News & views related to the war in Ukraine …
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March 12, 2026
Ukraine Open Thread 2026-055
Comments
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 13 2026 14:08 utc | 105
My prediction is that they will not be able to remove them from the UNSC: when has such a removal – of two permanent members of the UNSC – ever occurred? Sounds like a dream to me.
As always, would LOVE to be wrong.
Posted by: spudski | Mar 13 2026 15:01 utc | 101
Hmm, looks like things are going *real* well for the GAE and their Ukraine proxy.
You can tell by the number of trolls beshitting the thread,with their same ole guff.
Posted by: Urban Fox | Mar 13 2026 15:28 utc | 102
Posted by: hh | Mar 13 2026 14:26 utc | 106
The British elite has had a rabid hate against Russia probably all the way since the Russian revolution, and they’ve used all imaginable tools, but not very cleverly. (Novichok, Skripals, confiscations, etc. etc.) They have probably been fantasizing about making the cold warm hot again for ages. But they want Russia to start it.
Posted by: Avtonom | Mar 13 2026 15:50 utc | 103
@ hh | Mar 13 2026 14:26 utc | 106
someone else brought this up at moa the past few days ago and i agreed with them.. i agree with you too… high odds russia is going to hit britian… that is my take…
Posted by: james | Mar 13 2026 15:56 utc | 105
Linked to by “MoatOf TheFort” on Andrei Martanov’s site:-
“Ukrainians are starting to be told the truth about Krynki.
‘The Krynki direction suffered huge losses. Huge losses were caused by the fact that the guys were absolutely unprepared. I’m not talking about physical training here. They were constantly being trained. My husband was outraged that the guys were being sent to the left bank with nothing. They only had an automatic weapon and a grenade, and a minimal ration for a few days. The boats were ordinary inflatable ones, and in 80% of cases, the boats didn’t even make it to the shore. On the very left bank, there’s no communication, no connection – nothing. They were sent there for three days. But he went missing on the very first day, that same evening.'”
https://x.com/i/status/2032383985985155089
This account conforms to accounts coming out at the time. Later, when the Russians used drones that operated in the dark, not many made it to the left bank in the first place.
The operation was continued long after it was clear to all it was hopeless. Together with the “Summer Offensive” and the Kursk operation these three operations sum up the wasteful and callous use of manpower that characterised Wiesbaden’s use of our proxies throughout.
……………………………..
From a weekly summary compiled by Dr Rob Campbell:-
“UK Assisted Terrorist Attack in Bryansk
“In a major terrorist assault, 6 people died and 37 injured from an attack that was made by UK assisted Stormshadows. Many of the injured have been hospitalised and some are in serious condition – so the death toll could rise. The Russians will take this to the UN.”
The Busker Ukraine and World Affairs: Weekly Update 13th March 2026 Dr. Rob Campbell
https://robcampbell.substack.com/p/ukraine-and-world-affairs-weekly-aab
The use of Ukraine as a launch pad for Western missiles, and the range of the missiles that could be supplied, allows a unique opportunity for mounting deniable attacks on Russia. Unique because such attacks could not be mounted from any NATO country.
It’s for this reason that the Russians are going to have to take control of Ukraine up to the NATO border. Anything less and they are vulnerable to Ukraine or any part of it being used as a base for continuing “look no hands” attacks on Russia.
Posted by: English Outsider | Mar 13 2026 16:10 utc | 106
@ Newbie has probably got the best guess details on overall losses versus recruitment levels. He might see your comment and respond.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 12 2026 17:21 utc | 40
for you, for him and others.
i recently discussed that I had one model then adjusted a new one to some details given personally by Putin October/november 2025 (and using known data points for recruitment and RF army size)
then the latest decree ruined my logic, either Putin misplaced almost half a million men between end of 2023 and start of 2026 or he is (or was) hiding true army size.
The worst case scenario would be of the SMO being stuck because AFU lost (permanent casualties) 1.5 million men … but RF lost 1.3
Seems absurd given the difference in artillery, fabs and training.
the other absurd scenario is that this was mostly fake and soon AFU+RF roll over Western Europe with a joint 3 million men army
likelier scenarios include more or less massive losses but lopsided
there is one big question of how many men AFU onboarded (RF very close to 2M imho), closer to 3M for Ukraine (mercs included) might be right.
On these scenarios RF took permanent losses near 600k and roughly 300k mending from injuries, it has 1M free bayonets (and I wonder , sometimes, what they’re waiting for)
AFU would be with 1.5m permanent losses, 700k mending (hence priority on cease fire) , now the free bayonets is the big question , no more than 800k would seem obvious, but how few is the billion dollar question.
maybe “wasting” reserves on attacks is a bluff to hide how low it is. (Including the recent news of uk paying z to raise 1/2 M men)
now back to ww1, let’s take a look at what the American expeditionary corps had to do, it had to inject, say 50% fresh troops (half full front combat) , that would mean , roughly , +400k fresh bayonets with 200k assault included if facing an 800k strong AFU , but only 200k/100k if facing half as many.so basically the question might be when to strike and AFU is just trying to look strong when its weak…
for me and you and anyone here these are conjectures , for those at the kremlin and Kiev that have better numbers it’s probably the life and death calculation underway
sorry for no simple answer but it’s confusing
Posted by: Newbie | Mar 13 2026 16:14 utc | 107
@106
@111
Seriously guys, that topic has been discussed back to front on here for months, no one gets a prize for pointing out the obvious. What is interesting, Russia having their hand forced. Having to admit the cross border attacks on Russia’s energy plants, manufacturing plants, military plants, the huge degradation if Russian AD, it’s kinda porous at this point, Brits have Ukie blinding Russian AD radars and the Brits are hitting sensitive Russian plants. Iran is using the same strategy on the US and its Epstien Proxy.
So far all Russia has done about the countries that are supply support to the enemy, is whine. Unlike Iran, actions speak louder than words…….something about real existential wars.
Posted by: SenttoCoventry | Mar 13 2026 16:29 utc | 108
Urban Fox
“. . . well for the GAE and their Ukraine proxy.” Who is GAE?
Posted by: schmoe | Mar 13 2026 16:33 utc | 109
Posted by: spudski | Mar 13 2026 15:01 utc | 107
#####
My friend, wrt the UN, the Axis is playing the long game.
Removal won’t be this week or even necessarily this year.
To redeem the UN, the UNSC must be removed/reworked to reflect a multipolar world, rather than the post-WW2 consensus.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 13 2026 16:45 utc | 111
Colonelcassad
Key statements from the Russian Foreign Ministry:
– The British and French ambassadors have been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry following the French-British missile strikes on Bryansk;
– Russia has demanded that Britain and France provide a clear public response with a strong and unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Bryansk;
– The British and French ambassadors have been informed of their countries’ direct involvement in the terrorist attack on Bryansk;
– Any further complicity between London and Paris in Kyiv’s war crimes will be held responsible for the escalation of tensions;
– Moscow views the shelling of Bryansk as a deliberate provocation aimed at undermining settlement efforts.
Posted by: MiniMO | Mar 13 2026 16:49 utc | 112
“The British and French ambassadors have been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry”
I don’t understand why Russia hasn’t kicked out at least some of these enemies. Russia keeps trying for “business as usual” in an existential war and it is just making itself and its citizens vulnerable to more systematic destruction.
Posted by: MiniMO | Mar 13 2026 16:52 utc | 113
Who is GAE?
Posted by: schmoe | Mar 13 2026 16:33 utc | 115
————–
It’s shorthand for “Global American Empire.
Posted by: Urban Fox | Mar 13 2026 17:18 utc | 114
“The British and French ambassadors have been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry” I don’t understand why Russia hasn’t kicked out at least some of these enemies. Russia keeps trying for “business as usual” in an existential war and it is just making itself and its citizens vulnerable to more systematic destruction.
