News & views related to the war in Ukraine …
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October 15, 2025
News & views related to the war in Ukraine …
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As matters stand today, Russia is on the verge of claiming the entire Donbass, fighting for every inch through conventional military means. In 3.5 years of the conflict, the nature of warfare has shifted dynamically, and Russia’s Ministry of Defense has in fact led the charge of that shift, proving itself on the vanguard of new technologies.
But the British media amplifies the Russia’s-Economy-Is-Flailing(TM) piece of fiction: per a Roland Oliphant op-ed in The Telegraph on 16 October, “At home, Putin is running a massive budget deficit; inflation and interest rates are soaring; there’s an acute shortage of workers; and Ukrainian drone strikes have caused a domestic petrol crisis.”
Oliphant is not shy about making sweeping unsupported claims, per the boilerplate media treatment of VVP and Russia: “At the front, the 2025 summer campaign has failed to achieve its goals.” Oliphant has no insight into the Russian military’s objectives in the Summer Offensive; he merely wants to erase Russia’s gains by claiming they don’t exist.
Neither is he averse to boosting familiar tropes when they bolster his propagandistic claims: “Yet most serious observers in Ukraine and Russia (Oliphant does not say who they are but we can guess they are of Anne Appelbaum caliber) detect little sign that Putin is close to giving up on what he considers a civilizational mission to restore the Russian nation to its rightful place in history.”
It’s safe to say that the village of Balahan was not on op-edder Oliphant’s Bingo card.
The way the U.S., a purported mediator in the war in Ukraine, plans to gain leverage over Russia is by attacking pre-2014 Russia, primarily civilian areas of Moscow and Saint Petersburg w/ Tomahawk missiles, in order to force Russia to capitulate on terms favorable to NATO warmongers and Ukraine.
At this point, more than 2 months after the promise of Anchorage, it would make sense for Russia to say, “Listen, we sat down in good faith w/ our U.S. interlocutors, and we had high hopes indeed. What’s obvious, however, is that the U.S. has strenuously supplied Ukraine not only w/ U.S.-made weaponry for attacks on pre-2014 Russian civilian spaces but has also fortified Ukraine w/ the U.S.’s proprietary targeting data for such attacks. In light of this, we can no longer regard the U.S. as a mediator in this conflict and must search for appropriate neutral interlocutors elsewhere. Although we continue to maintain diplomatic ties w/ the U.S., we can no longer negotiate peace in Ukraine w/ the U.S.”
All accomplished without chest-thumping chin-jutting posts on social media—-just a sober clear-eyed message delivered w/ all the gravitas of truth.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Oct 15 2025 16:31 utc | 1
@steel_porcupine #1
But the British media amplifies the Russia’s-Economy-Is-Flailing(TM) piece of fiction: per a Roland Oliphant op-ed in The Telegraph on 16 October, “At home, Putin is running a massive budget deficit; inflation and interest rates are soaring; there’s an acute shortage of workers; and Ukrainian drone strikes have caused a domestic petrol crisis.” Oliphant is not shy about making sweeping unsupported claims, per the boilerplate media treatment of VVP and Russia: “At the front, the 2025 summer campaign has failed to achieve its goals.” Oliphant has no insight into the Russian military’s objectives in the Summer Offensive; he merely wants to erase Russia’s gains by claiming they don’t exist.
Oliphant is spinning a back story for Khordokovsky (and no-doubt his own MI6 masters) who has just been charged in Russia with creating a terrorist group to take power in Russia. Quite why anyone would think that possible is beyond me, but that with MI6 he has tried seems quite likely. https://swentr.site/russia/626404-khodorkovsky-kasparov-coup-fsb/
Disgraced Russian ex-oligarch wanted over coup plot – FSB Mikhail Khodorkovsky and other exiled opposition figures are looking to seize power in the country, the agency has said
Posted by: Michael Droy | Oct 15 2025 17:00 utc | 2
@steel_porcupine | Oct 15 2025 16:31 utc | 1>> But the British media amplifies the Russia’s-Economy-Is-Flailing(TM) piece of fiction:
They don’t have a choice, really. If they wrote about the British economy, or Prime Minister Starmer, they’d all go suicidal. Along with their readers. Nah, much better to write about Russia.
John Cleese has a more scientific explanation why we need enemies: The biggest advantage of enemies is that they make you feel good: The great things about enemies is that you can pretend that all the badness in the whole world is in your enemies. And all the goodness in the whole world is in you. Attractive, isn’t it?. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLNhPMQnWu4
So much nicer than writing about crumbling infrastructure. Exploding rents and property prices. Pensioners having to choose between heating and eating. People dying in ambulances waiting for hours for an emergency doctor. Much better to speculate about the Russian economy. Or Putin running out of arms.
Posted by: Marvin | Oct 15 2025 17:27 utc | 3
Several euro fighters to be stationed in Poland !
As a responce to Russia’s ALLEGED incursion into Polands air space by drones.
Combined with the tomerhawks missile nucular threat. This is now a major esculation by the west. One which Vladimir Putin can not ignore.
Shoot them down on sight or take them out on the ground better yet.
Posted by: Mark2 | Oct 15 2025 17:36 utc | 4
Who ever hered of useing euro fighters as a financaly viable response to drone attack ? Its insane deliberate provocation against Russia yet again.
Sick bastards.
Posted by: Mark2 | Oct 15 2025 17:43 utc | 5
Gilbert Doctorow, em entrevista à Glen Diesen, afirma que Putin comporta-se como um idiota ao não tomar as decisãos necessárias, diante das agressões do ocidente. Por isso, as modernas armas do arsenal russo são inúteis , e não cumprem o papel de fazer dissuasão diante da exitação de usá-las.
Seria Putin um Gorbatchev 2.0?
Posted by: Antonio Francisco Martins | Oct 15 2025 18:11 utc | 6
Gilbert Doctorow, em entrevista a Glen Diesen, afirma que Putin se comportou como um idiota ao não tomar as decisões necessárias, diante das agressões do ocidente. Por isso, as armas modernas do arsenal russo são inúteis e não cumprem o papel de fazer dissuasão diante do medo de usá-las.
Seria Putin um Gorbatchev 2.0?
Posted by: Antonio Francisco Martins | Oct 15 2025 18:12 utc | 7
@steel_porcupine #1
Honestly it was Ukraine that started using FPV drones, not Russia. Russian soldiers even complained, that their generals didn’t take those serious.
Posted by: Ali | Oct 15 2025 18:16 utc | 8
Re: the Tomahawks
In the late 2021 RF statement about conditions for a lasting peace, the requirements reached beyond Ukraine, including the removal of NATO ‘defensive’ missile launchers (able to launch nuclear capable Tomahawks) from Poland and Romania. It has always been understood that these ‘defensive’ installations were built for the purpose of launching a decapitation nuclear first strike on Russia.
Now it has been revealed that the US has produced 4 cell, truck based, mobile Tomahawk missile launchers. Supplying these to Ukraine considerably amplifies the threat. A salvo of conventionally armed Tomahawks could be launched with within Ukraine, covertly joined by nuclear launches from the NATO facilities, increasing the chances of a leaker getting through. It is a significant escalation. At a minimum, it would be appropriate to install some missile launchers in the Caribbean capable of attacking US energy facilities or to prepare to retaliate with submarine based launches to inflict mirror damage on the US.
Posted by: Drifter | Oct 15 2025 18:33 utc | 9
A coup plot using expat ex-oligarchs? Looks like the MI6/CIA crew are running out of ideas.
Posted by: Clever Dog | Oct 15 2025 18:40 utc | 10
Posted by: Ali | Oct 15 2025 18:16 utc | 8
Russia was/still is behind in many technological areas of warfare but it still hasn’t affected the overall trajectory of the conflict, which was the result of both sides preset coordinates.
Posted by: Milites | Oct 15 2025 18:41 utc | 11
Milites @11
I value your posts, generally. Not sure what areas of warfare you think Russia lags in, but you may wish to review your research in these areas.
Posted by: Paul Damascene | Oct 15 2025 19:04 utc | 12
Who controls Great Britain and what does it have to do with a thousand years of hatred for Russia? And why do the people who control Great Britain have such a multi generational hatred for that Christian kingdom which had its origins in Kiev?
One entry point is here
Then you could go here.
Of course, as we all know, Jacob Rothschild was NOT the hidden “deep state” ruled of Great Britain. Don’t you know nobody in England lies about the hidden power structure and its ethnic hatred for the Christian Slavs who took over the north shore of the Black Sea. Since they never lie, we can trust them to tell us the exact and true death date of Mr. Rothschild.
Anyway, you want to understand the sometimes bizarre and self-destructive actions taken by Great Britain and the United States regarding Russia? Imagine those two countries, and many others in Europe are controlled behind the scenes by men and women who DO NOT see themselves as Brits, Americans, Dutch, German, French, and so on. They see themselves as the Lord’s and ladies of conquered foreign lands. The plight of the peasants is no concern of theirs.
