In Case You Didn’t Know…
 
https://x.com/anatoliisharii/status/2025560244869296308
 
“Some Ukrainian brigades at the front are staffed at 30 percent or less. Therefore, a serious counteroffensive is impossible. In case you didn’t know.”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Feb 23 2026 4:25 utc | 103

Woke American @ 104: More…
 
Anatolii Sharii
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ1rQ-9PgUg
 
“Oddities on the front in recent weeks…”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Feb 23 2026 4:39 utc | 105

I thought that LD was a bot and That I was a subnormal, but this GM who promotes the propaganda against the facts is the best of the best in term of propaganda. And use the telegram to make the Russians bad.
 
In Russia, everyone is with Putin. In the hypothetical story that this gay is over all of the nazis gonna be very bad. Putin is a christian person whose purpose is evite a problem. All the people who think that the music deserve an Oreshnik, are not conscious that in the moment a Christian Putin go out  is the time the time when the Russian AFU gonna make, without tactical, a mess. 
 
Thank god , Putin is a Christian.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Posted by: ftprational | Feb 23 2026 6:00 utc | 107

Do you not understand that Putin is trying to make all those Ukrainians Russians ?
 
 
 

Posted by: ftprational | Feb 23 2026 6:06 utc | 109

In the Eyes of Truth Update 22.02.2026 Lights out for Zelensky. Its blackmail I tell you! Blackmail!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSp9PbUHKmI

Posted by: unimperator | Feb 23 2026 6:22 utc | 111

Alexander Mercouris: ‘Coup Rumors in Ukraine’
 
https://www.youtube.com/@AlexMercouris/videos
 
“Zelensky coup fears; Kiev crisis restarts; Moscow blames UK for Alexeyev hit; Strikes Kiev; Blackout.”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Feb 23 2026 6:39 utc | 113

Russia is at a crossroads.
In the short term, Russia needs to find a solution to the Flamingo threat to Votkinsk and other strategic defense industries located in the Ural regions that are now under threat of attack (a solid rocket motor production facility in Perm, for example.) Given the role played by Europe in designing, funding, and manufacturing the Flamingo, a response limited to striking targets inside Ukraine would achieve no fundamental change.
Quote from Scott Ritter Substack:Missiles would still be built, and these missiles would continue to be launched at strategic targets deep inside Russia.
If Europe is not deterred once and for all from delivering this kind of military assistance to Ukraine, then Russia will be at risk of dying a death by a thousand cuts.
But then there is the larger issue of what to do with Ukraine itself. Russia is currently engaged in a drawn out “peace” negotiation with Ukraine, overseen by the United States, which has now been exposed—thanks to the attack on Votkinsk—as little more than a cover for Ukraine to develop the military capacity to strike Russia’s strategic interior in an effort to pressure Russia into ending the conflict on terms less than those previously set forth by President Putin.
If the Russian-Ukrainian conflict ends on such terms, then Russia will have conceded the very thing it said was a red line back in December 2021—the deployment of NATO-affiliated intermediate-range missiles on the soil of Ukraine.
It will represent a strategic defeat for Russia in every sense of the term.—————————————————————————————-Here we see once again how misguided Vladimir Putin is.He continues to beg for negotiations.He wants Kushner (Trump) and Witkoff to “manage” the confiscated Russian state funds.He wants to do business with Trump / US in Russia, which could generate profits of up to $12 trillion for the US. That sounds like a sell-off of Russian resources.

Posted by: guest from franconia | Feb 23 2026 7:06 utc | 115

Posted by: GM | Feb 23 2026 0:52 utc | 79

And as usual, no links to sources. Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Feb 23 2026 0:46 utc | 75 Get fucked. Russian MoD posts the numbers of shot down drones and missiles several times a day. You can go to the Telegram page and check them: https://t.me/s/mod_russia Other Telegram channels have been watching the numbers too, and noticing with increasing, but helpless concern how they have been rising. But being the fucking incontinent imbecile that you are, two important facts will surely escape your attention, so let me spell them out for the retards: 1) Russian MoD switched to first reporting shot down “drones” (i.e. light cruise missiles) twice a day, then it moved to reporting several times a day. This is in purpose — if you say that 250 drones were shot down today, that sounds scary. But if you say that 90 were shot down from 9pm to 7am, then report another 3-4 chunks of 40 during the day, that has a much less dramatic effect 2) Russian MoD only reports on what was shot down. It is left to the regional governors to report on what was not. Very convenient. And also a perfect recipe for creating regional discontent with the center. Precisely what you want in an existential war, right?

