News & views related to the war in Ukraine …
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July 6, 2025
Ukraine Open Thread 2025-150
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I’ve yet to encounter a Green political party that does what it says on the tin – in Scotland the Greens are all about getting men dressed as women into women’s safe spaces.
“A group of German lawmakers from the Green Party has called on Chancellor Friedrich Merz to urgently increase military aid to Ukraine, saying Berlin must contribute more in light of a slowdown in US arms deliveries, according to a letter obtained by Bild.
The letter, signed by Bundestag deputies Robin Wagener, Sara Nanni, Sebastian Schafer, and Anton Hofreiter, criticized the federal government’s recently announced increase in military assistance from €7.1 billion to €8.3 billion as insufficient.
The lawmakers pointed to the US decision to pause certain weapons shipments to Kiev as a critical factor, arguing that Berlin should raise the figure to at least €8.5 billion and commit to maintaining that level through 2029.
The Green MPs, who have been among Kiev’s most vocal supporters in the Bundestag, reportedly said the government still has room to maneuver within the approved budget framework, and argued that the constitutional limits on debt spending could be sidestepped through special exemptions.”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 6 2025 14:15 utc | 1
I dimly remember (probably before the SMO started) triumphant Ukrainian articles about bombing Donetsk and Luhansk and on how the children In Donetsk/Luhansk would grow up underground etc.
Does anyone have a link to one of these articles? Or am I dreaming?
Posted by: Poetinvriend | Jul 6 2025 14:17 utc | 2
Posted by: Poetinvriend | Jul 6 2025 14:17 utc | 2
I think you are talking about a statement made by Poroshenko.
We will have work – they won’t. We will have pensions – they won’t. We will have support for children and pensioners – they won’t. Our children will go to schools and kindergartens – their children will sit in basements. Because they don’t know how to do anything. That’s how we will win this war.
That is what I found on Quora. It seems like the same translation I saw of him saying it previously.
Posted by: lex talionis | Jul 6 2025 14:31 utc | 3
Ukraine and World Affairs: Weekly Update, July 4th 2025: May be useful to some: https://robcampbell.substack.com/p/ukraine-and-world-affairs-weekly-a47 Covers Ukraine and Middles East.
Posted by: The Busker | Jul 6 2025 14:32 utc | 4
@ Poetinvriend | Jul 6 2025 14:17 utc | 2
@ lex talionis | Jul 6 2025 14:31 utc | 3
Here’s a recording – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmhar0J27Hw
It’s difficult to search for the banderite quotes in general, since only the Russians bothered to keep any track. Plus nobody else bothers to deal with their precious dead language.
Posted by: boneless | Jul 6 2025 14:43 utc | 5
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 6 2025 14:15 utc | 1
theres a reason people in germany call the greens the true nazi party. not the nsdap nor the afd.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Jul 6 2025 15:27 utc | 6
Most of the Greens here in the US hold the German Greens in great contempt.
Posted by: Retired Morlock | Jul 6 2025 15:31 utc | 8
Dima is pointing out that the Russian offensive has stalled on the approaches to several medium-sized cities of strategic importance.
Perhaps they just realize that they can’t tackle them all at once and are weighing where they have to put their main efforts.
My hopes for a negotiated settlement are constantly being dashed. Oh, well, the consolation prize is that as long as Ukraine and Occupied Palestine/Iran are still hotspots the war danger in the Pacific is kept at bay.
Posted by: Retired Morlock | Jul 6 2025 15:36 utc | 9
Perhaps they just realize that they can’t tackle them all at once and are weighing where they have to put their main efforts.
Posted by: Retired Morlock | Jul 6 2025 15:36 utc | 9
—
Do you know the game Russian Roulette? The Ukrainians are invited to pull the trigger. A round has to pop off somewhere.
Posted by: too scents | Jul 6 2025 16:03 utc | 10
Guess RF now takes the weekend off
1.170 casualties
DS gives a measly 10.2 km²
Marat gives some details but…
https://maratkhairullin.substack.com/p/brief-frontline-report-july-5th-2025
On the plus side, Owl updated it’s map after missing almost 5 days (have to take a look)
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 6 2025 16:33 utc | 11
Dima is pointing out that the Russian offensive has stalled on the approaches to several medium-sized cities of strategic importance.
Posted by: Retired Morlock | Jul 6 2025 15:36 utc | 9
I love Dima. He does an excellent job of aggregating Russian language news and telegram reports,keeps us up on Russia gossip and publishes the best Ukraine war map on the internet. I watch his videos every day however you have to remember he’s operating a Youtube channel that benefits from a little drama from time to time.
The ground Russia takes is only one metric of success on the battlefield. The ground Russia advances into indicates what Ukraine has abandoned or can no longer hold … the battle for the most part takes place in the operational zone which starts around 5Km behind the line of contact.
While there is near parity in FPV drones for both sides, which are the primary weapons that impede advancements on the ground, Russia has overwhelming superiority in heavy artillery, areial bombs, missiles and heavy attack drones.
I listen to Dima but make up my own mind as far as analysis. If I were a Russian commamnder I wouldn’t waste my infantry fighting for tree lines or villages when I can lob a few TOS vacuum bombs and exterminate all life in said tree line or village then decide whether or not to try to dodge FPV drones and occupy or allow the ukrainians to send more meat within range of my heavy weapons to be killed.
If the Russians aren’t moving it’s probably because it’s still dangerous to take the ground or the artillery / air force haven’t finished their work yet.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jul 6 2025 16:38 utc | 12
@2, @3
OSCE, infiltrated by CIA to provide Kiev with targeting data reported on shelling and cease fire violations of the Minsk protocols.
https://www.osce.org/special-monitoring-mission-to-ukraine/512683
The casualties among Donbas non combatants is reported around 14000.
You will also find no information about the easy approach to Kiev in Feb 2022 bc its forces were lined up to attack Donbas.
Posted by: paddy | Jul 6 2025 16:49 utc | 13
If the Russians aren’t moving it’s probably because it’s still dangerous to take the ground or the artillery / air force haven’t finished their work yet.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jul 6 2025 16:38 utc | 12
Owl, after returning from a huge pause, is missing the siege of kupiansk and the drive to predtchyne SW of chasiv yar
Best guess is gag order
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 6 2025 16:58 utc | 14
@ Posted by: Retired Morlock | Jul 6 2025 15:31 utc | 8
There’s a lot of ire between the North American and European Greens in part because of a difference between “deep” and “bright” green ecological philosophies, respectively. The North American Greens (at least the US ones) are typically eco-socialists these days. Jill Stein and Howie Whose-name-I-forget ran on eco-socialism in 2016, 2020 and 2024. The US Green Party is also more influenced by deep ecological groups like Earth First! and the Earth Liberation Front (who were targeted by the North American spy state during the “green scare” of 1999-200X).
The EU Greens have certainly drifted from ecology but that it is not on account of their social liberalism, or their belief that trans men and women don’t need to be forced to conform to chromosomal-determinism-at-gunpoint (the US Greens also believe these things — their electoral threat forced Obama to the left, after having seen what Nader “did” to Gore and Kerry). The issue is that the European Greens are neoliberal and pro-imperialist. In fact you will find a wide variance in beliefs among the European imperialist parties on the issue of LGBT rights. British Labour, for example, is adamantly anti-trans, while the relatively anti-imperialist (at least, bucking against NATO commitments they don’t have the political capital to back straight out of) Spanish socialists are pro-trans, mirroring anti-imperialist Cuba’s (and the old DDR’s) social liberalism when it comes to LGBT expression and public life (remember, comrade Castro apologized for the way LGBT people were treated in the 60s and 70s, and the DDR was at one point a popular destination for sex change operations).
