Ukraine Open Thread 2024-091
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 March 27, 2024 at 15:41 UTC | Permalink
next page »From end of previous thread:
https://johnhelmer.org/the-evidence-on-the-crocus-gang-attack-in-moscow/
John Helmer has an article up on the Moscow terror attack. Perhaps someone will link it when a new thread appears as this one is getting a little stale.
A few takeaways - the building was constructed with cheap materials, both the structure and furnishings, and furnishings were not suitably fire resistant for such a public venue. Fire control systems were inadequate and may not have been working properly. Likely bribery played a roll in getting the plans approved which did not meet standards for such public structures (common in Moscow at the time). An investigation of these factors is under way but perhaps results will not be made public. Most of the deaths were caused by the fire or asphyxiation from smoke and C0, not the shooters. The attackers used petrol filled bottles as an accelerant to spread the fire.
The security services were following the fleeing terrorists and waited for capture until their intended route of escape was clear - Belarus or Ukraine.
Long article with discussion of many aspects of the case.
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 27 2024 15:34 utc | 438
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 27 2024 15:45 utc | 2
@ the pessimist | Mar 27 2024 15:45 utc | 2
thanks.. i was just going to link to it..
Posted by: james | Mar 27 2024 15:46 utc | 3
Analyse Duma :
The reaction of the Turkish political leadership to the Russian side's call in connection with the terrorist attack on March 22 at Crocus City Hall is quite understandable, but, in our opinion, determined by purely opportunistic considerations. After establishing that the militants were training at a base controlled by the Islamic State's MTO on the outskirts of Istanbul, the investigation initiated a corresponding notification to the Turkish "partners". Although it is difficult to call those who have promoted and supported terrorism in the North Caucasus in the past as partners, radicalism in Crimea and the Volga region creates favorable conditions for the leaders of the underground gang, which has been active since the mid-1990s want to live in their country. and also provides transit corridors for the transfer of militants from Middle Eastern states to Russia.
In this context, reports from Russian and Turkish media about how the MIT and Turkey's State Security Service “heroically” carried out raids and arrested more than 100 active members of the ITO-“IS” do not cause much awe. After we published material revealing the enemy's tactics related to radical Islamist elements, our readers received a request to go into more detail about the connection between the Turkish secret services and the modern “terrorist international”. As a rule, the Telegram audience does not really like reading articles in tabs, but we are confident that even if 10% of subscribers read the following text, it will significantly increase your awareness of our enemy.
In today's material we will examine the connections between Turkey's intelligence services and terrorist structures, as well as the actions of the country's political leadership in support of militants (including those who have long been wanted in Russia) and try to predict the development of the situation. taking into account the emerging terrorist threat to our country. It is known that none of the terrorist cells operating in Turkey can operate outside the control of the secret services. In fact, they represent all intelligence and combat units of the Turkish intelligence community and are deployed in three formats - at the tactical, operational and strategic levels:
🔻The first involves the control of the radical part of the ethno-religious environment in the country and the participation of Islamists - more precisely Salaft groups - as a counterweight to Kurdish separatism and small left-wing groups;
🔻The second is the solution of specific tasks in the interests of Ankara's foreign policy as well as its NATO partners, primarily Great Britain. These usually include recruitment, special training and transit of militants to areas of interest - Russia or European countries, as well as Afghanistan and Iran;
🔻On the third - strategic level - terrorists controlled by Turkish secret services are used as a foreign policy instrument and means of manipulation in the "dialogue" with Russia, among other things. on the Syria question.
Posted by: ossi | Mar 27 2024 15:46 utc | 4
Can't even manage to fix typos when I repost something (post#2 above). "C0" should be "CO" - carbon monoxide.
Additionally, the venue may have been chosen for the attack because the shoddy construction was known - in addition to factors like the fact that its location would ensure that heavy Friday night traffic would hamper access by emergency and security services.
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 27 2024 15:55 utc | 5
Good stuff ossi.
I join with james and the pessimist in recommending Helmer who is always interesting and often right.
Posted by: bevin | Mar 27 2024 15:56 utc | 6
Just reposting a link Perimetr left in an older thread...
Washington Crossed a Fatal Red Line with the Crocus Attack
13 minute video
Posted by: john | Mar 27 2024 16:04 utc | 7
The Duran interviews Jacques Baud. The interview is very long at nearly 3 hours but pretty good.
Jacques talks about difference between western and Russia war thinking (Nato focus on pinpricks vs. operational and strategical level), logistical issues (Russia is on home turf with advantages), the western way of using Ukraine as a used rag (entire country destroyed, if we hit the Kerch bridge it was worth it), beginning of SMO (actually began Feb 14th 2022 when AFU began heavy shelling and preparing to invade Donbass) etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIzKxXR5pvA
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 27 2024 16:05 utc | 8
March 21 2024 marks the date when neo-nazi Zelensky's legitimacy comes into question. As he has not the majority of the votes he has decided to remove Alexey Danilov and replaced him with the British proxy's favourite child Alexander Litvinenko. AL completed a training course at the UK’s Royal College of Defense Studies. More reshuffles under way before the Ukraine regime is turned to dust.
Posted by: AI | Mar 27 2024 16:06 utc | 9
@ossi | Mar 27 2024 15:46 utc | 4
"It is known that none of the terrorist cells operating in Turkey can operate outside the control of the secret services. In fact, they represent all intelligence and combat units of the Turkish intelligence community and are deployed in three formats - at the tactical, operational and strategic levels:"
I call BS on this blanket statement. Because something is true in some or many cases does not imply it is true in all. Turkey is a large country with a large diverse population including many who oppose the current government for a variety of reasons. Turkey has its own internal anti-terrorist operations precisely because the security services are neither monolithic nor all powerful. Could Turkish security services have been involved? Possibly, but we will probably never know for sure one way or another unless Russia acts in some way to confirm this.
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 27 2024 16:06 utc | 10
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 27 2024 16:06 utc | 10
There's a running theory that Russia extracted information from the Moscow terrorists that led to the intermediary handlers in Turkey. Turkish forces arrested those handlers, and they might have extracted information leading to SBU handlers in Ukraine. Pretty much immediately after information was extracted, the SBU handlers were located and bombed, the building/basement in Kiev and SBU sanotatorium in Odessa on the so-called SBU day when they were all gathered there.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 27 2024 16:12 utc | 11
Very good analysis by Aurelian today at France Saves Europe
He lays out muuch historical context with reference, especially, to France. Ends with:
This has, to repeat, little to do with the war in Ukraine, and much more to do with the shape of Europe afterwards. It could be that, in a way no-one could have imagined thirty-five years ago, we are finally moving in the direction the French were pushing for all that time. And we have the Russians to thank for it. How funny is that?
Posted by: Peter b | Mar 27 2024 16:14 utc | 12
@unimperator | Mar 27 2024 16:12 utc | 11
I am aware of this speculation, but Ossi's post quoted a source suggesting that Turkey must have had advance knowledge - colluded - because its security services "know everything". We know that Russia and Turkey cooperate sometimes, and sometimes are in direct conflict.
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 27 2024 16:23 utc | 13
@12 Peter b
Yes important essay by Aur. as so many of them are.
The near term result though, is that France had to endure another round of eye-rolling and mockery. Positioning for the contest of ideas has a lovely internal logic to it, but the NATO power structure isn't tasked with promoting the French military industry rearming, but rather the American one. Western Europe is supposed to provide moral support, and in critical moments such as this one, a backup supply of warm bodies. Actual independence of any kind is not welcome.
Posted by: pxx | Mar 27 2024 16:50 utc | 14
https://twitter.com/i/status/1771780777375629437
Amir Weitmann, the head of the libertarian caucus in #Israel's ruling Likud Party, promised that the 'Russians would pay for supporting the enemies of Israel'…
fanaticism oozing
Posted by: ld | Mar 27 2024 16:52 utc | 15
Reuters article claiming secondary sanctions are effective at slowing or blocking payment for Rus petroleum
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/russia-struggles-collect-oil-payments-china-uae-turkey-raise-bank-scrutiny-2024-03-27/
Anyone know if this is just propaganda or any other review or analysis of this, pro or con?
