Of course that is the charitable interpretation, which grants the “we are stalling for time” excuse to the pathetic displays of weakness observed in the last two years.
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 26 2024 15:47 utc | 1
Paraphrasing “Russia is never as strong as she looks to pro russian commentators; Russia is never as weak as she looks to westerners.”
As for good ole Strelkov, the Prigozin saga might offer a clue I think….
On a slighty unrelated note, executing people left and right did no yield stellar military performances in the summer of 41′ and for quite a while after.

Posted by: Satepestage | Jan 26 2024 16:08 utc | 4

Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation (for the period from January 20 to January 26, 2024)
In the period from January 20 to January 26 of this year, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out 13 group strikes with high-precision long-range weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles against objects of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine that produced unmanned boats, ammunition, missiles and their components. In addition, arsenals, military airfield infrastructure, fuel bases and temporary locations of foreign mercenaries were affected.
The aim of the strikes has been achieved. All designated facilities were hit.
During the week, in the Kupyansk direction, units of the Western Group of Troops liberated the settlement of Krakhmalnoye in the Kharkiv region and improved the situation along the front edge in some areas.
43 enemy attacks were repelled in cooperation with aviation and artillery. Fire damage was inflicted on clusters of manpower and equipment of the 68th Jaeger, 25th, 30th, 32nd, 43rd, 57th, 60th, 66th mechanized, as well as the 25th Airborne brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 1st Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine in in the districts of the settlements of Makeyevka of the Luhansk People’s Republic, Berestove, Sinkovka of the Kharkiv region and Terny of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
The enemy lost over 740 soldiers, seven tanks, seven armored combat vehicles, 18 vehicles and 14 field artillery pieces
In the Krasnolimansk direction, as a result of the active actions of the units of the Center group of forces, more advantageous lines and positions are occupied. 17 enemy attacks were repelled.
Air strikes, artillery fire and heavy flamethrower systems defeated the formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard of Ukraine in the areas of settlements, as well as the Serebryansk forestry.
The enemy’s losses amounted to over 1,570 soldiers killed and wounded, seven tanks, 25 armored combat vehicles, 52 vehicles and nine field artillery guns.
In the Donetsk direction, the skilful actions of the units of the “Southern” grouping of troops improved the position along the front edge and repelled 12 enemy attacks.
The manpower and equipment of the 22nd, 24th, 28th, 42nd, 58th, 92nd, 93rd mechanized, 81st airmobile, as well as the 5th assault brigades were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Andreevka, Belogorovka, Grigorovka, Kleshcheyevka, Kurdyumovka, Mayorsk and Chas Yar of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
The enemy lost more than 1960 soldiers killed and wounded, 19 tanks, of which one was Leopard, 22 armored combat vehicles, 56 vehicles, four multiple rocket launchers, including MLRS, HIMARS and two Grad, as well as 27 field artillery guns.
In the South Donetsk direction, coordinated actions of units of the Vostok group of forces defeated units of the 31st, 72nd mechanized, 79th airborne assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the 105th and 127th air defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Rovnopol, Paraskovievka, Novomikhailovka, Staromayorskoye of the Donetsk People’s Republic and The shelter of the Zaporozhye region.
The losses of the Armed Forces amounted to up to 745 military personnel, a tank, two armored combat vehicles, 23 vehicles and 14 field artillery guns.
In the Zaporozhye area, the active defense of Russian troops units and systematic fire action defeated the formations of the 33rd, 65th, 117th, 118th mechanized and 128th mountain assault brigades, as well as the 112th air defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Workino, Verbovoye, Nesteryanka and Pyatikhatki of the Zaporozhye region.
The enemy lost more than 450 soldiers, three tanks, four armored combat vehicles, 17 vehicles and 11 field artillery pieces.
In the Kherson direction, the preemptive actions of Russian troops in cooperation with aviation and artillery inflicted fire damage on units of the 35th, 36th, 38th Marine brigades, as well as the 121st, 123rd, 126th air defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Zolotaya Balka, Mikhaylovka, Tyaginka, Zmievka and Stanislav of the Kherson region.
The enemy’s losses amounted to over 335 military personnel, 23 vehicles, two MLRS Grad combat vehicles and eight field artillery guns.
During the week, 35 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered, 16 of them in the Krasnolimansk direction.
Over the past week, four anti-aircraft missile launchers have been hit by tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery of military groups, including two Patriot missile systems manufactured in the United States, SAMP-T manufactured in France, IRIS-T manufactured in Germany and three radar stations for them, as well as the radar of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system and six field ammunition depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
During the week, aviation and air defense equipment shot down a Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, destroyed six Storm Shadow cruise missiles, four Tochka-U tactical missiles, 28 HIMARS and Vampire multiple launch rocket systems, as well as 361 unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 568 aircraft, 265 helicopters, 11255 unmanned aerial vehicles, 455 anti-aircraft missile systems, 14,800 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,210 multiple rocket launchers, 7871 field artillery and mortars, as well as 17,891 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed.

