Aleks from Black Mountain Analysis just released a new article.

https://bmanalysis.substack.com/p/war-analysis-1f3

Interesting theories about the incursion into Belgorod and the disappearance of Zaluzhny and Sirsky.

Posted by: Thomas | May 25 2023 14:18 utc | 1

The counter offensive that wasn't. One Nazi says it's been going on for days already and another says they're holding off until they receive more weapons (most of which are targeted and destroyed shortly after they arrive). Russia keeps destroying the enemy at a constant pace. They should start liberating new towns and areas more easily with less and less resistance from the enemy.

Posted by: Watzov | May 25 2023 14:23 utc | 2

Ivan Katchanovski:

Video shows Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzhny today contrary to Russian government & media claims about his wounding in Russian strike. He is with flag & Glory to Ukraine greeting of far-right OUN-UPA which collaborated with Nazis & massacred Poles & Jews

Posted by: b | May 25 2023 14:42 utc | 3

I wonder if that video of Zaluzhny is a deep fake...he is not on the screen with the person introducing him and the camera swings to the Zaluzhny character in a very odd way.

Posted by: Victor Scarpia | May 25 2023 15:01 utc | 4

It's time once again for our game, "a fool or just a liar" ?

https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4017476-bakhmut-and-the-ukrainian-path-to-victory/

You decide. (warning: reading the above may induce vomiting)

Posted by: Eighthman | May 25 2023 15:07 utc | 5

@Posted by: Thomas | May 25 2023 14:18 utc | 1

I think that Aleks has it right, the Russians need to destroy the 70,000 NATO-trained and indoctrinated hard liner true believers before the Ukrainian army goes into final collapse (after also the 100,000+ lost in Bakhmut which included many of the best and most ideological soldiers). The F-16s will just be another wunderwaffe. So quite a few more months of slow grinding destruction probably before the Ukrainian war changes in character.

A piece on the background of Russia hating and early Russian history.

Posted by: Roger | May 25 2023 15:18 utc | 6

During a segment claiming that Ukrainian air defenses had shot down "29 out of 30" Russian missiles, the reporter admits - twice - that even when Russian missiles do factually hit their targets, CNN isn't allowed to report it.

CNN are propagandists for Zelensky's nazi regime, but this is the first time I've seen them openly admit i

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmk8Gfo81-c

Posted by: Иван Иванович | May 25 2023 15:33 utc | 7

Ukranian counteroffensive statements are reaching Orwellian levels.

"We will start our counteroffensive soon"

"We are ready for our counteroffensive"

"Our counteroffensive has started"

"Its not one big counteroffensive but many many small counteroffensives"

"We will never divule which ones are our real counteroffensives and which ones arent"

"Our counteroffensives have finished and were all successful"

Posted by: Comandante | May 25 2023 15:33 utc | 8

So quite a few more months of slow grinding destruction probably before the Ukrainian war changes in character.
Posted by: Roger | May 25 2023 15:18 utc | 6

Wrong. A few thousands are more than enough for anything. 10-20 years, no problem. "Kyiv is preparing a provocation with the explosion of a spent nuclear fuel storage facility in Kharkov in order to blame Moscow for this"

Posted by: rk | May 25 2023 15:36 utc | 9

In the WTF eyeroll department. The MSN home page that opens up with Edge has been mostly bereft of any news about Ukraine for some months now. Then I noticed a link to this Newsweek article: "Patriot Missile success in Ukraine has shocked even the Pentagon - Kyiv."

"Ivan Kirichevskiy, an expert at military media and consulting company Defense Express, weighed in on Kyiv's use of the advanced missile system in an interview with Ukraine's Radio NV. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had been requesting the crucial defense system for months before it finally arrived. . . ""The United States thought for a long time, discussing whether to give us Patriots or not," said Kirichevskiy. "It turns out that our air defense forces with crash course training literally squeezed out of the Patriot a capability that the Pentagon did not think was possible.""

Haven't heard of Defense Express, obviously a Ukie propaganda outfit, and Newsweek acts as repeater. Same old, same old.

Posted by: Mike R | May 25 2023 15:37 utc | 10

@ Иван Иванович, §7:
Believe it or not, the British press and TV, especially the BBC, are even worse.
They have driven the population quite psychotic in their beliefs, à la Goebbels.

Posted by: John Marks | May 25 2023 15:37 utc | 11

Posted by: Comandante | May 25 2023 15:33 utc | 8

This making your own reality business turns out to be a lot of work.

Posted by: Bemildred | May 25 2023 15:38 utc | 12

THE FUTURE OF THE SMO INSTALLMENT 5

All the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting.'
- George Orwell

404 Tactical Use of F-16

Much discussion concerns the impracticality of the F-16: problems with maintenance facilities, problems with runways, problems with logistics, problems with pilot and maintenance personnel training, problems with tanking and AWACS relay, problems with Russian AD defences, problems with old and outdated airframes, structural fatigue, and the lack of modern electronic aids.

What if there existed a tactical use that avoided all RF AD? That avoided the need for trained pilots? That did away with the maintenance requirements?

Z has stated his intent to bath on a Crimean Beach, to obtain the return of Crimea to Ukraine. He appears to have marshalled two brand new Army Corps in the Zaporizhia area with the intent to launch an attack South, to sever the present Russian land link with Kherson oblast and Crimea.

This objective serves US and UK interests. Past reporting on MoA indicates that before the 2014 coup, the US was negotiating contracts for the construction of naval facilities in Sevastopol. The natives were upset as the US military proposed to reserve one of the best beaches for their own private use.

The Royal Navy planned an establishment in Odessa. HMS Defender visited the area and then sailed toward Crimea provoking an international incident.

The conflicting narratives erupted into an international incident after the Russian Navy claimed it had fired warning shots at the British destroyer and dropped bombs in an effort to make it alter course. The British government promptly denied both claims, and said that the Russians had merely been conducting naval exercises nearby.

“The Royal Navy and U.K. will always call out states that do not follow international order,” he added. “That’s our mission.”
SOURCE:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/24/world/europe/russia-uk-defender-crimea.html

We await the HMS Defender sailing up the Potomac and paying a visit to confront the bellicose colonials who occupy the adjacent swamp.

The Objective
Any planning to retake Crimea must contemplate ways to interdict Russian supply lines. Without a constant supply of ammunition, rations, and POL, an army dies.

One of the first extended battles of the SMO involved the seizure of the town of Volnovakha, a key railway junction on the only line reaching from the Donbass toward Kherson and the Crimea.

Volnovakha is only 23 miles from Vuhledar, a Ukrainian held town which has been the scene of many battles in the past year. I have often wondered why 404 fought so hard to maintain this isolated outpost. Its proximity to Volnovakha and its use as an assault jumping off point may explain the bitter fighting. March 23 miles southeast and you sever the primary rail link between Russia and the Crimea, you isolate the Russian defenders on the Zaporizhia line, and starve them of the matériel they require.

You needn't march the full distance. An advance of 10 miles would place the railway junction under artillery interdiction. You needn't even march at all. The HIMARS m48/m52 ATACMS has a 190 mile range and the UK Sturm und Schatten version of the V1 has a range of 340 miles.

There is an alternate supply route via the Kerch rail and road bridge, the same bridge against which 404 launched a successful, and rather spectacular, attack. The Russians will certainly be expecting further attack and will have positioned air defences to down any Ukrainian Rakete.

The Mission
An F-16 can carry 4 2,000-lb bombs. That is 8,000 lbs of BANG! considerably more than 990 lbs delivered by Storm Shadow or the 500 lbs of the HIMARS m48/m52 ATACMS. That is the armament weight of a single F-16. How many F-16s will 404 receive?

The flight distance from Romania to Kerch Strait is 420 miles.
An F-16 with 2 340 US gallon external tanks has a range of 391 miles.

