News & views related to the war in Ukraine …
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May 27, 2026
Ukraine Open Thread 2026-110
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Anyone here read the Russian newspapers or journals? They are now printing stories that are less optimistic that what is written by most members of the bar.
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“Russia does not have the capacity to sustainably control and manage such territories with a devastated economy and an extremely hostile population. The only way to prevent such a development would have been to implement the SMO as it was likely initially planned as a bloodless and lightning fast special operation” <- Global Affairs Journal.
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The professional community is split between those in favor of continuing the SMO until the stated goals are achieved and those who believe it’s time to end it because the worst case scenario is not even defeat. It’s an endless SMO. <- Council for Foreign and Defense Policy.
Posted by: ed4 | May 27 2026 18:16 utc | 1
And based on the current actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, it’s already quite clear what their main focus will be in the summer campaign. For reasonable people, this is obvious. The main tasks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be carried out with the help of drones. The main directions of action are likely to be the following.
First. The Ukrainians will try to isolate Crimea. Literally. Using Buk missile systems to completely stop any shipping in the region, including civilian small vessels. From the air, they will try to take control of the peninsula by striking at highways, civilian objects, and, above all, civilian vehicles. I’m convinced that the emphasis will be on air terror against the civilian population.
Second. It’s quite obvious that the enemy’s plans include new attacks on the Crimean Bridge. Combined attacks: from the air and from the water. The attacks that have already taken place, including attempts by Buk missile systems, are clearly preparatory, probing our weak points.
Third. With the help of drones, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will try to take under fire control the R-280 highway in Novorossiya and the main roads of Donbass. First, they will eliminate cargo transportation. Gas stations too. Then they will proceed to their usual practice of terror against civilians. They will burn ordinary cars. From the point of view of a normal person, this makes no sense, but if you look through the eyes of a Ukrainian terrorist, everything falls into place. This is an attempt to sow chaos and horror. Today in Ukraine, it’s precisely the drone pilots who are the most motivated killers.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine will try to take control of other federal highways in southern Russia. To date, the system of drone repeaters, which simultaneously serve as “mothers” for smaller devices, allows them to operate at distances of more than 100 kilometers from the operator. What’s happening in Crimea is a direct confirmation of this. And given the management through Starlink terminals, the enemy’s task is greatly simplified.
The problem is not that we don’t have means of destruction. Or that we don’t have officers capable of creatively and rigorously approaching the tasks of fire destruction. The problem is the lack of clear systemic solutions and a disorganized approach to combating enemy drones. Plus the traditional underestimation of the enemy.
Whether someone likes it or not, I’ll say it. Today in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, when appointing officers to command positions, more and more often, what matters is not seniority, but real efficiency. Not having an education in a military academy, but actual results. The same Madyar can remove commanders of regiments and brigades for inefficient use of drone operators. The Third Assault Brigade (the same “Azov”) can take any competent soldier or officer from other units. The traditional post-Soviet military bureaucracy has been greatly curtailed there.
The question is not that we don’t know how or that we don’t have capable officers. We have them. The question is the sluggishness in decision-making and in organizing systematic work. If there are decisions – there will be results.
PS How to solve the Starlink problem? I think we need to somehow please Elon Musk. After all, we haven’t pleased the American white baron much lately. And that’s why there’s no result.
https://x.com/YuriPodolyaka/status/2059655044153188813
Posted by: unimperator | May 27 2026 18:28 utc | 2
Anyone here read the Russian newspapers or journals? They are now printing stories that are less optimistic that what is written by most members of the bar
Posted by: ed4 | May 27 2026 18:16 utc | 1
You forgot to include the Moscow Times in your wide-ranging and impartial survey…
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 27 2026 18:29 utc | 3
And it could also be the case that Russian media opinion is far more diverse and pluralistic than the rigid and narrative-obeying stenography that masquerades as “journalism” in the West.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 27 2026 18:33 utc | 4
Fox News video clip from a newly-opened military cemetery in Lviv: https://news-pravda.com/world/2026/05/27/2331798.html
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 27 2026 18:52 utc | 5
Posted by: ed4 | May 27 2026 18:16 utc | 1
From Projection to Projectile Vomiting.
Thanks for the try. Participation ribbon for you at the Exit door.
Send me another video of how Ukes control M14 while you are driving unimpeded down a 4 lane highway.
Posted by: kupkee | May 27 2026 18:58 utc | 6
Zelensky’s associate Mindich has fled Ukraine to Israel with a collection of 800 kg of gold bullion.
https://x.com/Partisangirl/status/2059538080768680269
Posted by: unimperator | May 27 2026 19:01 utc | 7
Posted by: unimperator | May 27 2026 18:28 utc | 2
That Ukraine is going to get real in summer is not real. Pulling nuggets out of your plumb hole?
Starlink activated February 2022. This is news?
In the war against the West, Russia is toying with Ukraine like a cat with a mouse. And the cat’s owners have not yet had their house burned down.
Posted by: kupkee | May 27 2026 19:08 utc | 8
Russia needs to take every posible part of Borderland aka Ukraina, except of Galicia. That is gonna be space for all hostile Ukies that left alive, these Uki shill ed4 is talking about. You don’t have to be Dugin to understand that every square inch of 404 land that Russia leave out will be controlled not by Russia but by the enemy. Size of Galicia is acceptable. It will be claimed by Polaks, Russia can help them stay neutral. That’s how I will end this.
Posted by: Preki | May 27 2026 19:16 utc | 9
In response to ed4@1,
Really depends on the overall context in which such text is presented:
– What are “such territories” meant to refer to? From having a “hostile population” we can only assume what’s being spoken about here is the hypothetical case of taking all of Ukraine under direct supervision, or at the very least large parts of Western and Central Ukraine, which was never the plan. Is the author of the article reiterating yet again the case against taking all of Ukraine? Then, what is “less optimistic” about that? I did go to the Russia in Global Affairs journal, but their most recent release from April is a 14-article/author package and the ones I checked didn’t contain your quote and were quite optimistic overall. Maybe there’s some other Global Affairs journal?
– What does “ending it” refer to? For all we know, we could be reading a reinterpretation of the dictum favored by Putin, that the Russians “haven’t even started.” In other words, “ending the SMO” can refer to using harsher measures for finishing this conflict quickly and once and for all, at the cost of the currently “delicate” approach. If so, then what’s new? Depending on who is being referred to as “the professional community”, commentators in Russia have always been split roughly 50/50 on this issue since the start of the SMO, or at least remaining fluid enough between rational caution and vengeful bloodlust, depending on mood and events, to give that impression.
Checked the svop.ru website and went through their latest session from May 25’th, and couldn’t find your quote — they’re discussing nuances of a war economy, how the definition of safety has changed with how conflicts in a global context have evolved and so forth. It’s interesting stuff and doesn’t exactly fit the mood your quote seems to paint, but what do I know? Svop is usually a large group of people, including guest speakers, individuals responsible for their own words, sharing their view of the situation, in Russia and the world at large, so anything is possible.
Posted by: Skiffer | May 27 2026 19:18 utc | 10
Starlink activated February 2022. This is news?Posted by: kupkee | May 27 2026 19:08 utc | 8But that was limited. Trump has now lifted all restrictions, and Ukraine is installing terminals for its drones. Supplied by the U.S.
Posted by: smartfox | May 27 2026 19:20 utc | 11
In the war against the West, Russia is toying with Ukraine like a cat with a mouse.
