-to-bakhmut/
Main points are that though it’s claimed that the nazis are in a cauldron the Wagner forces actually fighting don’t know anything about that, and the nazis still have access via back country roads usable by tracked vehicles.
Prigozhin also said that there is no cauldron.
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Apr 23 2023 15:59 utc | 25
Crossing the Dnieper with ISW
https://guideme.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/clipboard01_07.jpg
Secteur américain :
1 Utah Beach ;
2 Omaha Beach.
Secteur anglo-canadien :
3 Gold Beach ;
4 Juno Beach ;
5 Sword Beach
And 6 probably Cookie Bitch
Posted by: La Bastille | Apr 23 2023 16:01 utc | 26
An AD query:
Wide coverage of glide bombs now–wondering whether there are enhancements of RF bombing tactics whereby bombers dip into enemy AD range, release ordinance, then duck back into Russia’s AD envelope and let the enemy AD interceptors be downed by RF AD before than can reach the RF aircraft?
Posted by: Paul Damascene | Apr 23 2023 16:08 utc | 27
Marvin | Apr 23 2023 15:39 utc | 16
It is too early to tell, but Russian defense line were not crossed, and we do not know yet if Ukrainian crossing was accomplished with boats or pontoon bridges. Concerning the manipulations with water level, the dam directly upstream is on the front, so I am not sure who can control the flow there. I suspect a relatively small number of troops with artillery support on the NW bank of Dnieper which is higher than SE bank. We will see. In itself, the island between wider and narrower branches of Dnieper is very flat and rather nasty for whoever occupies it.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Apr 23 2023 16:14 utc | 28
Stars and Stripes “magazine”.
Omits to mention the sixteen weeks of tank training required after the initial ten weeks.
So the Ukies will be ready to go with introductory training only – if and when it is provided.
Another big whopper of lying by omission.
Posted by: Chaka Khagan | Apr 23 2023 16:25 utc | 29
WEEKENDS: Throughout the Ukrainian conflict it often appears that the Russian army takes a break or at least slows down during the weekends.
Over the months, I have become accustomed to expect little or no Russian progress and often Russian losses during the weekend.
This weekend seems to be no different.
Maybe the reporters are taking a break and just don’t report much that goes on during the weekends.
BAKHMUT: It appears that Bakhmut is in the final stages of being totally taken by the Russians. Just one more week left in April.
Posted by: young | Apr 23 2023 16:26 utc | 30
Deux Pavés dans la Mare
Asked about his position on whether Crimea is part of Ukraine or not, Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye said in an interview aired on French television on Friday that historically it was part of Russia.
The Chinese embassy will soon post the transcript.
The transcript of a similar, last year in July 22 is proof to me that this is neither a slip of the tongue nor an accident.(read it, really anti Nato really clear on responsabilities
http://fr.china-embassy.gov.cn/fra/zfzj/202207/t20220718_10723018.htm)
“These ex-USSR countries don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status,” Shaye added.
Indépendance Day
France responded on Sunday by stating its “full solidarity” with all the allied countries affected, which it said had acquired their independence “after decades of oppression”.
Last week, on his flight back to Paris from China, Macron was talking about European Strategic Independance. Don’t last a week as everything with Macron before to be dragged in the anti-china bandwagon.
By the way, Chinese Ambassador provided a legal exit… Unfortunately, France lacks courage.
N’est pas De Gaulle qui veut.
Posted by: La Bastille | Apr 23 2023 16:29 utc | 31
Not only the MIC but also the prepper business having a roll:
https://youtu.be/2frP0eBfrZw
Posted by: blueswede | Apr 23 2023 16:35 utc | 32
Our source in the OP said that Syrsky at the headquarters reported to Zelensky about the complete destruction of heavy equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Bakhmut. At the moment, the city is held by units that have equipped high-rise buildings into firing points and are holding back the enemy with small arms, but these forces may not be enough for a long time.
The next week in Bakhmut will be rainy again, which means that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not be able to launch flank attacks on Russian troops. The commander of the ground forces is confident in the use of climate weapons by the Russian troops, which prevented the Armed Forces of Ukraine from implementing the plan with counterattacks.
https://t.me/rezident_ua/17424
Posted by: Down South | Apr 23 2023 16:43 utc | 33
«”These ex-USSR countries don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status,” Shaye added.»
That’s neither false nor true, and the situation is complicated:
* For a long time technically “sovereignty” is the ability of a government to conduct police operations in a territory, to have the dominant or monopoly of force in a territory.
* “Recognized” sovereignty is a legal fiction in which some states claim that a certain government has that ability, or at least should have it.
* The legal status of the USSR was complicated. For example from 1945 the Belarus SSR and the Ukraine SSR (but curiously not the Kazakh SSR) were full voting members of the United Nations along with the USSR of which they were members.
* The current “self determination” theory is that “sovereignty” *ought to* belong to the people ordinarily resident in a territory, regardless of which government has the effective ability to conduct police operations in it.
Posted by: Blissex | Apr 23 2023 16:58 utc | 34
Posted by: Down South | Apr 23 2023 16:43 utc | 31
Climate weapons and invisibility cloaks, what’s the next fantastical excuse? Waves of re-animated zombie soldiers and dragon borne spec-forces wizards? ‘Mein Fuhrer, there is a sorcery gap!’
Posted by: Milites | Apr 23 2023 17:07 utc | 35
Posted by: Blissex | Apr 23 2023 16:58 utc | 32
Thank you for bringing up the Kazakh SSR. They were the last republic to leave the USSR. I don’t think Nazarbayev was happy with how the USSR ended. It seems like he was always looking for the middle path.
