The russians can’t even complain about the west, not only drones, but they are getting hit by Ukraine-made missiles lol.
 
Which begs the question, is russian ISR is still so bad that after 4 years they can’t locate ukrainian missile factories?

Posted by: Digo | Apr 19 2026 15:13 utc | 4

@3 JRS
 
The Evil Rooskies (TM) have ironically poisoned USEUNATO with the SMO~equivalent of polonium and it is a joy to watch their slow death. 

Posted by: AleaJactaEst | Apr 19 2026 15:14 utc | 6

A couple of questions for all the trolls: do you support the dragooning of a reluctant population into the armed forces by violent enforcement? Would you like the opportunity to be part of the TCCs in your own countries, when the time comes?

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 19 2026 15:24 utc | 8

Budanov: Sending Ukrainians to the front is becoming increasingly difficult

https://en.topwar.ru/281269-budanov-otpravljat-ukraincev-na-front-stanovitsja-vse-slozhnee.html
 
An excerpt:

Mobilization remains the only option in Ukraine to maintain the strength of the Ukrainian Armed Forces despite heavy losses. Volunteers and contract soldiers are long gone; they actively volunteered for the fight during the initial period, and today, most of them have already been eliminated. As Ukrainian media outlets admit, the army is currently drafting anyone and everyone, regardless of illness or other factors.

Mobilising the mentally-ill, the addicted, the chronically-sick is not going to produce the effective fighting force needed to push the Russians out of Donbass or Crimea…

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 19 2026 15:46 utc | 10

Making a habit of submitting comments to dead threads.  “Imperator” picked out a useful Ritter interview (Diesen).
 

Scott Ritter: Russia Threatens Strike on Finland & Baltic States 
 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOLUsj50ZEE
 
 Posted by: unimperator | Apr 19 2026 11:31 utc | 125
 
 Ritter sets out the rational position for the Russians.  The Russians are fully aware that the EU/UK has been attacking them but they haven’t wanted to expand the conflict beyond the Ukrainian theatre.  But the signs are that the Russians are now finding the European attacks unacceptable.
 
 Ritter sees that a possible solution for the Russians lies in taking military action of some sort against the Europeans.  But that ignores the fact that the Russians have another course possible.  As said above they could impose counter-sanctions. 
 
 The Russians didn’t do that in ’22.  At that time counter-sanctions would have been decisive.  But the Russians are shifting their trade to non-Western countries.  They need to be seen as a reliable supplier and trading partner by those countries.  Using the energy weapon against Europe in ’22 would have led to those non-Western countries fearing that Russia might feel free to use the energy weapon against them.
 
 So the Russians continued honouring contracts with the EU when possible and continued to supply energy.   The position is now different.  The Europeans are, to the extent of their limited abilities, conducting open war against Russia.  Visibly so.  We may be sure that the non-Western diplomats and governments are fully aware of that.
 
 So in ’22 the Russians stopping supplies to Europe would have been seen as Russia throwing it’s weight around: using the energy weapon against Europe and thus branding itself as an untrustworthy supplier.  But in ’26 the non-Western countries will not see it like that.  They will see it as reasonable that the Russians should stop supplying a Europe that is at open war with them.
 
 There’s been a great shift in non-Western opinion of this conflict in any case.  At first, Russia taking over the territory of  another country didn’t go down well with most of them.  Say that set a precedent elsewhere!   All very well to say that the Russians were merely liberating an oppressed population   in the Donbass – but what if that reasoning were applied to Kashmir or to Chinese border territories?  Or to many African countries where the boundaries imposed on them at independence did not conform to the population mix on the ground?
 
 Hence the somewhat alarmed reaction of non-Western countries at the time to the Russian takeover of the Donbass and quite possibly of more.  But that was then.  Since that time the use the West was making of  Ukraine has become more evident.  And with events in Gaza the prestige and credibility of the West has in any case dropped like a stone.
 
  So the non-Western countries are now in effect saying to the Russians, sort out the mess in Ukraine as best you can.  We recognise it’s a special case and we’re not worried any more that you’ll use the energy weapon against us, or that border change there will encourage a drive for border change here.
 