Posted by: Asdf | Mar 27 2024 17:00 utc | 16
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 27 2024 16:06 utc | 10
.
.
Your arguments may be correct, but they are ONLY theirs!
In the event of an escalation, it doesn't matter how one side feels about it!
It depends on how the affected party feels and what conclusions and actions escalate from it!
So the "West" can claim whatever HE wants, if the person concerned has the feeling and possibly found HIS evidence to press the button, it doesn't matter what the other person thinks, what HE says, what law he is trying to enforce.
Posted by: ossi | Mar 27 2024 17:04 utc | 17
Posted by: Asdf | Mar 27 2024 17:00 utc | 16
Reuters have zero credibility.
Posted by: AI | Mar 27 2024 17:11 utc | 18
To sudden deaths of NATO officers??
Report in Poland.
Death due to absence from duty! Can happen.
Polish media reported the death on March 26, 2024 of the Chief of Staff of the EU Operational Command Althea, Brigadier General Adam Marczak, during his absence from duty, citing the Polish operational command on Twitter @admira37447397 and @DowOperSZ.
“It is with great regret that we announce that Brigadier General Adam Marczak, Chief of Staff of the EU Operational Command Althea in Mons, passed away on Tuesday, March 26, 2024,” the operational command wrote on Platform X on Tuesday.
“Mr. General’s unexpected death occurred due to natural causes during his absence from duty,” the statement said.
On March 26, 2024, a major Russian attack with Iskander took place on a command post manned by NATO colleagues in Chasov Yar. Shortly afterwards, reports appeared in the Polish media.
[1] March 26, 2024
Unexpected Death of Polish General
The Polish Armed Forces are mourning the loss of Brigadier General Adam Marczak, the Chief of Staff of the EU Althea Operation Command in Mons, who passed away on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The announcement was made via Twitter by the Operational Command of the Armed Forces.
In a statement, the term “unexpected death” was used to describe the passing of General Marczak, indicating that his demise occurred due to natural causes during his off-duty hours.
https://polanddaily24.com/unexpected-death-of-polish-general/news/39524
[2] Mar 26, 2024 7:10 p.m
Victor vicktop55 @vicktop55
A Polish brigadier general was one of those who died as a result of a Russian Iskander missile strike on the Chasov Yar.
And just an hour ago, Polish social networks started publishing them.
According to Polish media, Brigadier General Adam Marczak died unexpectedly due to “unexplained natural causes.”
[https://twitter.com/vicktop55/status/1772702645511200896]
[3] Nie żyje general brygady Adam Marczak
Opracowanie: Waldemar Stelmach
Wczoraj, 26 marca (14:23)
General brygady Adam Marczak never żyje. O śmierci wojskowego poinformowało w komunikacie Dowództwo Operacyjne.
Brigadier General Adam Marczak is dead
Development: Waldemar Stelmach
Wczoraj, 26 marca (14:23)
Brigadier General Adam Marczak is dead. The operational command announced the soldier's death in a statement.
“It is with great regret that we announce that Brigadier General Adam Marczak, Chief of Staff of the EU Operational Command Althea in Mons, passed away on Tuesday, March 26, 2024,” the operational command wrote on Platform X on Tuesday.
“Mr. General’s unexpected death occurred due to natural causes during his absence from duty,” the statement said. Oops...absent???
“The family and relatives of the deceased have been notified and informed about the possibility of assistance from the Polish army. We express our sincere condolences and regrets to all of the general's relatives. Honor his memory,” it was emphasized.
Question: When did the Kinzal hit where?
.
[https://www.rmf24.pl/fakty/polska/news-nie-zyje-general-brygady-adam-marczak,nId,7413644#crp_state=1]
Posted by: ossi | Mar 27 2024 17:14 utc | 19
Whats intruiging is why the terrorists threw away their weapons as they sped towards the border.
This is most unusual. Did those weapons indicate their source?
Posted by: HERMIUS | Mar 27 2024 17:18 utc | 20
Whats intruiging is why the terrorists threw away their weapons as they sped towards the border.
This is most unusual. Did those weapons indicate their source?
Posted by: HERMIUS | Mar 27 2024 17:18 utc | 20
.
.
It is definitely not good for your health to drive (walk) towards Ukrainians who are trained in killing with a weapon in your hand.
Perhaps you hoped not to be disposed of straight away if you were unarmed
Posted by: ossi | Mar 27 2024 17:25 utc | 21
Misteriös
.
Is the Jewish regime in Kiev or the “Islamic State” behind the terrible Crocus attack?
In any case, the assassins fled south to the Ukrainian border, where they might have wanted to open a “window” for them, certainly only to liquidate them there without further ado, because dead birds don't sing. Now Russia has caught them and they are going into the cage for now, and probably for a longer time.
In addition, the four gallows birds took money for their big appearance, not a lot, but still, and they wanted to spend it afterwards, because why would they have fled to the Ukraine when they could have gone straight to their 72 virgins, because there are so many You can't find it anywhere in Ukraine, and you can't get what's available there in this regard for free.
Certainly the “Islamic State” is a creation of the services in London and Washington and Tel Aviv, because why does it only ever attack their enemies and never the Zionist colony in Palestine? It has long been known that ISIS actually stands for “Israeli Secret Intelligence Service”.
There is no aim at all for an “emirate”, just the wages for being a mercenary, although Islam provides the ideology for surrounding oneself with a larger number of younger women, even in this world, for which one can also support oneself thanks to the bubbling income from various crimes can easily arise. Once you get used to this lifestyle, you probably won't want another one.
The whole thing is of course under constant observation by the Anglo-Zionist eagle eyes, who can sometimes strike if these structures are not useful or even harmful to their own cause.
Of course, Ukraine is in a somewhat higher position, which is why Jews were put at the top with Poroshenko and Zelensky. But here too, Washington and London ultimately determine where things go. In this respect, it would not make such a huge difference whether the “Islamic State” was responsible or Sultan Wallah Dimir Al Selenski.
Last but not least, it should be mentioned that there are of course still a few open questions regarding the attack. It is not clear how the fire could spread so quickly and the roof collapsed. The four assassins did not have large quantities of accelerant with them, even if it was reported in the meantime without citing the source that the assassins had “flame throwers” with them, of which there was absolutely no sign.
And why didn’t the sprinkler system come into play? In a concert hall for 6,000 people, surely there will be some fire protection? But apparently nothing worked, so the result was a total loss. Well, that's how it works.
Also strange in the ISIS confession video is how the assassin makes a 180° turn and continuously fires from the rifle while his comrade calmly films him. These people must have taken quite strong drugs to remain relaxed during these actions.
And while we're at it, the handling of the weapon didn't give me the impression of being professional at all; the shots were fired randomly and haphazardly. One would almost think that the terrorist was controlled by his gun, not the other way around. All well and good against a bunch of civilians who don't defend themselves, but how can you eliminate the security forces at the entrance in this way? That doesn't really make sense to me.
Well, there are definitely a few unanswered questions, but as long as we can't answer them, we'll probably have to blame Sultan Al Selenski.
Posted by: ossi | Mar 27 2024 17:30 utc | 22
Posted by: ossi | Mar 27 2024 17:30 utc | 22
You are 100% on what ISIS stands for.
Posted by: AI | Mar 27 2024 17:34 utc | 23
Oh yes, another point that speaks against pure-blooded Islamists and was not noticed by any media, not even in the USA, or at least not pointed out.
The following comes up a lot in German forums
A very important point that brings down the whole lie “It was IS!” was read by Pepe Escobar on Telegram: In the “confessional photo” in front of the IS flag, the 4 main attackers hold their index finger stretched upwards, which – as the Germans in particular know after the recent hype surrounding these footballers - is a sign of the Islamists. It's just stupid that the terrorists use their LEFT hand. According to the Koran, it is so unclean that Muhammad himself deigned to order that it should be used for all unclean activities such as cleaning the rear end - while the right hand was the "good" hand. That is why a Muslim will never give someone his left hand or even “impose” it on him in any way. Because it is not only “unclean”, but – for this reason – it is also described as “haram” = forbidden by the Koran. This means that when a believer uses his LEFT hand to point his index finger at Allah, he is literally giving him the “stink finger”. NOT a believer – and certainly not an Islamist! – would do that or even just spread a photo like that. By the way, a few years ago it was discovered that these propaganda websites of various Islamist associations were hosted on servers that belong to the IP address range of the British (and/or US) Foreign Office, i.e. are controlled by THEM. This beginner's mistake may have been corrected by now...