Throw out the pilot and replace him with AI or a remote flight system package. Saves 200 lbs. Pull out the M61A1 Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon and drop another 202 pounds. Throw away 511 20mm Vulcan rounds and lose another 118 pounds. No pilot means no need for an ejection seat; A Martin-Baker MK. J5D weighs about 150 lbs. That amounts to a total of 670 pounds or another 80 gallons of gas.

The flight ceiling would be 50 feet AGL so as to remain below the radar horizon. If the attack was launched at the same time as the Zaporizhia front delivers multiple drone incursions, HIMARS, and Storm Shadow attacks, the Russians might be caught looking in the wrong direction while a four plane flight impacts the bridge. That is 16 tons of BANG! The 1993 World Trade Center bombing used only 1,336 lb of explosives and nearly succeeded.

Posted by: Sushi | May 25 2023 15:47 utc | 13

If anyone close to Putin needs a reminder to start taking this seriously, this is it:

https://news.antiwar.com/2023/05/24/ukrainian-intelligence-says-its-trying-to-kill-putin/

Posted by: Pudding | May 25 2023 15:52 utc | 14

Wagner chief really asking for it now.

https://video.dailymail.co.uk/preview/mol/2023/05/24/2430898787311334973/636x382_MP4_2430898787311334973.mp4

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12118821/Putin-led-Russia-failure-invasion-says-Wagner-mercenary-chief.html

In this article, the Wagner head calls for the hanging of Shoigu and Gerasimov on Red Square. This spat has gone nuclear.

Posted by: morongobill | May 25 2023 15:55 utc | 15

Roger @ 6

One thing that happened at Bakhmut was Azov got oldhippieinvolved in fighting. More usually they have stood back and kept their rifles aimed at the fighting peasants who might be tempted to flee. The Azov type is basically softer than the peasants. It is not going well for them. We shall see some changes

Posted by: oldhippie | May 25 2023 15:57 utc | 16

If anyone close to Putin needs a reminder to start taking this seriously, this is it:

https://news.antiwar.com/2023/05/24/ukrainian-intelligence-says-its-trying-to-kill-putin/

Posted by: Pudding | May 25 2023 15:52 utc | 14

###################

This is all nonsense. Nothing will galvanize the Russian people faster than assassinating their head of state. And it's not like the next guy is going to be more moderate or pro West.

So much of reality is nonsensical drama. Maybe they are trying to kill Putin, but to what end? And it's not like Putin ever goes to sleep thinking no one is trying to kill him. He's a realist.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | May 25 2023 16:01 utc | 17

The United States is launching a new scandal in the Moscow Region in order to bring down Reznikov, and our source wrote that the biggest corruption was not in food, but in the purchase of weapons.

Under the guise of the war, the Ukrainian state-owned companies Spetstechnoexport, Ukrspetsexport, Progress and the Defense Procurement Agency, associated with the Ministry of Defense, received contracts for weapons, but did not fulfill the deliveries and withdrew money from the country to offshore companies. Moreover, the Ministry of Defense concluded contracts with them, making a full prepayment, which led to huge losses in the amount of about 9 billion hryvnias.

So, in March 2022, the mentioned companies received a complete carte blanche to search for and supply the necessary weapons and supplies for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And at the end of last year, a large audit of the implementation of contracts between the Ministry of Defense and suppliers was carried out. Its results were impressive (especially in terms of contracts for special arms importers). In the spring of 2023, Reznikov’s department launched a massive legal offensive against state-owned companies subordinate to itself, which received billions of hryvnias in advance payments from the MOU in the spring of 2022, but have not yet delivered products.

As of May 23, the court register contains at least 30 claims by the Ministry of Defense against 4 state-owned enterprises that are engaged in armed procurement.

We are talking about "Spetstechnoexport" and "Ukrspetsexport" - in 12 court cases, the company "Progress" - 4 cases, and even the newly created defense procurement agency - 2 cases. The total amount of claims for overdue contracts (these are only those that were "lit up" in the register) is 8.9 billion hryvnia. This 8.9 billion includes both prepayments received by suppliers, as well as fines and penalties for late execution of contracts. At the same time, the filed claims cover only a part of overdue transactions.

It is noteworthy that the biggest question in the legal campaign of the Ministry of Defense against special importers remains where these suppliers will take the billions of hryvnias withdrawn to foreign firms? For example, about three billion hryvnias of the Ministry of Defense will have to be "knocked out" back from the little-known Polish company Alfa Sp.Z., associated with the Progress company, and representatives of Ukrspetseksport say that 90% of the prepayment under one of the agreements was transferred to the Czech arms company Pamco, and therefore cannot return 277.4 million hryvnias.

However, this question is purely rhetorical - after all, the well-known characters who manage special importers and are behind scandalous deals have not yet been tritely interrogated and do not even appear in criminal cases. Yes, and Minister Reznikov, who successfully "winded" with "eggs for 17 hryvnias", once again, as it were, had nothing to do with it

Posted by: Down South | May 25 2023 16:06 utc | 18

Posted by: oldhippie | May 25 2023 15:57 utc | 16

. . . at Bakhmut was Azov got oldhippieinvolved in fighting.

Sorry to hear of your involvement. None of us are as spry as we were in the 1960s.

Posted by: Sushi | May 25 2023 16:08 utc | 19

Our source in the OP said that the IMF requires the Cabinet to tighten monetary policy and cut budget spending. Ukraine must completely abolish subsidies for part of the population, leaving only minimal assistance, as well as tighten social policy and reduce pension payments, and cut spending on medicine by half.

Posted by: Down South | May 25 2023 16:08 utc | 20

Would you like me to tell you a little about the history of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine?

Long before the war in the Donbas and the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Ukrainian nationalism actively waged war against Russia.
Already in 1990, the son of the same Shukhevych, who is the second after Bandera, founded the Ukrainian People's Assembly (UNA). Under this roof, he gathered all the ukro nationalists and ardent Russophobes.

The political goal is the destruction of Russia, namely, to conduct the physical destruction of Russians, where possible. And in order to carry out sabotage against Russia, they created the Ukrainian People's Self-Defense (UNSO). It turned out that after 1945 UNA-UNSO was the first official fascist organization in Ukraine.

The UNA-UNSO went through all the military conflicts in the post-Soviet space where Russia was involved. They fought in Transnistria, killed Russian Cossacks during the war in Abkhazia, and slaughtered Russian soldiers in Chechnya. Taking advantage of their Slavic appearance and the Russian language, they staged very successful diversions against Russians in Chechnya.

Their favorite method was to use common radio frequencies to aim Russian artillery fire at Russian positions. The Russian language and knowledge of the specifics of army service helped the Ukrainians more than once to mislead the Russian military and conduct similar operations. In gratitude, the Russian soldiers did not take the brave young men from Ukraine alive as prisoners of war. Combat Ukrainians were able to fight in Ossetia in 2008, of course against Russia. And then in the Donbass against the LNR and DNR.

P.s. respect the courage of your enemy. This is the reason why I call them brave young men.Even though they are idiots, but I am Russian and will always respect my enemy

Posted by: Down South | May 25 2023 16:11 utc | 21

[email protected] brilliant conjecture. if empire does believe it can take back crimea, & we've seen repeated evidence empire ingests its own bullshit daily, the war will not be something to fob on vassals & will be very ugly defeat. today, after shoigu's & maria z's statements, i expect soon even empire will begin to publish the obvious: nato is @ war with russia.

Posted by: emersonreturn | May 25 2023 16:25 utc | 22

@b | May 25 2023 14:42 utc | 3

Strange video, need more proof than that.