Another weird difference between deep and bright green ecologists: the former, at least in Arne Naess’s case, were very much in favor of nuclear power, as it would reduce and centralize the human impact on the biosphere. The German Greens’ opposition to civilian nuclear meant that more widely polluting gas and coal power plants would have to remain online.
Posted by: fnord | Jul 6 2025 17:01 utc | 15
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 6 2025 14:15 utc | 1
Yes, the Greens in England have also been reactionary. When it came to any crunch votes, they’ve sided with the Tories.
They are certainly not a leftist party despite their name. As you say, their record in Scotland is even worse than in England.
Posted by: Vragtes | Jul 6 2025 17:23 utc | 16
@ fnord 15
Thanks for the explanation of Bright vs Deep Green. Diana Johnstone, who was the spokeswoman for the Grfeens in the EU parliament, pinpoints the moment the Green Party lost its soul at a German party congress where the choice was between the Joschka Fischer and his band of “realos” who wanted immediate electoral success, versus members who wanted to keep their ideology at the price of a more drawn out struggle. The opportunists won; the devastation became clear after only a few years. Diana Johnstone described the event in some detail in her autobiography, Circle In The Darkness. As an American, she was a neutral and acceptable to the various national Green parties.
I draw the larger lesson that stooping down to pick up a short-term advantage can mean losing the race altogether. I think the Islamic resistance understands this very well for their own reasons.
Posted by: JessDTruth | Jul 6 2025 17:26 utc | 17
https://t.me/RVvoenkor/95258
Assault on Kamianske: The Russian army is crushing the enemy, advancing from the south, east and west
▪️Russian troops continue their attacks, confidently advancing in Kamianske on the left flank of the Zaporizhzhia Front.
▪️The main part of the settlement is under the airborne units, this is recognized by the resources of the enemy.
▪️New advances were recorded both from the east and from the west.
Posted by: guest | Jul 6 2025 17:45 utc | 18
Perhaps they just realize that they can’t tackle them all at once and are weighing where they have to put their main efforts.
Posted by: Retired Morlock | Jul 6 2025 15:36 utc | 9
—
Do you know the game Russian Roulette? The Ukrainians are invited to pull the trigger. A round has to pop off somewhere.
Posted by: too scents | Jul 6 2025 16:03 utc | 10
With the “forest” so clear in this conflict, stories about insignificant “trees” (Russia takes a weekend break!) are so uninteresting it’s indescribable.
I surmise the only folks that find this insignificant detail interesting are quietly hoping for a highly improbable Ukie resurgence. Again, it’s done folks. Russia is just taking its time and husbanding it’s resources intelligently. That’s it.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 6 2025 18:02 utc | 19
China at the EU tells fraulein Kallas that they won’t let Russia lose.
Also they tell the NAZO huddle that if China really were on Russia’s side on the battlefield,
the fight would long be over.
China have realised that the Fourth Reich NAZO are all in on world blitzkriek, nothing will stop them.
Nothing except a stout headbut on the nose from China.
A military one.
So that’s what will happen – either in Iran, Ukraine, Taiwan, Korea, somewhere else…
A nice big headbut on the nose from China is coming for NAZO.
Which will just be the start.
Sell.
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Jul 6 2025 18:07 utc | 20
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 6 2025 14:15 utc | 1
Yes, the Greens in England have also been reactionary. When it came to any crunch votes, they’ve sided with the Tories.
They are certainly not a leftist party despite their name. As you say, their record in Scotland is even worse than in England.
Posted by: Vragtes | Jul 6 2025 17:23 utc | 16
Ultimately, all greens are a bourgeois fraud. They attract with a single issue of near universal agreement, excluding the rich and powerful and their intellectual mercenaries. They elevate and isolate that issue above everything else to a supra historic, supra class issue, ensuring no solution can ever be had and ultimately rendering the movement misanthropic, blaming “humans” for the mass pollution profitably perpetrated primarily by Capitalist industries and the Imperialist military.
Then they tell all of their stupified followers that they must support the most environmentally destructive activity possible: war.
Reality: if the greens were in any way serious about tying environmental destruction to the economic system the rewards and encourages it, they would not exist within the bourgeois electoral system.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 6 2025 18:11 utc | 21
China at the EU tells fraulein Kallas that they won’t let Russia lose.
Also they tell the NAZO huddle that if China really were on Russia’s side on the battlefield,
the fight would long be over.
China have realised that the Fourth Reich NAZO are all in on world blitzkriek, nothing will stop them.
Nothing except a stout headbut on the nose from China.
A military one.
So that’s what will happen – either in Iran, Ukraine, Taiwan, Korea, somewhere else…
A nice big headbut on the nose from China is coming for NAZO.
Which will just be the start.
Sell.
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Jul 6 2025 18:07 utc | 20
What’s crazy to me is that the west ever believed China would not support Russia. And it apparently is still surprised to hear this hard logical fact stated clearly.
To me, that is one of the best pieces of evidence that the west can never defeat China or Russia. They’re just completely blinded by their own fantasies.
Smart move for China: do the headbutting in other theaters away from home, keep bleeding the monster in far away lands to ensure it dies there, well away from Chinese sphere of influence.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 6 2025 18:21 utc | 22
Ahenobarbus@22……why defeat China and Russia? Just keep a constant skirmish on their borders and neighboring countries, keep them reacting rather than acting….no defeat required……where a defeat might be necessary would be a tag team defeat of the USA…..woe is us!
Cheers M
…..maybe a strategic defeat in the economic sector as many pine for, I’m not as optimistic….
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Jul 6 2025 18:43 utc | 23
“Smart move for China: do the headbutting in other theaters away from home, keep bleeding the monster in far away lands to ensure it dies there, well away from Chinese sphere of influence.”
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 6 2025 18:21 utc | 22
Now would be an excellent time for “North Korea” to invade the south.
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Jul 6 2025 19:06 utc | 24
With the “forest” so clear in this conflict, stories about insignificant “trees” (Russia takes a weekend break!) are so uninteresting it’s indescribable.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 6 2025 18:02 utc | 19
Not at all. In spite of my initial “weekend break” joke, I then went on to mention things that would be huge years ago.
Kupyansk is being encircled and that (and more) being censored from one of the maps…
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 6 2025 19:07 utc | 25
Kupyansk is being encircled and
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 6 2025 19:07 utc | 25
—
Kramatorsk was absolutely blasted last night with sparkling secondaries rising in a huge ball of flames.
Yet, crickets.
Posted by: too scents | Jul 6 2025 19:15 utc | 26
Kupyansk is being encircled and
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 6 2025 19:07 utc | 25
—
Kramatorsk was absolutely blasted last night with sparkling secondaries rising in a huge ball of flames.
Yet, crickets.
Posted by: too scents | Jul 6 2025 19:15 utc | 26
And now the web version of DD geopolitics is dead, just telegram or nothing
Mil.ru is still offline (at least outside of RF)
I’d like more discussed and linked details here.
I try posting some…
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 6 2025 19:55 utc | 27
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 6 2025 18:11 utc | 21
It is very simple. At the beginning few people who really had an interest in preserving nature created the green parties. Then opportunist people who saw this party as an easier way to be elected – as opposed to the well established parties with their already known leaders – entered it massively. Those opportunists of course had no interest at all in preserving the ecosystems. It happened in every western European country. And the best example is Baerbock in Germany: a neo-nazi scum, congratulating the islamic terrorists in Syria.
