RUAF has captured their first intact Leopard 2 tank near Rabotyne.
https://twitter.com/GeromanAT/status/1732767543712972843

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 7 2023 14:34 utc | 3

I wanted to write something really bad about those people in kiew/lvov, but instead in just going to say:
First they came for the ones of a certsin ethnicity, but i did not care.
Then they came for the ones of a certain societal status, but i did not care.
Now they come for me, but there is noone left to care.

Posted by: Justpassinby | Dec 7 2023 15:30 utc | 5

It will be very dangerous to mobilise Kiev.
Look at it from a practical point of view: in a country as corrupt as the Ukraine, Kiev is vastly overrepresented in the rich and the well-connected. I am pretty sure even a modicum of sway, like having a family friend or relative in half-important power nodes here or there, is enough to keep Junior out of the trenches.
When Zelenski starts mobilising the people in Kiev, he will anger his own power base, both in money and in chairs, the very spine of the Ukrainian administration and money machine.
This explains why in Kiev life goes on in such a relaxed way, whilst the poor, the unconnected, the naive and the bumpkins die for the rich girls in beautiful Kiev.
As in the case of the Palestinians, this is a mixture of stupidity and fanaticism.
It will not end well for both of them.

Posted by: Augusto Pi | Dec 7 2023 16:48 utc | 7

Posted by: Augusto Pi | Dec 7 2023 16:48 utc | 7
IIRC there has already been mobilization in Kiev for a while (and even Lwow, where they now take students). However you are correct that not mobilizing steadily (leaving a couple of places completely untouched) can result in a situation down the road, where mobilization must be implemented in a very large scale from the get-go, instead of a slow and long rising introduction. That may increase the chance of revolts.
However, how mobilization is conducted may be more semantics at this point. AFU recruitment goals have fallen short, some put it at 20 % of initial goals, and some more pessimistic reports have put it at even 8 % of goals. Consequentially, mobilization methods have become even more wide spread and aggressive, which will inevitably lead to more anger. It is a spiral of death.
The German Bundestag deputy said there are 600k Ukrainians in EU and of which 200k in Germany. He wanted to send them back to Ukraine. Liberals and greens in EU are desperate enough that they are ready to dump their new population base back to Ukraine, which is telling. They are in deep pain of the prospects in Ukraine. The end game is nearing.

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 7 2023 17:02 utc | 9

Does anyone know how accurate the information on the legitimniy telegram channel is? If it’s even half true, yikes. It’s not looking good for Zelensky or Ukraine.

Posted by: bored | Dec 7 2023 17:58 utc | 11

‘Let’s see them try to call Russia a gas station’ – Putin
The economy is no longer dependent on energy, according to the Russian president
The Russian economy, which has expanded by 3.2% so far this year, has been growing largely due to non-energy-related sectors, President Vladimir Putin said during his address at VTB Bank’s ‘Russia Calling’ forum on Thursday.
According to Putin, the largest share of the country’s economic growth comes from non-resource-based industries, namely manufacturing, transport, logistics, construction, information technologies, communications, housing and communal services.
“These [sectors] accounted for 54% of economic growth in the second quarter of the year, another 44% were the so-called supporting industries – trade and public catering,” he stated.
Meanwhile, resource development accounted for only 2% of the growth in the period, the president noted.
“Now let’s see them try to call Russia a gas station,” Putin said, referring to comments by Western politicians who have on numerous occasions used this term to illustrate that Russia’s economy is too dependent on energy exports and is therefore weak.
Meanwhile, Putin acknowledged that not all sectors of the economy have adjusted to operating under Western sanctions. For instance, wood processing, which “was largely tied to European markets,” is still lagging, along with the automotive industry, which is dependent on foreign components. Putin noted, however, that these industries are also “gradually emerging from the crisis.”