 Ritter does not mention that possibility of Russian counter-sanctions.  But unless Ukraine collapses soon the Russians may have to impose them.  That does not of course rule out the possibility of Russian military action against Europe as well, though the Russians will be aware that that’s more likely to inflame European public opinion rather than sober it.  Ritter’s no fool and he points out that risk in the Diesen interview.
 
 I do wonder, however, at Ritter’s confident assertion that the Americans want shot of Ukraine.  How does that square with the Americans continuing to give Ukraine use of its ISR facilities and continuing to supply what arms it has left?  Even if the Europeans are now, according to Trump, paying for those arms, the US is still supplying them.  The US is still very much a party to the conflict.
 
  It’s true that the American President wants out.  He can see the writing on the wall for the Ukrainian venture.  But he’s more than happy to cause the Russians as much damage as he can in the process of getting out; and there’s the problem too that in the faction-ridden US administration, what the US President wants isn’t always what the US gets.
 
 
Posted by: English Outsider | Apr 19 2026 16:15 utc | 135

Posted by: English Outsider | Apr 19 2026 16:59 utc | 12

Ukraine and World Affairs: Weekly Update, 17th April 2026: May be Useful to Some:  (4) Ukraine and World Affairs: Weekly Update

Posted by: The Busker | Apr 19 2026 18:18 utc | 14

@13
They are expendable Hilfswillige to “reduce the risk of body bags for NATO countries”(Soros) soon to be replaced by migrants from the usual countries.

“In the longer term, Kiev has little hopes of recruiting migrant workers from more prosperous countries, but must turn rather to countries in the South Caucus, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. However, given the fact that Ukraine is “a mono-ethnic nation”, a polite paraphrase for Ukrainian nationalism, the promotion of worker migration could lead to substantial societal tensions.[6] Therefore the country will require “a massive mindset shift across all levels of society.””
https://www.german-foreign-policy.com/en/news/detail/9307

Posted by: p3t3r | Apr 19 2026 19:40 utc | 16

OK, AUH, we got your message, every one of us, you can leave now.

Posted by: Avtonom | Apr 19 2026 20:06 utc | 18

Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office alleges thousands of civilian casualties in Donbas since 2014 and announces genocide charges against Ukrainian officials.
Russian investigators stated that, beginning in April 2014, the accused and other officials ordered Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and affiliated formations to use artillery, missiles, aircraft, and other weapons against civilians in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics with the intent of genocide.
“As a result of Ukrainian punitive operations, nearly 5,000 civilians were killed, more than 18,500 were injured, and over 13,500 were wounded, including 1,275 minors,” the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office said.
The office also stated that more than 153,000 civilian infrastructure facilities were partially or completely destroyed, including residential buildings, schools, hospitals, social institutions, industrial and commercial enterprises, utilities, and cultural and religious sites.
 
Al Mayadeen , today.  Full article : https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/ukraine-killed-5-000-civilians-in-donbas-since-2014

Posted by: Red Star | Apr 19 2026 20:10 utc | 20

Death to America
Marg bar Âmrikâ
Marg bar Âmrikâ
Marg bar Âmrikâ

Posted by: All Under Heaven | Apr 19 2026 19:55 utc | 17
 
What, all of it? All the way from the Arctic Circle to Cape Horn? That does seem rather drastic, like burning down the entire street to cure a rat infestation in one house.
 
But I guess purity of thought is more important than practical actions and deliverable outcomes to some minds.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 19 2026 20:28 utc | 22

@24 
Should add with EU’s economy crashing and with that social wealth transfers inevitably declining, due to various different factors, including upcoming fuel and energy crisis, will form an ever more fertile soil to migrant uprisings.

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 19 2026 20:32 utc | 24

Population under Kiev control is just 26 million today. It grows at a net of 190,000 annually. 82,000 males. If Russia can maintain a harvesting rate of 261+ Ukrainian men a day, Russia is clearly winning.
 
A lucrative vulnerability of war crazy Europe is its financial and economic infrastructure. Cyber attacks can disrupt these but Russia has refrained so far. War must extend to Europe. Putin’s outdated strategies don’t always work. Far more aggression is needed.