russian MOD reports ( also ! ) a daily summary and a weekly summary ( the CISPO idiot simply leaves that out )–> reports downed guided aerial bombs, MLRS rockets , cruise missles and similar + aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles significant fluctuations — between over 2000 and under 1000 weekly if anything, the numbers are declining ( last time over 2000 was 15.08.2025 )

Posted by: ghiwen | Feb 23 2026 7:36 utc | 117

A Ukranian analyst was on BBC last week quoting 280000 Russians dead and it was confirmed with names of the dead.
Posted by: anon | Feb 23 2026 3:45 utc | 97

Can you tell the difference between Ukranian and Russian names?
This is as pathetic as Oryx quitting the visual verification game as soon as Ukraine started using tanks that werent the same as Russian tanks.
Try harder next time, you dont know where you are.
 

Posted by: eps | Feb 23 2026 8:42 utc | 119

Posted by: eps | Feb 23 2026 8:42 utc | 121
 
Oryx was reported to sometimes (=often) being mixing up AFU tanks and RUAF tanks. Obviously in the first 18 months of the conflict they were mostly using same tanks (T-55/T-64, T-72, T-80). Oryx also reported one tank hit or damaged sometimes 4 or even more times, as one tank was filmed from 4 or more angles and reported as 4 different tanks.
 
Oryx suddenly stopped reporting imminently after the failure of AFU 2023 counter-offensive started becoming obvious to everyone (except brain damaged western ‘journos’).

Posted by: unimperator | Feb 23 2026 9:33 utc | 121

Scott Ritter:
 

The Ukrainians struck Votkinsk.
 
They hit a metallurgical fabrication workshop. Votkinsk produces critical elements Russia’s strategic nuclear deterrence force. The intelligence that enabled this attack came from the CIA and MI-6.
 
Russia’s future is in its own hands. The ongoing US-brokered negotiations are simply a subterfuge to enable Ukraine to do the dirty work for Russia’s true enemies.
 
Stop negotiating with Ukraine. Eliminate Bankova. And put Europe on notice that next NATO-assisted attack on strategic Russian infrastructure will be the last.
 
The US withdrew from the INF and New START treaties. The US is building up its strategic nuclear capabilities while Ukraine destroys Russia’s.
 
It’s time for Russia to implement the Karaganov Doctrine. And to understand with Witkoff-Dmitriev economic cooperation fantasy is just cover for a hybrid war being waged by the US that seeks to develop a fifth column inside Russia the purpose of which is to collapse Russia from within. Votkinsk was attacked. Russia had better wake up. Or it may not be here tomorrow.
 

https://x.com/RealScottRitter/status/2025590060775604283

Posted by: unimperator | Feb 23 2026 10:10 utc | 123

Posted by: Avtonom | Feb 23 2026 10:01 utc | 124

Is Scott Ritter “polluting” too?

Posted by: GM | Feb 23 2026 10:22 utc | 125

Posted by: Jan Sobieski | Feb 23 2026 10:32 utc | 128
 
I agree changing the large Ukraine strategy because of this hit might be a bit hyperbole.
Nevertheless, the problem is EU/UK/CIA don’t have any limits what they can do from behind the Ukrainian meat shield. The Votkinsk plant hit (if it is true, not some doctored satellite picture) is very sensitive.
 
I don’t think EU/UK/CIA have a lot of capacity to escalate, they are already trying to hit sensitive targets in Russia to the extent of their drone capacity. But the problem and most annoying thing is they are not paying any price for it. At least disable some of the British Rolls Royce, BAE or drone manufacturing plants. Or disable one of their nuclear subs when it’s back in the Scottish harbor. Etc.