Posted by: rumod report | Jan 26 2024 16:14 utc | 6

For example, it was the US who just tried, and failed, to successfully launch one of their Minutemen ICBMs. It had to ditch in the sea. This display was intended as a ‘show of force’ after Russias submarine based ICBM test. Like so many things Western these days, it failed spectacularly.
How’s that groupthink working out for Maerica and her allies, anyway? It seems they no longer look for contrarian views, preferring yes men and true believers. Idiots writ large.

Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Jan 26 2024 16:18 utc | 8

The fridges have proven a trusty reserve, after the washing machines have done real yeoman’s work.
When the RF gets to kettles, we the Ukrs are due for mopping up.
The toasters etc of course remain on standby to swat any ramshackle NATO force that gets funny ideas.
Or at least that’s what the British UN horses**ter & possible fornicator, would have us believe.

Posted by: Urban Fox | Jan 26 2024 16:29 utc | 10

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 26 2024 15:47 utc | 1
Compared to US and its Minuteman missiles which are reportedly now unserviceable and run an increasing risk of malfunctioning, the Russian missiles are in a pretty decent shape. The US ICBM program might be finished sometime next decade if ever, considering it has large cost overruns already.

Posted by: unimperator | Jan 26 2024 16:49 utc | 12

it’s clear as day, from all available evidence over the past 2 years, that Putin is not trying to win the war in the sense or marching into Odessa or Kyiv, he is trying to end the war, get this nightmare Ofer with.
.
.
Well I agree with them, except for Odessa!
If Odessa comes under NATO control in some form, it would become a US base.
Odessa Ur Russian city Access to the Black Sea is a declared goal for Putin!
Poland and Hungary can then take the rest of Ukraine, the Nazis there and possible acts of sabotage from these areas are then an EU or NATO problem.
And don’t forget one thing: Putin has to take Odessa and Trans-Iria…there is still the largest ammunition depot in Europe that will NEVER fall into the wrong hands
.
Tip
Always see everything in context, who, where, why

Posted by: ossi | Jan 26 2024 17:04 utc | 14

@1 it’s clear as day, from all available evidence over the past 2 years, that Putin is not trying to win the war in the sense or marching into Odessa or Kyiv, he is trying to end the war, get this nightmare Ofer with.
Posted by: Jabuta | Jan 26 2024 16:28 utc | 9

Putin no longer has a choice on this. It is existential now, and nothing short of erasing the Ukrainian state from the map and from the history book will suffice as a war objective. The alternative is the slow disintegration of Russia, first in terms of physical infrastructure under constant missile and drone attacks, then politically too.
If Putin and other Russian elites are deluded enough to think otherwise, they need to be urgently replaced with more realistic people.

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 26 2024 17:13 utc | 16

Posted by: Passerby | Jan 26 2024 10:41 utc | 266

thats interessting — ukraine buys russian oil, gas — and finances russia’s war with it ?!?
Posted by: ghiwen | Jan 26 2024 9:56 utc | 260
Correction. The US and the EU give money to Ukraine; and Ukraine gives the money to Russia in return for oil and gas. IIRC, the contract for Russia to supply Ukraine with gas runs to end 2024.
Once the contract runs out, it’s your problem. More likely than not, Brussels will end up buying US gas, and supplying Ukraine with gas via Poland through the old Soviet pipeline system. Maybe Ukraine will pay its gas bills; maybe not.
…..

