Ukraine Open Thread 2024-023
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 21, 2024 at 14:00 UTC | Permalink
next page »Why is Ukraine commiting these attacs on civilian population?
Posted by: zorge | Jan 21 2024 14:36 utc | 2
They have been bombing cities forever. They also place weapon systems inside their own cities, so when they get hit, potentially some non-combatants get hit as well.
The reason has been speculated for a long time, as well. It's possible that Ukraine no longer has capability of doing counter-artillery warfare among other things for losing most of their counter-artillery radars, hence they focus hitting on fixed targets which they still have a chance of hitting.
Of course, drones have somewhat changed the game in counter-artillery, but a drone itself won't help too much in locating enemy artillery, and so far there hasn't been any sort of 'flying counter-artillery radar' in use.
Posted by: unimperator | Jan 21 2024 14:52 utc | 4
"Why is Ukraine committing these attacks on the civilian population?"
Clearly because USA, NATO and EU condones it!
What I fail to understand is that Russia does not simply irradicate them!
Ruthlessly. It has been going on for 10 years in Donetsk.
I just don't get it.
Posted by: g wiltek | Jan 21 2024 15:08 utc | 5
Posted by: Tranny Cirillo | Jan 21 2024 15:09 utc | 8
.
I wrote this to this clown days ago...he writes the same crap over and over again
Posted by: ossi | Jan 21 2024 15:11 utc | 6
Why is Ukraine commiting these attacs on civilian population?
Posted by: zorge | Jan 21 2024 14:36 utc | 2
The reason has been speculated for a long time..., as well. It's possible that Ukraine no longer has capability of doing counter-artillery warfare
Posted by: unimperator | Jan 21 2024 14:52 utc | 4
Could be the troops slacking off. Perhaps they are given so many rounds and need to create the impression they are doing something useful. So they pick the easiest target and get it over with quickly, the better to avoid counterbattery fire. Shoot and scoot.
Posted by: Jmaas | Jan 21 2024 15:12 utc | 7
Why is Ukraine ...
Posted by: zorge | Jan 21 2024 14:36 utc | 2
---
The situation in Ukraine will become ever more bizarre as their soft coup develops. My feeling is the tragedy at the Donetsk market is part and parcel of the leadership shadow play.
Posted by: too scents | Jan 21 2024 15:17 utc | 8
The situation in Ukraine will become ever more bizarre as their soft coup develops. My feeling is the tragedy at the Donetsk market is part and parcel of the leadership shadow play.
Posted by: too scents | Jan 21 2024 15:17 utc | 11
.
.
Or ?
Provoke at all costs!
What THEY (The West) have always done.
If there were a hard-line general at the helm instead of Putin... different red lines would apply.
The West should be grateful that it is Putin, although he will also clearly show the red lines at some point.
THE West has always been provocative, for example shooting down Syria... everything is a provocation for actions that then give the WEST the reason.
Posted by: ossi | Jan 21 2024 15:23 utc | 9
Ukraine Weekly Update 19th January 2024: May be useful to some: https://robcampbell.substack.com/p/ukraine-weekly-update-07a
Posted by: Dr. Rob Campbell | Jan 21 2024 15:26 utc | 10
Hey guys, propaganda runs both ways, you have no idea what the Ukies are firing at in Donetsk, both sides play the same game.....that civilians get killed......chosing to live in a conflict zone has risks.
That said, looking at some Russian strikes on the 404 rear, regular Joe's Jane's in the Ukraine are also dying.....lost to the fog of war.
Pray for an end to this carnage.....the human toll alone is sickening.
Cheers M
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Jan 21 2024 15:31 utc | 11
Why is Ukraine commiting these attacs on civilian population?
Posted by: zorge | Jan 21 2024 14:36 utc | 2
It'll stop soon as the kiev nazis begin to hi-tail it out of Avdeevka, the very location from where theyre launching the attacks on donetsk from.
I'll give 7 days before Avdeevka falls completely.
Posted by: HERMIUS | Jan 21 2024 15:32 utc | 12
"Why is Ukraine commiting these attacs on civilian population?
Posted by: zorge | Jan 21 2024 14:36 utc | 2"
They can't get close enough to any military or strategic targets without being interdicted so they strike unprotected civilian areas. This tactic provides no real value to the Ukraine side of the equation and only further degrades their reputation.
Posted by: jr | Jan 21 2024 15:34 utc | 13
"Why is Ukraine committing these attacks on civilian population?"
One reason is that Ukrainian fascists regard all Russians as sub-human. Their deaths therefore are of no account. Except that it prevents them from breeding more sub-humans.
Everyone knows that the Ukraine is run by fadcists. Evreryone knows that fascists have these extreme racial beliefs.
The Ukrainian Bandera fascists are following exactly the same general principles as those in Israel.
Both are backed by the US and its allies.
Militarily the Red Army won the World War. Politically the Nazis won. No sooner had the fighting stopped than the campaign against Bolshevism recommenced in top gear in the United States.
Posted by: bevin | Jan 21 2024 15:42 utc | 14
personally, from a total uninformed position, i would say the greatest mistake was to incorporate the new regions into russia at that point.
and i mean this in purely military view:
if they wanted to retaliate against nato targets, they should have simply supplied, just as nato, weapons, "not mercenraies but civilians that we cannot tell to not go there", and intel and then launch from "donetsk" as "revenge" against say that polish or lithuanian military fields where nato weapons are beeing accumulated.
in hindsight, it is clear that "the ukraine" *cough nato cough* was/is not deterred about attacking those now russian territories.
on the other hand, if they would have done that, then nato would further escalate sooner with more ballistic missiles and so on.
it is absolutely clear now that we are "slowly" heading into another major war in central europe, because one side is utterly desperate. and its not the evil dastardly russians that want to steal our socks and washingmachines.
nato wants its war, and it will get its war. im am absolutely convinced. at this point it does not matter if russia strikes first or not, the outcome will be the same for europe thanks to the absolute negligence of our eu "governments" and vassal behaviour that is on open display for everyone with a working brain.
i am now going to propose to my family to leave germany for good.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Jan 21 2024 15:45 utc | 15
What I fail to understand is that Russia does not simply irradicate them!
Ruthlessly. It has been going on for 10 years in Donetsk.
I just don't get it.
Posted by: g wiltek | Jan 21 2024 15:08 utc | 7
I also think they should have gone after Avdiivka right away to stop it, but it is a heavily fortified area that is proving very hard to conquer. But you would think they could have instead cut off the supply routes to it.
Posted by: Simon | Jan 21 2024 15:47 utc | 16
Everyone knows that the Ukraine is run by fadcists.
Posted by: bevin | Jan 21 2024 15:42 utc | 17
---
Yes, but Zelinsky's time is up. Behind the curtain levers are being pulled to replace him. There is bound to be some collateral damage.
Posted by: too scents | Jan 21 2024 15:49 utc | 17
i am now going to propose to my family to leave germany for good.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Jan 21 2024 15:45 utc | 18
.
.
And where ?
USA / Canada? Possible goals means if...then unconditional goals.
Middle East same thing.
middle east the same when it's China's turn.
Possibility would be Pacific Islands but not every one!
So where would it be safe?
If?
If war breaks out, the USA won't escape either, although you're probably STILL assuming that at the moment.
Posted by: ossi | Jan 21 2024 15:51 utc | 18
Krynky has effectively fallen and AFU remnants kicked out of the village. For the duration of 4 months, 4 elite marine brigades of AFU were completely defeated, and significant concentrations of fire support on the opposite bank of the river.
Posted by: unimperator | Jan 21 2024 15:53 utc | 19
i am now going to propose to my family to leave germany for good.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Jan 21 2024 15:45 utc | 18
In 2020 my youngest son returned to Switzerland after the family left long ago in the 1840's.
I was hugely excited at the time, now I am deeply worried.
Posted by: SwissArmyMan | Jan 21 2024 15:53 utc | 20
Regarding adviika and the shelling of donetsk
Man, you guys just never get it. Adviika where it is is good for russia as they can just keep bombing the same area to increase Ukrainian casualties. If it's just bombs and shells russia gets a war winning attrition ratio.