Posted by: Jason | Apr 19 2026 20:38 utc | 26

As for this:

It grows at a net of 190,000 annually. 82,000 males

Posted by: Jason | Apr 19 2026 20:38 utc | 27
 
Could you please provide a link to your source? Because all I can find are Ukrainian sources bemoaning the population shrinkage.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 19 2026 20:52 utc | 28

Posted by: Avtonom | Apr 19 2026 20:09 utc | 20

The Americans have their own way of … thinking? 

Here’s one idea: The USA has a somewhat diverse set of elites. There are power factions, and occasionally we see divergences in policy. This is not (as you know) about Republican vs. Democrat parties but rather about neocons vs. realists, finance vs. other capital.
 
I’m writing all that because I’m not convinced there’s much of such factionalism anymore in EUrope. It used to exist. For example, German chancellors until at least Merkel were strong powers (or if you will: tools of) German industry. It’s not hidden: lobbying for German car industry needs in Brussels, insistence on North Stream (the one project that Merkel saw through throughout her entire career). Is there anything like that left? In any EUropean country? (If you have data, please share.) I file this under extreme vassalisation. This is not because of poor quality of EUreopan “leaders” but also why they’re there in the first place.

Posted by: Konami | Apr 19 2026 21:08 utc | 30

Beats me what the indigenous Amazonian peoples have done to offend @ All Under Heaven such that he calls for their death…

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 19 2026 21:18 utc | 32

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 19 2026 15:19 utc | 7
 
What this about tunnels?  Why do they need a tunnel?  Stuff just gets driven over the border or comes by train.    

Posted by: ed4 | Apr 19 2026 21:43 utc | 34

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 19 2026 21:26 utc | 34

Perhaps his post does not have the best of intentions…

That’s a very careful way of stating it 🙂 Let me explain why I write AUH = american exceptionalist. This is not a joke.
 
1. Let’s look at Jews. These are of high importance for two kinds of non-Jewish people: first, those who despise them. The classical nazis but Jew hate comes in many colors. The mainstream says “antisemitism” but the word has become unusable. Second, those who express their special love to Jews — philosemites. They really exist, German mainstream culture is full of them. At first glance, two entirely different camps. What unifies them? For all of them, Jews are exceptional.
 
2. Now the USA. Here, one camp consists of traditional exceptionalists, classically all from the USA but since 1945 they also hail from EU, Australia etc. I learned about “the shining city on the hill”, “God’s own country”, “the indispensible nation” from Obama but later found out it’s a long tradition. The other camp is nicely represented by AUH: he’s as “anti-American” as one could be. For either camp, the USA is exceptional, just with opposite signs.
 
Bonus observation: both pro-US and anti-US exceptionalists insist on saying “America” instead of “USA”. What about humans in Manitoba, Cuba, Bogota or Patagonia? Doesn’t matter!

Posted by: Konami | Apr 19 2026 21:54 utc | 36

Posted by: Konami | Apr 19 2026 21:54 utc | 37
no one on this planet thinks “death to america” means anything other than “death to the USA.” who thinks it means “death to Cuba”?
 
DEATH TO AMERICA
DEATH TO ISRAEL
DEATH TO ICE
DEATH TO IDF
DEATH TO MI6
DEATH TO THE FBI
GUILLOTINES FOR THE BOURGEOISIE
 
etc. etc. if you think that such statements are a call to kill people per se, you have confused institutions with human beings. which is the whole problem.
 
DEATH TO LANGUAGE POLICING

Posted by: duck n cover | Apr 19 2026 22:10 utc | 38

duck n cover: several people have pointed out how the “Death to America” chants make it harder to share this forum with others.
 
And this is a forum: we talk but real change happens elsewhere. Guys like AUH out-true-scotsmanning everyone else achieves… nothing. Or even less than that if they manage to derail conversation which IMO is the goal.

Posted by: Konami | Apr 19 2026 22:12 utc | 40

add. to malenkov | Apr 19 2026 22:25 utc | 42
 
Or perhaps even Westerners are, in the overwhelming majority, offended by Iranians’ taking offense with the USA.