Why did you defend shadowbanned — the CIPSO agent ; How do you know what he meant ?
i would think my bold Formatting make it quite clear that this CIPSO… drools something together
as for the first half of your comment —> such a crap !!!
1. the mentioned contract is about TRANSIT to EUROPE
ukr. get !!! money from russia ( Transit fees according to the ship-or-pay clause )
2. “…supplying Ukraine with gas via Poland through the old Soviet pipeline system …”
This should be difficult, as these connections are still designated as projects, at least in 2021 ( the old lines are not considered sufficient )
3. At least Slovakia and above all Austria are still dependent on this transit ( additional see 2. )

Posted by: ghiwen | Jan 26 2024 17:14 utc | 18

Proves what I said to Odessa, Odessa must never remain under Ukrainian power..
.
.
.
According to Scott Ritter, who has just returned from Russia and was talking to Garland Nixon, the kill ratio on the battlefronts is now 20-1 in favour of the Russians, which is staggering. He said that the Russians admitted 3,000 dead in the battle for Avdeevka but they also claimed to have killed 20,000 Ukrainians. At this rate, it may not be very long before the Ukrainian army collapses through lack of manpower. Scott also revealed that the Russians have two armies on the sidelines in Ukraine that have not yet been committed to the battle. He also said that some military people he had spoken to were optimistic that the war could end by September. These people also believe that Ukraine cannot be allowed access to the Black Sea in the future, so that Odessa will have to be secured as far as Transnistria, along with everything east of the Dnieper, including Kharkov. The Ritter/Nixon video can be seen here. It’s over an hour long but is well worth a watch.

Posted by: ossi | Jan 26 2024 17:23 utc | 20

Reading the Guardian comments is like being on another planet. They’re talking about Russia invading the UK like its plausible and how evil Putin is, every single discredited nonsense put out by the ISW and their ilk and…its so completely insane. It really shows the power of repeating lies convincingly. When the truth intrudes expect massive mental health crises.
Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Jan 26 2024 16:10 utc | 5

It isn’t currently possible, but there is a grain of truth to it.
Is Russia ever going to be safe as long as the UK exists? How many major wars did the UK instigate or openly fought against Russia? This one is at least round 5. Most of the many Russian catastrophes in the last couple centuries have been the result of such actions. How much has the country been set back by those?

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 26 2024 17:35 utc | 22

Posted by: ossi | Jan 26 2024 17:23 utc | 20
Judging by reports, it seems FPV drones are number one problem, for which there is no solution. While both sides have them, denying their use and defending from them is sketchy.

Posted by: unimperator | Jan 26 2024 17:35 utc | 24

On a slighty unrelated note, executing people left and right did no yield stellar military performances in the summer of 41′ and for quite a while after.
Posted by: Satepestage | Jan 26 2024 16:08 utc | 4
It certainly set the atmosphere for not another step back. After rolling across all of Europe with ease, it was the soviets who at great cost brought Nazi Germany to a stop, tuned the tide and raised their flag over the Reichstag. It was the foundation of the merit based military of todays Russia.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 26 2024 17:42 utc | 26

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 26 2024 17:35 utc | 22
Quite a few British lives were lost keeping the Arctic convoys open. As for the ‘wars instigated’ without any historical context your allegations are simply inflammatory. Ironic, given these incendiary attitudes are proven to be catalytic, regarding the recent carnage in Ukraine, and other ongoing conflicts.