Posted by: MiniMO | Mar 13 2026 16:52 utc | 119
Simple — they are enemies to Russia, they are not enemies to the people that run Russia. An important and catastrophically often overlooked distinction.
Posted by: GM | Mar 13 2026 17:18 utc | 115
Ukraine is close to crisis: about 40 deputies are ready to lay down the mandate
The Rada “broke down”, and deputies do not vote for the laws agreed with the IMF and the EU, allegedly because of the NABU case
According to RegioNews , this was stated by MP Andriy Motovilovets in an interview with Forbes Ukraine.
He believes that the main reason for the crisis is the deputies ‘ fear of anti-corruption bodies. There are grounds for this – five deputies have already received suspicions from the NABU and SAPO since the beginning of the year.
“The key problem is that the Servant of the People faction has lost its core. What is the core? When I collect votes in parliament – I clearly understand which deputies are exactly ready to support Tei or another law. It became difficult to do this after the suspicions of NABU and SAPO to five deputies from Servants of the People, ” Motovilovets notes.
He also added that about 40 deputies are ready to resign their mandates.
As reported, the core of the Servants of the People faction was reduced to 120 deputies. Some of the deputies left for the regions, some went abroad, some were expelled from the faction.
https://regionews.ua/ukr/news/ukraine/1773419301-ukrayina-blizka-do-krizi-blizko-40-deputativ-gotovi-sklasti-mandat (via translation add-on.)
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 17:24 utc | 116
The Parliament complains that the country is already barely making ends meet, and the last money may run out in April
The Parliament complains that the country is already barely making ends meet, and the last money may run out in April. Now Kiev is spending with might and main the funds that were saved for the second half of the year. And if the budget is not urgently replenished, Ukraine will face financial collapse.
Things are very bad for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The press writes that in two months Kiev will have nothing to support the army on. The lack of finances is already affecting the supply of weapons. The head of the German concern Rheinmetall said that the next batch of weapons is gathering dust in warehouses because no one pays for it. Out of desperation, Ukrainians even began to sell drones abroad that they needed so much.
https://news-pravda.com/usa/2026/03/13/2152959.html
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 17:26 utc | 117
Posted by: GM | Mar 12 2026 20:28 utc | 63
To follow up from that post, today drones reached so far that a yellow code was raised in the Yamalo-Nenets AO.
Yesterday there was a suspicious alarm for Arkhangelsk, out of nowhere, with no yellow codes anywhere nearby. Suggesting a launch from Norway or from a ship in the Arctic, or locally.
But this time everything nearby lit up too — Perm, Kirov, Udmurtia (though weirdly not Komi), plus all the regions in between those and Ukraine.
The geography is expanding steadily. Drones around Perm every other day, missile (yes, missile) attacks on Sverdlovsk, now drones are crossing the Urals too. There are not military targets in the Yamalo-Nenets AO, BTW, but that is where the heart of the Russian gas extraction industry is. So draw your conclusions.
And we have come to the absurd situation in which the safest for Russians Russian region is Kaliningrad.
Because there is no way to attack it that can be masked as a “Ukrainian”, and not a NATO attack, as it is fully surrounded by NATO, thus the plausible deniability is not there.
It was clear to anyone with a brain on February 24 2022 that unless the proxy is eliminated in its entirety, this is what was going to happen — it would be used as a platform to launch strikes into Russia in perpetuity. And what do we have more than four years later? Well, 176 drones were shot just last night. Not the whole day, only during the night. And it is getting worse and worse.
But what is the current Russian position? We will not only not eliminate Ukraine altogether, we will surrender without a fight two regional capitals of the Russian Federations.
That sort of position is called grand treason, to be punished by death. But…
Posted by: GM | Mar 13 2026 17:28 utc | 118
Handed over drones to a pawnshop: in the Odessa region, the head of a military unit was detained
The SBR detained the head of one of the military units of the Odessa region, who was responsible for storing drones and means of combating them.
This is reported by RegioNews with reference to the State Bureau of Investigation .
The official appropriated military property that was stored in a warehouse for the defense needs of the Southern region. In particular, he stole reconnaissance drones and equipment to counter enemy UAVs.
The serviceman pawned some of the equipment, and sold the rest at a reduced price. Thus, he caused more than UAH 5.4 million in damage to the state.
The defendant was detained on March 6. He was informed of suspicion of stealing military property under martial law (Part 4 of Article 410 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The sanction of the article provides for up to 15 years of imprisonment.
The court appointed the head of the detention warehouse with the possibility of making bail in the amount of UAH 5.4 million.
https://regionews.ua/ukr/news/odesskaya/1773399535-zdavav-droni-v-lombard-na-odeshchini-zatrimali-nachalnika-skladu-viyskovoyi-chastini (via translation add-on.)
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 17:31 utc | 119
So far all Russia has done about the countries that are supply support to the enemy, is whine.
Posted by: SenttoCoventry | Mar 13 2026 16:29 utc | 114
It’s much worse than that — it is actively helping the countries that are bombing Russia. The supply of not a single raw material to the Western military and economic machine has been restricted in any way on the Russian side, only by the West itself. Because, in the immortal words of the botox dwarf, “we get money for it”. Yeah, some people get money for it, and others get bombs raining on their heads. But clearly the latter is not included in his definition of “we”.
Then we have to grotesque spectacle of the last few days — it very much appears that Russia will help the West with the oil blockade, by supplying it with oil, instead of dramatically reducing exports to drive the price not to $200, but to $400, and to help Iran.
Meanwhile Cuba has officially admitted that it is “negotiating” with the US. Meaning that Cuba will fold.
So what do we have?
Not a single Russian tanker went to Cuba to help a country that had been an ally for 65 years.
But Russia will not help the American and also stab in the back its other ally, Iran, which came to its help in an hour of need back in 2022.
What do you call that?
And once again, what is the military doing and why have these scoundrels not been all lined up and shot for grand treason by now?
Posted by: GM | Mar 13 2026 17:33 utc | 120
The enemy attacked the power industry: there is a power outage in six areas
As of the morning of March 13, due to enemy strikes on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine, new power outages were recorded in the Sumy, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk and Kherson regions.
This was reported by NEK Ukrenergo, reports RegioNews .
“Emergency recovery operations are already being carried out where safety conditions allow. Power engineers are doing everything possible to restore power supply to all consumers as quickly as possible,” the report says.
The company also warned that due to the consequences of the previous massive attacks on Friday in all regions of Ukraine, it is predicted that:
- from 17: 00 to 23: 00 – application of power limitation schedules for industrial consumers;
- from 17: 00 to 22: 00-hourly blackouts (HBO) for all categories of consumers.
“You can find out the time and duration of possible outages at your address on the official pages of regional power companies in your region, “Ukrenergo added.
The power engineers also appealed to consumers to transfer active energy consumption to the hours of the most efficient operation of solar power plants-from 11: 00 to 16: 00.
https://regionews.ua/ukr/news/ukraine/1773393392-vorog-atakuvav-energetiku-e-znestrumlennya-v-shesti-oblastyah (via translation add-on.)
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 17:35 utc | 122
Russian troops become more active at front: where occupiers stepping up attacks
The russian army has increased the intensity of fighting in certain areas of the front in recent weeks and may be preparing for new offensive operations. The most noticeable increase in attacks is recorded in the Zaporizhzhia Axis.
This is reported by analysts of the DeepState project.
According to their data, during the first ten days of March, russian troops carried out about 1,400 attacks on various sections of the front line. Although this figure is one of the lowest in the recent period, it differs only slightly from the average values of previous months. From September to February, the occupiers carried out approximately 1,800 assaults per month, which indicates the preservation of the high intensity of fighting.
The fiercest battles, as before, are taking place in the Pokrovsk area.