And Trump? He is a servant.
Posted by: Nobody Special | Oct 15 2025 19:08 utc | 13
@ Antonio Francisco Martins | Oct 15 2025 18:11 utc | 6
your quote in english below –
Gilbert Doctorow, in an interview with Glen Diesen, says that Putin behaves like an idiot by not making the necessary decisions in the face of Western aggression. Therefore, the modern weapons in the Russian arsenal are useless, and do not fulfill the role of deterrent in the face of hesitation to use them. Would Putin be a Gorbachev 2.0?
– my response… that is not a fair comparison as i see it…. putin can use them at any time and may have to.. this is the 64,000 $ question that some have prematurely answered and come to their own conclusions, including doctorow..
Posted by: james | Oct 15 2025 19:09 utc | 14
Posted by: Antonio Francisco Martins | Oct 15 2025 18:11 utc | 6
No, not at all…The Jewish-Neoliberal Trojan horse will be much, much worse than Gorbi…As I said here many times, the horse will destroy the Russian Federation…By 2035 it will be just a memory already.
As I wrote yesterday, the day of truth is very near… Should the Anglo-Americans fire a nuclear-capable missile at the Russian Federation, Russian military doctrine stipulates a mandatory response, a protocol that must be adhered to without question in order to maintain the triad at least somewhat and to prevent a complete decapitation strike… Should the horse veto it and this protocol not be adhered to by even a few minutes… We will indeed receive answers to many questions in the next few days… For some here, it will indeed be an extremely abrupt awakening.
Posted by: Brigitte Mohnhaupt | Oct 15 2025 19:34 utc | 15
@ Brigitte Mohnhaupt | Oct 15 2025 19:34 utc | 15
i will comment on your crystal ball reading in one weeks time and quote you here on it too… lets see what type of fortune teller you really are, lol..
Posted by: james | Oct 15 2025 19:36 utc | 16
lets see what type of fortune teller you really are, lol..
Posted by: james | Oct 15 2025 19:36 utc | 16
The kind of fortune-teller whose business closes down due to unforeseen circumstances…
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Oct 15 2025 19:48 utc | 17
You know the funny thing is that I HOPEEEE that I am wrong!
A surprising number of people don’t seem to understand, or are unable to understand, in which direction we are moving at a rapid pace… A decisive military response in 2015 could have spared the world all of this… I was not President of the Russian Federation at the time.
Posted by: Brigitte Mohnhaupt | Oct 15 2025 19:51 utc | 18
Respeito sua opinião, mas é preciso dar credibilidade à dissuasão, propõe Sergei Karaganov. O mundo precisa segundo ele, a ter medo do holocauto nuclear, para eliminar o risco de um confronto. Isso faz todo sentido.
Por incrível que pareça nenhum país respeita as linhas vermelhas da Rússia. Até os anões bálticos se acham com coragem para alfinetar o urso. Atentados terroristas perpetrados por “aquela ilha” fedorenta tornou-se evento banal. “Causos belli”, como a explosão do nord stream, participaçao direta de ataques profundos a civis russos…e por fim roubo descarado de ativos russos por esse continente ladrão chamado “europa”…tudo é tratado por Putin como “danos suportáveis”. Ele deveria já ter batido o pau na mesa e declarado guerra a essa escória da humanidade há muito tempo. Por isso, concordo quando muitos analistas o chamam de Gobatchev 2.0
Kruschev jamais toleraria isso.
Posted by: Antonio Francisco Martins | Oct 15 2025 19:52 utc | 19
@ Brigitte Mohnhaupt | Oct 15 2025 19:51 utc | 18
Ah, I get it now, you’re one of those #Q-Anon super-doomers, just like our not much-missed @shadowbanned, or @sean the garden gnome, or that fool who clutters up the comment threads at Simplicius76 Substack.
I guarantee the following three things for the next few days:
- no nukes
- no Tomahawks
- no elections in Ukraine
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Oct 15 2025 20:01 utc | 20
@3
“John Cleese has a more scientific explanation why we need enemies: The biggest advantage of enemies is that they make you feel good: The great things about enemies is that you can pretend that all the badness in the whole world is in your enemies. And all the goodness in the whole world is in you. Attractive, isn’t it?.”
And the best thing: you have a lot of “friends” and allies that you can agree with about who is the bad one.
Posted by: swiss | Oct 15 2025 20:02 utc | 21
All accomplished without chest-thumping chin-jutting posts on social media—-just a sober clear-eyed message delivered w/ all the gravitas of truth.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Oct 15 2025 16:31 utc | 1
You are stating the facts and reality.
But just listen to the demented delusional statements from Rutte etc al.
The sheer ignoring of the facts by western MSM.
Nobody’s listening!
Posted by: jpc | Oct 15 2025 20:07 utc | 22
@ Drifter | Oct 15 2025 18:33 utc | 9 and everyone else who has been drooling, wide-eyed, at the prospect of Tomahawk cruise missiles being used by Ukraine, please can we just go back to some basics on this topic?
Basics like… well, start by asking yourselves what, exactly, Ukraine is going to launch them with?
- missile cruisers, but Ukraine doesn’t have any vessels capable of being converted quickly
- submarines; good luck with the Soviet-era diesel-powered bathtub toys
- B-52s; yeah, sure, USAF is really going to hand those over to untrained Ukrainian aircrew
And now, the breathless, almost orgasmic excitement over the possibility of ground launchers, except the darn things don’t exist as an operational fleet, just some prototypes undergoing evaluation and testing by the US. Heck, they’ve still got to train their own troops to use the launchers, and yet these are imminently going to Ukraine somehow?
No contracts have been signed for any mass-production, or for what passes as mass-production in Western MICs these days. And given the track record of US/NATO military procurement processes, does anyone care to take a guess at how long it’ll take to get meaningful numbers of ground launchers into service? Let alone whether they actually work as originally intended? Yeah, me neither…
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Oct 15 2025 20:31 utc | 23
How much money dose a euro fighter cost ?
How long dose it take to train some one to drive it. Say polish or ukrainian ?
Mmm, so its a direct threat from US/nato. And will be perceved as such from Russia, if this stupidity becomes reality.
Russia of course will go pre-emptive, with out warning.
Posted by: Mark2 | Oct 15 2025 20:38 utc | 24
Poland should try to get along with the people moving in next door.
Posted by: Mark2 | Oct 15 2025 20:46 utc | 25
RE: Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Oct 15 2025 20:31 utc | 23
Here ya go: (fake? Actually built? Ect …dunno)
https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2025/ausa-2025-oshkosh-x-mav-mobile-tomahawk-launcher-highlights-future-options-for-ukraine
AUSA 2025: Oshkosh X-MAV Mobile Tomahawk Launcher Highlights Future Options for Ukraine.
“Oshkosh Defense unveiled the X-MAV, an Extreme Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicle configured to carry four Tomahawk cruise missiles, at AUSA 2025 in Washington, D.C. The appearance comes as U.S. policymakers publicly debate supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, a shift that would expand Kyiv’s deep-strike reach while complicating escalation management with Russia.”
Posted by: Trubind1 | Oct 15 2025 20:56 utc | 26
Trump is squealing like a pork: threatening Russia if Russia does not stop the “war”.
Does he want to start a war to stop a war?
OK! Like the trumptards are saying time and again: his words are like pissing in a violin.
Posted by: Naive | Oct 15 2025 20:59 utc | 27
This business over the mayor of Odessa being stripped of Ukrainian citizenship seems to be getting more murky. Apparently it was justified by the Zelensky junta because the mayor held dual passports (if only Western governments were so vigilant!), however the following story has now emerged, alleging the passport is fake:
Journalists consider a copy of Trukhanov’s Russian passport from the SBU materials to be a fake
This is reported by RegioNews with reference to The Insider investigation.
According to the publication’s journalists, the document number indicates that it was allegedly issued in 2010, and not in 2015, to a Russian woman named Tatiana. In addition, the name “Hennadiy” is written with one letter n instead of two on a photo of the document published by the SBU.
“From the document number, it follows that it was issued on November 2, 2010 (and not at all in December 2015)-and indeed, a passport with this number was issued on this day, but to a completely different person – a Russian woman named Tatiana, who then successfully traveled with this passport. The authors of the forgery even forgot that the name “Gennady” in Latin letters is also transliterated with two n’s, ” The Insider article says.
According to border crossings, Trukhanov has not been to Russia since the war broke out in 2014, at least not under his own name. The journalists also did not find any data on whether he had an actual Russian passport.
Earlier we reported that the mayor of Odessa Trukhanov was officially deprived of Ukrainian citizenship. The corresponding decree was signed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
https://regionews.ua/ukr/news/odesskaya/1760541160-rosiyskiy-pasport-mera-odesi-truhanova-z-yavilisya-novi-detali-spravi (via translation add-on.)