Posted by: malenkov | Apr 19 2026 22:27 utc | 42

Xi will not get a better chance at Taiwan if he misses this one. Now’s the time. PRC has amassed enough firepower to bust open the Taiwan issue and sort it out once and for all. Iran war and Taiwan strait war at the same time will cut off Japan sufficiently not to interfere. PRC must move now or forget about Taiwan as Japan seriously expands offensive capabilities and Taiwan keeps transferring its tech to USA. After the war in Iran, NATO will focus on the PRC with a weakened Russia unable to help. Time runs out for USA too as the PRC add nukes faster than any other country.

Posted by: Jason | Apr 19 2026 22:45 utc | 44

Patrick Henningsen’s view on the Russian warning to baltlet villages and Funland.
 
https://21stcenturywire.com/2026/04/18/russias-security-chief-issues-final-warning-to-four-nato-states/

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 19 2026 22:58 utc | 46

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 19 2026 22:58 utc | 47
 
This is super important but the source is slightly imprecise. Finland did follow official protocol and complained to Ukraine about the drone. This is why the last sentence in your link mentions the three Baltic statelets only. I interpret this as Finland’s leadership aiming for second place in Russia’s target hierarchy. A trace of self-preservation instinct! Like Estonia’s official announcement that they wouldn’t seize Russia-bound ships.
 
I believe that most people in the West, including leaders, chalk off Moscow’s warning as same old, same old: just more posturing, another stupid red line. Thomas Röper from Anti-Spiegel points out that the Western public hears about “Putin’s gonna attack! Any moment now!!” every single day but they *did not* hear about this specific waring. That makes sense: it’ll mean that should Russia retaliate, it’ll look unprovoked, exactly what’s needed for Brussel PR spin. They can do an entire 2022 again, complete with Baltic flags on X and in front of town halls.

Posted by: Konami | Apr 19 2026 23:11 utc | 48

Tobias Cole // 50
 
Why does Russia need to remove 26 million Russians from the civilian work force?  Wouldn’t that cause the collapse of entire sectors of the Russian economy from the loss of experienced workers?  If Russian companies can’t manufacture their goods, wouldn’t that force Russia to import consumer goods?  Wouldn’t that lead to a drain on the ruble from a negative balance of trade?  Wouldn’t that weaken the Russian government?  Why would Russia do something so stupid?
 
I’m trying to remember, were you the idiot who claimed over on the Iran thread that Iran would increase its “efficiency” if it scraped its self reliant industry and began importing goods from other countries?  I remember mocking whoever posted that stupid piece of garbage, but I can’t remember who posted it.

Posted by: Nobody Special | Apr 20 2026 0:29 utc | 50

malenkov: it’s alright. If you believe that writing “Death to America” in an online forum helps the cause, then more power to you.

Posted by: Konami | Apr 20 2026 0:44 utc | 52

Maybe I should play Tropico game to know how a dictator like Trump would feel

Posted by: KillerDoll | Apr 20 2026 4:21 utc | 54

Tobias Cole @50
 
Russia will do nothing as long as Putin remains in power. He would rather keep the war going at what he imagines to be a “tolerable” level indefinitely rather than take the steps required to win. 
 
Unfortunately Ukranazistan is not playing to the same rulebook and is mobilising everything for total war – and while its EU owners’ floundering attempts to make their economies over to war production have been fairly mockable so far, they’ll not remain so,  especially since war will now increasingly depend on low cost, mass produced, unmanned systems. So killing off masses of Ukrainian cannon fodder dragged off the streets will make no difference to the real war, where Russia is still struggling to make ground.
 
 

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 20 2026 5:35 utc | 56

Masno writes 
 

Russia seemingly, has very few answers, just some big juicy targets. Granted, Ukraine is also being bombed, but let me tell you, huge numbers of Russian drones are being shot down. Anyway, let the Generals sort it out and come up with answers.

 
Will Putin let the generals come up with answers?

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 20 2026 5:39 utc | 58

Armchair General @60 reminds me of the Syrian who told me in 2012 that Syria was using its old T-55 and T-62 tanks against the headchoppers because the “modern tanks are for real war, and this is just to stop proxy invaders”.
That went well, right?

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 20 2026 5:48 utc | 60

Biswapriya Purkayastha@61
 
I guess it did. Your suggestion that depleting their arsenals early would make it all ponnies and rainbows is naive.