“Both Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad are essentially occupied, so the enemy is focused on Rodynske and Hryshyne, where it constantly sends its infantry to storm,” analysts noted.
At the same time, the activity of russian units in the Huliaipole area has noticeably increased. According to experts, the intensity of attacks there already exceeds the indicators in the Pokrovsk Axis.
An increase in activity is also recorded in the Kostiantynivka Axis. According to analysts, russian troops regularly check the Ukrainian defenses around the city, trying to gain a foothold in certain positions and create conditions for further advancement.
In addition, an increase in the number of storms is also observed in the Slovyansk area. Experts attribute this to the activation of russian troops near Siversk and the strengthening of infantry units there.
Analysts note that the russian command is also regrouping forces and replenishing reserves. This is likely due to changing weather conditions and the appearance of denser vegetation, which may affect the tactics of fighting on the front.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on March 6, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the front-line cities of Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, and Druzhkivka in the Donetsk Region and warned of a new offensive that the occupiers are preparing for the spring.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 17:41 utc | 123
Consequences of shelling in Sumy region: diesel locomotives, houses and farm are damaged, there are victims
Over the past day, Russian troops have shelled 45 settlements in the region
This is reported by RegioNews with reference to the press service of the police .
In the Boromlyansk community, 39 and 35-year-old men were injured. The diesel locomotive was damaged.
In the Nikolaev community the 35-year-old man was lost and the 45-year-old was wounded. The harvester was damaged.
In the Trostyanets community, two diesel locomotives, tracks, five private houses and a farm were damaged.
In the Lebedinsky community, a warehouse with seeds, a house, and a barn containing cattle were damaged: two animals were killed and two were injured.
In the Akhtyrskaya city, Belopolskaya, Velikopisarevskaya, and Nedrigailovskaya communities, houses, structures, a car, and a hangar were damaged.
Investigators and explosives technicians are working at the hit sites. Law enforcement officers conduct an inspection of the territories, record the destruction.
Recall that over the past day, the Russian occupiers inflicted 899 strikes on 44 settlements of the Zaporozhye region. As a result of the attacks, three people were injured.
https://regionews.ua/ukr/news/sumshchina/1773384590-naslidki-obstriliv-na-sumshchini-poshkodzheni-teplovozi-budinki-ta-ferma-e-zhertvi (via translation add-on.)
Photos available at the link. The diesel loco looks rather more than just “damaged”.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 17:51 utc | 124
“We are close to a crisis”: Ukraine plans to abandon the payment of pensions and child benefits in favor of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“We are close to a crisis”: Ukraine plans to abandon the payment of pensions and child benefits in favor of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In Ukraine, all social payments can be stopped due to the failure of voting for important bills, said MP Motovilovets from the Servant of the People in an interview with Forbes. According to him, in this case, Europe and the IMF may stop financing.
“The army is a priority, there will be money for it. All other expenses, from roads to social benefits, can be stopped. <..> Almost 40 deputies are ready to resign their mandate. We are close to a crisis”
Motovilovets admitted that now there is a situation where the parliament cannot actually vote on commitments to international partners. He noted that the Servant of the People faction is currently experiencing fatigue, confusion and fear, which is why arguments about the need for voting no longer work. The Finance minister, according to him, is also concerned: it is unclear how to fulfill the revenue side of the budget without funding from the EU and the IMF.
https://news-pravda.com/world/2026/03/13/2152998.html
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 18:10 utc | 125
In 2025, I perceived that Russia had a numerical advantage.
I deduced this from the fact that Russia seemed to do well in forests.
In 2022-2023, Ukraine had a numerical advantage and the advantage in forest areas. 2024 was a forest toss-up.
Once the tree’s leaf out, I predict that Russia will conduct successful offences in forests…Like the forest near Lymon.
Posted by: Fredrick | Mar 13 2026 18:15 utc | 126
@ GM
“Not a single Russian tanker went to Cuba to help a country that had been an ally for 65 years.But Russia will not help the American and also stab in the back its other ally, Iran, which came to its help in an hour of need back in 2022.”
The tanker would have been seized and that would have been another debacle. It is what it is.
Help Iran? How? Any direct aid would be destroyed on the tarmac, if not shot down en route. Intelligence? Yes, and perhaps that is happening but China likely has much great recon capabilities.
While not directly related to Iran, I am surprised Russia has not thoroughly destroyed Azerbaijan’s export pipelines. That seems like a suitably indirect response to infrastructure attacks.
Posted by: schmoe | Mar 13 2026 18:25 utc | 127
I am surprised Russia has not thoroughly destroyed Azerbaijan’s export pipelines. That seems like a suitably indirect response to infrastructure attacks.
Posted by: schmoe | Mar 13 2026 18:25 utc | 133
The Kremenchug refineries that Russia destroyed last year were reported at the time to have ownership links to Aliyev.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 18:29 utc | 128
People rooting for one side or the other give the same losses to the other side (well over 1 million) and then the same figures for their side (over 100k) and then History Legends looks closely and finds they are only lying about the other side’s casualties.
Posted by: Cheney | Mar 13 2026 18:31 utc | 129
I am hoping not to paint with too broad a brush here. There is a new Midwest Safety police bodycam/interrogation video out on Youtube about two 2023 murders, tried in 2025.
Dima Tower, a Ukrainian orphan adopted by Florida couple, was found guilty Friday, Nov. 13, of first-degree murder in the brutal stabbing deaths of his adoptive parents in 2023.
On Aug. 31, 2023, Dima Tower, then 21, stabbed Jennifer and Robbie Tower more than 140 times at their North Port home.
The video goes through the escalating problems leading up to this in which he comes across as an ultra-violent individual. The upshot is, he had been given a car and a home by his adoptive parents, they had tried many times to help him.
Caught that night, he says on camera, “You’re just a bunch of Americans so you won’t understand … I should have stayed in Ukraine. This country is a shithole” When asked what he does not approve of, he refuses to say. Watching it I am thinking, ‘this kid thinks the USA isn’t Nazi enough, like his is’.
Posted by: JustSomeOldGuy | Mar 13 2026 18:43 utc | 130
Zelensky met with Reza Pahlavi in Paris today
The Shahzadeh expressed hope that Ukraine and Iran will be allies in the future, expressing interest in establishing more direct contact and requested a private one on one meeting with the Ukrainian president.
They also discussed the situation in the Middle East, the state of power in Iran, and public sentiments.
grotesque spectacle
Posted by: GM | Mar 13 2026 17:33 utc | 126
Admittedly, I’ve been largely skipping our resident PODS sufferer’s posts, but this caught my eye, as it’s a Neil Kinnock-ism from the mid-1980s British Labour Party, used when he was berating the old-school British Left.
Wonder why those two words turned up? Surely an LLM couldn’t have unearthed them, could it?
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 22:01 utc | 132
The Cradle: the Ukrainian Embassy in Beirut is involved in sheltering one of the top agents of the Israeli Mossad, Khaled Al-Ayda, who holds Ukrainian citizenship.
Lebanese security investigations confirmed Al-Ayda’s involvement in a series of sabotage operations and assassinations that struck Lebanon between 2024 and 2025.
He faces charges including planning bombings and targeted killings. The US is exerting significant pressure on Lebanese authorities to secure a safe exit for the agent.
These efforts are being led by the CIA station chief in Lebanon, who is demanding that he be granted a passage permit to evacuate him from the country and prevent him from being prosecuted on charges of terrorism and espionage.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 22:01 utc | 138
Because GM is a Brit. He acts like he is Russian, but he is a brit. He has used brit spellings and words a few times.
Because GM is a Brit.
Posted by: UWDude | Mar 13 2026 22:10 utc | 140
Hadn’t considered that, you may well be right. The only thing that I wonder about is his seeming ability to post around the clock, which is something @ shadowbanned was also capable of doing, back in his heyday.