He was worried about how nationalism would play out in Kazakhstan, and he is in a tough neighborhood.
Oliver Stone: Kazakhstan is a magnetic pole between West and East
Posted by: lex talionis | Apr 23 2023 17:09 utc | 36
@ Posted by: Down South | Apr 23 2023 15:03 utc | 7
You can get them on Amazon; “mylar emergency blanket”.
Posted by: Figleaf23 | Apr 23 2023 17:23 utc | 37
«Asked about his position on whether Crimea is part of Ukraine or not, Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye said in an interview aired on French television on Friday that historically it was part of Russia.»
So he evaded the question, because under the current theory of “sovereignty” historical precedent does not matter at all. Vladimir Putin clearly stated:
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/page/58
“This does not mean that nations cannot enjoy the right to self-determination, which is enshrined in Article 1 of the UN Charter.”
So Crimea does not belong to Russia, or the Donbas does not belong to Ukraine: Crimea belongs to the people of Crimea, the Donbas to the people of the Donbas. It just happens that both peoples want their territories to be members of the Russian Federation, just as the largest part of ukrainian who moved outside Ukraine chose to move to the Russian Federation rather than Germany or Poland. It is called “voting with your feet”.
Posted by: Blissex | Apr 23 2023 17:26 utc | 38
Institute for the Study of War board members:
General Jack Keane (US Army, Retired), Chairman, Institute for the Study of War; President, GSI, LLC
Dr. Kimberly Kagan, Founder & President, Institute for the Study of War
The Honorable Kelly Craft, Former US Ambassador to UN and Canada
Dr. William Kristol, Director, Defending Democracy Together
The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman, Senior Council, Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman, LLP
Kevin Mandia, Chief Executive Officer & Board Director, Mandiant
Jack D. McCarthy, Jr., Senior Managing Director & Founder, A&M Capital
Bruce Mosler, Chairman, Global Brokerage, Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.
General David H. Petraeus (US Army, Retired), Partner, KKR and Chairman, KKR Global Institute
Dr. Warren Phillips, Lead Director, CACI International
Colonel William Roberti (US Army, Retired), Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal
Hudson La Force, former Chief Executive Officer of W. R. Grace & Co
Posted by: Figleaf23 | Apr 23 2023 17:34 utc | 39
Saw some rumors on TG that the ukro offensive delayed another month or two. Now even the infamous general Petraeus is talking about a May or June offensive.
https://twitter.com/Spriter99880/status/1650191743709528064
Posted by: unimperator | Apr 23 2023 17:38 utc | 40
Milites@33….it’s aerial seeding or cloud seeding, no tinfoil hat required. There are US civilian companies, registered, that fly weather mod operations on behalf of the US govt. Do bring yourself up to speed on the subject, quite fascinating. I’d recommend you start with the Pentagon White Paper …Owning the Weather, weather mod to shape ….hmm, the battle field.
Cheers M
You could also brush up on some Dr Tesla, he wrote the book on weather modification.
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Apr 23 2023 17:40 utc | 41
DeathToAmerica | Apr 23 2023 14:19 utc | 2:
You should be angry not sad. I’ve been so disgusted with their behavior over the years. And we’re all going to learn a lot more of their disgusting behavior once they’ve passed into the dustbin of history.
Posted by: Ian2 | Apr 23 2023 17:59 utc | 42
How Finland destroyed its independent defense
@Dave Oneil | Apr 23 2023 13:44 utc | 1
NATO head visits Ukraine
“We will help you transition for Soviet-era DOCTRINES to NATO standards”
Finland has been transitioning its military NATO standards for the last 20 years. The result is a collapse of Finland’s independent defense and forced NATO membership. The war in Ukraine has shown that it is precisely the Soviet doctrines and Soviet-style weapons that are most effective in combatting Russia.
Finland has the strongest artillery in the EU, over 1600 guns. NATO transition failed to destroy this branch of arms, although much of the artillery and ammunition may have been secretly transferred to Ukraine.
Finland also had a missile-based air defense. In the early 1990s Finland bought BUK surface-to-air missile systems from Russia. (Russia offered to pay outstanding Soviet debt with arms sales.) Some 10 years ago, as part of the “NATO transition”, the BUK missiles were scrapped, leaving a huge gap in Finland’s air defenses. The narrative was, that the BUKs would be ineffective against Russian planes because they may have some secret backdoor that allows Russia to disable them. From the Discord Pentagon leaks we now learn that Ukraine’s BUK systems are the only thing what has prevented the Russian air force from bombing the Ukrainian army to smithereens.
In its panic Finland has now bought David’s Sling surface-to-air missiles from Israel. From this week’s newspapers we learn that the deal contained a secret clause. Israel must guarantee supplies of missiles even at a time of war. Finns were worried that in any future conflict Israel might side with Russia. Israel’s refusal to supply weapons to Ukraine has made Finns suspicious, maybe rightfully so.
Posted by: Petri Krohn | Apr 23 2023 18:08 utc | 43
Down South | Apr 23 2023 15:03 utc | 7–
Thanks for supplying that report of the use of the newest Ratnik kit whose development I linked to several months ago. Becoming invisible again at night is a huge bonus and I suspect that soon something will be developed that makes things invisible to optics during daytime. Imagine a Klingon-type cloaking device that’s electronic and fabricated into the skin of vehicles or woven into camouflage net fabric that presents an image of the naturally “empty” ground where troops and equipment are gathered. Something like a CGI projector. Unlike the Invisibility Cloak from Harry Potter, there’s no magic involved, just new applications of hi-tech possibly powered by quantum computing.