Posted by: Milites | Jan 26 2024 17:55 utc | 28

⚡️🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ Front #Summary for 26 Jan 2024 by 19:14⚡️
🔹In #Kherson Direction, a real drone war is unfolding near #Krynki. Russia is actively using Lancets, an effective solution for counterbattery warfare. Some of the best drone operators are working on the #Kherson front, and the enemy is on a real hunt for them. Today our MLRS worked powerfully on the AFU positions on the left bank.
The AFU are sitting in basements, some are surrendering.
🔹In the #Zaporozhye Direction, positional battles, and our forces are increasing their initiative. The tactics of small AFU groups remain ineffective. However, in some places the AFU has an advantage in artillery, speaking of “shell shortage”, but they often produce more than ours. Their heavy “Baba Yaga” drones bombers also create a lot of problems for us.
🔹In #SouthDonetsk Direction, near #Vremyevka, our forces repelled an AFU attack in the forest belt and are disrupting rotations near #Staromayorskoye. Our artillery is working very closely at the #Donetsk border. Near #Novomikhaylovka, south of #Konstantinovka and north of #Vladimirovka, 12 AFU strongholds have been suppressed, but our troops are in no hurry to go in. The AFU are shelling their former positions to prevent our army from advancing.
🔹In #Donetsk Direction. our units, who have penetrated the AFU urban defence in the south of #Avdeyevka, have not yet managed to dislodge the AFU from an important area near the tram ring. The enemy is expectedly counterattacking. However, the AFU cannot turn the situation around. Our forces are more focused on holding their positions than on advancing towards the Khimik microdistrict. This is a high-rise development, an assault head on is fraught with heavy losses, so ours are carrying out a powerful artillery preparation. From #Avdeeevka there is a glow at night. They are gradually moving towards the Goluboye (Blue) Lake.
🔹In #Bakhmut Direction, in #Bogdanovka, our drone pilots hit several buildings where the AFU was located during the day. (⚠️Rybar reported a temporary retreat from the centre to the northern part) The assault on the heights beyond #Kleshcheyevka and the offensive from #Khromovo towards #Ivanovskoye (#Krasnoye) continues (⚠️with success, reaching its border).
🔹In #Svatovo Direction, on the #Seversk front, intensive fighting is going on south of #Belogorovka, ours have occupied the grey zone along the right bank of the #Seversky Donets, the AFU have withdrawn to #Grigorovka. Soon, our army will cut the supply between both villages, and then the AFU will be forced to withdraw from #Belogorovka. Now our forces are hitting with artillery and FPV on the ground, and the assault infantry is active in the underground tunnels of the industrial zone, using light infantry flamethrowers. From #Kupyansk sector, it is reported about the crisis in the AFU ammo supply. From the data that our scouts have received, it follows that personnel losses are up to 60%, and in some places there is no supply at all. This is the result of the work of our aviation and artillery. The front is generally standing.
☠️On 24 January, the AFU hit a drone operators’ training ground in the #DPR with HIMARS, as has become known. Near #Ilovaysk “Sudoplatov” took from cadets an exam on FPV-drone control. More than 20 people are reported dead. A great loss.

https://t.me/sitreports/21841

Posted by: Down South | Jan 26 2024 18:13 utc | 30

Posted by: Stonebird | Jan 26 2024 18:16 utc | 31
wait, so since when are Terrorists free from law enforcement? I mean jeah subversion is always a way of war but today also everyone uses smartphones – who doesnt is suspicious on its own and when a shadow army enters – who cares if they get killed en masse? And I mean really en masse

Posted by: Macpott | Jan 26 2024 18:23 utc | 32

Posted by: Stonebird | Jan 26 2024 18:16 utc | 31
The Kharkov and Sumy borders have a high intensity of Russian spec ops forces, which basically pre-empts any possible sabotage directed across the border. The recent strikes on foreign merc bases in Kharkov and surroundings and disrupting AFU reserves also pre-empt sabotage ops. The purpose of AFU troops are to secure foothold on the border to enable those ops in Russia. If they can’t secure a foothold on the border, then there will be no such ops.
That doesn’t exclude that AFU has undercover ‘refugees’ in Russia who can do sabotage, they most certainly have. That is a problem with open society. I do think if Russia did what Nato wanted (take massive amount of territory in a short time) would have caused a multitude of larger partisan problems, because Nato’s initial main plan was precisely ‘partisan war’. We saw a mini-version of that during the Sumy/Kiev initial offensive. The ambushes were carefully planned, knowing which route RUAF convoys are coming etc. It hasn’t been a factor after first 2 months and has denuded Nato of this planned primary advantage.

Posted by: unimperator | Jan 26 2024 18:29 utc | 34

I’d welcome this milking the alphabet cow dry.

Posted by: knkl | Jan 26 2024 18:54 utc | 36

Putin: Il-76 was downed by US or French air defenses, experts to prove it by next week
https://tass.com/politics/1738007
“Most likely the strike was delivered by a US system Patriot system but even more likely by a French-made air-defense system.”

Posted by: Thurl | Jan 26 2024 19:19 utc | 38

Which is why Churchill was planning how to attack the USSR before the Red Army had even taken Berlin (and who know what would have happened if he hadn’t lost the election)?
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 26 2024 18:29 utc | 33
But you could have understood that throughout their history the Anglo-Saxon elite has always preferred a beautiful lie to an unpleasant truth. This is the wisdom of ancient democracies.

Posted by: Oliver Krug | Jan 26 2024 20:11 utc | 40

Posted by: bisfugged | Jan 26 2024 20:34 utc | 41
Israel logistics has diverted from Red Sea to through Gibraltar. Waiting to see a blockade from locations in North Africa, particularly from Algeria and/or Libya.