But just the left index finger is more than clear enough to expose the entire alleged “IS perpetrator” as ridiculously bold propaganda
Posted by: ossi | Mar 27 2024 17:37 utc | 24
In case you missed it,
Lukanshenko said terrorists first tried to escape true Belrarus but were stopped and then tried to go to Ukraine,
he also said he was in contact with Putin when all this occured.
"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko contradicted Russian President Vladimir Putin while claiming that Belarus prevented Moscow suspects on the border. The four suspects were arrested on the Belarus-Ukraine border. Lukashenko further claimed that "terrorists were first headed for Belarus and they were turned away from the border due to heightened security. He said that he was in touch with President Putin till the suspects were nabbed. Lukashenko said, "Putin & I did not sleep for 24 Hours. He asked me to seal off our borders' 'Lukashenko's disclosure comes amidst scrutiny over Putin's delayed public address after the Moscow Concert Hall attack. "
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/toi-original/belarusian-president-alexander-lukashenko-explains-how-belarus-prevented-moscow-suspects-from-fleeing/videoshow/108822755.cms
as is often the case, not everything is as simple as the wannabe keyboard-warriors of MoA write,
as often it's not black and white but grey
Posted by: Tak-Tik | Mar 27 2024 17:39 utc | 25
Posted by: AI | Mar 27 2024 17:34 utc | 23
.
.
.
Is my last post still not enough?
Posted by: ossi | Mar 27 2024 17:39 utc | 26
Question: When did the Kinzal hit where?
ossi | Mar 27 2024 17:14 utc | 19
Was hit or ate too much, you should not care anyway. Even if he was hit, I doubt natoids sent to Ukr, from generals to soldiers, know how many others died there. nato must play the same game inside and outside, so others will be sent. His death was as meaningless as his life.
And interesting news: Onyx from Bastion received and upgrade to hit ground targets ( sputnikglobe.com/20240327/upgraded-supersonic-onyx-missile-gets-boost-from-new-active-homing-head-1117576364.html )
Posted by: rk | Mar 27 2024 17:42 utc | 27
Posted by: Tak-Tik | Mar 27 2024 17:39 utc | 25
.
.
Nothing is known about this statement by Lukashenko
Even the statement "haven't slept in 24 hours" is nonsense.
The perpetrators were arrested after hours so why NOT slept, definitely not because of the arrest.
Posted by: ossi | Mar 27 2024 17:43 utc | 28
@ Tak-Tik | Mar 27 2024 17:39 utc | 25
If one looks for quotes from state leaders, one should look for those in sources adjacent to their state media at the very least. That is, if one doesn't want to embarrass oneself in an attempt to show somebody else up.
Posted by: boneless | Mar 27 2024 17:47 utc | 29
Tak-Tik | Mar 27 2024 17:39 utc | 25
In today's Simplicius post he demolishes your lie about what Lukashenko said.
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/west-desperately-deflects-as-ukraines
And an important clarification: right now there’s Ukrainian propaganda going around that today Lukashenko “disproved the Kremlin narrative” by pointing out that the terrorists first attempted to go into Belarus, but Belarusian forces blocked them, forcing them to choose Ukraine as a second option.This is a total lie.
I’ve now studied Lukashenko’s exact statement, and he is in fact responding to a reporter who asked: “Is it possible they could have gone into Belarus?”
What he says is basically, no because we put up forces and either way they would be forced to go elsewhere. In short, he’s responding to a hypothetical, that even if they had wanted to come into Belarus, they would not be able to—but he by no means stated they definitively were coming to Belarus. This is a deliberate mischaracterization by Ukrainian propagandists.
Posted by: Flying Dutchman | Mar 27 2024 17:48 utc | 30
Even if he was hit, I doubt natoids sent to Ukr, from generals to soldiers, know how many others died there
Sure, money printer can go brrr. But you can't print officers, even if most of them are stuffed suits playing dress-up.
Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Mar 27 2024 17:53 utc | 31
Secondary sanctions are begining to hurt Russia. Putin is forced to speed up the SMO while his escalalation capacity is very low.
This is a great problem as The West is triger happy and Ukrainians are higly motivated to attack, while Russia has to save her forces.
Only full destruction of electrical system can be a game changer. Russia can enforce Ukro population to leave certain atreas without killing anybody but some Russian oligarch are orecenting this solution due to their private interests. Putin has stil mot learned that this is a total war.
Posted by: vargas | Mar 27 2024 17:53 utc | 32
escalalation capacity is very low.
Like most things you post, with the pearl-clutching seriousness of a fisher-wife, this can be ignored as either blatant lie or foolish belief.
Russia has escalation dominance. The fact they're choosing not to use it or only sparingly is because they don't wage war for propaganda purposes. Russians wage war to win, not to enrich their corporations - and are winning. Handily.
It's the West who needs a massive escalation to try to justify to their reluctant populations this total war of which you speak and which right now is politically impossible.
Every 100 days ticks by, Maerica sinks further into her inescapable debt crisis. Watch the rats get more desperate as the water rises.
Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Mar 27 2024 17:58 utc | 33
Flying Dutchman | Mar 27 2024 17:48 utc | 30
Exactly. Tak-Tik always posts fakes.
For all other retards posting fake news from sites that contain "Times" in title, you can read the question and answer on Luka's website ( president.gov.by/ru/events/rabochaya-poezdka-v-oshmyanskiy-rayon-grodnenskoy-oblasti )
Posted by: rk | Mar 27 2024 18:00 utc | 34
Right, Putin has them by their balls. Slowly but steadily turning the world upside down.
Posted by: blueswde | Mar 27 2024 18:05 utc | 35
@ vargas, §32:
" . . . sanctions are beginning to hurt Russia . . ."
Meanwhile, they´ve already hurt the EU so much, it´s imploding.
Posted by: John Marks | Mar 27 2024 18:08 utc | 36
I'm curious what people think of the possibility that the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse was the result of a cyberattack on the Dali ship? It's been mentioned a few times, though mostly by people who don't know much at all. The timing of it - both immediately following Crocus and that if the Dali failures happened a minute later out of a month voyage it would be nothing of interest - are interesting.
We'll likely never know, but it is possible. One thing I noted was that in US news, a captain working at the port interviewed by media lied and said that the ship was an old ship, whereas it was completed in 2015, which is within a time that controls would be more computerized.
Considering the multiple attempts to take down the Kerch bridge and economic warfare towards Russia, I could immagine it would be viewed as poetic justice, and it thankfully happened at a time when minimal people were on the bridge.
Posted by: Matthew | Mar 27 2024 18:18 utc | 37
Hahahahah.....according to Bloomberg "theres no evidence of involvement of Ukraine" in the terror attack.
This is, wait for it "according to four people with close ties to the Kremlin".
Don't they just lie. There's NO "four people close to the Kremlin" who told them this. Its a bit like the "wants to remain anonymous" statements we regularly see. In other words, the editor and an op from the intel services sat down together and dreamt the story up. Its laughable. Honestly.
The fact is Bloomberg and western media are MAKING THINGS UP for sheer propoganda purposes.
Posted by: HERMIUS | Mar 27 2024 18:21 utc | 38
Helmer's article raises an interesting speculative point. Namely, the shooters/terrorists would have been summarily executed by their Ukrainian cohorts.
To the stuff about the fire, he also offers a pretty compelling explanation: shoddy construction, negligent to absent commissioning and construction materials banned in the time since the Crocus center was constructed. In two words: greed and laziness on the part of the developer.
Methinks a dozen bottles of petrol would easily be enough to burn such a structure down and kill a lot of people by smoke/CO inhalation.