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Oct 15 2025 21:00 utc | 28
Posted by: Trubind1 | Oct 15 2025 20:56 utc | 26
Blablabla…!
Posted by: Naive | Oct 15 2025 21:01 utc | 29
A Kiev Newspaper
https://kyivindependent.com/american-defence-manufacturer-presented-new-tomahawk-launcher/
But sure, the Russians will never see that …
Honestly, if it were parked inside a concrete or lead building, who knows.
in the other hand, could ALL be fake stories…
Posted by: Trubind1 | Oct 15 2025 21:01 utc | 30
The great danger is the gaggle of unhinged loonies running things in the EU. Trump is not really into the idea of attacking Russia with Tomahawks, but there are plenty of influencers around him that are.
Keep in mind, the Ukrainian regime is very resourceful. They have already successfully attacked (not successful outcome) the Russian nuclear triad. They have carried out numerous terrorist attacks. This despite Russia being in a quasi state of war and as such, with heavy security around high-value targets. Yet the Ukrainians managed to breach these defenses.
It would be a mistake to assume that it is not feasible to launch the Tomahawks because of reasons stated above. If it is in any way possible the Ukrainians can do it.
Posted by: Áobh Ó’Sheachnasaigh | Oct 15 2025 21:04 utc | 31
@ Trubind1 | Oct 15 2025 20:56 utc | 26
Oh fur fox ache, I posted about that very thing in the previous Ukraine thread: https://www.moonofalabama.org/2025/10/ukraine-open-thread-2025-237.html/comment-page-2#comment-1212097
but just in case it gets too difficult to click on a link, here’s a relevant extract:
Note also:
The Oshkosh autonomous family is going up against Lockheed Martin’s family of Mark 41 VLS launchers like MRC and Mark 70 that offer Tomahawk launch capability to the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy from shore and austere environments.
which means an evaluation process between the different offerings, tenders, contract agreements, prototype modifications, and other negotiations.
So, no contracts, no quantities, just proposals and evaluations.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Oct 15 2025 21:08 utc | 33
RE:
“Does he want to start a war to stop a war?”
Posted by: Naive | Oct 15 2025 20:59 utc | 27
Yes! “Peace through Strength” … or some such mutterings of late from Hegseth & Trump…
Posted by: Trubind1 | Oct 15 2025 21:08 utc | 34
Posted by: Áobh Ó’Sheachnasaigh | Oct 15 2025 21:04 utc | 31
Blablabla…!
Posted by: Naive | Oct 15 2025 21:08 utc | 35
Posted by: Trubind1 | Oct 15 2025 21:08 utc | 34
Obviously you do not understand irony…
Posted by: Naive | Oct 15 2025 21:09 utc | 36
I see that here, as elsehwere, the history of the war of “intervention” (WOI) is forgotten – when the US, UK, Japan – in all 14 countries – had their boots on the ground in Russia, as well as the the Royal Navy in the Baltic and the Black Sea. It was the time of the first Ukrainian famine as well – perhaps that’s why no one mentions it.
The exception to the western countries was Poland, which waited until it was over before attacking Minsk and Kiev and then being rewarded with that bit of Ukraine east of the Curzon line that was taken back in 1939.
I always thought that Poland was just hoping that Russia would be weak after the war and that was why they waited, but a Pole pointed out that they would not take part in the WOI because the Whites wanted to restore the Russian Empire, including Poland.
In the WOI, the “west” – UK, US. Japan and so on, wanted to make Russia a second China: weak White governance, international concessions and free access to all the resources, of course.
Love to be a fly on the wall listening to the Eton boys in the Foreign Office.
Posted by: hh | Oct 15 2025 21:10 utc | 37
RE
“So, no contracts, no quantities, just proposals and evaluations.”
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Oct 15 2025 21:08 utc | 33
That sounds right…
The dates of the “unveiling” … were a bit miraculous before Friday meet.
Posted by: Trubind1 | Oct 15 2025 21:11 utc | 38
@ Áobh Ó’Sheachnasaigh | Oct 15 2025 21:04 utc | 31
I give up, otherwise intelligent and astute posters seemingly have a huge blind-spot here.
Time for me to take some days off, can’t argue with what won’t be argued with.
Ta-Ra.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Oct 15 2025 21:18 utc | 39
@ Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Oct 15 2025 20:01 utc | 20
you shouldn’t be so hard on brigette the fortune teller, lol… she has to make a living to ya know!! hold out your palm and let her read it!! i see more moa posts in your future~!
Posted by: james | Oct 15 2025 21:24 utc | 40
Hello, Trump:
Трамп:
Ukraine wants to go on the offensive. I will make a decision on this, but they would like to start the offensive, and we will have to make a decision.
“Russia would have long ago lost this war. Ukraine, together with its partners, would have regained all the occupied territories if it were not for the support Moscow receives from its allies — primarily North Korea,” said Budanov.(If grandma had a dick, she would be a grandpa)
In my opinion, these people are not in their right mind when it comes to common sense.
Posted by: Sany Dnepropetrovsk | Oct 15 2025 21:41 utc | 41
Posted by: Sany Dnepropetrovsk | Oct 15 2025 21:41 utc | 41
North Korea! Hip hip hip hurrah!!!
North Korea stronger than the european empire!
Posted by: Naive | Oct 15 2025 21:44 utc | 42
I find it so disgusting that Putin will welcome that HTS head chopper who removed his ally Assad from power for US/Israeli interest so soon in Moscow. It’s so saddening to read RT’s new-found reporting of this ( https://www.rt.com/russia/626497-putin-hosts-syrian-president/ ) describing that Headchopper now in fair terms just as Trump did call him a moderate-jihadist a few months ago in Washington to the disbelief of many including RT.
Imagine this: “… Al-Sharaa, who once led the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) under his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, rose to power following the departure of Assad.” So we are now being told that he rose to power NOT BY TOPPLING ASSAD, BUT “following Assad’s departure”. So weird a sudden change of narrative!
Indeed I weep for Russia in these precarious times of her existential struggle against the US empire led West. This Putin’s (Russia’s) self-defeating version of strategic ambiguity in the face of the monstrously ravaging US, NATO & EU is, to say the least, awful! It’s more suitable acted in a Hollywood Espionage Series than live from the seat of power in the Kremlin. Many strategic analysts home and abroad have been at a loss as to Putin’s go-slow, totally-restrained SMO approach since 2022 which clearly emboldened Zelensky and his US/NATO/EU sponsors to dangerously escalate beyond clear Russian redlines, still he keeps steering the ship as if it is unsinkable by a sustained collective pressure: NATO’s military buildup around her boarders, economic blockade, an incrementally armed Ukraine with mercenaries all funded with the frozen asset. Enough for a strongman on whose desk lies the sovereignty of Russia to act fast to deter the ravenous aggressors. Those cutting-edge conventional weapons aren’t there for jamboree or just for puff!
Anyway, I commend outspoken analysts like Gilbert Doctorow ( https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2025/10/05/transcript-of-conversation-with-glenn-diesen-4-october/), John Helmer and Craig Roberts for their clarion call on Putin to save the world from WW3. As in, ACT NOW!
Posted by: cegnoveltyesq | Oct 15 2025 22:00 utc | 43
More from the Un-Reality TV host:
https://tass.com/economy/2030439“
15 OCT, 16:50
Trump says Modi promised to stop buying oil from Russia
“Now, I got to get China to do the same thing,” US leader added”…
Excerpt:
“He assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big stop. Now, I got to get China to do the same thing,” Trump told a press conference at the White House. He also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would settle the conflict in Ukraine. “I think that Putin, President Putin wants to get it done. We’ll see.”