@Petri Krohn | Apr 23 2023 18:08 utc | 41
Finland’s BUKs, being weapons provided to a foreign country, may have different characteristics than Ukraine’s which were simply Soviet weapons inherited from the USSR. That said, in the ’90s no special precautions may have been taken when shipping such weapons to other countries.
Posted by: the pessimist | Apr 23 2023 18:17 utc | 45
@Blissex | Apr 23 2023 16:58 utc | 32
«”These ex-USSR countries don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status,” Shaye added.»
For example from 1945 the Belarus SSR and the Ukraine SSR were full voting members of the United Nations along with the USSR of which they were members.
No country has formally recognized the independence of Ukraine or Belarus. It was just assumed that they are independent, as they were members of the UN.
The current “self determination” theory is that “sovereignty” *ought to* belong to the people ordinarily resident in a territory, regardless of which government has the effective ability to conduct police operations in it.
Self-determination is a concept and term invented and coined by Lenin. He picked it up from the German translation of the resolution of the London International Congress of 1896. (The original English-language text says “autonomy”.)
Posted by: Petri Krohn | Apr 23 2023 18:33 utc | 46
@ Blissex | Apr 23 2023 17:26 utc | 36
The legal controverse on sovereignty is well explain on Livejournal.
Very interesting.
Must read.
Impossible to post a link. I copypaste this afternoon on the other Ukraine Openthread
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2023/04/ukraine-open-thread-2023-96.html?cid=6a00d8341c640e53ef02b7517de6af200b#comment-6a00d8341c640e53ef02b7517de6af200b
Just a small snipet
The Kosovo Albanians seceded from Serbia unilaterally, violating the Constitution and the sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia. However, according to the decision of the International Court of Justice: “Belgrade’s consent to the secession of Kosovo is not required.”
As the court explained, if a part of the country declares its independence unilaterally, i.e. contrary to the will and laws of the source country (“mother”), then international (NB: international!) Law is not violated.
Second, when secession from the USSR, Kiev violated the law on secession.
The law of the USSR of 1990 says that if there are autonomous entities on the territory of a union republic, then referendums should be held independently of each other, which was not done.
In fact, Ukraine annexed the territory of the autonomous Soviet republic of Crimea and banned a referendum on the peninsula. Despite the fact that in May 1992 Crimea declared its such right
Posted by: La Bastille | Apr 23 2023 18:36 utc | 47
Apologize if twice, but something bad with integrated VPN of Opera browser
******
@ Blissex | Apr 23 2023 17:26 utc | 36
The legal controverse on sovereignty is well explain on Livejournal.
Very interesting.
Must read.
Impossible to post a link. I copypaste this afternoon on the other Ukraine Openthread
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2023/04/ukraine-open-thread-2023-96.html?cid=6a00d8341c640e53ef02b7517de6af200b#comment-6a00d8341c640e53ef02b7517de6af200b
Just a small snipet
The Kosovo Albanians seceded from Serbia unilaterally, violating the Constitution and the sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia. However, according to the decision of the International Court of Justice: “Belgrade’s consent to the secession of Kosovo is not required.”
As the court explained, if a part of the country declares its independence unilaterally, i.e. contrary to the will and laws of the source country (“mother”), then international (NB: international!) Law is not violated.
Second, when secession from the USSR, Kiev violated the law on secession.
The law of the USSR of 1990 says that if there are autonomous entities on the territory of a union republic, then referendums should be held independently of each other, which was not done.
In fact, Ukraine annexed the territory of the autonomous Soviet republic of Crimea and banned a referendum on the peninsula. Despite the fact that in May 1992 Crimea declared its such right
Posted by: La Bastille | Apr 23 2023 18:40 utc | 48
Posted by: Petri Krohn | Apr 23 2023 18:08 utc | 41
It would be useful to know how many David’s sling launchers that ~300-400 million euro deal get. Probably not very many.
If it weren’t already, Finland is on the road to economic destruction due to the amount of economic rape Nato brings along.
Posted by: unimperator | Apr 23 2023 18:40 utc | 49
Military Summary on You Tube predicts that Zelensky will change the Ukr. constitution so he can become President For Life.
Posted by: Eighthman | Apr 23 2023 18:42 utc | 50
Posted by: Chaka Khagan | Apr 23 2023 16:25 utc | 27
No confirmation but a TG channel suggested that Abrams would include “Israeli manufacturer Rafael’s Trophy active protection system to shoot down incoming threats like anti-tank guided missiles and rockets”.
I doubt this will be true, at least initially. One to watch because that system would only realistically be supplied to protect NATO personnel..
Posted by: anon2020 | Apr 23 2023 18:44 utc | 51
Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Andrij Melnyk and also former ambassador to Germany who regularly begs for fighter jets and what not: “We are thankful to our allies for their military help. But it is not enough. Ukraine needs 10 times more to finish russian aggression this year. Thus we call upon our partners to cross all artificial red lines & devote 1% of GDP for Ukrainian weapons deliveries.”
https://twitter.com/zei_squirrel/status/1618133781571047424
Here Melnyk who’s loved by EU and Western politicians and journalists is telling in an interview that 800.000 jews weren’t actually killed by Bandera and his following. The fine part is that the state of Israel which says 800.000 jews were killed by nazi’s like Bandera is fine with Melnyk, Zaluzhnyi (with his nazi bracelet and posing in front of Bandera), and Azovs visiting Israel being open Nazi Holocaust deniers. But if you dare criticize Israel’s slow motion genocide or it’s apartheid policies, you’re an anti-Semite worse than Hitler.
Posted by: xor | Apr 23 2023 18:53 utc | 52
Not a Climate weapon. If it’s a cloudy April, rain is more than a probability.