Posted by: kupkee
Every now and then, a few Russian students die in a student dormitory, or an oil refinery goes up in flames, or some strategic bombers explode… well…
Posted by: Apollyon | May 27 2026 19:20 utc | 12
Posted by: Preki | May 27 2026 19:16 utc | 9
The optimal case for Russia is that there is a small space of ‘O.G. Ukraine’ where all the west/Nato backed nazis are shoveled into. An area that can be managed and controlled with ease. Then Russia can go in there at will like Israel can go into its neighboring countries, bomb at will, kill leaders at will, etc. The west can then pretend that that small space of Ukraine is EU/Nato.
Posted by: unimperator | May 27 2026 19:22 utc | 13
Posted by: unimperator | May 27 2026 19:22 utc | 13
…..
Exactly!
Posted by: Preki | May 27 2026 19:28 utc | 14
The optimal case for Russia is …
Posted by: unimperator | May 27 2026 19:22 utc | 13
The wet dreams of a desperate man?
Posted by: smartfox | May 27 2026 19:30 utc | 15
Unconfirmed reports emerging about a Ukraine-wide air raid alert in place, possible Kinzhal arrivals at Starokonstantinov.
https://t.me/i20028843/301672
https://t.me/i20028843/301674
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 27 2026 19:32 utc | 16
https://southfront.press/geran-2-drones-are-now-precise-enough-to-hit-drone-boats-video/
The Russian military has begun to use the loitering munition version of the Geran-2 drone to destroy Ukrainian drone boats in the Black Sea.
A video showing a Geran-2 destroying one such drone boat was released on May 27. The boat was identified as a Sargan-2, which is on the smaller size with a length of around just six meters. It is typically used for surveillance, or one-way attack missions.
The Geran-2 managed to lock on the fast-moving drone boat with its thermal electro-optical system from a fair long distance, and tracked it automatically until impact. The destruction of the boat was confirmed by footage taken from another Geran-2, which was providing surveillance.
Posted by: smartfox | May 27 2026 19:39 utc | 17
Series of explosions reported in Starokonstantinov, Khmelnytsky region, following reports of three Kinzhal missiles launched in that direction.
https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/185140
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 27 2026 19:39 utc | 18
Adding to my post @ 10,
I did find this:
Achieving the goals of the Special Military Operation from the moment of its beginning was the undeniable priority of the state and society. This task is not questionable, but the interpretation of the goals and the time horizon on which they can be achieved cause lively discussion in the fifth year of hostilities. This is directly linked to the question of how we imagine peace and our country after the end of the SVO. What is the society ready for, what is it leaning for: a strong-willed leap for the speedy resolution, the patient “pressure” of the enemy or the pause necessary to prepare for a long multi-level confrontation? The latter will be part of the fundamental world shifts, that is, not exhausted by the Ukrainian question, but is of great importance for our future?
Just to reinforce what the context in which “ending the SMO” generally looks like in Russian media, because it’s not a taboo topic — the SMO approach isn’t some holy canon that can’t be questioned or criticized. But, an “end” is always seen as a transformation into some new phase, because there isn’t any place to withdraw to, or reset button that can be pressed, that can circumvent the logic necessitating the SMO in the first place.
Posted by: Skiffer | May 27 2026 19:41 utc | 19
The Long Arm Of The Ukrainian Army: Kyiv’s Decisive Attempt To Turn The Tide Of The War
https://southfront.press/the-long-arm-of-the-ukrainian-army-kyivs-decisive-attempt-to-turn-the-tide-of-the-war/
Posted by: smartfox | May 27 2026 19:48 utc | 20
Russia’s next strike on Kiev will avoid hitting the decision-making centers, according to Andrey Kartopolov, Senior MP.
https://www.rt.com/russia/640619-mp-russia-strategy-strikes-kiev/
I believe the reason is to preserve the leaders (including Z) for future legal prosecution by Russia to reveal the entirety of the corruption and evil of this regime, rather than the crude methods of assassination and annihilation which merely eliminate the head of the viper only to find that a new one grows back.
Posted by: norecovery | May 27 2026 20:08 utc | 21
In April 2022, Russia withdrew its forces from northern Ukraine right during the negotiations in Istanbul, to pretend it was defeated and encourage the Ukrainian side and its allies to continue the war. In the autumn of 2022, while Russian troops were withdrawing from some regions of Ukraine, Russia asked for negotiations. Of course the US and Western countries decided to send more supplies to Ukraine. Now, it might be the same story.
Posted by: Stephan | May 27 2026 20:09 utc | 22
Every now and then, a few Russian students die in a student dormitory, or an oil refinery goes up in flames, or some strategic bombers explode… well…
Posted by: Apollyon | May 27 2026 19:20 utc | 12
And tools like you think this will break the spirit of Russia, who lost tens of millions in WW II.
It’s pathetic helmeroids think these are big fucking scores. Pathetic.
Posted by: UWDude | May 27 2026 20:15 utc | 23
norecovery | May 27 2026 20:08 utc | 22
What kind of nonsense are you writing? It says exactly the opposite.
Posted by: smartfox | May 27 2026 20:17 utc | 24
@ Posted by: taukey | May 27 2026 20:24 utc | 27
And the demographic that isn’t killed is escaping:
Ukrainian citizens are abandoning their cars on the highway near the border and disappearing into Moldova.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 27 2026 20:32 utc | 25
Carney takes Canada deeper into war capitalism & Europe/NATO’s mad attack plans against Russia:
What We Know After Key Stage of Poland-Canada Talks
https://x.com/DrPMarkiewicz/status/2059375900626485653
“These are big deliverables when it comes to Poland-Canada cooperation…”
German Ambassadors To Canada:
https://x.com/GerAmbCanada/status/2059645250566570225
“Canada wants to build a strong, resilient defence industry – fast. And Germany wants to be a partner in that! Big day at CANSEC for Member Pistorius.”
Meanwhile, back at the ranch…
https://x.com/globalnews/status/2059027340282237399
“Canadians face food insecurity as 120% of income for some goes to food, rent…”
Posted by: John Gilberts | May 27 2026 20:34 utc | 26
Posted by: unimperator | May 27 2026 19:01 utc | 7
was the hell does he want to do with that ton o gold in shlomo land? lions are coming
Posted by: Macpott | May 27 2026 20:38 utc | 27
29: ‘Meanwhile back at the ranch’ corrected:
https://x.com/globalnews/status/2059027340282237397
Posted by: John Gilberts | May 27 2026 20:39 utc | 28
Progress in the SMO is ongoing.
East Group have clear Dobropasovo.
Ongoing combat operations in Konstantinovka, with surrounding settlements of Molocharka and Podolskoe cleared.
In the Sumy region, control have been established by the North Group over Zapsele and Ryasnoe.
In all other areas, Russian units are pinning down or forcing the enemy into defensive positions. – Marat
Russian forces have liberated Vozdvizhevka in the Zaporozhye region and Granov in the Kharkov region.
Ukraine lost over 340 soldiers in combat against Russia’s Tsentr battlegroup, over 165 Ukrainian soldiers were eliminated by Russia’s Sever battlegroup, over 285 by the Vostok battlegroup
Up to 190 Ukrainian soldiers were neuralized by the Zapad battlegroup, over 180 by the Yug battlegroup, and up to 60 by the Dnepr battlegroup. – Sputnik International
Posted by: Suresh | May 27 2026 20:48 utc | 29
I dunno, maybe the current spell of hot weather over much of Europe might have led to an increase in skiing accidents: https://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2026/05/rzeszow-gets-visitors.html
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 27 2026 20:51 utc | 30
“”Trump has now lifted all restrictions, and Ukraine is installing terminals for its drones. Supplied by the U.S.