“He [Modi] has assured me there will be no oil purchased from Russia. He’s not buying his oil from Russia. ****It started. You know, you can’t do it immediately. It’s a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over soon,” the American leader said. ***It followed from his statements that these purchases would resume in the event of a settlement in Ukraine.“
Guess we’ll see if even a drop of this is true, or if it is contingent on something Trump promised to do. Doesn’t matter. It’s the forever salami slicing at everyone & everything around the sphere of Russia, till Russia becomes a Syria 2.0…
Posted by: Trubind1 | Oct 15 2025 22:24 utc | 44
THE BRUTAL TRUTH
In 2022 Ukraine’s army stood with reservists at 2.2m. They have had mobilisations of 1.4m. The TCC press gangs and mercs add another 400k. Now in 2025. 4m total. 2m dead . 700k injured. 250k deserted. 100k in captivity. That left around 950k as of Jan 1st. They are now mobilising over 60s. All that is left is the further destruction of Ukraine. The cavalry are not coming. America are not coming. Neither are the U.K, neither are France, nor are the Germans. Ukraine, were and always have been, a distraction. In that time America have overthrown Syria and Nepal and attempted regime change in Iran. The brutal reality is, America do not, and never did, care about Ukraine, and neither did the rest of Europe. Flags in the bios, Slava Ukraine ? Wow that helped ! Still, the propaganda persists. Still, they hang on every speech. Still wait, for this week’s new wonder weapon. America played Ukraine and NATO and the European Union are subservient to it. Ukraine were losing soldiers at a rate of 10 to 1 in 2023. In 2024, it was around 16 to 1. In 2025, it is 20 to 1. As we have previously stated they are losing on average, 1500 soldiers a day. As we have stated in August 2026, we reach a crucial tipping point. The saddest thing is there will still be people sending decent Ukrainian people, to the frontline to be slaughtered, probably from the countries they fled to. We don’t support Russia or Ukraine, we don’t support Israel or Palestine, we just tell it as it is
https://x.com/ThorntonWa47373/status/1978463025100440054
Posted by: unimperator | Oct 15 2025 22:25 utc | 45
Posted by: Trubind1 | Oct 15 2025 22:24 utc | 44
Blablabla…!
Posted by: Naive | Oct 15 2025 22:26 utc | 46
Posted by: cegnoveltyesq | Oct 15 2025 22:00 utc | 43
Fuck off anti-Russian troll!
Posted by: Naive | Oct 15 2025 22:28 utc | 47
@ Naive | Oct 15 2025 22:28 utc | 47
that cegnoveltyesq is the fellow working in the next cubicle to brigette… they are being paid well to spread their fortune telling skills around liberally at moa!!
Posted by: james | Oct 15 2025 22:36 utc | 48
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Oct 15 2025 20:01 utc | 20
Alexander Mercouris reports today that US is low on Tomahawks restricting how many it could possibly give to Ukraine. Starts about 1.01 hrs in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDXqAIAh2Z4
It may be used as an argument to tell Zelensky he is out of luck.
I don’t think we can take anything seriously from the Trump administration anymore, it’s all histrionics and Hollywood productions designed to feed a bloviating narcissistic leader’s ego.
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Oct 15 2025 22:37 utc | 49
RE: “their clarion call on Putin to save the world from WW3. As in, ACT NOW!”
Posted by: cegnoveltyesq | Oct 15 2025 22:00 utc | 43
How…besides WW3… do you suppose the needed “correction” of all this power lust will happen??
Asking seriously… you think the West will just agree to be human, and live in peace if an Oreshnic is lobbed at Ukraine?
I find they (West) are all beyond and fear, or ability to be rational in any way.
As for head chopper Jolani….
feel (felt) same way…then I got to thinking, hey, may not be a bad idea to have a head chopper terrorist gang talk to you… their loyalty turns in a dime, who knows what the ME future will bring.
Whatever that is all about, it serves a purpose for Russia, and that’s all that Putin cares about in the end.
Back to WW3, it’s kinda like the same situation as the Palestinians…. Fight or subjugation…
Putin was hoping for a “deal”… but there’s no “deal” in sight…
Posted by: Trubind1 | Oct 15 2025 22:39 utc | 50
steel_porcupine@1
At this point, more than 2 months after the promise of Anchorage…..
You missed the promise, it had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with what is happening in 404, the TonyHawks, the destruction of 404…..that is past and cast.
Anchorage was about the big sign off on Palestine…..they just wrapped up loose ends on Trump Plaza Gaza…..no shortage of dual citizen squatters, Russians, USAins looking for work, many looking for nice sea side homes paid for by some other countries suckers….win win for everyone vested…..
Cheers M
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Oct 15 2025 22:42 utc | 51
Possible Russian response to Trump’s gift of Tomahawks to Ukraine:Russia could respond to the transfer of Tomahawks to Kiev by deploying Oreschnik missiles in the Far East, from where they could reach half of the US territory with their range.
Posted by: smartfox | Oct 15 2025 22:49 utc | 52
you’ve got one rational actor and another irrational one.. i will let you all figure out which is which..
Posted by: james | Oct 15 2025 22:52 utc | 53
U. S. Calvary probably has about 600 captured Tomahawks taken from dead or defeated Indians stored under stone mountain in Alabama and few more stored in Fort Knox and several hundred in various museums . Maybe they could be shipped to Zelensky by overnight express provided Zelensky pays the freight (since the government is shut down).. The aerial range is about a stones throw. They are thought to be immune to Electronic interference are easy to use and work best if the operator screams and hollers while activating the target and delivery system.
Posted by: snake | Oct 15 2025 22:58 utc | 54
Trump on Putin: “I don’t know why he’s fighting this war”
Dumb and Dumber combine during a meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei at the White House, Donald Trump expressed clear frustration with Vladimir Putin over the ongoing war in Ukraine. “Vladimir and I had a very good relationship. We probably still do. I don’t know why he’s continuing this war,” he said.
Maybe he could have asked him? LOL
The kind of fortune-teller whose business closes down due to unforeseen circumstances…
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Oct 15 2025 19:48 utc | 17
Thanks for the chuckle. D.
Posted by: Don Firineach | Oct 15 2025 23:37 utc | 56
Q: Will a few TommyHawks make a difference to the direction of the conflict?
A: Niet.
Posted by: Don Firineach | Oct 15 2025 23:46 utc | 57
I find it so disgusting that Putin will welcome that HTS head chopper who removed his ally Assad from power for US/Israeli interest so soon in Moscow. It’s so saddening to read RT’s new-found reporting of this ( https://www.rt.com/russia/626497-putin-hosts-syrian-president/ ) describing that Headchopper now in fair terms just as Trump did call him a moderate-jihadist a few months ago in Washington to the disbelief of many including RT.
Posted by: cegnoveltyesq | Oct 15 2025 22:00 utc | 43
This shows that Russia is a follower and copier and not a leader. It reacts to what the west is doing and what the west “accomplishes” – even if the “accomplishments” are installing terrorist in power. The west got its way in Syria. The Russia help was too little, too late and then it became very compromised by deals with the Turks and US occupying forces.
Russia will end up like Syria if it can’t fight much better and get the right strategic goals.
Posted by: MiniMO | Oct 16 2025 0:13 utc | 58
Interesting. Seems the time has come? I wondered how the Russians were going to cross the Dniper at Kherson, how they would ever get a land force across w/o getting devastated, but the answer is obvious now, one squad at a time like they are advancing everywhere else. That’s what the AFU tried at Krynky, didn’t work them but it’s working for Russia, but then RUAF isn’t run out of Whitehall and the Pentagon.
Wonder how they plan on handling logistics?
In case you’ve heard it, and wasn’t sure if it was true, yes, the Russians did attempt to land in Kherson today. I don’t know the outcome, but anyway let’s wait and see.
https://t.me/Novichok_Rossiya_2/31625
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Oct 16 2025 0:22 utc | 59
- JRL @ 17 & James @ 20 – 😆
- Tomahawks. Mike Mihaljlovic did a fascinating article on why Tomahawks can’t be mobile based on land. Like Martyanov said War is Math. Do the fucking math and figure out the energy output and generation requirements for these relics. P. S, Tomahawks are inferior to Storm Shadows/Taurus in terms of speed and radar evading capabilities. Tomahawks are only useful to stay out harm’s reach. Except Oreshnik., nuff said.
- US can supply whatever the fuck they want. Oreshnik in Cuba and Venezuela, Hello?
- Start a war to stop a war? Stand down stupid, you’re going full retard.
Posted by: Suresh | Oct 16 2025 0:31 utc | 60
With the onset of the dreaded Russian winter, armoured formations are now making assaults again. Kupyansk has ordered mass evacuation and Pokrovsk may have been liberated. MoD hasn’t made it official yet.
Hopefully, the have learned to precede the assaults with heavy artillery bombardment, smoke screens and forward security fpvs.
Posted by: Suresh | Oct 16 2025 0:40 utc | 61
Kevork Almassian
@KevorkAlmassian
Russia’s intervention in Syria in 2015 had a clear strategic rationale: to preserve a friendly regime, secure naval access to the Mediterranean through the port of Tartus, and prevent the spread of Islamist Takfiri militancy into the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus. For a time, this intervention succeeded in reasserting Moscow’s influence in the region. But the outcome today exposes the fragility of that achievement. The same Moscow that justified war to eliminate jihadist extremism now legitimizes the leader of one of its former incarnations. Julani’s self-appointment as president — without elections, without a mandate, and without even the pretense of public legitimacy — has been met in Moscow with diplomatic acceptance. The contradiction could not be starker. Moscow’s official position on Ukraine rests on a central claim: that President Volodymyr Zelensky is illegitimate because he postponed elections under wartime conditions. Yet the Kremlin now receives Julani, who seized power through a coup and declared himself president by fiat. By doing so, Russia undermines its own rhetoric on sovereignty and legitimacy. If Zelensky’s democratic delay voids his mandate, how does Julani’s coup confer one?
