Ukraine Open Thread 2024-009
Only for news & views directly related to the war in Ukraine.
The current open thread for other issues is here.
Please stick to the topic. Contribute facts. Do not attack other commentators.
Posted by b on January 11, 2024 at 15:35 UTC | Permalink
next page »Does anyone think, like Dima does, that Austin got injured or died during a Russian missile raid on the Ukraine?
There has been so many rumours of officials dying and yet always turn up at a later date such that I am cynical about all such rumours.
How many cases of prostate cancer does the military hospital that treated Austin treat in one year ? If the answer is 1 then it is not surprising Austin is still in recovery .
Posted by: Cheryl | Jan 11 2024 16:23 utc | 3
I just disbelieve any reporting coming from official US. That has stood me in good stead many, many times!
Posted by: g wiltek | Jan 11 2024 16:26 utc | 4
https://weapons.substack.com/p/ukraine-in-dire-need-of-new-air-defenses
Ukraine now in Dire Need of New Air Defenses!
Posted by: chop | Jan 11 2024 16:32 utc | 5
Anyone who has the USA as a friend doesn't need (....)
.
Uh, how many countries can sing a song about it?
Posted by: ossi | Jan 11 2024 16:33 utc | 6
Absolutely no fear of Russia or rush to negotiate peace. No way this war ends in a year or two. This is Vietnam 2.0.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy rules out a ceasefire with Russia, saying Moscow would use it to rearm
Posted by: bored | Jan 11 2024 16:33 utc | 7
Ukraine now in Dire Need of New Air Defenses!
Posted by: chop | Jan 11 2024 16:32 utc | 5
.
Ukraine already has about 27% of all NATO systems
In addition to Turkey's, as is well known, there are the S300 and S400 from the Russians
Posted by: ossi | Jan 11 2024 16:35 utc | 8
@bored | Jan 11 2024 16:33 utc | 7.
This is Vietnam 2.0.
So you think the U.S. are losing this war too?
Posted by: dustbunny | Jan 11 2024 16:40 utc | 9
"Absolutely no fear of Russia or rush to negotiate peace. No way this war ends in a year or two. This is Vietnam 2.0."
A rabid dog shows no fear! One cure only, kill it!
"This is Vietnam 2.0.
So you think the U.S. are losing this war too?"
Ha ha, made my day!!
Posted by: g wiltek | Jan 11 2024 16:43 utc | 10
Guess with the Houthis in the Red Sea already depleting the ship missiles it's time for USA to recaclculate how many Patriots they will need for themselves in the future.
Posted by: SOS | Jan 11 2024 16:44 utc | 11
Austin's supposed issue is now far beyond a simple prostate biopsy but actually the removal of his prostate which is a multi-hour operation. And then supposedly he went bad with a UTI that are not uncommon after such surgery-- why wouldn't he be put on prophylactic antibodies?? Given how apparently fucked up the American command authority is now, I'm betting the prostate thing is a cover for a KIA or at least a serious wounding of ole Lloyd while in Ukie land and they have to find a body double and good cover story down. We'll see...
Posted by: DakotaRog | Jan 11 2024 16:45 utc | 12
"Does anyone think, like Dima does, that Austin got injured or died during a Russian missile raid on the Ukraine?
There has been so many rumours of officials dying and yet always turn up at a later date such that I am cynical about all such rumours."
Posted by: canuck | Jan 11 2024 16:14 utc | 2
Until they open the box, or casket or body bag, all things are possible. Schrodinger's cat.
Posted by: Mary | Jan 11 2024 16:49 utc | 13
@canuck....being the leprechaun I am, the first thing that crossed my my mind when I heard rumor of Mr Austin's incapacitation was that he had a visit from Dr Kinzhal.
Cheers M
.....with all the resurrections of 'dead' officials lately, is the Second Coming that far off.....
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Jan 11 2024 16:49 utc | 14
Newsflash Neo-Barbarians
The Russian Winter Offensive has failed spectacularly. The Russian industrial base is done for. That's why Russia is paying N Korea for missiles and 155 arty.
Believe all the propaganda you want, but at some point even deaf and blind people can figure out what's going on. Alas, the MoA losers are keeping hope alive.
Posted by: Arch Bungholer | Jan 11 2024 17:17 utc | 15
It would take something as powerful as a kinzhal to knock out an asshole as huge as Austin.
Posted by: comrade simba | Jan 11 2024 17:19 utc | 16
⚡️🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ Front #Summary for 11 Jan 2024 by 18:31⚡️🔹In #Kherson Direction, clashes in #Krynki and attempts by our forces to eliminate the AFU foothold turned the territory into a "lunar landscape" where the AFU move in small groups from basement to basement. According to a Western analyst, about 300 AFUshniks hold on in an area of less than 1 square km. And ours can't do anything yet. Artillery is covering the enemy from the right bank. However, there are reports that both Russian artillery and drones hit the AFU location, several boats and a hangar with EW in the area of #Sablukovka.
🔹In #Zaporozhye Direction, the AFU tried to counterattack at #Verbovoye, but our forces repulsed the attack. Ours, in turn, continue their combat work to cover #Rabotino from three sides. During the day, we managed to move southwest of the village.
🔹In #SouthDonetsk Direction, our military is fighting their way along the forest belt northwest of #Maryinka. Somewhere it was possible to push the AFU, somewhere, not yet. Our fighters continue to bypass #Novomikhaylovka from the south, expanding the control zone on the #Solonenka beam. #Novomikhaylovka itself is on fire and in smoke from the blows of our artillery and aviation, some AFU forces retreated to the northeast, ours managed to gain a foothold on farms.
🔹In #Donetsk Direction, our army managed to advance south of the treatment facilities at #Avdeyevka Coke Plant. The positions at #Pervomayskoye have been tactically improved. Fierce fighting continues in the remaining areas, which have not yet brought significant success.
🔹In #Bakhmut Direction, our forces attempted an assault from #Khromovo towards #Ivanovo several times, while the enemy holds the position. The AFU remnants were dislodged by ours from positions near the cemetery south of #Bogdanovka. Our army is increasing the intensity of artillery strikes, maintaining a promising direction for the offensive. There is also a local success on the south side of the city. Our military occupied a number of enemy positions near the railway north of #Kleshcheyevka.
🔹In #Svatovo Direction, near #Terny, the AFU were able to repel the attack of our armored assault group. There is also no good news from #Sinkovka in #Kupyansk sector yet. Ours failed to improve their positions by pushing the AFU. It is reported that both attempted assaults ended with painful losses for us.
💥Our Aerospace Forces launched new strikes against military targets in #Kharkov and the region. One of them was a hotel that housed foreign mercs and advisers. Explosions also sounded in Krivoy Rog, there is no reliable information about the targets.
https://t.me/sitreports/20940
Posted by: Down South | Jan 11 2024 17:20 utc | 17
Ukrainians reacted as expected to the bill on total mobilization - people are fleeing the country, and the actions of the TCC members provoked a deep split and rejection of the government’s innovations among the population.Thus, many Ukrainians rushed to the borders to escape from the country, but although the bill has not yet been adopted, when leaving, privileged categories of citizens, those with many children, the disabled, and volunteers, have already begun to ask permission to leave from the TCC. Despite the fact that previously those leaving only needed a document confirming the benefit. At the borders, border guards explained that the rules for crossing the border for men of military age had been tightened. True, the speaker of the State Border Service, Andrei Demchenko, disowned what was happening and said that there have been no changes in the rules for crossing the border, but the border guards are conducting a “thorough check of the conditions of departure.”
However, Ukrainians are being subjected to “nightmares” not only at the border. They are trying to hand over summonses at checkpoints, and New Year's Day was marked by massive "transport" raids - videos from Odessa are being widely distributed on the Internet, where men of mobilization age are pulled right out of buses and trolleybuses. And Ukrainians cannot count on an improvement in the situation in the future - the concessions that are planned to be given during the adoption and discussion of the mobilization bill will not change the anti-people nature of the initiative.