Posted by: rpst | Dec 7 2023 18:44 utc | 13

⚡️🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ Front #Summary for 7 Dec 2023 by 19:15⚡️
🔹In #Kherson Direction, the AFU positions in #Krynki are still holding. Private houses and basements are being used. The entire zone of enemy control is under relentless fire from our artillery and FABs. As I wrote yesterday, attempts by the AFU to attack in other areas near the #Dnieper are not ruled out.
🔹In #Zaporozhye Direction, our units responded strongly to the AFU attack and took control of new positions north of #Verbovoye. The fighting continues. To the west there are positional battles under dense work of artillery from both sides. The AFU attack near #Rabotino was unsuccessful. Our army is holding the lines.
🔹In #SouthDonetsk Direction, our army is conducting methodical attacks towards #Staromayorskoye and #Urozhaynoye, without changes in the frontline yet.
▪️ In #Maryinka’s outskirts battles are raging nonstop. Our forces are pushing back the remnants of the AFU garrison.
🔹In #Donetsk Direction around #Avdeyevka, the weather has worsened, with wet snowfall. Despite this, there was serious fighting on the outskirts of the Coke Plant. Our military is being assisted by aviation. There are also fierce battles in #Steponoye. On the southern flank, there is relative calm. Our forces are entrenched in the industrial zone and are engaged in positional battles. In #Avdeyevka itself, an AFU observation post was destroyed by a guided aerial bomb.
🔹In #Bakhmut Direction, our forces are fighting at a key height from which the entire #Kleshcheyevka is controlled. Heavy long range artillery is working on the AFU positions. Heavy fighting continues on the northern flank of the city. Ours are trying to take control of the road to Chasov Yar, where important heights are located. From #Belogorovka, attacks continue at #Vesyoloye. It is reported from the field that over the past two days our army has occupied more than 10 strong points, an excellent pace.
🔹In #Svatovo Directions near #Terny, our army keeps the initiative and continues the offensive, there is an advance. At #Petropavlovka and #Sinkovka, ours have deployed serious forces, and we believe in new successes for the Russian army.

https://t.me/sitreports/19100

Posted by: Down South | Dec 7 2023 18:53 utc | 15

@ Tooting Boy | Dec 7 2023 18:55 utc | 16
+100 for quoting Steve Earle.

Posted by: malenkov | Dec 7 2023 20:15 utc | 17

@DownSouth thanks for these updates; they’re a succinct way to keep up on the battlefield.
Looks like Zelensky really fucked wasting all those resources on trying to retake Artemosvk. A big blunder that the RF exploited.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 7 2023 20:18 utc | 19

@ pSi | Dec 7 2023 20:19 utc | 20
Of course, the truth is that they’re all “Israeli” assets.

Posted by: malenkov | Dec 7 2023 20:29 utc | 21

@18,
Why I usually disagree with most of your statements, you might be right. I also don’t believe that anyone will stop funding the meatgrinder in Ukraine. They see those ukrainian people as expandable anyway as long as they do damage to Russia. What is happening now is just cheap theatre.
What I do agree with rk is though on the terrorism part. It seems that FSB is really bad at it’s job. Too many random explosions, fires, assasinations happening which after a while can add up. I am not saying that (only) imported ukrainians are to blame, there are lot of dumb russians who just do it for money or because they think that it’s better if Russia loses for some reason without thinking the actual consequences for their state.
I am glad though that Russia started using cluster munition as well. It would also help if they actually manage to blow completely all of the airports at least on the east of Dniepr until those new F-16 planes arrive next summer.

Posted by: JamesBond | Dec 7 2023 20:40 utc | 23

“Now let’s see them try to call Russia a gas station,” Putin said, referring to comments by Western politicians who have on numerous occasions used this term to illustrate that Russia’s economy is too dependent on energy exports and is therefore weak.
Posted by: rpst | Dec 7 2023 18:44 utc | 13

Oh, they will still call Russia a gas station, because that is how utterly braindead they are.
On a serious note. Being a gas station is not a bad thing. It is simply an option while not being a gas station, means not being a gas station. You need gas and fuel to power military and industry and civilian life.
Regarding the use of oil vs. “green transition”, it’s a fact of life that countries who have gas and oil will be using it longer than countries who don’t. That means they don’t need to make a quick expensive rush to other forms of energy, like the EU is doing and suiciding itself in the process.
What’s the point here? Simply it’s always better to have options vs. not having options!