Whether cloud seeding is effective in producing a statistically significant increase in precipitation is still a matter of academic debate, with contrasting results depending on the study in question, and contrasting opinion among experts.[11]
A study conducted by the National Academy of Sciences failed to find statistically significant support for the effectiveness of cloud seeding. Based on the report’s findings, Stanford University ecologist Rob Jackson said: “I think you can squeeze out a little more snow or rain in some places under some conditions, but that’s quite different from a program claiming to reliably increase precipitation.”
**********
Rain, blood and tears. Nothing new
Jacques Prévert, Paroles, 1946
Rappelle-toi Barbara
Il pleuvait sans cesse sur Brest ce jour-là…
…
Qu’es-tu devenue maintenant
Sous cette pluie de fer
De feu d’acier de sang
Et celui qui te serrait dans ses bras
Amoureusement
Est-il mort disparu ou bien encore vivant
Oh Barbara
Il pleut sans cesse sur Brest
Comme il pleuvait avant
Mais ce n’est plus pareil et tout est abimé….
https://www.laculturegenerale.com/barbara-poeme-de-jacques-prevert/
Posted by: La Bastille | Apr 23 2023 19:01 utc | 53
“What is the strategy behind this? ”
Marvin | Apr 23 2023 15:39 utc | 16
Disinfo, since apparently it didn’t happen, but people like dima love to breathless talk about anything?
https://t.me/boris_rozhin/83693
Posted by: knighthawk | Apr 23 2023 19:05 utc | 54
Posted by: Chris | Apr 23 2023 15:30 utc | 15
I’ve noticed a trend amongst some of the YouTuberiat, when analysing the tactical situation, they’ll show over-optimistic reports of Russian gains in one video, then release another video, normally entitled ‘Ukrainian counter-attack’, which really only shows what the Russian’s actually controlled.
This channel shows this trend, diplomatically suggesting other concentrators, ‘didn’t dig deep enough, when looking at the fighting for the 506 road. A less charitable explanation is that monetising pressures encouraged them to create an exciting narrative, where none existed. That’s why people like Martyanov have cautioned about the amateurs and their tactical obsessions, focusing on a small incursion across the Dneiper, whilst ignoring news that Su-34’s were able to bomb in that same sector, unchallenged, leads to a somewhat skewed view of the situation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cU7DEdfOAA
Posted by: Milites | Apr 23 2023 19:12 utc | 55
Kiev is the birthplace of Russia. Kiev, after the fall of Constantinople, became the Holy City of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Posted by: Callmelennie | Apr 23 2023 15:59 utc
Kiev is not the birthplace of Russia: it was a major population centre of Rus’ and long the most important city in that land of Eastern Slavs. Novgorod was founded before Kiev was and a Prince of Novgorod became the first Prince of Kiev. And Rus’ was never known as “Kievan Rus'” either. That term was dreamt up by late 19th century historiographers.
After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Moscow, not Kiev, became the “Third Rome” and the HQ as it were of Eastern Orthodoxy because the centre of political gravity in Rus’ had long before moved northwards from Kiev, first to Vladimir, then to Suzdal, then to Moscow. Two hundred and thirteen years before the fall of Constantinople, Kiev was besieged and then razed by Batu Khan, grandson of Ghenghis Khan, in 1240, whereafter Batu Khan and his Horde headed further west into Europe. The Princes of Muscovy adopted from Greek the name “Russia” for Rus’, no doubt because of the influence in Muscovy of Greek monks who had fled the oncoming Ottoman attack against the Eastern Roman Empire or “Byzantium”, as 18th century historians began to call that last remnant of the Roman Empire, one of which Greek monks, Philotheus allegedly having said: “Two Romes have fallen: a third stands, and there will not be a fourth one”.
Posted by: Moscow Exile | Apr 23 2023 19:15 utc | 56
Not content to push China and Russia into a deep alliance
-EU’s top diplomat wants naval patrols off Taiwan
The move would help to maintain a “peaceful status quo” around the island, Josep Borrell claims. RT
This past week….under the radar as China is labelled Enemy No: 1
China, Russia circle wagons in Asia-Pacific
BY M. K. BHADRAKUMAR – Loudly on the quiet shaping up the military alliance.
LINK
Extracted;
The official visit by Chinese State Councilor and Defence Minister General Li Shangfu to Russia on April 16-19 prima facie underscored the two countries’ emergent need to deepen their military trust and close coordination against the backdrop of worsening geopolitical tensions and the imperative to maintain the global strategic balance.
The visit carries forward the pivotal decisions taken at the intensive one-on-one talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow through March 20-21. In a break with protocol, Gen. Li’s 4-day visit was front-loaded with a “working meeting” with Putin — to quote Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. (here and here)[.]
Beijing and Moscow visualise that the US, having failed to “erase” Russia, is turning attention to the Asia-Pacific theatre. Suffice to say, Li’s visit shows that the reality of Russia–China defence cooperation is complicated. Russia–China military-technical cooperation has always been rather secretive, and the level of secrecy has increased as both countries engage in more direct confrontation with the US.
The political meaning of Putin’s 2019 statement on jointly developing a ballistic missile early warning system extended far beyond its technical and military significance. It demonstrated to the world that Russia and China were on the brink of a formal military alliance, which could be triggered if US pressure went too far.[.] (emphasis add)
The Collective West is self deluded…can’t take a pencil to a gun fight.
Posted by: Likklemore | Apr 23 2023 19:26 utc | 57
Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Andrij Melnyk and also former ambassador to Germany who regularly begs for fighter jets and what not: “We are thankful to our allies for their military help. But it is not enough. Ukraine needs 10 times more to finish russian aggression this year. Thus we call upon our partners to cross all artificial red lines & devote 1% of GDP for Ukrainian weapons deliveries.”