Those dead civilians are acceptable losses for the Russians to keep a bead on natos gun men for killing.
Attrition doesn't care where it takes place, ukraine is bombing donetsk out of desperation because the military losses are making it crazy.
Does everyone get it now?!?!?
Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Jan 21 2024 15:54 utc | 21
Why is Ukraine bombing the Donbass? Because old habits are hard to break. It's in their nature. This exemplifies nhilism. They know they're a dead nation walking (and they were played).
Posted by: Seer | Jan 21 2024 15:59 utc | 22
More on Krynky.
According to Military Summary, the soldiers themselves made the decision to withdraw to the southern shore of Dnieper. Since it is heavily freezing, the narrow river was completely frozen enabled to do it. Another reason is there is no more cover in Krynky, everything is basically destroyed.
The AFU drone operators, who were force deployed to the immediate northern bank of the river were discovered and wiped out by artillery and drone strikes, thus losing valuable assets. RUAF will soon be able to deploy bulk of those forces in Krynky to Rabotyne, which can lead to the collapse of that front as well. After that they can deploy forces from Rabotyne-Verbove to more eastern direction to Urozhaine/Staramayorsk/Novomikhalovka, etc.
So it's a chain-reaction event that will only snowball into more defeats. Zugzwang, regardless of from where they redeploy reserves from will always lead to a gap forming in one place.
Posted by: unimperator | Jan 21 2024 16:13 utc | 23
From a previous thread.
French mercenaries…
Now the matter seems to have been clarified because there is new information. The Russian news agency TASS reported on the evening of January 18th that Russian military expert Alexander Artamonov, whom I also know personally as a very competent and level-headed expert, had expressed the suspicion that those killed were French soldiers. He told TASS, citing a source in the French armed forces: "The presence of French mercenaries near Kharkov, who formed the backbone of the destroyed military base, may have been secretly approved by their government. The French armed forces received an order from the defense minister in February asking the military to consider itself in conflict with Russia. The killed mercenaries are most likely seconded soldiers who signed a vacation application.”
Artamonov said that French citizens in Ukraine not only monitor the use of French weapons, but also actively use them themselves:
“To use the Caesar howitzer or get precise targeting instructions for (the AMX-10RC wheeled light tank), you have to contact the NATO satellites. This communication takes place via codes. Nobody will pass on these codes to foreign soldiers, that is, to Ukrainians who are not NATO members.”
...or regular French soldiers?
According to Artamanov, the French are most likely instructors, senior gun crews of the French artillery used by Ukraine, and possibly commanders of AMX-10RC tanks.
Apparently Artamanov had the right intuition, because on the evening of January 18th it became known that the Russian Foreign Ministry had summoned the French ambassador. Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, told Russian media:
“In connection with the destruction of a temporary deployment site for foreign fighters in Kharkov by the Russian armed forces, among which there were several dozen Frenchmen, the French ambassador has been summoned to the Foreign Ministry.”
Normally well-informed Russian Telegram channels close to war correspondents and local experts are now writing that the French people killed and wounded in Kharkov are allegedly not mercenaries who arrived individually, but rather members of the French Foreign Legion.
That would mean that they may not be (only) French, because foreign volunteers normally serve as temporary soldiers in the Foreign Legion, although the officers are of course French. The Foreign Legion is a large unit of the French military, i.e. part of the French armed forces. For the purposes of international law, soldiers of the Foreign Legion are regular soldiers of the French army.
There is currently no official confirmation that the dead were soldiers of the Foreign Legion. However, if this were to be confirmed, it would be France's de facto participation in the war under international law.
Today, January 19th, the Duma will discuss further action against France.
Posted by: ossi | Jan 19 2024 5:21 utc
.....................
"Sheepdipped" western military personnel, by the sound of it. We all seem to be doing it. Unconfirmed reports of Polish being used on the front line. Further unconfirmed reports of a couple of Polish Brigades being wiped out in barracks somewhere on their way to the front. The Russians asserting the UK personnel are all over the place, and that's not Russian bloggers shooting a line but official Russian sources. US personnel ("mercs", if one can believe that) there in quantity.
Are there sources that collate all this and give chapter and verse as backup?
Posted by: English Outsider | Jan 21 2024 16:13 utc | 24
ossi 12: Actually they can't achieve much on the battlefield, so they try to expand the war by provoking counterattacks. It's always been that way, it's the trademark of the Anglo-Saxons. Hitler presented a whole list in his declaration of war on the USA. But if they can't win without expanding the war, how can they win against an enemy like Russia, which cannot be provoked?
Posted by: Oliver Krug | Jan 21 2024 16:20 utc | 25
https://www.unz.com/pescobar/how-the-west-was-defeated/
"12. In tandem with several analysts in Russia, China, Iran and among independents in Europe, Todd is sure that the US obsession – since the 1990s – to cut off Germany from Russia will lead to failure: “Sooner or later, they will collaborate, as “their economic specializations define them as complementary”. The defeat in Ukraine will open the path, as a “gravitational force” reciprocally seduces Germany and Russia."
<=Pepe Escobar aligns with my thesis: that one result of the defeat of NATO in Ukraine and Israel, will be that Germany will become a dependant vassal of Russia. Once Germany is de-industrialized<=for lack of cheap oil and gas, the people of Germany take the government from the few. The governed many will self-determine to be a partner with Russia.. The response to the threat of a world owned, managed and controlled by a few, is emerging and seems to be self determined nationalism.
The world has waken to the threat posed by global-ism owned and managed by the few. The world is beginning to understand their problems are bound-up in the private ownership of monopoly powers.
The global-ist expect to use force to profit from owning all parts of the world and all elements of technology in the world; no one, but the few shall have a thing..seems to be the underlying theme of global-ism.
The defense to global-ism, seems to be self-determined governments expressing strong sovereignty, securing themselves against threats of global ism both inside of and outside of the nation state.
IMO, the governed masses in the nation state segregated world are moving in unison to dispense with global ism and to deny private parties ownership or use of monopoly powers.
It may be time to quit blaming the West, and to begin to blame the global-ist.. It is the global-ist who have acquired ownership in leadership positions within the various nation states, and such leaders may be western oriented but they are rarely westerners in philosophy or behavior.
Posted by: snake | Jan 21 2024 16:20 utc | 26
And where ?
So where would it be safe?
Posted by: ossi | Jan 21 2024 15:51 utc | 23
it has nothing to do with "safety" at this point, every country on this planet has issues, some more some less. somewhere in asia would be my honest opinion of where to go.
it has everything to do with the future in the eu. i am NOT going to give my children to this "democratic" monster that is openly supporting 2 ethnic cleansings/genocides (russian/slavic people, palestinensian people).
no more tax money spent in this economy here.
no future children/grandchildren for these governments that openly side with nazism.
no rist of my children beein conscripted to serve for these eu oligarchs and their fascist views.
von der leien kann mich kreuzweise.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Jan 21 2024 16:21 utc | 27
"i am now going to propose to my family to leave germany for good.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Jan 21 2024 15:45 utc | 18
In 2020 my youngest son returned to Switzerland after the family left long ago in the 1840's.
I was hugely excited at the time, now I am deeply worried."
Germany is an occupied country and has been since WWII. It is disgraceful how they prostrate themselves for the americans. It can never end well.
I share your views. On top of that, Switzerland is not what it used to be. And the people are not. And it is not an improvement, - at all.!
Posted by: g wiltek | Jan 21 2024 16:24 utc | 28
Gepostet von: English Outsider | 21. Januar 2024 16:13 UTC | 29
.
I recommend this site, where you can read hours of analysis from a German who lives in Petersburg and is now so well known in Russia that the Foreign Minister's spokeswoman meets with him...HE himself goes live to the front to verify statements.
Chrome browser will translate it for you
Link :
https://www.anti-spiegel.ru/category/aktuelles/
Posted by: ossi | Jan 21 2024 16:28 utc | 29
The safest places in the world would be in the southern parts of South America..Chile, Argentina, and especially Uruguay, because of neutrality and lack of a military presence...Butch, Sundance and Etta lived there happily for years despite an outstanding warrant for their arrest...