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 7 2023 20:45 utc | 25

https://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2023/12/on-lighter-note.html
“On a more serious note: Russians openly state now (Alexei Leonkov) that this whole “counter-offensive” clusterfuck was specifically Mark Milley’s concept and he supervised it. Mind you, this was Chairman of JCS–this is everything you need to know about the professional level of the US top brass. Pass the blank sheets of butt-hurt report around to be filled. That explains why Milley turned out to be a sanctimonious fool who dreamed about “cutting throats” of those Russians. Any Russian officer stating that he wants “to cut throats” of American servicemen would be NSSed (Inadequacy to Service State–the last warning before being dishonorably discharged). I guess you cannot buy class for sore losers.”
smoothiex12

Posted by: chop | Dec 7 2023 21:12 utc | 27

Posted by: chop | Dec 7 2023 21:12 utc | 27
IMO nearly all US generals operate at this level of competency. The sainted Petraeus was continually predicting the success of the upcoming counteroffensive. Generals are essentially political whores whose primary skills are self-preservation and self-promotion. The officers with actual capability are majors and colonels.

Posted by: Mike R | Dec 7 2023 21:38 utc | 29

A quite remarkable bit of news I just found.
Seems an oil tanker is unloading oil in Norfolk, Virginia at a private storage facility not too far from the naval base. The ship, according to marine traffic loaded its cargo of oil at a Russian Black sea port. I kid you not. The video below is from an excellent non political channel that provides excellent data daily on world shipping
https://youtu.be/Hbo5NeAdNrI?si=5VAYKm_BI-0yhXqe

Posted by: Eoin Clancy | Dec 7 2023 22:25 utc | 31

Posted by: Mike R | Dec 7 2023 21:38 utc | 29
“…The officers with actual capability are majors and colonels….and destined to remain so.

Posted by: bevin | Dec 7 2023 22:37 utc | 33

rk | 18
I agree that the US isn’t going to end their Chaos Machine in the Ukraine. I am suggesting the US/NATO will end their overt military investment and return to an even more robust Eastern Galician Operation Gladio than their pre-2014 presence.
I’m trying to guess what the US optics on losing Ukraine will look like to tarnish Biden’s 2024 race the least possible.

Posted by: Eric Blair | Dec 7 2023 22:52 utc | 35

bevin | Dec 7 2023 22:42 utc | 34

And Israel is owned by the bi-partisan Military Industrial Complex which brings us back to where we started: a ruling class owning the means of production.AND DESTRUCTION.

Fixed!

Posted by: Seer | Dec 7 2023 23:08 utc | 37

Posted by: Surferket | Dec 7 2023 23:14 utc | 38
LOL!
Who will take those words seriously?

Posted by: Naive | Dec 7 2023 23:59 utc | 39

“”That explains why Milley turned out to be a sanctimonious fool who dreamed about “cutting throats” of those Russians. Any Russian officer stating that he wants “to cut throats” of American servicemen would be NSSed (Inadequacy to Service State–the last warning before being dishonorably discharged). I guess you cannot buy class for sore losers.”
smoothiex12
Posted by: chop | Dec 7 2023 21:12 utc | 27
Thanks for reminding us of the genocidal tendencies of the Hegemon. When the goals of any military option are reduced to “kill-kill-kill” one knows that there is an implacable insanity underpinning it. It is no longer “war.” For so many years of my life I believed that we (the West) fought for a noble purpose. Killing Russians for the sake of it is an ignoble purpose…same as aggressively targeting Hamas at the expense of thousands of innocent civilians.

Posted by: Activist Potato | Dec 8 2023 0:26 utc | 41

Posted by: Activist Potato | Dec 8 2023 0:35 utc | 42
They don’t have the troops anyway. It is all bluster.