I can’t wait to see this rat hanging from a lamp post in Kiev.
Posted by: Apollyon | Apr 23 2023 19:26 utc | 58
Imagine a Klingon-type cloaking device that’s electronic and fabricated into the skin of vehicles or …
Posted by: karlof1 | Apr 23 2023 18:14 utc | 42
—
Not electronic. Photonic. They are called Gyroid Structured Metamaterials and are a hot topic of current research.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Gyroid+nanostructures&tbm=isch
Posted by: too scents | Apr 23 2023 19:28 utc | 59
+53
.
.
Well, your explanations…. there are different interpretations….
Example :
The Kievan Rus (Belarusian Кіеўская Русь, Russian Киевская Русь, Ukrainian Київська Русь), also Old Russia,[1] Kievan Russia[2] or Kievan Empire,[3] was a medieval ancient East Slavic empire, which as a forerunner of today’s states of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus is considered. The term, coined in the 19th and 20th centuries, can also be understood as a designation of the epoch in the history of Rus, in which Kiev, as the seat of the grand dukes, was the political and cultural center of the Rurikid dynasty.
.
Ask different sources and you’ll get different answers
.
Kievan Rus’ (862-1242) was a medieval political federation in present-day Belarus, Ukraine and part of Russia (the latter named for the Rus, a Scandinavian people). The name Kievan Rus’ is a modern (19th century) designation, but has the same meaning as ‘land of Rus’ as the region was known in the Middle Ages.
.
Then definitely Russian city again…
.
https://www.worldhistory.org/trans/de/1-16603/kiewer-rus/
Posted by: mo3 | Apr 23 2023 19:34 utc | 60
Prygohzin ordered Wagner PMC fighters to no longer take prisoners
The press service of the “Concord” company published an audio recording on their Telegram channel of businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is associated with the Wagner PMC. In the recording, he stated that the Wagner group fighters will no longer take Ukrainian military personnel as prisoners and instead will destroy everyone on the battlefield. Prigozhin made this comment in response to reports of Ukrainian soldiers shooting a wounded and captured Wagner PMC fighter.
The entrepreneur claimed that the “Ukrainian scoundrels” violated the international law of humanism, which requires the treatment and care of prisoners of war. According to him, Ukrainians captured by the Wagner fighters received medical assistance and were later returned “home.” Prigozhin emphasized that the Wagner PMC fighters would not violate this law and would destroy everyone on the battlefield without taking prisoners. He referred to this law as the “300th law.”
Therefore, this law will be called the 300th law. We still do not know the name of our guy who was shot after being wounded by the Ukrainian scoundrels, and we will kill everyone who is on the battlefield. No more prisoners will be taken,” he concluded.
Posted by: rob | Apr 23 2023 19:39 utc | 61
Chechens return from vacation at the front
Report :
Kadyrov said that the 94th task force regiment went to the special operations zone:
“And again the famous 94th operational regiment of the 46th OBron SKO VNG of Russia is in business. The name is long, but the enemies pronounce it in a pattern, trying to avoid encounters with the unit’s soldiers”.
Posted by: mo3 | Apr 23 2023 19:43 utc | 62
Here in Serbia there are now many rich Russians who work for western companies.
They are mainly very arrogant.
Posted by: Srbin | Apr 23 2023 19:44 utc | 63
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Apr 23 2023 17:40 utc | 39
I’m aware of the process, which seems to have shaken its dodgy reputation.
https://www.science.org/content/article/does-cloud-seeding-really-work-experiment-above-idaho-suggests-humans-can-turbocharge
Operation Popeye
https://www.nytimes.com/1972/07/03/archives/rainmaking-is-used-as-weapon-by-us-cloudseeding-in-indochina-is.html
But I still think the four Russian weather satellites in GEO are more likely candidates, (especially the one over the Pacific) for how the Russian strategy has exploited meteorological conditions. If you are correct about this being the cause, several questions.
1. Why did the Ukrainians not predict this? Or perhaps they did and it’s a useful excuse to delay an offensive that never was ready for Spring.
2. Is there any evidence that this has been deployed before? An early arrival of the Autumn rains would surely have been useful when the Kharkov front ‘collapsed’.
3. Given Western governments being seemingly enthralled with TGND, are supposed climactic fluctuations caused by AGW really induced.
Posted by: Milites | Apr 23 2023 19:48 utc | 64
Posted by: Petri Krohn | Apr 23 2023 18:08 utc | 41
“From the Discord Pentagon leaks we now learn…”
You lost me right there.
Posted by: Figleaf23 | Apr 23 2023 19:48 utc | 65
Posted by: anon2020 | Apr 23 2023 18:44 utc | 48
What happens if it’s hit by multiple missiles, there is a reason most Russian dedicated ATGM platforms have salvo capability. I also believe it’s MEZ is restricted to direct LOS engagements, not top-attack missiles.
Posted by: Milites | Apr 23 2023 19:55 utc | 66
Thus we call upon our partners to cross all artificial red lines & devote 1% of GDP for Ukrainian weapons deliveries.
by: Apollyon | Apr 23 2023 19:26 utc | 55
The only Nato countries that met the 2 percent GDP threshold for military spending in 2021 (aside from USA) were the United Kingdom, Greece, Croatia, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The average for the rest comes to about 1.5% of GDP. So essentially in the above quote by Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Andrij Melnyk, he is asking for 2/3’s of the entire military budgets of European Nato countries to be given to Ukraine.
Posted by: Jerr | Apr 23 2023 20:02 utc | 67
Here in Serbia there are now many rich Russians who work for western companies.
They are mainly very arrogant.