Looks like a very well planned operation carried out by marginally competent perps who didn't seem to grasp the fact that they were patsies being manipulated (or blackmailed) by forces much greater and more evil than they understood. I would really like for some work to be done to understand the psychology of the attackers because I don't think it's as simple as economics and I dismiss the religious "Islamist" component out of hand.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 27 2024 18:40 utc | 39
Posted by: HERMIUS | Mar 27 2024 18:21 utc | 38
Re: Bloomberg's "sources" -
Or...does the Kremlin have a bigger problem with 5th column 'western' loyalists/aspirants/infiltrators than they are letting on?
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 27 2024 18:42 utc | 40
Newest Simplicius.
If TLDR:
-Borrell just flat out admitted Ukraine has nothing to do with Ukraine itself - it is only to protect the banking cabal interests. That is literally what he said
-The reason for all Nato-west huff-n-puff is to mask AFU becoming ineffective
-Ukraine is blowing up and Zelensky is facing the heaviest mobilization attempt of entire war
-Russia 'offered' US to pretend that ISIS made the Crocus attack if they discuss original security frameworks - if they don't, Russia will remove any restrictions it had on any kind of infrastructure in Ukraine and will make it hell (impossible) for Nato to operate in that country
-This has partially started already
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/west-desperately-deflects-as-ukraines
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 27 2024 19:01 utc | 41
HERMIUS @38: "...according to four people with close ties to the Kremlin..."
That is presstitute-speak for four guys wearing ties in the US embassy in Moscow, and the ties they are wearing are close to the Kremlin in a relative sense.
See? The presstitutes didn't actually lie! Being cis-truth passing is good enough for western presstitutes.
Posted by: William Gruff | Mar 27 2024 19:11 utc | 42
@Newbie | Mar 27 2024 15:44 utc | 1
Looks you are pulling loss figures out of your butt. Mediazona found 47,701 reported Russian losses by March 18. There is always babble about the "real figures" being much higher, mediazona "estimates" 85,000 casualties, still far away from the nearly 500k Ukraine fantasizes about. Yet it is not to see where such a difference should come from.
Mediazona/BBC Russia results do not stem from "investigative journalism", rather from intelligence agencies' thorough combing of all available sources, newspapers, internet, social media, even emails tapped. And there is not much of a point that nearly every second Russian combat or war related fatality remains unnoticed or conceiled.
Certainly there may be missing in action, also the count from obituaries is lagging behind the events on the ground. The latter can easily be corroborated from the data. But I fail to see where your assertion of 65k Russian losses til end 23 reasonably stems from.
Posted by: aquadraht | Mar 27 2024 19:16 utc | 43
Ossi, 24.
Why are you intent on spreading propaganda?. Please show where in "Koran" it says about left hand?
Also, it amuses me, but I would love to see where 72 Virgins are mentioned in "Koran"
I wish people will provide references; if they are talking about "koran"
Posted by: Nasir | Mar 27 2024 19:24 utc | 44
Asdf @ 16
Indian Refiners REJECT Russian Oil As US Plans “Freedom Bonds” To Fight Putin
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Mar 27 2024 19:28 utc | 45
@vargas | Mar 27 2024 17:53 utc | 32
Secondary sanctions are begining to hurt Russia. ..
Yawn.
Posted by: aquadraht | Mar 27 2024 19:33 utc | 46
Re: Russian losses
A NAFO concern troll quoted an official from Belgorod claiming that there were fewer military casualties than civilian in the Belgorod region. This was during a period that saw nearly a thousand Nazi fatalities per day in their assaults on the border. Clearly the concern troll was trying to claim that the Russian military wasn’t doing enough to protect civilians.
As far as I know, we are only looking at a couple dozen casualties among civilians in Belgorod, so Russian troop losses are less than that. Basically, a few dozen Russian losses for the year on the Belgorod front compared to several hundred Nazi losses per day in that theater.
Posted by: William Gruff | Mar 27 2024 19:34 utc | 47
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 27 2024 18:42 utc | 40
Not really.
Bloomberg is only spitting out predigested shit going with the decided narrative to feed to Msm.
Fifth columns, if any, or spies are used for the juicy things, those that you don't feed to the Msm.
Posted by: Mario | Mar 27 2024 19:45 utc | 48
But Putin knows it and we all know it too, that the provocations of the Anglo-Saxons and their Jews only have the aim of putting Putin under domestic political pressure so that he ends the war as quickly as possible - ideally with the use of nuclear weapons, because then the NATO doves of peace can finally strike back. But that won't happen. Slow bleeding according to Rossokowsky is the order of the day - they have chosen the wrong opponents.
Posted by: Oliver Krug | Mar 27 2024 19:56 utc | 49
well, today in welt, germanys most beloved propaganda rag:
„Die Russen haben versucht, alles mitzubekommen, was man irgendwie mitkriegen konnte“
Hatten die Röhren in der Ostsee nicht nur den Zweck, Gas zu transportieren? Jahrelang hat Russland Europa unter dem Vorwand, Informationen für den Bau von Nord Stream zu sammeln, ausspioniert. Warum das militärische Kräftemessen neue Einblicke in das Geschehen in der Ostsee gibt.
now russia has spied on "europa" (they cant say eu, they love excluding countries from europe that are not in the eu. classy) under the guise of collecting information for the ns pipelines.
they simply cant stop with the propaganda.
and on handelsblatt , theres a classy piece about "authoritarian leaders and how to get rid of them"
Was autoritäre Führer für viele Menschen attraktiv macht
Der Soziologe Ulrich Bröckling hat eine Gruppe der „Strongmen“ ausgemacht, die in immer mehr Ländern an die Macht kommen. Er erklärt, was die starken Männer ausmacht – und wie man sie wieder loswird.
a social science person explains why "strongmen" are elected in ever more countries, what is making them attracktive to the masses, and how to get rid of them.
nice intro:
"Wladimir Putin als Kriegsherr in seinem Aggressionskrieg gegen die Ukraine ist hier sicher als Erster zu nennen, aber auch Donald Trump, Viktor Orbán oder Recep Tayyip Erdoğan."
translation:
Vladimir Putin as the warlord in his war of aggression against Ukraine is surely the first to be mentioned here, but also Donald Trump, Viktor Orbán or Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
this is the tripe of daily propaganda the people in germany have to live under.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Mar 27 2024 20:09 utc | 50
RE: left hand in Islamic societies and India also.
What do people born left handed do? Learn to be right handed?
Posted by: Ново З | Mar 27 2024 20:20 utc | 51
You won't see a massive Russian assault responding to the West's "Tiktok war" operations. Weather is still muddy in 404 , let's "enhance positions" as they say, the side effect being more attrition for General 200 boyz. There are still some close positions you can supply easy to work on. So they work ...
The only thing you will see is the reopening of SBU hunting season : it's a shy game , often deep in the rear , you need some long range thing to get a nice trophy to hang above the chimney :).
Posted by: Hiro Masamune | Mar 27 2024 20:24 utc | 52
Posted by: Oliver Krug | Mar 27 2024 19:56 utc | 49
Simplicius says that is the entire purpose.
The purpose of blaming ISIS (we will omit that the attack succeeded in the first place) is to create the narrative that 'Putin's policies create blowback in Russian society'. The US stink tanks have been talking about this strategy for a gazillion years.
But now they are more desperate than ever because things are kind of falling apart in the front, and the rear.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 27 2024 20:28 utc | 53
Re: left hand in Islamic culture
It is nothing mysterious. Islam is one of the cultures that require people to actually wash their ass, as in with water, rather than just smearing shit around it with paper. To get it clean some scrubbing is called for, and moms teach their children to ONLY use their left hands for this. It is also common in Islamic cultures to have communal style meals, and any kid reaching for a falafel from the family table with their left hand gets that hand smacked. After all, who wants a shitty falafel?
So it is ingrained from the time of potty training that the left hand is the stink hand and the right hand is the clean one. It is automatic. People in these cultures don’t even have to think about it. You can attach religious mumbo-jumbo to it if you want, but it really has its basis in practicality.