As a result, the not yet adopted, but de facto already working bill on total mobilization resulted in an even greater decline in the morale of Ukrainians, a decrease in support for the army and Zelensky’s course (even despite the president’s attempts to shift all responsibility for mobilization to Zaluzhny).
https://t.me/rezident_ua/21152
Posted by: Down South | Jan 11 2024 17:23 utc | 18
As we predicted, it’s too early to bring the mobilization bill to the floor, there’s no one to vote on.The preliminary figures reported to Ermak are 160-170 deputies. The debate ended at 2 am. The way out is to return the bill to the Cabinet of Ministers for revision!!
The official statement was issued by the leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, David Arakhamia:
“A closed meeting with the military command and a meeting of the Conciliation Council took place behind closed doors. Present were Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhny, Chief of the General Staff Shaptala, Defense Minister Umerov, the leadership of the Verkhovna Rada, heads of factions and committees.
There were a lot of discussions. We understand the request of the military command and are ready to meet them halfway. But not all norms can be supported. Some provisions directly violate human rights, while others are not optimally formulated.
Based on the results of the meeting, the bill is returned to the initiator. At the same time, we pass on the proposals developed in the committee and in working groups.”
“The meeting of heads of factions confirmed our information about the lack of votes to pass the bill in the first reading. After the decision of the heads of factions, the Cabinet of Ministers will withdraw the document from parliament.”
Well, now there won’t be a new law before the end of February, or even the beginning of March. This means that the chaos of the TCC will only intensify. Take care of your men‼️
https://t.me/ZeRada1/17619
Colleagues, the Office of the President has been putting pressure on the deputies all week, but was unable to collect votes. This is a blow to the mobilization track and personally to Andrei Ermak, who built this bill into the international aid agenda for Ukraine, so that we will be able to assemble a new army and carry out mobilization.According to our information, more than half of the Servant of the People deputies refused to vote even in the first reading, which is why they delayed this issue for a long time and sent it to the Cabinet of Ministers for revision.
https://t.me/rezident_ua/21154
Posted by: Down South | Jan 11 2024 17:26 utc | 19
Posted by: Arch Bungholer | Jan 11 2024 17:17 utc | 14
Winter started 2 weeks ago, so 2,5 months more to go goofy :)
Posted by: Macpott | Jan 11 2024 17:35 utc | 20
@Posted by: bored | Jan 11 2024 16:33 utc | 7
Zelensky can have whatever coke-filled delusions that he wants, but that doesn't change the fact that Ukraine is running out of men, machines and munitions while Russia goes from strength to strength. Zelensky will bloviate until the day he suddenly can't be found in Kiev because he is sipping coffee in his mansion in Florida. Classic Judas, he will leave the Ukrainians to reap the consequences of his reign.
https://t.me/NovichokRossiya/44652
The Time named a “divided Ukraine” among the main risks of 2024.▪️The magazine published a ranking of the top 10 most important risks for next year, in which point No. 3 is called “Divided Ukraine.”
▪️ “This year, Ukraine will remain de facto divided, and now Russia has the initiative on the battlefield and a material advantage,” experts write.
▪️ “2024 is a turning point in the conflict: if Ukraine does not soon solve its problems with personnel, does not increase weapons production and does not develop a realistic military strategy, its territorial losses may be permanent and possibly expand.”
▪️ “Kyiv has been hit hard by waning political and material support from the United States, and the prospects for European assistance are only slightly better. Ukraine desperately needs more troops."
▪️The Time believes that “Kyiv will take more military risks this year, including strikes on more targets inside Russia, which would provoke an unprecedented Russian response and could drag NATO into the conflict.”
This is from the Times so more likely to reflect something of a UK preference in how the conflict develops, which is interesting because the last paragraph is exactly what Ukraine forces did on Dec. 30th when they shelled Belgorod city centre with cluster bombs.
There seems to be a school of thought that these types of attacks are mainly Ukraine acting on its own initiative but this logic was rolled out for the shelling of Zap. nuclear plant where western governments betrayed their complicity by their inexcusable sanguine response … it looked like they knew it was a western controlled operation.
I guess my point is that there are many different ways to interpret the fragments of information and lies we have access to, one of which is that Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod and similar areas are carefully managed, Maria Zakharova specifically accuses the UK of being behind the Belgorod attack (*). If that is true, and it was correctly judged that Russia would respond with a big salvo of the missiles the west has made a big deal of Russia stockpiling, then the UK might have directed the Belgorod attack with the intention that high ranking NATO personnel be killed in the hopes of dragging NATO a little closer to direct confrontation with Russia.
There was a lot of speculation about high ranking westerners being caught up in Russia’s response before it was noticed that Lloyd Austin had gone missing on what is now claimed to be, and may well be, unrelated medial grounds.
(*) https://tass.com/politics/1728303
Posted by: anon2020 | Jan 11 2024 17:58 utc | 22
Posted by: g wiltek | Jan 11 2024 15:52 utc | 1
Expect to hear a story soon that Austin experience something like a tragic fall down the stairs while in the hospital, or maybe a nurse gave him the wrong dosage of pain pills and he quietly passed into the next realm.
Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Jan 11 2024 17:58 utc | 23
I'm telling you- Austin transitioned. The question is, in which direction?
Posted by: Honzo | Jan 11 2024 18:01 utc | 24
Apparently a biopsy that went bad
Posted by: g wiltek | Jan 11 2024 15:52 utc | 1
This ChatGPT source does not describe a biopsy. Rather, "minimally invasive" surgery under general anesthesia (prostatectomy, Dec 22) resulted in post-op infections of the most unexpected sort which required ICU treatment ten days later, Jan 1.
An initial evaluation found the cause to be a urinary tract infection [?!]...collections of abdominal fluid impaired the functions of his small intestines [?!]. A tube was placed through his nose to drain his stomach [?!]
Posted by: sln2002 | Jan 11 2024 18:05 utc | 25
which direction?
Posted by: Honzo | Jan 11 2024 18:01 utc | 23
Mamluk. After all, Genocide Joe has announced that he will not accept Austin's resignation.
Posted by: skn2002 | Jan 11 2024 18:08 utc | 26
One thing might explain the weirdness surrounding Austin - sex change operation? They wanted to avoid controversy so they kept it hush-hush, get ready for the trans-unveiling, barrage of woke festivities, the Blue Eagles will do rainbow chemtrails over the Pentagon.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 11 2024 18:24 utc | 27
Posted by: canuck | Jan 11 2024 16:14 utc | 2
Nah, turns out it's prostate cancer. Caused by exposure to DU?
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 11 2024 18:27 utc | 28
Posted by: Arch Bungholer | Jan 11 2024 17:17 utc | 14
How long before this idiot gets banned?
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 11 2024 18:28 utc | 29
It should be plain for anyone seriously paying attention that Maerican military dominance is greatly overstated.
From a technology standpoint the Russians and Chinese have a seemingly insurmountable lead in missile, drone, radar and EW tech. I'd argue Russian airframes are superior to Maerican ones but more importantly Western SEAD is garbage.
From an industrial standpoint the West hollowed itself out to pay for big bonuses to connected douchebags. Outsourced everything and just in time delivery means supply chains are a mess. This alone could take over a decade to fix if it is fixable. Meanwhile Russia and China have a domestic industrial base individually larger than the West multiple times over.
From a cognitive and command perspective, NATO officers are preening desk jockeys who have no real world experience fighting a peer adversary. They have spent decades 'fighting' militias exclusively using small arms without armored vehicles or air support. And losing. Doctrinally, NATO is all set to fight the next 1990s war. Too bad they haven't invented a time machine.
Skipping economic area, as it should be obvious how the sanctions played out. Liking that inflation or what Maericans?
I'm not going to talk about how idiotic the political / strategic brain trust of the West has turned. Drive Russia and China into de facto alliance? Utter geniuses these clowns.
Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Jan 11 2024 18:33 utc | 30
re: Austin. unlikely the Russians would target senior American official. However, Austin did tell the Israelis if they continued on their path in Gaza, they were headed for a strategic defeat. That probably didn't go over well.
what is truly strange is that, at least as described officially, the Pentagon did not inform the Biden administration that Austin was incapacitated in an ICU. Austin is a cabinet member and appointee of the President. Austin is also a former high-ranking military officer, and his appointment, along with Trump's first Sec Def, broke with longstanding tradition the position be held by a civilian. So at least on the surface there is an indication of palace intrigue - and anywhere else these circumstances would be discussed as such.