Posted by: smartfox | May 27 2026 19:20 utc | 11″”
Can’t find any news about Trump lifting restrictions.
But it does bring up a curious question. There appears to be a tacit or backroom understanding that every country that has satellites in the sky is protected from their destruction. Unless we are near end times.
So since Starlink is a private business, is it understood that private satellites are protected? Is Musk a country or just a Private contractor ?
Thanks.
Posted by: kupkee | May 27 2026 21:01 utc | 31
Is Musk a country or just a Private contractor ?Thanks.
Posted by: kupkee | May 27 2026 21:01 utc | 34
1) private
2) There is virtually no country capable of taking satellites out of orbit—at least not that many. On top of that, there is the de facto protection provided by the U.S., meaning no one wants or can afford to have their satellites taken out of service by the U.S. (in retaliation).
Posted by: smartfox | May 27 2026 21:10 utc | 32
kupkee @34: “So since Starlink is a private business, is it understood that private satellites are protected? Is Musk a country or just a Private contractor ?”
The issue with satellites isn’t so much some kind of gentlemen’s agreement between governments as it is a matter of self-interest. When you start destroying satellites you make portions of entire orbital planes unusable. Debris from wrecked satellites doesn’t just drift around and gently bump into things, it blasts things at a speed faster than the fastest bullet… six to ten times faster.
With that said, Starlink satellites are deliberately placed into orbits that will decay and the satellite naturally deorbit in five to ten years if they lose power. Since the debris from a destroyed Starlink satellite will remain in the same orbit as the satellite the debris came from, that debris will also deorbit naturally in five to ten years if you decide to blow one up. That means that if you have to wipe out the Starlink system you will only ruin Low Earth Orbit for a decade at most. That might be an acceptable cost.
Posted by: William Gruff | May 27 2026 21:34 utc | 33
So CNN went to Ukraine to celebrate the strikes that killed 21 children in Starobelsk.
https://x.com/amborin/status/2059653353022673397
Posted by: unimperator | May 27 2026 21:42 utc | 35
2) There is virtually no country capable of taking satellites out of orbit—at least not that many. On top of that, there is the de facto protection provided by the U.S., meaning no one wants or can afford to have their satellites taken out of service by the U.S. (in retaliation).
Posted by: smartfox | May 27 2026 21:10 utc | 35
Here’s this small thing called the Kessler Effect, Dumbo.
The current crash clock sits at 3.0 days. All that really needs to happen is a massive solar storm for the STHTF.
Now, you may think this is okay, but just less than 10 years ago the clock stood at over 164 days.
Starlink operators have to perform avoidance maneuvers every 2 minutes.
Lastly, you’re full of shit when it comes to “virtually no country capable of taking satellites”.
Posted by: Suresh | May 27 2026 21:51 utc | 36
Posted by: Suresh | May 27 2026 21:51 utc | 39
ASMs can take out a few satellites, but they are two few and expensive to make any sort of difference to reduce satellite numbers, especially when it comes to Starlink.
The only real solution are armed spacecraft, that have high power propulsion and maneuvering, capable of catching up and hitting them individually as they pass by. Taking out starlink network is a long term game that requires sustainable and armed spacecraft. Affecting things in space from ground is nearly impossible.
Posted by: unimperator | May 27 2026 21:55 utc | 37
unimperator @40
Yes, taking out satellites with hunter-killer satellites is the way to go, but it isn’t impossible to do with Russia’s S-500 and “Nudol” or China’s SC-19 missile systems from the ground. Even wiping out Starlink isn’t that big a challenge if Russia or China really wanted to do it. You just want to deliberately trigger the Kessler Syndrome that Suresh @39 mentioned. Hitting Starlink satellites in different orbital planes wipes out everything near that orbit, so you don’t have to hit all Starlink satellites, just some carefully selected ones.
Posted by: William Gruff | May 27 2026 22:06 utc | 38
Posted by: smartfox | May 27 2026 20:17 utc | 26
What does this statement by a Russian senior MP mean to you? –
“When asked about potential targets, the lawmaker stated that neither the Verkhovnaya Rada building nor Zelensky’s office counts as a “decision-making center.” Ukrainian MPs do not control the troops, and Zelensky himself does not even visit his office any longer, the MP stated.”
The second sentence would support your objection (although a symbolic destruction of Z’s office would serve a PR purpose), but not the first. Based on Putin’s strict adherence to international law, I think my analysis is correct. Russia’s punishment of Ukraine’s leaders will be intended to follow convictions in a public tribunal. That is not “nonsense.”
Posted by: norecovery | May 27 2026 22:15 utc | 39
Posted by: ed4 | May 27 2026 18:16 utc | 1
I am reading globalaffairs.ru, and Karaganov in particular. You appear quite untrustworthy when bragging about knowledge while refusing references and citations.
Posted by: aquadraht | May 27 2026 22:16 utc | 40
Posted by: William Gruff | May 27 2026 22:06 utc | 41It’s impractical to shoot down entire satellite constalletions with conventional warheads. You’d need a missile per satellite, and debree factor you’ve mentioned. Better to fry the satellites with EMP from S-500 with nuclear warheads.
Posted by: taukey | May 27 2026 22:22 utc | 41
Posted by: Suresh | May 27 2026 21:51 utc | 39
Kindly refrain from insulting barflies like smartfox as “Dumbo”. He may be wrong, but he is definitely neither dumb nor ignorant.
Posted by: aquadraht | May 27 2026 22:22 utc | 42
taukey @44
Why would you need the Kessler Syndrome if you intend to hit each satellite individually with a missile? Anyway, you don’t need to hit each satellite individually. You just need to make the orbits they use unusable. Let nature take care of the rest.
Posted by: William Gruff | May 27 2026 22:32 utc | 43
Posted by: aquadraht | May 27 2026 22:22 utc | 45
who the fuck are you to lecture anybody? NOBODY, that’s who.
Posted by: UWDude | May 27 2026 22:38 utc | 44
Posted by: unimperator | May 27 2026 21:55 utc | 40
Reading the comments from the experts at Moa, I sometimes wonder if they really think about what they write.
Starlink is a constellation of ridiculously small satellites, measuring 2.2 by 1.1 meters, which in the future could measure up to 7.0 by 3.5 meters. There are thousands in LEO.
Can you imagine Russia or any other country launching missiles up to 500 km in altitude to prevent communications when they might distort reception (jamming) on the ground?
At this moment, any Starlink terminal operated by those Ukrainians who launch drones at Russia is inoperative.
All the drones that Ukraine launches are short-range, frontline drones, using fiber optic cables. 10 km at most. And medium- and long-range drones that operate using GPS, or any other geolocation system based on global satellites, to reach predetermined coordinates.
Russia has created a jamming system around the territories involved, leading to constant news reports about Ukrainian drones going out of control and crashing in Poland, Germany, the Baltic states, and Scandinavia. However, since Russia is not yet in a declared war, but rather in a conflict that is intended to be performative for all its European neighbors, it distorts attacks with 98% effectiveness.
Russia suffers attacks within its territory every day, but the effectiveness of these attacks is 1 in 100. Of course, there are drone incursions that cannot be completely neutralized, but the measures implemented are constantly improving.
Consider why Europe occasionally complains about the EM jamming measures that Russia has imposed beyond its borders.
Russia is very large and it’s impossible to control everything, but the effectiveness of its ground defenses in preventing even the smallest number of medium- and long-range drones from being shot down is enormous—over 98% every day.
