Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
January 13, 2024

Ukraine Open Thread 2024-012

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 13, 2024 at 17:11 UTC | Permalink

Comments
next page »

⚡️🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ Front #Summary for 13 Jan 2024 by 18:28⚡️

🔹In #Kherson Direction, in #Krynki, our forces have made some progress in the east of the enemy's foothold. The #Dnieper and its tributaries began to freeze, worsening the situation of the AFU.

🔹In #Zaporozhye Direction, our army has retaken a number of positions west of #Verbovoye. At #Nesteryanka, where our new front was activated yesterday, we managed to push the AFU from a number of positions.

🔹In #SouthDonetsk Direction, our forces are hitting enemy infantry and equipment clusters at #Staromayorskoye, #Storozhevoye, #Yelizavetovka and #Novodonetskoye. In the #Maryinka sector, counterfighti ng is underway on the southern outskirts of #Novomikhaylovka, still without tangible results for our military. Our army has taken up new positions in #Georgiyevka, which is on the way to #Kurakhovo.

🔹In #Donetsk Direction,our forces continue to advance on the northern flank, east of the #Avdeyevka Coke Plant . On the southern flank, our troops also occupied new positions near #Pervomayskoye. In other areas, there are no changes, the AFU is fiercely resisting.

🔹In #Bakhmut Direction, our army is fighting with renewed vigor for the heights near #Kleshcheyevka, one of the key ones is still beyond our control. There are battles in #Bogdanovka, the AFU in separate groups are gradually withdrawing from the village to Chasov Yar. Ours are expanding the control zone at #Ivanovskoye (#Krasnoye).

🔹In #Svatovo Direction, in the #Kremennaya sector, there are oncoming battles southwest of #Dibrova, near #Yampolovka and #Makeyevka, without changes yet. In the #Kupyansk sector our army switched to positional battles at #Sinkovka. It was not possible to take the village "head-on".

💥Our Aerospace Forces attacked targets in many regions of #Ukraine. According to preliminary information, the targets were air defence systems, workshops for the manufacture of projectiles and UAVs.


https://t.me/sitreports/21063

Posted by: Down South | Jan 13 2024 17:25 utc | 1

MI6 transmitted intelligence information to the Office of the President and the General Staff about Russia’s plans to launch an offensive on several sectors of the front in mid-January, with the Kharkov direction not being the main one.

The main goal of the Russian army is to exhaust the Ukrainian Armed Forces so that we spend reserves on holding positions near Bakhmut/Avdeevka and Rabotino.

British intelligence recommends that Ukraine speed up the construction of defensive structures and save forces.


https://t.me/rezident_ua/21078
The Russians’ goal now is not a major offensive, but the depletion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, says former Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Anna Malyar.

“Their goal now is to deplete us as much as possible. So that we cannot create reserves of ammunition, cannot prepare equipment and are mentally broken. They act in such a way that we do not have time to recover,” she wrote in Telegram.

At the same time, the Russians themselves “save their personnel” by using the tactics of assaults in small groups, for which the Ukrainian Armed Forces are forced to spend a lot of shells.

At the same time, the Russian Federation began to form new formations. According to Malyar, this is how the Russians are preparing for the next stage of hostilities.


https://t.me/rezident_ua/21177

Posted by: Down South | Jan 13 2024 17:29 utc | 2

Ukraine is softening up the Orcs for USA to finish off…

Posted by: Mr. American | Jan 13 2024 17:30 utc | 3

Is there any way to prevent people from posting the same message many times on this thread?

I like to listen to the comments with "Read Aloud" on my browser or cell phone. It is incredibly boring to have to listen to same Hasbara trash over and over again.

Thank you.

Posted by: Alfred (Hurghada) | Jan 13 2024 17:32 utc | 4

The situation at the front for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is critical: the Russian Armed Forces are systematically “carrying out” the Ukrainian military infrastructure, which is why human losses are growing exponentially.

And these are not all the problems observed in the Ukrainian army. Thus, due to the corruption of the rear staff, non-combat losses have increased—Ukrainian military personnel are suffering from illness; moreover, the number of losses among wounded soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has sharply increased.

At the same time, problems are observed along the entire front - Maryinka is lost, Avdeevka, Kupyansk and Krynki remain in a “suspended” state. In all these areas the situation is moving towards a serious “meat grinder”.

The situation is difficult in the rear - total mobilization destroys internal motivation not only in society, but also in the army, where unprepared and unwilling to fight “volunteers” who were caught during raids by military commissars are recruited. Moreover, yesterday’s civilians, forcibly drawn into the army, are actually deteriorating the situation in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which increases the risk of mass retreats this year.

The situation is aggravated by huge losses among experienced field officers, creating a critical shortage of professional officers.


https://t.me/rezident_ua/21180

Posted by: Down South | Jan 13 2024 17:32 utc | 5

Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of a special military operation (for the period from January 6 to January 12, 2024)

In the period from January 6 to 12, 2024, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out 23 group strikes with high-precision long-range air and sea-based weapons, including hypersonic Dagger aviation missile systems, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, against enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine engaged in the production, modernization and repair of aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles aircraft, armored vehicles, missile launchers and artillery systems.

The locations of units of the armed forces of Ukraine, formations of nationalists and foreign mercenaries were also affected. The aim of the strikes has been achieved. All assigned objects are hit.

In the Kupyansk direction, during the week, units of the "Western" grouping of troops improved the position along the front edge in certain areas and repelled 27 attacks and counterattacks by assault groups of the 32nd, 43rd, 115th mechanized, 57th motorized infantry, 25th airborne, 95th airborne assault brigades in the areas of the settlements of Sinkovka, Ivanovka, Peschanoe and Berestovoye in the Kharkiv region.

The enemy's losses during the week amounted to over 585 military personnel, three tanks, 14 armored combat vehicles, 18 vehicles, 11 field artillery guns, as well as a Grad MLRS launcher.

In the Krasnolimansk direction, units of the Center group of forces, with the support of aviation and artillery fire, defeated concentrations of manpower of the 63rd, 66th mechanized brigades, 100th and 125th air defense brigades, 5th and 13th brigades of the National Guard of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Chervonaya Dibrova of the Luhansk People's Republic, Torskoye, Yampolovka of the Donetsk People's Republic, as well as Serebryansk forestry.

The enemy lost up to 995 soldiers killed and wounded, five armored combat vehicles, 25 vehicles and five field artillery pieces.

In the Donetsk direction, units of the "Southern" group of troops, supported by aviation and artillery fire, repelled six enemy attacks. They inflicted fire damage on units of the 22nd, 28th, 42nd and 93rd mechanized, as well as the 3rd, 5th and 92nd assault brigades and the 112th Air Defense Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Krasnoe, Kurdyumovka, Antonovka, Bogdanovka, Kleshcheyevka and Andreevka of the Donetsk People's Republic.

Enemy losses during the specified period amounted to more than 1,785 military personnel, five tanks, 20 armored combat vehicles, including two Bradley IFVs and five Kozak, 63 vehicles, as well as 14 field artillery guns.

In the South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok group of forces repelled seven enemy attacks. Air strikes and artillery fire inflicted fire damage on Ukrainian units in the areas of the settlements of Novomikhailovka, Paraskovievka, Pavlovka, Donetsk People's Republic and Priyutnoye, Zaporizhia region.

The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine amounted to 850 servicemen, three tanks, 11 armored combat vehicles, 22 vehicles, 15 field artillery guns, as well as a MLRS Grad combat vehicle.