Posted by: jayc | Jan 11 2024 18:40 utc | 31
osted by: Arch Bungholer | Jan 11 2024 17:17 utc | 14
How long before this idiot gets banned?
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 11 2024 18:28 utc | 28
Arch is very passionate and ubiquitous in his posts-so what? He is also quite intelligent and well read- why you want to exclude the man's opinion only illustrates your own insecurities.
Posted by: canuck | Jan 11 2024 19:10 utc | 31
Since reading comprehension seems to be an issue for you today, allow me to point out that "Arch Bungholer" is NOT Arch Bungle, but a name-thieving or at least name-mangling imposter/troll. Stop moralizing and start reading.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 11 2024 19:12 utc | 33
"NATO is all set to fight the next 1990s war."
Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Jan 11 2024 18:33 utc | 29
You hit the nail on the head: NATO's atavistic hubris will be their undoing.
Posted by: Bungholer | Jan 11 2024 17:17 utc | 14
I think we’ve found the genius who was doing the surgery around Lloyd Austin’s arse hole. No wonder the multi war losing big guy needed antibiotics and a few days AWOL.
The second part of the operation is to transplant Austin’s prostate as a new brain for Genocide Joe Biden.
It will raise Biden’s IQ by 20 points.
Posted by: Lev Davidovich | Jan 11 2024 19:19 utc | 35
Prostate biopsy with a kinzhal.
I’ll bet that hurt.
Posted by: William Gruff | Jan 11 2024 19:22 utc | 36
Come on, this is getting ridiculous now.
In Avdeevka, Russian forces are stuck. They can only progress at the snail's pace of a treeline every few weeks, and often lose them afterwards by being pushed out by the Ukrainians (yes, the army supposedly only made of refuzniks and 60-years old with no supporting artillery, but which somehow manages to counterattack). I honestly don't see the point anymore of the Avdeevka offensive. It's not even a given that they are attriting the Ukrainians.
In Novomikhailovka, Russians are also stuck. They have tried to enter several times, and have been pushed back every time by the Ukrainians (or should I say, the 60-year old refuzniks fighting only with a few WW2 guns, you know the drill). How the mighty invincible Russian army is incapable of conquering a tiny speck on the map, far away in the East, remains a mystery, at least if you buy the Martyanov version of reality.
In Sinkovka, truly boneheaded moves by the Russian forces who are doing the exact same thing the Ukies tried in summer in Zaporozhie, attacking mindlessly with armor over minefields without clearing them. Every time they get bonked, and somehow try again. It's been months Dima and Weeb union present the Sinkovka takeover as imminent, without it ever happening.
The facts are hard. The Russian army can actually defend, but is not able to meaningfully advance. The attrition case is not proven. The likeliest explanation, which has been recognized by simplicius and probably everyone apart from a few delusional American boomers being fed a Martyanov-Ritter-MacGregor diet, is that FPV drones and NATO ISR pose an intractable problem to Russian forces, and they do not have a solution for it. That's not really a indictment, because as simplicius says perhaps no army in the world is able today to find a comprehensive solution to it. Just like in WW2 where the best armies in the world were not able for 2 years to find an alternative to trench warfare.
Posted by: Micron | Jan 11 2024 19:30 utc | 37
Posted by: William Gruff | Jan 11 2024 19:22 utc | 35
We can always wish and hope.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 11 2024 19:35 utc | 38
I think the obsession with timetables reflects the need for quarterly planning by capitalists.
Russia is effectively attriting the entire West with this prolonged engagement. Arguably, the war is beneficial to Russia at this juncture. Why would they hasten to end it at enormous cost, when the wolf..looking awfully similar to a starving coyote now..simply let's go, because the cost to hold any longer is too great. It then ends at much lower cost and with greater gains..
Mark my words. Believe if you wish this stalemate nonsense. Russia is bleeding the West white.
Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Jan 11 2024 19:36 utc | 39
Posted by: Micron | Jan 11 2024 19:30 utc | 36
Ukraine's military has a major demographic problem, hence attrition is still a valid tactic, depending on what timeframes are acceptable to Russia. In the other respects, eventually FUKUSNATO is going to cross an uncrossable "red line" and then we'll see how well NATO's ISR holds up.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 11 2024 19:37 utc | 40
Posted by: Micron | Jan 11 2024 19:30 utc | 36
Careful. Your glee is palpable. Have you put up bunting?
As you pretend to despair at one single day’s report about an apparent failed Russian attack, you get so excited that you forget to mention that you and the shadowbollocks crew, slowsoft, rk, maybe julian have been imploring Russian MoD to attack for the last two years.
Many sensible people here have provided many good reasons why attacking was not a great idea and a better plan was to create defences and let the AFU attack and die en masse. Eventually the Ukrainians stopped attacking like lemmings.
So now it looks like Russian MoD has sent some units to attack, just as you wanted. And it seems that it didn’t go so well. And now you’re still not happy, sitting somewhere in the mid west of the United States maybe 10,000 miles from the front lines.
Anyway whatever it is you really want (to moan about Russian MoD seems most likely). Keep your chin up. It could all be Maskerovka, from where we are sitting it’s difficult to tell.
Posted by: Lev Davidovich | Jan 11 2024 19:47 utc | 41
Drones with autopilot homing of a selected target point and long range UA artillery firing from the roadside in order to make a quick getaway (which is a good sign, as it suggests the alternative is too risky).
https://t.me/milinfolive/114167
Several optical guidance systems for FPV kamikaze drones have been developed in Russia - Dmitry Kuzyakin, director of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions (CCBR).According to him, these optical guidance systems are still being tested on the line of combat contact, but this technology has enormous potential. Goals can be not only stationary, but also moving.
According to the director of the Central Design Bureau, in manual mode the operator pilots the drone into the area where targets are expected to appear. After finding the target, he points the search frame of the sight at it and gives the command to hold. The FPV drone then switches to “aerial homing torpedo” mode and independently finds the target, destroying it.
Let us recall that the enemy had previously announced the appearance on the front line of Russian FPV drones with automatic target acquisition and machine vision, undergoing testing.
https://t.me/milinfolive/114172
A Swedish 155-mm Archer of the Ukrainian army fires directly from the Kupyansk-Kharkov road at the intersection between the villages of Blagodatovka and Nechvolodivka.Western wheeled self-propelled guns (like MLRS) have a fairly high speed and good mobility when moving on asphalt roads, so the enemy tries to use them directly “from the wheels”, without moving far. This allows the vehicle not to get stuck in muddy roads and quickly leave the shooting area along the same road.
Posted by: anon2020 | Jan 11 2024 19:47 utc | 42
Putin has sacked an official for describing Chabad as a supremacist cult.
But see what the Moshiach of Chabad was saying about Russia and Ukraine.
The plan of Schneerson, carried out by Nuland and the Neocons, was to have Russian Slav fight Ukrainian Slav, emptying out Ukraine for Jewish reclamation of their Khazar homeland. In addition to Israel.
It's getting there. And Putin has proclaimed that any Israeli with a Russian passport is welcome to return. The territory will be part of Russia. This is after getting the blessings of Solzhenitsyn of Two Hundred Years Together.
Putin has put the Second World War at the heart of Russian identity, so demonising Hitler's Germany and the 'Nazis'. Jewish media power in Ukraine has redefined the Ukrainians as 'Nazi'-identifiers, of a variety that would be quite a surprise to the Germans of the 40s. And he has lent himself to the extermination of these 'Nazis'. The Holocaust lie was decisively nailed by the opening of the Auschwitz archives under Yeltsin. Putin has had them securely sealed up again.
Putin has also said that the final solution in Palestine must be a two-state solution that does not undermine Israel's security in the Middle East. Rather than, say, shifting the genocidal nation to Patagonia, to their fallback homeland, three times the size of Palestine and guarded by Israeli security.
Putin has gratuitously weakened Iran's position by proclaiming that the island of Abu Musa belongs to the UAE.
Like Erdogan, Putin has made a show of sympathy for Gazans while submitting to Netanyahu's bullying regarding an aid station in Gaza.