Posted by: unimperator | Jan 26 2024 20:39 utc | 42

The reason bots plant comments in the media is because they know humans act like this when they herd together.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jPi8o4_R-oc

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 26 2024 21:04 utc | 44

Posted by: bisfugged | Jan 26 2024 22:12 utc | 45
US Navy has just effectively lost control of the Bab al-Mandab strait. Their destroyers were supposed to screen US cargo ships through the Strait, and they were forced to withdraw because they could not do that.
That means the following:
-US can’t move stuff from European bases to Iraq and Syria through the Strait, significantly complicating supply of its bases in the Persian Gulf
-Since US forces in Syria and Iraq are supported from those bases, the significantly longer logistical tail will make it much harder to maintain occupation in Syria and Iraq, making withdraw all but inevitable at some point
-US and UK shipping companies are now forced out of the Strait, for good
-All this is a huge win for Iran and the axis of resistance
See Scott Ritter’s recent video for details.
https://twitter.com/1860rm/status/1750992483410976841

Posted by: unimperator | Jan 26 2024 22:37 utc | 46

Salaam,the key systems may be still in the works good.Now shadowbanned@1- so what about “Satan” for example,is it any good at all,it’s going to be “de-commissioned to be replaced by “samat”,should push come to shoove,think Satan is capable enough!The Russ do have weapons right now that are just as capable to make the enemy lands glass.

Posted by: 4q8 | Jan 26 2024 22:44 utc | 48

Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Jan 26 2024 16:10 utc | 5
Have you noticed the inherent contradictions in the propaganda ?
Russia is poor, incompetent, running out of munitions & destined for failure.
And yet they’re about to invade Poland, Germany, the UK and the Balkans at any moment.

Posted by: ryanggg | Jan 26 2024 23:08 utc | 50

There really is no need to talk such minute details with certain characters. Even vk and dare I say…… Steven hack….circe with Bernie sanders..are better conversationist…..
He will instantly shift topics with his sociopathic tendencies.
End his talks with rhetorical nonsense with a question? Like this?
There is no conclusion with such a mentally ill character. His knowledge on the readiness of icbm is not genuine as if he is responsible for any technical engineering or in charge of or in control of anything other than his chronic illness.

Posted by: Jason | Jan 26 2024 23:39 utc | 52

unimperator | Jan 26 2024 23:22 utc | 51
Old guns, likely old shells and old fuses. The joys of hand me downs. Everyone offloading out of date military junk in Ukraine.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 27 2024 0:08 utc | 54

Interesting times!
Western media from the “five eyes” since September 1939. Has been guilty of supplying 1% fact covered by 99% lies. Whilst presenting the nightly news at six pm.

Posted by: BadDealMotorsOn | Jan 27 2024 0:46 utc | 56

Milites @ 47
Maybe not but they are definitely united in that glorious smirk that I’m sure is plastered over all their faces.

Posted by: bisfugged | Jan 27 2024 0:49 utc | 58

Putin: “ “Most likely the strike was delivered by a US system Patriot system but even more likely by a French-made air-defense system.”
So, the French had their “revenge”. And the core AUF had to watch as their guys were taken out. Months of negotiations. A planeload of guys they’d approved for return; presumably relatives on standby for the predicable PR victory return of loved ones.
Sacrificed for the French need for revenge.
With “friends” like the French….

Posted by: Melaleuca | Jan 27 2024 1:25 utc | 60

But then why jail Strelkov and crack down on patriotic dissent?
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 26 2024 15:47 utc | 1
#######################
There is no room for “patriotic dissent” during the war.
Strelkov knows this. Which makes one wonder why he is pushing this until he is incarcerated. Not only won’t he make a change in the status quo, most Russians will see him as a traitor. None of which accomplishes his supposed goal of changing state policy.
If I could talk to him, I’d tell him, “Well done, sir. You have played yourself.”
One wonders sometimes if bitterness and self-sabotage are all some people have to hang on to.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jan 27 2024 1:54 utc | 62

Posted by: Suresh | Jan 27 2024 0:48 utc | 57
Suresh, shut the fuck up, pathetic POS

Posted by: pesec | Jan 27 2024 2:49 utc | 64

Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Jan 26 2024 16:10 utc | 5
>When the truth intrudes expect massive mental health crises.
As I recall, when USA took French leave (filer à l’Anglaise) from Afghanistan, only one person had a mental health crisis. Namely, some Marine major started jabbering about “accountability”, was immediately read the riot act by his superiors, then allowed to resign without punishment, though because it was before his 20 years of service, no pension. His 15 minutes of fame is up, so I have no idea what happened to him since his mental health crisis. Probably Republicans put him on the payroll and trot him out now and then to say bad things about Biden and use that funny “accountability” word.
For everyone besides this major, Afghanistan quickly slipped down the memory hole.