Posted by: pyrrhus | Jan 21 2024 16:40 utc | 30
TIf there were a hard-line general at the helm instead of Putin... different red lines would apply.Posted by: ossi | Jan 21 2024 15:23 utc | 12
Thankfully in Russia the Duma has war powers and Putin and the generals are given rules of engagement to follow. The only countries where the head of state has unlimited war powers are North Korea and the USA.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jan 21 2024 16:41 utc | 31
[email protected] place to live is outside the blast zones....far from military installations. There's always going to be fallout, the planet is only so big......but, life forms do adapt....even if they glow in the dark.
Cheers M
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Jan 21 2024 16:41 utc | 32
Re the the empires strikes against civilians and the behind the lines attacks within Russia.
In Ukraine, the strikes against civilian targets occur each time a nato army has been destroyed and ammo stocks are low. Strikes into civlian areas don't have to dead on so each shell does damage. So many in the US just want to kill Russians regardless of who they are. From the ex cia Director in the Charlie Rose interview to Lindsay Graham and many others. They speak about it publicly. They just want to kill Russians.
And then there is the UK 'strategy'. That clown show believes that the behind the lines attacks within Russia as well as the likes of the strikes on Belgarod will cause enough dissent within Russia that Putin will be ousted. On top of that, UK is desperate to pull the US back into the war against Russia, so the attacks will no doubt have the intention of trying to provoke Russia into widening the war.
But overall, the two main reasons for the attacks on civilians is the US motto "Kill Russians", and the UK belief that they can cause enough dissent that Putin will be ousted.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 21 2024 16:44 utc | 33
https://t.me/otryadkovpaka/34190
Unlawful burial by Ukrainians of Ukrainian soldiers killed in action caught on camera by a whistle blower (risking prison or execution in Ukraine).
These men will be listed as either MIA or deserters, thereby falsely lowing the Ukrainian KIA death count.
The grave is unmarked and will likely remain undiscovered for years.
Posted by: Unlawful graves | Jan 21 2024 16:46 utc | 34
Posted by: ossi | Jan 21 2024 15:23 utc | 12
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jan 21 2024 16:41 utc | 36
As a defense for the option of having an actual hard-liner in power - the west has already used all of its tricks in the propaganda bag of accusing (already) Russia having done what they haven't done (but Ukraine has). In this case, since those are already exhausted, there would be nothing to lose going full Gaza mode on Kiev, or perhaps rather Lwow. Of course, for reasons they will not, and it's respectable and probably for the better, anyway.
Albeit, no one would probably mind Lwow being burnt to the ground, since it will obviously be a pilgrimage for all eastern European nazi's.
Posted by: unimperator | Jan 21 2024 16:46 utc | 35
Can this shelling of Donetsk city come from Avdeevka? Russia is advancing on multiple fronts around Avdeevka. This morning Dima remarked that on one front the Russians encountered little or no artillery to stop them. And yet the Ukies find the shells to lob into a civilian population. Certainly gives away the priorities of Ukraine, which are utterly depraved. I think Bevin had it right, the Kiev government is essentially racist. They've been shelling Donetsk city for 10 years and will only stop when their army is destroyed.
Posted by: Mike R | Jan 21 2024 16:53 utc | 36
too scents | Jan 21 2024 15:49 utc | 21
Zelensky has never been anything more than the front man. If he is replaced, surely, it will be by the fascists with a fascist.
pyrrhus | Jan 21 2024 16:40 utc | 35
Argentina has only recentle emeged from military dictatorship and is now headed by a man who supported the military then and is veey likely to employ it, internally, now.
This is a country where dissidents disappear, detainees are dropped into the antarctic waters by helicopter and they do so with relative impunity.
As to Chile it has recently begun to emerge from its own dictatorship period during which dissidents of all kinds and workers defending their living standards were murdered at will. The current "communist' President hardly dares to smile at Venezuelans, he certainly dare not offend the US Ambassador.
As to Peru and Uruguay or Brazil: all teeter on the brink of fascism. All have governments serving at the pleasure of the Military which is trained, indoctrinated, and commanded by the US.
If you feel comfortable there, good luck, but I would imagine that posting to a blog like this one could be extremely hazardous when the shit gets within light years of the fan.
Posted by: bevin | Jan 21 2024 16:54 utc | 37
Posted by: Mike R | Jan 21 2024 16:53 utc | 41
Maybe Avdeevka is like the 'Guns of Navarone'. They have ammunition stockpiles and the pieces themselves in the underground concrete complex, occasionally they pull them out, shoot and go back in?
Posted by: unimperator | Jan 21 2024 16:56 utc | 38
What I fail to understand is that Russia does not simply irradicate them!
Ruthlessly. It has been going on for 10 years in Donetsk.
I just don't get it.
Posted by: g wiltek | Jan 21 2024 15:08 utc | 7
I also think they should have gone after Avdiivka right away to stop it, but it is a heavily fortified area that is proving very hard to conquer. But you would think they could have instead cut off the supply routes to it.
Posted by: Simon | Jan 21 2024 15:47 utc | 20
Clearly neither of you have any concept of military operations from the tactical level on up.
10 years: Yes, the Ukronazis have been committing horrendous war crimes since they took power as western proxies. They have been trying to provoke the war that we now have- but which Russia, still recovering from 1991, was not in good condition to fight. Russia has been building up for a SUCCESSFUL war for at least fifteen years, because it's obvious to anyone with two neurons to rub together that the west is committed to the ultimate destruction and pillage of Russia, Soviet or not. They put it off as long as they could, and acted only when they had to to prevent a Ukronazi invasion of the Donbass Republics.
Yes, the civilians of Donbass continue to take casualties from Ukie war crimes, but they are nothing like the casualties that would have resulted from a nazi invasion of Donbass and the seizure of more cities, let alone the war that would have to follow to expell the nazis.
Russia has worked diligently since Putin came to power to restore the Russian military, to build diplomatic and economic relationships with other nations, to make the Russian economy sanction-resistant, and to create very tight alliances with China, Iran, and DPRK. These were only in their infancy ten years ago, Russia was much more vulnerable. The Ukie invasion of Donbass was scheduled because the Russians weren't taking the bait, and the west could see that soon Russia would be too strong to defeat. The war aims of the US were not, in the current cycle, to defeat Russia, but to weaken Russia and slow its development down, while enriching its own MIC, destroying the last vestiges of European sovereignty, and transferring German and other European technology and manufacturing capacity to the US. Creating a captive market for American-produced goods is also a goal.
The US is very successful in its war aims so far, but the Russians, Chinese, etc have planned for this, and are taking advantage of it to break the west loose from much of Africa and the ME. In responding to this, the US is completely overextended, its weakness exposed, and even the currently successful European strategy of the US is endangered.
Posted by: Honzo | Jan 21 2024 17:06 utc | 39
Mike R | Jan 21 2024 16:53 utc | 41
Since Avdeevka has become a Russian focis amongst others, the shelling of Donetsk has been conducted from further back. HIMARS and other unguided rockets that have longer range artillery.
The french guns with proximity fused shells were used a bit early on but I haven't heard of them being used for a while now.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 21 2024 17:07 utc | 40
Why is Ukraine commiting these attacs on civilian population?Posted by: zorge | Jan 21 2024 14:36 utc | 2
Why did the grandfathers of the people doing this slaughter more than a million Poles, Jews, Russians and Belorussians?
Following from that, why were those grandfathers allowed to have kids and grandkids? Khrushchev has a lot to answer for here.
But it isn't even Ukraine doing it a lot of the time. If it's NATO PGMs, often it is actual NATO personnel carrying out the strikes. And they are doing it for the same reasons Israel is mass murdering Palestinians, and US soldiers were killing civilians in Iraq and many other places just for fun.
First, because they are psychopaths
Second, because they don't fear any consequences for themselves.
But this isn't defenseless Iraqis being slaughtered, it is the citizens of the largest nuclear power in the world.
I know I am a broken record on the issue, but this can all be stopped in a day.
If it's Ukraine doing it, you start taking out the Ukrainian elites one by one until they stop. They will stop.