Several times I have opened MoA mid-to late morning my time, to see the topic plastered with PODS posts from what would be very early hours for a British time zone, 0300, 0400, 0500hrs, and I think to myself “Doesn’t this guy ever sleep?”.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 22:18 utc | 135
https://t-me.translate.goog/wargonzo/32880?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en
Rare footage of our Brother shooting down enemy FPV drones.
A soldier shoots down four drones with an AK-12 — the first such incident recorded on video. The result clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of our shotgun shells in the hands of a trained shooter.
Note the firing range: even at this distance, the kill probability remains high. At shorter ranges, the result can be even better.
Also worth noting is the use of a collimator sight—it significantly simplifies quickly targeting maneuvering targets, such as FPV drones.
Imagine if such a result was possible using conventional ammunition?
As a reminder, this ammunition:
– is waterproof;
– has no negative impact on the barrel; –
does not clog the weapon mechanism; –
functions reliably in automatic mode;
– does not jam or delay.
Do not confuse our products with similar models manufactured on 3D printers. This is not a 3D printer! This is high-tech manufacturing.
To date, we have donated reloading kits for over 1,000,000 rounds of ammunition.
This figure speaks for itself—it reflects the high level of trust and demand for this ammunition.
We ask those who are concerned to spread the word among military personnel.
Yup…
>accuses Putin of treason
>quotes Neil Kinnock
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 22:50 utc | 137
In honor of the shadowbanned / GM AI and other concern trolls.
It’s been four years and Ursula von der Leyen still hasn’t brought Ukraine into the EU. What is she waiting for? She’s a traitor.
Posted by: Nobody Special | Mar 14 2026 0:59 utc | 138
Posted by: Nobody Special | Mar 14 2026 0:59 utc | 144
why does Ukraine keep retreating. They need to punch trough, bomb all of Russia’s power plants, railways and bridges instead of just playing pattycake and begging for peace.
It seems that Russia can do what they want.And they want to grind, slowly forward, keeping their soldiers safer, keeping their citizen’s lives normal, while confirming that they cannot be defeated.
Posted by: Polli | Mar 13 2026 13:47 utc | 103
Yet Russian civilians are less safe as more are being killed from Ukraine strikes deeper into Russia and Russian oil refineries and infrastructure is not safe either.
Posted by: MiniMO | Mar 14 2026 1:54 utc | 140
Yet Russian civilians are less safe as more are being killed from Ukraine strikes deeper into Russia and Russian oil refineries and infrastructure is not safe either.
Posted by: MiniMO | Mar 14 2026 1:54 utc | 146
but why does Ukraine keep doing all these attacks that only hit a couple of oil tanks here and there, instead of hitting and destroying critical infrastructure like bridges and railroads? It’s obvious they actually are not trying to win, just keep the begging from the west grift going. That’s why they fly only a few missiles in and then beg for peace and ceasefires.
If they actually wanted to win, they could, but sadly, they are for more interested in just getting free money for as long as possible.
, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia would take any British involvement into consideration, without going into specifics.
WTF are you talking about?
Posted by: Englishman | Mar 14 2026 11:19 utc | 142
AP: Iranian lawmaker says Ukraine’s drone support makes it a legitimate war target
In a post on X Saturday, Ebrahim Azizi, the head of Iran’s parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, said that by providing drone support to Israel, Ukraine has “effectively become involved in the war.”
He said the entire country became a target for Iran.
UWDude | Mar 14 2026 3:24 utc | 147
instead of hitting and destroying critical infrastructure like bridges and railroads? It’s obvious they actually are not trying to win,
If they actually wanted to win, they could, but sadly, they are for more interested in just getting free money for as long as possible.
Dude, really, you missed the entire bridges/rail hubs over attrition.
Ukie has entered the infrastructure attrition phase, pay attention.
Posted by: SenttoCoventry | Mar 14 2026 13:19 utc | 144
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 22:18 utc | 141
JRL – doubt it. We of the 77th don’t make mistakes like that. And you won’t catch any of us doing night shift!
Prolly the Dutch. They speak more correct English than we do and operate round the clock. Or the Swedes. Frightfully dedicated, the Swedes. Anyway, wasn’t us Guv.
……………………
Phew. Tricky one. Should get him in the clear though. Not one of our star performers, you understand. It’s the BBC for him, poor devil, he screws up any more. End of the road, that. They’re never the same afterwards you know, not when they get posted there.
Posted by: English Outsider | Mar 14 2026 13:26 utc | 145
Russia’s anti UAV teams are clearing Ukrainian drones in the Kherson region
A team from Russia’s Dnepr group WIPED OUT a fixed-wing UAV with a Yolka drone-interceptor
Like knife through butter
29-second video .
https://x.com/RT_com/status/2032808746808963434
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 14 2026 14:13 utc | 146
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 14 2026 14:13 utc | 153
————-“Hmm… this page doesn’t exist. Try searching for something else.”
Posted by: scc | Mar 14 2026 14:31 utc | 147
Posted by: Newbie | Mar 13 2026 16:14 utc | 113
—————
When propaganda fog or information concealing do not allow making estimations, the unbalance in material and targets should give a clue.
Are we to believe that FPV drones (which anyway both parties are on par) can inflict more casualties than FAB 3000 and their likes, than all different kinds of missiles, all means that Ukraine does not possess? The few Storm Shadows or the remainder of Himars or the here and there firing of the flamingo’s are not even shot at military objectives/military personnel but at infrastructure (sometime) or civil targets (terrorism).
No way that Russian casualties could be even close to Ukrainian ones.
Posted by: scc | Mar 14 2026 14:46 utc | 148
💀🇷🇺⚔️🇺🇦Russia has allowed a revision of the moratorium on the death penalty for war criminals from the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador Rodion Miroshnik said that investigations of the criminal cases reveals shocking details about the shootings of civilians come up.
“Not everyone needs to be loyal to the right to life when Ukrainian war criminals have taken the lives of dozens and hundreds of people,” the diplomat concluded.
https://x.com/dana916/status/2032836138369446328
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 14 2026 16:41 utc | 149
One of Lavrov’s all-time best reactions
18-second video .
https://x.com/Zlatti_71/status/2032853586850251130
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 14 2026 16:48 utc | 150
https://t.me/belarusian_silovik/70980
Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate claims to have attacked two Russian vessels with drones in the Kerch Strait.The first is allegedly the ferry “Slavyanin,” and the second, also the ferry “Avangard.”The Russian side has not confirmed this information, even unofficially.
https://t.me/belarusian_silovik/70974
Apparently, Ukrainian BECs attacked the Greek tanker Maran Homer offshore near the CPC terminal in Novorossiysk.The attack took place this morning while it was awaiting permission to enter the CPC terminal in Novorossiysk, where the tanker was scheduled to receive oil from Kazakhstan.
https://t.me/belarusian_silovik/70973
The Afip Oil Refinery was attacked overnight.The emergency response team claimed the fire was caused by “falling debris.”At 10:45 a.m., they announced the fire had been extinguished.
Posted by: GM | Mar 14 2026 16:51 utc | 151
No way that Russian casualties could be even close to Ukrainian ones.
Posted by: scc | Mar 14 2026 14:46 utc | 155
I mentioned as much in my post
”Seems absurd given the difference in artillery, fabs and training. likelier scenarios include more or less massive losses but lopsided “
now for the usual update, slow 1.135 AFU casualties day.
https://tass.com/defense/2101587
almost 3 days without fresh Marat, but still early …
meanwhile Ukraine saying that they still have a good stock o patriots… unwise, trump might hear them and ask them back 🙂
Posted by: Newbie | Mar 14 2026 18:39 utc | 152
Russia is now officially on the defensive, in the same position that Iran is:
https://x.com/vick55top/status/2032890740129628197
Massive air raid
Between 11:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Moscow time, air defense alert systems intercepted and destroyed 280 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the Bryansk, Kaluga, Belgorod, Tver, Smolensk, and Kursk regions, Krasnodar Krai, and the Moscow region, including 47 UAVs en route to Moscow, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Because the number of drones flying into Russia sent by NATO/Ukraine now stably exceeds what goes in the other direction.