…
In the aftermath of Assad’s ouster, Beijing’s silence underscores its reluctance to confront Western or Turkish dominance in a region it once described as central to its global partnerships. The result is a vacuum, one that Russia and China jointly helped create through caution, inconsistency, and strategic disengagement. The Middle East was once presented as the proving ground for the emerging multipolar order, a region where Russia and China could build pragmatic alliances and alternative institutions. That vision has not materialized. Julani’s self-appointment and Moscow’s acceptance of it represent the disintegration of that claim. Rather than a multipolar balance, Turkey and Israel are expanding their strategic latitude, the U.S. quietly reasserting influence, and Russia is reduced to a reactive player defending its residual footholds. For Russia, the loss is also reputational. A power that cannot defend its allies, sustain its investments, or uphold its own standards of legitimacy raises questions about its role as an alternative pole in global politics. It becomes, instead, a participant in someone else’s design. Russia’s recognition of Julani’s self-proclaimed presidency signals that Moscow’s Syria strategy — once the centerpiece of its Middle East resurgence — has reached its endpoint. What began as an assertion of independence from Western hegemony has devolved into a pattern of reactive accommodation. The handshake in Moscow between Putin and Julani will be remembered as the moment when the promise of a multipolar order began to lose its substance — one pragmatic compromise at a time.
Posted by: MiniMO | Oct 16 2025 0:41 utc | 62
Here is Alexander Mercouris’s Wednesday program – most of it is about Ukraine, and he ends discussing the tomohawks issue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDXqAIAh2Z4&t=3418s
Posted by: juliania | Oct 16 2025 0:44 utc | 63
@ MiniMO | Oct 16 2025 0:41 utc | 62
Almassian misses an important difference: Russia doesn’t need a legitimate Syrian government to sign surrender papers.
Posted by: malenkov | Oct 16 2025 0:46 utc | 64
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Oct 15 2025 22:37 utc | 49
Apologies, George, hadn’t seen your previous link to mine. And also to anyone else as well, as I’ve only begun reading through comments here.
Posted by: juliania | Oct 16 2025 0:56 utc | 65
RE: Posted by: MiniMO | Oct 16 2025 0:41 utc | 62
Your post is rational and reasoned out. I agree on the surface of how things appear.
But when you really look close, you see desperation everywhere.
China, Russia, Brazil, heck even India…cool as cucumbers everyday.
Look closely at CIS recent meeting. Who wasn’t in Egypt? Why hasn’t Jewlani signed recognition & joined Abraham’s yet?
The globe is standing still while a delusional jester madman is on the loose. You honestly think Russia “lost” influence or sway in the ME to that? Or the other delusional genocide crazy Nuttyyahoo? Sure Arabs may be vassals, but their not blind.
Just some things to consider.
The thought crossed my mind, with China flashing the Rare Earth death card, and the current pics of Lavrov & Belousov today on TASS, well, some reality checks are coming. I think the “insulting” days are coming to a close.
As China states, perhaps the “correction” grace stage, is coming to a close. Perhaps it’s all coordinated. Just an opinion.
Posted by: Trubind1 | Oct 16 2025 1:13 utc | 66
@ 43.
The thing those three have in common is they’re tetchy old men who don’t like it when their stunningly brilliant advice doesn’t get followed, or their doom-slop is proved wrong.
Particularly egregious when Ukraine is clearly losing badly & NATO’s three year rearmament, has produced sweet FA.
Doctorow is low-key the most misguided. Because he thinks the senile orange fleshbag of flatulence Trump has a cunning plan. When everyone can see the domestic & foreign shitshow the MAGA clique is producing.
Posted by: Urban Fox | Oct 16 2025 1:39 utc | 67
@ 62.
Bipolar overwrought geopolitics-slop.
Fact is neither the hegemonic & multipolar blocs are as weak *or* strong as their stans or doom-porners say.
In any event Jolani is squatting in Damascus for now and is principally Erdogan’s puppet not the US/Eurocuck/Israelis. So avoiding a needless conflict and letting him fester for awhile failing to rule & restore Syria, makes a degree of sense. It puts a ruined and unstable Syria on the balance sheet of others, for a start.
None of it impinges on the Ukrainian issue at all. Tactical hypocrisy is irrelevant to the outcome, of Ukraine inevitably losing.
Posted by: Urban Fox | Oct 16 2025 1:50 utc | 68
https://x.com/ThorntonWa47373/status/1978463025100440054
Posted by: unimperator | Oct 15 2025 22:25 utc | 45
Ukraine running out of options. Either a ceasefire on Russian terms or a provocation so big like massive attack on Moscow using western arms and tech and hoping for a Russian response outside Ukraine whereby nato article 5 comes into play.
Who said what when?
Via RT — US war secretary threatens Russia
The US War Department stands ready to do its part and “impose costs” on Russia over the Ukraine conflict, War Secretary Pete Hegseth has said.
Speaking at Ramstein military base on Wednesday ahead of a meeting of countries coordinating military support for Ukraine, he lauded NATO members’ recent militarization push.
“If this war does not end, if there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia,” Hegseth said.
“If we must take this step, the US War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do,” he added.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump said he could supply Ukraine with US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles if the Ukraine conflict “is not going to get settled,” and admitted that it would be “a new step of aggression.”
The longer-range variants of the cruise missile can strike targets up to 2,500km (1,550 miles) away, potentially threatening the Russian capital and other cities.
Supplies of the missiles to Ukraine would represent a “new stage of escalation,” since US troops would have to be directly involved in using them, President Vladimir Putin said earlier this month.
Moscow has blamed the pause in direct Russian-Ukrainian peace talks on Kiev, arguing that it lacks interest in a settlement, emboldened by Western military support.
“Russia is ready for a peaceful settlement,” but continues its military operation “due to the lack of alternatives,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
https://www.swentr.site/news/626500-us-war-secretary-threatens-russia/
Now, in early 2025, February and after, we get this being said:
Some of the most consequential public positions Hegseth took in early 2025 with respect to the Russia–Ukraine war:
- Pre-war borders as “unrealistic” goalIn remarks at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels (Feb 2025), Hegseth said that a return to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders was “an unrealistic objective,” arguing that “chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.” He also indicated that Ukraine should be prepared for some kind of negotiated settlement with security guarantees.
- “Everything is on the table” for negotiations with Russia/UkraineIn mid-February 2025, Hegseth said that “everything is on the table” in the talks between Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy — indicating openness to a wide range of possible concessions or proposals.
- He pushed back on criticism that negotiating now would be tantamount to conceding to Putin; he argued that the timing was deliberate, reflecting the Trump administration’s approach.
- U.S. troops will not serve as peacekeepers in UkraineHegseth said that U.S. troops would not be part of any peacekeeping missions inside Ukraine.
- He pushed Europe to take a greater share of the burden for Ukraine’s defense, insisting the U.S. would not remain the principal security provider in Europe.
- Divergence in cyberoperations (per some sources)Some accounts (e.g. summaries in Wikipedia) claim that in March 2025 he ordered U.S. Cyber Command to halt offensive operations against Russia.
- Criticism from others, and “introduce realism” justificationAfter some of his remarks, Hegseth doubled down by framing them as introducing realism to the diplomatic conversation.
- His remarks, particularly about abandoning full territorial restoration and NATO membership, drew strong criticism from some Republicans and NATO allies.
- Trump has sometimes publicly indicated he wants Ukraine to regain territory and has signaled openness to returning Russia to the G7, etc. In some statements, Trump has portrayed a more assertive posture (e.g. threatening to send long-range weapons if Russia does not negotiate).
- While Hegseth was open to broad negotiations and more realistic/limited objectives, Trump’s rhetoric could sometimes be more maximalist or populist, depending on the moment. For instance, Trump’s public threats of using Tomahawks or pushing Russia to negotiate from a posture of strength differ somewhat from Hegseth’s focus on diplomacy and limiting U.S. direct commitments.
Is this contradictory? Confusing Policy?
Or is it because so much Facts on the Ground have changed in October?
Are Trump and Hegseth trustworthy and telling the truth now? Or back in early 2025?
Lastly, does it even matter to the final outcome/s?
Putin will likely do whatever he, his Govt Military decide.
Posted by: juliania | Oct 16 2025 0:56 utc | 65
No problem, the main thing is to get the information out
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Oct 16 2025 3:19 utc | 71
First Poland, now Italy, have blocked the extradition of people (patsies) alleged to have been the ones who blew up the Nordstream pipes. Isn’t that convenient, no trial means no evidence discovery. I was so looking forward to a detailed step by step description of how they did it.