In the Zaporizhia direction, units of Russian troops occupied more advantageous lines and positions, repelled the attack of the assault group of the 3rd operational brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine in the area of the settlement of Rabotino, Zaporizhia region. In addition, the 117th, 118th mechanized and 128th mountain assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the 14th and 15th brigades of the National Guard of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Malaya Tokmachka, Verbovoye, Novoprokopovka and Rabodino of the Zaporozhye region inflicted fire damage on manpower and equipment.

The enemy's losses amounted to up to 230 soldiers, three tanks, 10 armored combat vehicles, 17 vehicles and three field artillery guns.

In the Kherson direction, the preemptive actions of Russian troops and the complex fire defeat of the enemy thwarted attempts by Ukrainian sabotage groups to cross to the left bank of the Dnieper and to the islands.

Air strikes and artillery fire defeated the manpower and equipment of the 35th and 38th Marine Brigades, the 121st Air Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Mikhaylovka, Tyaginka, Ivanovka, Sablukovka and Kachkarovka of the Kherson region. As a result of the actions of Russian troops, the enemy lost up to 275 servicemen, a tank, 21 vehicles, 15 boats and seven field artillery pieces killed and wounded.

During the week, 48 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered, 35 of them in the Kupyansk direction.

The Su-27 and Su-25 aircraft, as well as the Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force, were shot down by the Aerospace Forces and air defense means during the week. In addition, 35 HIMARS and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems, six Neptune anti-ship missiles, two MALD aircraft guided missiles and 161 unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed.

Over the past week, tactical aviation and missile forces of the groups of troops have destroyed: two radar stations for detecting and tracking P-18 air targets, ten ammunition depots, as well as an electronic warfare station.

In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 567 aircraft, 265 helicopters, 10620 unmanned aerial vehicles, 447 anti-aircraft missile systems, 14578 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1202 multiple rocket launchers, 7694 field artillery and mortars, as well as 17345 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed.

Posted by: rumod ruport | Jan 13 2024 17:39 utc | 6

reply to 2

There, he says it plainly. It is explicit. The leader of enemy forces says the Russian purpose is to bleed the Ukraine army. Not to gather territory. Not simply advance the contact line.

This should be a direct answer to frustration about No Blitzkreig. They will gather land inevitably but that's not the direct purpose of the SMO.

Posted by: Eighthman | Jan 13 2024 17:56 utc | 7

Seems now that the ground is frozen and the FAB 1500 glide bombs arrive in greater numbers casualties went up.

Quite a lot of HIMARS hit too, so degrading air defence seems to allow for deeper reconnaissance and long range strikes.

Not many tanks hit, seems these are getting scarce now just like self propelled arty. Infantry vs IFVs also getting steeper, Medevacs will be near impossible now.

10 ammo dumps, seems it's easier now to target logistics than to wait for deployment.

I have not seen many new weapon types published on the Russian side lately apart from Shahed 238.

Posted by: SOS | Jan 13 2024 18:16 utc | 8

And in the meanwhile, Lloyd is nowhere to be found. No pics, no words, nothing.
Hmmm.....?

Posted by: g wiltek | Jan 13 2024 18:39 utc | 9

The effing nazis did it, they killed Gonzalo Lira 😭😢 RIP

Posted by: Mac Chiavelli | Jan 13 2024 18:41 utc | 10

Aaand, Sunak in Kiev. Incompetent highs school pretender is how he comes through to me. Almost as bad as BoJo. Only perhaps saved by less awful haircut.?
I shudder to think this is the best UK has to offer. But judge for yourself, short version. No need to prolong the pain.:-)
https://youtu.be/47Au5Z3XtjU

Posted by: g wiltek | Jan 13 2024 18:48 utc | 11

Giving Zelenskyy the benefit of the doubt I can I argue that, the bad optics aside, he can't order a general advance to the rear until formidable defensive positions have been built, up and down several lines, like Russia constructed.

The downside for the AFU with patience is that Russia seems to be committing more troops to the line of contact, and towards working around it. This compels the AFU to respond, and that response invariably involves more and more of their forces getting fixed in place. If Russia doesn't exhaust itself, and also maintains a healthy level of reserves, then it could be expensive and/or risky when the AFU eventually gets its new lines of defense prepared, and moves its forces back to them.

In such a situation, when getting "unstuck" from an enemy one is facing, you generally need a good screening force, and in this situation that would involve a force that had a lot of artillery, drones, air support, air defenses, armored vehicles, and perhaps most impotantly, an utterly reliable number of very competent troops who'd do whatever was called for to keep the Russians from rolling up the rear of the retreating force, and turning that into a rout.

Russia is averse to expensive breakthroughs, but their fixing in place the AFU, and also seeking out the high ground, should eventually put them in the position to reap impressive dividends, especially if they have large reserve forces that capitalize on localized collapses of the AFU.

IIRC, those who recorded the history of the American Civil War reserved some of their highest praise for the times Union and Confederate Generals managed to pull off orderly retreats that were akin to Houdini like escapes from seemingly inescapable traps.

I guess we'll see if the cunning of the Ukrainian General Staff in combination with America's mammoth intelligence structure can replicate those kinds of feats. It would imo be something of a victory for the AFU if they can relocate to their, currently under construction, new lines of defense without having to pay an enormous butcher's bill for breaking free of the Russian forces grasp.

P.S. I wonder if Russia will ever start publishing lists of Ukrainian construction equipment it took out. Imo a payloader or a backhoe that is digging fortifications is every bit as worthy a target as is an APC.

Posted by: Babel-17 | Jan 13 2024 18:53 utc | 12

#9 g wiltek...very likely Dr.Kinzhal did visit him.....

Posted by: sejmon | Jan 13 2024 19:12 utc | 13

Stay on message! All will be ruined for naught! Our people are worthy of death, nyet.
The world is united to cripple PRC and its quislings. This is happening, and PRC is crumbling under its backdoor efforts to capitulate and appease. The anchor dragging was the last pathetic straw. Look at the wonders of human achievement. There is no reason or need for any war anywhere. Primitive and stupid. Take care of nature. Stop thinking in ancient terms. Abundance awaits. Love is possible. Reject all fantastic lies

Posted by: aholionono | Jan 13 2024 19:14 utc | 14

g wiltek @ Jan 13 2024 18:39 utc | 9

They chose prostate cancer as an excuse for a reason, who wants the gory details? Funny how supposedly no one planned for the elective surgery before the biopsy part put him into hospital..

Posted by: SOS | Jan 13 2024 19:16 utc | 15

Babel-17 @ Jan 13 2024 18:53 utc | 12

Hard to dig while running.. and harder to pour concrete on frozen ground under drone surveillance.

With 70km Lancet range they would have to dig way behind the front. Then Russia would advance to that line and keep shelling. No line fortifications work without manpower, artillery and AD. Trenches are always open to shelling.

Point fortifications on their own don't last and suffer from concentrated supply lines, naother opportunity to bleed.

I can't see either scenario happening for lack of resources. UKR can't pay anyone as it is even without construction cost.

Posted by: SOS | Jan 13 2024 19:23 utc | 16

Did Ukraine become more proficient at air defense in December? Time has passed since the initial report so we can now evaluate whether Ukraine is telling the truth.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/25/world/europe/ukraine-downs-planes-russia-claims-town.html

On Monday, Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Air Force, said on national television that Russia “was no longer actively fighting in the Kherson region, realizing that there could be a trap for them” and had instead launched a dozen drones in the area to try to identify the system that shot down the planes.

The Su-34 jets are Russia’s modern fighter bombers, with the ability to hit distant targets while carrying several tons of bombs and missiles. They have been repeatedly used to strike Ukrainian forces with powerful glide bombs, which are guided airdropped munitions capable of flying long distances.