Posted by: Srbin | Apr 23 2023 19:44 utc | 60
What companies, specifically?
In the U.S. the Russian Jews who immigrated there decades ago have gained a reputation as exceedingly arrogant.
Posted by: MiniMo | Apr 23 2023 20:03 utc | 68
Wagner won’t take prisoners any more.
http://avia.pro/news/prigozhin-prikazal-bolshe-ne-brat-v-plen-ukrainskih-boycov
Posted by: Catilina | Apr 23 2023 14:24 utc | 3
This should have been their policy already several months ago. The Ukrainians were already whipped up to hate the Russians before the SMO, so trying to be nice to them didn’t work – it didn’t stop the torture and killing of Russian prisoners nor the shelling and killing of children in Donbass. Why go easy on a side which purposely targets civilians for years and years and even gloated on national TV about how Donbass children would have to grow up and go to school in basements/cellars?
Posted by: MiniMo | Apr 23 2023 20:07 utc | 69
Chechens return from vacation at the front
Posted by: mo3 | Apr 23 2023 19:43 utc | 59
It seems like there was a lot of news about the Chechens in the first few months of the war, but after that there was little mention of them.
Posted by: MiniMo | Apr 23 2023 20:10 utc | 70
MiniMo # 65
And exceptionally violent:
https://casetext.com/case/state-v-silverman-19
BTW, Mr Silverman was Jewish which resulted in a Jewish juror obstructing deliberations to get him a conviction for manslaughter rather than murder.
Mrs Silverman who owned the Studebaker limousine that was used in the crime was a recent Jewish immigrant from Russia. I leave it to others to speculate about what she was doing for a living that she was able to buy a limousine during the great depression.
Posted by: Elmer Fudd | Apr 23 2023 20:20 utc | 71
Posted by: La Bastille | Apr 23 2023 19:01 utc | 50
et tout est abimé….
What a beautiful picture of a beutiful lady, Ekberg,
Posted by: Paco | Apr 23 2023 20:21 utc | 72
It would be useful to know how many David’s sling launchers that ~300-400 million euro deal get. Probably not very many.
If it weren’t already, Finland is on the road to economic destruction due to the amount of economic rape Nato brings along.
Posted by: unimperator | Apr 23 2023 18:40 utc | 46
Fucking “David’s sling”. Wasn’t David supposed to be a good guy and not some giga-corporation backed khazar organ-trafficker? Color me surprised if the installation package doesn’t contain a dozen nukes to be placed in the tunnels of all Finnish cities. Plus a few bioweapons too for good measure.
As for Nato’s (nazi and torture organisation) economic rape, I’m sure it won’t be just economic. American soldiers in Finland will have the same privileges as they have in places like Norway: cannot be prosecuted, above the law, can open fire on the population to “keep order”, can torture. And rape.
Posted by: Mike | Apr 23 2023 20:42 utc | 73
@MiniMo #66
“Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
Posted by: Apollyon | Apr 23 2023 20:44 utc | 74
” Prygohzin ordered Wagner PMC fighters to no longer take prisoners
Posted by: rob | Apr 23 2023 19:39 utc | 58 ”
The Khazar better hope Russia wins because he just signed his arrest warrant for War Crimes.
Posted by: Deplorable Commissar | Apr 23 2023 20:49 utc | 75
Nice little new tidbit news from TG. Most of the MiG-29 donated by Poland and Slovakia are in spare-parts form i.e. unflyable.
Posted by: unimperator | Apr 23 2023 20:53 utc | 76
too scents | Apr 23 2023 19:28 utc | 56–
Thanks for your reply. The article I linked to about the newest Ratnik kit contained some discussion about other types of new materials, and I know from discussions involving Putin that a large suite of items based on “new physical properties” are being developed. The recent bit of dissection of what makes hypersonics function was quite illuminating as a great many components and systems needed to be designed and produced to make them possible. A great deal of targeting tech revolves around the ability of sensors that countering them is now just as sophisticated. Simplicius’s latest about the captured T-90 discusses those components and is an excellent technical tale on that topic.
Ian2 @ 40
“You should be angry not sad. I’ve been so disgusted with their behavior over the years. And we’re all going to learn a lot more of their disgusting behavior once they’ve passed into the dustbin of history.”
RESPONSE: Ian2, I agree with you not only because of the disgusting identity that the USA has become but also because of what the Bible says.
The USA is the last days Babylon. No other identity could more closely match the characteristics of the last day’s Babylon as defined in the Bible as the USA. The Apostle John says the holy apostles and prophets are to rejoice when she is destroyed.
Revelation 18:20 “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.”
I will rejoice when Babylon USA is destroyed. However, I will also be sadden because of lost family.
None will survive that remain within the USA no matter how secure of a place they have. Jeremiah 50 clearly defines what happens to all those who remain within the USA.
Posted by: young | Apr 23 2023 20:54 utc | 79
Milites@61….the US used it in Kosovo, to such an extent that it affected a yearly weather pattern that happens around Moscow. A dust storm type thing that originates in the Urals I believe, and lasts a few weeks. On this occasion, it lasted months.
Likely not an exact science, as with everything these days, speculation and scepticism abound.
It’s reported that after heavy artillery shelling during WW1, it would rain for days……perhaps a similar phenomenon.
Cheers M
Personally, the weather mod is a bi product of trying to hide ground assets from eyes in the sky and space, dense cloud cover will mask movements. Anyone living near sensitive military infrastructure is familiar with the planes that ‘cloud’ up the sky….. mind you, if it were me, I’d just accidently on purpose fly a weather balloon over said assets for a quick gander….could happen, no?
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Apr 23 2023 20:55 utc | 80
Ukraines Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrey Melnyk has twittered that Ukraine needs 10 times more military help, than they got up to now.
this is interesting.
what he wants is an utopia.