The Court of Cassation ruled in favor of Sergey Kuznetsov, citing “incorrect legal classification” of facts described in the European arrest warrant, lawyer Nicola Canestrini said on Wednesday. The case will be retried at a later date.
Police detained Kuznetsov, a former Ukrainian military officer, while on holiday near the city of Rimini in August. He denies any involvement in the explosions that disabled the twin pipelines built to transport Russian gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea.
Poland’s National Security Bureau (BBN) said on Wednesday that it opposes the extradition of another suspect, Ukrainian national Vladimir Zhuravlyov, who was detained in late September in Warsaw.
Posted by: Fool Me Twice | Oct 16 2025 3:23 utc | 72
Q: Will a few TommyHawks make a difference to the direction of the conflict? A: Niet.
Posted by: Don Firineach | Oct 15 2025 23:46 utc | 57
So now Tomahawk missiles are the Western wonder waffle that will force RF (and specifically the despicable Putin) to the capitulation table. DJT has implied this very recently, so it must be the case [/S].
TLAM’s do have extensive range and , because they fly at low altitude are difficult to accurately track using ground-based radar. However, modern RF fighters like Mig 31, SU 57, and I suspect SU35 were designed with “look down, shoot down” radar capability, Hence, once a batch of TLAM’s is detected crossing the RF border rough trajectories and targets guessed, or estimated then suitable fighter interdiction could be positioned to intercept the missiles.
Of course it is a lot more complicated than this simple scenario and closer to the intended targets there would also be point defence missile/gun, systems. The TLAM;s might have been upgraded since their introduction in the 1980’s, but so have air defence systems.
I suspect that if the collective West is foolish enough to go down this long range strike path (and it may well be), very few of these vaunted missiles will reach their intended targets.
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Oct 16 2025 6:12 utc | 73
@MiniMo
Al Jolani admitted in an Interview that an agreement was reached between HTS and Russia before the overthrowing of Asad. I assumed this before Al Jolani‘s admission. The Military force the Russians had deployed in Syria was so huge and heavily armed, they could have easily wiped out HTS, if they had wanted.
Al Jolani now visiting Moscow is Realpolitik. At first hand the fall of Asad seems to be a victory for the West and a defeat for Russia and Iran. But in the end nobody knows how things will develop. The Iraq War seemed to be a great victory for the US but in the aftermath it turned out that Iran gained leverage over Iraq it had never had before.
Posted by: Lesjeuxsontfaits | Oct 16 2025 6:28 utc | 74
FORMAT TTEST So now Tomahawk missiles are the Western wonder waffle that will force RF (and specifically the despicable Putin) to the capitulation table. DJT has implied this very recently, so it must be the case [/S].
TLAM’s do have extensive range and , because they fly at low altitude are difficult to accurately track using ground-based radar. However, modern RF fighters like Mig 31, SU 57, and I suspect SU35 were designed with “look down, shoot down” radar capability, Hence, once a batch of TLAM’s is detected crossing the RF border rough trajectories and targets guessed, or estimated then suitable fighter interdiction could be positioned to intercept the missiles.
Of course it is a lot more complicated than this simple scenario and closer to the intended targets there would also be point defence missile/gun, systems. The TLAM;s might have been upgraded since their introduction in the 1980’s, but so have air defence systems.
I suspect that if the collective West is foolish enough to go down this long range strike path (and it may well be), very few of these vaunted missiles will reach their intended targets.
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Oct 16 2025 6:34 utc | 75
the next step after tomahawks is to threaten Russia with nukes
i am very happy that i do not have children
Posted by: 667 | Oct 16 2025 7:06 utc | 76
Loving it! It seems DJT is going off script.
Kash ‘ziohoneypotowned’ Patel looks like he shat his pants, as his rictus grin evaporated and he did a panicky side eye to the left of the Don – was it Vance or some other AIPAC enforcer he flicked a look to – when The Don said that Shelensky wants to go on the offensive and he (Don) would decide if he will let him do that!
Which basically publicly OWNS the ukropian folly for the US and it’s ‘National Interests’ as we have always known – represented by the owners and backers (Miriam and co).
So much for the Potus Pilate act of washing the US hands of its bloody crucifixion of the dumbed down banderists at the hands of their brother Slavic Russians.
That panicked glance by Patel of Empire says a lot!
‘ Ivan Katchanovski
@I_Katchanovski
10h
Trump admits his proxy war in Ukraine and that Zelensky is proxy: Trump says that Zelensky wants to launch offensive, and that Trump would determine if Zelensky would go on offensive after their talks.
Oct 15, 2025 · 8:33 PM UTC ‘
Posted by: DunGroanin | Oct 16 2025 7:20 utc | 77
@Posted by: Marvin | Oct 15 2025 17:27 utc | 3
CleeseThe funniest Python of the lot. Most underrated too.Maligned for being acerbically ‘non PC’. Unrewarded genius.
Posted by: DunGroanin | Oct 16 2025 7:28 utc | 78
How did this cease to be called the Ukraine Open Thread?
Posted by: joey_n | Oct 16 2025 7:32 utc | 79
Posted by: DunGroanin | Oct 16 2025 7:20 utc | 77
So much for the Potus Pilate act of washing the US hands of its bloody crucifixion of the dumbed down banderists at the hands of their brother Slavic Russians.
After some wild fluctuations, Fatman has settled into full Biden in his Ukraines policy. It didn’t take long.
Posted by: Johan Kaspar | Oct 16 2025 7:50 utc | 80
How did this cease to be called the Ukraine Open Thread?
Posted by: joey_n | Oct 16 2025 7:32 utc | 79
Probably because the fighting is not going in the way that gives any real hope to the Western war mongering PTB.
They are in a panic (regardless of the tomahawk threat) and have found some way to “lean on b”
Have to control the narrative ya know.
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Oct 16 2025 8:43 utc | 81
I suspect that if the collective West is foolish enough to go down this long range strike path (and it may well be), very few of these vaunted missiles will reach their intended targets.
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Oct 16 2025 6:12 utc | 73
Just one would potentially do!
Posted by: jpc | Oct 16 2025 9:03 utc | 82
The Telegraph, a London-based newspaper, described on 16 October “hundreds of young people” standing on Palace Square in Saint Petersburg during the wee hours of the early morning, chanting lyrics from Noize MC’s Cooperative Swan Lake , an outlawed antiwar song that calls for the overthrow of VVP.
Music by Noize MC, a pro-Ukrainian rapper, has become, according to the Telegraph, “an unofficial anthem for the growing disillusion and anger felt by young liberal Russians toward Putin’s regime,” with Cooperative Swan Lake in particular calling “for an end to Putin’s rule and condemning the apathy in Russian society towards the war in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea in 2014.”
- Earlier this year, a St Petersburg court ruled that the song amounted to “propaganda for violent change of the foundations of the constitutional order” and argued it was “harmful to minors” and to their “moral and ethical development”
- There have been reports of other public gatherings this summer in St Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, where bands and crowds of young people have sung anti-war songs together, often including more of Mr Alekseev’s work.
It’s notable during a 2-week period which has seen Helmer write about growing oligarchic unrest in response to VVP’s failure to match DJT’s social media taunts with taunts of his own, hinting in fact at the need to replace VVP in the Kremlin, to the gents on The Duran describing a restless public interview at the end of the CIS summit in Tajikistan, which turned disrespectful as a reporter badgered VVP w/ questions about “the Tomahawks,” something Mercouris portrayed as a distinct breach in decorum.
And then to open the pages of the The Telegraph and find that “hundreds of young people” are chanting forbidden lyrics on SPB’s Palace Square, including not only from Noize MC’s Cooperative Swan Lake but also his Yes Future-! in which he asks Russians “to imagine a future for the country that is free of Putin and his repressive regime”:
- “The weather will be great in St Petersburg! Someone good will end up in power; And everything will be fixed unexpectedly; The b——- will be punished – no one will get away with it.”
What strikes me, additionally, is how congruently this new 2025 anti-VVP mood (purportedly) among “hundreds of young people” echoes the tenets of the anti-VVP mood during the Navalny period, a protest movement also purportedly grass roots in origin, when hundreds of young people demanded that Russia become “a normal country.” What they meant by a normal country was one without VVP.
During the summer of 2019 throngs gathered on Pushkin Square every Saturday and spilled onto the main drag Tsversky, purportedly ordinary Muscovites protesting the fact that non-United Russia candidates had been kept off the ballot for the city’s upcoming mayoral race. An element had threaded its way into these demonstrations, however, as if a gain-of-function energy had been applied to the Saturday protests. In response, the Kremlin sent its siloviki, the state security force, akin to the National Guard in the U.S., to maintain peace—-helmeted and armored-up guards kitted out with Kevlar gloves. Naturally clashes happened.
I spent that summer in Moscow during the work-week, where I had consequential conversations w/ friends about the vibe there, what the mood was in the wake of the protests, and then headed to Gyrsuf on the Crimean peninsula for the weekend, where everything was copacetic.