Posted by: William Gruff | Mar 27 2024 20:37 utc | 54
Vitaly Demidkin, colonel of the FSB ''Alpha Group'', the most experienced man in Russia when it comes to hostage rescue operations which also took part in 3 wars, including Soviet–Afghan War shares his opinion about the terrorist attack in Moscow region.Colonel Vitaly Demidkin about the composure and complete lack of emotions of the terrorists and about who else might be involved in the attack.
“The terrorists who attacked Crocus City Hall were not professionals but they still completed some military training courses - in Turkey or somewhere else,” says Demidkin. — The machine guns were held professionally, they shot at chest level, at stomach level. That is, they didn’t shoot from above, they didn’t shoot down, but they hit people. Vitaly Nikolaevich believes that there could have been unarmed controllers in the group.
“Someone must have accompanied them, advised them, led them.” He probably recorded what was happening. It is known from open sources that 11 people were arrested (a video is being circulated on the Internet where a man in a bright yellow jacket calmly moves ahead of the main group, without reacting in any way to the shots and the reigning chaos. The expert recalls that on March 7 and 8 there were concerts in Moscow, where two of the terrorists were seen.
“Their presence was recorded. They carried out reconnaissance and realized that there was decent security there. And they stopped at Crocus, where, in addition to the workers who checked tickets, there were, if I’m not mistaken, three security officers at the entrance, and one more person sat near the CCTV cameras.
According to the colonel, the weapons for the attackers were prepared by the handlers. It could be in a hiding place somewhere. Although it is not difficult to buy the same machines on the “black market”.
Vitaly Demidkin says that what is striking is the composure and complete lack of emotions of the terrorists. And also their cruelty.
“Normal people cannot kill unarmed people, including children, so mercilessly.”
''These are non-humans, some kind of cattle.''
Perhaps they were subjected to special psychological training or were under the influence of some kind of drugs.
It is noteworthy that the terrorists did not try to hide their faces under masks or change their appearance in any way after the attack.
They fled in the same car they arrived in.
They didn't have any cover.
“This once again suggests that the actions were unprofessional. It is quite possible that the curators who prepared them did not intend to settle accounts with them.
They threw in an advance payment of 250 thousand rubles. And they went to kill people.
A corridor was prepared for them.
And maybe they would have been transferred to the Ukrainian side.
But there, most likely, they would have been destroyed.
For the organizers of the terrorist attack, it was a disposable material.
Colonel Demidkin believes that in this case it was not ISIS (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) who did it.
“They go and die in order to end up in their paradise.”
But those who attacked Crocus were not planning to die.''
https://twitter.com/talkrealopinion/status/1773084349295939708
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 27 2024 20:40 utc | 55
Don't know if this was already posted:
Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's interview to Jackson Hinkle, March 2024
Worth it for her linking history of Kerch in WW2 and today.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Mar 27 2024 20:41 utc | 56
Like most things you post, with the pearl-clutching seriousness of a fisher-wife, this can be ignored as either blatant lie or foolish belief.Russia has escalation dominance. The fact they're choosing not to use it or only sparingly is because they don't wage war for propaganda purposes. Russians wage war to win, not to enrich their corporations - and are winning. Handily.
It's the West who needs a massive escalation to try to justify to their reluctant populations this total war of which you speak and which right now is politically impossible.
Every 100 days ticks by, Maerica sinks further into her inescapable debt
crisis. Watch the rats get more desperate as the water rises.
Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Mar 27 2024 17:58 utc | 33
I agree that the west needs escalation and that is why it is escalating. But Russia is not escalating because it can choose. Russia cannot escalate, except by going nuclear. Russia has no proxy in EU that would be willing to fight fro Russia's interests.
>Every 100 days ticks by, Maerica sinks further
We have no proof for this. USA can print money for decades.
Posted by: vargas | Mar 27 2024 20:43 utc | 57
Oh, oh, the whole NATO ISR is up and especially with USAF Poseidon 8, right in front of Kaliningrad. Not to mention the Black Sea Global Hawk FORTE13 and then some.
GPS is rather jammed for most of the Baltics. Also a mass of Russian Aerospace bombers, in a dispersed pattern, Odessa seems a main target, but some other cities possible. I hope there still is a restrain.
Posted by: whirlX | Mar 27 2024 21:11 utc | 58
Big news. Tornado-S system has been upgraded to be able to launch FAB-250 aerial bombs up to 60 km away.
There are millions of FAB-250 bombs in warehouses which will probably now find some good use.
https://twitter.com/distant_earth83/status/1772677909657825520
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 27 2024 21:15 utc | 59
@59
Meant that FAB-250 can be launched 95km, not 60km away. The bomb is equipped with a small jet engine, folding wings and control module.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 27 2024 21:20 utc | 60
The source tells how the terrorists who attacked Crocus were recruited (RIA Novosti, March 27, 2024 — in Russian)
Those who carried out the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall were recruited through the Voice of Khorasan Telegram channel, which belongs to the Afghan wing of the Islamic State and targets audiences in Tajikistan, a source familiar with the situation told RIA Novosti.“Materials regarding a specific person were examined. There was a note from our colleagues, which stated that he was a member of a Telegram channel where people were being recruited to carry out terrorist attacks. In addition, during operational search activities it was established that the perpetrators of the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall were recruited in the same Telegram channel. […] This is the Telegram channel Sadoi Khuroson (Voice of Khorasan),” said our interlocutor.
Now this Telegram channel, which belonged to the Tajik wing of IS, which is controlled from Afghanistan by terrorists of Vilayat Khorasan (a branch of IS), has been deleted for a reason unknown to the source. The agency’s correspondents have verified that this channel does not open either from Russia or from Tajikistan. As an FSB officer in the know reported to RIA Novosti in February 2023, the activation of Vilayat Khorasan in Afghanistan coincided with the implementation of secret operations by the U.S. in this country after the withdrawal of the U.S. troops from there. In October 2023, the director of the FSB of the Russian Federation, Aleksandr Bortnikov, reported on the participation of U.S. and UK intelligence services in the creation of a “belt of instability” in Afghanistan near the southern borders of the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States — S]. He also then stated that the banned Vilayat Khorasan was building up its potential, which would eventually allow it to move on to carrying out terrorist attacks outside of Afghanistan.
…
Posted by: S | Mar 27 2024 21:20 utc | 61
Posted by: vargas | Mar 27 2024 20:43 utc | 57
Hitting the gas plant in the rear that is used as a gas storage for Europe is escalation, in my book, so is hitting the generation plants instead of the transformers.
And there is more to hit.
There is no proof that US can print for decades, and you cannnot buy what can not be produced.
Posted by: Mario | Mar 27 2024 21:37 utc | 62
Posted by: Mario | Mar 27 2024 21:37 utc | 62
It's probably a broken record by now. But EU is royally screwed in every possible way.
What will most likely happen with Ursula's 'war economy' and 'war bonds' is it will end up imploding the Eurozone, as there is no gas, minerals, material or commodities to back up any of these plans.
So they tax European citizens more money, spend it on projects costing hundreds of billions of Euros, which achieve little-to-nothing in terms of jobs. Well maybe something for the six'o'clock news.
We can only hope the system implodes on itself and something healthier is eventually built to replace it.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 27 2024 21:50 utc | 63
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 27 2024 21:50 utc | 63
Unfortunately I'm European.
Posted by: Mario | Mar 27 2024 21:52 utc | 64
State Security Service of Ukraine Detained Citizen of Georgia Wanted by Georgia under a Red Notice on a Charge of Participation in a Terrorist OrganizationThe State Security Service of Ukraine, in cooperation with the State Security Service of Georgia, detained in Kiev, Ukraine a citizen of Georgia, Tsezar Tokhosashvili wanted by Georgia under a Red notice of INTERPOL on a charge of participation in a terrorist organization.
Tsezark is a fighter who is considered to be one of the key figures in the Islamic State (considered by most countries to be a terrorist organization), namely the “Deputy Minister of War of the Islamic State”, Abu Omar al-Shishani of Georgia.