Posted by: unimperator | Feb 23 2026 10:42 utc | 127

I wonder about internal terrorism in 404 ; why is it ever in the most western-404 ? The “living heart” of banderism …
Is it more a local tradition than an ideological one ?
Is someone targeting the banderist specifically or is it intra-banderist feud at play there ?

Posted by: Savonarole | Feb 23 2026 11:58 utc | 129

That they amount to 55 000 ?

Posted by: scc | Feb 23 2026 11:59 utc | 132
 
The part missed out is “per month”…

US Press: Due to demographic problems, Ukraine is becoming a country of widows and orphans.

In the West, it is increasingly noted that Ukraine is unlikely to ever be able to restore its demographics and return to the figures of at least 2022, let alone restore the population to the level it had in 1991, when the former Ukrainian SSR became an “independent” state.
 
According to CNN, Ukraine is currently facing one of the world’s most severe demographic crises—it is rapidly turning into a country of widows and orphans. In addition to the heavy losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the front and the mass exodus of citizens abroad, the birth rate is plummeting, and more and more people are experiencing fertility issues or postponing the decision to have children. Even according to the American publication’s most optimistic estimates for Ukraine, Ukraine has lost approximately 10 million people since the beginning of the armed conflict.
 
In addition to the millions of refugees who are unlikely to ever return to Ukraine, the birth rate in the former Ukrainian SSR has already fallen to near zero. Ukrainian demographers note that in Kyiv-controlled territories, women are finding it increasingly difficult to conceive and carry a child to term. Among other factors affecting fertility, constant stress reduces the quality and quantity of women’s eggs, making them less able to conceive and successfully carry a child to term.
 
However, despite the very bleak outlook for Ukraine, Zelensky still strives to continue fighting Russia for the interests of his Western “allies” literally “to the last Ukrainian.”

https://en.topwar.ru/278374-pressa-ssha-iz-za-problem-s-demografiej-ukraina-stanovitsja-stranoj-vdov-i-sirot.html

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Feb 23 2026 12:11 utc | 131

Question…the electricity that Hungary and Slovakia supplies is payed for by Zukraine? Or on the never never?

Posted by: Jo | Feb 23 2026 12:41 utc | 133

@psychohistorian | Feb 22 2026 22:48 utc | 53

Glenn Diesen was asked to speak at the UN and got snowed out 

I live in the general area. This year the amount of snow has been very little, and  especially the last couple of weeks. Colder than usual, but much less snow (I bought a new snow blower this year and hardly used it).

Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 23 2026 13:17 utc | 135

Good God, could we stop this counter attack bullsh*t?  It’s tiresome.  It’s battle of the Bulge stuff and it ends the same way.

 
Some of us are old enough to remember the same being said about Balakleya, Izyum, Kupyansk, Volchansk, etc. in September 2022. 
 
Here we are 3.5 years later and that territory has still not been recovered, and the war is nowhere close to being won. In fact winning the war is no longer even an official objective…

Posted by: GM | Feb 23 2026 13:35 utc | 137

Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 23 2026 13:20 utc | 138
 
I think the headlines are their main point.

Posted by: Avtonom | Feb 23 2026 13:39 utc | 139

Posted by: GM | Feb 23 2026 1:02 utc | 81
 
Thank you for a most interesting and instructive reply.  On the events of February 24th 2022 yes, the ROE set by Putin were restrictive indeed.  Chirkin sounds almost indignant about it.  “This isn’t how were we taught  to do war in my day!” was his response.  And the resultant spike in Russian casualties was marked.  With those restrictions on returning fire, and given a fast moving series of incursions, those heavy casualties were the inevitable consequence.  
 
But that initial Blitzkrieg style attack did the job.  It averted the risk of invasion of the Donbass.  Destroyed the Ukrainian army, or so it is claimed, as a coherent fighting force.  (you might have more information on that.)  Gave the Russians a strong negotiating position in the peace negotiations that were running concurrently.  Positioned the Russian/LDNR forces where they needed to be for the coming years.
 
Couple of point there you might want to comment on.
 