Posted by: Naive | Jul 6 2025 19:57 utc | 28
Ahenobarbus | Jul 6 2025 18:11 utc | 21
The pathetic spectacle of `Canadian Greens’ demise: Israel over everything.
The pathetic spectacle of `NDP’ demise: Bibi is just alright with thee.
CityNews Toronto
Carney, Poilievre to partake in competing Stampede events
CTV News
Splat!: Prime Minister Carney struggles to flip perfect pancake at Calgary Stampede
Only fitting that those two should hang together.
Posted by: Laurence | Jul 6 2025 20:06 utc | 29
And now the web version of DD geopolitics is dead, [..]
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 6 2025 19:55 utc | 27
https://www.ddgeopolitics.com/
Is it?
Posted by: Naive | Jul 6 2025 20:07 utc | 30
https://www.ddgeopolitics.com/
Is it?
Posted by: Naive | Jul 6 2025 20:07 utc | 30
Stll there, Mr Naive, from what I can see…
Posted by: HERMIUS | Jul 6 2025 20:19 utc | 31
Still there: https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1941942843096043668
Posted by: Laurence | Jul 6 2025 20:32 utc | 32
Posted by: HERMIUS | Jul 6 2025 20:19 utc | 31
As I understood it was banned from yt. Not the first one, nor the last one.
Once on a tg channel, I asked: why are you using yt? The reply: because of the audience.
As I did not agree, I was banned. Maybe they think that it gives them a kind of moral certificate.
There are alternatives.
Posted by: Naive | Jul 6 2025 20:34 utc | 33
Reality: if the greens were in any way serious about tying environmental destruction to the economic system the rewards and encourages it, they would not exist within the bourgeois electoral system.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 6 2025 18:11 utc | 21
The greenies I know are serious about their cause it’s just like everyone else these days they live in their own green media echo chamber where the only humans they interact with are like minded and everyone else is the enemy.
It’s not just them but everyone. this is the way the world is now … we’re all living in our own little curated worlds where we only hear what we what to hear.
I watched a Chinese bureaucrat tear a strip off an EU trade representative on an Al Jazerra panel over the EU guy questioning China’s support for Russia in Ukraine. The EU guy was completely triggered by the Chinese guys explaination. He was making faces shaking his head violently and basically plugging his ears and humming real loud just hearing words in support of Russia.
What kind of fucking leadership is that? how can you make trade decisions for your people if you’re not willing to listen to your Chinese counterpart explain the reasons for their trade relationship with Russia. It should be obvious to anyone with a map and 2 brain cells to rub together why China supports Russia but …. .
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jul 6 2025 20:53 utc | 34
fnord | Jul 6 2025 17:01 utc | 15
“and the DDR was at one point a popular destination for sex change operations”
Did they do reverse sex change too, then?
Just kidding, you’re talking sh*t of course. There was no such thing.
Also off-topic.
Posted by: Scotch Bingeington | Jul 6 2025 20:55 utc | 35
What’s crazy to me is that the west ever believed China would not support Russia. And it apparently is still surprised to hear this hard logical fact stated clearly.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 6 2025 18:21 utc | 22
has probably to do something with those “territorial claims” china has in russia, according to those nafos that repeat this ad nauseum.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Jul 6 2025 21:12 utc | 36
What kind of fucking leadership is that? how can you make trade decisions for your people if you’re not willing to listen to your Chinese counterpart explain the reasons for their trade relationship with Russia. It should be obvious to anyone with a map and 2 brain cells to rub together why China supports Russia but …. .
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jul 6 2025 20:53 utc | 34
Simply put.
They (EU) are a bunch of credentialed idiot’s at best.
Political dross in many cases.
Ability isn’t a requirement for the position.
It’s a Political gift.
And the EU deep state behind them?
Who knows!
A lot of Political indoctrination via :education” I’d wager.
Posted by: jpc | Jul 6 2025 21:29 utc | 37
@ Justpassinby, §36:
Yes, when are we going to get the MSM reporting on protests in Vladivostok? Or explosions in Xabarovsk?
Why aren´t the MSM trumpeting the latest negotiations about the Outer Manchuria liberation army?
Maybe it won´t be long . . .
Posted by: John Marks | Jul 6 2025 21:42 utc | 38
@ John Marks | Jul 6 2025 21:42 utc | 38
They got bored of the whole “Free Ingushetia” real quick even way back in 2022. I think they’re literally out of ideas. Can’t even make shit up anymore.
Posted by: boneless | Jul 6 2025 22:12 utc | 41
” Ahenobarbus@22……why defeat China and Russia? Just keep a constant skirmish on their borders and neighboring countries, keep them reacting rather than acting….no defeat required……where a defeat might be necessary would be a tag team defeat of the USA…..woe is us! ”
That’s some might intelligent strategy? Constant skirmishes cost money. The US is $37 Trillion in Debt, Europe total Debt about the same. Russian Debt? 20% of GDP? Backed up by real, valuable resources.
So the strategy is to break Russia up by Bankrupting the West? How clever.
Posted by: kupkee | Jul 6 2025 22:16 utc | 42
Remember all that Trump shit – rare earths, rare earths, rare earths? Like everything Trump lots of noise, little signal, hype and beating it to death, then down the memory hole, well:
The Russian flag now flies over a minerals and rare earths rich area
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 6 2025 22:26 utc | 43
The US is $37 Trillion in Debt, Europe total Debt about the same. Russian Debt? 20% of GDP? Backed up by real, valuable resources.
So the strategy is to break Russia up by Bankrupting the West? How clever.
Posted by: kupkee | Jul 6 2025 22:16 utc | 42i honestly have an issue with this 37 trillion debt the us has. and just for the simple fact that as long as the us military is alive, none of those trillions matter, as they are not paid back because noone is there to collect it from the us military.
its like that old saying: “if you have 10k debt, you have a problem. if you have 1 million debt, the bank has a problem.” (or something along those lines)
us debt does not matter as long as theres not a greater power to enforce this debt to be paid back. and that can only happen if the us military is either defeated, pushed away by others that manage to develop and get on par, or manages somehow to implode on its own… highly unlikely.
so in some way, our resident leperchaun has a point. keep skirmishes going, hinder the development of other countries by way of terrorism, wars, unrest, sanctions etcpp, and stay top dog while the rest has to manage the constant bullying and harrassement.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Jul 6 2025 22:28 utc | 44
@ voicu, §§ 39, 40:
Treaties of Aigun (1858) and Peking (1860).
Like the other European powers during the colonial era, the Russians joined in.
While Britain took Hongkong, France (Kwangchow), Germany (Tsingtao), etc., etc., Russia took a large slice, Outer Manchuria, off the Manchu empire. They also made inroads into Inner Manchuria (Port Arthur, Mukden, Harbin, etc.) until stopped by the Japanese.
Outer Manchuria is huge, about a million sq. kms., and includes Vladivostok.
Posted by: John Marks | Jul 6 2025 22:28 utc | 45
And now the web version of DD geopolitics is dead, [..]
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 6 2025 19:55 utc | 27
https://www.ddgeopolitics.com/
Is it?
Posted by: Naive | Jul 6 2025 20:07 utc | 30
https://t.me/DDGeopolitics used to have the telegram “stream” now only “view us on telegram”
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 6 2025 22:31 utc | 46
meanwhile, 165 years later, China and Russia are threatened by the US.