And if it's NATO doing it, you start taking out Western elites. Not even the politicians -- go directly after the billionaires, and you don't even have to strike the US mainland, you can catch them slipping while they're on their private islands in the Caribbean or while their private planes are over international waters. Then it will stop very quickly because nobody wants to escalate to the point of total annihilation.
As long as the people responsible for this do not fear for their lives, it will continue.
But in order for those people to start fearing for their own lives Putin has to go, because his loyalties are with the elites, not with the regular people (let's never forget the decades in which the dream of Russian elites was to merge with the Western elites; Putin epitomizes that era, and people don't change at age 70). The problem is him being replaced in the middle of the war will be hugely destabilizing on its own...
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 21 2024 17:08 utc | 41
Apparently Artamanov had the right intuition, because on the evening of January 18th it became known that the Russian Foreign Ministry had summoned the French ambassador. Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, told Russian media:Posted by: ossi | Jan 19 2024 5:21 utc
Summoning the ambassador is quite unprecedented. This has been going for two years now, not just with French soldiers, but ambassadors were not summoned to give explanations. I recall the US and the UK ambassadors being summoned regarding weapon supplies, but was it.
So something significant happened here. Of course, it might have noting to do with Kharkov, there is much more significant escalation coming soon.
And, of course, you summoned the ambassador, so what? They will stop after being given yet another stern lecture on how naughty they are? Please. The only real cure for that kind of behavior is measured in megatons.
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 21 2024 17:09 utc | 42
Thankfully in Russia the Duma has war powers and Putin and the generals are given rules of engagement to follow. The only countries where the head of state has unlimited war powers are North Korea and the USA.Posted by: HB_Norica | Jan 21 2024 16:41 utc | 36
This is ridiculous nonsense.
If missiles are flying towards Moscow, will the Duma gather to allow Putin to press the red button in response? They will have all of five to ten minutes to do so.
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 21 2024 17:09 utc | 43
Posted by: unimperator | Jan 21 2024 16:46 utc | 40
Among the political objectives of the Russian SMO is to liberate the majority Russian speaking oblasts that want to be free from Ukraine.
How does destroying cities achieve the objective of liberating Russian speaking Ukrainians?
It's been long known that the theory of "terror bombing" tends to galvanize a population against the attacker and makes them want to fight on instead of terrorizing them into surrender.
I believe the other objectives are the destruction of the Ukraine military, the de-nazification of Ukraine and forcing NATO into a new security agreement that doesn't include Ukraine in NATO.
None of these objectives can be achieved by indiscriminent destruction of cities or civilian infastructure.
Remember the logic of the Americans in Vietman "we had to destroy the Hamlet in order to save it" ... Do you really think the Russians should step on that rake?
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jan 21 2024 17:16 utc | 45
Lost amidst the outrage over the massacre in Donetsk (which, if I recall correctly is the largest in terms of death toll since the start of the SMO) is the fact that there were two drones strikes on the oil and gar terminal infrastructure around St. Petersburg in consecutive nights.
And the second one this night did hit some storage tanks.
What does that mean? What are the possibilities?
1) The official version is that these are long-range drones that the Ukronazis launched from somewhere around Kiev or Chernigov, then they flew through the densest Russian air defense network (the one guarding against direct NATO attack from the West), then hit St. Petersburg. And then they did it again the next day, with multiple drones, after the system had been alerted by the previous strikes. How likely is that?
2) We can dismiss the local saboteur theory because these weren't small commercial drones that a single person can sneak in anywhere
3) It actually was launched from somewhere around Lutsk, flew over Poland, then over the Baltic Sea, then hit Russian territory
4) It was launched directly from Finland or from Estonia.
Which one is most likely?
Note that there isn't all that much difference legally between 3) and 4).
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 21 2024 17:16 utc | 46
Posted by: snake | Jan 21 2024 16:20 utc | 31
<=Pepe Escobar aligns with my thesis: that one result of the defeat of NATO in Ukraine and Israel, will be that Germany will become a dependant vassal of Russia. Once Germany is de-industrialized<=for lack of cheap oil and gas, the people of Germany take the government from the few.
Pepe is not wrong, but he's overly optimistic about when. Eventually the Empire will fall, certainly, but not soon. Eventually the German people will get the picture and grow some balls and overthrow their masters, but not soon. It's going to take at least a decade of economic decline, and another decade of conceptual growth, before that takes place. The Germans have no revolutionary consciousness, and it's going to be hard to develop in the thought-control regime that is taking over the west.
Let us assume, for the moment, that there is no viable place to transfer the headquarters of global finance capitalism to, and it lives and dies with the United States. Revolutionary change is probably forty or fifty years away in the US, perhaps farther if the Fortress America plan is successful in repatriating basic industry and conditions for the American working class enter a new Golden Age based on the exploitation of New World resources and markets.
With the Labor Aristocracy- skilled technical workers- is moved to factories in the US, who will lead a revolution in Germany? Farmers? When has that ever worked? The lumpen proletariat? Ha! Just chaos and slaughter. The intellectuals? No revolution there, though perhaps a bit of revolutionary rhetoric to dress up their allegiance to the fascist police state.
Germany is fucked for the foreseeable future.
Posted by: Honzo | Jan 21 2024 17:18 utc | 48
This is ridiculous nonsense.
If missiles are flying towards Moscow, will the Duma gather to allow Putin to press the red button in response? They will have all of five to ten minutes to do so.
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 21 2024 17:09 utc | 48
.
.
10 mins ??
Incorrect !
Putin made it clear several times that this is automated in Russia!!
If the KAI or whatever other program (PC) it may be?
If Russia is determined to be under attack, the counterattack will occur automatically...
It doesn't come from me but from a speech by Putin on the West's nuclear strategy and the difference between it and Russia
In any case, the Duma would be excluded...it would only be included if Russia wanted to attack ONE-SIDED!
Posted by: ossi | Jan 21 2024 17:19 utc | 49
Posted by: bevin | Jan 21 2024 16:54 utc | 42
Spot on. The US is building Fortress America at, in particular, Germany's expense, and South America is part of the design. The focus on controlling all of Latin American is going to intensify as the war in Ukraine comes to a close- which may be a few years yet. When the US has irrevocably lost Ukraine and the ME, the resources of Empire will be focused in the New World.
For people looking for safety, I'd suggest minor countries in Africa, which won't be a direct target of nukes, and a willingness to move when the local political situation gets dicey.
Posted by: Honzo | Jan 21 2024 17:28 utc | 50
Well, folks, I've taken to scrolling up from the bottom, so I don't have to bother reading shadowbanned's post except the signature. There are a few others I skip as well. I'm an old man, I don't have time for the same repetitive nonsense over and over again.
It might be helpful if b upgraded the site mechanics to at least allow down-voting. Not to block posts, but perhaps to use something like Rumble's approach of 'hiding' the post, but leaving a notification that it's there and you can read it if you click.
I fully support shadowbanned's right to troll, but I would appreciate better tools to ignore him with.
Posted by: Honzo | Jan 21 2024 17:35 utc | 51
You say it like campaigning against Satanhevism is a bad thing.
Posted by: CommiesGoFY | Jan 21 2024 15:51 utc | 22
Of course the anti-communist imperialism was a bad thing. US foreign policy has been all about protecting the US ruling elites and their network of vassals and compradors, who are still butt hurt about losing their Russian investments in 1917. Their anti communism led to World War Two (the plan was to use fascists to destroy communism) and the tens of millions killed. Since 1945 the US elites attempts to “get their money back” and rabid anti-communism which killed many more millions in Korea, Vietnam, Iran, Iraq and everywhere else was all covered for by the lying corporate media propaganda machine that is still in full flow lying non stop about actions against Syria, Yemen and Palestine. That propaganda machine, insightfully derided most days here at MoA has clearly worked negatively on your brain.
The imperialist MIC racket and it’s corporate media psyop are necessary so that some few people hold all the worlds resources and many more around the world suffer war, poverty, disease and ill health. Your own delusion of “doing ok”, through accident of birthplace rather than your capability, and is likely underpinned by apartheid policies for as long as your government could get away with them. Since capitalist globalisation the illusion of growing prosperity has also evaporated and there are no longer the large number of manufacturing jobs where you live. This is why you pin your hopes of recovery on the false messiah Trump and his compulsive lies. He is no better than the senile Biden, because it’s the capitalist system which has been known for 150 years to provide no solutions for working people.