Ukrainian officials said that an Su-34 destroyed on Sunday was operating near the southern Russian-occupied city of Mariupol, while the location of another Su-30 jet that was downed is unknown.

The three warplanes downed on Friday were operating near the southern city of Kherson, authorities said, from which Ukraine has launched daring but deadly operations to secure a bridgehead on the Russian-controlled eastern bank of the Dnipro River.

Posted by: semiconductor | Jan 13 2024 19:25 utc | 17

@SOS 8 and MOD report @6

the number of 35 HIMARS refers not to launchers (translation mistake) but to intercepted HIMARS (etc.) rockets.
the number of ammo depots destroyed doesn't say a lot - is it a depot for a single gun, a battery, a truck load, a wagon load, or a trainload? Or a really big one like in Balakleja?

Posted by: BG13 | Jan 13 2024 19:28 utc | 18

Posted by: Babel-17 | Jan 13 2024 18:53 utc | 12

Seems like the AFU's best defensive line is the one they are occupying right now. And they don't, as you point out, have the resources to pull off a managed withdrawal to. . . exactly what? I don't know where the next solidly defensible line is but possibly the Dnieper river. Looks like they are caught between their rhetoric and reality.

Posted by: Mike R | Jan 13 2024 19:59 utc | 19

Eightmann 7: Blitzkrieg ? - "The engine is the weapon!" - But of course this is only possible if the enemy does not have complete satellite aerial reconnaissance, such as the USA provides to Ukraine. Then it is the better strategy to grind the opponent's forces slowly. Russia has time, the USA has investments.

Posted by: Oliver Krug | Jan 13 2024 20:01 utc | 20

Posted by: semiconductor | Jan 13 2024 19:25 utc | 17

Generally, if one wants to be taken seriously, it's best not to post unsubstantiated propaganda from Western news. I know this bullshit story, the glide bombs are still falling in Kherson. The supposed planes shot down are like the planes burned on airfields and the Tu22m hit. In other words spurious bullshit designed to rally morale for Ukraine which is through the floor levels.

Imagine if lies won wars. Bidens Maerica would rule the Known Universe.

Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Jan 13 2024 20:04 utc | 21

Mercouris. A farewell to Lira. Also fine remarks from MSC and Simplicius that I saw linked to on the previous open thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X7JmoXenw0

I watched him very seldom. There was too much mystery about him so I didn't trust him. The mystery was resolved by the manner of his capture and death. A fallible man but courageous and honest, it turned out. I don't see one can ask for more.

Posted by: English Outsider | Jan 13 2024 20:44 utc | 22

"Ukrainian military personnel are suffering from illness;"

This is a telling development that will also be epidemic in the West. The cause is medical procedures such as shots of 'vaccines' that are unwarranted, cause poor dietary choices and lack of proper immune responses. The West will fall from its own causes. At this time the Russian response is being timed for maximized political response in the present USA election cycle.

Posted by: T S | Jan 13 2024 20:52 utc | 23

SECRETARY AUSTIN IS DEAD, Killed During Russian Massive Missile Attack While Unofficially Visiting Kiev on 1.3.24

This article is from a website "that's not known to be completely reliable..".. James Fetzer reads the article & talks about it with the host Scott Bennett:

Opening paragraph:
"Criminal Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was allegedly killed in Kyiv on January 3 when Russian cruise missiles peltered a command bunger where LA & Lieutenant General Valerii Zaluzhny, commander in chief of the Ukrainian Army, met secretly to discuss mounting an asymmetrical offensive to "bring Vladimir Putin to his knees," claims a Russia FSB source known for providing invaluable intellignce & the truth behind Putins Special Military Operaation.

https://rumble.com/v46jk59-secretary-austin-dead-killed-during-russ-missile-attack-while-unofficially-.html?start=192

Good legible images of pages from the article are shown.


Is that True or false? We KNOW the USA has become an empire of lies, and that the officials are a bunch of habitual liars- the blind who lead the blind. Some sympathy for the sorry old devils seems best, since they are obviously confused, in denial & freaking out - actually
hoping they can get away with endless big lies, and business as usual! They're clearly overwhelmed at this time and thankfully, their siutation will only get worse as more people see thru their lies. The best IS yet to come.

"We are witnessing the death throes of a civilization & birth pangs of a new civilization. Turmoil and upheaval are inevitable in this process." Benjamin Creme
===
===
PSA: US gov't employees & contractors can be Charged w/ Complicity in War Crimes re: 18 US Code § 2441 & Complicity in Genocide under 18 US Code § 1091 - VIPS

Mass Leaking is the most effective political intervention. -Julian Assange <> It is the Duty of all True Adults who know things that the people should know. Traitors & cowards who sit on their hands are helping genocidal maniacs & war criminals.

Posted by: Toby C | Jan 13 2024 21:30 utc | 24

I would like to discuss the concept of "active defense" along a huge front as appears to be practiced by the Russians. What should we expect that look like as the adversary is attrited? How should we expect that adversary to respond as their resources decline below the critical threshold where collapse is to be expected?

First of all, the adversary will redeploy combat units away from less important sectors of the front to what that adversary considers the most important areas. This leaves sections of the front radically undermanned and easy targets for the Russians. What should we expect of the Russians in these areas? Should they break through the adversary's almost nonexistent lines at those points and advance deep into the adversary's rear areas?

Let's imagine the Russians decide to do that and in several locations along a thousand kilometers of front. This results in several deep bulges along that front, and the total kilometers of front the Russians must defend has massively expanded. The Russians now also have flanks along those bulges that are vulnerable to opportunistic attacks by the adversary.

As I understand "active defense", the defender only advances if it improved improves tactical positioning of the defenders.

Basically, we will see no big moves by the Russians until they choose to switch from active defense to offense, and they are not going to switch to offense until they feel the adversary has been sufficiently attrited. What point that will be, only the Russian command knows. My guess with the increase in missile and drone activity, we are rapidly approaching that point. We will continue to see small movements to shorten the front and improve tactical positions until the Russian command decides it is time to pull the trigger on major advances, and these advances will be conducted to capture strategic positions without significantly lengthening the front.

The important point here is that we are not seeing big advances because the Russians cannot advance, but rather because doing so would not meaningfully improve their position at the moment. It is probable there are currently hundreds of locations along the front that are defended by a handful of untrained conscripts per dozen kilometers and that the Russians could just walk through at this point to march scores of kilometers west, but it is not time for that yet.

Posted by: William Gruff | Jan 13 2024 21:32 utc | 25


No 9 /gwilltek

https://realrawnews.com/2024/01/russian-claim-austin-dead-in-ukraine/

Posted by: Cloud ofFennoscandia | Jan 13 2024 21:32 utc | 26

FABulous.

https://t.me/remylind21/12029

🇺🇦 Russian forces will destroy Ukrainian positions with new FAB-1500 “smart” bombs. British expert Alexander Mercouris explained this on his YouTube channel.

The analyst pointed out the extremely high power of these aerial bombs, which no artillery shell could keep up with.

“I suspect that we will see more and more deployments of these heavy bombs across the front, which will cause enormous damage to the Ukrainian positions,” Mercouris said.

According to him, using such heavy bombs to destroy Ukrainian fortifications is the best and fastest strategy.

https://t.me/milinfolive/114260

A selection of gliding bombs of various calibers and missiles, prepared to be sent to the enemy’s heads.