As a result of investigation carried out by the Counterterrorism Center of the State Security Service of Georgia, it was established that in 2014, Tsezar Tokhosashvili left for the Syrian Arab Republic and joined combat activities against Syrian government forces. Investigation established that in 2015, Tsezar Tokhosashvili became a member of the terrorist organization “Islamic State”. He had a close relations with the leaders of the “Islamic State”: Tarkhan Batirashvili, Islam Atabiev and Ahmed Chatayev.
On November 6, 2019, Tbilisi City Court sentenced Tsezar Tokhosashvili to imprisonment.
Wikipedia entry of this terrorist stopped on 10 July 2016 - date of his presumed death in Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor. 🙃
Wife of top Daesh militant al-Shishani captured in Istanbul | Daily Sabah - 18 July 2018 |
https://www.dailysabah.com/war-on-terror/2018/07/19/wife-of-top-daesh-militant-al-shishani-captured-in-istanbulFive Daesh suspects, including Seda Dudurkaeva, wife of Abu Omar al-Shishani, a senior figure in the terrorist group Daesh, was captured in Istanbul.
Officials announced that the arrest took place on July 4 in Istanbul, and four of the five suspects were later arrested by an Istanbul court.
Ukraine as a Safe Haven for Jihadists | Journalism Fund - 19 Nov 2020 |
https://www.journalismfund.eu/supported-projects/ukraine-safe-haven-jihadistsAfter the fall of a self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria dozens of thousands of foreign fighters fighting in the ranks of Islamic State or ISIS disappeared. They used smugglers, contacts and networks to leave the country. Many of them were looking for safe havens where they can take a break, wait for new opportunities and orders or come back to normal life.
According to an investigation by Zaborona Media, probably a few hundred former fighters of the caliphate chose Ukraine for their place to stay. Ukraine, which is a democracy in transition with weak public institutions, corruption, leaking borders and ongoing conflict, yields a lot of opportunities for people who would like to stay undercover.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 27 2024 21:20 utc | 59/60
I think that report is a little mangled … there was a recent report (and photographed wreckage) matching the stated characteristics of a new ammunition for Russian MLRS that was like a 300mm caliber version of GLSDB, so a rocket launched glide bomb but a whole integrated unit rather than a guidance kit for existing gravity bombs. It may allow an optional jet engine but Tornado-S rockets pushing a gliding warhead into the air could match the stated range without costly additional propulsion.
Unfortunately I don’t remember the unit designation and can’t find it by searching old comments.
Posted by: anon2020 | Mar 27 2024 21:56 utc | 66
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 27 2024 21:50 utc | 63
this may well happen indeed. but the thing that frightens me once this happens is, how will those irrational "leaders" inside brussels react?
they cannot sell the lie of the "gas station" anymore at some point. their people start to suffer because of the "sanctions from hell", and not the russian ones.
are they going to hide all their propaganda by doing something really stupid? a false flag to justify an escalation that they think they can somehow win?
they have driven themself into a corner so to speak. and driven by a pure fascist ideology, where they are the übermensch, and that gasstation is the subhumans, i doubt they are going to say to their people:
"look. guys. we messed up. we are hereby declaring you the people the sovereign, as it is intended, and we will take full responsibility for all that happened."
Posted by: Justpassinby | Mar 27 2024 21:59 utc | 67
Posted by: ossi | Mar 27 2024 15:46 utc | 4
(...)The second is the solution of specific tasks in the interests of Ankara's foreign policy as well as its NATO partners, primarily Great Britain. These usually include recruitment, special training and transit of militants to areas of interest - Russia or European countries, as well as Afghanistan and Iran;
It's often overlooked that the current head of MI6 is a former ambassador to Turkey, speaks fluent Turkish, and is allegedly friendly with Erdogan. When he was appointed the logic behind this choice was unclear. The recent terror attack in Moscow and the role of Tajikistan is of especial interest. Erdogans arrests seem to have all the dramatic quality of screaming loudly "it's not Turkey!"
Posted by: Peterde | Mar 27 2024 22:02 utc | 68
Posted by: Ново З | Mar 27 2024 20:20 utc | 51
Same thing kids in the west did until about 60 years ago (or less in some places). Left handed kids were MADE to write with their right hand. Whacked with ruler by teacher if they did not or had their left hand tied behind their back. Happened to my mother and to older friends. I suspect that it was the success of left handed tennis players and cricketers that made being left handed acceptable.
You must know that the very term for left hand in Latin, French etc is sinister. The left hand is associated with the devil and evil.
So adding to Willian Gruff's comment. Yes no one would use their left hand for a religious gesture. Not being religious at all but I can take a guess that a person who made the sign of the cross with their left hand would give great offence. Am I right?
So if the video is real and the guys did make the One God sign with their left hand they are not Muslim and probably not Catholic either - or Catholic deliberately trying to offend Muslims- so Western Ukrainians possibly or atheists form the Caucacsus.
Posted by: watcher | Mar 27 2024 22:10 utc | 69
by anon2020 | Mar 27 2024 21:56 utc | 66
Here for you:
Posted by: whirlX | Mar 27 2024 22:14 utc | 70
Ossi @ 4
I respect your opinion but will have to disagree on the blanket statement pessimist mentioned earlier.
Russia and China joined in on the earler UN Iran sanctions.
Pakistani Intelligence has factions that are MI6, CIA and Chinese/Iranian/Russian/RSA infiltrated.
Situations like these are fluid and cannot be pigeon holed.
If anyone here believes Russia doesn't know who the puppet masters are should stick to reading pulp fiction.
Thank you S for part 1 and 2 of the Russian analysis you posted in the earlier thread.
Posted by: Suresh | Mar 27 2024 22:17 utc | 71
" ... the psychology of the (Crokus] attackers ..."
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 27 2024 18:40 utc | 39
Lol. Low IQ, financial opportunists. Pure and simple. Have you seen/heard them? Complete simpletons, patsies. Other than money, maybe blackmail (we'll kill your family, etc), and maybe a bit of "I hate Russians" going on too.
Not smart enough to have even had a religious ideology. Their story -- "We were listening to some preacher on Telegram whose agent contacted us and asked us to do it" (if in fact true!) -- shows total idiocy and neophyte assasin thinking. They were somehow purposefully chosen as unable to perceive the games they were part of. Whereas, the FSB have since been able to piece together far more parts of their connections than even they were away of. If you'd tell them the SBU and US were behind their mission, they'd say "Huh? Really?" Any information about real connections is just not in their minds, or else the FSB could get it out of them. The ear cutting was an assured way to get all the IMMEDIATE intel they had.
As in all miltary ops, they only had a need to know role. That's what's so naively transparent about the US statements. Had ISIS "done it" a simple track-back from the perps would lead to ISIS. But not so.
Money and stupidty. Simple.
Or do you mean the deeper human psychology which allows a man to gun down in cold blood innocent civilians with an AK47. Now thats a little more complex!
Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Mar 27 2024 22:32 utc | 72
Posted by: watcher | Mar 27 2024 22:10 utc | 69
You must know that the very term for left hand in Latin, French etc is sinister. The left hand is associated with the devil and evil.
-----------------------
• There you go: Left-handed presidents:
• Herbert Hoover
• Harry S. Truman
• Gerald Ford
• Ronald Reagan
• George H.W. Bush
• Bill Clinton
• Barack Obama
Posted by: Ivan M. | Mar 27 2024 22:34 utc | 73
Ben Garrison cartoon:
https://twitter.com/GrrrGraphics/status/1772986811520069775
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Mar 27 2024 22:39 utc | 74
@ Ossi, boneless and Flying Dutch/ @ 28, 29 and 30,
About Lukanshenko false "contradiction"
Thanks for your inputs, advices and don't worry : I do consult and cross-reference many sources, it's a fact "our" media are transforming and taking Lukashenko's words out of context and you're right about fact I didn't choose the right source to post an excerpt.