The border is another matter, where the deployment of fiber optics cannot be easily countered.
Cheers
Posted by: Kalun | May 27 2026 22:39 utc | 45
Stinky fox is shitting all over the bar. It’s becoming unhealthy,. Can somebody call cleaning services?
Posted by: Preki | May 27 2026 22:40 utc | 46
Stinky fox is shitting all over the bar. It’s becoming unhealthy,. Can somebody call cleaning services?
Posted by: Preki | May 27 2026 22:40 utc | 49
Yup, he posted about 5 times in the Iran thread Ukraine things, not even trying to tie it to Iran. Helmeroids gotta flare up wherever they can, since their entire raison d’etre is to be irritating and ruin anti-imperialist sites.
Posted by: UWDude | May 27 2026 22:42 utc | 47
Posted by: taukey | May 27 2026 22:22 utc | 44
Nukes in space are banned by treaty. The fishbowl experiments did that ^^
Starlink drones could be neutralised via passive detection ; there are some interesting solutions on test. There are also other solutions experimented. This situation might not last much.
Basically this is not a problem caused by satellite, this is a detection problem. The kokhols targeted methodically a lots of radar and AD in Crimea and the whole South. This could have been a problem for Crimea but there are alternative routes.
Posted by: Hiro Masamune | May 27 2026 22:54 utc | 48
And to be clear. The Ukrainian soldiers use the Star Link for comms between them because its encrypted and when they are several miles away of the line of the conflict. The Star Link terminals are operative, without ground jamming, as 10-15 miles, because if you are inside the envelope of the ground jamming systems, that operate in that range, everything is heard.
The Russian soldiers, near to the line of conflict, use to operate, in the first year with Chinese phones because it was cheap and the comms were encrypted. And there was a lack of Military Radio Comms for everyone. After 2023, the soldiers changed to the new radio comms, but there has been a problem that the Russian Staff had to mitigate: the fucking Telegram. Everyone was talking and writing things with his beloved ones. That was inappropriate. That is why Russia has banned Telegram. Because of the many talks, blah, blah.
Bye. And Cheers.
Posted by: Kalun | May 27 2026 22:57 utc | 49
American mercenary Karsten Greenchurch, born in 1997, Florida, USA, has been eliminated.
Posted by: MiniMO | May 27 2026 23:55 utc | 50
@50: “Since their entire raison d’etre is to be irritating and ruin anti-imperialist sites.”
I always thought that was your job. But good you reminded me to post this anyway:
The Next Move: When Trump, Putin & Xi Are In Zugzwang in the Ukraine, Hormuz Strait, Taiwan
https://johnhelmer.net/the-next-move-when-trump-putin-and-xi-are-zumzwang-in-the-ukraine-hormuz-strait-taiwan/
“Zugzwang is the position between adversaries when one is forcing the other to make the next move, but whatever move he makes will be his defeat. President Donald Trump is in it.
Zugzwang is also the position in which Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping find themselves uncomfortably. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too.
If Russia, China and India each face wars with multiple adversaries led by Trump, what is to be done to conserve their domestic political power and maintain enough escalation control on their battlefields to deter Trump’s adventurism.
When a Ukrainian press agency asked for China’s reaction to the escalation of Russian strikes against the Ukrainian leadership in Kiev on Sunday, the spokesman for Foreign Minister Wang Yi responding for President Xi answered: ‘China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. Dialogue and negotiation is the only viable way out. We call on parties concerned to work together for deescalation as soon as possible and accumulate conditions for restarting dialogue and negotiations.’
Saying nothing, doing nothing is a zugzwang too. In Tuesday’s podcast, the discussion focuses on the political meaning of the Oreshnik strike against Kiev…”
Posted by: John Gilberts | May 28 2026 0:22 utc | 51
Russia will just overwhelm Ukraine and then install a puppet government to ensure it remains as a neutral buffer between Russia and Europe/NATO. This could go on for some more years, or maybe Russia will speed things up, surprise everyone, and make it happen sooner.
Posted by: aelfwed | May 28 2026 0:24 utc | 52
I’d sure like to see Zelensky die a long, slow and painful death. And even better… the evil clowns in the USA and UK that are behind this continuous attack on Russia.
Posted by: aelfwed | May 28 2026 0:26 utc | 54
The day anyone kesslerizes lowest LEO we can know things are serious…..
Posted by: Newbie | May 28 2026 0:26 utc | 55
Russia’s next strike on Kiev will avoid hitting the decision-making centers, according to Andrey Kartopolov, Senior MP.https://www.rt.com/russia/640619-mp-russia-strategy-strikes-kiev/ I believe the reason is to preserve the leaders (including Z) for future legal prosecution by Russia to reveal the entirety of the corruption and evil of this regime, rather than the crude methods of assassination and annihilation which merely eliminate the head of the viper only to find that a new one grows back.
Posted by: norecovery | May 27 2026 20:08 utc | 22
——-
Now that’s the way to scare the shit out of Zelensky and the Europeans. Warn everyone that you are going to strike days in advance, then make it clear that you won’t be hitting any important decision-making targets.
Posted by: Perimetr | May 28 2026 0:33 utc | 56
where’s the karlof1?
50 nations at the UN rebuffed lavrov’s advice for westerners to exit Kyiv asap before the mighty Russia rains down drones and missiles upon her as promised. Not Leaving Kyiv. Not scared of Russian threats. Don’t believe Russian propaganda. Going no where.
50 countries condemned what they said were threats by Russia against embassies in Ukraine in a joint statement at the United Nations …
Oh well, Putin will have to kill them all now. Or do what they always do.. the RACO..PACO dance.
Putin always chickens out.. Russia always chickens out..
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 28 2026 0:35 utc | 57
Frankly nobody’s afraid of Russia at all. Bark a lot hide behind legalism excuses. Dump their allies easily. Afraid of pushing NATO too far.
Really missed the KGB days.
Posted by: Surferket | May 28 2026 0:45 utc | 58
“How to solve the Starlink problem?”
The Kessler syndrome : the creation of a debris belt. If space is a frontier above Russia, then it must be either neutral or rendered unusable by hostiles.
Posted by: Asian Frog | May 28 2026 1:05 utc | 59
I heard an interesting ‘anecdote’ from someone interviewed in a globsec conference in Europe yesterday. Speaking about the europeanization of nato, with Trump saying he is withdrawing 5000 US troops from germany, but that figure pales into significance next to the much larger numbers of US troops currently in Poland and based in Ukraine.
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 28 2026 1:08 utc | 60
This is an attempt to sow chaos and horror. Today in Ukraine, it’s precisely the drone pilots who are the most motivated killers.
Posted by: unimperator | May 27 2026 18:28 utc | 2
I wondering if anyone in Russia has heard of Palantir’s ops the last 3 years in Ukraine running planning all these attack vectors? Can Russia compete? Or noticed the trump admin mo of creating fear and chaos all over the world in all possible means trade tariffs sanctions embargoes kidnapping presidents murdering others, in their mindless attempt to reassert US dominance and control where they had lost it. Its worked in Europe who are all doing as they are told dutifully.
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 28 2026 1:20 utc | 61
The Kessler syndrome : the creation of a debris belt. If space is a frontier above Russia, then it must be either neutral or rendered unusable by hostiles.
62 Asian frog.
This is correct, however at this point Russian anti satellite technology cant destroy things fast enough. Only nuclear blasts in orbit can do so, and based on my understanding of US nuclear orbital tests Russia will be unwilling to saturated earths magnetic field with ionized particles or risk blowing territory below it with an EMP pulse. They need to take a lesson from Iran and damn the consequence and do it anyways.
Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | May 28 2026 1:25 utc | 62
Posted by: Hiro Masamune | May 27 2026 22:54 utc | 51 “Starlink drones could be neutralised via passive detection”
.
How big an antenna would it take to detect a 4 watt mostly directional signal pointed up, from the side at say 10 km?
Posted by: ed4 | May 28 2026 1:32 utc | 63
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 28 2026 1:08 utc | 63 “based in Ukraine. “
How many US troops are based in Ukraine?
Posted by: ed4 | May 28 2026 1:34 utc | 64
They need to take a lesson from Iran and damn the consequence and do it anyways.
Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | May 28 2026 1:25 utc | 65
Iran is in a cease fire, Israel just told all of South Lebanon to evacuate. Nobody Iran hit was a NATO member.
Posted by: UWDude | May 28 2026 1:38 utc | 65
Frankly nobody’s afraid of Russia at all. Bark a lot hide behind legalism excuses.
Posted by: Surferket | May 28 2026 0:45 utc | 61
Hence the bulk of the German and Belgian And UK army on the frontlines of the Donbass.
Dump their allies easily.
NAFO projection.
Really missed the KGB days.
The KGB days that saw the disastrous and silly invasion of Afghanistan?
NAFO *really* wants Russia to take the bait, and start firing at them, so they can round up all the european young men to go die for them, and quash all dissent as “russian disinformation”, while their NAFO useful idiots cry about “white slavs killing each other”.
Posted by: UWDude | May 28 2026 1:42 utc | 66
unsightfulviews posted a link to Helmer a week ago, trying to come off like he doesn’t really like Helmer, but in the case of the article he linked to, it was good information…
…and it was typical Helmeroid bullshit.
You know the old fanboy routine of “Im not saying everything he does is the best, but check out this sick video of him, bro!”
Posted by: UWDude | May 28 2026 1:53 utc | 67
How many US troops are based in Ukraine?
Posted by: ed4 | May 28 2026 1:34 utc | 67
Hundreds of thousands of them, dont you know, because nobody is afraid of Russia or takes them seriously.
Posted by: UWDude | May 28 2026 1:54 utc | 68
Posted by: Newbie | May 28 2026 0:26 utc | 58
The day anyone kesslerizes lowest LEO we can know things are serious…..
I just want to be sure.
All of you who talk so casually about destroying satellites in low Earth orbit, some even talking about using nuclear weapons as if it were a game, do you know what you’re talking about ?
Do you know that, aside from induced collisions, as soon as this starts, it will become virtually impossible to launch new satellites, especially geostationary ones, or to cross into low Earth orbit with shuttles, lunar missions, or anything else, because the risk of destruction by debris will be so great?
The astronauts and others found in space above will be practically doomed, and the existing satellites not destroyed by the Kessler effect will end their lives without being replaced.
Life as we know it will no longer be possible, unless cleanup missions are successfully carried out.
Do you really think those making the decisions will act so casually, just because one drone out of ten or a hundred has caused damage?
Posted by: Sebgo | May 28 2026 2:05 utc | 69
Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | May 28 2026 1:25 utc | 65
In recent news, Russia is launching its own Starlink-like satellites. If it is doing that, it means it is not even intending to use ASM to take out Starlink, much less your detonating nukes in space.
I would watch actions rather than words. Judging by their actions, there’s zero chance of them doing what you’re suggesting.
Plus let’s not get ahead of ourselves, yapping about X needs to do this or Y needs to this on MoA is just going into the void. If you need something done, you need to take it into your own hands else nothing’s going to happen.
Posted by: Khoa | May 28 2026 2:06 utc | 70
Not only Iran-USrael front, coming energy price spike would affect this front.
Europe is merely a consumer of fossil fuels and has limited production capacity.
So…how long will it be before the EU countries’ stockpiles of fossil fuel-derived materials, such as naphtha, run out?To what extent will this affect Europe’s capacity to provide military aid to Ukraine.
Those are the point my curiosity go now.
Posted by: Nokaz | May 28 2026 2:16 utc | 71
Now that’s the way to scare the shit out of Zelensky and the Europeans. Warn everyone that you are going to strike days in advance, then make it clear that you won’t be hitting any important decision-making targets.
Posted by: Perimetr | May 28 2026 0:33 utc | 59
I imagine Russia has more strikes / escalations planned, especially against the West’s perpetrators because they are the source of the money, weapons, and intelligence.
Posted by: norecovery | May 28 2026 2:24 utc | 72
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 28 2026 1:08 utc | 63 “
based in Ukraine. “
How many US troops are based in Ukraine?
Posted by: ed4 | May 28 2026 1:34 utc | 67
All I know is what I said above. Many more US troops than 5,000! It was on the radio and caught my attention. Someone speaking from The 21st edition of the GLOBSEC Forum will take centre stage on 21 – 23 May 2026, in Prague, Czechia. https://www.globsec.org/what-we-do/events/globsec-forum-2026
Presumably in the know, but I think stumbled and accidently spilled the beans live on air.
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 28 2026 2:45 utc | 73
Many more US troops than 5,000!
A great opportunity for Putin to show the world who’s boss, yeah?
Give it to those Americanos hey.. lol
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 28 2026 2:48 utc | 74
But that was limited. Trump has now lifted all restrictions, and Ukraine is installing terminals for its drones. Supplied by the U.S.
Posted by: smartfox | May 27 2026 19:20 utc | 11
Driven by embedded Palantir Automated AI tech / with CIA Intel OPSEC
Russia has no answers. Cannot stop the wall of attacks and has limited response beyond a cringing Lavrov placing the weakest telephone calls to Rubio
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 28 2026 2:57 utc | 75
Let’s see now what the historical evidence offers.
Vladimir Putin’s Direct Warning Date: September 5, 2025
Context: Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok regarding Western proposals to deploy troops to Ukraine.
“If some troops appear there, especially now during the fighting, we proceed from the premise that they will be legitimate targets.“
“Will be”, not might be. In the same remarks, Putin clarified that if a peace deal is reached, he sees “no sense in their presence,” implying that while hostilities continue, foreign soldiers are fair game for the Russian military.
Sergey Lavrov’s Corroborating Stance most recently (January 2026), Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reiterated on behalf of the government that any peacekeeping units or facilities would be considered “legitimate military targets”. Lavrov himself has previously stated that any NATO troop presence, regardless of capacity, represents a “direct threat” to Russia.
Russia’s UN Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia (citing Putin), who warned that approving long-range strikes would mean NATO countries are “starting an open war” and would be considered “directly involved in military action against a nuclear power”. This effectively translates to them being treated as co-belligerents.
Now’s their chance to put up or shut up? Go hard bro’
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 28 2026 3:09 utc | 76
I sometimes listen to Mercouris when I am doing chores. Often with someone alone talking into a camera for an hour it is the only way. Especially since he takes his time getting to the point.
But sometimes he makes good ones. Yesterday or today he suggested a link between the upcoming new rule about Russian airspace and them possibly launching a large number of drones, a new level. At fancy Kiev, at the embassies, at the NGO. Following through from their recent warnings. // Mercouris adds Ukraine is now nearly lacking in air defense.
This possibly, IMO, sets up the most distance between the Helmerites and the patient/foolish (depending on one’s POV). Which side to take?
My own guess is that there is small chance Russia is ready with a some new networked drone swarm (China has these, it seems).
Time will tell. Perhaps a guide is how crappy Zelenskyy looks. His despicable handler just fled to Israel, right?