The situation in the Middle East is complicated by the presence of Sisi, a halachic Jew, Erdogan, a likely Dönmeh, and the Saudi clan, reputedly Baghdadi Jews.
Perhaps the same force that put them in place also gave the green light to Putin as Yeltsin's successor. One wonders, is Putin some sort of Jew? A Russian Jew 'patriot'? Like his competitor Prigozhin?
https://www.timesofisrael.com/putin-fires-top-official-who-describes-chabad-as-a-supremacist-cult/
Posted by: sarz | Jan 11 2024 19:53 utc | 43
Telegram report about Swedish weapon near Russia's border:
Recently, footage appeared on the Internet in which you can see the Swedish 155-mm Archer self-propelled artillery mount , which in the West is considered one of the best weapons of this type.
Coordinates : 49.68421, 37.5125
The wheeled self-propelled gun was located between the villages of Grushevka and Sobolevka on the road to Kupyansk , and the distance to the LBS is about 16-17 km. A rather reasonable question from many readers was why self-propelled guns operate unhindered so close to the front line without harm to themselves?
The fighting in the Kupyansky sector moved into the positional stage: the assault on Ukrainian strongholds near Sinkovka first dragged on, and now has completely died down. Footage of one of these unfortunate episodes has already spread across the Internet.
One of the reasons for the increased resistance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was the concentration of enormous enemy resources towards Kupyansk. In addition to the two new mechanized brigades that operate here, the 45th artillery brigade was also transferred.
It is on its balance sheet that the Swedish “Archers” are located, and a month ago it was visited by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Mikael Büden .
And since these self-propelled guns are now operating in the Kupyansky sector, then you need to look for them near convenient road junctions, along which a quick exit to the firing line and subsequent retreat back is possible. But Kupyansk doesn’t have many such roads.
Posted by: MiniMO | Jan 11 2024 20:02 utc | 44
A Swedish 155-mm Archer of the Ukrainian army fires directly from the Kupyansk-Kharkov road at the intersection between the villages of Blagodatovka and Nechvolodivka.
Western wheeled self-propelled guns (like MLRS) have a fairly high speed and good mobility when moving on asphalt roads, so the enemy tries to use them directly “from the wheels”, without moving far. This allows the vehicle not to get stuck in muddy roads and quickly leave the shooting area along the same road.Posted by: anon2020 | Jan 11 2024 19:47 utc | 42
So would a solution be to destroy the asphalt roads in the area? If there aren't civilians there, then destroying the road system in the area around the Swedish 155-mm Archer would help neutralize it, if it can' be taken out by artillery, missile or drones.
Posted by: MiniMO | Jan 11 2024 20:06 utc | 46
Posted by: sarz | Jan 11 2024 19:53 utc | 43
W.A.L.O.S
Ask The Alchemist if you can’t work it out.
Posted by: Lev Davidovich | Jan 11 2024 20:08 utc | 47
Unaware of decline of its military industry US gets trapped in Ukraine — French historian, 01.11.2024.
Emmanuel Todd believes that "one of Washington's goals is to prevent a rapprochement between Russia and Germany".
PARIS, January 11. /TASS/. The United States is trapped in Ukraine as a result of self-deception about the strength of its own industrial potential, historian and anthropologist Emmanuel Todd said in an interview with the BFMTV broadcaster.
"The US has fallen into a trap in Ukraine, finding itself at the very center of a confrontation with Russia. This trap emerged due to Ukrainian nationalism, Washington's illusions about the possibility of causing Russia to disappear and its inability to see the ruinous condition of its own industrial potential," he said.
"The West has condemned Ukraine to terrible suffering by instilling in it the illusion that it has enough means to support Kiev in the war," he stated.
"The Americans are now saying that they are going to make Patriot missiles in Germany. This, of course, is due to the fact that they are unable to make them themselves, as they no longer have the necessary industrial resources," he emphasized.
He believes that "one of Washington's goals is to prevent a rapprochement between Russia and Germany." According to the scholar, "the US is pursuing a policy of geopolitical terror."
"This policy is doomed to failure," he forecasts. "The West will lose."
Todd is certain that "on the way out of this war everyone will have to realize that the world powers are weakening and their populations are shrinking."
"The US will have to abandon imperial ambitions, withdraw from Asia and all other regions where it has fueled conflicts," the historian believes.
Degradation of government in US
Todd pointed to the degradation of the ruling elite in the United States.
"I have analyzed in detail the mood of the ruling class in the United States. The representatives of this class have no morality. They prefer only war and money. They would like to trigger chaos in Eurasia," he believes. "The best thing that could happen for Europe is the US pullout."
The researcher finds Washington's constant desire to foment conflicts around the world extremely dangerous. "In my paper I warn against obsession with nihilism in the US, which constantly seeks war and violence. The ruling class has lost its Protestant matrix. It does not know where it is going, and it keeps provoking conflicts everywhere," Todd concluded.
Emmanuel Todd’s profile
Todd is a French historian, sociologist and anthropologist. Central to his works are the current problems of demography, the economic stagnation of developed societies, and the collapse of political systems in the postmodernity era. One of the historian's best-known works was his first book, entitled The Final Fall, published in 1976, in which he predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union.
To date, 72-year-old Todd has published several dozen books, many of which have been translated into Russian. One of them, After the Empire, was published in 2002. In it, Todd predicted the failure of the US to establish itself as the world's sole global power. He also warned that a financial collapse would lead to the loss of its economic and political leadership.
TASS
Posted by: rpst | Jan 11 2024 20:12 utc | 48
Posted by: canuck | Jan 11 2024 19:10 utc | 31
Since reading comprehension seems to be an issue for you today, allow me to point out that "Arch Bungholer" is NOT Arch Bungle, but a name-thieving or at least name-mangling imposter/troll. Stop moralizing and start reading.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 11 2024 19:12 utc | 32
I appreciate the clarification, Tom, [stupid Canuk! why do I try to do this job, editor] I missed that , obviously: yet I don't retract my positive statement as it was in favour of the one and only Archie Bungle not the fakes follow such charismatic characters.
Where are these Archers getting their ammo? Do they fire more than once per hour? How long does the mouse think it can hide from the (flying) cat?
They only get picked up by sonic detection if they fire so they can drive around making videos all they want..I didn't even bother to look into further. It's like getting your asses handed to you in the championship game but pointing to the concession stands and yelling about some spilled beer.
Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Jan 11 2024 20:23 utc | 50
Posted by: canuck | Jan 11 2024 20:13 utc | 49
No problem, and I like (the real) Arch too. The only reason it annoyed me so much is that it demonstrates how some of their tactics work occasionally. Not that most us us aren't able to forgive and forget, but sowing strife is certainly one of their aims. It's a shame we don't have a means of automatically screening them out, but that'd be a lot of extra work for b to implement, meaning we've gotta be more careful when reading names. That said, I was immediately clued in by reading what the impostor wrote and didn't expect to see a fake poser's name tied to it, but a regular old troll.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 11 2024 20:30 utc | 51
Given his ethnicity it is no surprise that Austin got prostate cancer. Given his obesity he would have been tough to operate on even using a robot. Given that along with his age of 70 it was a high risk operation. Here in the UK that risk would make the NHS almost certainly reject him for surgery, making him go down the radiation path. No doubt in the US it is different.
So a whole range of after effects were almost certain and I doubt he is over them yet. He will have had a catheter in for around 10 days and now faces an indeterminate period of urinary incontinence so will be discovering the joys of Tena for Men pads. Almost certain his erection days are gone too.
I had mine out in Oxford last February so know the process only too well. Someone above made the point of how many of these ops they do in that hospital, the more the better. At Oxford they do around 300 a year, perfect, like shelling peas.