Based on the socialist progress in China and Vietnam since overcoming the imperialist oppression, most war, poverty and disease would have been eradicated worldwide had there been an international socialist alliance with a regulated, peaceful and cooperative economy which was allowed to develop without the malignant and violent intervention by the imperialist warmongering ruling class elite oligarchs.
It’s the fascist, imperialist, neoliberal resource hoarding oligarchs who are stubbornly getting in the way of human progress with their greed and psychopathy.
And before you reply with more rubbish, no Russian or Soviet leader since 1924 followed revolutionary principles because it morphed into a corrupted bureaucracy under Stalin and even shadow**** knows that Putin is beholden to the profit principle.
Posted by: Lev Davidovich | Jan 21 2024 17:35 utc | 52
Is the bombing of civilians in Donetck a sign that Ukraine is still very strong or a a sign of weakness?
Or is it a threat coming directly form The collective West? A sign that Russians are considered to be sub humans by USA and EU nations.
Posted by: zorge | Jan 21 2024 17:35 utc | 53
"Since 1945 the US elites attempts to “get their money back”....."
Posted by: Lev Davidovich | Jan 21 2024 17:35 utc | 57
Your anti- Empire passion, although well justified , tends for you to way over simplify complex geopolitical events.
The US Elites' (actually controlled by the City) prime purpose - 'world domination' has nothing to do with "getting their money back"; they can simply print more.
What they Elites want is power. Power to repress the Serfs, power to control resources, power to ethnically cleanse Serfs they don't want.
It has nothing to do with 'money'.
The shelling of the civilian market took place in Kirovskyi district west of the main city using 152mm and 155mm shells. Firing point was to the north west near Krasnoghorivka, so far from Avdeevka.
Posted by: the pessimist | Jan 21 2024 17:45 utc | 56
Russian speaking Ukrainians?
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jan 21 2024 17:16 utc | 50
Russia is not concerned about Russian speaking Ukrainians. Perhaps they will end up as a rump state but time will tell what becomes of them. At the moment they are just cannon fodder being fed into the slaughter.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 21 2024 17:45 utc | 57
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 21 2024 17:08 utc | 46
Your idea of going after the elites is one that has been brought up before by one of the early followers of Billmon and then Moon of Alabama. Malooga stated that if terrorists really wanted to get their point across they should start taking out billionaires rather than blowing up busses and airplanes.
We are seeing the US and Israel doing targeted assassinations, Trump killing Sulemani and Israel killing those Iranians in Damascus. This is a positive development in some respects as it means that the gentleman's agreement between the players is coming to an end.
Years ago there was a film called The Patriot with Mel Gibson where his character and his sons took out English patrols. He went for the officers, once the commander was dead the rest of the company ran as fast as they could. When he finally met the English general the general's main request was to stop killing his officers.
Posted by: dan of steele | Jan 21 2024 17:52 utc | 58
https://t.me/boriskarpovblog/18544
Regarding the French officers killed in Kharkov: according to a source at the French general staff, the French Ministry of Defense has given very strict instructions for a complete blackout, saying that, possibly, perhaps, mercenaries but in no case military and especially not officers.
And to add "anyway it will come out, we will not be able to muzzle widows and orphans for a long time".
According to one of our correspondents in France, another source, a French officer at NATO, confirmed half-heartedly that it was indeed French soldiers and not mercenaries in the sense that we understand it. "Officially, nothing happened, but at the sound of his voice... it's serious. "
It seems that the list is not yet fully established but the dissemination of identities is only a matter of time.
Posted by: Naive | Jan 21 2024 17:54 utc | 59
Posted by: canuck | Jan 21 2024 17:45 utc | 60
For some contributors one can’t over simplify enough.
“Getting their money back” is a euphemism for what you elaborated on, but I thought I’d used too many words already.
Thanks to unimperator et al for keeping the thread on topic. And the interesting post about the French mercs who got the unexpected room service before they had a chance to unpack their white flags.
Posted by: Lev Davidovich | Jan 21 2024 17:57 utc | 60
Posted by: the pessimist | Jan 21 2024 17:45 utc | 61
Krasnogorovka is actually W of Donetsk, and even further away WSW of Avdeevka. It would be well within conventional artillery, so it seems that the Avdeevka direction itself is neutralized from being able to hit Donetsk.
Posted by: unimperator | Jan 21 2024 17:57 utc | 61
Ukraine commits atrocities against civilians because that is the US modus operandi. They believe that killing civilians will make the remaining citizens rise up and overthrow their leaders and allow the US to pick them.
It worked in Nicaragua, for a while.
This is from the 80s, back when US citizens opposed sponsoring terrorism. Former CIA operative John Stockwell explains how the US destroys societies with terrorism.
By the way, Iraq told the US to get out, the US refused, and now ISIS is back to terrorize Iraqis. That is how the US rolls.
https://www.serendipity.li/cia/stock1.html
Posted by: wagelaborer | Jan 21 2024 18:07 utc | 62
unimperator | Jan 21 2024 17:57 utc | 66
I'm sure google maps used to have a ruler thingo for mesuring strait line distances but cannot find it now. Just looking at the scale, the distance looks to be around 20k the edge of donetsk and 25k to the center.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 21 2024 18:16 utc | 63
Military Watch Magazine has an article about foreign mercenaries in Ukraine.
To put the long story short, they are now (contrary from the beginning of SMO) foreign Nato de-listed specialists, who are brought in with the pure intention of operating Nato weapon systems. It's assumed the French were French troops brought to operate CAESAR artillery.
So yeah, I guess you could say with clarity that Nato armies equipment is already there with Nato personnel operating them, albeit this has been true for a while now.
https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/strike-ukraine-french-contractors-africa
Posted by: unimperator | Jan 21 2024 18:18 utc | 64
go directly after the billionaires, and you don't even have to strike the US mainland, you can catch them slipping while they're on their private islands in the Caribbean or while their private planes are over international waters. Then it will stop very quickly because nobody wants to escalate to the point of total annihilation.
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 21 2024 17:08 utc | 46
Everything, every time, you post anything, it serves to convince me that you are a NATO troll, and not a smart one at that. What you advocate here under the pretence of supporting Russia, is a recipe for international terrorism, which would alienate the African, Asian and South American countries which are poised to become part of the BRICS axis, and give retroactive justification all previous such murderous illegalities from the US/NATO. Either up your game or get lost.
Posted by: Jams O'Donnell | Jan 21 2024 18:21 utc | 65
Posted by: CommiesGoFY | Jan 21 2024 15:51 utc | 22
You poor, brainwashed fool. Don't you realise that thats exactly what the US/Nazi state wants you to feel? Sure, if you're fine with being a paid up part of the 'Empire of Lies' keep on repeating this sort of rubbish. But if that is so, why are you on MoA (apart from spreading brain-fart propaganda)? I really don't feel any concern for those who swallow and regurgitate shit with no input from their brain, but if you do have a brain, why not use it to examine your upbringing and environment. Otherwise, why bother living?
Posted by: Jams O'Donnell | Jan 21 2024 18:32 utc | 66
Unmarked Ukrainian soldier's grave in the forest, being buried with a tractor.
The reason is they will be listed as MIA, to prevent families from receiving payments and to enable commanders to 'withhold' their salaries.
https://t.me/otryadkovpaka/34190
Posted by: unimperator | Jan 21 2024 18:32 utc | 67
https://boriskarpov.tvs24.ru/2024/01/18/22-officiers-francais-liquides-a-kharkov/
On January 16, a missile attack hit an old kindergarten in Kharkov that had been requisitioned by the Ukrainian army.
There were, among others, 22 French military intelligence officers. All of them were liquidated.
The headquarters of these French mercenaries had been installed in the premises of the kindergarten and ensured the service of satellite data and electronic warfare for the Ukrainian armed forces. In addition, the now deceased officers were engaged in the improvement and strengthening of counter-battery and radar systems.