Nato can´t provide this. Impossible.
So it should show clearly to thinking people that Melnky admits that Ukraine can not “win” this war.
and that all weapons provided up to now, where useless., and only extend suffering and destruction.
Posted by: Bert Huber | Apr 23 2023 20:58 utc | 81
@ Likklemore, §54:
Quite frankly, Borrell is psychotic, puffed up in his megalomania by his boss, U von der Lying.
They are also deluded that the EU has a navy and that the 27 countries of the EU obey their orders.
The EU is as dangerous and parasitic on its member countries as NATO is a danger to the world.
Posted by: John Marks | Apr 23 2023 20:59 utc | 82
The Khazar better hope Russia wins because he just signed his arrest warrant for War Crimes.
Posted by: Deplorable Commissar | Apr 23 2023 20:49 utc | 72
Ukrainian HIMARS missile strike on an ambulance in Donetsk on February 23. As a result of this shelling 4 doctors were killed.
https://t.me/UAexposed/141933
So, who in the west gets prosecuted for this one? Victoria Nuland and Zelensky would be the more obvious choices.
Posted by: unimperator | Apr 23 2023 20:59 utc | 83
” Prygohzin ordered Wagner PMC fighters to no longer take prisoners”
Posted by: rob | Apr 23 2023 19:39 utc | 58
Counterproductive I would have thought, if you want surrenders rather than a fight to the death, as well as being legally dubious. If you know Wagner will kill you, why not take as many with you as possible?
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Apr 23 2023 21:04 utc | 84
@16 the strategy is, see where Russia is weak and where it is strong then try to push in there.
Ukraine has strategic goals, but the biggest one is results, defeating russia and holding new territory.
Waiting for the much more precise glide bombs to hit them in apartment buildings isn’t going well. I guess russia decided any hostages are expendable. Welp so be it, it can’t be helped.
If russia can corner them in a beach head and maintain a high attrition rate ukraine will withdraw. If not, well ukraine will push in.
Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Apr 23 2023 21:10 utc | 85
Paul Damascene | Apr 23 2023 16:08 utc | 25–
To your “AD query” I suggest this article from the Russian publication Vzglyad, “Pilot of the Russian Aerospace Forces: ‘Now the Ukrainian pilot is a suicide bomber'”. Here’re the relevant excerpts:
VIEW: What is your assessment of the pilots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in terms of individual flying skills?
Pilot: We treat the enemy with respect. At first, the Armed Forces of Ukraine had strong pilots. But even if you are a superpilot, a lot depends on the machine you fly and the missiles you use. You can somehow try to dodge one rocket, but if two go at you?
On modern Russian fighters, for example, the Su-35, an excellent sighting system that allows you to monitor not only the air, but also the ground. As well as good long-range missiles, which give our pilots a significant advantage. The enemy sometimes does not even understand that our fighter sees him and irradiates him – because his equipment requires reaching another, shorter firing distance. And as soon as the enemy reaches the launch line, he immediately receives a pair of our missiles in the forehead.
Therefore, already in the first months, the Russian Aerospace Forces knocked out the strongest enemy pilots. As far as I know, last year there was a third-year graduation from Ukraine’s only military aviation school in Kharkov. And it is supposed to study for five years. What is the third year? This is when, according to a shortened course, they taught take-off and landing – and that’s it. Until you work for 10-15 years as a truly military pilot and learn how to perform combat missions on automatism, you are just a flying target….
VIEW: Recently, there have been many reports that the pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces [and Ukraine] began to use new types of ammunition. What kind of ammunition is this?
Pilot: Yes, recently, for example, new long-range air-to-air missiles entered service with fighters. As a result, now the tactics of the fighters look like this. Our fighters are in the air near the border, on duty, waiting for enemy aircraft. As soon as the enemy plane took off and rose above 50-100 meters, it immediately becomes visible in the sight. To fulfill his combat mission (to work out our positions), he needs to make a jump, that is, to rise higher. As soon as he makes a jump, a rocket is immediately launched at him.
Therefore, now the Ukrainian Air Force can only work sporadically, surreptitiously. They fire HARM missiles. This is an anti-radar missile, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine reprogrammed them to work on the ground, according to the coordinates laid down in the program. The tactics of the pilots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are as follows – to go to a certain point, launch a rocket, go back to an extremely low altitude and dump.
There’s more info and insight provided in the article. The real key determining factor are Russia’s very long range air-to-air missiles which perform as the pilot described and is why no NATO jets are in Ukraine as they’re all vulnerable. An assumption from the interview I made is that whatever remains of Ukie AD still commands respect, but it’s removed far enough from the FEBA/LOC that Russian pilots can operate as described–with impunity. When the FEBA/LOC reaches the Dnieper, such impunity might change for awhile.
Re: De-Dollarization
USD now ~47% of global
Currency CB reserves and plummeting further
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/its-defund-global-police-moment-jen-says-de-dollarization-happening-stunning-pace
This War Ends when Washington can no longer sell cheap debt. That’s why the pace of de-dollarization is worth watching
Posted by: Exile | Apr 23 2023 21:15 utc | 87
Posted by: La Beauté Glaciale | Apr 23 2023 14:38 utc | 4
Posted by: Figleaf23 | Apr 23 2023 17:34 utc | 37
… further to the post by Figleaf23 … The Institute for the Study of War was founded by Kimberly Kagan, whose husband Frederick Kagan is the brother of Robert Kagan and who is married to Victoria Nuland.
Do I need to say that they are extremist pro Ukraine war hawks so their remarks cannot be viewed as impartial?