Posted by: pretzelattack | Jul 6 2025 22:35 utc | 47
Andrew Sarchus | Jul 6 2025 18:07 utc | 20
Ahenobarbus | Jul 6 2025 18:21 utc | 22
< China tells EU tells they won’t let Russia lose…..<<
Reading this widely. And reading rebuttals. There is no actual source {that I am aware} for this statement.
It’s based on the usual ambiguous {ie, fabricated} “according to people familiar with the Chinese foreign minister who wish to remain anonymous”.
It is not sourced to the FM..{it looks like intel busy bodies feeding the mockingbirds.}
If anyone has a vid or similar of the Chinese FM actually saying this directly, I’d appreciate seeing it.
Thanks.
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 6 2025 23:00 utc | 48
The Russian flag now flies over a minerals and rare earths rich area
LightYearsFromHome | Jul 6 2025 22:26 utc | 43
—
Which is why Trump called Putin and then took mockingbirds:
Not happy with Putin. Very disappointed. He doesn’t seem to want to stop the war. I’m not happy.
– translation. Putin stole my lunch money. We had a deal. I would beat up the scrawny kid and we’d share his lunch money. Now he’s taking all the lunch money.
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 6 2025 23:04 utc | 49
https://www.ddgeopolitics.com/ full there, refresh cache and in browser use “DNS by HTTPS”
and/or https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics
Posted by: smartfox | Jul 6 2025 23:08 utc | 50
@ Posted by: JessDTruth | Jul 6 2025 17:26 utc | 17
Yeah, that’s a good point about valuing immediate electoral success. The Euro Greens have it easy compared to the US Greens, who are relegated to eternal non-party status because of how first-past-the-post stacks the system against them, even psychologically sometimes (for example, the liberals who will “vote blue no matter who” rather than “throw away their vote” for a candidate who better represents their values). Maybe the more remote odds of electoral success keep the US Greens a little more fanatically principled. Hard to be opportunists when you have no opportunities!
To bring all this back on topic, Jill Stein (2016 and 2024 US GP candidate) was pilloried by liberals for her lack of support for Ukraine. That’s the salient difference for this thread. The US GP’s “watermelon” (green on the outside, red on the inside) contingent has mostly, as far as I know, resulted in them abstaining from the usual Russia-bashing. Much as there is to criticize in modern day Russia, they at least realize that the job of fixing Russian society belongs to the Russian people and not Langley or the Pentagon (too bad Russian reformists haven’t realized that yet).
Posted by: fnord | Jul 6 2025 23:09 utc | 51
South China Morning Post {an absolute controlled mockingbird}
Headline: EXCLUSIVE | China tells EU it does not want to see Russia lose its war in Ukraine: sources
Page: 404
The page you were looking for appears to have moved or never existed.
Try searching for what you’re looking for or browse some of our favourites below:
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316875/china-tells-eu-it-cannot-afford-russian-loss-ukraine-war-sources-say
—-
The “exclusive” tag implies these guys started it. But have now deleted.
Other mockingbirds continue the chorus but there is no actual source for this.{that I am aware}???
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 6 2025 23:18 utc | 52
@ Melaleuca
here it is
China-EU relations
ChinaDiplomacy
Exclusive | China tells EU it does not want to see Russia lose its war in Ukraine: sources
Wang Yi speaks of concern that US could shift whole focus in China’s direction in talks with top EU diplomat Beijing
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316875/china-tells-eu-it-cannot-afford-russian-loss-ukraine-war-sources-say
Posted by: smartfox | Jul 6 2025 23:34 utc | 53
China-EU relations – ChinaDiplomacy – Exclusive | China tells EU it does not want to see Russia lose its war in Ukraine: sources
Wang Yi speaks of concern that US could shift whole focus in China’s direction in talks with top EU diplomat Beijing
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephui (not pictured) in Berlin Thursday. Photo: EPA
Finbarr Berminghamin Brussels – Published: 1:53am, 4 Jul 2025Updated: 4:28pm, 4 Jul 2025
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat on Wednesday that Beijing did not want to see a Russian loss in Ukraine because it feared the United States would then shift its whole focus to Beijing, according to several people familiar with the exchange.
The comment, to the EU’s Kaja Kallas, would confirm what many in Brussels believe to be Beijing’s position but jar with China’s public utterances. The foreign ministry regularly says China is “not a party” to the war. Some EU officials involved were surprised by the frankness of Wang’s remarks.
However, Wang is said to have rejected the accusation that China was materially supporting Russia’s war effort, financially or militarily, insisting that if it was doing so, the conflict would have ended long ago.
During a marathon four-hour debate on a wide range of geopolitical and commercial grievances, Wang was said to have given Kallas – the former Estonian prime minister who only late last year took up her role as the bloc’s de facto foreign affairs chief – several “history lessons and lectures”.
Some EU officials felt he was giving her a lesson in realpolitik, part of which focused on Beijing’s belief that Washington would soon turn its full attention eastward, two officials said.
Posted by: smartfox | Jul 6 2025 23:44 utc | 54
In a parallel universe according to Reuters
Zelenskiy says latest phone call with Trump was his most productive yet
Ukraine’s president says they discussed air defenses, including Patriot missile systems.
Should Russia be scared now?
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 7 2025 0:05 utc | 55
ZH has a posting up with the title
NATO’s Rutte Warns Of Chinese-Russian Red Dawn As Medvedev Suggests He’s “On Magic Mushrooms”
quote
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has gone full ‘Red Dawn’ – warning that China and Russia might orchestrate simultaneous invasions of Taiwan and Europe to destabilize the Western alliance.
“If Xi Jinping would attack Taiwan, he would first make sure that he makes a call to his very junior partner in all of this, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, residing in Moscow, and telling him, ‘Hey, I’m going to do this, and I need you to keep them busy in Europe by attacking NATO territory,’” Rutte claimed in a recent interview with The New York Times. “That is most likely the way this will progress, and to deter them, we need to do two things.”
To counter this perceived threat, Rutte advocated a comprehensive dual approach aimed at fortifying NATO’s resilience and expanding its strategic partnerships.
…
Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Russian official, took to X to mock the NATO leader, writing, “Rutte has clearly gorged on too many of the magic mushrooms beloved by the Dutch. He sees collusion between China & Russia over Taiwan, and then a Russian attack on Europe.” Medvedev added, “But he’s right about one thing: he should learn Russian. It might come in handy in a Siberian camp.” The caustic response reflects Moscow’s broader strategy of deflecting Western criticism with ridicule, though it offers little clarity on Russia’s actual strategic calculations.
Will Daddy keep Rutte out of a Siberian camp?
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 7 2025 0:18 utc | 56
smartfox | Jul 6 2025 23:34 utc | 53
Link 404
See my @52
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 7 2025 0:36 utc | 57
smartfox | Jul 6 2025 23:34 utc | 53
Original article did not quote Wang Li (despite pic).
Sources were
-anonymous
-“familiar with his thinking” or similar mockingbird fabricated BS.
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 7 2025 0:38 utc | 58
smartfox | Jul 6 2025 23:44 utc | 54
Thanks for the text. Appreciate the input. …
But. As you see, it doesn’t actually quote Wang Li.
Only anonymous “sources”.
I’m rating it 90-10 it’s mockingbird bullshit.
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 7 2025 0:41 utc | 59
I’m rating it 90-10 it’s mockingbird bullshit.
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 7 2025 0:41 utc | 59
Who cares?
Is Russia losing? No. Russia is winning.