We know so much more now than we did in 2019, for instance, about how elaborately the CIA groomed Navalny to be the regime-change successor to VVP and how patently infiltrated & captured civic organizations like Memorial and daily newspapers like Novaya Gazeta were by NGOs which had patiently prepared the ground for a color revolution ever since the Clinton years.
Navalny is gone. NGOs are gone. But old hands are stirring once more, this time from a distinctly disadvantaged place, because Russia’s Foreign Agent laws have thoroughly purged the public sphere of regime-change aficionados. And yet there’s Helmer. There’s The Duran. There’s The Telegraph-? They’re singing from the same song sheet.
A lot has happened for Russia since those Saturday protests on Pushkin Square. It is difficult to believe that anti-VVP messaging in 2025 would track so seamlessly along the same lines as anti-VVP messaging from back then. There’s a trapped in amber quality to it—as if those who wish to overthrow VVP merely shelved their messaging & agitation for a few years before picking it up once again, dusting it off, and positing it as new.
Just as the U.S. seems to want a ceasefire now, a Korean War-style frozen conflict, dormant for a time in eastern Ukraine, until an advantageous period when NATO has sufficiently restocked & reloaded a fig-leaf Ukraine to try it all again.
Not trying to mess w/ Noize MC’s musical cause, but anecdotally, I never met anyone in Russia who regretted The Return of Crimea to the motherland or disputed the need to do it. “наш,” is what they said.
Ours.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Oct 16 2025 9:52 utc | 83
from what Putin described in his interview about 2025 numbers I’m tempted to say the lace LOC allows for roughly half the exposed AFU. Less exposed, less killed or maimed, but part is compensated by increased desertion
The SMO continues to be run on a low (casualties) budget (it’s a feature not a bug)
Increased mercs can fill some gaps, but I’d expect AFU to sustain even a gossamer line of contact .
nato is running out of options, getting hard, 1415 casualties is neither high or low but AFU lost another SAM
Posted by: Newbie | Oct 16 2025 10:09 utc | 84
Posted by: Michael J | Oct 16 2025 2:15 utc | 69
Ukraine running out of options. Either a ceasefire on Russian terms or a provocation so big like massive attack on Moscow using western arms and tech and hoping for a Russian response outside Ukraine whereby NATO article 5 comes into play.
Russia just issued a reminder that Trump has not responded to the proposal Putin gave Trump in Alaska. Could this reminder be a final effort ??
<=Ukraine’s plight is so bad, and Europe is so disorganized, The USA is shut down for lack of budget, Putin may be ready to take on an Article 5 NATO.. sink the UK, eliminate all of the western weapons located near to Russia in whatever country they are located in and strike the guts of the western war machine in one go.. its a good bet either way how the West would respond.. I keep remembering in 2022, Putin said, “if war is inevitable it is important to strike first”.
I also think it is possible Putin will initiate the above at the same time that Iran is being attacked.. Putin can play with non nuclear weapons, the west can only respond with destroy the world nuclear.
My bet is China would join with Russia if the west responds with military action.
Posted by: snake | Oct 16 2025 10:13 utc | 85
The Trump/Europoodle/UK clown show is now more or less irrelevant. If Putin wants to respond to the provocations he needs merely to impose counter-sanctions. Looks as if he’d have popular support for that.
Many reasons why he hasn’t done that so far. One is that he doesn’t want failed states on his Western borders. Bad things come out of Europe when it’s in a mess. In any case the EU/UK is sanctioning itself without him needing to help.
He’ll demilitarise and denazify remnant Ukraine – going to be interesting to see how that’s done – and then he and Lavrov will go off and play with their Brics venture. That’s where their heart is, seems.
.
Posted by: English Outsider | Oct 16 2025 10:41 utc | 86
A more exact title for this thread should be “US proxy war in Europe”.
For what I’m understanding , 404 could have been burned to the ground already , it’s population decimated and it’s farmland salted that the US won’t let go with this conflict.Never.
War is the continuation of politic by other means… until those means are lacking. EU is gonna pay as long as it can. Then what ? Pillage Venezuela to continue funding this war ?
Posted by: Savonarole | Oct 16 2025 10:57 utc | 87
Just one would potentially do!
Posted by: jpc | Oct 16 2025 9:03 utc | 82
Yeah, and for that one missile to cause real damage it would have to be a nuke. If so then the Western PTB are grossly more foolish than I actually think they are. They are certainly deluded and stupid,but not yet suicidal- I hope.
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Oct 16 2025 11:00 utc | 88
steel_porcupine,
In your experience- is there anything in today’s Russian such as “a song with forbidden lyrics ?”
Posted by: exile | Oct 16 2025 11:36 utc | 89
Re: Posted by: MiniMO @ 58 & 62
“What began as an assertion of independence from Western hegemony has devolved into a pattern of reactive accommodation. The handshake in Moscow between Putin and Julani will be remembered as the moment when the promise of a multipolar order began to lose its substance — one pragmatic compromise at a time.”
You’re spot-on!
Glad to know that a few insightful discerning minds like you, unbeclouded by Trumpism or Putinism syndrome drops their frank thoughts here and elsewhere for posterity sake. You know, to save our world from an imminent WW3 these INCONVENIENT TRUTH must be told, however it hurts or pains anyone!
THE CRUX OF THE MATTER is the ability to promptly and adequately respond to any breach of either expressed or implied REDLINES as captured by this sage:
“He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral. Why? Because anger looks to the good of justice. And if you can live amid injustice without anger, you are immoral as well as unjust.” — Thomas Aquinas
We know that the three Cs of Deterrence i.e. capability, credibility, and communication are components that must be interdependent in practice if adversaries are to rethink and detour. The missing link in all of Putin’s commendable efforts to restore Russia’s hitherto lost prominent global standing is real DETERRENCE not just in policy but in actions/reactions to geopolitical moves of other global peer-power centers and or their proxies. Moreso in wartime versus an alliance of 50+ calculated at ‘dismembering Russia beyond resurrection’.
Alexander Dugin rightly pointed out that: “Each of Putin’s speeches is the next series, … develops his philosophy gradually and in each speech continues the theme of the previous ones….” ( eadaily.com/en/news/2025/10/06/dugin-putin-is-a-tv-series-and-trump-is-a-meme ). However, (RUSSIA’s) Putin’s consistency in communicating deterrence is in stark contrast to his actual conducts while (US) Donald Trumps inconsistency (strategic ambiguity policy) masks US deterrence power globally.
Hence, in principle, consistency in communicating one’s military capabilities and consistency in telling the truth about distorted historical facts of geopolitical provocations will over time earn credibility , but at the very point of encountering the real complexities of existential threats, only capabilities executed realtime truly deters. Simply put – action speaks louder than words!
The post WW2 US/West deterrence and world domineering posture, albeit bullying or policing, contrary to the UN Charter, repugnant and offensive to humanity, unfortunately survived until recently not by complacency or bluffing as in today’s Russia posture but by real ‘action’. Even the present North Korean and Israeli scenarios exemplify true (practical) deterrence beyond just policy. It remains indisputable that the US-NATO warmongering axis have refrained from hitting North Korea beyond military exercises and sanctions for no other reason than their conviction that Pyongyang will swifly act at the slightest breach of any of their redlines. Same applies to the State of Israel. Aside their historical leverage over Washington, the State of Israel have never toyed with their deterrence capabilities against real or perceived existential threats around them. Their history in this regard ought to have left nobody in doubt that the 2- year genocide in Gaza paused about one week ago was to happen immediately in response to that Hamas provocation (or staged false- flag). This clear deterrence posture accounts for why no country or alliance considered it attractive/worthwhile (unlike the case in Ukraine) to venture directly in military rescue of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza as the genocide lasted. Humanitarian aid, ICC and UN Security Council complaints were fringes resorted to by concerned states scared by Isreali deterrence posture. You should ask: why did NATO & now EU not limit themselves to fringe efforts to aid Ukraine but have incrementally breached many of Russia’s redlines todate to the point of triggering a direct war with Russia- the largest nuclear power on earth?
The answer lies in Russia’s current loss of deterrence posture as I repeat Thomas Aquinas above: “He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral. …And if you can live amid injustice without anger, you are immoral as well as unjust.
I insist: To save our world from an imminent WW3 these INCONVENIENT TRUTH must be told, however it hurts or pains anyone!
Posted by: cegnoveltyesq | Oct 16 2025 11:39 utc | 90
Posted by: Lesjeuxsontfaits | Oct 16 2025 6:28 utc | 74
Excellent post, thanks.