Posted by: anon2020 | Jan 13 2024 21:33 utc | 27

Doctor eleven 21: "Imagine if lies won wars. Biden's Maerica would rule the Known Universe." - Basically, it is very fortunate for the world that those people who have to cut their sandals out of old car tires are insensitive to the lies of the Anglo-Saxons and their Jews.

Posted by: Oliver Krug | Jan 13 2024 21:36 utc | 28

In older less dysfunctional times to reassure America there would be photos at this point in Life magazine and on the evening news of a smiling Austin sitting up in his hospital bed, flowers, sunny window, smiling wife holding his hand - even if after the shutter clicked he passed out from the sheer exertion of sitting up and everyone was rushed out of the room. Odd too, no personal stories from Congressmen, defense committee members, saying they just got back from visiting Austin confirming he's doing well. No doctor press conference either? Think back to the past decades of US history? Unprecedented.

Either in declined dictatorship America reassuring the public no longer matters, or Austin is way graver than they're letting on. If the latter why not just admit that? The whole point of a democracy is that succession is not an issue. The secrecy here is counter-productive to an already struggling Biden admin and the American system as a whole. The oddness is building.

I think it's highly improbable and totally pointless for the USA SecDef to be on secret missions, but this is not your dad's America, and now I'm starting to wonder if he really did bump into Mr. Kinzhal in Ukraine.

They might be building up mystery to announce his death from a failed "prostate" operation, they need to create a credible time span for that story to fit into. And I agree, prostate chosen as no one would want to know the details.

Never a dull moment at the end of empire.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 13 2024 21:42 utc | 29

SIMPLICIUS Ѱ

@simpatico771
⚡🚨🚨🚨🇺🇦WOW....the official air defense reports keep getting worse and worse.
They failed to intercept anything in last night's attack, not even Shahed drones.

I think we can officially surmise their AD is almost completely at this point.

Zlatti71
@djuric_zlatko

🚨Sumy Region 13.01

Just now, the tactical aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out several attacks against enemy rear lines using air-to-ground missiles.

The enemy's air defense did not work

There were no anti-aircraft alerts - IRu reports

Posted by: ukra AD depleted | Jan 13 2024 21:43 utc | 30

Those missiles are expensive and the Russians and letting them fly, I don't think it means so much they have a lot of missiles as that they have a lot of confidence in their intelligence. As Ukraine declines more and more people there are getting up the courage to help the Russians.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 13 2024 21:51 utc | 31

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 13 2024 21:42 utc | 29

I agree with you - pictures of Austin need to be released with a newspaper held up with today's date, or he's worm food.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Jan 13 2024 21:51 utc | 32

Meanwhile, the psychos in charge in the west continue pushing us toward nuclear annihilation.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-01-11/russias-medvedev-warns-of-nuclear-response-if-ukraine-hits-missile-launch-sites

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 13 2024 21:51 utc | 33

Posted by: Toby C | Jan 13 2024 21:30 utc | 24

Everything I'm seeing is that Austin is alive and walking around in The Swamp.

Speaking of leakers/whistleblowers, I just watched the Pilger documentary on the media selling war. It's worth a watch for his interviews with the liars and con artists, not to mention murderers, who launched the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 13 2024 21:58 utc | 34

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 13 2024 21:42 utc | 29

I agree with that analysis. Pictures of a "proof of life" style are needed, else we can assume he's dead.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Jan 13 2024 22:03 utc | 35

Lloyd, Russia losing, Ukraine winning, Moon landing, Waco, Boston, 911, global boiling, democracy, vaccines, rules based order, tooth fairy and Santa Claus.

Posted by: g wiltek | Jan 13 2024 22:08 utc | 36

Dima of the Military Summary Channel says that Austin was wounded in Kiev
https://rumble.com/v46287t-snowstorm-austin-was-wounded-in-kyiv.-mobilization-also-reached-poland.-mil.html

Posted by: Norwegian | Jan 13 2024 22:09 utc | 37

Eh, actually Austin may still be in hospital in The Swamp. Don't think he was injured in Ukraine though, but initially I thought that might've been the case.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 13 2024 22:09 utc | 38

I have read of the passing of Gonzalo Lira... can this be confirmed? I am very sorry if this is true.
I always liked him. May God keep him.
Randolph

Posted by: Bringoutyourdead | Jan 13 2024 22:13 utc | 39

@Bringoutyourdead

https://tass.com/world/1731827

Posted by: Apollyon | Jan 13 2024 22:23 utc | 40

Norwegian @ 36

When it comes to cutting edge news Dima is more of a gossip columnist than a journalist, think Liz Smith vs Seymour Hersh.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 13 2024 22:24 utc | 41

.

Posted by: William Gruff | Jan 13 2024 21:32 utc | 25

Everything I read about the situation reminds me of those videos about objects being tested to destruction in a hydraulic press. The composition of the object determines the timescale, but the process seems to see little, or nothing, happen for some time, and then the increasing pressure results in bulges here and there, followed by catastrophic collapse.

Posted by: Cortes | Jan 13 2024 22:25 utc | 42

A long time since I read the Rus MoD briefings. Their estimates of enemy casualties though have proved to be on the conservative side.

This in the MoD briefing posted above "In the Krasnolimansk direction, .......
The enemy lost up to 995 soldiers killed and wounded, five armored combat vehicles, 25 vehicles and five field artillery pieces."

1000, in one day, in one sector. I haven't added up the total days casualties in that briefing.

Also the comment quoting simplicius - no Ukraine AD response to Russian missiles and drones, no air raid warnings... sounds like the nazi proxy is now running on fumes.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 13 2024 22:28 utc | 43

No death certificate yet, the US coroner is waiting for biopsy results but the UKR has no one left to scrape up the tissue.

Posted by: SOS | Jan 13 2024 22:28 utc | 44

This is probably a good time to reflect on how potent the legacy Soviet air defense systems were.
The highly competent VVS faced an increasingly difficult task in achieving air superiority and is only now achieving control over the LOC. The planning aerial bombs have been a step in the right direction.
Can Ukrainian defensive lines survive an aerial bombardment?
Doubtful.

Posted by: Suresh | Jan 13 2024 22:31 utc | 45

Lord Austin... beginning to sound like the middle digit kinzhal was a bit much for Austin.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 13 2024 22:37 utc | 46

It would be quite interesting if Austin intercepted a kinzhal. Afaik all kinzhals were intercepted. Or was I lied upon?

Posted by: Naive | Jan 13 2024 22:44 utc | 47

@Naive | Jan 13 2024 22:44 utc | 46

All Kinzhals were intercepted by their targets.

Posted by: Norwegian | Jan 13 2024 22:49 utc | 48

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 13 2024 22:28 utc | 42
A week not a day. January 6 to 12.

Posted by: NoName | Jan 13 2024 22:56 utc | 49

Re: Gonzalo Lira. I fail to understand why anyone gives a shit about the demise this internet attention whore. Speaking of rumors of his dying of Covid, remember that girl who posted a video of herself licking a toilet seat, to prove she wasn't afraid of 'rona, back when the Covid panic was just getting going in Spring 2020? Another famous (for a while) internet attention whore. Wonder what became of her? There are thousands of quality career soldiers on both sides of this war who have died or suffered severe injury, and others who continue doing their jobs under often very difficult conditions. I plan to reserve my use of terms like "courage" for men like this versus jackasses who bring about their own demise for the sake of clicks and views by an anonymous audience.

Posted by: anonposter | Jan 13 2024 22:57 utc | 50

Posted by: William Gruff | Jan 13 2024 21:32 utc | 25

Everything I read about the situation reminds me of those videos about objects being tested to destruction in a hydraulic press. The composition of the object determines the timescale, but the process seems to see little, or nothing, happen for some time, and then the increasing pressure results in bulges here and there, followed by catastrophic collapse.