Posted by: ArmChairGeneral | Apr 20 2026 6:36 utc | 62

@ Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 20 2026 5:29 utc | 56
Russia builds supersonic weapons but that takes time if they have to fight the EU as some of you would prefer. Russia probably has done the calculations about how extensive destruction they need to do and at this point they are not likely to think they have enough for the kind of war that may await them. Next question I am  not sure of is exactly what kind of damage does Russia need to do to?
 
I suspect that in Russias computer simulations they have considered scaring a few EU contries causing them costly destruction.
 
But that might only wet the appetite of the establishment who are more than willing to sacrifice the lifs and will direct the war drums.
 
I get the impression that the whole west except us in the minority are so conditioned that they may actually be inclined to wander into death valley like somnambulists.
 
Metaphysical aspect: If there is a higher power it may want this to happen to decrease our numbers.
 
Russias choice may not be about Putin loving the EU but about the Russian analysts predicting how bad the insanity in the west is 

Posted by: petergrfstrm | Apr 20 2026 7:33 utc | 64

Thomas Röper has translated an article by German Polyssalov who argues that the much talked about shortage of US missiles is a false front. He argues that it’s a media campaign to justify the militarisation campaign. Some figures from the article:

• Marco Rubio’s “USA can only produce 6 or 7 interceptor rockets per month” is planned disinformation. Current monthly production of PAC-3 MSE + SM-3 is >70 now and will reach 120 by 2030.
• Why these numbers: production plants for THAAD and SM-3 missilies were expanded in Troy and Huntsville (Alabama). New plants for PAC-3 MSE opened in Camden (Arkansas).
• His claim: the meagre production numbers until now aren’t the result of production limits but of military and political logic: an uncontrolled increase of interceptor systems (all large heights and out of athmosphere) would pose a direct threat to Russia/China’s deterrence and trigger an arm’s race.
• Today’s war against Iran creates the “necessary dearth”, providing Washington with the pretext to expand existing production and spend billions on new ones.

Translation of the closing sentence:

The conflict with Iran therefore serves as a catalyst for the legitimization and financing of the global commitment of the American war machinery, whose capabilities have been developed systematically towards dominance in the Pacific theatre throughout the last decade.

https://anti-spiegel.ru/2026/wie-erschoepft-sind-die-vorraete-der-usa-an-raketen-wirklich/
 
Original article: https://zvezdaweekly.ru/news/2026318115-lVXtC.html

Posted by: Konami | Apr 20 2026 10:27 utc | 66

Posted by: Konami | Apr 20 2026 10:27 utc | 66
 
Well, it’s to be expected. US will try to push the EUrotards to war against Russia by 2029 while profiting from it. If there’s long term ‘demand’ then production will be expanded.
 
We will have to look for how many new Patriot PAC-3 systems EU is getting over coming years. Germany pledged to fund ‘hundreds’ of Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine, dishing out 3.2 billion Euros to Raytheon and another 400M Euros for IRIS-T launchers.
 
Of course it won’t affect much as Patriot PAC-3 is incapable of stopping anything except the subsonic cruise missiles, while drones are becoming faster with turbojet engines.

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 20 2026 10:36 utc | 68

The Chinese will not bomb their island instead they will wait for a favorite election result.
Posted by: 667 | Apr 20 2026 6:33 utc | 61
 
Because elections are real in Taiwan, right? And previously this “strategy” worked so well in Ukr, right?
And why you think about bombing the island? Bibi is that you? The perfect time for decapitation was at the start of smo. But Xi was afraid, Pelosi pissed on his feelings and that was the end of it. If he’s a nice boy Trump will let him keep his chair for as long as he wants, but record trade with Israel is not enough. He has to trade only with US approved partners and vote for UN action against Iran or “Taiwan” will attack for “independence” and US will start a new forever war like in Russia. The SK and Japanese puppets can also be activated, it’s not like they exist for other reasons.

Posted by: rk | Apr 20 2026 10:56 utc | 70

@ petergrfstrm, §64:
Three well directed oreshniks on Chatham House, GCHQ and MI6 (85 Albert Embankment) would knock the stuffing out of the jackal (UK) leading the European pack.