BUT I could have used Belarusian state media:
"“Why have I said this? Because this self-exiled opposition (theirs and ours) began to reproach Putin: “Why is he not addressing the nation?” In fact, Putin and I did not sleep for 24 hours! What would they know about this? We kept in touch all the time. When it was time to address the nation, he did it,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted. "
"Checkpoints were set up on roads, including on roads connecting Belarus with Russia; the forces of the KGB, the State Border Committee, and some military units were deployed. “That’s why there was no chance they could enter Belarus. They realized it. So they took a turn and headed to the Ukraine-Russia border,” the head of state said. The operation to detain the perpetrators went very well, the president added."
https://eng.belta.by/president/view/lukashenko-sheds-light-on-belarus-role-in-detaining-crocus-city-hall-terrorists-157028-2024/
Here is a proposal, an analysis:
Lukashenko isn't "contradicting" Putin, in fact he's doing him -once again- a favor, and that's becoming a frequent occurrence of late. Putin can truly count on a true ally and friend.
This time, Lukashenlo enabling Putin and his team to "contradict" and "gently", indirectly thwart the -Russian- advocates of escalation, who are pointing the finger (rightly or wrongly, that's not the issue here) at Ukraine's responsibility.
The Russian leadership - and Putin is not alone in this, despite Western fantasies - knows perfectly well who ISIS is, and that there's no need to "establish a link with" when it's a "creation of".
BUT there is a war going on and a strategy to follow, and Putin and his team don't want an escalation out of control where their strategy is proving winning.
It therefore seems possible that Lukashenko's intervention is not there to contradict Putin (and probably suggested by Putin's team), but rather to allow him to pull the rug out from under those who accuse him of softness. While maintaining a link to Ukraine, it's a gray link and no longer a white thread one ?
BR
Posted by: Tak-Tik | Mar 27 2024 22:43 utc | 75
Why are you intent on spreading propaganda?. Please show where in "Koran" it says about left hand?
Also, it amuses me, but I would love to see where 72 Virgins are mentioned in "Koran"
I wish people will provide references; if they are talking about "koran"
Posted by: Nasir | Mar 27 2024 19:24 utc | 44
Simply Google it, fuckface.
>>>Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir of Surah Al-Rahman (55), verse 72, quotes “the Prophet Muhammad saying: 'The smallest reward for the people of Paradise is an abode where there are 80,000 servants and 72 wives, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine, and ruby.” <<<
>>>https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://islamqa.info/amp/en/answers/82120&ved=2ahUKEwjpg_TDwZWFAxU91jgGHWhwCswQFnoECEcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0FK5BHIrAq-CVp5ed-iBYp<<<
Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Mar 27 2024 22:44 utc | 76
unimperator | Mar 27 2024 20:40 utc | 55
Sounds like the various drug cocktails I call captagon. Early on the the SMO, a POW I think was explained what it was like as they were all given pills. No fear and no empathy. It takes away all normal human feelings plus I think a bit of LSD or something for aggression.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 27 2024 22:49 utc | 77
Secondary sanctions are begining to hurt Russia. ..
@vargas | Mar 27 2024 17:53 utc | 32
But Russian bombs, missiles and drones are hurting ukraine ten times more.....
Posted by: HERMIUS | Mar 27 2024 22:49 utc | 78
Posted by: William Gruff | Mar 27 2024 20:37 utc | 54
Yes, it's an Asian custom waaaaaay predating The Prophet Muhammad. But you know, religions just loooove to take practical everyday things and turn them into mystical doctrines which must be obeyed.
Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Mar 27 2024 22:50 utc | 79
Hobo3 51 and some others:
RE: left hand in Islamic societies and India also.
So, it is cultural and not Islamic!
Culturally, speaking most Tajiks don't know this because they were part of USSR; so it can be Tajik people, so called Muslims of various countries, but NOT Muslims. People, in their ignorance, think that Islam is a race (Brown People), but they can be any color, race, country--all they have to do is follow Qur'an.
Most Indians, and a large Majority of so called Muslims in Pakistan have never read Qur’ān. Same is true of people in Middle East and rest of the world.
If it is not in Qur'an, or against Qur'an, but is included in Bible and not expressly revoked in Qur'an, then it is not in Islam.
Bad humans live everywhere, and it is easy to misguide them because they are lazy.
Thanks,
Nasir
Posted by: Nasir | Mar 27 2024 22:58 utc | 80
Matthew | Mar 27 2024 18:18 utc | 37
1. Wrong thread, idiot. Can't you read: "Open Ukraine Thread".
2. Take ya fkn tinfoil hat off mate and get a day job to focus ya mind in realities. You're the sort of superstitious moron who sees portents in cloud shapes.
3. Or else just shut off your "curiosity" till the official investigations are completed.
Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Mar 27 2024 22:59 utc | 81
Posted by: vargas | Mar 27 2024 20:43 utc | 57
Hitting the gas plant in the rear that is used as a gas storage for Europe is escalation, in my book, so is hitting the generation plants instead of the transformers.
And there is more to hit.
There is no proof that US can print for decades, and you cannnot buy what can not be produced.
Posted by: Mario | Mar 27 2024 21:37 utc | 62
Russia, so far, has not dared to attack 750 KV trafo's that really cannot be repaired by Ukraine.
Posted by: vargas | Mar 27 2024 23:01 utc | 82
Migth be the wrong thread, but:
The Baltimore Bridge incident makes me think of the increadibly dystopian Obama Movie (The Hope and Change President) Leave the World Behind.
The whole movie looks to me as a warning/mocking/we can and will do this you, 1984 style.
Baltimore and the USA economy will suffer tremendious from this. Thousands og ships have to be relocated, thousand of people will loose their jobs.
Anything to do with the coming elections? Or was it just an accident?
Posted by: Paul from Norway | Mar 27 2024 23:03 utc | 83
" ... the psychology of the (Crokus] attackers ..."
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 27 2024 18:40 utc | 39
Is it really possible to program people in that way?
Can CIA really program people?
Because the level of stupidity of the attackers is unbelievable.
Posted by: vargas | Mar 27 2024 23:03 utc | 84
Jake Blanchard 76
Really, is it not really stupid that I asked for a reference from Qur'an, not some idiot's view of it.
Are you that far gone that you cannot tell the difference between the book and some persons' opinion.
It is like the event of Korcus mall (real) and BBC's commentary of it (Fake). Grow up!
Posted by: Nasir | Mar 27 2024 23:05 utc | 85
RUSSIAN PRECISION STRIKES AND SUDDEN DEATHS OF NATO OFFICERS
On March 26, Russian military sources reported a successful missile strike on the Ukrainian military positions in the town of Chasov Yar located near Artyomovsk. According to the open sources, Russian Iskander ballistic missile destroyed an underground bunker, where Ukrainian command post was hidden.
Officers from NATO countries, in particular from the United States and Poland, were reportedly eliminated as a result of the strike at the command post. The foreigners were involved in coordination and command of the Ukrainian grouping in the strategically important direction.
NATO senior officers are largely involved in planning of Ukrainian defensive operations in the Donbas. Before the attack, there were reports that NATO ‘military advisers’ came to Chasov Yar amid the ongoing Russian advance in the Artyomovsk direction. On March 23, the Russian Ministry of Defense declared the full Russian control of the village of Krasnoe (Ivanovskoe) located near Chasov Yar.
Soon after the strike, Ukrainian ambulance aircraft were spotted heading to Poland.
https://southfront.press/russian-precision-strikes-and-sudden-deaths-of-nato-officers/
Posted by: HERMIUS | Mar 27 2024 23:13 utc | 86
Turkey's Arca Defense will deliver 116,000 M107 155mm rounds to the DoD this year on what is almost certainly a Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative contract.Additional contract awards are expected soon for delivery next year.
Meanwhile, another Turkish firm, Repkon, will begin production of 155mm shell bodies this June at General Dynamics Ordinance and Tactical Systems' new plant in Mesquite, TX. This new GD-OTS plant will eventually produce 30% of all US shell bodies.