Posted by: Norwegian | May 25 2023 16:31 utc | 23

Posted by: Mike R | May 25 2023 15:37 utc | 10

"Ivan Kirichevskiy, an expert at military media and consulting company Defense Express, weighed in on Kyiv's use of the advanced missile system in an interview with Ukraine's Radio NV. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had been requesting the crucial defense system for months before it finally arrived. . . ""The United States thought for a long time, discussing whether to give us Patriots or not," said Kirichevskiy. "It turns out that our air defense forces with crash course training literally squeezed out of the Patriot a capability that the Pentagon did not think was possible.""

He also wrote this- the link do not work
Nettet11. sep. 2022 · Ivan Kirichevsky: Russian defenses may collapse along the entire front line The occupiers will try to exert pressure by throwing in cannon fodder and firing off the … https://ebctech.live/odessa/ivan-kirichevsky-russian-defenses-may-collapse-along-the-entire-front-line/

But from wikipedia:
Ivan Vasilyevich Kireyevsky (Russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич Кире́евский; 3 April 1806, Moscow – 23 June 1856, Saint Petersburg) was a Russian literary critic and philosopher who, together with Aleksey Khomyakov, is credited as a co-founder of the Slavophile movement.

Maybe this one wrote the pieces??

Posted by: Paul from Norway | May 25 2023 16:32 utc | 24

From NRK- State Norwegian broadcaster:

Sverige lar ukrainske piloter prøvefly Gripen-fly Den svenske regjeringen besluttet torsdag å la ukrainske piloter få opptrening i egne fly. Forsvarsdepartementet bekrefter overfor SVT at de tillater opptrening i svenske JAS Gripen-jagerfly.
Dette ble klart da Sveriges forsvarsminister og beredskapsminister besøkte Ukraina torsdag. Det gjenstår en del formelle beslutninger for begge lands myndigheter før testflygingen kan startes opp. Det er snakk om en gruppe erfarne piloter i Ukrainas luftforsvar, som både skal få øve i svenske simulatorer og deretter prøvefly Gripen-fly.

Ukranian pilots will be able to train in simulators and do fligth trials in the Swedish SAAB Gripen figthers.

Posted by: Paul from Norway | May 25 2023 16:38 utc | 25

It's just pretty amazing that a very outnumbered group of prison convicts routed a trained military force in fortified positions within a few months..while the actual Russian army simply provided support with artillery, air attacks, and electronic warfare..while suffering few casualties...
No wonder Putin is wildly popular...

Posted by: pyrrhus | May 25 2023 16:50 utc | 26

reply to 6

If Ukraine has 70K soldiers left and Russia takes out about 700 a day, then they lose 1% a day.

Doesn't sound like much but like compound interest, it adds up.

Posted by: Eighthman | May 25 2023 16:50 utc | 27

Norwegian | May 25 2023 16:31 utc | 23

Just the top half too. Maybe he has no legs.

Posted by: dh | May 25 2023 16:51 utc | 28

Ukraine's strategic goal of regaining all lost territories does not appear militarily achievable in the short term. - US Chief of Staff General Milley

Watching too many Rambo movies lately, Milley?

Posted by: ostro | May 25 2023 17:24 utc | 29

Posted by: Paul from Norway | May 25 2023 16:38 utc | 25

Sweden going "all in" on making themselves look "good" for NATO.

Posted by: Cato | May 25 2023 17:24 utc | 30

Posted by: ostro | May 25 2023 17:24 utc | 29

Russia isn't in any particular time schedule but goal oriented milestones in SMO. They wrecked anywhere between 75-100k most of the hard core nazi ukrops. The way it worked in Bakhmut was that the Wagner used small teams with the purpose of exposing enemy positions inside buildings, then call in artillery and close air support to hit them. After the building was hit and they were shell shocked, the wagner team would go into the building with the purpose of cleaning them. With this method they took out a full anywhere between 75-100k nationalist militants and foreign most hardore nazi mercs, which Ukraine could not provide anything more then very dodgy fire support due to Russian supremacy elsewhere in counter-battery, strike/recon drone superiority.

The problem Russia still has there might be 70k Nato trained most hardcore nationalists, which cannot be integrated into Russian society, they need to be gotten rid of. The obvious way this could happen is a Ukraine counter-offensive committing those into the attack. We'll see if that comes to be.

Will post this once more, very good read.
https://bmanalysis.substack.com/p/war-analysis-1f3

Posted by: unimperator | May 25 2023 17:40 utc | 31

🤡 Battle of Bakhmut is one example of Ukraine's excellent defensive strategy - US Top General Milley.
https://t.me/IntelRepublic/20765

Posted by: Norwegian | May 25 2023 17:41 utc | 32

unimperator | May 25 2023 17:40 utc | 31
------

If the Ukies won't 'counteroffensive' then the RF forces would, and in time. But, if the Ukies do their 'counteroffensive', then that's the end of it. Right now, the Ukies don't appear to have enough weapons, missiles and such like. NATO trained or otherwise, what can those die-hard Nazis do, without weapons.
All kinds of Ukie/NATO weapon stockpiles, troop concentrations and such like are getting knocked off in daily basis. The Gerans and the missiles might be already going toward the Ukieland right now...

Posted by: ostro | May 25 2023 17:53 utc | 33

Thank you, Sushi @13. And beyond, I appreciate you and Karlof1, big understanding of this troubled world...

[email protected]@9
'more and more who want a full blown clash...and they really don't care'

[email protected]@17
'Humans can accept anything if persistent and gradual'...

And this is where we are, few of us who understand where all this is going.Close to the end, just because 17% of the robbers of the planet can not accept that they are 'gone and buried' in reality of the world gone towards better pastures.

Incredibly dangerous time.

I do not know what to do, tried talking to all my family, neighbors, part of success.

I did very well with education on poisoning with experimental covid therapy.art of the same plan.
But mainly, all whom I was talking to never understood this following lies operation about Ukraine.

Thank you, b.

Posted by: stranger | May 25 2023 18:00 utc | 34

@ DrSmiley | May 25 2023 18:05 utc | 35

Video, Austin with Milley on his side:

🇺🇸🇺🇦🇷🇺"Ukraine is losing on this battlefield" -Lloyd “Raytheon” Austin
https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/65351

Posted by: Norwegian | May 25 2023 18:19 utc | 35

Well, if I were in NATO, things would be very different or I wouldn't be in NATO. But assuming I swallowed all the false information about Russian and Ukie performance, reestablishing air superiority would mean flooding Ukraine with all available NATO AD systems followed by ordinance, planes, and pilots. But to have a chance, wider war would need to be risked by basing planes in Poland and Romania at first with heavy AWACS and refueling aid daring Russia to attack those assets. However, it's wider war the NATO fears most as Russia has the missile assets to cause great harm to NATO C&C, meaning Brussels and other key bases like those in Germany.

Posted by: karlof1 | May 25 2023 16:19 utc | 400

They ain't gonna' admit defeat They also believe their own echo chamber. Intense Groupthink. My bet is they are organizing their Air Forces for a S.O.P. NATO attack - on a massive scale. Thousands upon Thousands of Aircraft.

Posted by: Exile | May 25 2023 18:37 utc | 36

" They should start liberating new towns and areas more easily with less and less resistance from the enemy.

Posted by: Watzov | May 25 2023 14:23 utc | 2 "

Russia should've had a force ready to capitalize on the fall of Bahmut, as this would have been an opportune time to counter attack, but they didnt.

Posted by: Deplorable Commisar | May 25 2023 18:57 utc | 37

Exile | May 25 2023 18:37 utc | 37-

Thanks for cross-posting my reply. IMO, there's no possible logistical support for such an attack. Think of how the majority of those planes would need to be ferried from the Outlaw US Empire to Europe and the impossibility of doing that without it being known. Plus, IMO that number of assets don't exist when one considers actual USAF, USN and USMC readiness levels. Plus, to actually defeat and dismember Russia, it would need to be invaded by ground forces that don't exist either. And I've already discussed the utter uselessness of using nukes.