Posted by: John Marks | Apr 20 2026 11:17 utc | 72

“RF did interrupt gas supplies to the EU sometime in early 2010s”
 
Posted by: ArmChairGeneral | Apr 20 2026 5:37 utc | 57
 
Several times.  There was a running battle between the EU and Russia over gas supplies throughout that decade and beyond.
 
The Russians wanted fixed contracts.  That was because they wanted a secure return on the investment needed for installations and pipelines.  The Europeans preferred to buy spot, that freeing them up to take advantage of market dips.  The European preference for spot definitely paid off when there was over-supply in the market.  We got natural gas at very low prices.  But it was swings and roundabouts.  When the market was tight we found ourselves paying over the odds.
 
The Europeans also didn’t want to be tied to a main supplier, particularly a supplier of such importance and one that controlled both infrastructure and supply.  I still remember all the jousting over the “Third Energy Package”.  Seemed to go on for ever.  In the course of that the Russians sometimes supplied less gas than the Europeans wanted.  But I don’t recall any time when they broke a fixed contract.  Could be wrong.
 
There was also the separate question of supplies through Ukraine.  That was a never ending source of dispute and sometimes led to disruption of flow.    The Ukrainians thought the Russians were in the wrong and the Russians the Ukrainians.  But again I don’t recall the Russians breaking contracts for the hell of it.  They tend to keep any political disputes that might be going on separate from commercial contracts.  
 
That was very much their reputation during the first Cold War.  We’d be at daggers drawn with them but the deliveries kept coming as agreed.  Same today.  At the height of the proxy war hysteria in ’22 there’d still be Russian tankers coming in with LNG for us.  That stopped pretty soon but the stoppage was a result of the UK import ban, not because the Russians refused to sell. 
 
As said above, although it looked stupid for the Russians to be supplying an adversary at such a time, they wanted to keep their reputation for honouring contracts.  If you look at the extensive arrangements the Russians are now making to supply China with hydrocarbons, the Chinese need to be sure that the Russians won’t break contracts if there’s some sort of political dispute in the future.  So that reputation is crucially important.
 
All that’s not to say that the Russians aren’t bastards to negotiate with when they’re agreeing contracts.  The EU found that out in the 2010’s.  But once the agreement’s made it’s solid.  They  don’t live in Trump world or UvdL world when it comes to business.

Posted by: English Outsider | Apr 20 2026 12:23 utc | 74

For four years, we’ve been living in a state of limbo.
Yes, the chess maxim “The threat is stronger than the execution”, can hang over the heads of the populace as a sword of Damocles, when wars (even “winning” ones) become protracted.

Posted by: Call it what u will | Apr 20 2026 13:25 utc | 76

Posted by: ed4 | Apr 20 2026 12:21 utc | 73

Ok, 1 then with 12 Subs split per Target….🙄

Posted by: Nobody | Apr 20 2026 14:09 utc | 78

@unimperator | Apr 20 2026 12:25 utc | 75
Maybe Russia doesnt want to act like the US/UK. Russia is seeking to see international law become the norm finally. If Russia did what you suggest the US/EU might return the favour and let Ukrainians infiltrate Russia and pick up the weapons packages. And go berserk and then blame Russia.

Posted by: petergrfstrm | Apr 20 2026 15:02 utc | 80

Is Bulgaria about to replace Hungary as the anti EU, EU member ?
 
Until Orban’s return to power  this  might have to do just fine!

Posted by: tobias cole | Apr 20 2026 15:49 utc | 82

Nobody Special 50 – no, you have the wrong poster………thank you very much, no apologies needed !
 
RF needs more divisions, and you do not form them out of hot air.  There needs to be a mobilization of some degree, and it does not have to be 26 million reserve soldiers like Iran, but it certainly needs to be substantial, (and a couple more NK divisions would not hurt either), after all how many NATO units are now fighting for the Ukronazis anyway?