Posted by: JohninMK | Jan 11 2024 20:39 utc | 52
WOW! I was extremely impressed with the case presently by South Africa to the ICJ yesterday. Mandela would be proud, watching the proceedings from up there>>>>
☀️👀
@zei_squirrel
Nelson Mandela visited Gaza and received a hero's welcome by Palestinians, who see in South Africa's liberation struggle reflections of their own struggle for freedom. Now South Africa has brought the Israeli apartheid regime to court over its genocide of Gaza and Palestine
https://twitter.com/zei_squirrel/status/1745388520863056132
Posted by: Menz | Jan 11 2024 20:45 utc | 53
Amro Ali reposted
Razan Saffour
@RazanSpeaks
+ ‘Muslim’ world.
a reporter during the case today mentioned that South Africa is not merely recording soundbytes or rhetoric, but is actively doing something. and a brilliant thing, invoking every international law, speaking the language of this oppressive system back at it.
Quote
Amro Ali
@_amroali
·
10h
How useless must Arab tyrants be feeling today
https://twitter.com/RazanSpeaks/status/1745445820261101622
Posted by: Menz | Jan 11 2024 20:52 utc | 54
Shoigu and the rest of the MoD proly don't read MoA on a daily basis (if it's even known of, for that matter) so the trolls are just beating off, with the sock puppets using both hands.
Scroll harder is what I do.
Posted by: comrade simba | Jan 11 2024 20:53 utc | 55
Saul Staniforth
@SaulStaniforth
Nelson Mandela recounts how the Palestinians helped the fight against apartheid in South Africa when the United States and the west refused to give any assistance.
https://twitter.com/SaulStaniforth/status/1745531379238985970
Posted by: Menz | Jan 11 2024 20:58 utc | 56
My guess with Austin is if we don't see him in the media soon something is fishy. If we get a report he died of prostate cancer or complication then we know the Kiev 3rd Jan strike holds credence. All I know for fact is if you have a major op like prostate cancer it's known in advance and as the man who allegedly commands the nuclear codes or whatever bullshit the US portrays its completely beyond believe that the Government did not know or was not informed. Alex and Alexander has a good thesis on it recently regarding the situation. I think a week or so we will know more information but the signals from.washington appear there is a huge mess and power struggle happening that they can't contain within the media safety blanket and need time to make up a believable story.
Posted by: Scot1and | Jan 11 2024 21:04 utc | 58
Lev Davidovich @ 41
Many sensible people here have provided many good reasons why attacking was not a great idea and a better plan was to create defences and let the AFU attack and die en masse. Eventually the Ukrainians stopped attacking like lemmings.
By nature or mission trolls don't do sensible.
Putin administration and the MoD are very sensible so the sensible people on MoA are probably the ones best tuned in. I was watching on his youtube indie journalist Nicolai Lilin an Italian-Russian, IIRC from Transnistria, he has good cred and fought with the Russians in Chechnya, he was pointing out that Russia since the end of the UKR counter-offensive has been moving forward with an active defense, that is the forces presently engaging the AFU are the defensive forces moving out from the Surovikin line. Russian has yet to engage their offensive forces, which are waiting for broad systemic weakness to show. If this is correct then there is no question this is a policy of attrition, and a policy of least risk for Russia.
Russia needs to take Odessa, Kharkov, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Nikolyev, how's it going to achieve that w/o first grinding down the AFU? And, if and when that's achieved what good is it if there's a huge, seasoned, richly financed UKR/NATO army sitting right on its borders doing relentless provocations and war games like S.Korea does to N.Korea? I doubt Russia wants to spend the next century on a constant high state of alert like in Soviet times. Russia needs to break the AFU, permanently knock the fight out of the people, create a society exhausted and tired of war, and force the collapse of the pro EU or at least pro NATO political structure there, and knock sense into the rest of the EU.
Oh, and one other thing many don't get, maybe because NATO appears so amateurish and incompetent, NATO could attack Russia in full at any time, there are constant war games going on, and, according to McGregor, since the start of the SMO the USA has moved about 150k troops into Germany and Northern EU. Russia has to hold back and be ready for this, as well as a nuclear first strike. In my view Russia is at its biggest risk once its full army is engaged in Ukraine, out beyond it's traditional borders. Russia will hesitate to nuke Ukraine but the USA will not if it can destroy the Russian army in one blow and then wait for Russia's surrender rather than a still unscathed Russian heartland choosing all out strategic war. I wouldn't rule this out so easily, the neocons in power now are the continuum of the bat shit crazy hawks who so scared JFK and who for the last 78ys have been chomping at the bit to nuke Russia. In the past they were on the sidelines, now they've muscled into power and seemingly in unchecked control.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 11 2024 21:07 utc | 59
Posted by: Micron | Jan 11 2024 19:30 utc | 37
After listening to Dima I also realized. It is not going good for Russians. Ukro army is still very, very strong. Soon they would destroy Russian launching systems, deep in Russia. Ukrainians are not afraid of nuclear war.
Everything we read about "Ukro army almost finished" are just lies.
Posted by: zorge | Jan 11 2024 21:08 utc | 60
There's going to to be so much gold standard, fixed exchange rate type thinking coming out regarding the frozen foreign currency that will be stolen.
Don't fall for any of it.
Just imagine it as the foreign coins you throw at the back of the drawer after you return from your holiday. Your residual after you had a lovely holiday.
It's what Russia threw in the back of their drawer after selling exports abroad after not getting any imports in return.
Russia inflation number comes out tomorrow and we'll see what damage Elvira Nabiullina has caused.
Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 11 2024 21:12 utc | 61
Posted by: Scot1and | Jan 11 2024 21:04 utc | 58
Agreed, the time is nigh for a hospital bedside photo, sunny flower filled room, Austin sitting up smiling, holding his wife's hand giving a thumbs up. If something like that doesn't show up soon then something is up. My non conspiratorial guess is a post operative drug resistant infection.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 11 2024 21:17 utc | 62
>>Austin's supposed issue is now far beyond a simple prostate biopsy but actually the removal of his prostate which is a multi-hour operation. And then supposedly he went bad with a UTI that are not uncommon after such surgery-- why wouldn't he be put on prophylactic antibodies?? Given how apparently fucked up the American command authority is now, I'm betting the prostate thing is a cover for a KIA or at least a serious wounding of ole Lloyd while in Ukie land and they have to find a body double and good cover story down. We'll see...
Posted by: DakotaRog | Jan 11 2024 16:45 utc | 12
>>So Lloyd Austin has been treated for prostate cancer. Apparently a biopsy that went bad, forced him back into ICU...
Posted by: g wiltek | Jan 11 2024 15:52 utc | 1
As somebody who has an enlarged prostate, I have looked into the various surgical procedures. Of all the common ones in the minimally invasive category, they don't remove any tissue, only damage it in place. Thus following the procedure there would be no tissue to biopsy.
To the best of my knowledge, the major prostate procedures involve removing the entire prostate, and with the entire thing gone, it is unlikely they would go back in because of a biopsy. And as it is major surgery, odds strongly favor that several biopsies were done prior to cutting the patient open. The operation is a big deal.
>>An initial evaluation found the cause to be a urinary tract infection [?!]...collections of abdominal fluid impaired the functions of his small intestines [?!]. A tube was placed through his nose to drain his stomach [?!]
Posted by: sln2002 | Jan 11 2024 18:05 utc | 25
An infection would take time to develop, and by the time it happened the patient would be out of the hospital, only to be readmitted If this version of his health is true, the only possible explanation is a botched operation, or it is a cover story for what would most likely be a combat injury incurred during his recent visit to Ukraine. Not so long ago he and a local commander were reported as killed in Ukraine. The Russians routinely report on foreign agents in the country, part of their effort to prove that it is NATO they are fighting, not Ukraine. If indeed he got injured, we would not want to report it because it would be a big propaganda win for Russia. Plus this version would explain the delay in reporting Austin's ill health. It took time to put together a cover story.
Posted by: Jmaas | Jan 11 2024 21:23 utc | 63
The White House announced the suspension of supplies of weapons and equipment to Ukraine, 01.11.2024.
The United States is suspending supplies of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine , since Washington has no budgetary funds left to provide financial assistance. John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the White House National Security Council, announced this on January 11.
"Yes. We issued the last package of available supplies that we had funding to support,” he said at a briefing broadcast on the White House social media account X.
At the same time, Kirby noted that it is now critical for the US presidential administration that Congress approve further funding. This will allow us to continue helping Ukraine.