The reality is NATO can't win. The question: How does it admit defeat?

Posted by: karlof1 | May 25 2023 18:59 utc | 38

Karlof1,

The logistic support gets built up over 18 - 24 months. NATO Air Forces can mass fully in the open - all they need to do is gather in the various NATO Airbases; Ramstein, Aviano, Incirlink, etc. etc.

Posted by: Exile | May 25 2023 19:08 utc | 39

Posted by: Sushi | May 25 2023 15:47 utc | 13

Remote-control F-16s?

You're delusional.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 25 2023 19:10 utc | 40

Exile | May 25 2023 18:37 utc | 37, and the apparent post by karlof1

I use the word apparently because I couldn't find the original post by karlof1 from the quote used by Exile in the '325' post,

" Can't gain air superiority; can't win the war.

Posted by: Exile | May 25 2023 7:31 utc | 323

karlof1 had not posted any comment @305. I wonder if he's even on-line presently. Strange...

... and now there's the post:karlof1 | May 25 2023 18:59 utc | 39
curiouser and curiouser ... dopplegangers or what.
Apologies to all if I'm just confused.

Posted by: Lantern Dude | May 25 2023 19:11 utc | 41

And I've already discussed the utter uselessness of using nukes.
Posted by: karlof1 | May 25 2023 18:59 utc | 39

Posted by: ostro | May 25 2023 19:11 utc | 42

@38 Well, go then, grab a Russian flag and a machine gun and show them the way. What the hell do you know about the local battlefield conditions?

Posted by: Anthony | May 25 2023 19:13 utc | 43

Russian war correspondent Aleksandr Kots on Russian participants in the Grayvoron attack:

[Photo of Lyovkin and Radonskiy-Kanakhin participating in the attack.]

One of the participants in the attack on the Belgorod Oblast is Alexey Lyovkin, a bearded native of Tver.

A creative personality—he is the leader of the band Hitler’s Hammer performing in black metal style.

He was convicted in Russia, along with a group of skinheads, for a series of violent gang crimes, including murders and attacks on persons belonging to ethnic minorities and desecration of Jewish and Muslim cemeteries (the so-called “case of Tver RNE” [RNE is Russian National Unity, a defunct Russian neo-Nazi political party — S]).

Although, he managed to avoid it under a medical claim. While all members of the group were sentenced to prison, Lyovkin was sentenced to psychiatric treatment until 2008 due to the fact that the court found him insane. They say, the reason was his numerous speeches and interviews about Nazi occultism and his worship of Adolf Hitler as a god.

Since 2014, Lyovkin has been living in the Ukraine. He fought in the Donbass as part of “Azov.”

In 2016, he co-founded the neo-Nazi organization Wotanjugend, which was described as an online “mini-university for supporters of right-wing ideology,” proclaiming such ultra-right terrorists as Timothy McVeigh and Anders Breivik as “heroes.”

And next to the bearded man is Kirill Radonskiy-Kanakhin, 41 years old. Former Russian actor. Born in Moscow, graduated from Shchepka [Mikhail Shchepkin Higher Theatre School — S], student of Yuriy Solomin’s workshop. In 2018, after a case was opened against him for participating in protests, he went to the Ukraine and joined “Azov.”

A symbiosis of fascists and creatives.

Russian war correspondent Yevgeniy Poddubnyy on another Russian participant in the Grayvoron attack:

[Photo of Skachkov participating in the attack. Photo of Skachkov with two swastika tattoos and a black sun tattoo.]

Another militant from the saboteur group that entered the territory of the Belgorod Oblast has been identified.

It’s one Aleksandr Skachkov, a native of St. Petersburg, who left for the Ukraine in 2014.

Skachkov joined the Ukrainian militants at the beginning of the armed conflict in the Donbass, joining the ranks of the then Right Sector. He participated in the battles for the Donetsk airport.

In Russia, a criminal case has been opened against him under articles 282.2 and 208 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Posted by: S | May 25 2023 19:15 utc | 44

If Biden is mad enough to try nukes, Russia will survive, but North America will not. Neither will the UK and some parts of Europe. China and India would definitely survive with more than 1.4 billion inhabitants in each country. Africa will survive too, at least most of it.

Posted by: ostro | May 25 2023 19:16 utc | 45

No one really knows how many Russian submarines are in the oceans with nukes. The readiness for atomic warfare had not been called off by Putin.

Posted by: ostro | May 25 2023 19:20 utc | 46

Posted by: Exile | May 25 2023 19:08 utc | 40

You're delusional.

Also note that so far Russia has wiped out the equivalent of the entire French Air Force. They have more than enough left over to wipe out the actual German, French, Italian, Spanish, whoever Air Force, including the US Air Force.

Not to mention that any such attack would lead immediately to WWIII. Which I admit is a risk in general. But the attack you suggest is not. As karlof1 notes, Russia would see it coming and every NATO airfield within range would cease to exist. And with Russian subs with land attack hypersonic missiles, every NATO airfield (and aircraft carrier) is in range.

Martyanov's last video explicitly notes the capabilities of the new Russian corvettes - which have S-350 navalized air defense and can fire 12-16 Zircons or Oniks missiles. Their capability was demonstrated in Syria.

People with zero military knowledge need to stop speculating about attacks that can not be made outside of Hollywood. They're cluttering up these threads with unmitigated bullshit.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 25 2023 19:20 utc | 47

Attacking Black Sea Fleet with fighters based out of Romania is probably one of those red lines, which requires no further communicating (perhaps agreed by Naryshkin and William Burns last year in Ankara).

Posted by: unimperator | May 25 2023 19:26 utc | 48

A Russian tank shot down in Ukraine was installed in Amsterdam.
What’s next?
Russian POWs ?

Posted by: Hartz4 | May 25 2023 19:30 utc | 49

Cont’d from #45

Of course, Western MSM describes them as mere “anti-Putin Russians.”

Posted by: S | May 25 2023 19:31 utc | 50

Polish horsewoman had by accident found the debris of a 'Russian' missile in May this year that was supposed have been launched in December last year. If she had not found that, no one would've known about that missile at all. How blind is NATO radar, satellite "eyes", by the way?!

Posted by: ostro | May 25 2023 19:31 utc | 51

Everyone (well, quite a few, anyway) are projecting full NATO involvement using a sneak/surprise attack. How on earth would the individual countries sell this to their constituents? When the Coalition Of The Willing invaded Iraq it took months of politicking and spin to get the people on board - the admission of NATO willfully committing an act of aggression after carefully not being an active part of the current war for the last year seems to be a leap too far for most NATO members, given that politicians always look toward the next election.

Then we have the fact that if NATO goes to war with Russia then all NATO assets worldwide become targets. Again I will ask: how does the USA project power without any aircraft carriers?

Finally, what happens if NATO does attack, and god forbid is successful? Winning means the entire planet is wiped clean of life - how is that a win?

So given that winning is losing, and the only winning move is not to play, what is the West actually doing? I freely admit to being baffled, but I don't believe that NATO wants to either nuke or attack Russia directly - that's just FUD to frighten the children.

Posted by: Occasional poster | May 25 2023 19:41 utc | 52

@Richard Steven Hack #41:

Remote-control F-16s?

You're delusional.

QF-16.

Posted by: S | May 25 2023 19:41 utc | 53

I believe that the F16's are just posturing - Biden for the election. So that he can appear to have a path to victory.
Doesnt matter that it is BS as the party faithful wont question.

Same for his remark regarding there will be an improvement in relations with China. Is completely the opposite of the reality.
But it appears that reality is not an issue.