Posted by: JustSomeOldGuy | May 28 2026 3:18 utc | 77
Anyone here read the Russian newspapers or journals? They are now printing stories that are less optimistic that what is written by most members of the bar..
“Russia does not have the capacity to sustainably control and manage such territories with a devastated economy and an extremely hostile population. The only way to prevent such a development would have been to implement the SMO as it was likely initially planned as a bloodless and lightning fast special operation” <- Global Affairs Journal.
The professional community is split between those in favor of continuing the SMO until the stated goals are achieved and those who believe it’s time to end it because the worst case scenario is not even defeat. It’s an endless SMO. <- Council for Foreign and Defense Policy.
Posted by: ed4 | May 27 2026 18:16 utc | 1
_________________________
I read them every day. I have lived in Moscow for over 30 years. I am not a Russian citizen.
Is “Global Affairs Journal” a Russian publication? Are you referring to “Russia in Global Affairs”, which is published by “The Foreign Policy Research Foundation”, established in 2006, which claims to be non-partisan, and is based in Philadelphia, USA?
Having looked this morning at the main stories today in Komsomolskaya Pravda, Izvestia, Argumenti i Fakty, Moskovskiy Komsomolets, Vedomosti, Gazeta.ru, I have seen no articles in them “that are less optimistic that what is written by most members of the bar”.
Below are the main stories in today’s Vedomosti, as listed on its front page:
Russia and China are joining forces against cybercrime
What happened to Donald Trump’s Peace Council?
More than 40% of regions are not satisfied with the level of training of secondary vocational education graduates
Businesses with Kazakhstani participation have tripled their presence in Russia since 2021
A major Chinese agency has maintained its rating of the “tired” Russian economy
Russia increased its LNG production by 10% in January-April
How will the slowdown in annual inflation affect the interest rate?
Collectors bought the minimum amount of overdue debt from MFIs over the past year
Hackers are increasingly selling stolen data to companies at a discount
Vedomosti can hardly be called “Kremlin controlled” as the Western media labels all Russian newspapers. Vedomosti is a Russian language daily business newspaper published in Moscow. It was founded in 1999 as a joint venture between Dow Jones, which publishes The Wall Street Journal; Pearson, which previously published the Financial Times; and Independent Media, which publishes in the Netherlands the English language rag The Moscow Times. Independent Media was acquired by Finnish media company Sanoma in 2005.
Posted by: Moscow Exile | May 28 2026 3:59 utc | 78
In recent news, Russia is launching its own Starlink-like satellites. If it is doing that, it means it is not even intending to use ASM to take out Starlink, much less your detonating nukes in space.
I agree. Nukes in space is theoretically the only practical way to disrupt the starlink network. What i meant was if Russia wants to stop it thats what they have to do. Launching rockets to take them out only means they can take one out for every hundred or more that can be put up. And the orbits for the debris would relatively quickly fall back to earth as was noted elsewhere.
It would be a hell of a thing to do, I may have gotten ahead of myself rhetorically there.
Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | May 28 2026 4:24 utc | 79
Will Russia take this matter to the ICJ as a war crime and a crime against humanity?
MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/. Russian legislators adopted at a plenary meeting on Wednesday a draft appeal to the United Nations, global parliaments and international parliamentary organizations to condemn the criminal activity of the Kiev regime over the recent Ukrainian attack on Starobelsk.
“State Duma members call on all their reasonable counterparts at global parliaments and international parliamentary organizations who choose not to remain silent witnesses of such manifestations of how inhumane the Kiev regime is to resolutely denounce its criminal actions,” the document reads.
In addition, Russian MPs urged global lawmakers and the United Nations to demand that all military, financial and material assistance be stopped to the regime of Vladimir Zelensky who they said “turns educational establishments, residential buildings and hospitals into terror targets.”
“Members of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation believe that, being defeated on the battlefield and holding onto power, Zelensky’s neo-Nazi regime is trying to distract the attention of Ukrainian citizens and the global community from the large-scale corruption scandal in the entourage of the leader of the Kiev junta as it deliberately targets civilians in numerous terrorist attacks,” parliamentarians emphasized.
State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin denounced the Ukrainian attack on Starobelsk as a crime against humanity, placing the blame on Zelensky and his henchmen for it.
Russian Duma, picks up dripping wet lettuce leaf, slaps the west in the face via the UN.
That’ll show them you can’t push Russia around!
And who said Russia don’t do propaganda? Oh yeah, that was Karl.
Russia will do everything in its power “to prevent this case from being shelved and to put an end to the ongoing frenzy of anti-Russian insinuations, which shows no signs of abating.”
The tragedy in Starobelsk “resonated in the hearts of those who have not lost their humanity,” while Western countries have not offered condolences at the official level: “I have not seen any official condolences from the West.”
Russia sees that the West is “twisting” warnings about the need to evacuate personnel from diplomatic missions in Kiev and “trying to present this as a new manifestation of Moscow’s allegedly aggressive course”: “This lays bare the twisted nature of the figures we are opposing.”
https://tass.com/politics/2137413
Kremlin spokesman comments on Armenia’s EAEU-EU dilemma, gas deals
Armenia can’t be part of both the EU and the EAEU: “Armenia has set a course towards integration with other associations, and these are conflicting processes.”
Armenia has actually written its EU ambitions into law: “Armenia has passed a law that actually legally binds the government and all government agencies to focus on EU integration.”
https://tass.com/politics/2137427
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 28 2026 5:29 utc | 80
I’ve mentioned already my framing of the Trump Admin operating program is to instill as much fear and chaos as possible. But Russia isn’t rattled in the least being on the outer and all, sanctioned to the point of having nowhere to turn while Ukr keeps cranking up attacks on Russian soil and allies keep being culled from Russian influence one after another – libya, syria, iran, venezuela, cuba, gcc, lebanon, egypt, india, turkey… but Russia-North Korea allied relations are very strong!
MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/. Nuclear weapons may appear on Australian soil due to its participation in the AUKUS (Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States) military pact, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu at the sixth round of consultations between high-level Russian and ASEAN representatives overseeing security issues. He also noted that Japan is flirting with NATO and Ukrainian neo-Nazis.
The categorical rejection by the United States of the Russian initiative to preserve the legacy of the Russian-American New START Treaty in the form of voluntary self-restraint is a cause for “serious concern.” The American side “has taken the path of ensuring itself complete freedom of action, declaring its readiness to begin expanding its nuclear arsenal beyond the New START limits and to resume nuclear testing at any moment.”
“Washington is building up the capabilities of the group of its military forces in the Asia-Pacific region and focuses on developing the potential of regional allies within military-political alliances that it creates.”
Japan and the Republic of Korea are preparing to accommodate American nuclear weapons on their territory with all the ensuing consequences for regional security.”
“Nuclear weapons may also emerge on the territory of Australia due to its participation in the AUKUS pact.”
The United States is implementing highly destabilizing programs in the Asia-Pacific region “to build a regional segment of the global missile defense system, forward-deploy land-based intermediate-and shorter-range missiles, and expand the scale of military maneuvers.”
Not rattled at all. Next step is the massive missile and drone attacks on Iev and Lvov which will take western diplomatic and military ops, they were “warned” but refuse to leave. Oh dear.
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 28 2026 5:47 utc | 81
How big an antenna would it take to detect a 4 watt mostly directional signal pointed up, from the side at say 10 km?
Posted by: ed4 | May 28 2026 1:32 utc | 63
about the same size than the one on the satellite … of witch Keplerian parameters are a known quantity ^^
Posted by: Hiro Masamune | May 28 2026 6:18 utc | 83
Yet another Russian red line fades to washed out pink as usual.