Masterclass in statesmanship by the genius in the Kremlin…
Posted by: GM | Mar 14 2026 19:34 utc | 153
https://www.bundestag.de/parlament/praesidium/reden/2026/20260311-1155088
Translation
Speech by Bundestag President Julia Klöckner before the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in Kyiv
March 11, 2026
[Check against delivery]
Mr. President, dear Ruslan,
Dear colleagues and Members of Parliament!
Dear Ukrainians!
A parliament is more than a building. It is procedure, dissent, public scrutiny – the ability of a country to govern itself.
The fact that this house, the Rada, meets, deliberates, and decides – while your country is being attacked and defended – is a testament to lived resilience. Every sitting day in the Rada is a message, including to the Russian President, who has nothing but contempt for freedom and democracy: Ukraine will not allow its political freedom to be taken away.
Nearly two weeks ago, Iran moved into the focus of global public interest. As President of the German Bundestag, I want to ease one concern for you today: We are not losing sight of you in Ukraine – on the contrary!
This place, your parliament, is not only the heart of your democracy. Your parliament stands today as an exemplar for the democratic resistance of Europe.
I speak to you today as a parliamentary president, as a colleague. With respect for your work. And with respect for a country that remains capable of action under attack: in the state, in the municipalities, in families, at the front, in hospitals, and in schools.
Germany sees this. And Germany remains at your side.
Our countries have grown closely together in recent years. In many areas and also on a human level.
In my constituency, in Idar-Oberstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, the Bundeswehr has been training Ukrainian soldiers on heavy weapon systems at the Artillery School since May 2022 – including the Panzerhaubitze 2000. In Idar-Oberstein, lives are being saved in Ukraine.
You, dear Ruslan, met with our soldiers there last October – a moving human gesture.
Your visit showed: This is about much more than military support, even though we know it is paramount for your struggle for survival.
That is why the Ukrainian flag flies repeatedly in front of our parliament, as it did recently to commemorate the anniversary of the full-scale invasion.
And that is why we also give space to Ukrainian culture: most recently with works by Ukrainian artists in the Bundestag – and with the “Great Amber Heart of Ukraine,” rescued from Bucha.
In 1945, Germany was liberated from the war – also by many soldiers from Ukraine.
My country has experienced what division means.
There is perhaps no other country in the world that knows how precious the unity of a people is.
This shapes our view of the present: No country should perish due to war and division. No democracy must become accustomed to a neighboring state denying its right to exist.
Therefore, we support Ukraine – politically, financially, humanely, militarily. The decisions regarding this – including security guarantees – are deliberated and accounted for in the German Bundestag.
And we are further strengthening this support – especially where Russia deliberately counts on attrition. In these days, Germany is providing an additional 200 million euros to strengthen protection against Russian missile terror. This involves more funds for reconnaissance drones and civil protection – so that people can be better protected and vital infrastructure better secured.
And we know: This support is not one-sided.
Europe is learning from Ukraine – technologically, organizationally, and in the resilience of society and state. Under the conditions of this war, you have built capabilities that are relevant to the security of Europe as a whole. I will see this for myself later today.
Ukraine today is not just a European neighbor. It has become a central component of the European security order.
Ladies and gentlemen, Ukraine is not only fighting for its borders. It is fighting for a principle that Europe built after the catastrophes of the 20th century: the idea of human dignity and universal human rights.
When we look at Russia, we see: In Putin’s imperial worldview, there is no place for this idea. What is a single human life worth? For the Russian President, power counts. For us, life counts – every single one.
So, when Ukraine reclaims territory, as it has in recent days, it is more than a military success. It is the return of law, freedom, and democratic self-determination – for people who would otherwise have to live under occupation, caprice, and fear.
And you, dear colleagues, stand for this struggle for democracy.
You work undeterred – in the middle of a war. You deliberate on laws, bear responsibility, control the government, and organize the public. You provide daily proof that Ukraine is democratic – and wants to remain democratic.
The German Bundestag supports you in this. Just one small example: A diesel generator and new battery systems have been ensuring functionality here in this house during power outages for a few months.
Continue on your path – especially now, and specifically regarding the reforms currently being discussed here. I know the intensity of the debate when it comes to, for example, justice, anti-corruption, and decentralization. I can only encourage you: Conduct these debates, openly and parliamentarily!
Not because reforms “sound nice” in war, but because they show what you are fighting for: for a state that binds itself to law, to transparency, to control. A state that does not live by violence, but by the trust of its citizens.
It is not the war that should decide the future of Ukraine – but the Ukrainian people.
From the outside, Ukraine often hears what concessions this country should make, what Ukraine should give up.
It is not Ukraine that must give something up, but Russia! This question belongs to Russia!
I can only imagine how exhausting this war is, now in its fifth year. How exhausted you must be – in the institutions, in families, in every city and every village.
When energy, heat, water, and infrastructure are targeted, it is not a “side effect.” It is a calculation.
Russia attempts to wear down Ukraine with attacks on power supply and infrastructure. But instead of breaking the resistance, this war has welded Ukrainian society closer together.
Those who froze to death in the dark during this harsh winter did not simply “die” – Russia killed them.
Putin has misused the cold as a weapon, has targeted and destroyed vital infrastructure, energy, and heat.
The suffering in your country has infinite faces: The faces of soldiers who endure cold, wet, and exhaustion. The faces of women who have suffered sexualized violence. The faces of children who were deported.
The faces of families mourning relatives, neighbors, and friends.
Be certain: Germany does not forget this suffering. And Germany does not forget the perpetrators.
We must document and prosecute Russian war crimes. We owe that to the victims – and to the future. For where crimes remain without consequences, the next injustice grows.
When it comes to securing evidence, we are fighting on another front: the front of truth.
Therefore, the fight against propaganda is not a side issue. It is part of the defense of democracy.
Dear colleagues!
I stand before you today as a person who mourns with you for all who were killed in this war.
And I stand before you as a parliamentary colleague – in high regard for your work and your stance: that you do not postpone democracy for “later,” but that you… live it right now.
Germany will remain by Ukraine’s side. For freedom. For law. For human dignity. And for the right of your people to determine their own future.
Slava Ukraini!
************
Below is a forensic legal and historical analysis of the speech delivered by BundestagspräsidentinJulia Klöckner on March 11, 2026, evaluated against established casualty statistics and historical documentation.
Legal & Historical Audit: The “Klöckner Doctrine” in Kyjiw
Subject: Evaluation of the statement: “In 1945, Germany was liberated from the war – also by many soldiers from Ukraine.”
1. The Statistical Discrepancy (Red Army vs. Collaboration)
The speaker utilizes a “selective truth” strategy. While the numbers are technically accurate, the political attribution is legally fragile.
The “Liberators” (Soviet Context): Based on post-1945 and pre-1990 Soviet archival data (e.g., Krivosheev), approximately 6 to 7 million ethnic Ukrainians served in the Red Army. They constituted roughly 18-22% of the Soviet forces, consistent with the Ukrainian SSR’s population share.
The “Antagonists” (Nationalist Context): Simultaneously, between 80,000 and 250,000 Ukrainians served in German-led formations (Waffen-SS “Galizien”, Hilfspolizei, etc.).