These French officers actively participated in the Ukrainian strikes against the city of Belgorod on December 30, 2023.
An Iskander and two dozen pre-launched decoys ensured a high-precision strike against the French position at 04:43. The Ukrainian air defense did not have time to react.
By comparison here is how the French people are "informed" about the death of French soldiers:
As a reminder, on Wednesday, January 17, the Russian army claimed to have destroyed a building housing "French mercenaries" in Kharkiv. A statement still disputed by French diplomacy.
Now everyone can understand why RussiaToday and Sputniknews are officially banned in France, but still available through a VPN.
Posted by: Naive | Jan 21 2024 18:33 utc | 68
Posted by: ossi | Jan 21 2024 16:28 utc | 34
Thanks very much. I've not read it for a long time and obviously should have done.
I got Germany wrong at the start of the SMO. That is because I have a circle of connections and acquaintances there and all, Green or Die Linke or SPD - I don't know any CDU/CSU voters - were quite horrified by the Russian invasion and were anti-Russian, often vehemently so.
Should have kept my eyes open more. Kujat's always been a sceptic and very publicly so. Others raised doubts. But even the more sceptical German politicians and public figures seemed to dodge the issue. The speeches I heard from Wagenknecht and Weidel - only a few admittedly - failed on the main issue.
Neither of them, nor any other German politician I heard, stated plainly that the Russian invasion was a pre-emptive attack to deal with the threat of the Kiev forces getting into the Donbass. Neither explained what the Donbass had been going through for the past eight years. Unless that's understood any assessment of the reasons for the SMO is valueless. And both seemed to go along with the general silence from German politicians about the North Stream sabotage.
So not impressed overall. And the lack of public protest against the legal action against German citizens who spoke out was also unimpressive. Add to that my settled belief that the Germans as a whole trust their politicians far too much and there was, for me, a decided "back to the '30's feel" about the way German politics was going.
Back to the '30's indeed, for such as Scholz or Merz or Baerbock. With the slight difference that this time round we in the UK also intend to be part of the revived Festung Europa:-
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-munich-security-conference
So I wrote scathingly on English web sites about Scholz's mini-Barbarossa turning into Scholz's DIY Morgenthau plan. With us Brits this time round part of the team and kicking up a hell of a racket into the bargain.
Got it wrong. There's more sense in Germany about this disastrous venture than I see in England. More prepared to speak out. Not enough by the looks of it, as our respective politicians steer us determinedly towards the lunatic Cold War II that'll follow on from the Ukrainian defeat, but more than I had known of.
On the article in question, one does not expect a magazine to be like an academic publication but they could provide many more references and links to sources. A lot of commentators, including our own invaluable Mercouris, are very weak on that. "b" always links and it'd be nice if others did.
Posted by: English Outsider | Jan 21 2024 18:38 utc | 69
@Peter AU1 | Jan 21 2024 18:16 utc | 68
Firing distance seems to have been 15-20km based on what was posted about the shelling. I believe the 155mm guns have a range of up to 30km. Donetsk urban area is around 500 sqkm with about 40km perimeter exposed to the front. Pushing the front 80km to the north and west of the city is not a small task.
Posted by: the pessimist | Jan 21 2024 18:40 utc | 70
"Ukraine commits atrocities against civilians because that is the US modus operandi. They believe that killing civilians will make the remaining citizens rise up and overthrow their leaders and allow the US to pick them.
It worked in Nicaragua, for a while."
Posted by: wagelaborer | Jan 21 2024 18:07 utc | 67
Quite right, it is the "US operandi to commit atrocities" against civilians.
The US MO resembles those of the Aztecs. They committed atrocities (human sacrifice, slavery, torture) to their own 'allied tribes(who also paid tribute to the Aztecs) as well as their enemies.
Cortez small band of Conquistadors should never been able to beat the numerous Aztecs on their home turf. However, the neighbouring tribes hated the Aztecs for their historical exploitation and they-gladly and enthusiastically- allied with the Spanish. Without those tribes allying themselves with Cortez we would never have heard about him in the history books. (1)
Cortes today is Putin/Russia with the ROW (excluding the die hard West: EU, Canada, Australia, US, UK) joining against their oppressor.
1. The Aztecs ruled from 1300-1521; the US rules from 1800-2024(?).
The deal for the French officers is the following: they resign from the army, they go to Ukraine and when they will come back they will be reintegrated in the army at a higher level.
Go figure. Obviously they forgot to tell them that there was/is no warranty to come back.
Posted by: Naive | Jan 21 2024 18:42 utc | 72
s---o-b----- is an "agent-provocateur". He wants that Putin will do exactly what nato and the ukronazis want: to be the first to use a nuclear weapon.
I absolutely do not understand why he is allowed to publish here his attacks against Russia.
Posted by: Naive | Jan 21 2024 18:54 utc | 73
...I would appreciate better tools to ignore him with.
Posted by: Honzo | Jan 21 2024 17:35 utc | 56
Barfly Zet created a filter for Chrome-based browsers which allows you to "blacklist" and "whitelist" anyone posting to this site. It is available at their Telegram channel: https://t.me/ZetsChannel
Thanks Zet.
Posted by: JuliaHin1984 | Jan 21 2024 18:56 utc | 74
Zelensky is trying to sack Zaluzhny. Earlier reports claimed that Zaluzhny would be held personally responsible in the case of losing Avdeevka.
Posted by: unimperator | Jan 21 2024 18:57 utc | 75
Russia is not concerned about Russian speaking Ukrainians.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 21 2024 17:45 utc | 62
From Putin's speech Feb 24, 2022 at the commencement of the SMO in Ukraine
We have been left no other option to protect Russia and our people, but for the one that we will be forced to use today. The situation requires us to take decisive and immediate action. The people's republics of Donbas turned to Russia with a request for help... In this regard, in accordance with Article 51 of Part 7 of the UN Charter, with the sanction of the Federation Council of Russia and in pursuance of the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance ratified by the Federal Assembly on 22 February of this year with the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic, I have decided to conduct a special military operation.
He did go on to explain the other objectives of the SMO but protecting the Russian speaking Ukrainians under attack in the Donbas was Russia's primary SMO objective as of Feb 2022. He did go on to explain some secondary objectives but this was the main objective.
Do you have any information from Russian sources that Russia has changed their objectives?
Please
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jan 21 2024 18:59 utc | 76
"Ukraine is bombing donetsk out of desperation because the military losses are making it crazy."
Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Jan 21 2024 15:54 utc | 26
You hit the nail on its proverbial head with that one.
Firing distance seems to have been 15-20km based on what was posted
Posted by: the pessimist | Jan 21 2024 18:40 utc | 70
---
The strike on Donetsk was carried out by 19 US-made M864 cluster munitions with a bottom gas generator to increase the firing range. The attack was conducted by two M109 self-propelled guns from the NP area. Kurakhovo.
Posted by: too scents | Jan 21 2024 18:59 utc | 78
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jan 21 2024 18:59 utc | 76
Action speaks louder than words.
Again, first, this can end in a day, and second, taking out the people responsible will also serve justice. But they are not being touched. Why?
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 21 2024 19:13 utc | 80
HB_Norica | Jan 21 2024 18:59 utc | 76
The level of ignorance by some here is astounding. Ukraine is a synthetic state. A Frankenstein, a Chimera. It was put together by Lenin, Stalin and Khrushchev. Lenin jioned Ukraine to a section of Russia to make it a viable SSR. Stalin the added Galicia and sections of Romania, Hungary and I think another state. Khrushchev the Ukrainian then added Russian Crimea.
Most Ukrainians are Russian speakers. Very few speak in their original dialects. Galicians speak in their dialect which has been made the Ukraine official language even though none other than the Galician could speak it. I assume the Hungarians and Romanians also use their languages but speak Russian as a second language. Ukrainians are the Rus people that spent some centuries under polish rule and influence so they could be called the Polish Rus. Galicians are Rus people that came under Austrian Rule and German influence and they are called Nazi's. And then there are the Russians which Russia is protecting.