Posted by: Bemildred | Dec 8 2023 0:44 utc | 43

It’s clear that Russias intention was never to dismantle Ukraine but to just eliminate the current regime which is illegitimate anyway.
Posted by: JamesBond | Dec 7 2023 22:31 utc | 32
It’s clear to me- has been since the pull back from Kharkov and Kherson- that the Russian plan was from the beginning to break US hegemony. Nobody believed for a moment that Zelensky would be allowed to sign any treaty with Russia, nor did anyone believe that if by some miracle that occurred, it would be implemented. Negotiating that ultra-soft deal was propaganda, a seizure of the moral high ground. Putin was put in power after the traitor Yeltsin precisely because he understood that the US is an implacable enemy committed to the destruction of the Russian state and the pillaging of its resources. However, he came to power when Russia had already been wrecked, and was too weak to assert itself. All this nonsense about Putin sucking up to the west, siding with the west against the global south, is simply how a weak state plays for time to strengthen itself for an inevitable struggle. Putin and company’s strategy has been wildly successful domestically, economically, internationally, and militarily. The continuation of the kinetic phase of the Ukraine war hurts the west badly in every possible way, gaining it nothing, while strengthening Russia, China, and the entire global south. Putin always knew that the war would not be between Russia and Ukraine, but between Russia and the US. Ukraine is just the current battle ground, and it’s not in Russia’s interest- or anyone else’s- to shift the kinetic phase to a different battle ground. Fighting in Ukraine is accomplishing the primary goals of the war.

Posted by: Honzo | Dec 8 2023 0:59 utc | 45

Negotiating that ultra-soft deal was propaganda, a seizure of the moral high ground.
Posted by: Honzo | Dec 8 2023 0:59 utc | 45

This is delusional. The terms of the deal were never made public and only leaked a year and a half later.
There was no propaganda there, the grandpas in the Kremlin were truly ready to do a mix of Minsk-3 and Brest-Litovsk-2

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Dec 8 2023 1:04 utc | 47

“What NATO now faces is having to take more extreme decisions that are going to run the risk of widening this war up to this point (…) As the situation in Ukraine grows more desperate from the standpoint of NATO being able to sustain its forces, the United States may try to insert its own conventional army units into the battle. If that happens, the one they’re going to get wiped out again, it’s going to raise the risk of this escalating into a nuclear conflict, not that Russia would initiate it, but that the United States, in desperation, is not going to have any other cards to play. That’s the real concern here, that the United States has convinced itself that it has a lot more capability than it really does,” Johnson concluded.

He is very right there. It is a one way ticket, unless someone neuters the USA administration.
Posted by: whirlX | Dec 8 2023 0:17 utc | 40

As we have discussed many times, and as none of the pro-Russian Western commentators seem to realize or dare point out (Paul Craig Roberts, who is not pro-Russian, and who I don’t have sympathy for at all, is the only one talking about this) Putin will too be at fault if we do get to a nuclear war.
Crimea in 2014 was a textbook operation — they got it done quickly and before anyone could react.
Had 2022 been done properly — meaning the groundwork having been laid out inside Ukraine, sufficient forces having been dedicated to the task (they really needed only double what they went in with given what happened in critical failure points like Nikolaev, Sumy, Kharkov, etc.), and none of that pseudohumanitarian BS that handcuffed the army for so long (and which ended up only ensuring a mass slaughter eventually) — this could have been finished before the US had the chance to be put in the situation where it could consider sending its own forces.
If you remember, they pulled the embassies out of Kiev and looked quite genuinely scared.
And after the failure of the initial push, Putin had plenty of tools to block Western transfer of weapons, and thus escalation, but chose not to do so and to only invite further escalation.
Well, here we are now…

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Dec 8 2023 1:24 utc | 49

“..This is delusional. The terms of the deal were never made public and only leaked a year and a half later…” shаdοwbanned | Dec 8 2023 1:04 utc | 47
It is unlikely that the terms of the deal were leaked. Terms, very likely were in order to convey a certain impression. But it is unlikely that the complete, which is to say real, terms have been leaked.
As for Brest Litovsk II you are, of course, joking.
Russia has been offering concessions to NATO for years but NATO cannot accept them, as Russia knows, because its raison d’etre disappears once it has a post confrontational relationship with Russia.
The perception therefore that Russia is always retreating is flawed- Russia is constantly scoring diplomatic points. And while it it does not gain (or lose) in Europe it is going from triumph to triumph, diplomatically, everywhere else.
In Asia, Africa and Latin America Russian influence has never been anything like as strong as it is today.
And it is getting stronger at a time when the NATO campaign to ostracise Russia is still in full swing, thus providing irreverent peole everywhere with a laugh every minute.