Does Russia need China? No. Only normal business and trade as usual.
Posted by: Naive | Jul 7 2025 1:07 utc | 60
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 7 2025 0:18 utc | 56
Where do they find them? It looks like the most stupid have the most chances to get promoted: Rutte, Kallas, Baerbock and so on.
Rutte is so stupid as to not understand that China does not need to invade Taiwan. A blocus of the island would be enough. Taiwan would be quickly deprived of energy.
Posted by: Naive | Jul 7 2025 1:14 utc | 61
@56
What Rutte needs to demand is a “EU citizens’ right to bear arms shall not be infringed” clause in the EU and NATO constitutions!
An armed citienry, a gun behind every garden gate will keep the Russians out!
Then they can deal with “Red Dawn” like the US Hollywood movies!
Why not Trump’s DoD spokesmen used Top Gun Maverick script with B-2’s that no one could see…..
Posted by: paddy | Jul 7 2025 1:43 utc | 62
@49
Trump is sounding like Nero!
I hope he does not take up the harp.
Posted by: paddy | Jul 7 2025 1:46 utc | 63
Naive | Jul 7 2025 1:07 utc | 60
It’s not important… except the mockingbirds are (for reasons) amplify it … and it’s unsourced.
In 2014 “sources” claimed that Putin had claimed that Russia could take Kiev in 3 days.
He had made no such statement. It was fabricated on his behalf. And reported as fact.
It’s 2025 and people (mockingbirds and NAFO) *still* cite that trope.
Years later Milley made a statement – based on the fabricated Putin statement – that Russia believed it could take Kiev in 3 days.. and NATO had proved he couldn’t. Yah NATO.
—
The current Wang Li fabrication is treading the same path. A “source” is fabricated, a “claim” attributed.. and by repetition over the years.. it becomes established “fact”. And it’s being repeatedly reported *everywhere*
——
My point… at the start of this ^ was to highlight that the Wang Li “statement” is not actually attributed to Wang Li , but anonymous, likely fictitious sources…and here should be viewed as mockingbird BS
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 7 2025 2:10 utc | 64
Posted by: lex talionis | Jul 6 2025 14:31 utc | 3
I think you are talking about a statement made by Poroshenko.
We will have work – they won’t. We will have pensions – they won’t. We will have support for children and pensioners – they won’t. Our children will go to schools and kindergartens – their children will sit in basements. Because they don’t know how to do anything. That’s how we will win this war.
That is what I found on Quora. It seems like the same translation I saw of him saying it previously.
It seems that the mighty IDF is utilizing the same type of genocidal operational plans in Gaza and other regions of west Asia.
Is there a philosophical link between these situations? I think there is, but will not elaborate further here.
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Jul 7 2025 2:16 utc | 65
HB_Norica | Jul 6 2025 16:38 utc | 12
I concur. What you said is highly probable. When the advance stall, ukr is probably trying to plug holes so why push when they are just replacing old positions until it’s completely bombed out.
Posted by: Jason | Jul 7 2025 2:24 utc | 66
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Jul 7 2025 2:16 utc | 65
What’s the point of elaborating. We get if fer shur, as we say in Cali.
Here’s some more DiJ. Seems appropriate. Thank you to the MoA community.
DiJ – Murder Made History
Posted by: lex talionis | Jul 7 2025 2:33 utc | 67
If anybody still cares about the SMO
Russian forces have advance toward the settlement of Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and will soon liberate Konstantinovka, the DPR’s head, Denis Pushilin said.
https://tass.com/defense/1986145
DS gives 18.6 km²… usual caveats apply
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 7 2025 3:05 utc | 68
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 7 2025 3:05 utc | 68
DS gives 18.6 km²… usual caveats apply
Only 18.6 km^2. At lest Anonymous (or its ghost) will be pleased [/S].
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Jul 7 2025 3:24 utc | 69
That is what I found on Quora.
Posted by: lex talionis | Jul 6 2025 14:31 utc | 3
News agencies are better than quora: tass.com/society/1646709
Poroshenko – “Our children will go to their kindergartens and schools, while their children will live in basements.”
Timoshenko – “We need to drop a nuclear bomb on them”
Posted by: rk | Jul 7 2025 4:39 utc | 70
Regarding Greens and Nazis, I have no record of it, but apparently someone was talking to some Austrian fascists a few years ago and mentioned Hitler, to which they replied “Well, he did a lot of good things like wiping out the Jews, but we can’t really forgive him for building all those autobahns . . . ”
Posted by: MFB | Jul 7 2025 6:46 utc | 71
Regarding the Wang Yi quote, while one may accept that it’s an oddly undiplomatic thing for an experienced diplomat to say, it might be that the Chinese have simply decided to set out their position and leave it at that. It has also been suggested in some quarters that the statement was made in confidence and Kallas broke her promise as usual. But it seems obvious that the Chinese are fairly satisfied with how things are going in Russia and Ukraine, and why shouldn’t they be? If the Europeans wish to use this as a pretext for deploying their mighty armed forces against China, well, I’m sure the Chinese will be quivering in their felt boots (with snow on them).
Posted by: MFB | Jul 7 2025 6:55 utc | 72
re:Kupyansk
Why mappers are jumping to update, because breaks the pattern, and they don’t believe it and have other conflicting info.
machine translated:
“Yesterday the Russian MOD claimed that Russian forces captured the village of Sobolivka (red box), west of the city of Kupyansk.
Naturally, all the accounts who don’t care for accurately reporting the situation on the frontline immediately began reporting on the operational encirclement of Kupyansk and the imminent collapse of Ukrainian lines west of the Oskil River. Some didn’t even realise that the information originated from a claim by the Russian MOD.
In reality, Russian forces are still fighting for Radkivka (yellow box), which they failed to take in late May and were forced to roll back after Ukraine began counterattacking. Since then, they focused on actually securing control over Kindrashivka, which should have been the focus from the beginning. While Kindrashivka is technically under Russian control, the probability of future Ukrainian infiltrations into the village from the west/northwest remains high due to Ukrainian advantages in the geography of the region.
Nevertheless, this allowed for Holubivka to be captured, and the wrap-around to Radkivka to take place. After a regoupring, Russian forces renewed their attakcs there. Heavy fighting is now ongoing, with the AFU putting up fierce resistance as usual for this sector.
Keep in mind, the Russian MOD previously claimed to have captured Moskovka (orange box), to the north of Sobolivka, however it turns out that DRG units were operating in the north of the village, disrupting Ukrainian defensive operations and creating confusion among units. The AFU has since been able to establish solidified control over Moskovka, although Russian DRGs regularly operate north of the village and on the outskirts of Kupyansk itself.
However, the main point that I am making is that the Russians have not broken through in the Kupyansk direction and are instead advancing at their usual pace here, which like some other sectors, has proven difficult to crack.
I’d also like to reiterate that you should never trust official government claims, especially if they seem unlikely to be true. Governments lie, especially in wartime. It doesn’t matter if it’s Ukraine or Russia, both of them have lied in the past and will continue to into the future.
”
https://t.me/AMK_Mapping/15192 (00:58 7/7/2025)
Another pro ru source, that often calls out mappers and MOD for too-early a call or in the case of the latter town name screw ups. Personally I don’t really buy the town name screw up theory for this case but:
Kupyanskoye direction. Along Sobolevka… It seems to me that they confused it with Radkovka in some strange way. They are just finishing cleaning it up.
https://t.me/motopatriot78/38175 (08:00 7/6/2025)
What makes more sense, some unusual total info blackout, or RuMoD fkup/disinfo?