Referring to the Russians simply as Ukrainian Russian speaker is nothing more than propagating wesztern propaganda. Ethnic Russians is the accurate term.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 21 2024 19:16 utc | 81
s---o-b----- is an "agent-provocateur". He wants that Putin will do exactly what nato and the ukronazis want: to be the first to use a nuclear weapon.I absolutely do not understand why he is allowed to publish here his attacks against Russia.
Posted by: Naive | Jan 21 2024 18:54 utc | 73
We have been over this countless times.
1) If you do not reestablish deterrence, you will be destroyed conventionally, slowly, piece by piece.
2) If you are not the first to use nukes, you may not even get the chance to be the second.
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 21 2024 19:16 utc | 82
Why is Ukraine commiting these attacs on civilian population?
Posted by: zorge | Jan 21 2024 14:36 utc | 2
Each time Russia has a winning strategy, Ukraine does something outrageous. This seems to be in the hope that this will provoke Russia to stop doing what it's doing and strike back instead. So far, the gambit does not seem to work.
Posted by: Passerby | Jan 21 2024 19:17 utc | 83
⚡️🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ Front #Summary for 21 Jan 2024 by 19:55⚡️🔹In #Kherson Direction, our forces are reducing the AFU's zone of control in #Krynki, targeting and hitting Ukrainian guns on the right bank.
🔹In #Zaporozhye Direction, our army again attacks towards #Rabotino from the west and from #Novoprokopovka. The AFU responds near #Verbovoye with artillery, mortars, kamikaze drones. Due to the dense AFU fire, there is not much left of our forward positions, ours have moved back 500m.
🔹In the #SouthDonetsk Direction, near #Novomikhaylovka, the AFU tried to reinforce their positions, unsuccessfully. Our artillery is literally wiping out firing points and up to 16 strongholds. At #Georgiyevka, our forces are obviously waiting for reinforcements for a decisive assault on the village. In the meantime, we have carefully marched up to half a kilometre westwards towards #Kurakhovo (⚠️in the village).🔹In #Donetsk Direction, our army's bold advance on the southern outskirts of #Avdeyevka has been confirmed. Spurred by this success, ours continue. Part of the streets have moved into the grey zone, the AFU are leaving their positions and there are no forces to close the perimeter. According to a rough estimate, 1/10th of the city is under our control. It doesn't seem like much, but the AFU defence in #Avdeyevka is on the verge of a foul. At #Vinogradniki, ours passed up to 0.5km in a day. Our helicopters are working in the area of the filtration station, obviously there will be attacks here as well.
🔹In #Bakhmut Direction, our forces expand their positions on in #Bogdanovka. Our flag in the village, was very annoying for the AFU. They spent a lot of shells just to take it down. The main AFU forces have been pushed back to the western part, and in the eastern part our forces are clearing the bridgehead. Ours, having tracked the launch site of the drones, conducted a powerful blow, like a thermobar. The AFU retreated between #Ivanovskoye (#Krasnoye) and #Kleshcheyevka, but they already say that the new lines are also unfavourable.
🔹In #Svatovo Direction, our army has liberated #Krakhmalnoye. After 9 months of heavy fighting on the fortified lines at #Sinkovka - #Petropavlovka and #Ivanovka - #Kislovka, our forces suddenly attacked from #Vladimirovka, broke through the defence, going into the rear of the enemy for about 1 km, with a front width of 4 km. Despite statements about the low importance of the village, the map suggests otherwise. Our main goal is to break through to the left bank of #Kupyansk. The advance of our forces along the riverbed to the west and the liberation of the villages will create a reserve on the southern flank of #Kupyansk. The intention of the Russian command is unclear, but the increased activity of ours may foreshadow quick decisive actions, as in #Maryinka and #Avdeyevka.
💥At night, our Aerospace Forces attacked the Nova Poshta warehouse in #Selidovo (this is #DPR, still under the AFU). Since the beginning of the conflict, mail has been part of the military supply of the AFU.
🗺The maps are still old and will be updated soon.
https://t.me/sitreports/21557
Posted by: Down South | Jan 21 2024 19:18 utc | 84
In fact, mobilization in Ukraine has failed - even despite roadblocks, the use of administrative resources and a general tightening of recruitment measures. Even the fact that law enforcement and judicial authorities turn a blind eye to the lawlessness of military commissars did not help.That is why we observed Zelensky’s hysterical statements in Davos. And we remind you that he said that now in Ukraine “you can’t just breathe the air.” “We are at war. And that’s why you work or fight. And that’s a fact,” Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine will never have enough mobilized people.
However, the authorities still have a chance to “push through” the scandalous bill on mobilization, which, even after changes and amendments are made, will remain anti-people.
After all, the “Electronic account of conscripts, conscripts, and reservists” has already been “pushed through,” and this is a rather exciting innovation that will start working in the second quarter of 2024.
Thus, the following information will be entered into the Register of Conscripts and stored in its database:
▪️personal data of conscripts, military personnel and reservists;
▪️service data of conscripts, military personnel and reservists;
▪️data on the need to staff the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations formed in accordance with the laws of Ukraine, except for information constituting a state secret.
At the same time, it is also proposed to include the following as personal data of conscripts, conscripts and reservists:
▪️communication numbers and email addresses;
▪️date and number, summary of the protocol and/or resolution regarding the person in the case of an administrative offense, provided for in Articles 210, 210-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses;
▪️information about the status of a war veteran;
▪️information on knowledge of foreign languages;
▪️information about permits for the right to own and use weapons;
▪️information about completing educational courses and advanced training courses;
▪️information about documents giving a citizen of Ukraine the right to leave Ukraine and enter Ukraine;
▪️information on documents issued for traveling abroad for permanent residence, or leaving for permanent residence abroad, or returning to Ukraine;
▪️information about a driver’s license for the right to drive vehicles;
▪️information on decisions subject to enforcement - executive documents;
▪️information about missing persons, etc.In general, “Big Brother is watching you” is no longer a dystopia, but the reality of Ukraine today, especially when the authorities, realizing the failure of the mobilization processes in the country, do not give up trying to drag as many people to the front as possible.
https://t.me/rezident_ua/21266
Posted by: Down South | Jan 21 2024 19:23 utc | 85
Referring to the Russians simply as Ukrainian Russian speaker is nothing more than propagating wesztern propaganda. Ethnic Russians is the accurate term.Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 21 2024 19:16 utc | 81
It's even more laughable given that the intermarriage and other extremely close family links between "Ukrainians" and Russians number in the tens of millions.
You cousin (and in many notable cases, you brother) is a subhuman mongoloid orc while you are purebred ubermensch?
Make that make sense, please...
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 21 2024 19:24 utc | 86
Very interesting take.
And not without merit!
Militarily the Red Army won the World War. Politically the Nazis won. No sooner had the fighting stopped than the campaign against Bolshevism recommenced in top gear in the United States.
Posted by: bevin | Jan 21 2024 15:42 utc | 14
Posted by: jpc | Jan 21 2024 19:26 utc | 87
the west is preparing a new and bigger war.
Mobilization in Finland, Poland and preperation in Sweeden. Dutch and German officers are promoting mobilization.
Not a word about security, de-escalation and diplomacy.
Pls. read the important article by Jan Øberg:
https://janoberg.me/2024/01/08/sweden-prepares-for-war-in-the-hands-of-calm-hysterics/
Posted by: Paul from Norway | Jan 21 2024 19:27 utc | 88
Zelensky comments on the case of mobilization as it suits him, placing emphasis in a way that is convenient, while shifting responsibility to the people, pitting people against each other.He says that people are needed to replace those who are at zero and those who have been fighting for a long time (there are not many of them left, maybe 10%).
Let’s break down the thesis right away:
1. The authorities should have immediately saved manpower and not wasted it in meat assaults, as people’s deputy from SN Bezuglaya said.
2. It was necessary to train soldiers longer, more, and better. Then there would be fewer losses. There would be no need for a new mobilization.
3. It was necessary not to steal from the diagrams, but to provide the soldiers with better personal safety equipment. And so the people collected donations, and the decision-makers stole, the soldiers went “barefoot.”
4. It was necessary to provide all the wounded with good medical treatment, recovery and maintenance. Do not write them off on the balance sheet of a military unit with a salary of 2000 hryvnia.