Posted by: anonposter | Jan 27 2024 3:38 utc | 66

This report on the current reality in Ukraine by a woman who was visiting friends there appeared on MoA a week or two ago. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1743658029893984735.html
Now the Enforcing Thugs are coming after her trying to shut her up. She shares at the bottom of the piece how they are trying to cancel and discredit her account.

Posted by: Paranaense | Jan 27 2024 5:07 utc | 68

Sure, on the side of the russians. Or are you saying that the civil war had other sides than russians?
Posted by: Membrum Virile | Jan 27 2024 5:15 utc | 68

At first it was just to secure arms and supplies from being given to the Germans, only in about 7 months they sided with some Russians in their civil war.

Posted by: Poslan1 | Jan 27 2024 6:07 utc | 70

Posted by: Poslan1 | Jan 27 2024 6:07 utc | 69
Disregarding the nonsense from “MembrumFossile”, the western intervention WAS the reason there was a civil war at all. It’s not that the Reds were entitled to an absence of opposition, but there could hardly be a meaningful one if one taks into account the mess the multiple factions were, especially the inability of the latter to grasp contemporary realities. It is absolutely not a coincidence that the key event for the eruption of the conflict was the collision of the Czech Legion with the Reds and it’s alignment with the opposition in Samara. That’s when the western powers intervened politically, financially and militarily.
While the early period of the Bolshevik takeover has been falsely described as a “Civil War”, particularly by Lenin and his supporters to validate their Marxist Otrthodoxy, it was none of that. And even this short struggle was sidelined for what appeared to be the preparation of the RSFSR/Soviet Russia for a reckoning with imperial Germany, explicitly stated so by Lenin after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, one that would eventually come in November 1918.
The reality is that it was the Entente powers that would breath life into the disparate White faction. Without western support there would be no civil war as in MAy 1st 1918, the Reds were releasing fanatical anti-communists from prison (on Dzerzhinsky’s initiative at that) to prepare for a unified confrontation with the Germans. The deposed Tsar was almost completely ignored at this point.
One could further point at the fact that the Poles were backed in their irredentist venture into Russia, where they declareed the souther White government as the true representative authority of Russia, against whom they didn’t fight at all; the Russo-Polish War was waged against the Red Army. This is when Brusilov urged anti-Bolshevik officers to join the Red Army, with a further declaration of patriotic amity and amnesty offered by Lenin, kalinin and the old general.
In short, no western instigation, no civil war. Something like the recent case in Syria.

Posted by: Constantine | Jan 27 2024 9:06 utc | 72

Major Douglas McGregor:
– The ukrainian government is going to move from Kiev to Lvov in the western Ukraine after Russia has won the war and the war stops (???????????????)
– The Ukraine has already 1 million casualties of which some 500 thousand are (severly) wounded.
– The IDF has used poison gas in tunnels in Gaza in an attempt root out the people in those tunnels but it also killed 1 or 2 israeli soldiers who were taken hostage
– The IDF was busy to place explosives in a building in Gaza for a “controlled demolition”. Then Hamas attacked the tank that was close by. As a result of that the 27 IDF soldiers were killed and destroyed the tank as well.
– More war and more war is coming (in the Middle East)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB-erV0TChQ