This is what happens when the media are owned by government.

Posted by: jared | May 25 2023 19:42 utc | 54

Imagine the Iranian Deputy Head of the MoD would announce at a press conference that israel president
is at the top of the list of people that the Iranian Security Service is actively trying to assassinate.
He would not survive next 24 hours after his announcement

The Deputy Head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Vadym Skibitsky, said that the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, is at the top of the list of people that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is actively trying to assassinate.

Other positions belong to the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov.

When asked what the relationship of the Ukrainian regime is to the head of the PMC Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, he answered openly: "We are trying to kill him."

(updated)
t.me/zoka200

Posted by: Hartz4 | May 25 2023 19:43 utc | 55

A Russian tank shot down in Ukraine was installed in Amsterdam.
What’s next?
Russian POWs ?
Posted by: Hartz4 | May 25 2023 19:30 utc | 50

Just welcome the tank with flowers, like web did in berlin. Of course a youth ukie refugee mob came afterward and destroyed the flowers, police were just watching.

The tank (maybe it is the same on some kind of tour) in berlin was placed directly before the russian embassy "Unter den Linden", near the Brandenburger Tor. According to the description the tank was disabled by a french anti tank mine HPD-2.

Info HPD-2
https://en.topwar.ru/200396-ukraina-poluchila-i-primenjaet-protivotankovye-miny-hpd-f2.html

Posted by: 600w | May 25 2023 20:10 utc | 56

Posted by: S | May 25 2023 19:41 utc | 54

The Air Force has been using converted fighters as target drone aircraft for over 50 years. I have yet to hear of a QF-Anything being used for combat operations.

Posted by: Duke | May 25 2023 20:19 utc | 57

Lantern Dude | May 25 2023 19:11 utc | 42--

Yes, that's all genuine. It's from the end of the Mearsheimer thread that b has culled.

I'll let Exile's comment @40 go without reply as IMO none is required.

As for the ever anticipated Ukie Counteroffensive, the prize for its Master is Crimea. Russia knows that and has deployed its assets and their defenses in anticipation of such an act. And to make it look even easier, Russia has tried to make its lines in the region appear thin; the reality being the opposite. Russia would very much like Ukie/NATO to attack with Crimea as the goal. But it would be a Grand Folly. Gaining control of the ZNPP also looks easy but is yet another anticipated action. Realistically, there're no easily attained objectives for Ukie/NATO forces lacking the #1 doctrinal asset--close air support made possible by airspace dominance.

Then there's the level of destruction meted out in the Ukie/NATO rear destroying men, weapons, and logistical supplies to a degree we know is hurting efforts but not to the exact degree, although Russia via its "illegal intelligence" probably has a good idea. That intel also provides an excellent list of targets to be attacked daily that could probably go daily for a month before being exhausted--then list that is, not the weapons used.

Posted by: karlof1 | May 25 2023 20:24 utc | 58

"Battle of Bakhmut is one example of Ukraine's excellent defensive strategy - US Top General Milley."

Yep, sure thing General Milley, keep taking the pills, but I recommend upping the dosage a little.

Posted by: DrSmiley | May 25 2023 18:05 utc | 35

This is the same traitor that usurped the authority of President Trump by telling top Generals to ignore his orders and assured China that he would warn them of any American attack. He should be shot for treason.

Posted by: Elmer Fudd | May 25 2023 20:32 utc | 59

ostro | May 25 2023 19:11 utc | 43--

Thanks for your reply. I don't agree that "Biden's mad;" addled with dementia yes, but not to the point where he'll murder his kin; Hitler he isn't. IMO, history tells us why the Outlaw US Empire won't use nukes on Russia as it had excellent opportunities to do just that but demurred, and most such plans emerged from the UK. Then there's also the issue of Fallout as that's uncontrollable and could easily go where it's not wanted to go. Recall, the Empire wants Europe as its primary colonial base and needs it as such now more than ever. And then we have Russia's ability to destroy the Empire--and IMO the Donors know that fact and want to enjoy their ill-gotten riches instead of being vaporized or worse--slowly dying from radiation poisoning.

The Donors and those they control are certainly criminals of very high order, but IMO they're not homicidal/suicidal maniacs. Even Zelensky isn't in that class, although some of his subordinates seem to fit.

Posted by: karlof1 | May 25 2023 20:37 utc | 60

" @38 Well, go then, grab a Russian flag and a machine gun and show them the way. What the hell do you know about the local battlefield conditions?

Posted by: Anthony | May 25 2023 19:13 utc | 44 "

What an erudite response. I'm honored by your intellectual attention.

Posted by: Deplorable Commisar | May 25 2023 20:38 utc | 61

American flag draped coffin heading home.

Today 2 SitReps are up.

https://askeptic.substack.com/p/battlefield-update-2023-05-25-1

https://askeptic.substack.com/p/battlefield-update-2023-05-25-1-fb1

Posted by: Will | May 25 2023 20:41 utc | 62

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 25 2023 19:10 utc | 41

Remote-control F-16s?

You're delusional.

The equipment already exists as a complete add on package to turn a bone-yard F-16 into a remotely operated target aircraft for AD shoot down practice.

As for my delusions, I am not yet at the level of Mr Bidet and have much less chance of harming the innocent and yet unborn.

Posted by: Sushi | May 25 2023 20:59 utc | 63

There have been fairly frequent reports of dead Ukrainian soldiers with missing organs.

How prevalent is organ harvesting and does it involve taking organs from the wounded who might otherwise survive with proper treatment?

For organs to be used for transplants, refrigeration and rapid transport is required. Who provides the transport? Are Senior Ukrainian military providing the logistics for organ trade, in exchange for a cut of the proceeds? Are Ukrainian Hospitals doing transplants with harvested organs in exchange for large sums of money?

Are Ukrainian conscripts tissue typed before they are sent to the front, or is the harvesting random and not focused on ensuring the death of suitable donors?

Those US Bio labs were conducting experiments and trials on the Ukrainian military lower ranks. Organ recipients may (hopefully) receive rather more than they bargained for.

More information is needed regarding the organ trade; identifying buyers, tracing payments; identifying those responsible for organ removal, transport and marketing are all important steps in showing the World the true nature of the Zelensky Regime and those in the West who support it without reservations. Wallace, Sunak and others have a lot to answer for.

This is a grim and horrible subject that needs to be exposed to sunlight.

Posted by: CitizenSmith | May 25 2023 21:01 utc | 64

Some UAF battalion commander was killed by conscripts. Maybe there's some wakening up, here and there.

Posted by: unimperator | May 25 2023 21:02 utc | 65

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 25 2023 19:20 utc | 48

People with zero military knowledge need to stop speculating about attacks that can not be made outside of Hollywood. They're cluttering up these threads with unmitigated bullshit.

Is this a reference to RSH?

Posted by: Sushi | May 25 2023 21:08 utc | 66

Lloyd Austin said "Ukraine is losing on this battlefield".

The question is what does it matter? It means Russia will achieve goals and kick Nato out of Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/Alex_Oloyede2/status/1661820771050594307

Posted by: unimperator | May 25 2023 21:18 utc | 67

@b
Hello, concerning the explosion at Khmelnitsky and the possibility of a radioactive cloud, have you read the text published by sputnik where Dr. Chris Busby, indicates that, when he wanted to check the levels over Poland, on 15 May , the European radioactivity monitoring site was blocked?

In your 16 of May article you seem to confirm that the European radioactivity monitoring site was inaccessible, did I understand correctly?

