News & views related to the war in Ukraine …
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September 17, 2026
Ukraine Open Thread 2026-203
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Dead thread again. To “Woke American”
(My bolding)
“It’s one thing for people in the press to say that crap and believe it. BUT THE US MILITARY ACTED ON THE IDEA.”
Posted by: Woke American | Sep 16 2026 22:51 utc | 91
That was the worst crime of the lot. Cavoli, Milley and Radakin insisted on that summer offensive though Zaluzhnyi was against. What did the inevitable losses matter to them? Wiesbaden wanted a PR offensive and it got it. It was clear at the time that the only result could be inordinate and pointless Ukrainian casualties and they knew it.
So throughout. You were watching it and I think as appalled at the time as I was.
“Set aside the question of who was in the right. The fact remains that we encouraged the Ukrainians to keep fighting when they could have got far better terms at Istanbul than they’re ever going to get now.
“Worse, we promised them indefinite support. “As long as it takes”. We lionised Zelensky and cheered him on. Then – “We are not Amazon” at Vilnius. It must have been for Zelensky as if the ground had fallen away from under his feet at Vilnius. All those promises. And none honoured nor ever any intention of honouring them.
“Worse than that. Our military had charge of this war. We insisted on the summer offensive though the Ukrainian General Staff would have preferred to concentrate their efforts further north.
“We organised what must have been the most amateurish attack ever seen in modern warfare when we threw the Ukrainian regulars against the Surovikin line. We wasted three brigades of fine Ukrainian troops at Krinky and kept that hopeless attack going long after it was clear that that attack was going nowhere. Brave men clambering across the bodies of their comrades, sent in again and again to hold a position that was never going to be held.
“And at Kursk we did the same. Squandering men and equipment by organising the murderously wasteful Kursk venture, an offensive carried out for PR reasons and, again, an offensive maintained well after it was clear it was going nowhere.
“Amateur night, all of it, by the Western militaries working out of Wiesbaden and the Pentagon. The Ukrainian regulars deserved better from us than that and they never got it, not in the inferior equipment we supplied them with, the sub-standard training we gave them, and the incompetent planning and direction of this war.
“(some state) that the Ukrainians will be humiliated. With respect, I disagree. Those regulars did all that was asked of them and more. Far more. And in return we threw their lives away so casually.
“So not humiliated. Let down and betrayed. You know what the Russians were up to, don’t you. From the first day they knew that if the war could not be halted by negotiation they must destroy all that we could throw at them. Equipment, proxies, the lot. And all we did, after all the promises and for all the endless talk, was feed in our proxies to be destroyed.”
Submitted that elsewhere a while ago. It was quite something for me, to come to “b’s” site just now, and find another commenter who feels the same. Martyanov points out, correctly, that the Western militaries are inadequate when it comes to doctrine, equipment, and the handling of large forces. I found Commodore Jermy pointing out the same recently. But what is contemptible about the various Western General Staffs is not that. It’s that they were prepared to sacrifice such numbers of men on the instructions of their political masters. That’s not soldiering in any sense that is usually understood by the term, proxy forces or not, and there will be millions of Ukrainians afterwards justifiably bitter about how their men were used.
Posted by: English Outsider | Sep 17 2026 18:22 utc | 1
Remember! > 100 Words
——————————
## SITUATION ANALYSIS AND OPERATIONAL DESIGN## OPERATIONAL BASELINE
Two sovereign states (hereinafter referred to as Party A/Ally and Party B/Adversary) are engaged in a high-intensity war of attrition. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS/FPV), loitering munitions, and space-based broadband communication architectures (specifically Starlink) serve as the primary catalysts for tactical reconnaissance, artillery fire control, and Command and Control (C2) nodes. Party B (Adversary, e.g., the Russian Federation) increasingly utilizes unauthorized Starlink terminals procured via third-party states (“grey-market terminals”) to sustain its operational C2 capability and coordinate long-range drone operations.
——————————
## CONTEXT I: ELECTRONIC BATTLEFIELD RECONNAISSANCE AND TARGET ACQUISITION
The satellite network operator maintains the precise technical identifiers (IMEI, MAC addresses, IMSI) of all terminals legally supplied to Party A. Any active terminal within the Area of Operations (AO) that is not included on this whitelist is classified as hostile (Party B).