Posted by: WMG | Jan 27 2024 9:43 utc | 74

U.S. war plans for Ukraine don’t foresee retaking lost territory
Still smarting from last year’s failed counteroffensive in Ukraine, the Biden administration is putting together a new strategy that will de-emphasize winning back territory and focus instead on helping Ukraine fend off new Russian advances while moving toward a long-term goal of strengthening its fighting force and economy.
The emerging plan is a sharp change from last year, when the U.S. and allied militaries rushed training and sophisticated equipment to Kyiv in hopes that it could quickly push back Russian forces occupying eastern and southern Ukraine. That effort foundered, largely on Russia’s heavily fortified minefields and front-line trenches.
“It’s pretty clear that it will be difficult for them to try to mount the same kind of major push on all fronts that they tried to do last year,” a senior administration official said.
The idea now is to position Ukraine to hold its position on the battlefield for now, but “put them on a different trajectory to be much stronger by the end of 2024 … and get them on a more sustainable path,” said the senior official, one of several who described the internal policymaking on the condition of anonymity. […]
Rather than the massive artillery duels that dominated much of the fighting in the second half of 2022 and much of 2023, the West’s hope for 2024 is that Ukraine will avoid losing any more territory than the one-fifth of the country now occupied by Russia. Additionally, Western governments want Kyiv to concentrate on tactics where its forces have had greater recent success — longer-distance fires, including with French cruise missiles promised for delivery within the next few months; holding back Russia’s Black Sea Fleet to protect naval transit from Ukraine’s ports; and tying up Russian forces inside Crimea with missile strikes and special operations sabotage. […]
The plan also includes additional air defense to create protective “bubbles” around Ukrainian cities beyond Kyiv and Odessa and to allow key parts of the Ukrainian economy and exports, including steel and agriculture, to recover. Biden last fall named former commerce secretary Penny Pritzker as U.S. envoy to lead an effort to rebuild Ukraine’s economy and mobilize public and private investment. […]
“>https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/01/26/ukraine-war-plan-biden-defense/

Posted by: Apollyon | Jan 27 2024 10:01 utc | 76

currently theres some 14 tankers with oil stranded around southkorea due to the unprovoked fullscale sanctions war of aggression against the russian federation.
you know of what this remainds me of?
that old german “kauft nicht beim juden!” that was so popular during the reign of little mustache man.
nazis come full circle. western values.

Posted by: Justpassinby | Jan 27 2024 10:49 utc | 78

Re nato equipment. Ukraine forces were complaining about it on social media before it became a criminal offence to do so. Captured javelins? stingers? went to the Donbass forces. Many of the batteries were no good. There was a bit of an article somewhere where they had figured out a method of fitting non standard batteries to get them working.
The major complaint from Ukraine forces though were the like of the 777 guns. Constantly breaking down, barrels wearing out ect whereas soviet gear was designed as work horses. Long lasting in battle and easy to maintain.
Leopards? One complaint I read coming from the Ukraine side that their complexity caused a lot of breakdowns.
One thing that would have been occuring and it has been mentioned is Nato militarys are not going to send their best pieces to Ukraine if they are systems that military still uses. The will cull the herd so to speak, sending the units that are in the worst state to Ukraine.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 27 2024 11:10 utc | 80

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 27 2024 12:02 utc | 81
i didnt know the tuapse refinery is responsible for all the fuel in russia, you learn something new every day.

Posted by: Justpassinby | Jan 27 2024 12:11 utc | 82

“..How many major wars did the UK instigate or openly fought against Russia?..”
shаdοwbanned | Jan 26 2024 17:35 utc | 22
Very few. Britain and Russia have generally been allied in war. There have been exceptions-the Crimean War being one. But before the Revolution in 1917 the British had usually been allied with or had come, in the course of longer conflicts, to be allied with Russia.
Posted by: bevin | Jan 27 2024 3:20 utc | 65

Incorrect.
It has been British policy for centuries to instigate major wars on the continent so that everyone is weakened and no great power arises there that can rival them.
Even the Napoleonic wars, when they were allied with Russia, are an example of that, and in that sense were a war against Russia too.
But WWII is an outright British aggression against the USSR, despite the official appearance. By that point the British empire was greatly weakened by WWI and cracking under its own immense weight, plus they have always been cowards who prefer other people to fight their wars anyway, and the communists were a huge menace. Ideally they would once again find someone to fight their war for them. Then capitalism committed suicide in 1929, and the question what to do with the Bolsheviks became even more acute. So Hitler was installed in power and then maneuvered (it wasn’t “appeasement” as modern revisionist history describes it, it was instigation) into launching a big war against the USSR, with the intention of having the Germans and the Russians destroy each other. Which is what happened.
BTW, does that story remind you of something that happened in the last 20 years? It’s the same playbook.
Then the Cold War came — were the British and the Russians on the same side?
Also, listen to what the people who know better than you are saying — Medvedev openly called them Russia’s eternal enemies.