Posted by: bevin | Dec 8 2023 1:32 utc | 51

OT, but Hunter Biden is apparently being accused of something and being indicted of several felonies. Say hello to democrat candidate Gavin Newsom?
Returning to Austin and Kerry, they are probably a reflection of Biden’s distress. They might still cook up some mega false flag yet, for similar reasons Netanyahu wants to keep the war going forever.

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 8 2023 2:06 utc | 53

Some videos for today.
Russian Msta-B howitzer destroys enemy self-propelled howitzer near the DPR’s Soledar:
https://rutube.ru/video/ce91d7dd3440241d60217da5e7d920c3/
Russian Lancets destroy enemy radar and communication stations in Kherson oblast:
https://rutube.ru/video/e879a4d5f1759464dd52c22ad7411096/
Russian Su-34 drops guided bomb on enemy troop concentration near Kupyansk:
https://rutube.ru/video/16c9573da4412f50b5dc2f6705100916/
Russian mortar team in action:
https://rutube.ru/video/76447c6cf30f67aeee174ab4fd08ebd0/

Posted by: Nate | Dec 8 2023 2:10 utc | 55

@ 52.
Hmm, what are the odds that when Russia clears the Donbass and movies on to take Kharkov, you’ll still whinge?
I bet when the Maidan regime & the zombie Ukrainian polity is gone and Bendra’s ghoulish ideology has gone from the grave to the sewer.
You’ll say the Kremlin didn’t win the war properly. Despite your own proposals being stupid, meatheaded & detached from material reality.

Posted by: Urban Fox | Dec 8 2023 3:10 utc | 57

Re: Posted by: bevin | Dec 8 2023 1:32 utc | 51

The perception therefore that Russia is always retreating is flawed- Russia is constantly scoring diplomatic points. And while it it does not gain (or lose) in Europe it is going from triumph to triumph, diplomatically, everywhere else.
In Asia, Africa and Latin America Russian influence has never been anything like as strong as it is today.
And it is getting stronger at a time when the NATO campaign to ostracise Russia is still in full swing, thus providing irreverent peole everywhere with a laugh every minute.

Dddd
Oh my goodness – you’re completely delusional!
You need to understand and read up on some recent history.
In July 1991 something called the Warsaw Pact – which was controlled by the Russians and run from Moscow and had 8 countries in Eastern Europe effectively as vassals of the Russians – was dissolved.
Do you know what the case is now?
7 of those 8 countries are members of NATO!! As are 3 Soviet Republics as well!!
The only country that was a member of the Warsaw Pact that isn’t a member of NATO is Russia!!
And you call that stunning retreat ”a perception”!!
Oh boy are you deluded.
You urgently need to study recent history to have any grasp pf what is going on buddy.

Posted by: Julian | Dec 8 2023 3:13 utc | 59

And after the failure of the initial push, Putin had plenty of tools to block Western transfer of weapons, and thus escalation, but chose not to do so and to only invite further escalation.
Well, here we are now…
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Dec 8 2023 1:24 utc | 49

I hear your frustration. One expects a learning curve when undertaking a new project. I remember when Putin was going to China to practice martial arts. He has shown spirit, determination and courage when he stood up against the whole West in Donbass. Which country stood up against the US-Israel alliance to defend Gaza? None yet.
Putin has managed an extremely complex situation and he has shown a lot of human qualities in so doing. Putin has given his “colleages” in the West all the chances they need to come up with constructive proposals for a peaceful resolution. However he “knows” that the US wants a fight. The real enemies of Russia are the US and I guess the UK based elites and they are waiting for a Russian weakness to go in attack mode. Putin is getting training for his military in Ukraine and he is procuring new types of weapons while he enforces his red line.
The US is more likely than Russia to show some weakness because the US Empire has a much larger patch of land and sea to control than Russia does.

Posted by: Richard L | Dec 8 2023 3:17 utc | 61

Posted by: whirlX | Dec 8 2023 3:12 utc | 58

Yes, every country in that part of the world that ends in -stan, the Russian is an official language.