 1, If they were realists I doubt the Russians put much hope in those early peace negotiations.  We do have to accept, though this is a site run by an expert  military analyst and there are valuable comments here from those who follow the fighting closely, that the military side of the conflict was a sideshow. 
 
Military defeat, that is, defeat on the battlefield for Ukraine and therefore NATO, was inevitable just as soon as the opening missile salvo was loosed off.  The sanctions war was the main event and in those early days the Western politicians still believed that the sanctions war was there to be won.  Given that from their point of view victory over Russia was assured, why would the Western politicians concede a peace?  And the ultras had the whip hand in Ukraine itself so the Ukrainians didn’t take much persuading to keep fighting.
 
So we do have to set the military conflict in the context of that sanctions war.  They were a good try, those peace negotiations.  They also gave the Russians much needed Brownie points with the Global South.  But I doubt the Russian General Staff paid much heed to them.  The  General Staff would have known they were in for the long haul and that opening Blitzkrieg offensive placed them just right for it.
 
2.  Always ignored is the part the LDNR forces played.  The Western cheerleader analysts – good examples are Kofman, Lee, the ISW –  always talk of the “Russian army”.  They ignore the fact that that army was by no means homogenous.  This further disables their analysis, in as far as that analysis wasn’t just cheerleading anyway.  I don’t see how those early days can be assessed unless we take account of the fact that the various components of the Russian and Allied forces on the LoC had markedly different strengths  and weaknesses that had to be taken into account by those responsible for allocating them their roles. 
 
In this connection, though it’s not really the same point, those Western analysts treat this war as if it were some board game, in which the perfect move is always expected and any deviation from the ideal is disaster.  That’s not how real war works.  “Shit happens”, the soldiers who’ve been in real action say.  It happens  inevitably, frequently, and often when it matters.  When it does happen the Western cheerleader analysts seize on it  as proof of failed strategy and portent of coming victory.  And the Russian milbloggers happily follow suit and cry “We are doomed!”  at every opportunity.   Or they used to.  They’ve settled down a bit now.
 
So most of the Western analysis and Western press commentary I’ve come across is superficial.  Sensationalised, unrealistic.   PR constructed, sometimes invented, for the purpose of keeping the Western electorates behind the team.  A retreat for the purpose of drawing the enemy into pre-registered fire becomes a famous victory for the other side.  The exploits of the “Ghost of Kiev” serve to draw our attention away from the real action.   A local setback or error becomes proof of general strategic incompetence.  That’s why, as said earlier,  we do need a root and branch reassessment of those early days of the SMO, uncontaminated by the PR “analysis” that we’ve been served up with in the West.
 
Those two points out of the way, and your comments on them would be welcome, we also need to get to the central question.  Why did the Russians attack Ukraine in the first place?
 
First step in the recovery of old empire?  Putin the monster felt like a bit of imperialism?  Last ditch attempt to roll back NATO expansion?  Or forced move.
 
I argue forced move.  A forced move deliberately provoked by us.  Provoked for the purpose of unleashing the sanctions war that was explicitly designed to severely weaken or fragment the RF.  I set out that argument in the first few “Outsider” comments here:-
 
https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/squaring-an-impossible-circle-of-peace-and-insecurity-in-ukraine
 
Rubbish or sound reasoning?  
 
It’s the central question, whether that Russian offensive was “provoked” or “unprovoked”.  We can’t look at any aspect of this conflict without settling that first.

Posted by: English Outsider | Feb 23 2026 13:53 utc | 141

Russia will not be defeated by drones anymore than Iran/Yemen will be conquered by bombing campaigns.
 
The inability to put boots on the ground is a critical limitation.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Feb 23 2026 13:59 utc | 143

I think that Ukraine is constantly escalating because they know that The collective west would soon attack Russia,m also with nuclear weapons.
Clearly, Ukraine can withstand everything and is afraid of nothing.

Posted by: Simon | Feb 23 2026 14:10 utc | 145

“Russia will aim its nuclear weapons at Estonia if NATO nukes are deployed there, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said, after the Baltic nation’s foreign minister stated that Tallinn would not be opposed to hosting nuclear weapons…”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Feb 23 2026 14:12 utc | 148
This is so weak statement form the Russia’s perspective…. With this, the West has won the war, Talin is so close to Russia’s big cities…. 
 