Posted by: Cortes | Jan 13 2024 22:25 utc | 41Posted by: William Gruff | Jan 13 2024 21:32 utc | 25

Ah, thanks for reminding of an early effort by Frank Herbert, one in which he uses a premise that he'd often later on expand on. He wrote the serial Under Pressure, alternatively titled The Dragon in the Sea from when published as a novel. I never finished reading it, as I'd picked it up when just a kid. Must get to it!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dragon_in_the_Sea

P.S. While Dune periodically gets its share of references, I find it a bit puzzling that his The Dosadi Experiment doesn't get mentioned more when topics like the struggle of the Palestinians in the Gaza strip come up. Herbert proves his work timeless yet again with that. And in The Dosadi Experiment Herbert took the theme of being under pressure to a thrilling extreme.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dosadi_Experiment

Posted by: Babel-17 | Jan 13 2024 23:00 utc | 51

The enemy's air defense did not work

Posted by: ukra AD depleted | Jan 13 2024 21:43 utc | 3

Quite the contrary! It worked perfectly well! All missiles were intercepted by their targets. 100% success!!!

Posted by: Naive | Jan 13 2024 23:00 utc | 52

If it had been Lindsey Graham in that subterranean bunker in Kiev, his gaydar would have driven him to raise his rear end to the incoming Kinzhal, hoping for hypersonic penetration. Right on target too, with the low CEP. The jokes would have written themselves. As it is, token diversity appointment Austin deserved his fate for aligning himself with Nazis and Zionists.

Posted by: Matthew | Jan 13 2024 23:16 utc | 53

NoName | Jan 13 2024 22:56 utc | 48

My mistake. Thanks for correcting.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 13 2024 23:16 utc | 54

More than one post to effect
- The Ukrainian Air Defense did not work. Sounds like complacency is creeping into the situation

It seems when RU gets complacent, that's when they get surprised by Ukraine tactics.

Posted by: Jerr | Jan 13 2024 23:25 utc | 55

@Peter AU1
Np. Greetings to Down Under.

Posted by: NoName | Jan 13 2024 23:27 utc | 56

Is that True or false? We KNOW the USA has become an empire of lies, and that the officials are a bunch of habitual liars- the blind who lead the blind.
Posted by: Toby C | Jan 13 2024 21:30 utc | 24

If it is true, the US won't be able to keep it secret for long. His family for one would want answers. Also, if he did travel to Kiev he wouldn't have died alone. SECDEFs travel with an entourage - Secret Service agents, military adjuncts, aides, etc. Their families would also want/need answers. The more people involved the less likely it will be kept secret.

I think it more probable that a 70 year old black man in a high-stress job is suffering from prostate cancer than him being struck by a Russian missile. Also, I'm pretty sure the US keeps the back channels open with Russia and would give a heads-up if the sixth in line to the presidency was going to be in Ukraine.

Posted by: James M. | Jan 13 2024 23:30 utc | 57

No death certificate yet, the US coroner is waiting for biopsy results but the UKR has no one left to scrape up the tissue.

Posted by: SOS | Jan 13 2024 22:28 utc | 43

--------------

Ah, so they might still pull the ole "died with COVID" routine. It's f**king traditional at this point.

Posted by: Urban Fox | Jan 13 2024 23:31 utc | 58

Posted by: William Gruff | Jan 13 2024 21:32 utc | 25

Active defence is the doctrine that being on the defence does not mean adopting a static posture, but actively defending. To put the Russian experience into historical context the STAVKA realised by 1943 that static lines of defence did not work against the highly mobile warfare the Germans conducted. Counter-attacks were only launched to retake lost positions and little initiative from Russian senior commanders was shown or expected.. In gaming terms the Russians had a pre-programmed response to attacks that the Germans expected, countered and exploited.

The pernicious habit of penny-packeting armour, or using it as a crude sledgehammer was over by ‘43, as a core of highly experienced commanders led the Guards Tank Armies GTA’s, new structures that tried to replicate some German practices, whilst forging unique variants. It was these mobile forces that blunted the German attacks at Kursk, by attacking at every opportunity that presented itself, forcing the German penetrations to narrow their frontages to fight of repeated counter-attacks (c.f Robotyne and the Ukrainian initial penetration narrowing and weakening). The Russians then, in a bit of tactical judo, turned the German doctrine of launching an immediate counter-attack, with what ever forces were available, against itself, by attacking and then immediately switching to an active defence on the flanks of the penetration, to await the inevitable counter.

The final element is that defences are not, ‘two up one behind’, static affairs but more an elastic proposition that will retreat rather than be destroyed in place, something the Russian infantry at Kursk were forced to do due to lack of mobility. Even though in interlocked and heavily mined fortifications the Germans were never defeated by them, but they did allow the armoured forces the time to redeploy and attack. Today they can avoid combat as much as defend, frustrating the attackers, who risk becoming over-exposed and vulnerable to being attacked themselves. If you want, WW2 Russian infantry in defence was like a fencer chained to the floor, today they are free to move forward and back, on the piste, striking wherever the opportunity arises.

So the Russians seem to have continued these tactics, attacking to provoke or force a counter-attack, or attack any time Ukrainian forces give them an opportunity. These two approaches can be easily combined or swapped quickly, and an elastic defence added, the big advantage of vastly improved C3, ISR, mobility and long-range firepower. Ukraine have begun to take this approach (another reason for the recent grinding progress by Russia) but it’s too little too late. Russian could perform an effective transition to this doctrine in WW2 because they were gaining the upper hand, Ukraine is on the back foot, has little to no strategic reserve and all the dials are in the red. It might buy some extra time, but it is only delaying the inevitable.

Posted by: ukra AD depleted | Jan 13 2024 21:43 utc | 30

I’ve always said, the day Russian aviation attacks by shallow dives and not lofting attacks is the day you can start Ukraine’s death clock.

Posted by: Milites | Jan 13 2024 23:31 utc | 59

Posted by: anonposter | Jan 13 2024 22:57 utc | 49

The point being that Gonzalo Lira was a civilian, not a Ukrainian citizen, and a "journalist". It's quite telling in your post that you hand-wave away the death of an American civilian citizen, who committed no crime other than speak truth to power, in foreign custody.

I live in a foreign country, I hold an American passport. If I were detained, arrested, imprisoned and then died in custody in the country where I live, I would want the American embassy, the State Department, my Congressman, my Senators, my Governor, to find as many answers as they could as to how and why that happened, and give them to my surviving family.

I'm sure the US State Department will get right on that with Mr. Lira's death...

Posted by: James M. | Jan 13 2024 23:40 utc | 60

Milites | Jan 13 2024 23:31 utc | 58

Kursk. 5000 km of trenches I believe of memory I think in five layers. Static defence. Minefields and entrenched gun positions backed up by tanks. Germans were not force to concentrate their forces. That was the blitzkrieg that at the start none knew how to counter. Designed like a concentrated fist to break through enemy lines. German plan of attack was to break through in the north and south and get behind and cut of the main part of the Kursk bulge.
Air, armour, artillary and motorized infantry in highly mobile combined arms warfare. A completely new military concept with the total fighting time to roll over and conquer all of Europe count in weeks or months. Individual countries counted in days and weeks. With the Soviet Union, its depth, its culture, the mighty German war machine met more than its match.

At Nuremberg, reperations to each country were divided by how much of Germans war effort was expended against each country. Germany had rolled over Europe, had fought an air war with Britain and the US, Africa, the western front after d-day and 70% of its war effort was expended against the Soviet Union.


Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 13 2024 23:53 utc | 61

Posted by: Suresh | Jan 13 2024 22:31 utc | 44

It’s probably a good time to reflect on how effective NATO ISR has been in extending the life of the legacy AD systems and performing a force-multiplier role.

Posted by: Milites | Jan 13 2024 23:55 utc | 62

by SOS | Jan 13 2024 19:23 utc | 16

Very correct. Chasov Yar is such heavily and laced with NATO standards, fortified place already for 9 years. See how that goes.

Posted by: whirlX | Jan 14 2024 0:03 utc | 63

"MI6 transmitted intelligence information to the Office of the President and the General Staff about Russia’s plans to launch an offensive on several sectors of the front in mid-January, with the Kharkov direction not being the main one.
The main goal of the Russian army is to exhaust the Ukrainian Armed Forces so that we spend reserves on holding positions near Bakhmut/Avdeevka and Rabotino.

British intelligence recommends that Ukraine speed up the construction of defensive structures and save forces."

I believe that the information above is correct. I do not believe we will see a large scale Russian offensive towards Kharkov or Odessa as it would stretch Russian supply lines. - And over extend "Defensive unbrellas." Lest not forget a big reason for the withdrawal from the kherson region - was to converse on defensive resources - air defense systems - artillerly - and troops.... ---- From what I have seen the russian side really really cares for the lives of their troops...... Unlike the ukrainian side that is willing to send troops on an offensive without adequate air defense system..... Suicide in modern warfare......

Posted by: nick s | Jan 14 2024 0:14 utc | 64

Ah, so they might still pull the ole "died with COVID" routine. It's f**king traditional at this point.

Posted by: Urban Fox | Jan 13 2024 23:31 utc | 57

And he got the double pneumonia with the edema from what exactly?

Some evil witch came and cursed his lungs?

As I said in the previous thread -- with proper treatment he would likely have lived. So his death is on the SBU and the State Department.

But in the same time let's not forget that he spent two years reminding everyone that COVID is a hoax. So he has in his small way contributed to pushing the global death toll towards the 30 million count, which is what we are approaching now. He died in the hands of the evil empire. Those people died because of it too, but in that case he was helping the evil empire, even if perhaps unwittingly.

In general, my rule is to cheer every time someone who has done that dies of COVID. Quite a few such cases already, but still only a small fraction of the people who deserve it.

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 14 2024 0:17 utc | 65

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 13 2024 23:53 utc | 60

Static for the infantry regiments with some dug in tanks, who got torn to pieces at the cutting edge, but the repeated armoured attacks, especially along the Northern front, bogged the German advance to a crawl. In the less restricted terrain in the South the static defences proved inadequate and only by the sacrifice of the best part of Rotmistrov’s Guards Tank Army was the advance slowed (an event so catastrophic that the Soviet spin machine had to create the myth of the battle of Prokhorovka, complete with fake veterans stories of tank ramming). By then then, with the Northern pincer making only a dent, and the launch of the Belgorod offensive any further progress was impossible.

If you’re interested in the doctrinal change to active defence, beginning in ‘43, Glantz is a good start.

Posted by: Milites | Jan 14 2024 0:21 utc | 66

P.S. I wonder if Russia will ever start publishing lists of Ukrainian construction equipment it took out. Imo a payloader or a backhoe that is digging fortifications is every bit as worthy a target as is an APC.

Posted by: Babel-17 | Jan 13 2024 18:53 utc | 12

If they are not publishing such evidence, how do we know they are even doing this?

As far as I know, there is zero evidence they are trying to prevent the construction of fortifications.

Should they be doing it?

Absolutely.

But they should have also disabled the railway system, and the only way to do that was to destroy the locomotives, starting with the depots. And that was never even attempted, even though the likes of Rybar spent months screaming for it (and they have some access to the relevant decision making circles).

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 14 2024 0:26 utc | 67

the number of 35 HIMARS refers not to launchers (translation mistake) but to intercepted HIMARS (etc.) rockets.

Posted by: BG13 | Jan 13 2024 19:28 utc | 18

And this is not a good number at all -- usually it is a third of that. Which means Ukrainians have plenty to fire and the HIMARS have not been meaningfully suppressed at all.

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 14 2024 0:27 utc | 68

Milites | Jan 14 2024 0:21 utc | 65

All soviet WWII/ great patriotic war records and documents have been digitized and put on the net. Can be read by anyone who reads Russian.
You are pumping cold war propaganda with your account.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 14 2024 0:28 utc | 69

https://t.me/remylind21/12029

🇺🇦 Russian forces will destroy Ukrainian positions with new FAB-1500 “smart” bombs. British expert Alexander Mercouris explained this on his YouTube channel.
The analyst pointed out the extremely high power of these aerial bombs, which no artillery shell could keep up with.

Posted by: anon2020 | Jan 13 2024 21:33 utc | 27

See, this is why the Western pro-Russian commentariat is so harmful.

Russians have still not shaken off the centuries deep inferiority complex, and when they see a Westerner on their side, they see him as some higher form of human being and automatically trust him.

And then the lies about the war that various grifters say in a Western context in order to maintain their ratings feed back into the Russian internet space and start to distort the perception of reality even there.

What kind of "expert" is Mercouris? Really? We can all go back and revisit what he has said in the last two years.

Scott Ritter is even worse -- he is a celebrity in Russia now, for spewing uninformed BS about the situation on the ground that paints Russia in highly positive light.

Also, note that this particular Telegram channel was one of the sources of the "information" that on Monday the 15th a grand offensive will begin, which was then copy-pasted all over the internet and once again got people's hopes up without any basis for it.

Dima of the Military Summary Channel says that Austin was wounded in Kiev https://rumble.com/v46287t-snowstorm-austin-was-wounded-in-kyiv.-mobilization-also-reached-poland.-mil.html

Posted by: Norwegian | Jan 13 2024 22:09 utc | 36

Dima has no inside information aside from what a few people close to the frontlines that he knows tell him, but that is very little, and has not been heard of in a long time anyway.

He just reads the same rumor mill that we all do and comments on it.

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 14 2024 0:34 utc | 70

by Peter AU1 | Jan 14 2024 0:28 utc | 68 @ Milites:

You are pumping cold war propaganda with your account.

Now that is harsh. I would say more of 'a cold war starting to adjust to a new war' process, as seen in highly informative posts, mostly.
Some people went to military and learned to fight or against Soviets, or against NATO or both.
Different doctrines approaches are no crime, please.

Posted by: whirlX | Jan 14 2024 0:36 utc | 71

In older less dysfunctional times to reassure America there would be photos at this point in Life magazine and on the evening news of a smiling Austin sitting up in his hospital bed, flowers, sunny window, smiling wife holding his hand - even if after the shutter clicked he passed out from the sheer exertion of sitting up and everyone was rushed out of the room. Odd too, no personal stories from Congressmen, defense committee members, saying they just got back from visiting Austin confirming he's doing well. No doctor press conference either? Think back to the past decades of US history? Unprecedented.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 13 2024 21:42 utc | 29

Boris Johnson when he got COVID did show his face even from the ICU daily, until he got too sick even for that.

Unfortunately, the doctors there did their job and he survived, instead of what they should have done, i.e. faking treating him or even helping him die. Which is what he deserved -- there are more than 250K dead on that scumbag's consciousness in the UK alone, plus condemning the whole world to endemic COVID for the foreseeable future through the global influence the UK and its policies have.

Unless Austin is intubated and/or not in one piece, they can definitely show his face.