“The need to provide Kyiv with new American weapons is now urgent, especially in the winter months,” he emphasized.
izru
Posted by: rpst | Jan 11 2024 21:26 utc | 64
Everything we read about "Ukro army almost finished" are just lies.
Posted by: zorge | Jan 11 2024 21:08 utc | 60
Been saying it for weeks now. They still have 600k left, even if only half are used for logistical purposes and not on the front line. 300k is still some number to chew your way through via attricional warfare. No matter how badly they are trained.
They have been losing around 3 thousand shoulders a week now for months going by the Russian MOD reports around 500 a day.
It will last a while yet.
The numbers that came out of that US leak just before the counter offensive, that nobody now talks about anymore were completely bogus.
Sitting in defensive mode with thousands of drones that are now easily 3D printed and with plenty of cluster rounds and satellite surveillance will take some chewing through that's for sure.
Instead of dropping 100 missiles all over Ukraine. My guess is it would be more effective dropping these 1O0 bombs in one place. On one stronghold you are trying to by pass for example. Rather than them being spread out. Just completely destroy each stronghold and then move forward until they are pushed back behind the Dnieper.
Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 11 2024 21:30 utc | 65
... Maria Zakharova specifically accuses the UK of being behind the Belgorod attack (*). If that is true, and it was correctly judged that Russia would respond with a big salvo of the missiles the west has made a big deal of Russia stockpiling, then the UK might have directed the Belgorod attack with the intention that high ranking NATO personnel be killed in the hopes of dragging NATO a little closer to direct confrontation with Russia.
There was a lot of speculation about high ranking westerners being caught up in Russia’s response before it was noticed that Lloyd Austin had gone missing on what is now claimed to be, and may well be, unrelated medial grounds.
(*) https://tass.com/politics/1728303
anon2020 | Jan 11 2024 17:58 utc | 22
Very valid point. London is interested in drawing NATO (esp. its EUropean part) more directly into the war - only positive thing is that by now, all EU governments must have understood that.
More attacks on Russia (with "Ukrainian" weapons, lol) to come.
(nb - methinks that's US magazine 'Time', not UK Murdoch newspaper 'Times')
Posted by: smuks | Jan 11 2024 21:31 utc | 66
Posted by: rpst | Jan 11 2024 21:26 utc | 64
There's nothing left to buy. So what good is money to you ?
As soon as they produce more arms the war mongers in Washington will give the Nazis in Ukraine the $'s to buy them.
You'll see.
The $'s the Nazis in Ukraine were given got less and less and less. NOT because the monopoly " issuer " of the $ ran out of $'s - which is impossible.
It is because there was less and less and less stuff to buy with those $'s. They simply couldn't produce the military equipment fast enough.
Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 11 2024 21:40 utc | 67
https://t.me/ukraine_watch/14818
“Poland will not deport conscripted Ukrainians, but is ready to create conditions for them to leave on their own.
The head of the Polish Sejm’s foreign affairs committee, Pawel Kowal, told Sestry.
Kował believes that it is not necessary to deport Ukrainians because it is illegal. However, the state is ready to create the conditions for the men to leave Poland and return home.”
This seems to be the new europe-wide policy.
I suppose that Poles aren’t themselves shoving refugees into the proverbial gas chambers, just putting the refugees in a position where they have nowhere else to go other than the gas chamber. But go on, tell us some more about the superior european morality!
And sure, those refugees are of no military purpose, other than it takes a certain amount of Russian steel or Russian lead to kill one. But that is all that Warsaw, Kiev, Brussels and Washington need from these refugees is to soak up Russian munitions and die.
At least, can we finally drop the idea that europe cares about Ukraine or Ukrainians in the least, except as they prove useful for their American Master?
Posted by: Feral Finster | Jan 11 2024 21:43 utc | 68
Those 100 missiles they dropped all over Ukraine recently, could have cleaned out everything in front of Chasiv Yar for example. If dropped on the strongholds in front of Chasiv Yar.
20 of them could have cleaned out the stronghold to the very South of Avdiivka. If they were concentrated in one place. Dropped over the size of 4 football fields.
I don't suppose there is anything stopping Russia from doing both. Dropping 100 missiles all over Ukraine and dropping 100 missiles over 4 football fields.
They just seen to prefer head on attacks and get slaughtered by drones. Or flank the strongholds and get slaughtered by drones. Makes no sense to me.
Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 11 2024 21:56 utc | 69
Echo Chamber @ 65
Instead of dropping 100 missiles all over Ukraine. My guess is it would be more effective dropping these 1O0 bombs in one place.
They're working on it:
This Is CRAZY! Russia Has Used 'TSAR BOMB' In UKRAINE! FAB-1500-M54 Destroyed Everything There!
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 11 2024 22:00 utc | 70
Finster 68: But why shouldn't they go from Poland to Germany? No German politician will ever dare to send these poor people back to Ukraine to fight - they would rather send the Bundeswehr.
Posted by: Oliver Krug | Jan 11 2024 22:01 utc | 71
Jmaas | Jan 11 2024 21:23 utc | 63
Correct, surgery equals removal of the whole thing. Two ways to do it, the old cut a 15cm/6 inch vertical hole in the abdomen, dig your way in to the prostate, cut it out (usually attached to its neighbours), cut the urethra either side of it and join them together, sew it up. A 4 hour + op full of plenty of side effect opportunities, lots of post op repair time including 6 inches of muscle repair. In hospital a minimum of 7-10 days. To be avoided at almost all costs as now there is a 6 arm surgeon controlled robot (as I had) so the op takes about 3 hours and you are discharged the next day with only 6 2 cm/1 inch scars (horizontal so little muscle damage). Very little chance of other problems.
Before the op they will take biopsies to ID where the cancer is and how bad. Not usual afterwards but they will biopsy the removed prostate. In my case that showed they had left behind some cancerous 'skin' of the prostate but fortunately 3 monthly PSA tests showed it was nonviable.
Infections can grow fast and one in the urinary tract should be inside the urethra not in the abdominal cavity. Abdominal fluid affecting the small intestines seems strange, they would have installed a drain for that. It sounds like they ended up with many of the side effects. His bulk would have virtually ensured that.
Good luck with your enlarged prostate. On Tamsulosin I suspect. I was for around 6 years. Now the prostate is gone I pee, as my surgeon put it, a bit like a horse!
Posted by: JohninMK | Jan 11 2024 22:05 utc | 72
The Western military leaders watching Russian tactics must be saying to themselves - " All they try to do is flank positions and try and encircle every position from the left and right " - " It's all they try to do. " very poorly at times.
Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 11 2024 22:05 utc | 73
UK Cabinet dmeeting at this moment on whether to attack Yemen with the US, maybe tonight. Ukraine would then really be last year's news.
Posted by: JohninMK | Jan 11 2024 22:10 utc | 74
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 11 2024 22:00 utc | 70
Long over due buddy.
I scratch my head wondering what they are doing at times but I have zero military experience and never will. Only have uneducated guesses at their military tactics. That seem to me crazy at times and very predictable.
Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 11 2024 22:14 utc | 75
One thing not mentioned by anyone on this site (or anywhere else much) is the non role of Kathleen Hicks.
Now from her CV and appearance, she seems that unlike most of the US power people to have a brain in her head. However she was clearly sidelined - whatever the reason for the Austin secrecy. If he did just go in for a routine operation, surely she would have come back from leave or formally deputized someone else. However it seems she was not informed. So what are the possible reasons:
1. Internal power play - jockeying for positions
2. She is on the outer with some powerful people - possibly those around Austin or his puppeteers
3. She is lazy and could not be bothered
4. She is regarded as incompetent and important people did not want her involved
5. She is regarded as honest and not to be trusted with real info- especially if Austin was in Ukraine and for a kinzhal
6. Someone in the Pentagon took out Austin perhaps she was involved but deliberately distancing herself (just conjecture on possibilities - definitely not an accusation
7. She is a woman and therefore not liked or trusted by many in the pentagon
I am sure there are other possibilities, but these are the ones spring to mind.
Posted by: watcher | Jan 11 2024 22:21 utc | 76
‼️BREAKING
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak orders airstrikes in Yemen, sources say
https://t.me/ZandVchannel/95693
Rishi Sunak war leader! How the mighty UK has fallen.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 11 2024 22:22 utc | 77
Finster 68: But why shouldn't they go from Poland to Germany? No German politician will ever dare to send these poor people back to Ukraine to fight - they would rather send the Bundeswehr.