If so, although the rates remain open to discussion, this coincidence is troubling, isnt'it?
Don't know how reliable Dr. Chris Busby is, he bases himself on levels observed in Poland and not in Ukraine in order to verify the possible movement of a radioactive cloud, here is the article: https://sputnikglobe .com/20230519/ukraines-depleted-uranium-blast-europe-on-brink-of-environmental-disaster-1110462939.html

Thank you again for your site, your work and your analyses,
Cordially

Posted by: Tak-Tik | May 25 2023 21:29 utc | 68

unimperator | May 25 2023 21:18 utc | 69

'Lloyd Austin said "Ukraine is losing on this battlefield"....What does it matter.?"

I doubt if Austin is suggesting NATO cuts it's losses so I can think of a couple of meanings. a) 'We' must find another battlefield. b) We must double down and get more involved.

Posted by: dh | May 25 2023 21:30 utc | 69

@Duke #59:

The Air Force has been using converted fighters as target drone aircraft for over 50 years. I have yet to hear of a QF-Anything being used for combat operations.

Quoting from the Wikipedia article I linked to above:

In 2017, a QF-16 was used as a UCAV, autonomously attacking a ground target as a part of the "Loyal Wingman" program. The Air Force ran this exercise under the name "Have Raider II".

So it’s possible to use them in combat operations in simple scenarios (no dogfighting, just launching standoff missiles).

Posted by: S | May 25 2023 21:33 utc | 70

Russia should offer 10,000 ounces of gold to every Ukie F-16 pilot who defects with his aircraft to Russia.

Posted by: Klaus | May 25 2023 21:48 utc | 71

Russia should offer 10,000 ounces of gold to every Ukie F-16 pilot who defects with his aircraft to Russia.

Posted by: Klaus | May 25 2023 21:48 utc | 73

Why? They can shoot it down with a cheap missile. What would Russia want with a 50 year old airplane? Its a waste of good gold.

Posted by: Golddiggr | May 25 2023 21:55 utc | 72

1. Are Germans going supply Taurus KEPD 350s?
2. US senators have been issued satellite phones and warned to expect a "disruptive" event. Black Swan event being planned?
3. NATO planned exercises cover as per Simplicius?
4. Game of Kiev as per Aleks BMA?
5. Will there be less NATO proxies tomorrow on the Eastern Front? Assuredly!
Phew!

Posted by: Suresh | May 25 2023 21:55 utc | 73

Occasional poster @ 53

So given that winning is losing, and the only winning move is not to play, what is the West actually doing? I freely admit to being baffled, but I don't believe that NATO wants to either nuke or attack Russia directly - that's just FUD to frighten the children.

They still think they understand and control the parameters, Russia's parameters, they think this regarding China too. That is, someone else's parameters, a civilization-state's parameters for that matter, and as if those parameters were static like in some think thank policy paper forever frozen in copier ink. All easy-peasy when you're some perfect storm of poorly informed, stupid, arrogant, and delusional.

That's all there is too it. Hitler and Napoleon reasoned that way, Confederacy in the USA Civil War thought that, most attacking sides think that way otherwise they'd stay calm and at home.

It's possible communist Russia was enough of an conundrum (enigma inside of a riddle) that the west stayed back, the neoliberal make over of Russia allowed the west to project all their inadequacies and failure onto Russia making it - an easy peasy target.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | May 25 2023 21:57 utc | 74

Russia should offer 10,000 ounces of gold to every Ukie F-16 pilot who defects with his aircraft to Russia.

Posted by: Klaus | May 25 2023 21:48 utc | 73

How much additional reward if he delivers a B-61 as well?

https://www.easternherald.com/2023/05/24/nato-plans-to-train-ukrainian-pilots-in-the-use-of-nuclear-bombs-with-f-16s/

Posted by: Drifter | May 25 2023 21:58 utc | 75

S | May 25 2023 21:33 utc | 72--

What you relate with help from Wikipedia is something I wrote on about two months or so ago about the new Missile and Drone Age of Aerial Combat where piloted aircraft would no longer exist, nor would billion-dollar aircraft. Precision long-range air-to-air missiles render dogfights passe. As noted, drones are already used as platforms to fire stand-off weapons at close or very far range. Someone yesterday asked if a balloon could be used as such a platform; why not? Unmanned aircraft can perform acrobatics manned aircraft cannot because humans can't handle the G-forces involved. And as I speculated in that short essay, droid armies will replace human armies. Indeed, with luck this will be the final human-on-human war that's waged, although I somewhat doubt that will be the case.

Posted by: karlof1 | May 25 2023 21:58 utc | 76

They have version of the F-16 modified to be a drone- the QF-16- modified using a Boeing-designed Drone Peculiar Equipment kit. They've made dozens of them.

Posted by: BillB | May 25 2023 22:06 utc | 77

Apparently a Shadow storm missile shot down near Rostov - they also said something hit in Berdyansk, but Ukraine/Nafo trolls tried to use some fake video material from a prison colony fire in Tatarstan as evidence of hitting an S-300.

Ben Wallace (UK defense secretary) was in Kiev few days ago, he probably ordered Ukraine to make another show event. Or are they about to make the great offensive? Meanwhile Geran drones over front line and bombers are in the air, again.
https://t.me/Zornkrieger/36858

Posted by: unimperator | May 25 2023 22:07 utc | 78

Today, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin was interviewed by Rossiya Segodnya about several aspects related to this thread topic, the first being on the Union State's nuclear weapons policy, followed by Transnistria and concluded with the situation in Moldova:

Question: President of Russia Vladimir Putin said that Moscow and Minsk had agreed that they would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus without violating their international obligations. How does this relate to the provisions of the Union State Security Concept? In addition, a number of Western experts suggested that the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus threatens the Budapest Memorandum. How does the Russian side assess this point of view?

A: The measures taken by Russia and Belarus in the military-nuclear sphere to ensure the security of the Union State are a forced reaction to NATO's long-standing destabilising nuclear policy and to the fundamental changes that have taken place recently in key parameters of European security. As you know, the countries of the alliance, openly seeking to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia, "officially" declared themselves a "nuclear alliance" and continue to actively develop the practice of "joint nuclear missions". This practice relies on U.S. nuclear weapons deployed at forward bases in Europe and Turkey, from where they can quickly hit strategic targets in Russia and Belarus. At the same time, NATO members are increasingly acting as a united anti-Russian front on nuclear affairs, and individual countries of the bloc are persistently raising the issue of promoting nuclear infrastructure even closer to the borders of the Union State.

Unlike the United States, Russia and Belarus, responding to the aggravation of threats to their security, cooperate in the nuclear sphere on their own territory - strictly within the framework of the Union State. In accordance with the approaches set forth in the policy documents of our integration association, including the Military Doctrine of the Union State, its territory forms a single defense space.

The Security Concept mentioned in your question is currently under development. Its provisions, of course, will be well "docked" with the efforts made by Moscow and Minsk to strengthen the overall defense capability.

The measures taken are fully consistent with our international legal obligations. First of all, this applies to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. However, there are no contradictions in terms of compliance with the Budapest Memorandum. In accordance with this document, Belarus acceded to the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon State. And so it remains. The transfer of nuclear arms control from the Russian side to the Belarusian side is not taking place.

Question: Are tactical nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus on a permanent basis, or can Moscow withdraw it when it deems it necessary?

A: First of all, I would like to emphasise that, in principle, Russia and Belarus have acted, are acting and will continue to act in order to ensure their security as they see fit. Unlike NATO, where absolutely all decisions are subject to the increasingly undisguised dictates of the United States, we decide for ourselves what, how and when to do.

Secondly, it is important to understand the following. Under the circumstances, even the very formulation of the issue in the plane you propose is hypothetically possible only if the United States and NATO abandon the harmful course of purposefully undermining the security of Russia and Belarus. First of all, the complete withdrawal of all American nuclear weapons to the territory of the United States must be ensured with the elimination of the corresponding infrastructure in Europe.