But if he is intubated, that is for more than 10 days now, i.e. it is way more serious than they describe it.

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 14 2024 0:37 utc | 72

I see Donald Trump Jnr commented on how US foreign welfare recipients like Zelenski are allowed to murder US citizens and journalists, with MSM staying silent.

I hope Lira Snr sues Victoria Nuland and Bellingcat for Wrongful Death.

Posted by: Suresh | Jan 14 2024 0:47 utc | 73

whirlX | Jan 14 2024 0:36 utc | 70

Kursk is not about differences in doctrine between nato and the Soviet Union during the cold war. Current Russia has no love for the Bolsheviks. They have no reason to promote propaganda of that era. Bodies from the great patriotic war are still being found in buried trenches bunkers and crashed aircraft buried in swamps, identified and given a proper burial.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 14 2024 0:49 utc | 74

This is probably a good time to reflect on how potent the legacy Soviet air defense systems were. The highly competent VVS faced an increasingly difficult task in achieving air superiority and is only now achieving control over the LOC. The planning aerial bombs have been a step in the right direction. Can Ukrainian defensive lines survive an aerial bombardment? Doubtful.

Posted by: Suresh | Jan 13 2024 22:31 utc | 44

I still have very hard time seeing that -- aerial bombardment over the front lines -- happening any time soon.

SEAD/DEAD missions like the one in the last 24 hours will have taken out some of the large long-range systems, whether NATO's or whatever is left of the old Soviet S-300s.

But Ukraine still has some of the old Soviet Buk systems, and is supplied with whatever IRIS-T are available in Europe. Until those are completely attrited, there will be no bombardment of the front lines.

However, quite likely before that happens, even if European production IRIS-T capacity is tapped out, they will bring the South Korean and Turkish analogs and will continue to successfully deny the frontline air space, even at high altitude.

There will be no such bombardment (and many other things) until the Polish and Romanian borders are sealed.

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 14 2024 0:49 utc | 75

Posted by: shаdοwpuppet | Jan 14 2024 0:34 utc | 69

FFS, grow up! 1 stupid Telegram poster does not represent Russia.

Your infantile bitching and moaning are fucking tedious!

Posted by: Suresh | Jan 14 2024 0:55 utc | 76

by Peter AU1 | Jan 14 2024 0:49 utc | 73

Yes. You are right there. Everything is documented, situations drawn and basically everything about almost every combat death is known.
A Stuka hanging in Berlin Technical Museum has Cyrillic descriptions around bullet holes.
As you say, there is a huge documentation and maps online about GPW from Soviets. Also I warmly recommend Russian made docu series on the GPW. Western docus on that subject are shallow and disrespectful in many ways.

Posted by: whirlX | Jan 14 2024 0:59 utc | 77

Posted by: Milites | Jan 13 2024 23:55 utc | 61

All Kinzhals were intercepted by their targets.

Posted by: Norwegian | Jan 13 2024 22:49 utc | 47

Maybe now is the time to reflect how ineffective NATO ISR is without legacy Soviet AD systems......?

Posted by: Suresh | Jan 14 2024 1:05 utc | 78

From Russian MFA, Zahkharowa:

Question: Taiwan held elections today to choose the so-called president and MPs. What is the Russian Federation’s position on this matter?

Maria Zakharova: Russia’s position on Taiwan is well-known and consistent, as set forth in Presidential Executive Order No 1072 of September 15, 1992, On the Relations between the Russian Federation and Taiwan. This position is also set forth in the key documents governing Russia-China relations, primarily Article 5 of the Russian-Chinese Treaty on Neighbourly Relations, Friendship and Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China, dated July 16, 2001. It reads: “The Russian side reaffirms that the principled stand on the Taiwan issue as expounded in the political documents signed and adopted by the heads of state of the two countries from 1992 to 2000 remain unchanged. The Russian side acknowledges that there is only one China, that the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Russian side opposes any form of Taiwan's independence.”

This approach was reaffirmed in the Joint Statement by the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era, which was signed by the leaders of the two countries on March 21, 2023, during the state visit by President of China Xi Jinping to Russia. It also contains a provision whereby “the Russian side firmly supports actions by the Chinese side to defend its state sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

We believe that relations between the two parties in the Taiwan Strait constitute an internal matter for China. Attempts by certain countries to use the elections in Taiwan to pressure Beijing and destabilise the situation in the strait and across the region are counterproductive and must be condemned by the international community.

We call on all outside forces to refrain from provocative actions undermining regional stability and international security.

I think her last sentence refers to Ukraine, as well.

Posted by: whirlX | Jan 14 2024 1:09 utc | 79

sh is using two Russian letters in his pdeudo to show how wrong and twisted his comments are.

And of course he is lying about the number of covid deaths. Officially it is less than 7 millions and this number is already completely exagerated.

Posted by: Naive | Jan 14 2024 1:17 utc | 80

It is becoming funny:

https://www.rt.com/news/590602-france-more-aid-kiev/

"Ukraine is and will remain France’s priority." Of course the French people are not the priority of that government.

Let's summarise:

1) President: homosexual
2)Prime minister: homosexual
3) Foreign minister: homosexual

As they have no children, they do not give a fuck about the future of the country.

And 2 and 3 are former sexual partner. They divorced in 2022.

Posted by: Naive | Jan 14 2024 1:36 utc | 81

Good times. As Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk circles over the entire southern side of the Black Sea at the moment. Escalation? Do they make it go down? When RF turns a dark cloud over the Black Sea and all the way to Kaliningrad and further, wake me up only to see the morph from "we didn't start anything yet", to "ok, now we do".

Posted by: whirlX | Jan 14 2024 1:38 utc | 82

In responxe to
"
Posted by: shаdοwpuppet | Jan 14 2024 0:34 utc | 69

FFS, grow up! 1 stupid Telegram poster does not represent Russia.

Your infantile bitching and moaning are fucking tedious!

Posted by: Suresh | Jan 14 2024 0:55 utc | 75
"

It has been obvious to me from early on that Shaddowbanned is here to discredit Russia and add unsupported credence that Russia would use nukes other than in response to attack....they keep calling for Russia to use nukes....such a tell

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jan 14 2024 1:49 utc | 83

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 13 2024 21:42 utc | 29

I agree with that analysis. Pictures of a "proof of life" style are needed, else we can assume he's dead.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Jan 13 2024 22:03 utc | 34

I don't recall ever seeing any videos of Austin that would give 'proof of life.' Far as I can tell he's never been anything but a corporate script reader, dredged up from the MIC to fill a position in the Biden cabinet. Truly a zombie SecDef who can appear/disappear in the public eye without anyone giving a fig, or without any indication that he's anything more than a bot. Actually he fits in perfectly with this administration. Soon the big man himself may disappear, and it will be weeks before it's noticed, followed by a byline in the papers that Kamala is now pres.

Posted by: Mike R | Jan 14 2024 1:56 utc | 84

Naive | Jan 14 2024 1:36 utc | 80

Nothing to see there... other than empire going through its final stage of decadence just prior to collapse.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 14 2024 1:59 utc | 85

reply to 80

Oh, it's much worse than that as to the mindset of Western leadership. Biden, Trump and others are a heartbeat away from their funerals. And they control the military and nukes. Gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling, huh?

Posted by: Eighthman | Jan 14 2024 2:04 utc | 86

As much as shadowbanned gets annoying by constantly singing to a different tune, his pov is a useful counterweight to the mainstream conversation on this blog and I think that's a very good thing even though I seldom find common ground with him.