Posted by: tobias cole | Apr 20 2026 16:00 utc | 84

Here, by the way, is the list of companies in Germany that have been explicitly named as legitimate targets by the Russian Ministry of Defense:
DaVinci Avia GmbH, Lerchenauer Straße 28, 80809 Munich (Coordinates: 48°11’06.6“N 11°33’29.9”E)
Airlogix (Office/Representative), Zeppelinstraße 18, 82205 Gilching (Coordinates: 48°05’23.2“N 11°17’50.2”E)
3W-Professional GmbH, Industriestraße 10, 63450 Hanau (Coordinates: 50°07’33.1“N 8°56’52.4”E)

Posted by: xblob | Apr 20 2026 16:54 utc | 86

“Doing the same to the EU is merely a counter to what has already been happening.”
@unimperator | Apr 20 2026 15:58 utc | 83
But Russia has accepted it for years already, for some reason.
I think Russia has expected escalation at some point but the devil is in the details.

Posted by: petergrfstrm | Apr 20 2026 17:04 utc | 88

Re: Posted by: English Outsider | Apr 19 2026 16:15 utc | 135
Re: Posted by: English Outsider | Apr 19 2026 16:59 utc | 12
 

Scott Ritter: Russia Threatens Strike on Finland & Baltic States   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOLUsj50ZEE  Posted by: unimperator | Apr 19 2026 11:31 utc | 125  Ritter sets out the rational position for the Russians.  The Russians are fully aware that the EU/UK has been attacking them but they haven’t wanted to expand the conflict beyond the Ukrainian theatre.  But the signs are that the Russians are now finding the European attacks unacceptable.  Ritter sees that a possible solution for the Russians lies in taking military action of some sort against the Europeans.  But that ignores the fact that the Russians have another course possible.  As said above they could impose counter-sanctions.   The Russians didn’t do that in ’22.  At that time counter-sanctions would have been decisive.  But the Russians are shifting their trade to non-Western countries.  They need to be seen as a reliable supplier and trading partner by those countries.  Using the energy weapon against Europe in ’22 would have led to those non-Western countries fearing that Russia might feel free to use the energy weapon against them.  So the Russians continued honouring contracts with the EU when possible and continued to supply energy.   The position is now different.  The Europeans are, to the extent of their limited abilities, conducting open war against Russia.  Visibly so.  We may be sure that the non-Western diplomats and governments are fully aware of that.  So in ’22 the Russians stopping supplies to Europe would have been seen as Russia throwing it’s weight around: using the energy weapon against Europe and thus branding itself as an untrustworthy supplier.  But in ’26 the non-Western countries will not see it like that.  They will see it as reasonable that the Russians should stop supplying a Europe that is at open war with them.  There’s been a great shift in non-Western opinion of this conflict in any case.  At first, Russia taking over the territory of  another country didn’t go down well with most of them.  Say that set a precedent elsewhere!   All very well to say that the Russians were merely liberating an oppressed population   in the Donbass – but what if that reasoning were applied to Kashmir or to Chinese border territories?  Or to many African countries where the boundaries imposed on them at independence did not conform to the population mix on the ground?  Hence the somewhat alarmed reaction of non-Western countries at the time to the Russian takeover of the Donbass and quite possibly of more.  But that was then.  Since that time the use the West was making of  Ukraine has become more evident.  And with events in Gaza the prestige and credibility of the West has in any case dropped like a stone.   So the non-Western countries are now in effect saying to the Russians, sort out the mess in Ukraine as best you can.  We recognise it’s a special case and we’re not worried any more that you’ll use the energy weapon against us, or that border change there will encourage a drive for border change here.  Ritter does not mention that possibility of Russian counter-sanctions.  But unless Ukraine collapses soon the Russians may have to impose them.  That does not of course rule out the possibility of Russian military action against Europe as well, though the Russians will be aware that that’s more likely to inflame European public opinion rather than sober it.  Ritter’s no fool and he points out that risk in the Diesen interview.  I do wonder, however, at Ritter’s confident assertion that the Americans want shot of Ukraine.  How does that square with the Americans continuing to give Ukraine use of its ISR facilities and continuing to supply what arms it has left?  Even if the Europeans are now, according to Trump, paying for those arms, the US is still supplying them.  The US is still very much a party to the conflict.   It’s true that the American President wants out.  He can see the writing on the wall for the Ukrainian venture.  But he’s more than happy to cause the Russians as much damage as he can in the process of getting out; and there’s the problem too that in the faction-ridden US administration, what the US President wants isn’t always what the US gets. 