Posted by: Simon | Feb 23 2026 14:15 utc | 147

Posted by: Simon | Feb 23 2026 14:10 utc | 147
 
#####
 
Ukraine doesn’t actually exist except as an abstraction and proxy for NATO.
 
The economy is in shambles. Its demographic future is extinction. It is bankrupt and indebted to the hilt.
 
It has lost much of its most valuable land. Valuable for resources and industrial infrastructure.
 
They may lose Odessa soon, but right now, Odessa serves the purpose of funneling Western arms into missile range.
 
For the umpteenth time, Ukraine is dead. We keep talking about it like it is not, but when it dashed itself on Surovikin’s line, that was the beginning of the end, an end they have delayed (with help from the Russians), but an end nonetheless.
 
Nothing tangible or substantive has changed in Ukraine’s favor since this time last year.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Feb 23 2026 14:30 utc | 149

Putin Vows to Bolster Russia’s Nuclear Triad

Doesn’t matter if the other side knows you’re not going to use it.

“Russia will aim its nuclear weapons at Estonia if NATO nukes are deployed there, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said, after the Baltic nation’s foreign minister stated that Tallinn would not be opposed to hosting nuclear weapons…”

 
Pathetically weak response.
Nobody who will put nuclear weapons in Estonia cares about Estonia, it’s a fully disposable proxy.
The only adequate answer here is to make sure that there are no nuclear weapons in Estonia and no Estonia either, by kinetically removing the weapons from Estonia and then Estonia itself from the map.

Posted by: GM | Feb 23 2026 14:33 utc | 151

1) They go much further than Belgorod. Air raid alarms have been sounding in the whole space to the Urals
 
Posted by: GM | Feb 23 2026 14:33 utc | 154
 
####
 
And?
 
Countries collapse internally, not by drone strikes.
 
All these foreign strikes do is reinforce morale and government support.
 
F^&*king for virginity.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Feb 23 2026 14:40 utc | 153

Ukraine’s only effective strategy or weapon is national suicide.  Of course, that defines ‘effective’ or ‘victory’ as for the EU or Neo Cons weakening Russia, emphatically not the survival, much less prosperity of the Ukrainian nation.
Let’s repeat Ukraine’s goal – which is not victory – it’s ‘to the last Ukrainian’ – which is explicit suicide.  This means the Zelensky regime is the worst government on earth because no other government has the extinction of its people as a deliberate goal.  Not even North Korea. 
This also means that Ukraine’s goal is consistent with the goals of Russia because demilitarization, denazification and neutrality all arise with the extinction of Ukraine.  Counterattacks help towards those goals as does the treason of Zelensky and his friends who steal through corruption from the army and people of Ukraine.

Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 23 2026 14:47 utc | 155

Posted by: GM | Feb 23 2026 14:33 utc | 154

1) They go much further than Belgorod. Air raid alarms have been sounding in the whole space to the Urals

Links?

2) They are no longer “drone strikes”, but feature very heavy intermediate-range missiles too

Links?

3) … if this continues indefinitely.

And you don’t see a flaw there?

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Feb 23 2026 14:49 utc | 157

It’s the central question, whether that Russian offensive was “provoked” or “unprovoked”.  We can’t look at any aspect of this conflict without settling that first.
Posted by: English Outsider | Feb 23 2026 13:53 utc | 143
 
The historical record shows provocation for approximately 8-10 years before the Russians crossed the border.  Any honest  patron of the bar knows this IMO.

Posted by: Tannenhouser | Feb 23 2026 14:52 utc | 159

My recommendation is to sneak a Poseidon with max warhead up into Gare Loch where the Faslane sub coop is and have it just bury itself in the mud on the bottom of the loch and wait until the right moment. That right moment would be when there are three of sLimeystan’s nuke boomers in Faslane for gay R&R and Russia (with China’s help, if necessary) locates the fourth one out on patrol and destroys it. BOOM! Reduce global nuclear proliferation by one country all in one grand stroke.
Posted by: William Gruff | Feb 23 2026 14:19 utc | 150

 
There is only one SSBN on patrol usually anyway. The three others are there and on the surface. Zircons fired from a Russian ship or sub will do the job. Then the question is tailing the SSBN on patrol, which I suspect is in fact what Poseidons truly are for. 
 