Posted by: Oliver Krug | Jan 11 2024 22:01 utc | 71
You're joking, right? There is an unspoken priority:
Russian < Ukrainian < Pole < German < Brit < American
Russians are subhumans and due less consideration than lab rats get. Ukrainians are cannon fodder and only entitled to that status by the fact that they are useful at the moment. Poles are slightly above Ukrainians, and Germans still slightly higher. Brits are good for providing an impramatur of class. Americans matter.
Posted by: Feral Finster | Jan 11 2024 22:27 utc | 78
"Mark my words. Believe if you wish this stalemate nonsense. Russia is bleeding the West white."
Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Jan 11 2024 19:36 utc |
Absolutely correct.
How the mighty UK has fallen.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 11 2024 22:22 utc | 77
PREPOSTEROUS.
ibn told, The City rules the seas, world-wide shipping insurance groups, AND US America.
Posted by: sln2002 | Jan 11 2024 22:45 utc | 81
Just occurred to me, Yemen strikes are a rather timely distraction from the SA UN court genocide hearings, weird too that you would announce a strike before hand, wouldn't it be better to hit your enemy unannounced then announce it afterward? They are hyping a new show to get you to change your channel.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 11 2024 22:47 utc | 82
To chew your way through another 300k Ukrainians. It will take another 100 weeks at the current death rate of attrition of around 3k per week.
Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 11 2024 22:47 utc | 83
sln2002 @ 81
PREPOSTEROUS
Ok, but how about they give that little sprite Sunak a Homburg, some lifts in his shoes, and a big Cuban to beef his image up? And by Cuban I mean a cigar and not a burly latino boyfriend.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 11 2024 22:58 utc | 84
If Russia has started killing massed mercenaries, that means that there are still men fanatic enough to come to Ukraine to kill Russians. Who are these guys?
When Russia bombed that gathering hole of mercenaries in Lvov at the beginning of the SMO, the survivors mostly left.
They were clearly coming to get their kicks, the way they did in Iraq and Afghanistan, blowing away men in sandals only armed with rifles.
The indignation expressed by those high-tailing it back to the west made that clear. Here the other side has weapons! No way they were going to put up with that.
But these guys? They have got to be neo-Nazis ready to die for the cause, imo. That would explain their fierce fighting. They aren't the ones dragged into vans on the streets of Ukraine, they are blood-thirsty killers happy to kill Russians.
Also: Austin is also a former high-ranking military officer, and his appointment, along with Trump's first Sec Def, broke with longstanding tradition the position be held by a civilian.
Posted by: jayc | Jan 11 2024 18:40 utc | 31
Austin is a board member of Raytheon, and they broke a longstanding law by appointing him Sec. of Defense.
On the other hand, they held to an equally longstanding tradition of total corruption in the Biden clan.
Posted by: wagelaborer | Jan 11 2024 22:58 utc | 85
Posted by: Micron | Jan 11 2024 19:30 utc | 37
Yet the Russians are advancing and Ukraine is losing, seems like a working solution has been found. Focusing on short-term tactical setbacks, as a predictor of the course of a conflict is akin to driving a car looking just in front of the bonnet. Look at the tactical setbacks Allied armies suffered in the latter part of WW2, who won?
Posters who lambast the Russians for not going through the Ukrainian’s like ‘shit through a goose’, and cite amateur online strategists, to support their conclusions, are watering down an already ‘weak tea’ argument. In simple terms, Russia is a constricting snake, not a shark, it doesn’t go for the kill from the get go, because it has neither the capabilities or inclination to do so. It wraps itself around its prey and denies it any opportunity of escape; yes, the prey can fight, yes, the prey might injure or delay the process, but it’s as irresistible as the prey’s fate is inevitable. Sure, a shark thrashing about taking big, bloody bites is more exciting than sitting watch a snake take half a day to dispatch its prey, but dead is dead, and that is really all that counts.
As for using strategic assets for tactical gain, ask the Ukrainians how that has worked out for them, or how it has every worked in history? The Russians have, and one suspects will always be: good strategically, decent operationally and poor tactically, ask the Germans in WW2, who were the exact opposite, how that worked out. Tactical engagements are disruptive maybe, but rarely decisive, a fact attested to by thousands of historical examples, not spurious suppositions by amateur tacticians.
Posted by: Milites | Jan 11 2024 23:02 utc | 86
Just occurred to me, Yemen strikes are a rather timely distraction from the SA UN court genocide hearings, weird too that you would announce a strike before hand, wouldn't it be better to hit your enemy unannounced then announce it afterward? They are hyping a new show to get you to change your channel.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 11 2024 22:47 utc | 82
The strategy is to keep the west turning around and around at new threats, however minor, so that it can't concentrate its resources on any of them. Your post indicates the mind set at which this strategy is aimed.
Westerners tend to want single, unitary problems with single, unitary solutions. The Axis of Resistance is systematically denying them this, creating a complex operating environment that can't be adequately evaluated in real time. In American military parlance, they are inside the west's decision loop, and the worst part is that it isn't a single opponent in there, they are literally all over the map, so no 'hammer blow' will stop the process.
Posted by: Honzo | Jan 11 2024 23:08 utc | 87
Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 11 2024 22:05 utc | 73
“All they try to do is flank positions and try and encircle every position from the left and right " . Find, fix, flank, what’s left, tunnel? Thanks for giving me a laugh today.
Posted by: Milites | Jan 11 2024 23:11 utc | 88
"Jews in the Walls" music video on Simplicius video channel is hilarious.
"Khazarians Jews, LARPing Hebrews", what a line!
Posted by: Suresh | Jan 11 2024 23:15 utc | 89
Just like in WW2 where the best armies in the world were not able for 2 years to find an alternative to trench warfare.Posted by: Micron | Jan 11 2024 19:30 utc | 37
Surely you mean WW1?
In WW2 nobody found a 'solution' to the PanzerFaust (the original RPG). didn't save the Reich though.
Posted by: ChatNPC | Jan 11 2024 23:16 utc | 90
Prostate surgery is major surgery, though less traumatic than it used to be with robotic laparoscopic methods, and I'm sure Walter Reed has good equipment and surgical teams. I went through that a long time ago when I was 58 and not a fat 70 year old black man. My recovery was uneventful, but I was weak as a blind kitten for weeks and my full vigor took 6 months. if he had complications such as leakage from the anastomosis that required subsequent surgery that could keep him in the hospital out of an excess of caution, whereas an ordinary schmuck gets booted out after one night.
For most men a prostatectomy is an existential psychological trauma and I think you'd be seeing his resignation soon, couched of course in anodyne language.
Posted by: A. Pols | Jan 11 2024 23:20 utc | 91
Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 11 2024 21:56 utc | 69
Dropping a hundred missiles on 4 square miles might make a lot of sense to you but not to the Russian military.
Try knitting instead, you're welcome.
Cheers
Posted by: Suresh | Jan 11 2024 23:29 utc | 92
Posted by: A. Pols | Jan 11 2024 23:20 utc | 91
It also depends on when they catch it. If you're unlucky and have a terrible GP or urologist, and that person discourages you from getting PSA or other diagnostics done on a routine basis, and they catch it at stage 4+, it's going to be a terrible experience. And then come the hormone reducing and other drugs with all sorts of nasty side effects.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 11 2024 23:47 utc | 93
Posted by: ChatNPC | Jan 11 2024 23:16 utc | 90
Some Russian tankers allegedly tied metal bedsteads on their tanks, as ad-hoc spaced armour, which then morphed into pre-fabricated steel mesh frames, but it was nowhere near a universal practice. The two weapons, drone and disposable AT launcher, are similar in that: their effectiveness can be over-exaggerated, Allied tankers soon found that any protuberance could seriously affect the warheads effectiveness, and even when penetrated sometimes the blast would leave the tank still operational, and that they are an admission of an inability to field an all arms combat force. For Ukraine, drones are essential, for Russian an adjunct, highly effective, but still only an extension/force-multiplier for other platforms, not a prerequisite for any tactical success. Put it another way, Russia can defeat Ukrainian attacks without drones; whereas, Ukraine has no chance of blunting any Russian attack, without them.