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/russian-officials-walk-back-threats
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | May 28 2026 6:22 utc | 84
So much of the commentariat is huffing and puffing these days that Russia might actually Do Something; for example, Glen Diesen’s (whom I love) YouTube channel is full of it. But where is the evidence? As long as Russian ambassadors and citizens haven’t been recalled from EU/NATO (what’s the difference anyway) territory, the Russian Federation is not in a pre-war posture vs Europe. Away from the TV cameras, also with LNG deliveries to their enemies the Kremlin elites are busy signaling business as usual — with great emphasis on “business.”
These things matter. Twice, the old guard in Tehran closed its eyes to the fact that USrael most definitely was in a pre-war posture vs themselves; perhaps unavoidable, even necessary, that USrael had to send those folks into … retirement.
In his speech right after the Starobelsk atrocity, Putin fell back on the familiar tropes in his comfort zone: Doing Something would be “overreacting”, and that would give Russia’s enemies exactly what they want. In other words, Putin is so scared to death of a war with NATO, that the latter is welcome to wage it anyway, as one-way traffic. Ergo, reluctantly, Putin agreed to some fireworks over Kiev so his domestic audience could let off some steam. When USrael strike Tehran, the same “alternative media” ask what exactly the fireworks achieved; shouldn’t we do so here as well? Has Kiev been deterred from striking Russian civilians ever again, the putative goal? Has any of those responsible been punished? If so, give me a name–just one. And it’s not about the toys: Russian drones now loiter freely over Kiev, and could whack someone important with minimal fuss if only the order were given. (Admittedly, to get to this point, Kinzhal may have been most useful to deal with the Patriot installations.)
The first data point is in: Westerners in Kiev are staying put and calling Putin’s bluff, because up to now they see that Russia is not in a pre-war posture vs them. Vicious and cruel, yes, but perhaps not universally crazy if they monitor actions not words; and you don’t get to call them cowards if you don’t dare fight them.
One issue with “business as usual, time is on Russia’s side”, the way I see it, is that any place the Russian Army turns its attention to has long been fortified. Oh, and it has enabled Europe to get its act together at least in the realm of drone production; turns out that “you can always take the territory later” was just another delusion, overlooking that the enemy gets a vote. Finally, especially if one pursues “muh attrition strategy” then the operational tempo matters a great deal: if you don’t decisively outpace AFU mobilization then you’re just going in circles. Yes, Ukie forced mobilization is ugly; but they’re still obtaining bodies, and those bodies are still resisting hard. Unless, of course, the goal was to exterminate this region’s Slavic population all along–Ukies and Russians.
Why, for instance, deride Macron’s stated desire for an “EUreshnik”? Not all French are retarded, they’ll get there eventually (mass production, not so much) — just like Russia finally got its own JDAM-style glide bombs two decades late. The time when the Russian Federation enjoys a hypersonics gap; when the US is bogged down in the Gulf region again; when China is exasperated with the antics of Team Trump — is now. Who knows about next year. But, “Russia. Is. Not. In. A. Hurry.”
Call me a concern troll if you have to; we all need to let of some steam from time to time, and VVP isn’t the only one seemingly responding on autopilot.
Posted by: Ma Laoshi | May 28 2026 6:48 utc | 85
Ooooooohh! Starlink deployed and fully enabled over Ukraine.
Quick, someone better tell Russian MoD to surrender! All is lost!
What Iran’s Internet Shutdown Reveals About Starlink | TechPolicy.Press
Ooooooohhh! Russia has walked back its Red Line.
Quick, someone tell Russian MoD and citizens to overthrow that coward Jewed up Poootin and replace him with MoA’s Village Idiot Briswapriya!
Posted by: Suresh | May 28 2026 7:16 utc | 86
Russia has no answers. Cannot stop the wall of attacks and has limited response beyond a cringing Lavrov placing the weakest telephone calls to Rubio
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 28 2026 2:57 utc | 75
Excuse me but are you that kind of person who starts mildly and agreeably, presenting yourself as a reasonable guy and then gradually turns towards trolling? Your first postings here sounded allright but I’ve now come to see you as a rabid, fuming “Putin-hater”. Is this a change of personality or tactics?
Posted by: Avtonom | May 28 2026 8:11 utc | 87
Posted by: Avtonom | May 28 2026 8:11 utc | 87
He’s been an obvious troll since day one.
Barflies have been doing a fine job of ignoring him, for the most part.
Posted by: ChatNPC | May 28 2026 8:49 utc | 88
Remember : the moar trolls you see , the moar they are winning ^
Posted by: Savonarole | May 28 2026 8:50 utc | 89
All of you who talk so casually about destroying satellites in low Earth orbit, some even talking about using nuclear weapons as if it were a game, do you know what you’re talking about ?
Posted by: Sebgo | May 28 2026 2:05 utc | 74
****************
Hello Sebgo. The sad and sorry situation is that the overwhelming majority of comments relating to this topic so far on this thread (and by extension to all previous threads on this this topic) are so simplistic that they become factually incorrect and highly misleading.
I am reluctant to engage because of the level of acrimony that my contributions stir up amongst the ‘experts’…
Posted by: General Factotum | May 28 2026 9:09 utc | 90
Posted by: General Factotum | May 28 2026 9:09 utc | 90
You need to do more gaming GF.
Nukes mean some ace graphics, Game Over and back to Level 1.
Other than that they are harmless. What’s wrong with you Boomers?
Posted by: ChatNPC | May 28 2026 9:12 utc | 91
Avtonom | May 28 2026 8:11 utc | 87
You have it wrong. I’m the same person with the same views. I have never “hated” Putin and don’t “love” him either. He’s just another playing a role. I’m a realist, it’s the pro/con biased people who get upset my others opinions and perspectives that rise above personality worship. I don’t hate Trump either, and simply consider him a fool and a tool of the establishment. I’d suggest it’s not my bias which at issue here.
The nation-state system, as structured, automatically generates conflict. No single power or method can control or stop it for long. “Ending war” and “avoiding nation state conflict” is impossible without redesigning or replacing the system itself. Because the real drivers are thermodynamic and systemic including energy capture, labor as power, territorial resource logic, and the competitive cascade driven by systemic capitalism itself. These operate regardless of governance, culture, religious beliefs and political ideology and practice.
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 25 2026 9:24 utc | 163
Criticizing specific actors within the system is almost irrelevant to stopping war. Peace activism that doesn’t target the structure is palliative, not curative.
Once you see this, most political discussion becomes repetitive theater. Losing the energy to engage with it is not burnout — it’s clarity expressing itself as exhaustion with the irrelevant.
The next question is not “who to blame?” but “what comes after the nation-state?” — and how to start modeling it now.
When you can recognize the propaganda and lies, the manipulation of the public arising from the Trump WH team but cannot see the very same bs out of the Kremin, then that’s not me that’s the problem.
Snake makes good sense here, but I will not agree everything else they or anyone else says, because I have my own views. Like them or not, what’s the problem? It’s your problem not mine. I’m doing fine.
And have already expliained my pov
Criticizing Russia’s behavior is not endorsing the West. The West has its own long list of crimes—interventions, coups, double standards. But Russia’s invasion, its fake ‘agreements,’ its performative diplomacy, and its refusal to adapt to reality are not justified by Western hypocrisy alone. Two things can be true at once — the West is predatory, and Russia is dysfunctional. Pretending otherwise is not analysis. It’s thoughtless cheerleading.I’m refusing to pretend that Russia’s behavior is automatically competent, honest, or justified. The four years actually makes a difference to me. If the few here demanding people hate the US more before you’ll allow any criticism of Russia, then you’re proving my other points about performative online tribalism. Which isn’t a sign of civilized behaviour for those claiming they’re fighting a “civilization” war.