But the real big problem here is decision making. Russian elites have real estate, children, wives and mistresses in the UK. Which are still there. And they value those much more than Votkinsk. So the UK is free to do whatever it wants, making a safe bit it will not be touched. 

Posted by: GM | Feb 23 2026 14:56 utc | 161

The attacks by Ukrainian forces in the Donbass citizens were increasing to the point where soon they would be worse than unbearable.
Posted by: juliania | Feb 23 2026 15:02 utc | 164
 

Oh, it was much worse than that. And it forced Putin’s hand. But not for the reasons most people would think about.
 
Оnce again it was all about protecting the existing Russian political system, not about protecting the Russian people. There is a very big difference.
 
The West had pumped the Ukrainian with weapons and hatred and had them ready to invade the LNR and DNR. The DNR and LNR were in turn about to begin evacuation towards Russia. That is when the SMO began, and it preempted the Ukro-NATO-Nazi attack.
 
Now what would have happened had there been no such preemption? The DNR and LRN would have been crushed, and four million people would have been either killed off (probably a few hundred thousands) or become refugees into Russia (the other several million). Which alone would have been a total catastrophe for Putin, because that would be extremely destabilizing internally, both because of having to take care of that many people, and because everybody would be calling for his head for having allowed this to happen, and rightfully so.
 
But that quite likely wasn’t the whole plan. I have not seen hard evidence for it in terms of leaked documented plans, but the claim has persisted and it is an absolutely logical thing to do anyway — the intention was to not just crush and massacre the Donbass but to continue into Rostov and possibly Voronezh too. With the Russian army totally unprepared, such an invasion could have gotten quite deep.
 
Now imagine how destabilizing that would have been for Putin.
 
So he launched the SMO, and maybe he thought that once that particular calamitous prospect was eliminated, the problem would somehow be solved and he could make another shitty Minsk-3 deal. Wrong. Because see my post above…

Posted by: GM | Feb 23 2026 15:13 utc | 163

https://cepa.org/article/how-to-fix-ukraines-people-shortage/
From a credible source:  as of 2024, Ukraine has the world’s lowest birthrate.
So, the extinction of Ukraine is not some wartime hyperbole. It’s a real outcome, baring a miracle.  Russia can wait them out because it has a larger population and  – a poor – but higher birthrate.  Russia can achieve its aims by pushing Ukraine towards extinction but Ukraine apologists keep rambling on about territory or other traditional measures of war. The majority (as polled) of Ukr refugees don’t want to return and are likely to feel that refusal more intensely as Ukraine loses electricity and infrastructure, lasting for years to come (as with the construction time of transformers).
I have not the slightest doubt that fanatics in Ukraine will insist on fighting even after abject defeat – which will further push them towards national suicide because male refugees will be all the more opposed to returning to ‘busification’ as a de facto death sentence.

Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 23 2026 15:23 utc | 165

Let’s test GM’s assumptions from 165
 
GM wrote regarding the 2022 Russian pre-emptive attack on Ukraine, “Now what would have happened had there been no such preemption? The DNR and LRN would have been crushed, and four million people would have been either killed off (probably a few hundred thousands) or become refugees into Russia (the other several million). Which alone would have been a total catastrophe for Putin, because that would be extremely destabilizing internally, both because of having to take care of that many people, and because everybody would be calling for his head for having allowed this to happen, and rightfully so.”
 
Let’s test the main assumption:  Four million ethnic Russians moving to Russia would destabilize Russia.  By “destabilize” GM means to weaken the government of Russia to the point it either became too weak to defend itself or the entire country descends into anarchy.
 