Question: The head of Pridnestrovie, Vladimir Krasnoselsky, said that "there is a direct path to a world war through Pridnestrovie." Does Russia agree with this formulation of the politician? Does Moscow intend to raise the issue of increasing the size of the Russian group in the event of an aggravation of the situation in the region? Does the Russian side have any plans to build a military base in Transnistria?

A: Of course, the statement of the leader of Pridnestrovie is figurative. At the same time, his assessment reflects concern about the difficult security situation around the region. It is indeed alarming and fraught with further aggravation. It is enough to compare the well-known facts of the concentration of Ukrainian armed formations and military equipment near Transnistria, the preparation of terrorist attacks against its leadership and OSCE officials, the beginning of the implementation by Chisinau, with the assistance of NATO and the EU, of plans to strengthen its military potential despite the neutral status of Moldova. Moreover, all this is happening against the backdrop of the stagnation of the negotiation process on the Transnistrian settlement and the degradation of the dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol.

In short, the situation in the Transnistrian settlement is complicated. I am confident that the common goals of all interested parties are in line with maintaining stability on the Dniester, which Russia is ready to continue to promote as a guarantor and mediator. Our military presence in the region is not an end in itself, but even today, despite the limited number, Russian peacekeepers remain the only real factor guaranteeing peace and tranquility in the region....

Question: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell has called for sending a civilian security and defence mission to Moldova, which should help Chisinau strengthen its ability to counter hybrid threats. How does Moscow assess the possibility of sending such a mission to the country? Will its placement have any effect?

A: The so-called EU Partnership Mission, which began its work on May 22, is not the only EU presence in the country. The EU delegation has been active there for a long time, and since 2005 there has been a mission to assist the governments of Moldova and Ukraine in the arrangement and protection of borders. The presence of the European Union you mentioned is declared as "civil and partnership", although it will unfold within the meaning of the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy. Such a sign should not create illusions about what the EU representatives will actually do there, exercising de facto external control of Moldova. It is even significant that Romanian citizen C. Dinescu was appointed head of the mission.

We see that when deciding to create another field structure in the post-Soviet space, the European Union was guided by geopolitical motives. The EU seeks to consolidate the pro-Western course pursued by the current leadership of Moldova, to set the country up for confrontation with Russia, ignoring the interests and moods of the population. The anti-Russian charge of the new EU presence is not even hidden. Under the slogan of combating "hybrid threats, foreign information interference" in Moldova, undisguised censorship will be imposed, Western "values" will be introduced, and everything Russian will be eradicated. We remember well what such a policy in Ukraine has led to.

Given the radically changed nature of the European Union, which has transformed into a geopolitical tool of the United States and NATO, it is unlikely that a new presence in Moldova will help stabilize the situation in the country.

Question: Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament and head of the ruling Action and Solidarity party Igor Grosu has said that he is counting on the help of the European authorities in acquiring air defence systems. How will Russia perceive the supply of such systems to Chisinau from the West?

A: Of course, Chisinau's increased cooperation with NATO and the EU in the military-political sphere cannot but cause us concern. We have repeatedly drawn Chisinau's attention to the fact that pumping up a country with Western weapons or deploying NATO military contingents on its territory is done exclusively in the interests of the United States and its Euro-Atlantic satellites. As history shows, this is very expensive in all respects for the recipients of such "assistance". Unfortunately, the Moldovan authorities do not want to understand that such "assistance" does not strengthen, but, on the contrary, undermines the security of Moldova. This fully applies to the air defense systems they requested.

It is obvious that the population of Moldova, traditionally interested in maintaining good relations with our country, does not believe the horror stories of the authorities about the "Russian threat" and does not support the mood of the leadership to militarize the republic. Therefore, we once again call on the Moldovan authorities to stop playing with security and listen to the interests and aspirations of their citizens.

As you read, the Moldovan situation is rapidly degenerating into that which existed within Ukraine prior to 2014, although without the longstanding historical presence of Nazis and CIA/MI-6 disruption. Speculation that Russia will perform its own version of a Color Revolution exists, but Russia prefers not to act in that manner. Will the Ukrainian lesson cause a change in Russian attitude? The USSR did act in similar manner on several occasions.

Posted by: karlof1 | May 25 2023 22:14 utc | 79

Sushi | May 25 2023 15:47 utc | 13 (quoting the NY Times):
*** And things might have ended there, except that a BBC correspondent, Jonathan Beale, happened to be on board the Defender and published video footage showing as many as 20 Russian warplanes buzzing the ship and a Russian Coast Guard vessel drawing close alongside.
In an interview with the BBC, the Defender’s captain, Cmdr. Vince Owen, made it clear that the ship deliberately sailed close to the Crimean coast to assert the position that Crimea and the waters around it legally belong to Ukraine.
“With the U.K. and the Royal Navy, our deployment is here to maintain international order, and uphold that for the global peace and security,” Commander Owen told the BBC.***

See the Craig Murray blog (archive) article about that subject, at the time ....
The stunt was in breach of numerous internation conventions. The film crew were there deliberately with intent to make a propaganda piece ... but instead were stupid enough to reveal the full illegality of the jaunt -- including that the warship had its missiles set ready to fire.
Murray knows better than the NY Times or BBC, since while working for the UK Foreign Office he actually drafted some of these same laws and conventions.

Posted by: Cynic | May 25 2023 22:23 utc | 80

@71 I've got another explanation. When Austin said "Ukraine is losing on this battlefield" he was taking an indirect shot at the Whitehouse....without being insubordinate of course. 'We're losing. Your move Mr. President.'

Posted by: dh | May 25 2023 22:24 utc | 81

Posted by: karlof1 | May 25 2023 21:58 utc

‘Indeed, with luck this will be the final human-on-human war that's waged,’ that’s true only if you want a perpetual state of war to exist that’s dominated by high-tech states with access to cutting edge technologies that these systems will require. Though it’s tempting to think that drones equalise the battlefield the opposite is the case as the next technological advances will render the off-the shelf models redundant, if that isn’t the case already. It won’t be drone v drone combat saving the squishy humans, but the exact opposite, drones versus the Achilles heel of any state, the civilian population. That is unless you want to remove humanity in all its entirety from the equation ala Mr Kurtzweil. Algorithmically driven machine warfare, with no ‘human cost or crucially expense (no self-licking lollipop deployments anymore) will allow the entities you seem to despise the most the ability to prosecute conflicts remotely, against opponents who have had their traditional means of defence removed. In fact, it will accelerate the out-sourcing of conflicts to PMC’s and eventually corporatise warfare at its most basic level, removing any hope for populations to influence policy.

Posted by: Milites | May 25 2023 22:29 utc | 82

Why would any nation want to join the EU? From Pepe Escobar's Twitter:

"European Central Bank (ECB) at 25:

Industrial production: -16%
Real wages: -11.2%
GDP per (occupied) person: -5%
Absolute poverty: +234%
Precarious: +81%
Expats: +140,2%
Savings rate: -82,5%

With friends like this, Europeans definitely don't need enemies."

If I understand the stats correctly, they depict the now versus what existed at the ECB's inception 25 years ago. If it showed them from the high point till now, they'd look even worse.

Posted by: karlof1 | May 25 2023 22:30 utc | 83

Q: "Show us the offensive Lebowski. Zelensky says you're good for it. Where's the offensive asshole?"

A: "It must be down there somewhere."

Posted by: William Verick | May 25 2023 22:31 utc | 84

Milites | May 25 2023 22:29 utc | 84--

Thanks for your reply, although I had a very different outcome in mind.

Posted by: karlof1 | May 25 2023 22:32 utc | 85

Posted by: karlof1 | May 25 2023 20:37 utc | 62

"IMO, history tells us why the Outlaw US Empire won't use nukes on Russia as it had excellent opportunities to do just that but demurred"

Different White House, different occupant, different era, different standard of education, different morality, different consciousness . . .