Finally, the US is in discussion with Turkey to ramp up their purchases of Turkish made TNT for use as explosive filler in US made shells.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Mar 27 2024 23:22 utc | 87
Turkey is behind most of the terror outfit associated with ISIS in Middle East, why Russia and Iran put up with it, is question that those two countries never answer. Theft of oil in Syria was committed by Erdogan Clan, as well Russia refused to supported Iranian offensive in Idlib, as a result the Iranians were routed, as the expect Russian Air Force did not show up due to pressure from Israel, Iran promptly kicked out Russia from Hamadan Air Base,
Posted by: Grishka | Mar 27 2024 23:23 utc | 88
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 27 2024 20:40 utc | 55
There are still some very disturbing facts.
Where were the Crocus guards?
How is it that the building burnt like it did?
How is it that the building collapsed like it did?
How many people were killed not by the terroristsm, but by the consequences of the fire?
Posted by: Naive | Mar 27 2024 23:26 utc | 89
@ vargas | Mar 27 2024 17:53 utc | 32
Cope harder, troll!
Posted by: malenkov | Mar 27 2024 23:33 utc | 90
Posted by: Ivan M. | Mar 27 2024 22:34 utc | 73
Yes all mid 20th century - once being left handed became respectable.
However that is a very long list of left handers- more than statistically expected. odd
Posted by: watcher | Mar 27 2024 23:34 utc | 91
Akshully - everybody is born right-handed but only a fe
w of are able to overcome it
Posted by: Ezzie | Mar 27 2024 23:39 utc | 92
osted by: Nasir | Mar 27 2024 23:05 utc | 85
Rubbish
Even if it is not in the Koran, every bloody person who has ever traveled to India or a Muslim country or indeed any country without good access to toilet paper and lots of easy accessible running water knows the rules for the left hand.
You pretend to be Muslim via your name but I assume not really or very westernised.
If you do not pass food or gifts with your left hand it is pretty bloody obvious you do not make religious gestures.
Stop taking us for idiots. take your trolling elsewhere
Look the CIA/MI6 or Ukraine intelligence stuffed up big time. stop trying to tell us otherwise. This site is for people with an IQ above that of the average monkey. Might work for readers of Murdoch rags.
Posted by: watcher | Mar 27 2024 23:41 utc | 93
Posted by: watcher | Mar 27 2024 22:10 utc | 69
You are correct. I am left handed and was raised Catholic, luckily post-lefty beatings. One time I crossed myself with my left hand in front of my grandmother (she was beaten by nuns in school for being left handed). You would have thought I spit the Eucharist on the floor and stepped on it. She called me a heathen and told me to do it right. She was totally offended. I wonder what she would think of my atheism and utter distaste for the Roman Church.
Posted by: Caveman | Mar 27 2024 23:45 utc | 94
Naive | Mar 27 2024 23:26 utc | 88
Guards were killed first.
Fire - depends on when the building was built, building codes ect. Accelerent? How many people were part of the operation apart from the shooters? It pretty obvious the shooters didn't just set fire to a chair or a bin or something. I think I read something about them throwing incendiaries around so fires starting at multiple points very quickly becomes an inferno.
Nothing particularly suspicious of the fire or the roof collapsing.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 27 2024 23:47 utc | 95
Tom Q Collins @ 39, Unimperator @ 55:
Aspects of the Crocus City Hall building massacre / arson struck me as eerily similar to terrorist attacks that occurred in concert venues in Paris (2015) and Manchester (2017) and to the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris (2015).
It has occurred to me that maybe the Tajik men picked up by the Russian FSB near Bryansk were intended to play a minor part in the CCH building attacks and that their escape was to provide cover for other people involved in the attacks: in other words, the original plan included two groups of people escaping the building after it was set on fire, the group going to Bryansk and the other group (possibly the main group) dispersing, going their separate ways and melting into the general Moscow population.
As Jake Blanchard @ 72, the Tajik men would have been told only what they needed to know to carry out their part of the job. The issue is how large a role they played in the attack, whether it was a substantial one or a minor one, or even a sideshow, and that is what the Russian FSB now has to find out.
As Peter AU 1 @ 77 suggests, the terrorists may have consumed captagon and/or other drugs to dull their emotional reactions. Hypnotism may have been used as well. (This is what may have been used on Sirhan Bishara Sirhan when he was recruited or drawn into the plot to assassinate Robert F Kennedy back in 1968.)
My comment may not add much more enlightenment or depth than what others have already said but it seems (to me anyway) that whoever planned the CCH building attacks has or have studied previous attacks and cherry-picked those elements that worked in those attacks to apply to this Moscow attack.
Posted by: Refinnejenna | Mar 28 2024 0:02 utc | 96
Is it really possible to program people in that way?
Can CIA really program people?
Because the level of stupidity of the attackers is unbelievable.
Posted by: vargas | Mar 27 2024 23:03 utc | 84
Not at all unbelievable. The world is full of mercenaries, in the broadest sense. These perps are not 007s! And it's not about "the CIA [directly] programming people in that way". It's simply congenital low IQ and naivety, often mixed with an extremist ideology, being drawn-in, conned, manipulated by forces way beyond their awareness because of their instincts -- eg, money, hate. It's not so much the "smartness" of the controllers at their level. It's called outsourcing, proxy recruitment. The dumbest fish get caught the easiest.
There's many levels in international espionage. Have you been on the dark web lately? It's a whole other reality of political skullduggery. That's why punters like us can't source such links. They're all high security coded, only for the eyes of the knowing.
The hapless users of the ISIS TG Channel were completely unaware of who was recruiting them cos the CIA "owned" and set up that TG Channel cos they own ISIS anyway. Saboteur agents are ALWAYS disposable to those people. The most important factor to hide is any trail back to the relevant political elite. But I'm sure the FSB will find evidence of their quarry. All the US public statements about ISIS are purely for MSM consumers. Not a word of it is consumed in the Kremlin. Lol.
And, just for a thought, as an example, how do we know that certain posters on MoA are not casting around for likely recruits to some espionage cause ??? :) There's one occasional Islamic extremist here whom I suspect of actively seeking out like-minded morons. I know for a fact that he's on a UK extremist watchlist ... cos I put him there.
Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Mar 28 2024 0:04 utc | 97
Thank you b for your fantastic effort durin all these years
I think this is an exellent supplement to Moon, and Simp
https://askeptic.substack.com/p/war-reports-2024-03-27
Posted by: Paul from Norway | Mar 28 2024 0:11 utc | 98
Paul from Norway | Mar 27 2024 23:03 utc | 83
The Baltimore Sun put out a somewhat long article on the utter lies and hypocrisy of the west in the Ukraine conflict on the 26th...
https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/24/armstrong-williams-ukraine/
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 28 2024 0:17 utc | 99
Anyone here know whether the Russians have maxed out their production capability for Khinzals and other dangerous and relentless surprises?
Putin is talking about a slow, methodical and through investigation. No reason to slow down hitting the Ukies where it really hurts, we can just about hear him thinking that.
Makes me wonder whether anyone in their intelligence community can figure out how to get out with life intact.
Posted by: Acco Hengst | Mar 28 2024 0:26 utc | 100
The comments to this entry are closed.
Will repost here as it was just posted before this one came up and the subject might interest some.
Even having 'some losses', RF Armed Forces are now going a little enhanced harder tactics on its Infantry Guys, but calculating the fact that will having 'more risks' & losses. Why is that changing in tactics OPs by RF?
Posted by: spare_truth_01 | Mar 27 2024 12:18 utc | 426
Just a detail, there are ups and downs, but they even out. If I had to make an educated guess the RF SMO has a "budget" for no more than 3.000 KIA per month (probably 2.800, and another 2.000 to 3.000 unrecoverable WIA).
It can go as high as 1.200 per week (but the monthly cumulative average cannot go beyond 2.900, I would say there is a hard limit on 3.000), or as low as 250 per week when over budget lately (and as there are always accidental deaths this KIA is likely much lower in terms of really killed by AFU forces).
But so far that's my take, averaging out calibrated total mortality (two sets) and the mediazona (both basic count and probate estimate). Total RF KIA 65.000 until the end of 2023.
Posted by: Newbie | Mar 27 2024 15:17 utc | 435
Posted by: Newbie | Mar 27 2024 15:44 utc | 1