If tens of millions of Africans and Asians “refugees” moved to Germany, would it destabilize Germany?
If tens of millions of Africans and Asians “refugees” moved to France, would it destabilize France?
If tens of millions of Africans and Asians “refugees” moved to the UK, would it destabilize the UK?
Now do the same anaylsis for Ireland, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and Italy.
Now explain why four million Russians moving to Russia is worse for Russia than tens of millions of Africans and Asians moving to Germany, France, the UK, etc., is not a destabilizing event.
 
GM wrote, “Having to take care of that many people [four million Russians moving to Russia], and because everybody would be calling for his [Putin’s} head for having allowed this to happen [four million Russians moving to Russia], and rightfully so.”
 
Are the French calling for Macron’s head, the Brits calling for Starmer’s head, etc.,  because tens of millions of Africans and Asians have moved to their countries?  Even if the French and Brits called for their ruler’s heads, would anyone anywhere give a flat flying fuck? 
 
GM has two assumptions.  His two assumptions rest on one major assumption: Russia is completely different from any other country in Europe.  It has less social stability than France, Germany, the UK, etc.  Its people are more divided and on the brink of revolt than the people of France, Germany, the UK, etc.  Is this assumption correct?  Based on what?
 
It’s this sloppy and ridiculous excuse for reasoning that makes commenters like GM so pathetic.

Posted by: Nobody Special | Feb 23 2026 15:47 utc | 167

Posted by: Nobody Special | Feb 23 2026 15:47 utc | 169

 
False analogies completely divorced from the historical, both recent and deeper, context of the situation in Ukraine and Russia.

Posted by: GM | Feb 23 2026 15:52 utc | 169

Sorry, I messed with the pseudo (as –> scc)

Posted by: scc | Feb 23 2026 15:55 utc | 171

@ Nobody Special | Feb 23 2026 15:47 utc | 169
 
Yes, it’s strange how 4 million ethnic Russian people moving back to their motherland could possibly be seen as politically destabilising. It‘s a feeble premise on which to base an entire argument.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Feb 23 2026 16:10 utc | 173

“Prigozhin.”

Posted by: English Outsider | Feb 23 2026 16:18 utc | 175

@unimperator | Feb 23 2026 14:42 utc | 156
Orlow said Zelensky is a russian jew and hates Ukrainains. 
I am not disputing it I just like to illustrate Orlow’s very outgoing personality.

Posted by: petergrfstrm | Feb 23 2026 16:21 utc | 177

re malenkov | Feb 23 2026 16:22 utc | 180
 
Oops, posted to wrong thread. But J. R.-L. will know what it’s about.

Posted by: malenkov | Feb 23 2026 16:24 utc | 179

CNN finally admitted that Ukraine is a country of orphans and widows.
Posted by: Jason | Feb 22 2026 21:38 utc | 43
 
The “orphans” and their mothers sit comfy in Germany “wined and dined”.
( visiting home every couple of weeks )

Posted by: MAKK | Feb 23 2026 16:46 utc | 181

In response to
”
The “orphans” and their mothers sit comfy in Germany “wined and dined”.( visiting home every couple of weeks )
Posted by: MAKK | Feb 23 2026 16:46 utc | 183
”
 
There are a couple of “orphans” with new cars in my neighborhood [Corvallis, Oregon] and they have the yard signs showing their “support” from afar.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Feb 23 2026 17:00 utc | 183

I went looking and sure enough Slovakia has halted “emergency” energy going to Ukraine because Ukraine has stopped the flow of oil to them and Hungary through a line that has been damaged and repaired.
 
And the worm turns……..

Posted by: psychohistorian | Feb 23 2026 17:20 utc | 185

@ psychohistorian | Feb 23 2026 17:20 utc | 187
 
More proof that Fico, not Orbán, is the real deal.

Posted by: malenkov | Feb 23 2026 18:12 utc | 187

Western Ukrainians are generally irredeemable with their worship of all that is American and degenerate.
 
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Feb 23 2026 18:12 utc | 190

 
More to the point is their worship of themselves.

Posted by: malenkov | Feb 23 2026 18:14 utc | 189

malenkov | Feb 23 2026 16:22 utc | 180
Lemon, honey, and your favorite spirit. The lemon and honey are optional.
 