"Question everything" within the bounds of reason the way he mostly does it is not trolling, it is what we all should be doing really.

And even if people don't agree with the above, public displays of getting pissed off with him is truly childishness.

Posted by: Saul Goode | Jan 14 2024 2:11 utc | 87

I still have very hard time seeing that -- aerial bombardment over the front lines -- happening any time soon.
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 14 2024 0:49 utc | 74

The Russians currently are using glide bombs. That is, regular bombs that have the glide device attached, and can do a controlled glide into the target. Thus they can do precision bombing in the front line area without the airplane having to be close in. Reportedly they are doing a lot of damage to the Ukrainian army.

Posted by: Jmaas | Jan 14 2024 2:17 utc | 88

It only takes o e journalist with some integrity to demand proof of life from Austin. Empire of lies already has the secondary infection story out there, it's only a few days away from he couldn't be saved blah blah, cover up complete, but a simple prove he is in hospital with a media visit ends all that speculation and pretence. .

Posted by: Hankster | Jan 14 2024 2:20 utc | 89

The second part I forgot is do we really believe a man of his position can dissapear without anyone knowing for days in other departments. This man would have untold numbers of assistants and appointments , secret service, several phones and devices that have their own security details just for them. There's no possible way the man's movements aren't tracked and logged every second by multiple agencies. So the whole should he be fired for AWOL is the Red herring for dummies

Posted by: Hankster | Jan 14 2024 2:29 utc | 90

by Hankster | Jan 14 2024 2:29 utc | 89

I can imagine that Col. McGreggor's message to the military, to resist and act instead of lawless state the USA is in, might produce some results. Texas takes control of its borders shunning the state aside. True or not? The USA is a runaway train.

Posted by: whirlX | Jan 14 2024 2:36 utc | 91

Hankster ^89

“The second part I forgot is do we really believe a man of his position can dissapear without anyone knowing for days in other departments.”

There are some who might say that’s the highest form of the art…;-)

Posted by: Jm | Jan 14 2024 2:38 utc | 92

And of course he is lying about the number of covid deaths. Officially it is less than 7 millions and this number is already completely exagerated.

Posted by: Naive | Jan 14 2024 1:17 utc | 79

Officially.

Are you really that retarded to think that everyone who died of COVID was recorded officially when governments all around the world were desperate to make it look like a non-problem, and when so many hugely populous countries stopped reporting altogether?

China at 5,000 total after they let it rip? Please. It's over 3M in reality.

India at just 500K after they were throwing corpses into the rivers at one point? It was 5-6M in reality.

Fortunately, there is excess mortality to tell us what actually happened, although even that isn't available everywhere.

Russia isn't at 400K, the real death toll is provided by the excess mortality (and before some retard jumps in to tell us it was the vaccines that caused it, it coincides precisely with COVID waves and was already huge in 2020) and is now approaching 1.5M.

Etc.

As an example of how faked official numbers are, for we know how many people actually died in Russia because we at least have the all-cause mortality statistics, but in neighboring Belarus everybody's favorite dictator Lukashenko not only refused to do anything to stop the pandemic, but stopped releasing even the all-cause mortality statistics. So we can only guess that it was at least as bad as in Russia, i.e. around 100,000 dead. We do, however, know very clearly that his official numbers were complete BS, because for a year and a half they were posting the exact same number of dead a day, +/-1. Which is statistically impossible because of the extreme underdispersion, i.e. clearly some clerk was told to make up a number and that was what they reported, but because that clerk was never taught what a Poisson distribution is, he/she just penciled in the same very low number, +/-1 on some days.

It got absolutely ridiculous in some of the real shitholes of the world.

In Turkmenistan Berdimuhamedov declared that there is no COVID, and still to this day officially there hasn't been a single case there. But in 2021 they told people to wear masks because of the "dust storms" (as if Turkmenistan has not been a sandy desert for the whole of its existence).

In Tanzania then president Magufuli took the same approach, only to then die of COVID, and so did his vice president. But the official death toll for the whole country is 846.

During the Beta wave 5% of the DRC parliament died of COVID, but the official death toll for the whole 100M country is 1,468. How much sense does that make?

That sort of thing.

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 14 2024 2:40 utc | 93

I'm going to need to see some Austin memes before I make a decision. None of that low-budget Budanov and Zaluzhny cut-out comedy. And don't pass the deep fake video porn either.

Posted by: sln2002 | Jan 14 2024 2:45 utc | 94

he is lying about the number of covid deaths. Officially it is less than 7 millions and this number is already completely exagerated.

Posted by: Naive | Jan 14 2024 1:17 utc | 79

Yes, Steve Kirsch has been addressing that lately on his substack starting with the California nurse whistleblower, Gail Macrae, interview posted 1 Jan 2024. This was confirmed by ICU specialist Dr Paul Marik in the VRSF broadcast posted 12 Jan 2024. Bottom line, in the USA, and other nations following CDC protocols, 90% of 'covid' deaths were due to the protocols themselves, including withholding of family visitation, fluids, nutrition, antibiotics, steroids, administration of toxic chemicals, intubation, and sometimes the midazolam/fentanyl euthanasia cocktail when the hospital had obtained the maximum govt payout. The use of safe off-label drugs proven to have antiviral effectiveness could have saved most of the remaining 10%. As 'covid' was no more severe than a seasonal flu, real global deaths in the absence of the CDC death protocols would have been less than a million. Meanwhile estimated 13 - 17 million and counting have died from the jabs.

Posted by: Drifter | Jan 14 2024 2:59 utc | 95

Posted by: Suresh | Jan 14 2024 1:05 utc | 77

You possibly don’t understand the role NATO ISR has played in the SMO.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 14 2024 0:28 utc | 68

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Demolishing-Myth-Prokhorovka-Operational-Narrative-ebook/dp/B0759GSLN3

You could try reading this piece of Cold-War propaganda!

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 14 2024 0:49 utc | 73

Actually it is about doctrinal differences and the impact the war had on the Cold-War mindsets of the two armies. Understanding that both Western and Soviet doctrines were attempts to address the unique problems, that both faced, will give a better appreciation of the SMO’s unique role in confronting both the Russian and Ukrainian armed forces with the consequences of those legacy compromises.

Posted by: Milites | Jan 14 2024 3:10 utc | 96

"But in the same time let's not forget that he spent two years reminding everyone that COVID is a hoax. So he has in his small way contributed to pushing the global death toll towards the 30 million count, which is what we are approaching now... In general, my rule is to cheer every time someone who has done that dies of COVID. Quite a few such cases already, but still only a small fraction of the people who deserve it."

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 14 2024 0:17 utc | 64


Why don't you go get a booster, loser.


"And even if people don't agree with the above, public displays of getting pissed off with him is truly childishness."

Posted by: Saul Goode | Jan 14 2024 2:11 utc | 86


Oh look at you being all adult and superior and stuff. Get over yourself.

Posted by: shadowbarfed | Jan 14 2024 3:29 utc | 97

by Milites | Jan 14 2024 3:10 utc | 95

I agree. Well pointed, but you do not come from Soviet or Non-Aligned military education or an influence, so every discussion is valuable. Certainly..I, myself also come from the Airfix armies, battlefield models, tanks and vehicles.

Posted by: whirlX | Jan 14 2024 3:45 utc | 98

Forgive me if this has already been mentioned (I did search) but if Austin is dead, isn't Zaluzhny gone too? (dead again??)

Posted by: Eighthman | Jan 14 2024 3:52 utc | 99

T

Posted by: SWISSmiss | Jan 14 2024 3:52 utc | 100

next page »

The comments to this entry are closed.