The comparison goes on and on.

We are not observing the reasoned response of JFK and EXCOMM. We are mired in a script more akin to that of Dr Strangelove. I would feel more secure if Peter Sellers were playing all the roles.

But he is gone and we are left with a Western "elite" composed entirely of one Clouseau after another.

Posted by: Sushi | May 25 2023 23:04 utc | 86

Posted by: S | May 25 2023 21:33 utc | 72

Good catch. Shows how much attention I've been paying.

Posted by: Duke | May 25 2023 23:04 utc | 87

Posted by: ostro | 46
If Biden is mad enough to try nukes, Russia will survive, but North America will not. Neither will the UK and some parts of Europe. China and India would definitely survive with more than 1.4 billion inhabitants in each country. Africa will survive too, at least most of it.

Anyone who believes a 'tactical' nuclear exchange would be either limited or pose no threat to human existence, should be strapped to a chair and made to watch the film Threads on repeat, until they understand the stupidity and futility of such an idea

Posted by: Rattus | May 25 2023 23:16 utc | 88

Trolls can skip this...

Russia is about as truthful as Kiev. It is okay to have issues with both sides.

https://twitter.com/RWApodcast/status/1661377533474926594
Where do they find these characters? Lies.

https://twitter.com/RWApodcast/status/1661797638759481350
Oh my. That twitter handle is a group who really does speak and understand Russian. They are disgusted as well.

Grandpa Putin still won't fight. SMO until Moscow is suffocated. Kremlin families will be allowed to live quietly in the West (like Saddam's).

Posted by: Sergei | May 25 2023 23:30 utc | 89

Sushi | May 25 2023 23:04 utc | 88--

Thanks for your reply. My thoughts were about the immediate post-WW2 Era when Russia had no nukes at all. I agree with your trepidation, however. Back in December of 2020 I wrote a short essay about Putin's championing Russian children specifically and Russian people in general based on his economic proposals for support of children and young families and compared it to what was happening here at the time when it seemed likely that the eviction moratorium would expire just in time for many to be thrown onto the streets just before Christmas. Yes, I did not expect Trump of Congress to extend the moratorium. Nor did I expect it to be extended several more times.

I think of the classic politico photo-op of kissing a newborn's cheek implying that s/he loves children, but do they really? I think of the Donor Parasites that control the government and wonder if they love their children--even Neocons have children which I find astonishing. Yes, I'm very cynical at times, but on the issue of using nukes versus self-preservation I remain optimistic until I'm proven wrong. And if that happens, well I've lived a full life but would certainly shed a tear for the horror to be visited on any who survive.

Posted by: karlof1 | May 25 2023 23:33 utc | 90

" Grandpa Putin still won't fight. SMO until Moscow is suffocated. Kremlin families will be allowed to live quietly in the West (like Saddam's).

Posted by: Sergei | May 25 2023 23:30 utc | 91 "

Many already do. People should look up how many children of Russia's political elite either study, live, or party in the evil West, including Putin's. I wonder why ?

Posted by: Deplorable Commisar | May 25 2023 23:47 utc | 91

" Anyone who believes a 'tactical' nuclear exchange would be either limited or pose no threat to human existence, should be strapped to a chair and made to watch the film Threads on repeat, until they understand the stupidity and futility of such an idea

Posted by: Rattus | May 25 2023 23:16 utc | 90 "

You must be a troll. Everyone here knows that only the US and the West will be destroyed. Russia, China, and India will come out unscathed. Try harder next time troll.

Posted by: Deplorable Commisar | May 25 2023 23:49 utc | 92

" More information is needed regarding the organ trade; identifying buyers, tracing payments; identifying those responsible for organ removal, transport and marketing are all important steps in showing the World the true nature of the Zelensky Regime and those in the West who support it without reservations. Wallace, Sunak and others have a lot to answer for.

This is a grim and horrible subject that needs to be exposed to sunlight.

Posted by: CitizenSmith | May 25 2023 21:01 utc | 66 "

Israhell is the hub of the international market for organs, Just like its the hub for the White slave trade.

Posted by: Deplorable Commisar | May 25 2023 23:54 utc | 93

Ukraine destroys 40 Russian artillery weapons in one day

Posted by: Simon | May 25 2023 23:57 utc | 94

karlof1 @ 62 / Sushi @ 88

I agree w/ karlof1 Russia won't use nukes in Ukraine, there is no gain in it militarily or politically both local and international. But Ukraine is not the problem here, modern Russia cannot defend its western boarder from Murmansk to Odessa and Crimea. That's what the nukes in Belarus and Kaliningrad are about, a clear warning, we are not going to let NATO dilute our forces along thousands of kilometers of front, and we are not going to throw 30 million Russians again at the west to defend it. We will use nuke against ex-Warsaw pact NATO bases if any attack is made on Belarus or Kaliningrad. I think that is clear and not all that tacit, the question is about the resolve behind it.

I guarantee you we will see that red-line pushed and probed in this new phase. Very gently with lots of lube at first, look for more ostensibly oddball "loose cannon" stuff like in Graivoron, Belgord. That was designed to be a clown show and to fail, maybe the dead perpetrators weren't aware of it but the Pentagon and UK planners were, the next "whacky" attack will try a little harder and fail a little less, and so on up the escalation escalator. I think the plan at this point is to push Russia exactly to where nukes are the only option for success, at which point Russia will choose sanely not to go nuclear and agree to some face saving terms of surrender very much in the west's favor. It's really the only option for victory left to the USA and NATO.

I fear if the Russians allow this giant red line to be crossed the world is in real Paul Craig Roberts disaster zone. And, I see nothing Russia can offer up militarily other than a large nuclear first strike against all the NATO bases in the east at once, somehow I doubt a Kinzhal strike on Rzeszow would get the message across, in fact I think the neocons are praying for it.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | May 26 2023 0:01 utc | 95

The organs have been harvested by the Russians in order to create an army of Frankenstein monster super-soldiers. It was on CNN last night.

Posted by: dermot | May 26 2023 0:08 utc | 96

Posted by: Sushi | May 25 2023 15:47 utc | 13

Hmmm....and if you throw away the entire F16 plane then you could send 25 tonnes (by rocket).

And the QF-16 ? Remote control, intended as Target Drones. Yes. That's the ticket. Send target drone F16's to fight Russia. At least you can save the pilots.

Posted by: kupkee | May 26 2023 0:14 utc | 97

Simon @ 96

Ukraine destroys 40 Russian artillery weapons in one day

I stopped reading Newsweek in the last year of high school, many decades ago, and that was when Newsweek was still considered good. Not only was it low quality information for people people stuck at a 9th grade reading level but it was already way back then glaringly the voice of business and the State, American Pravda but for the barely literate. IOW it was shit then, so I'm not sure what the word is to describe what it is today, but it's worse than shit.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | May 26 2023 0:18 utc | 98

Posted by: kupkee | May 26 2023 0:14 utc | 99

"Send target drone F16's to fight Russia." ??

Send target drone F16's to fly into Kerch bridge.

Posted by: Sushi | May 26 2023 0:18 utc | 99

Re: Posted by: Comandante | May 25 2023 15:33 utc | 8
“Ukranian counteroffensive statements are reaching Orwellian levels.”

I read all your “counteroffensive” manifold quotes and started laughing. I don’t know if you saw the meme, wish I could link, but it goes like this:
Zelensky on a psychiatric couch, half laying down, full of anxiety… the psychiatrist sitting very close to him saying:
“Is this counteroffensive in the room with us right now”??
Man I died laughing. Anyways, your post is spot on…
Cheers 🍻

Posted by: Trubind1 | May 26 2023 0:22 utc | 100