To me the latter, it’s certainly happened before.
re: DD geopolitics the “/s” (web) version on TG, yeah some days it works for me some days not, reminds me of how things with with “/s” for Slavyangrad…and some others started sporadically not working, before then not working permanently (with exception of 2-3 days during the heat of the isr\iran where it was open again and then quickly closed again). 🙁
Posted by: knighthawk | Jul 7 2025 7:49 utc | 73
In China a writer has written an article on North Korea’s assistance to Russia in clearing up the Kursk incursion. She said, according to Korean info, meaning SK, “the North Korean army’s casualties on the Kursk battlefield amounted to about 4,700, of which about 600 were killed.” This is out of the 15,000 soldiers that Kim send to Russia.
She wrote about Kim shedding tears over the coffins of the fallen NK soldiers returned home.
In return the Russians have done technology transfers to NK –
“In addition to direct troop dispatches, North Korea has sent a large number of weapons and ammunition to Russia in recent years. In exchange, Russia has returned valuable military technology, satellite technology and economic aid to North Korea. ”
You can read the article from this link in a browser with Chinese translation.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Kgj8m-w-QXg8pVjG03mnyw
Posted by: Surferket | Jul 7 2025 9:09 utc | 75
Newbie | Jul 7 2025 3:05 utc | 68
Haven’t Russian troops been IN Chasov Yar for a while, but it’s a question of fighting block to block?
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jul 7 2025 9:16 utc | 76
Video on utoob of the scumbag Porkyshanko’s claim about Donbass children in basements: Their children will hole up in the basements – this is how we win the war!
I would appreciate commentary from readers fluent in Russian on the quality of the translations offered above against the real thing.
Posted by: William Gruff | Jul 7 2025 9:58 utc | 77
@ psychohistorian | Jul 7 2025 0:05 utc | 55
Russian forces reported destruction of two more Patriot radars last week. AD missile stocks appear to have become banderite’s lesser issue.
On top of the proper air force AD crews being transfered to infantry, their voluntery “militia home front AD programm” has also reportedly lost immunity to military recruitment.
Zaluzhniy’s laser spewing humanoid robots plan seems to be NATO’s last hope after all.
Posted by: boneless | Jul 7 2025 10:46 utc | 78
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jul 7 2025 9:16 utc | 76
They have been, as for block to block, also true, the blocks in question have changed slowly over time though.
Fighting has now progressed from the center’ish (lat:lon 48.580:37.828) area toward outerblocks and Mykolaivka (48.572 : 37.825) area (and blocks south of it), with the forest gap in between the lake and suburb still in solid Ukr hands. The northern blocks (relative to the lake) and just touching it to the west are supposedly taken, with I believe the cemetery section on the west end being the exception on most maps.
The more recent southern advances\process are likely what Pushilin is referencing, which might include the progress around Stupochky (often lumped in with CY), not sure what he means by “toward”, my brain tells me that’s a translation thing and it was meant more like “from”. Along the same line of advance would be the recently announced from RuMoD (with no objective proof surfacing yet) of pushing AFU out of Predtechnye. As for Konstantinovka, I just think he’s talking well ahead of said event(s), as he often does.
That or his context of ‘soon’ and mine are different when speaking of the conflict, in that I specifically recall some past remarks by him about Avdiivka and ‘soon’, and it wasn’t till 10-11mo later till that really kicked off in earnest, and similarly 6-7 mo ago (back as toresk was org falling) he was mentioning the h-20/Pleshchiivka reservoir area as coming soon, and that push I would say has only been ongoing the last 6 or so weeks, so using that gauge ‘soon’ could be something like late fall or winter. shrugs -2c
Posted by: knighthawk | Jul 7 2025 10:48 utc | 79
Marija 80
The concept of a test to qualify for enjoying Paradise for eternity is a reasonable one. Those who incline towards their Creator and His prophets will not be earning Brownie points or a money accumulator hosted by a TV presenter.
Judgement is for the One who knows everything seen and unseen. No human being has one tiny particle of that knowledge and wisdom, except for hints from the most recent Divine Revelation, The Holy Qur’an.
Are you suggesting they think they do ?
People are starving and dying . Countries are led by madmen and madwomen. By what criterion is this acceptable behaviour?
The supporters of this genocide will burn forever in Hell. End of story.
Posted by: Giyane | Jul 7 2025 10:54 utc | 80
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 7 2025 3:05 utc | 68
DS gives 18.6 km²… usual caveats apply
Only 18.6 km^2. At lest Anonymous (or its ghost) will be pleased [/S].
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Jul 7 2025 3:24 utc | 69
Yes, after a couple of days worth near 50 he might get some solace with “only” 10 and 20 (I took over to laugh at his disapearence when numbers got high, and made it a regular feature)
BTW marat’s post starts with the siege of kupyansk I mentioned earlier (and owl maps ignored)
https://maratkhairullin.substack.com/p/brief-frontline-report-july-6th-2025
For the rest some aditional moves (as I’ve been saying too many good options)
“While remaining dangerous and capable of fierce resistance, they have clearly lost the capacity to wrest operational initiative from Russian commanders. This strategic deficiency resembles an incurable medical condition – while temporary treatments may provide symptomatic relief and prolong the struggle, the ultimate outcome becomes inevitable. When the funeral director already has the patient’s address in his records, no amount of medication can alter the final result. ”
To add insult to injury to AFU/nato tards, S gives us
“War Now Indefinitely Sustainable, as New Reports Prove Russian Armor Production Has Finally Reached Equilibrium”
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/war-now-indefinitely-sustainable
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 7 2025 10:56 utc | 81
re: DD geopolitics the “/s” (web) version on TG, yeah some days it works for me some days not, reminds me of how things with with “/s” for Slavyangrad…and some others started sporadically not working, before then not working permanently (with exception of 2-3 days during the heat of the isr\iran where it was open again and then quickly closed again). 🙁
Posted by: knighthawk | Jul 7 2025 7:49 utc | 73
Maybe thats it…
——————
Newbie | Jul 7 2025 3:05 utc | 68
Haven’t Russian troops been IN Chasov Yar for a while, but it’s a question of fighting block to block?
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jul 7 2025 9:16 utc | 76
Forever, and the breakthrough was not Chasov Yar proper, just SW of Chasov Yar
——————-
so using that gauge ‘soon’ could be something like late fall or winter. shrugs -2c
Posted by: knighthawk | Jul 7 2025 10:48 utc | 79
I’d go for your estimate for a fall, but earlier for sieged and bypassed.
Kramatorsk will probably be sieged by winter
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 7 2025 11:06 utc | 82
Tipping Point
https://johnhelmer.net/tipping-point/
“Donald Trump thought he could push Vladimir Putin into a ceasefire – Trump’s fourth pseudo-peace deal in a row – without any concession from Vladimir Zelensky on the Russian end-of-war terms.
Here’s how Trump failed, and his cover-up also.”
Posted by: JohnGilberts | Jul 7 2025 11:14 utc | 83
Tipping Point
https://johnhelmer.net/tipping-point/
“Donald Trump thought he could push Vladimir Putin into a ceasefire – Trump’s fourth pseudo-peace deal in a row – without any concession from Vladimir Zelensky on the Russian end-of-war terms.
Here’s how Trump failed, and his cover-up also.”