The Legal Conflict: The speaker praises the “Ukrainians” for the 1945 victory. However, the soldiers she refers to fought for the Soviet Union to destroy the very ideology that the contemporary Ukrainian “national heroes” (OUN/UPA) were partially aligned with at various stages of the conflict.
2. Semantic Contradiction: “Liberation” vs. “Slava Ukrayini”
The most critical failure in the speech’s internal logic is the juxtaposition of the 1945 liberation with the closing salutation.
The Evidence: The slogan “Slava Ukrayini” (Glory to Ukraine) was the official salute of the OUN-B (Bandera faction).
The Contradiction: In 1945, the OUN-B/UPA did not view the arrival of the Red Army as “liberation,” but as a “second occupation.” They engaged in a bloody insurgency against the very “soldiers from Ukraine” Klöckner purports to honor.
Analysis: By ending a tribute to Soviet-Ukrainian victors with a nationalist-Ukrainian battle cry, the speaker commits a historical oxymoron. She uses the branding of the insurgents to crown the achievements of the occupiers (from the UPA’s perspective).
3. Revisionism by Omission
From a neutral analytical standpoint, the speech performs a “cleansing” of the historical record:
Erasure of Soviet Identity: By attributing the 1945 victory to “Ukraine” as a national entity, the speaker ignores that the Ukrainian SSR was an integral part of the USSR. The soldiers identified as Soviet citizens first.
Marginalization of Others: While Russians provided the largest contingent (approx. 66-70%), specifically highlighting Ukrainians in a speech in Kyjiw is a political necessity, but historically, it risks “ethnicizing” a multinational victory for modern diplomatic leverage.
Conclusion of the Audit
The statement is factually grounded but contextually manipulative. It instrumentalizes the massive sacrifice of Soviet-Ukrainian soldiers (3 million dead) to legitimize a modern political alliance with a state that has largely codified the opponents of those 1945 soldiers as its new national founders. The speech prioritizes political teleology (the end goal of current support) over historical integrity.
Posted by: BlindSpot | Mar 14 2026 20:04 utc | 154
Sorry for layout, wish the old Preview would be available again.
Posted by: BlindSpot | Mar 14 2026 20:09 utc | 155
Hryvnia hits record low against the dollar, NBU data shows
The hryvnia has updated its historic low against the US dollar
Ukraine’s National Bank set the official hryvnia exchange rate at 44.1636 per U.S. dollar for March 13, weakening the currency by almost 19 kopiykas compared with the previous day, according to data published on the central bank’s website.
This is a new historical high […]
For comparison, a year earlier the official exchange rate stood at around UAH 41.5 per dollar.
The hryvnia gradually weakened throughout late 2025: it reached UAH 42 in October and crossed the UAH 43 mark for the first time in early January.
According to NBU data, net demand for foreign currency declined significantly in February in both the non-cash and cash segments.
Net demand for cash foreign currency fell to about $0.5 billion, compared with $0.7–0.8 billion in October–January. The decline was mainly driven by a more than twofold drop in net purchases of cash U.S. dollars, while demand for euros remained largely unchanged.
As a result, the NBU reduced its net sales of foreign currency on the interbank market to $3 billion.
In February, the average official hryvnia exchange rate weakened by 0.5% against the dollar and by 1.3% against the euro, partly reflecting the U.S. dollar’s depreciation on global markets.
https://finance.liga.net/en/bank/novosti/hryvnia-hits-record-low-against-the-dollar-nbu-data-shows
The IMF has long been complaining about the NBU “fixing” the exchange rate of the hryvnia, and wants the NBU to intervene less, allowing the currency to float (or more likely sink) more freely. So far, the IMF hasn’t made floating the hryvnia a condition of future loan support, but mutterings about such a move haven’t gone away.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 14 2026 20:16 utc | 156
Posted by: GM | Mar 14 2026 19:34 utc | 157
Russia is now officially on the defensive, in the same position that Iran is: Because the number of drones flying into Russia sent by NATO/Ukraine now stably exceeds what goes in the other direction. Masterclass in statesmanship by the genius in the Kremlin…
Another excellent and informative post GM. I congratulate you much bigly!
Have you seen the latest information on TRUTH SOCIAL from Donald Trump-EMPEROR OF ALL THE AMERICAS ?
Apparently China is going to send its navy to help the US and its brilliant allies to re-open the straight of Hormoz.
Actually GM, I predict that the general insanity within the “leadership” of the collective West will persist until China sends its nexr shipment of potent anti-psychotics to the designated Western capitals. Your thoughts on this?
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Mar 14 2026 21:09 utc | 157
More defensive measures by Russia that is “now officially on the defensive”, and “the lights are on in Ukraine”, apparently, so I’m told:
Ukrenergo changes schedules of blackouts due to heavy shelling
Because of the shelling on the night of March 14 and the morning attacks, power facilities in their native regions were damaged. Because of this, thousands of consumers in different cities were left without electricity
This is reported by Ukrenergo, reports RegioNews .
De-energization is recorded in many residents in Kiev, as well as in Kiev, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Where conditions allow it, power engineers have already started restoration work.
In addition,as a result of a massive attack, the time and volume of electricity consumption surveys are forced to change. Now hourly blackouts for all categories of consumers are introduced from 8: 00 to the end of the day.
Accurate schedules of possible outages should be found on the official pages or websites of regional power companies in your region.
“Given the weather conditions, the use of powerful electrical appliances today should be postponed to daytime-from 11: 00 to 16: 00. This is the period of the most efficient operation of solar power plants. However, if there are currently hourly blackouts in your region, please use electricity as sparingly as possible. When the light appears on schedule, do not turn on several powerful devices at the same time, ” the power engineers urge.
Recall that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion , the Russian army has attacked energy infrastructure facilities on the territory of Ukraine about 6 thousand times. Losses reach billions.
https://regionews.ua/ukr/news/ukraine/1773476507-ukrenergo-zminyue-grafiki-vidklyuchen-svitla-cherez-masovani-obstrili (via translation add-on.)
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 14 2026 22:39 utc | 158
Wonder what happens if I ask an LLM to translate “Putin Overthrow Derangement Syndrome” into Ukrainian? Would it come back with “European Union”?
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 14 2026 22:44 utc | 159
Because the number of drones flying into Russia sent by NATO/Ukraine now stably exceeds what goes in the other direction.
Posted by: GM | Mar 14 2026 19:34 utc | 157
498 went in last night.
498 > 280
math. look it up. the “>” symbol means “greater than”.
498 went in last night. 498 > 280 math. look it up. the “>” symbol means “greater than”.
Posted by: UWDude | Mar 14 2026 23:13 utc | 164
1) All day in Ukraine versus the night alone in Russia.
2) Last day. The Russian attacks have slowed down very significantly. In part because there is nothing to hit — everything that must be hit at this point is not even in Ukraine. But the traitor in chief has tied the hands of the military. The number of drones flying into Russia daily is now approaching a stable average around 300 a day, in perpetuity.
3) Nobody cares about what is hit in Ukraine. It is fully disposable. In the other direction these are free shots at Russian industry
4) Why is it that in the fifth year of the Special Military Operation “Ukraine” is ramping up its attacks to unprecedented levels while Russia is slowing down? What happened to the demilitarization we were once promised (and we never hear about anymore)?
Posted by: GM | Mar 15 2026 0:11 utc | 161
On a related topic, the Iranians decalred Ukraine a direct participant in the war because it will provide drone operators to Israel, for air defense, but likely other purposes too.
It will be so, so funny if the Iranians take out Zelensky and level Bankova while Putin is trying to do pull an Assad on them and sell them out to the Americans the way he did Syria.