Posted by: canuk | Oct 16 2025 12:14 utc | 91
It’s so saddening to read RT’s new-found reporting of this describing that Headchopper now in fair terms Posted by: MiniMO | Oct 16 2025 0:13 utc | 58
Isn’t the headchopper Bibi’s plant? Isn’t RT Bibi’s plant? Isn’t Tass publishing official news from Israel but no other sources? That is the answer to questions about what is Russia doing in Syria or anything else they do or don’t do. I bet Bibi controls the Ukrainian exchange student too, and that boy has $10bn in his pants, an undisclosed religion and tweets all day long about how great Trumpy is but not about Putin.
Posted by: rk | Oct 16 2025 12:15 utc | 92
RE: Posted by: steel_porcupine | Oct 16 2025 9:52 utc | 83
Good post. As I recall, it wasn’t Hellmer that suggested Oligarchy “overthrow” it was Doctorov.
Hellmer’s account has more nuanced in the restlessness arena. Both appear to have sourced their information based on Solovetsky (?) and other public TV shows regarding public unrest and backlash of Putin/Trump “arrangements”, or really the U.S. insults.
I think the Oligarchy class is having it’s own internal conflict, where you have that Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev (amoung others) who is close to Putin via his daughter somehow, wholly “West” leaning, and other war hawk Oligarchy, possibly from the Communist Party, that are at odds as to the path for Russia. People don’t take into account, that even though Putin enjoys an 80% approval rating, United for Russia, is not the only political party in Russia, although largest. The fact that Putin enjoys this popularity, shows that Putin is at least “satisfying” the most pressing issues of all the parties.
What’s most obvious to me, is there appears (as you noted with the “song”) to be some internal surge of disruptions from external forces.
The recent: “Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Tuesday it had opened a criminal case against exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, accusing him of creating a “terrorist organization” and of plotting to violently seize power.”, didn’t just arise out of nowhere. This exile has hoisted himself in the UK , and is obviously stirring dissent or the FSB wouldn’t have bothered with this crack pot. Which again, does validate both Hellmer and Doctorov of some pushback going on.
Since both Hellmer & Doctorov in fact reside in Russia, and not Mercouris and others, it’s worthwhile to consider their viewpoints.
I, like others, don’t agree with Doctorov idea of “overthrow”, but here again, FSB just accused a Russian NGO of that tie for exactly that purpose, so it’s not “out there”… exaggerated threat perhaps, but a threat nonetheless.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/russia-charges-khodorkovsky-22-anti-084330621.html
“Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has charged exiled opposition leader Mikhail Khodorkovsky and 22 members of the Russian Anti-War Committee with “violent seizure of power” and “organizing or participating in a terrorist community,” the service announced on Oct. 14.”
Very recent filing. So, something was “afoot”. But probably always is stirring.
One last comment, regarding Doctorov that I didn’t hear addressed so far by any analyst, Slevoba included, was his root concern that he expressed clearly:
Primarily that the Tomahawks were not a”threat” to Russia, as Russia has all the info/data stats on these, via Syria, where used and other sources, his concern was the opening of a gateway of long-range weapons (i.e. Taurus/others?) that Russia has no “data/stats” for.
This is more the realm for his hysteria about a “strong, forceful, no-holds-barred” reaction that he felt Putin didn’t convey. I’m not defending Doctorov, he’s just another commentator to me, I don’t agree with his position. But see no reason not to analyze his information. I’d be interested in what others here at MOA think about his “gateway” theory. I’ve even heard idiot Trump makes those kind of passing remarks “yeah, we have “other” things, powerful things”… besides Tomahawks they could send.
In any event, I have noticed a distinct change from the initial blow off Putin gave about Tomahawks, to a more serious tone. Obviously, Tomahawks are an easy missile for Russia defense system.
Yea, Nuland cookies, US (f**k the EU) greedy resource drive, Regime change, strategic defeat, thing all there, but the UK has been above and beyond anything rational. The UK’s absolute fervent hatred of Russia and all things Russian, goes beyond the pale. Their 100 plus years of seething desire to conquer & subjugate Russia has no end in sight. And the reason why, beyond all logic or benefit to anyone, is why I believe we will see WW3 come out if this.
Posted by: Trubind1 | Oct 16 2025 12:17 utc | 93
@Posted by: Marvin | Oct 15 2025 17:27 utc | 3 “Cleese The funniest Python of the lot. Most underrated too.Maligned for being acerbically ‘non PC’. Unrewarded genius. ”
Posted by: DunGroanin | Oct 16 2025 7:28 utc | 78
Agreed 100%!!
Posted by: canuk | Oct 16 2025 12:24 utc | 94
yet there’s Helmer. There’s The Duran. There’s The Telegraph-? They’re singing from the same song sheet.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Oct 16 2025 9:52 utc | 83
Mercouris and Helmer are slippery commentators and I no longer trust them. Mercouris is in London and Christoforou is in Cyprus – which is divided into three – Greek speaking part, Turkish part and … the British sovereign territory where the rebels for Syria were trained.
Helmer gets too many things wrong, provenly.
Their general trend is to talk Putin down, having enhanced their credibility as pro-Putin. Also to talk up papers such as the Telegraph as “authoritative” – that’s a joke, really. That’s (was?) also B.Johnson’s paper.
Indeed their main newspaper references are anti-russian ones.. Advertising the wrong sources.
They’re a waste of time, though Christoforou’s videos are touristically speaking interesting… 🙂
Posted by: hh | Oct 16 2025 12:43 utc | 95
This is more the realm for his hysteria about a “strong, forceful, no-holds-barred” reaction that he felt Putin didn’t convey. I’m not defending Doctorov, he’s just another commentator to me, I don’t agree with his position. But see no reason not to analyze his information. I’d be interested in what others here at MOA think about his “gateway” theory. I’ve even heard idiot Trump makes those kind of passing remarks “yeah, we have “other” things, powerful things”… besides Tomahawks they could send.
In any event, I have noticed a distinct change from the initial blow off Putin gave about Tomahawks, to a more serious tone. Obviously, Tomahawks are an easy missile for Russia defense system.
Yea, Nuland cookies, US (f**k the EU) greedy resource drive, Regime change, strategic defeat, thing all there, but the UK has been above and beyond anything rational. The UK’s absolute fervent hatred of Russia and all things Russian, goes beyond the pale. Their 100 plus years of seething desire to conquer & subjugate Russia has no end in sight. And the reason why, beyond all logic or benefit to anyone, is why I believe we will see WW3 come out if this.
Posted by: Trubind1 | Oct 16 2025 12:17 utc | 93
—————–
Trouble is there is no gateway, Trump is full of shit as usual. The mundane fact is NATO has given what it can, in staggered fashion by necessity it didn’t work.
Plus Ukraine is now getting pasted worse than ever, it’s grid is hanging by a thread and can’t be fixed with pallets of cash. It’s too late for deep strikes to be effective, even if they worked. Which they wouldn’t.
As for the YooKay, the situation there is beyond f*cked their obsessive myopia is as much a prole distraction and butthurt over losing as anything. Thier actual military power is feeble & shrinking.
NATO military in general hasn’t expanded in three years, because they can’t mobilise. In fact they’ve shrunk & lost capability. That’s why WW3 is a meme, if it was going to happen it would have in 2022.
Posted by: Urban Fox | Oct 16 2025 12:54 utc | 96
Posted by: Lesjeuxsontfaits | Oct 16 2025 6:28 utc | 74
Thanks. Good comment.
I was wrong when I commented here that after the fall of Assad the Russians would be expelled from Syria.
They are still there and the new Syrian leader has paid a visit to Putin in Moscow, posing for friendly photos.
I guess I underestimated the Russians.
Posted by: Johan Kaspar | Oct 16 2025 13:01 utc | 97
Posted by: Urban Fox | Oct 16 2025 12:54 utc | 96
NATO military in general hasn’t expanded in three years, because they can’t mobilise. In fact they’ve shrunk & lost capability. That’s why WW3 is a meme, if it was going to happen it would have in 2022.
To say that NATO hasn’t expanded (Swedes and Finns were more de facto NATO than Ukraine was de facto NATO) is a bit of an understatement. NATO is shinking due to the loss of the Ukraines. And the Baltic statelets are next because of Kaliningrad.
Posted by: Johan Kaspar | Oct 16 2025 13:08 utc | 98
Yeah, and for that one missile to cause real damage it would have to be a nuke. If so then the Western PTB are grossly more foolish than I actually think they are. They are certainly deluded and stupid,but not yet suicidal- I hope.
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Oct 16 2025 11:00 utc | 88
There’s a level of gross irrationality within western decision making that worries me greatly.
These fucking idiots don’t realise that the ww2 variety nukes are fire crackers compared to the stuff available since the fifties and sixties.
On a conventional war scenario
There’s a complete lack of awareness of consequences due to the interdependent nature of economies.
They haven’t figured that out yet ffs.
Posted by: jpc | Oct 16 2025 13:26 utc | 99