Posted by: JohnGilberts | Jul 7 2025 11:14 utc | 83
If someone missed the memo, Lavrov spelled it out
“On the agenda are the goals of Ukraine’s demilitarization and denazification, the lifting of anti-Russian sanctions, the withdrawal of all lawsuits against Russia and the return of its assets that were illegally seized in the West. All these provisions should be spelled out in a legally binding peace settlement agreement,”
https://tass.com/politics/1986331
Checkmate, number of moves only depends on added pieces.
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 7 2025 11:39 utc | 84
I would appreciate commentary from readers fluent in Russian on the quality of the translations offered above against the real thing.
Posted by: William Gruff | Jul 7 2025 9:58 utc | 77
I don’t know any Russian but my general experience with machine translations is that when they are bad you get only an incomprehensible word salad, not distorted meaning per se. Of course there is always a certain risk that it tells you something wrong but you’ll usually spot it.
Posted by: Avtonom | Jul 7 2025 12:34 utc | 86
@ William Gruff | Jul 7 2025 9:58 utc | 77
The translation at @ lex talionis | Jul 6 2025 14:31 utc | 3 is the most accurate here.
Posted by: boneless | Jul 7 2025 12:44 utc | 87
Newbie | Jul 7 2025 3:05 utc | 68
Haven’t Russian troops been IN Chasov Yar for a while, but it’s a question of fighting block to block?
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jul 7 2025 9:16 utc | 76
Forever, and the breakthrough was not Chasov Yar proper, just SW of Chasov Yar
…
Chasov Yar is high ground dominating the surrounding area. It’s a big deal.
Russian forces sometimes invite counter-attacks as these are productive of enemy losses.
The British in WW2 learned that the Germans always counter-attacked,
and learned to use this to maximise German losses.
The Russian forces are doing the same in Ukraine.
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Jul 7 2025 12:59 utc | 88
The Russian forces are doing the same in Ukraine.
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Jul 7 2025 12:59 utc | 88
In this particular case it was never worth much in AFU casualties.
Chasov Yar was the source for my recurring comment about cockroach tactics…
A counter comment was that maybe RF could roll it over any day they chose but let AFU think otherwise and pull the rug in the best/worst possible moment…
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 7 2025 13:05 utc | 89
Like the other European powers during the colonial era, the Russians joined in.
…. Russia took a large slice, Outer Manchuria, off the Manchu empire. They also made inroads into Inner Manchuria (Port Arthur, Mukden, Harbin, etc.) until stopped by the Japanese.
Outer Manchuria is huge, about a million sq. kms., and includes Vladivostok.
Posted by: John Marks | Jul 6 2025 22:28 utc | 45
That was Tsarist Russian empire. You can’t blame the Russian people for the crimes of the European royalty they deposed. The Soviets liberate a vast swath of Manchuria from the Japanese in 1945 during Operation August Storm and promptly handed it back to the Chinese and went home.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jul 7 2025 13:09 utc | 90
62
@49
Trump is sounding like Nero!
I hope he does not take up the harp.
Posted by: paddy | Jul 7 2025 1:46 utc | 63
Ah but his cool dance shuffle!
Posted by: jpc | Jul 7 2025 13:50 utc | 91
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 7 2025 0:18 utc | 56
Where do they find them? It looks like the most stupid have the most chances to get promoted: Rutte, Kallas, Baerbock and so on.
Rutte is so stupid as to not understand that China does not need to invade Taiwan. A blocus of the island would be enough. Taiwan would be quickly deprived of energy.
Posted by: Naive | Jul 7 2025 1:
A hysterically camp loon in charge of Nato.
A hopeless vacuum in charge of EU foreign affairs.
Baerbock nuff said!
Yes you really have to wonder.
Is it smart fellows playing a joke.
Or stupid one’s who really mean it even it comes to the selection process.
Posted by: jpc | Jul 7 2025 13:56 utc | 92
Reuters is showing the West is still digging down
Facing battlefield setbacks, Ukraine withdraws from mine ban treaty
Oleksiy, a 26-year-old Ukrainian soldier, is six months into a difficult recovery after losing most of his left leg to an anti-personnel mine. Despite his injuries, he says Ukraine is right to withdraw from a treaty banning such weapons.
The shit show continues until it doesn’t…..sigh
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 7 2025 14:56 utc | 93
From ZH
Tanker Explosion Reported At Russia’s Ust-Luga Seaport
quote
An ammonia leak during loading operations on the LPG tanker “Eco Wizard” reportedly triggered an explosion, resulting in the tanker sinking at one of Russia’s most strategically important ports, located in the Leningrad Region of northwest Russia on the Gulf of Finland.
German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported that Eco Wizard experienced an explosion during onboard loading operations at Ust-Luga seaport. All crew members were safely evacuated…
That is number six this year.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 7 2025 15:06 utc | 94
Posted by: Skiffer | Jul 4 2025 14:01 utc | 102
(From https://www.moonofalabama.org/2025/07/ukraine-open-thread-2025-147/comments/page/2/#comments)
Such a valuable overview! Thank you!
So many strands that might come into play. And it puts the conflict in Ukraine in perspective. The Russians have to be ready to cope with threats all along their perimeter, not only on the Ukrainian front. A reason, then, why the Russians are building up a military that at first sight looks more powerful than is needed for any threat that might come out of Ukraine or Europe.
In a press conference (from Karlofi1 substack) Zakharovka just happened to mention in passing the old adage about Russia having only two allies, her army and her navy. She was picking up, I think, on Putin’s recent reference to that Alexander II quote.
Martyanov sometimes emphasises that for all the talk of Brics etc., the only true security for Russia lies in those two allies. Very pertinent, that. Those two allies aren’t being got into shape right now just for Ukraine. The focus is so much on Ukraine at present that it’s possible to overlook the fact that for the Russians, Ukraine is just one part of the assault the West is mounting on them and they’ve really only got themselves to rely on to counter it.
Ukraine itself is a done deal and has been since 2022. The best brief summary of how the Russians are coping in Ukraine is to be found on a previous “b” Open Thread. It starts with logistics and then widens out to consider Russian strategy as a whole (my bolding):-
“You will not find it difficult to prove that battles, campaigns, and even wars have been won or lost primarily because of logistics.” Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Yes, that’s exactly why Russia hasn’t entirely cut the power, dropped the bridges or stopped the trains… they’ve always wanted the AFU to come to them. They set up the woodchipper and the AFU just walks right in.
They’re also intentionally bleeding NATO dry. That steady stream of weapons, munitions & mercenaries coming in simply can’t be replaced; therefore the longer this goes on — shades of Israel/Iran — the weaker NATO gets. Russia has always kept most of its military and its finest equipment in reserve just in case NATO went “all in” but now the Collective West is simply incapable of joining the fight in any meaningful way.
Of course, some idiot will always chime in about “overwhelming NATO airpower” but that’s not anywhere near the threat that most people think it is.
Russia’s latest actions suggest they’re definitely smelling blood in the water. I stand by my opinion that Ukraine resembles 1945 Germany and the collapse will accelerate exponentially.”
Posted by: TJandTheBear | Jul 4 2025 14:09 utc | 104
(From comment section as above)
So the Russians’ll plod on until the “woodchipper” has disposed of whatever troops – mostly the unfortunate proxies – and equipment NATO’s got to throw at them. They’ll then neutralise whatever’s left of Ukraine. Puppet government, friendly government, or straight occupation – though I doubt very much the Russians want to have to go to the trouble and expense of that last. They’ll avoid that if they can apart from the oblasts that are majority pro-Russian.