I wrote except for my list !
China was not in my list because I hope with China it is better now.
If it weren’t better and in my list too, I would be very very unhappy here.
Although the first offer of Kim Yo-jong (ammunition and 50 000 soldiers) was perceived by me as trolling by China. For me at that time this offer was very strange, but it revealed the real problems at that time. After this strange offer, Kremel change many there in Ukrain. In any case, Korea/China are monitoring the situation very closely.

Those countries are temporary concessions to Turks and Iranians and they got to get them ready for Belt and Road project.

let us call it the next kremel drama. I hope i m wrong and you are right

Posted by: theo | Dec 8 2023 3:44 utc | 63

rk, Julian & Shadowbanned
Game over losers, move along!
@ A Pi, fuck you!
Just watch Putin strutting around the UAE & KSA, guess who’s got that winning feeling?
Austin’s telling everyone Americans are going to have to fight Russia if no funding can be found for Ukraine, what a dropkick!

Posted by: Suresh | Dec 8 2023 4:14 utc | 65

The Biden administration is openly threatening Americans over Ukraine. In a classified briefing in the House yesterday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin informed members that if they don’t appropriate more money for Zelensky, “we’ll send your uncles, cousins, and sons to fight Russia.”/strong>
Words from a poker table. Don’t bother with this.

Posted by: jean levant | Dec 8 2023 4:56 utc | 67

“If that happens, the one they’re going to get wiped out again, it’s going to raise the risk of this escalating into a nuclear conflict, not that Russia would initiate it, but that the United States, in desperation, is not going to have any other cards to play. That’s the real concern here, that the United States has convinced itself that it has a lot more capability than it really does,” Johnson concluded.
A pity this Johnson is not the Johnson from the House.

Posted by: jean levant | Dec 8 2023 5:38 utc | 69

For 25 years “The West” has been engaged in an orgy of genocidal slaughter across MENA that has left tens of millions dead. Over this same period Putin has brought Russia from a broken collapsed failed state to a superpower that can face down The Empire and win. Putin’s program is to stop the slaughter that has been ongoing for a quarter of a century. In 500 years Putin will be famous as one of the greatest statesmen of all time. Lavrov has conquered 2/3 of the planet with his diplomacy. Gerasimov has destroyed the greatest imperial army in history with losses of 1 to 5.
Any posters here who think they could have done a better job than Putin Lavrov and Gerasimov have an extraordinarily deluded view of their own abilities.

Posted by: Tim | Dec 8 2023 7:17 utc | 71

The warv is not over. The west, elite and common people, specially in EU are eager to hurt and defeat Russia.
The west is so evil, prepared and mad. They see this as a big chance.

Posted by: zorge | Dec 8 2023 7:23 utc | 73

It’s really not much use to us honest seekers of truth to be led by our noses to some limited hangout , gate keepers hostelry to sup from their insidious chalices.
So the likes of the ‘ex-cia’ and edgy historians or some shock jock who have been fishing for shoals of minnows can be safely ignored.
Don’t believe me? Well you do know that once a spook always a spook don’t y’all?
All that you can be is some turncoat or double or triple agent but your loyalties will always be with your kith and kin. Your secrecy contracts always enforced. secretly.
Only real enemies already long since planted in the bosom of the 5+1 Eyed Golom empires secret services can be trusted and the odd ones who have been incarcerated or executed without trial.
Listen, again!
There is NO such thing as Left without Right.
No Marxism without Capitalism.
No Pepsi without coke.
There is only them few above and us many slaves below.
Economics is just another religion to control the masses.
So save me from listening to dumb red/brown bridging Alt media whores – I’ll take my ale real as it comes or a fine unblended spirit, straight – no sugary fizz to hide the true flavours.
While the ‘to the last Ukrops’ go to their slave fate as dictated by the ancient Shapeshifters who refuse to yield control – we know we will only come blinking out of the caves when they have been permanently removed from being our owners. The multipolarists know who they are and they also know there are some already shapeshifted into their camps – to rise and take over like a cancer from the ashes, if the worse happens to their current plans.
That is why they do not NEED a reverse gear. They have all eventualities planned and know they will rise again in a few generations when the rest of humanity has forgotten their works of today. And centuries past.
After all it is THEM who have proceeded with the assassinations of rival leaders already. Nevermind the internecine bear pit where the bloody circus also goes on for the dumb amusement of the Collective Wastes masses. It has nothing to do with the fate of the peoples of that borderland.
We can only hope the multipolar wisemen are not weak enough to let them exist and risk the future of nearly emancipated humanity again.