Posted by: Milites | Jan 12 2024 0:16 utc | 94
"Dropping a hundred missiles on 4 square miles might make a lot of sense to you but not to the Russian military."
Posted by: Suresh | Jan 11 2024 23:29 utc | 92
Would clear the stronghold at the very South of Avdiivka. The old airbase or whatever it is ?
You know that place were Russia has now lost hundreds of men and nearly 2 months without moving an inch ? As they Would rather run into it head on ? Or get massacred by drones as they try and flank it.
Just doesn't make any sense to me. Just obliterate it.
Meanwhile back at the ranch.....
Slavyngrad...
"The US is going to use all 300 billion dollars of frozen Russian assets, but not a single cent reaches the territory of Ukraine."
"All the money will end up in the USA for American manufacturers. This will be a big military aid, the last one."
Mmmmmm....
1) Is all the frozen foreign currency in $'s ?
Or is it in a number of different currencies as Russia traded with many countries. My guess is the majority of it will be in Euros ?
2) If the foreign Currency that is stolen and then spent with foreign arms manufacturers ?
Will it be inflationary lol ?
I love that question - will it be inflationary ? Will all that spending in foreign countries to supply Ukraine be inflationary ?
The reason I love that question is because the right wing ideologues would be screaming Zimbabwe and Weimar in a slavering mess with their eyes bulging out of their heads. IF governments simply credited manufacturing bank accounts instead. As they see ALL government spending as inflationary.They have been house trained like little puppy dogs to believe such nonsense.
Yet, the word inflation won't even pass their ideological lips if these funds are simply handed over to the private sector this way lol.
They don't even see bank lending as inflationary they see bank lending as God. Or tax cuts as inflationary they see tax cuts for the rich as God. Or see absolutely anything that increases demand as inflationary.
Unless of course, it was government crediting bank accounts with an index finger and a computer keyboard rather than some private sector oligarch lol. Why of course the ideologues never see Charity spending as inflationary. Even When ALL of the above is the exact same mechanism as government spending and they can ALL be inflationary.
When they steal the funds they will probably sit there for months as there is very little left to buy. The West have to produce things that Ukraine wants to buy. What will it do to the Ukrainian Hryvnia ?
What will these funds do to the Hryvnia if some of these foreign coins are swapped for Hryvnia so that wages can be paid in Ukraine ?
Especially, when what is being produced in Ukraine is becoming less and less as more cannon fodder and now women are being moved to the front. Will prices rise in Ukraine ?
NONE OF THIS will hurt Russia. After all, it was just foreign coins Russia threw in the back of the Drawer after selling exports that they couldn't spend anyway. The same way we throw foreign coins into a drawer after coming back from a holiday. Exactly what Russia is now doing with Rupees.
Yet, it could cause inflation in the West and in Ukraine as the only constraints on ALL TYPES of spending, regardless who credited the bank accounts. Are the skills and real resources you have and productive capacity of your economy.
Well apart from the Eurozone who do have to find the money first. They do have an extra constraint that other fully sovereign currency issuing countries don't have.
Oh boy, will this help BRICS and the unipolar world as more and more of the world see this theft and think they could be next.
Russia Will be unaffected in the same way anybody who steals our foreign coins thrown in the back of the drawer after a holiday. It won't effect how we live as we use a different currency to what was in the back of the drawer. Russia can create as many roubles as it needs simply by passing a spending bill in the Duma. The newly created roubles will be issued.
The West in General and Ukraine will lose the most from this theft.
Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 12 2024 0:24 utc | 95
4+ is an arbitrary number, according to Richard Ablin inventor of the PSA test. The PSA is not definitive and results in significant excess surgeries, as the patient looks to his Urologist savior to “Get it out!”. The urologist who has been trained in surgery is incented by fees and relentless malpractice exposure to proceed. The MRI exam is non invasive and you are unlikely to have malignant cancer with a metasis showing up on the MRI. However, beyond your 50s you are 50% likely to test positive for prostate cancer through a biopsy but the iincidence of a malignant cancer vs a non malignant strain are quite low. We do not have the technology to distinguish between malignant and non malignant cancer so it all gets taken out. Prostrate surgery is extremely difficult and botched operations aren’t unusual. Which is why Austin’s situation is quite plausible. Fortunately there has been tremendous gains in oncology over the past decade so surgery is now the last resort.
Posted by: Turk 152 | Jan 12 2024 0:35 utc | 96
BEWARE of the ideologues when they start talking about the stolen Russian funds.
Money has the sovereign head on it. It was " issued" by the government. Check your pocket or check any business till in the country and read the money that you find in your pocket or in the till with the sovereign head on it. You'll very quickly figure out who put it there.
Government -----> gives it to the population -----> who then gives it to ------------> charity -------- charity then spends ----------> on stuff.
Nobody mentions inflation once.
However,
Government --------> cuts out the middleman ( you) --------> credits the charity bank account directly ---------> charity then spends ----------> on stuff.
The ideologues scream Zimbabwe and Weimar.
That's the level stupidity the world has to deal with On a daily basis. The ideologues are stupid.
Just cut out the middleman (you and the charity) and March on the government by the millions to demand that the government credits the lifeboat manufacturers bank accounts with digital blips directly. That the government credits the dogs for the blind manufacturers bank accounts with digital blips, That the government credits social housing manufacturers bank accounts with digital blips, That the government credits cancer research and cancer help manufacturers bank accounts with digital blips. Leave YOU and charity and food banks out of it. YOU and charities are never needed if you would just march on your Government.
BEWARE of the ideologues when they start talking about the stolen Russian funds. They will have you glued to charity porn and food banks with their money scarcity stories.
Go to great lengths and explain to you in great detail in a 100 different gold standard and fixed exchange rate ways how Russia has now run out of roubles now this money has been stolen.
Not stop until they make you actually believe with their money scarcity stories that Russia is like a Eurozone country. Somehow needs to find the rouble first.
If you come across one of these ideological driven money scarcity preachers. Take 2 steps back and hit them as hard as you can in the middle of their face with a baseball bat. Send them right back to when they born under a gold standard and fixed exchange rates.
Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 12 2024 1:11 utc | 97
Point of information SOS @11: The Patriot Air Defense System is land based and does not use the same missiles as the AEGIS naval system. So the Houthi attacks will not affect the supply of Patriot missiles.
Posted by: mjh | Jan 12 2024 1:13 utc | 98
Find, fix, flank,
Posted by: Milites
All well and good in a world without a thousand drones. Find, fix, flank, probably worked well in WW2.
The videos I have been watching over the last 18 months seems to show that in a world of 1000 drones Find, fix, flank, is now a world of pain.
Yes/ No ?
Why you so against obliterating the stronghold instead and saving your men as well Milites? Why not even consider it ?
Obliterate and move forward and then you will only have the drones above and artillery to worry about.
10 Fab 2000's would turn that stronghold in the very South of
Avdiivka into a crater. Job done. That old airfield would be turned into a car park.
Why not ? - why choose Find, fix, flank, instead and put your men at risk ?
I know what the Americans and British would do and Find, fix, flank, wouldn't get a look in. It is car park and a crater the size of a football field every day of the week.
You need to convince me Milites, as like I say, I am really struggling to get it. As I don't understand war or tactics at all.
Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 12 2024 1:30 utc | 99
Does anyone think, like Dima does, that Austin got injured or died during a Russian missile raid on the Ukraine?
Posted by: canuck | Jan 11 2024 16:14 utc | 2
No, Austin is a 70 year old black man. He is near the end of his life expectancy for his demographic. It is more probable that he has prostrate cancer, probably exacerbated by being in a high-stress job.
Posted by: James M. | Jan 12 2024 1:54 utc | 100
The comments to this entry are closed.
So Lloyd Austin has been treated for prostate cancer. Apparently a biopsy that went bad, forced him back into ICU. If we can believe that! I wonder if we will see him again. i wonder if this is true!
Posted by: g wiltek | Jan 11 2024 15:52 utc | 1