At last, some good advice !
 

Posted by: Sarlat La Canède | Feb 23 2026 18:36 utc | 191

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Feb 23 2026 1:40 utc | 89
 
This one is perhaps more agreeable. Calm and nice for a cold.
 
Jah Lion’s Colombia Colly

Posted by: Avtonom | Feb 23 2026 18:46 utc | 193

Gathering momentum:

In Nikolaev there was an explosion, seven policemen were injured

On Monday evening in Nikolaev there was an explosion in the territory of the out of use gas station. As a result, seven patrol police officers who parked their cars there were injured.
 

This is reported by RegioNews with reference to the head of the National Police Ivan Vygovsky.
 
According to him, two injured law enforcement officers are in serious condition.
 
“The enemy is deliberately trying to kill Ukrainian policemen, who are defending people and the state every day. We regard these events as a targeted attack on the system of law and order and destabilization of the situation inside the country, ” Vygovsky said.

https://regionews.ua/ukr/news/nikolaevshchina/1771868112-u-mikolaevi-stavsya-vibuh-postrazhdali-semero-politseyskih (via translation add-on.)

President Zelensky reported that the explosion in Mykolaiv is being investigated as a possible terrorist attack.

https://news-pravda.com/world/2026/02/23/2092015.html

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Feb 23 2026 19:17 utc | 195

The “ATO” aged like milk …

Posted by: Hiro Masamune | Feb 23 2026 20:13 utc | 198
 
It seems so, news of another incident is breaking:

In Dnipro, an explosion occurred in the regional police department

A powerful explosion occurred on the left bank of the Dnieper River
 

This is reported by RegioNews with reference to local telegram channels.
 
Emergency services are being sent to the scene. What exactly exploded is still unknown. Previously without victims.

https://regionews.ua/ukr/news/dnepropetrovshchina/1771874954-u-dnipri-stavsya-vibuh-u-rayviddili-politsiyi (via translation add-on.)

The second terrorist attack in one evening.

https://news-pravda.com/world/2026/02/23/2092298.html

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Feb 23 2026 21:00 utc | 197

Comments from today’s Military Channel report.
 
The US sent drones from Ukraine into Russia.  Many were decoys meant to deplete Russian AA missiles.  Even if they landed somewhere – that was not the point of it.  They also provide intelligence for the US on the state of the Russian AA defenses.  A strong drone and missile force was sent to take out a gas industrial facility which Russia used to send gas to Europe through the Friendship Pipeline.  The explosion shown was huge.  The US is working hard to make sure that Europe has no ability to get energy from Russia.
 
It appears that the forces that were counter attacking Kupiansk and Lyman have been removed from those areas (static areas, with smallish Russian gains), and all sent to their one big counter offensive a bit further south.  The US seems to have one nice counter offensive force, which is moved around as needed, sometimes in smaller groups.  US intelligence does its analysis and figures out the best targets for this force.  Previously it sent counter offensive forces to Kupiansk and Lyman, and got modest results.  Russia sent enough forces to stalemate both counter-offensives, so these forces were retreated from those fronts, leaving behind decent defensive forces, and sent the regrouped and rebuilt counter offensive force south for the current counter offensive.  The US claims they took some town, forget the name, but when I found where it was on the map it was pretty deep into what is now considered Russian held territory.
 
The strategy the US is using makes sense, seems competent, and definitely provides the US with media victory after media victory.  The overall trend is still that Russia is taking Ukrainian territory faster than they are losing it.  Meanwhile, the US focuses its media on the parts of the line where they are winning.
 
The US seems to be going all in on Ukrainian rare earths, mineral deposits, and farmlands.  The US is also attempting to get partial control of the energy of the ZNPP, especially if Russians are the ones paying operating expenses.  The other big goal for the US is to maintain European dependence on the US for its very existence.  Cutting off energy resources to Europe that are not controlled by the US is a high priority goal.  Finally, Zelensky is more an employee of the US than a representative of Ukraine.  His statements are very way more consistent with US goals than Ukrainian ones.

Posted by: Woke American | Feb 23 2026 21:36 utc | 199