Posted by: SattaMassaGana | Apr 23 2023 21:17 utc | 88
Elmer Fudd @ 68
Three years and a $1,000 fine for murder. Best justice money can buy is a long tradition. I’d bet not a day was served.
And they wonder why others don’t like them.
Posted by: oldhippie | Apr 23 2023 21:18 utc | 89
” So, who in the west gets prosecuted for this one? Victoria Nuland and Zelensky would be the more obvious choices.
Posted by: unimperator | Apr 23 2023 20:59 utc | 80 ”
I see the following statement went right over your head.
” The Khazar better hope Russia wins ”
Posted by: Deplorable Commissar | Apr 23 2023 21:20 utc | 90
“These ex-USSR countries don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status,” Shaye added.»
That’s neither false nor true, and the situation is complicated:
My Dear Blissex….
You miss the point…..
The PRC ambassador is basically saying……
“We don’t recognize any of the FSU dependent states…..
“We don’t recognize their borders….
“We don’t recognize their rights to independent foreign policies….
“We don’t recognize their claims to Russian assets….
“We don’t recognize their ability to join NATO or any alliance not approved by Russia….
“We don’t recognize the government currently in power in Ukraine….
Capische???
INDY
Posted by: Dr. George W Oprisko | Apr 23 2023 21:20 utc | 91
The leaks are threats and warnings, these guys are doing this in public so everyone knows the cost of not listening to the guys in charge.
Russian fishing boats are spies….Russian boat burned at sea.
If the US was spying on you…They have the blackmail ready so smarten up
Egypt to supply Russia…Sudan war breaks out
Russia and Belarus sign defense agrement._lukashinko anounces he is training Belaruswith Russian pilots….Ukraine gets bombed
It is leaked that Zelensky wanted info from France about Belarus defense, Rocket attacks all over Ukraine…. Belarus anounces they just finished Isklander training in Russia and will be transfering these systems home.
They are all boasting and flexing in public.
Posted by: OohCanada | Apr 23 2023 21:29 utc | 92
I will rejoice when Babylon USA is destroyed. However, I will also be sadden because of lost family.
Young- please make sure you and your family are all saved by the blood of Jesus Christ as I am. Then there is no reason to be sad or afraid.
Posted by: LGB! | Apr 23 2023 21:29 utc | 93
” The USA is the last days Babylon. No other identity could more closely match the characteristics of the last day’s Babylon as defined in the Bible as the USA. The Apostle John says the holy apostles and prophets are to rejoice when she is destroyed.
Revelation 18:20 “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.”
I will rejoice when Babylon USA is destroyed. However, I will also be sadden because of lost family.
Posted by: young | Apr 23 2023 20:54 utc | 76 ”
Fundamentalist types are a hoot. If your ” rapture ” and ” final days ” happen at this point that means your God had no intention for humanity to evolve further, to travel to the stars, to cure diseases, to invent new wonders and so forth. Basically, this would be the pinnacle of human development and the end of humanity. Is this all your God had planned for us ? Seems very anti-climactic.
Posted by: Deplorable Commissar | Apr 23 2023 21:40 utc | 94
LGB! @ 89
“Young- please make sure you and your family are all saved by the blood of Jesus Christ as I am. Then there is no reason to be sad or afraid.”
RESPONSE: I am not afraid. I have presented the gospel to my family throughout their life. I will be sadden because of the love of a dad for his children. I also will be sadden of what I know they will go through as the USA is nuked and afterward as the Chinese and other hordes mobilize throughout the country. I am 71 and have 8 children. I am out of the USA for now. 2 of my children and 5 grandchildren are not.
Posted by: young | Apr 23 2023 21:48 utc | 95
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Apr 23 2023 21:04 utc | 81
Strange, given Southern command are reporting a significant increase in the frequency of UA soldiers surrendering.
Posted by: Milites | Apr 23 2023 21:51 utc | 96
Graham Phillips’ videos
I have been wondering why Graham Phillips insists on driving his British Rover 75 to the frontlines in Donbass. This video may explain.
Graham’s family is from Birmingham and has been working at the Austin, later Rover, factory in Longbridge. A Chinese company took over the bankrupt MG Rover Group in 2005 and production was moved to China. All that now remains in Longbridge is a MG showroom.
For Graham Phillips’ videos from Donbass, see his channel on YouTube.
Posted by: Petri Krohn | Apr 23 2023 21:52 utc | 97
oldhippie # 85
The punchline of the story is that one of Jacob Silverman’s descendants is an attorney who is married to a firmer Columbia County Deputy District Attorney. It must have been an inside joke that she was related to one of the County’s most notorious murderers. (As John Wayne might say, she resembles a sporting lady (euphemism for prostitute) from Fort Smith who would dress out at 290 pounds.) The case was so sensational that the State of Oregon adopted a law to allow convictions without an unanimous vote of the jury.
Posted by: Elmer Fudd | Apr 23 2023 21:55 utc | 98
sanctions against Russia have backfired, so the new strategy is to blanket embargo everything Russian. Two can play that game. Since the US and EU import most of their consumer products from China, China can quickly and peacefully end current and future proxy wars with a blanket embargo of goods to the US and EU. What is China waiting for?
Posted by: Willow | Apr 23 2023 21:55 utc | 99
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Apr 23 2023 20:55 utc | 77
Interesting. I’m certainly aware of natural causes of weather alteration, such as volcanic ejecta causing abnormal amounts of rainfall, just a tad sceptical about the artificial seeding’s efficacy, its double edge nature and imprecise duration. Also, wouldn’t NATO ISR have spotted these flights distinct parameters and warned their proxy?
Posted by: Milites | Apr 23 2023 22:04 utc | 100