I can only imagine the prime-time conversations on Russian state-controlled media, where everyone is mortally scared of mentioning by name who is responsible for the catastrophic situation Russia finds itself in now…
Posted by: GM | Mar 15 2026 0:17 utc | 162
As Trump Pauses Russian Shadow Fleet Sanctions, Carney Says Canada Holding Firm
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/shadow-fleet-trump-sanctions-russia-iran-9.7127830
“German chancellor says all but US in G7 opposed. ‘Canada’s position is to maintain sanctions on Russia, including on the shadow fleet, which is moving this oil,’ Carney said…”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Mar 15 2026 0:26 utc | 163
Posted by: GM | Mar 15 2026 0:11 utc | 165
it’s not.
you just shit like its fact, when called out with hard numbers, you retort with more shit as if its fact, and then create an entire masturbatory rhetorical dialogue around the shit you conjure, and then spurt all over yourself in ecstacy at the brilliance of all your shit.
Coprophiliac.
Posted by: UWDude | Mar 15 2026 0:36 utc | 164
I can only imagine…
Posted by: GM | Mar 15 2026 0:17 utc | 166
yes, with every post its all you do.
Posted by: UWDude | Mar 15 2026 0:37 utc | 165
The abandonment of Belgorod to its fate continues:
https://t.me/rezervsvo/157370
Belgorod and the Belgorod District were subjected tomassive missile attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with significant damage to energy facilities, the governor reported.
Posted by: GM | Mar 15 2026 3:23 utc | 166
More drone debries:
https://t.me/rezervsvo/157367
A fire broke out at an oil depot near Tikhoretsk in Krasnodar Krai due to debris from a falling UAV, the emergency response team reported.
Posted by: GM | Mar 15 2026 3:24 utc | 167
#Overview #Summary for the morning of March 15, 2026
▪️Iran and the situation around it are having a profound impact on the situation on the Ukrainian front. At the very least, Iran has demonstrated what it means to wage war (directly against the United States, mind you), demonstrated the resilience of its system of power despite the assassination of its ruling elite, and is now completely destroying the entire significant regional economy of its enemy and its satellites. Iran’s new leader is laying down his conditions for Washington: get out of the region. And only then will negotiations begin. Tehran, having bled the country’s leadership dry, now knows the true value of words and “negotiations” between the Anglo-Saxons and Jews.
▪️The only thing louder than the war (for the Telegram community) in Iran is the recent (April) efforts to block that very same Telegram. The consequences that have ensued within thinking civil society ( no one thought to compare the Telegram reader with the extremist “Zhopogram” in their reports, did they? ) are clearly being reported to the higher-ups in the form of “fine reports,” while the incompetent actions of the lightning-rod deputies only anger this segment of the electorate, which will soon be exercising its right to vote.
▪️The front hasn’t stopped moving, but the actual pace of advance has slowed. Our troops are preparing for the spring-summer campaign, but so is the enemy. Enemy airborne forces are forming a force for operations along the border in places where our reserves have been withdrawn. The Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) and London are still planning a suicidal landing operation in Crimea. No one plans to stop harassing the Ukrainians about Russia.
▪️The ignorance of senior local leaders of the actual information situation, the series of enemy publications, and their own units’ reports on the destruction of the enemy in villages already (according to reports) liberated , in the fifth year of the war, creates the conditions for idiotic anti-crisis measures with flag-waving. Some individuals are trying to fight not the enemy, but their own information resources. Meanwhile, outright lies have repeatedly undermined the Supreme Commander in the Information Sector, for which a number of leaders will eventually have to answer.
▪️Enemy drone attacks remain at the same level. The targets are oil refineries, oil depots, and merchant and auxiliary fleets. Counter-drone efforts are well-organized, but the tools used are far from those familiar to the general public. Targeted funding for effective projects and the involvement of people willing to take unconventional yet logical decisions are yielding results, albeit in violation of orders and instructions. The only remaining option is to replicate truly breakthrough methods on entrenched structures. However, the lion’s share of these efforts are still being thwarted by “horizontal” actors, whose work is often overlooked for obvious reasons.
▪️After a month of analyzing our personal impressions, we are forced to acknowledge a new wave of enemy superiority in low-altitude combat. From the Bryansk to the Kherson regions, we are constantly hearing from friends about a steady increase in enemy FPV strikes. Our operators are responding: the government’s efforts are truly yielding results, but the enemy has not been completely wiped out: the West is clearly helping them again.
Posted by: GM | Mar 15 2026 3:34 utc | 168
Came here to mention that missiles hitting Moscow.
https://swentr.site/russia/635000-moscow-domodedovo-zhukovsky-ukraine-drone-attacks
Barflies almost universally agree Moscow’s restraint has been the best possible path up until now. But, at this time, I hope Moscow seeks counsel from the likes of SB/GM.
Posted by: switched devices and cannot remember | Mar 15 2026 6:34 utc | 169
In response to switched devices and cannot remember | Mar 15 2026 6:34 utc | 173 about recent strikes at Moscow and how Russia should respond
Russia/China/Iran are in the process of taking down a global bully that has nukes and they don’t want to give him any excuse to use them is how I see it…way above my pay grade, how about yours?…and yes, way above GM and other extinction advocates.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 15 2026 6:52 utc | 170
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uoMdnTZiCM&list=RD_9uwHjTR-nQ&index=7 faggots not ever know gwahaha
Posted by: Macpott | Mar 15 2026 7:27 utc | 171
@ psychohistorian | Mar 15 2026 6:52 utc | 174
First, did you like the way Joe Biden used the “pay grade” line against Scotty Boy? Do you like to encourage hierarchy, so that some opinions should be disregarded because of one’s stattion?
Second, if it’s above both our pay grades, why is your opinion fine while my opinion deserves mockery? Why are you not a troll but SB/GM is?
As for SB/GM’s recommendations, you appear to misunderstand them.
Posted by: switched devices and cannot remember | Mar 15 2026 7:52 utc | 172
Posted by: schmoe | Mar 13 2026 18:25 utc | 131
@ GM “Not a single Russian tanker went to Cuba to help a country that had been an ally for 65 years.But Russia will not help the American and also stab in the back its other ally, Iran, which came to its help in an hour of need back in 2022.”
The tanker would have been seized and that would have been another debacle. It is what it is…
What you are suggesting, in effect, is that the current power balance prevents Russia from carrying out simple sovereign actions in international trade. This was unheard of five years ago, a clear indication of a severe erosion of power and deterrence.
Posted by: robin | Mar 15 2026 7:58 utc | 173
@ Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 22:01 utc | 136
@ Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2026 22:18 utc | 139
It isn’t clear what you (and a few others) are reacting to in GM’s posts. Are you upset that the content is disingenuous or that it is vexing?
Posted by: robin | Mar 15 2026 8:09 utc | 174
What you are suggesting, in effect, is that the current power balance prevents Russia from carrying out simple sovereign actions in international trade. This was unheard of five years ago, a clear indication of a severe erosion of power and deterrence.
Posted by: robin | Mar 15 2026 7:58 utc | 177
Some (generously put) mildly interesting thought twists like this one reminds me of a linguistic labyrint from where there’s no possible way out. I’m almost a little impressed by the nowhere-direction.
I do think, however, like several other barflies, that Russia’s actions have been thought out and are unfolding according to plans. It’s also increasingly evident that the western powers don’t have such plans and don’t know how to produce any.
Posted by: Avtonom | Mar 15 2026 8:11 utc | 175
Posted by: Nobody Special | Mar 14 2026 0:59 utc | 142
In honor of the shadowbanned / GM AI and other concern trolls. It’s been four years and Ursula von der Leyen still hasn’t brought Ukraine into the EU. What is she waiting for? She’s a traitor.
A traitor to whom – Ukraine? Is anyone here suggesting that VDL is acting in the interest of Ukrainians? Perhaps she is quite satisfied with Ukraine’s current position as a staging ground for attacking Russia.