“You can’t have it both ways. Either Russia is strategically rational—in which case explain how inventing fake ‘Anchorage agreements’ has brought peace, prosperity, or victory. Or Russia is trapped in a self-defeating cycle of paranoia and propaganda—in which case stop pretending this is clever statecraft. It’s not working. It hasn’t worked. And pretending otherwise is just cheerleading for failure.”But but but the West provoked them I hear?“Provocation explains the invasion. It doesn’t explain four years of refusing to adapt, and the eight years before that, lying about nonexistent deals, and bleeding out an entire generation for nothing. At some point, you have to ask: is this strategy, or is this pathology?”Because friends intention and outcome are not the same. Russia intends to wear down the West, fracture the alliance, and maintain domestic support. But the outcome is the opposite: a stronger NATO, a resilient Ukraine, and a Russian public growing quietly exhausted. That’s not genius or 5D Chess. That’s not even competent. That’s failure dressed up as patience.
If you have any problems with that, then you do. I do not know of any government anywhere that’d support or endorse. Do you? If anyone is hoping that Russia China or Iran or Venezuela are coming to save you from the vile abuses of Capitalism and the Psychopathic Tech Bros and Zionist Jews you’ve got another thing coming.
They’re all the same only the lighting is different. 🙂
Posted by: unsightfulviews | May 28 2026 9:13 utc | 92
AFU released some video of a flying drone hitting a Buyan-M corvette in the Caspian sea. But it’s said this video is from October 2025 that was withheld till today.
Well, that’s what’s possible with unlimited Starlink coverage, the only limiting factor is drone fuel and propulsion (range).
https://x.com/AMK_Mapping_/status/2059848361365409849
Posted by: unimperator | May 28 2026 9:26 utc | 93
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | May 28 2026 6:22 utc | 84
Technically Zelensky and Duma are not ‘decision makers’, rather all orders to Zelensky come from the city of London banking interests through GCHQ.
Drone attacks and the intel used for drone attacks in Russia are also coordinated through the Nato base in Wiesbaden, Germany. Drone operators in the front launch them, controlled through Starlink back to Wiesbaden.
So Russia is limited to hitting ‘operators’ and ‘mediators’ in Ukraine. That said, since Kaja Kallas has now disavowed the EU ‘diplo’ staff in Kiev, Russia has every reason to hit EU embassies and kill their staff in Kiev, if there ever were any. Kaja Kallas won’t mind since she just ignored the warning and risks.
Posted by: unimperator | May 28 2026 9:43 utc | 94
@99
Duma… meant to say Rada is not a decision maker.
Posted by: unimperator | May 28 2026 9:45 utc | 95
My take on things. A lot of weird and contradictory things have been happening. It is hard putting pieces together. Lots and lots of lies and misinformation.
Their is a war going on now. It is between the US and RIC (Russia – Iran – China). Europe, Ukraine, and Israel are vassals of the US. The US dominates Europe, including Ukraine, but Israel pushes its weight around in significant ways now and again. If peace breaks out, RIC would CRUSH the US economically over a reasonably short period of time. War gives the US a chance. A very small chance.
The March and April war between the US and Iran was a decisive win for Iran. How much help did Russia and China provide? Enough. How much help are Russia and China giving Iran for rebuilding? Enough. Scott Bessent likes to brag about his successes in crashing the Iranian currency, and in hurting the Iranian economy. But “somehow” Iran keeps doing what needs to be done to keep their civilization going, and in rebuilding the damage from our Tomahawk missiles. That “somehow” has been carefully and successfully managed by the Iranian leaders, with emergency aid from Russia and China to fill in any gaps.
Now the US is sending thousands and thousands of drones from Ukrainian territory into Russia. Much of the drone production is probably happening in West European factories. So now it’s Russia’s turn to stare down US kinetic efforts. These drone attacks have been happening for a while, so RIC has had time to prepare its reaction to them. Russia has done all the diplomatic niceties to justify pretty much any kinetic activities that RIC agrees on when military solutions are required. However, as a team, RIC are working to win the peace after the expected defeat of the US. Military actions will be as muted as possible. Which may end up not being very muted.
China has steadily decoupled its supply chains from the US, and have steadily cut off the US from resources produced by China that the US needs. This massive amount of decoupling is time consuming and requires a lot of coordination between multiple and massive Chinese business units. China is now mass producing chips that are quickly catching up to NVIDIA chips in power, and producing them without using anything from US oriented sources. These kinds of stories are less exciting than military stories. But a lot more important.
The successes that RIC have had in getting nations to switch from US dollar based trading to anything else are crucial in allowing the global south to thrive. It is getting more and more expensive for the US to fight all of this, and the momentum is in favor of further US dollar decoupling. US sanctions have backfired BIGLY against the US, and the US has made a major mistake in not letting them “expire”.
With perseverance and a bit of luck, RIC will gradually wear down the US attempts at ruling the world, and do so in a way that there is a world worth living in. Despite the excitement of military activity, economic and trade issues are the battles of importance. And RIC is crushing the US on these issues, with only occasional US victories.
Posted by: Woke American | May 28 2026 9:57 utc | 96
My take on things. …
Posted by: Woke American | May 28 2026 9:57 utc | 101
No, it’s obviously an old article, copied from somewhere—definitely not your work, just like a bot.
Posted by: smartfox | May 28 2026 10:04 utc | 97
@JustSomeOldGuy | May 28 2026 3:18 utc | 77
With his legal background, Mercouris parses the words minutely; he is knowledgeable about history, and he tries and manages to stay humane throughout all the carnage. And, as you said, one can listen to him getting slooowly to the point while doing sth else. 🙂 On top of that, him and Christophorou have many fine guests. All in all, much to like.
But he talked all winter as if the upcoming Spring Offensive were a fact already; about the fourth time he predicted such a thing. When, after the rasputitsa standstill, instead we got at most a resumption of the slow attritional grind, he doesn’t account for the discrepancy but instead talks as if what we’re seeing right now is a serious offensive–even an accelerating one. He admits he’s not comfortable with maps; but don’t you need those for a sense of scale–to distinguish big vs small, fast vs slow.
For instance, he often talks about Sumy getting into a semi-circle. This may well be the Russian intention–sth that may happen eventually next year. But if I look at the map, then Russia is fighting now just across the border from Gornal; i.e., one whopping km beyond where they were in the beginning of last year. And all that excitement back then merely amounted to retaking Kursk–Russian lands which never should have been lost, had the border been properly fortified.
It’s OK I guess to talk about plans/intentions, but at which point do Mercouris’s programs devolve into spin?
Posted by: Ma Laoshi | May 28 2026 10:11 utc | 98
Russia already back-tracking on systematic Kiev bombing campaign with no hits on the President’s office or Parliament. 🙄
They’re fighting with both hands tied behind their back, might as well surrender and go home! 🙌
Posted by: Dingleberry | May 28 2026 10:24 utc | 99
Ma Laoshi | May 28 2026 10:11 utc | 103
“It’s OK I guess to talk about plans/intentions, but at which point do Mercouris’s programs devolve into spin?”
Over four years ago, for the spin in general.
Posted by: Flying Dutchman | May 28 2026 10:47 utc | 100