Posted by: DunGroanin | Dec 8 2023 8:47 utc | 75

Cards are opened‼️
Antony Blinken: “90% of the security assistance we provided has actually been spent here in the United States”
Blinken openly calls the tragedy that is happening in Ukraine “a win-win” and an opportunity for the US economic growth – and wants to keep going!

https://twitter.com/onlydjole/status/1733042964128031172
Looks like there are no more BS arguments of defending democracy to be made re. Ukraine. Another declare-victory-and-leave moment.

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 8 2023 9:52 utc | 77

The mobilization failed almost completely – the dismissal of military commissars did not help, and in order to somehow save the current situation, raids on TCC officers became more frequent.
Thus, the Poltava military registration and enlistment office fulfilled only 13% of the mobilization plan, in Sumy – 8%, Odessa did not report at all, but there is also a clear shortage of personnel there. And in Zaporozhye, people liable for military service will now be searched from home – 21 search teams have already been assembled in the city, groups have been formed by district.
In the morning hours they work together with representatives of households – they make door-to-door visits. Representatives of the military registration and enlistment offices also visit monasteries, causing nightmares for monks and parishioners. Also, more and more videos are appearing on the Internet with military commissars raiding gyms in Western Ukraine – summonses are handed out to both visitors and trainers.
At the same time, “evil tongues” claim that out of hopelessness, military commissars even began to attract commercial firms to “cooperation”, which make money on every mobilized person.
And in Ukrainian politics they constantly say that the authorities need to make unpopular decisions, since there is a shortage in the armed defense forces, not to mention the fact that someone can be called up and replace those who have been demobilized.

https://t.me/rezident_ua/20745

Posted by: Down South | Dec 8 2023 10:08 utc | 79

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 7 2023 20:18 utc | 19
No problem!

Posted by: Down South | Dec 8 2023 10:10 utc | 81

Dmitry Medvedev:
“Primitive blackmail of the US Congress
The Biden administration is not new at all and has historical precedents. “Give money to our guy (insert the desired last name), otherwise we’ll have to start a war with the Russians,” – this is what various American presidents said at different times, extorting dollars from their legislators.
The question today is different:
1. Never have they extorted so much money for a minor state that is in the process of collapse.
2. Never have they so aggressively and brazenly extracted money for a country that openly corrupted the current President of the United States and members of his family.
3. Never since the Cuban Missile Crisis has the threat of a direct clash between Russia and NATO leading to the Third World War been so real.
This is a new phenomenon in American political discourse, created by the Joint Stock Company “Joe, Hunter and Associates”. They face the prospect of impeachment (which is unlikely) and losing the elections (which is very likely). Hence the boorish blackmail, continuous hysteria and wild hints addressed to us.
The Administration and their frightened fosterling Ukraine, of course, will receive the money. Not now, but in the new year. To continue business during the war at any cost. And for these dollars new rivers of blood will flow, for which the Biden family and all their Bandera Ukrainian bastard are responsible.

https://t.me/geromanat/15051

Posted by: Down South | Dec 8 2023 10:13 utc | 83

@ Norwegian | Dec 7 2023 20:32 utc | 22
@ jean levant | Dec 8 2023 4:49 utc | 66
Setting up a new wad of Nazi ratlines.

Posted by: John Kennard | Dec 8 2023 10:26 utc | 85

Yes, I say the work has been done properly, even brilliantly contrary to you and more sadly many pro-russians (normal, not serial doomers like you). In a few days, Russia managed to take under control around 1/5 of Ukraine, in spite of all the ISR ( they saw nothing coming) and a bigger enemy army. They dodged all the traps set for them by the American proxy, in the Donbass where it waited for the Russians. As for the push to Kiev, it was a bluff, yes, and it failed, yes, but if you are in charge of a nation and you have the slightest chance to spare your people a long war, you MUST try it first.
Posted by: jean levant | Dec 8 2023 5:16 utc | 68

You have no idea what you are talking about.
The only place where things worked out properly was Kherson. Taken without a fight because that had been already arranged with the local powers.
Meanwhile you had Russian tanks casually strolling into Kharkov with orders not to shoot expecting the same treatment as in Kherson, but something very different happened there.
Why did that happen if everything had been done “brilliantly”? Where would we be now if Kharkov and Nikolaev (and then Odessa) had been taken the same ways as Kherson?
And to really rub it all in, in the end what did Kherson get as a reward for its cooperation? It ended up surrendered without a fight, depopulated, and repeatedly bombed.