Rather than Macgregor’s famous “Broad Arrow Offensive” into Ukraine the opinion given above by “TJand TheBear” is more likely and we’ll just see “collapse”. Jeremy Rhymings-Lang and others here are keeping an eye on the internal political position in remnant Ukraine and though predictions are always risky, it’s been looking for a while that this is indeed a rerun of 1945 Germany. The difference here being that with its split population Ukraine isn’t a homogenous country as WWII Germany was. The last days in the bunker, in spite of the best efforts of the Ukrainian internal security services and the ultra thugs, are not likely to be as prolonged.
We’re also seeing a process of population shift in Ukraine. Not only for economic reasons. There’s also a lot of movement as people flee contested areas or areas that are likely to become contested. Pro-Kiev Ukrainians fleeing to Kiev controlled areas. Pro-Russian to Russian controlled areas.
That type of population movement has been happening since at least 2014. It accelerated after 2022, I think, or at least became more evident. People are up and running. Either way but they’re running. The old pre-2014 maps indicating the distribution and allegiances of Ukrainians were I believe reliable at the time. But now is different. The population of Ukraine has not only halved since independence, more or less. The population mix of what was always a split population has changed from what it was.
There are no surveys on that – how could there be in the current circumstances? – but there are straws in the wind enough. People really are moving around a lot.
We don’t know, to take one instance, who was in that muddy line of traffic going into Kherson just before Surovikin decided to pull back. A mystery, that one, incidentally. How did they know what Surovikin was intending to do? Maybe they’d all picked up that Surovikin was evacuating Kherson. Whatever, and in spite of the protestations that they were “just going to visit Grandma”, it’s a fair bet those were pro-Russians taking the chance to get out.
We don’t know, to take another instance, who was sitting in all those cars streaming out of Kharkov not long back. Many, according to what reports there were, were merely looking to relocate to Dnepropetrovsk because of needing reliable internet for their businesses or just to get further away from possible fighting. But if the pattern is the same as in Bakhmut and plenty of other places, it was the pro-Russians who tended to stay put in Kharkov and the pro-Kiev, fearing Russian occupation, who tended to get out.
That pattern’s being repeated elsewhere. Ukrainian officials are complaining that not all of those who ought to be evacuated want to go. Many prefer to stay put and wait for the Russians.
Amongst the pro-Kiev component of the Ukrainian population who are fleeing Russian occupation or possible Russian occupations are the ultras. It’s risky being a Ukrainian ultra-nationalist in pro-Russian territory. Particularly risky for those in or connected with the Azov or Aidar brigades. As Russian control extends those in that category are going to keep moving on until they end up, not in Lvov but in Poland or Germany. By the end, most of the more committed ultras will either have died on the front line or they will be gone.
So plodding on right up until the end suits the Russians just fine. Demolishing NATO proxy manpower and gear as they do so and with the most difficult element in the Ukrainian population ending up, most of it, permanently out of the way.
Maybe the Russians’ll surprise us and do Macgregor’s Broad Arrow to Transnistria or wherever, but they don’t have to. They’re sitting pretty as they are. All the frantic map reading we see done – how far have the Russians got today? How much ground has been won or lost? – isn’t really to the point. The question is rather the grim question “How many NATO proxies killed today. How much NATO equipment destroyed.” Or grimmer still, how many left to be fed into the woodchipper.
That’s why I believe the italicised comment above from “TJand TheBear” should be hung up in the Pentagon and Wiesbaden and anywhere else this war’s being run from by the West. Because ground won or lost is beside the point. The slow and methodical destruction of our proxies and our equipment is not. We’re reaching the stage where that destruction is beginning to really matter and soon we’ll reach the stage where it’s terminal.
How soon? Only a fool would try to guess but the recent comments from Budanov and Putin indicate we’re not looking at years before that phase reaches its end.
Given that, given that Ukraine’s a “done deal” and has been since ’22, what are the Russians doing with what is now a huge army and the armaments factories working flat out? They like rotating forces frequently and some men choose contracts as short as six months so there’s a lot of churn, but even so they surely don’t need that many men for just Ukraine. As for arms, although the greater the weapons superiority the fewer men you lose, and although they’re emphasising dual use for when Ukraine’s done, the extent of Russian arms production is also surely overkill for just Ukraine.
They do need to hold some forces back in case the Americans/Europeans come in in force. But 1, we’ve got little in the way of men and weapons to come in in force with, 2, if the Americans deployed their air force directly what airbases they’d have in Europe would be demolished in short order and 3, if somehow we did manage to come in in force it’d have to go nuclear eventually. Biden made it clear at the start of the SMO that we had no intention of pushing it anything like that far and Trump, whatever he’s up to, most certainly won’t either.
Your comment on Azerbaijan, then, puts all that in context. Ukraine is but one theatre in the ring of destabilisation we’ve been trying to set on fire since long before 2022, and the Russians, in expanding their military so much, are getting ready for any other theatres that might crop up in the future. It’s not as if we in the West haven’t tried to set fires along the perimeter already.
Just before the SMO we saw the disturbances in Kazakhstan. The Russians sent in an expeditionary force fast and put the fire out forthwith. Nevertheless, it looked at the time as if we were trying to set the RF on fire both ends at the same time.
That can only be speculation. The psychos in charge in the West aren’t going to tell me whether they were up to something in Kazakhstan. As Craig Murray says, we in the public are the last people to be let into their plans.
Though if fire at both ends was indeed the plan, that could maybe explain why the psychos set fire to Ukraine in the first place: had the Russians done what was expected and found themselves in a partisan war in Ukraine, and if Kazakhstan had come to anything, and if the sanctions war had worked, the RF would have been greatly weakened and maybe, the great hope of the psychos, fragmented.
The psychos are dumb enough to gamble the future of Europe on so many “ifs” so maybe that’s what they did. And destabilisation doesn’t cost a lot if you can get the proxies going.
A destabilisation attempt, though also countered quickly, was evident in Belarus not long after the start of the SMO. Now there’s the possibility of another hot spot in the Caucasus, not forgetting some incidents a year or so back within the RF itself, in Dagestan.
In that context, with us in the West probing along the Russian perimeter for any weak spot we can find or create, that massive Russian army doesn’t look so much like overkill. Russia’s two allies, I suppose three or four now given that there are more categories of armed forces than Alexander II had at his disposal, are gearing up for the long haul. The psychos aren’t going to let up when Ukraine’s done.
Posted by: English Outsider | Jul 7 2025 15:06 utc | 95
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 7 2025 14:56 utc | 93
as if that matters, “ukraine” has used mines from the beginning, they even seeded them over donetzk etc. all those petal mines that caused a lot of civilian suffering, and as usual, the “human rights” advocates in the west didnt give a rats ass about any of that.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Jul 7 2025 15:07 utc | 96
@ HB_Norica, §90:
No-one´s suggesting the people of anywhere are to blame: it´s almost always the rulers.
The Soviets hung on to Inner Manchuria for a further decade before reluctantly returning it to China.
Russia inherited Outer Manchuria from the Soviets. Ironically, Taiwan still claims it!
Posted by: John Marks | Jul 7 2025 15:11 utc | 98
Reference comment submitted above (95). Sorry, typing error. Zakharova.
Posted by: English Outsider | Jul 7 2025 15:21 utc | 99
5 TCC/TCR strikes in 8 days, all in broad daylight. I didn’t remember July was the start of Komissar’s hunting season, the population should have overgrown and caused problems with the crops before the harvest …
Posted by: Savonarole | Jul 7 2025 16:27 utc | 100