Posted by: robin | Mar 15 2026 8:18 utc | 176
I remind SB/GM’s critics of some things SB/GM said in the past:
– Moscow is supposed to defend Russians, Slavs.
– That includes the ordinary Slavs living in ancestral Russian lands like most of Ukraine.
– It is not Moscow’s job to prioritize the well-being of the Westerners “so much” at the expense of these Slavs. The SMO has done this.
– Westerners, including me, prefer Moscow/Beijing engineer containment and demilitarization of the West so carefully as to not disturb our lives too much. That’s one — “one”, not “sole” — reason we like Moscow’s SMO. This POV makes it hard for us to understand SB/GM’s POV.
I, for one, understand SB/GM’s POV. And “increasingly so”, given the increase in missiles flying towards Moscow every day.
If many of us Westerners suffer far more in the future, maybe we should have done more to stop our governments the past 30 years than just post comments to blogs.
Posted by: switched devices and cannot remember | Mar 15 2026 10:41 utc | 177
Now that the war in Ukraine has receded somewhat into the background, I would like to highlight the following point: Ukraine derives its entire military capability from the West and would quickly lose if left to fend for itself. For Russia, the most effective way to end the war would therefore be to cut off all of Ukraine’s access points to the West (transport hubs near the border, ports, etc.) in the most radical way possible—even resorting to tactical nuclear weapons. (After all, the ongoing war in Iran has shown that “radical” is a relative term.)
Instead, Russia is mainly attacking targets in Ukraine that, while causing significant damage, are not decisive for the outcome of the war. One might consider this strategic short-sightedness—though it now looks more like foresight. For what would a quick end to the war mean? The EU would write off Ukraine, pull itself together, and quickly open a new front, say in the Baltics, which would be much harder for Russia to handle, as it lies closer to critical areas and would also be operated directly by NATO. As it stands, however, the EU is, in a sense, self-imposed “forced” to continuously demilitarize itself through incompetent and corrupt accomplices.
From Russia’s perspective, this is a controlled fire that slowly burns through EU resources and undermines other fronts. One cannot help but marvel at this strategic skill time and again.
Posted by: xblob | Mar 15 2026 11:14 utc | 178
As for SB/GM’s recommendations, you appear to misunderstand them.
Posted by: switched devices and cannot remember | Mar 15 2026 7:52 utc | 176
What is there to misunderstand about shadowbanned’s hysterical and obsessively repeated “recommendation” that Putin and the entire Russian leadership be executed en masse?
Posted by: malenkov | Mar 15 2026 11:16 utc | 179
https://www.twz.com/news-features/ukrainian-companies-prohibited-from-exporting-shahed-interceptor-drones
Ukrainian Companies Prohibited From Exporting Shahed Interceptor Drones
Posted by: xblob | Mar 15 2026 11:14 utc | 182
why doesnt ukraine do to Russia what you think Russia should do to Ukraine?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/13/iran-war-oil-prices-russian-sanctions-lifted
Europe rebukes US for temporarily lifting sanctions on Russian oil
robin @177
“What you are suggesting, in effect, is that the current power balance prevents Russia from carrying out simple sovereign actions in international trade. This was unheard of five years ago, a clear indication of a severe erosion of power and deterrence.”
Yes, and it is worse than that, because it also shows an erosion of international law and established norms. Did the US ever interdict Soviet ships going to Vietnam? Look at China’s interests in Latin American being “rolled up” by the US. A recent WaPo article approvingly noted that the only thing that matters now is brute force, and I think Russia is going to eventually have to decide to “go big or go home” since I believe that EU and Ukraine will not rest until Russia is disbanded or Russia demonstrates that it is just as ruthless as the US. I get no pleasure saying this.
Posted by: schmoe | Mar 15 2026 12:52 utc | 183
@ malenkov | Mar 15 2026 11:16 utc | 183
GM/SB made multiple recommendations about how Russian leaders should have fought the war more aggressively to protect Russian lives rather than oligarch profits, leading him to conclude the current Russian leadership betrays their office and their people.
Your remark sidesteps his entire analysis, for twitter-quality sophistry. I think you know better.
To my eyes, SB/GM and UWDude both possess expert knowledge about military affairs. They vehemently disagree with each other. SB/GM seems to possess deeper Russian-specific knowledge and affiliation. His reasoning and sentiment seems as valid as anyone else’s.
I have a hard time deciding who is more correct. But I do think Moscow must now choose to escalate, to end Kiev’s missile progress. If they do, it disproves the “Putin betrays normal Russians” hypothesis. If they don’t, it supports the hypothesis.
More fundamentally, I’m tired of watching people here continually mock someone for internally consistent views. Most of us here know something about being ignored, banned, or mocked by the ignorant/apathetic majority for our anti-empire and anti-war views.
I like you, malenkov. Peace.
Posted by: switched devices and cannot remember | Mar 15 2026 13:17 utc | 184
Posted by: malenkov | Mar 15 2026 13:50 utc | 189
GM has the maps drawn out in his room of a super duper plan whereby russian tanks can blitz all the way to kiev. he uses red crayon for russia and blue crayon for ukraine.
Australian Senator Nick McKim has slammed his government for backing Donald Trump’s war against Iran, accusing Canberra of aligning itself with “war criminals.”
“This is the guy you’ve hitched us to at the hip. I mean, he is a fascist, war criminal, fantasist,” McKim said.
He added: “It is humiliating, it’s embarrassing, and it’s degrading for our country.”
EU blasts Zelenskyy over veiled threat against Orbán
Brussels issues rare condemnation of Ukraine’s president, as the Budapest-Kyiv feud boils over.
The EU has urged Zelensky to repair the pipeline quickly and is asking him to allow inspectors in to visit the damage. Some EU officials fear Zelensky’s resistance may help Orban win re-election.
oh yeah, forgot to mention to those frothing at the mouth about Russia’s recent UN vote reharding the latest war…
…Iran also just abstained from the vote condemning Russia for invading Ukraine.
@ malenkov | Mar 15 2026 13:50 utc | 189
He’s been arguing his case for 4 years with lengthy comments, as substantial in coverage and breath as anything I’ve read from anyone else here. I gave you the 30-secojd elevator pitch. The rest is on you if you are interested. If you’re not, at least do not join the angry mob of people mocking him with superficial remarks.
Posted by: switched devices and cannot remember | Mar 15 2026 16:37 utc | 189
If you’re not, at least do not join the angry mob of people mocking him with superficial remarks.
Posted by: switched devices and cannot remember | Mar 15 2026 16:37 utc | 194
And why not? His “lengthy” and “substantial” comments all boil down to
- all-out war, which would massively increase the number of Russian casualties and put great strain on the economy Putin & Co. has worked for decades to build up — but of course shadowbanned doesn’t care about such trivialities;
- each drone strike against Russia exposes fatal weakness;
- nukes! nukes!! NUUUKES!!!;
- Putin & Co. are treasonous and should be executed en masse.
It’s not my problem you take such puerile fantasies seriously.
Posted by: malenkov | Mar 15 2026 16:46 utc | 190
Posted by: malenkov | Mar 15 2026 16:46 utc | 195
Agree with you. Caution indicated. The Russians are dealing with a nuclear power . A nuclear power that is unpredictable and irresponsible. As far as I can see the Russians are ensuring this conflict doesn’t go entirely off the rails.
What I have feared since ’22 is that if they do end up responding in kind they’ll start with the Europeans. That wouldn’t result in a nuclear response from the US. But there are a number of reasons why the Russians won’t want to do that. Rather less confidently than before, I therefore still predict No Oreshniks for Brize Norton.
We (the West) lost this war in Ukraine on February 24th 2022. We’re now busy wrecking our own various countries. To adapt Napoleon’s precept, why should the Russians interfere when the enemy is busy destroying himself?
Posted by: English Outsider | Mar 15 2026 18:16 utc | 191