5. It was necessary to treat the relatives of the dead/wounded/missing as their “families.” By providing them all at once. Then everyone would go to war, knowing that their families would be taken care of, and not like now, they are tossed around from office to office and forgotten.
6. We should have immediately mobilized hard workers in the rear for production facilities for the army, and not dreamed that the West would help us and give us everything. After a year and a half and a critical situation, Ze began to talk about it. It's probably too late... but we'll see. Perhaps this is just another PR for Bankova.
This is just a small part where Zelensky’s government made strategic mistakes. Now Ze and Ermak want to shift responsibility onto people. Although the blame is entirely on them!
Think!
https://t.me/legitimniy/17094
Posted by: Down South | Jan 21 2024 19:29 utc | 89
shаdοwbanned | Jan 21 2024 19:24 utc | 86
Just nukum and all will be good.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 21 2024 19:29 utc | 90
Paul from Norway | Jan 21 2024 19:27 utc | 88
Big bang theory coming to a screen near you in the near future... rit and European elites desperate and doubling down, US elite the same but on a global scale.
Now I just sit back watching the forest instead of studying the trees as the forest fire is about to start.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 21 2024 19:33 utc | 91
Folks here at MoA need to wake up and know that in a previous troll life, Shadowbanned worked as a paid troll for big Pharma/MIC sowing disinformation about covid and the covid vaccines.
Shadowbanned outed himself by saying LG died of covid (no one else said that not even the Ukrainians) and by his glee in saying LG deserved to die because he exposed the covid vaccines as a hoax.
We all know Covid and the covid vaccines were indeed the greatest genocide that has ever been committed against humanity.
Shadowbanned aren't you so proud of your leading roll in implementing this mass genecide?
Posted by: Blind Bridge Troll | Jan 21 2024 19:34 utc | 92
Our source in the OP said that a large opposition has formed against Zelensky from the elites who are interested in weakening his power. The front included oligarchs, businessmen and the majority of political leaders who believe that Zelensky should leave after 01/31/24.
https://t.me/rezident_ua/21270
Our source in the OP said that the Office of the President will continue to purge the opposition and the media controlled by them. Bankova continues to prepare for a power vacuum, which is why attacks on investigative journalists began.
https://t.me/rezident_ua/21277
Our source reports that Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhny and his entire team will be removed at the moment when Zelensky and Ermak realize that they will not see new Western loans, which means it’s time to turn on the “total dictatorship” regime, otherwise they will lose everything.They will also begin to harshly purge all Sorosites, anti-corruption officials, opponents and the opposition.
The bickering may intensify to such a force that it will tear the country apart from the inside, and all this is to blame for the political egoism and delusions of grandeur of Zelensky, who puts his own interests above national ones.
https://t.me/legitimniy/17100
Everyone began to write that the West was preparing to replace Zelensky with “two” players at once.Zaluzhny and Razumkov or Zaluzhny and Ermak appear.
We were the first to get inside information about Razumkov and Zaluzhny. We know that they even had a meeting.
Zaluzhny and Ermak are not a realistic union, since they are competitors and this will only strengthen the split in the country, overwhelming it with intrigues and squabbles.
We would add that Zaluzhny + Razumkov + Klitschko + oligarchs Akhmetov + Fiala + Pinchuk. Here is a real behind-the-scenes alliance of the future, where some of the nishtyaks will be received by Fiala and his “circle of Soros” with Pritula.
https://t.me/legitimniy/17101
Posted by: Down South | Jan 21 2024 19:34 utc | 93
Posted by: Naive | Jan 21 2024 18:33 utc | 73
Now everyone can understand why RussiaToday and Sputniknews are officially banned in France, but still available through a VPN.
I can get Sputnik News without a VPN in Italy https://sputnikglobe.com
for RT you need to be brave and update your hosts file in windows. simply add this line
95.181.181.73 www.rt.com
hosts can be found at Windows backslash System32 backslash drivers (I can't put backslashes because typepad won't allow it)
use notepad or some other editor, add the line and then save. make sure you do not append .txt to the file. the file is called hosts without any extensions
the file is etc slash hosts in Linux
it is actually kind of nasty that states are manipulating DNS but here we are.
Posted by: dan of steele | Jan 21 2024 19:37 utc | 94
@65 James o donnell
"What you advocate here under the pretence of supporting Russia, is a recipe for international terrorism"
Yes you are both correct. It is interesting to note both Iran and Israel both bombed enemy commanders in homes outside their countries.
So yes targeted executions anywhere is now real. Who knows who watches you go home at night?
As for assainating some cabal of billionaires, well it is fair to say that yes it's possible but so far hasn't really stopped it. Tactically a failure, but strategically might help if they pull back afterwards.
Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Jan 21 2024 19:37 utc | 95
sorry, the full path in windows is
Windows backslash System32 backslash drivers backslash etc
Posted by: dan of steele | Jan 21 2024 19:38 utc | 96
Mobilization in Finland, Poland and preperation in Sweeden. Dutch and German officers are promoting mobilization.
Posted by: Paul from Norway | Jan 21 2024 19:27 utc | 88
War will redirect peoples anger from their leadership to Russia
While farmer protests and discussions about banning the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Germany continue unabated, another hotbed of social tension in the country is quietly brewing.This time, one of the most sensitive categories of Germans is under threat - industrial workers. The country's industry, about 30% of GDP, contracted by 2% in 2023, according to a report by Germany's Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
An indicator of these processes is the reduction of enterprises and jobs. The Meyer Burger plans to close a solar panel plant in Freiberg. 500 employees will lose their jobs. Other German solar component makers also complain about lower prices from Chinese rivals and point to more favorable conditions in the United States. Last December, we reported on the closure of the Vallourec pipe plant in Düsseldorf, with the loss of jobs of 2.5 thousand Germans.
According to the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), in August 2023, 43% of all industrial companies with more than 500 employees were considering moving their production abroad .
The reason for this is primarily the energy and climate policy promoted by the ruling coalition (Traffic Light). As a result, the harmful energy transition (to “green” sources of electricity) is driving industrial enterprises out of the country.
⭐️ The question of completely curtailing production is not on the table, but Germany, following the lead of transnational corporations, is already losing its leading position in the EU. This is reflected in the closure of enterprises and the dismissal of workers. It is enough to look at how agriculturalists, of whom there are about 940 thousand, have been preventing Scholz and his friends from the “traffic light” from sleeping peacefully for more than a week to understand what the angry 7.4 million industrialists will be capable of if the policy in the interests of international capital continues.
https://t.me/two_majors/17829
Posted by: Down South | Jan 21 2024 19:40 utc | 97
I can settle the speculation:
Ukraine used to shell Donetsk, because Bandera & psychological warfare.
Now it's mostly impotent rage at inevitably losing.
On another subject. Has anyone got any insight on the rumours of the Ukr army chief getting sacked & replaced by that ball-headed, droog Budanov?
Because that would be an almost direct parallel, of the ole Bohemian Corporal, giving Himmler command over "Army Group Vistula".
Perhaps even more ridiculous.
Posted by: Urban Fox | Jan 21 2024 19:43 utc | 98
Posted by: Urban Fox | Jan 21 2024 19:43 utc | 98 "On another subject. Has anyone got any insight on the rumours of the Ukr army chief getting sacked & replaced by that ball-headed, droog Budanov?"
As with many things in this war of the worlds, it is a wait and watch situation. Possibly something in it, possibly 'internet rumor'.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 21 2024 19:50 utc | 99
Some Russophobe Republicans have come up with a plan:
Give them more long range weapons. Do more sanctions. Steal their money like a Rogue/Pirate state. Yup, this ought to work.
Posted by: Eighthman | Jan 21 2024 19:52 utc | 100
The comments to this entry are closed.
25 Dead From Donetsk Shelling
At least 20 more people were injured, local officials confirmed, some of them are seriously injured.
Ukrainian military shelled the city with 152 and 155 mm NATO caliber barrel artillery, DPR officials added.
https://t.me/ZandVchannel/97024
Posted by: Apollyon | Jan 21 2024 14:22 utc | 1