Don’t forget Britain’s participation (along with US, Canada, and others) in sending troops into Russia during the Civil War years (1918-1920).
Trust me, the Russians have not forgotten.
Posted by: mtw | Jan 27 2024 3:53 utc | 67

Indeed they haven’t.

Posted by: Constantine | Jan 27 2024 9:06 utc | 72

Well explained about the civil war.
And how many dead was that? Several million.
How much damage did that do to the communist project?

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 27 2024 12:19 utc | 84

It’s always a shame when the shadow band are allowed to take over the thread, especially at the start. There’s really no point reading further.

Posted by: Another Thing | Jan 27 2024 13:27 utc | 86

Also, if you read attentively the pro-Russian TG reports, you will find some disturbing tidbits, like this one about the Ukrainian artillery having in some places superiority over Russian art. How can that be, if they have lost all their Soviet equipment and if M777 break like crystal ? Propaganda bullshit. The Ukies do have an effective mix and do not suffer from shell hunger.

Posted by: Micron | Jan 27 2024 13:31 utc | 88

Dima reports that yesterday Putin said that there are 600 thousand Russian soldiers involved in the SMO. Dima added that there are 1.2 million soldiers involved on the Ukrainian side. Can anyone confirm this number of Ukrainian soldiers?
I thought they were out of men and I would never have imagined that they had twice as many Russian soldiers on the battlefield.
Thanks.

Posted by: Fern | Jan 27 2024 13:44 utc | 90

Posted by: ryanggg | Jan 26 2024 23:08 utc | 50
Yes that glaring contradiction has been clear for coming up on 2 years now, and yet I can’t recall a single person\report\etc in public ask any of the western leadership spouting said contradictory things or their spokespeople to explain themselves on that. Not surprised though.

Posted by: knighthawk | Jan 27 2024 13:48 utc | 92

Posted by: Another Thing | Jan 27 2024 13:27 utc | 86
Happens a lot.
Posted by: Fern | Jan 27 2024 13:44 utc | 90
Pick your own numbers, everyone else seems too.

Posted by: knighthawk | Jan 27 2024 14:14 utc | 94

Also, if you read attentively the pro-Russian TG reports, you will find some disturbing tidbits, like this one about the Ukrainian artillery having in some places superiority over Russian art. How can that be, if they have lost all their Soviet equipment and if M777 break like crystal ? Propaganda bullshit. The Ukies do have an effective mix and do not suffer from shell hunger.
Posted by: Micron | Jan 27 2024 13:31 utc | 88

Also, people don’t understand how much stuff was actually sent.
We do have a large collection of Lancet strikes on M777s, and it at this point exceeds the official number supplied. Yet they are still firing.
But this is on the Kremlin.
I am tired of repeating it — Russia has and always had the technical means to isolate the battlefield, disable AFU logistics, and block the weapons transfers. And nuking the border crossings with Poland and Romania is only the last resort measure, there are all sorts of very effective steps between the near-zero such effort now and that.
But you see various morons talking about how, see, it is so much easier to destroy NATO equipment in the Donbass. Yeah, sure, and have tens of thousands of Russians killed in the process. What a great deal…

Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 27 2024 14:40 utc | 96

Former Canadian Armed Forces member and author, Mike Mihajlovic, is posting a series of articles on Black Mountain Analysis. The first one is up:
“This and the following articles will address the use of old air defense missile systems in recent wars. Even if they were introduced 50 or more years ago, they still present clear and present danger and can put a punch if applied properly even though the wheel of time has already placed them into ‘retirement’ age.
The series of articles includes 2K12 Kub (SA-6), S-125 Neva (SA-3 Goa), S-75 (SA-2), HAWK, and S-200 (SA-5), systems with a brief retrospective of their development and composition with emphasis on the modernization and conversions and application in the most recent wars.”
He looks at Ukraine and finally Yemen.
https://bmanalysis.substack.com/p/when-the-old-timers-go-marching-in

Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Jan 27 2024 14:40 utc | 98

Take a look at the stalemate on the front lines. Does it look like UA is out of men?
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Jan 27 2024 14:40 utc | 97

See my last comment, NATO shill. I would answer affirmatively, since Ukraine is actively preparing to conscript women of childbearing age. But do go on, I enjoy watching people do a rendition of Colin Powells white vial UN performance. Outrageous exaggerations and hyperbole are always amusing.

Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Jan 27 2024 14:48 utc | 100