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Dec 8 2023 10:30 utc | 87

A single ammunition factory in Russia produces more artillery shells and tank rounds than the entire NATO combined.

Ukrainian sources again complaining about Russian ammo production (this just from one plant). So according to this source, one plant alone will produce over 1,250,000 rounds.
In particular, for 2024, only at the facilities of one JSC “V.V. Bakhirev State Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering” (Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod region) the following ammunition production is planned:
– 60 thousand units of 203 mm artillery ammunition (this is almost three times more than planned for 2023);
– 683.5 thousand units of 152 mm artillery shells (this is 18% more than planned for 2023);
– 270 thousand 125 mm tank rounds (an increase compared to this year it is almost 14%);
– 252.7 thousand 122 mm artillery shells (here the increase is insignificant – up to 5%).
In general, the Russian military command expects to receive from its military-industrial complex in 2024 almost a third more “freshly made” ammunition across their entire range than in 2023.
“>https://twitter.com/simpatico771/status/1732929728447644156

A single Russian ammunition plant (one of several) is apparently on track to produce more shells than the entire North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2024.
The takeaway here isn’t Russia being an industrial juggernaut – it’s not hard to make shells – it’s Western collapse.
https://twitter.com/ArmchairW/status/1732973810687881230

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 8 2023 11:02 utc | 89

Our source in the OP said that at the last headquarters it was decided to transfer all reserves and Western equipment to Avdeevka in order to hold the city.
At Bankova they stopped the counter-offensive in the south and no longer believe in the ability to break through the enemy’s defenses, but the loss of Avdiivka will deal a blow to Ukrainian positions.

https://t.me/rezident_ua/20746

Posted by: Down South | Dec 8 2023 11:49 utc | 91

Latest western MSM cope.
Since they can no longer hide there are demonstration of family members of AFU soldiers. MSM says they are demonstrating against their “loved once being in the front since the beginning of the war and tired”. Not a word on the entire AFU being rolled over 3x and those in the front were probably gone in the first 3 months. There is probably very few ATO veterans or even anyone from February 2022 left.

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 8 2023 12:27 utc | 93

Looks like Biden is desperate and will agree to demands by Republicans for funds for a border wall in exchange for 100 billion for Ukraine and Israel.

Posted by: bored | Dec 8 2023 12:52 utc | 95

Posted by: bored | Dec 8 2023 12:52 utc | 95
If they plow more several $100 billions USD into black hole laundromat, then we might looking at 6 % treasury yields or even catastrophic implosion by the end of next year followed by gold skyrocketing. Especially in conjunction of losing the share of global oil trade.

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 8 2023 13:07 utc | 97

Good News:

America prides itself as the world’s arsenal of democracy. Now the great arsenal is drying up because of political paralysis. Despite warnings that funds for Ukraine would run out by the end of the year, on December 6th Republicans in the Senate blocked a bill to provide emergency spending to support Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other national-security priorities.
What should be a bipartisan bill has become hostage to a deeply partisan issue. Even pro-Ukraine Republicans insist that, in exchange for approving the $111bn package, Democrats should agree to tough curbs on migration across America’s southern border. President Joe Biden admits that the border system is “broken” but has rejected Republican demands as “extreme”. Negotiations will go on. Yet if they run into 2024, as some in Congress fear, it will become ever harder to reach a deal in a feverish election season.

The Senate blocked aid for Ukraine. Now what?(economist)
The upshot seems to be no new money until sometime in late Winter, at “best”. You can just smell the fear now. Kind of reminds me of Vietnam War period when it was coming to an end. Another bloody farce.

Posted by: Bemildred | Dec 8 2023 13:28 utc | 99