A very bizarre thing to say by Ritter. 
 
Instead of hitting NATO countries and starting a wider war – WHY DON’T THE RUSSIANS DEFEAT THE UKRAINIAN ARMY AND WIN THE WAR IN UKRAINE instead of looking for monsters to fight in far away lands?
 
If you can’t beat Ukraine – why would Russia broaden the War and bring in far larger economies?!?
 
Just WIN THE BLOODY WAR AGAINST UKRAINE and then you won’t have to worry about any NATO countries in Europe – they’ll have no one to supply these drones to!
 
It’s a very strange argument to say Russia will have an easier time taking on all of Europe rather than just Ukraine!

Posted by: Julian | Apr 20 2026 17:06 utc | 90

Re: Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 20 2026 5:48 utc | 60
 

Armchair General @60 reminds me of the Syrian who told me in 2012 that Syria was using its old T-55 and T-62 tanks against the headchoppers because the “modern tanks are for real war, and this is just to stop proxy invaders”.That went well, right?

 
Yes, it went very well.
 
Russia bailed out Syria and there wouldn’t be a Syrian Government now if Russia hadn’t stepped into Syria with modern battle techniques and advice on how to win a war of attrition against and undermanned and ragtag enemy.
 
It is exactly the tactics and strategy Russia is using to grind Ukraine into the dust. The Syrians followed the Russian plans and advice to the letter.
 
Just go and ask Assad at his Moscow apartment.
 
You don’t try and beat your enemy into submission, you let them have their little enclave in a place like Idlib, and then you just grind them into the dust with relentless bombardment.
 
This was the Russian advice to Syria.

Posted by: Julian | Apr 20 2026 17:12 utc | 92

Just WIN THE BLOODY WAR AGAINST UKRAINE and then you won’t have to worry about any NATO countries in Europe – they’ll have no one to supply these drones to!
Posted by: Julian | Apr 20 2026 17:06 utc | 90
—————————
Only a ground invasion of all of Ukraine would end the war in the way you suggest. At the cost of huge losses. Pounding Ukraine with missiles and drone is not enough, even the Us is finding out this in Iran.
 

Posted by: scc | Apr 20 2026 17:18 utc | 94

Posted by: Konami | Apr 19 2026 22:12 utc | 40
btw, thanks for the other comments. 
 
we can let the site host police language. i honestly could not give the tiniest $uck about someone’s opinion who is bothered by *reading* death to america. 
 
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-economy/4105609-ukraine-to-scale-up-drone-production-with-european-partners-zelensky.html
 
much, some, or none of what the Azov Zioman proposes may happen, i don’t know, but it sounds like a plan to make Ukraine into a weapons supplier for the multiple war fronts the NATO powers are planning. Thus joining the WW3 theaters in the M.E. with the forever war NATO is waging on Russia. 

Posted by: duck n cover | Apr 20 2026 19:37 utc | 96

So many commenters here advocate for unnecessary genocidal, mass murder with an almost homicidal psychotic gleefulness.  We can welcome xblob to that crowd.  Whenever I read on of them blithely nattering on about mass murder, the thought crosses my mind, “Perhaps one day the Russians can murder them and their family.” It’s vicious, but I don’t know how else to feel about people such as xblob and others who so openly and without any shame want other people and their families to be murdered by the thousands.

Posted by: Nobody Special | Apr 20 2026 22:02 utc | 98

How bout in response to drone attacks annoying nobody is paying any attention to Russia just takes the initiative while nobody is watching and brings Odessa home – how bout that – but5 in the absence of that starts make to wonder whether leadership in Russia even wants the Special Military Operation to end – and if that is the case, then just to get thinking bout it – makes one wonder if they all are in on it together – and want this ongoing needless suffering to last indefinitely for the peasants and such – and obviously in the Law of the Jungle this is an impossibility – so come on Russia – bring the SMO to a close – or be revealed as just part of the problem I reckon Putin.

Posted by: Ken Hausle | Apr 20 2026 22:28 utc | 100