Since Starlink terminals utilize phased-array antennas that continuously transmit signals in the Ku- and Ka-bands to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, this electromagnetic signature can be exploited for offensive operations:
1. Provider-Side Geolocation: The satellite operator can determine the geographic position of any unauthorized terminal within the theater of war down to a few meters. This is achieved by analyzing beam configurations and calculating Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) metrics.
2. Fire Control Data Interface: This real-time geospatial data is fed directly into Party A’s automated fire control systems via secured military data links (e.g., Link 16 or proprietary C4ISR networks). Consequently, unauthorized terminals are instantaneously designated as High-Value Targets (HVTs).
——————————
## CONTEXT II: KINETIC STRIKE CAPABILITIES AGAINST HOSTILE TERMINALS
Once an unauthorized terminal is localized, kinetic engagement is executed via a tiered, cross-platform joint effects system:
* Artillery and Missile Strikes: Static command posts are targeted using precision-guided munitions (PGMs), such as 155mm Excalibur artillery rounds or GPS/INS-guided rocket artillery (GMLRS/HIMARS). The acquired coordinates enable effective first-round strikes without requiring prior registration fire.
* Loitering Munitions and FPV Kamikaze Drones: For mobile units, autonomously navigating drones are deployed into the target area. In the terminal phase, these assets utilize electro-optical (EO) or thermal infrared (IR) sensors to lock onto and destroy the physical terminal dish.
* Anti-Radiation Missiles (ARM): Modified air-to-ground missiles (analogous to the AGM-88 HARM) or specialized loitering assets equipped with passive radar homing seekers lock onto the Ku/Ka-band radio frequency (RF) emissions of the terminal. This neutralizes the position even if the target is in motion.
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## CONTEXT III: ELECTRONIC COUNTERMEASURES (EW) BY THE ADVERSARY (PARTY B)
Party B possesses highly advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities integrated deep within its military doctrine, deployed to suppress Party A’s Starlink utilization or disguise its own signatures:
* Tactical Jamming (Receiver Suppression): Ground-based EW complexes (such as the Leer-3, Krasukha-4, Pole-21, or the modern Tobol series) flood Starlink downlink frequencies with high-power RF noise. Because Starlink antennas point upward, hostile units exploit terrain features or elevate jammers on high ground to block signals just above the horizon, locally blinding Party A’s terminals.
* GPS/GNSS Spoofing: Hostile forces emit counterfeit GNSS signals. Because Starlink terminals rely on precise GPS data for initial positioning and phased-array beam steering synchronization, severe spoofing causes terminals to lose connectivity or target incorrect orbital sectors.
* Technical Camouflage of Terminals: To circumvent detection at the MAC/IMEI layer, hostile forces implement firmware modifications to spoof MAC addresses or clone the identifiers of legitimate terminals. Furthermore, devices are operated within strict burst-transmission windows and equipped with physical RF shielding to minimize sidelobe radiation.
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## CONTEXT IV: COUNTER-ELECTRONIC WARFARE STRATEGY (PARTY A)
To dominate the electromagnetic spectrum and preserve Starlink operational availability, Party A implements an active Counter-EW strategy:
1. Terminal Hardening (Passive Defense): Starlink antennas are defiladed within deep trenches or enclosed in metallic shielding cylinders. This configuration blocks ground-based EW jamming from the flanks while maintaining an unobstructed vertical line-of-sight (LOS) to the satellite constellation. Software updates also enforce highly directed, narrow beams and frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) techniques.
2. Kinetic Suppression of EW Assets (Hard Kill): Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) units intercept and locate hostile EW complexes based on their massive RF power output. Destruction is carried out via artillery or long-range kamikaze drones that are immune to electronic jamming due to Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) or AI-driven optical terrain contour matching.
3. Military Cyber Operations: Cyber forces launch digital attacks against the C2 networks of hostile EW units to corrupt control software, manipulate modulation frequencies, or sabotage the power grids feeding the jamming stations.
——————————
## CONTEXT V: DISTRIBUTED PROXY DRONE ARCHITECTURE AND LATENCY OPTIMIZATION
Outsourcing tactical drone piloting to secure third countries (e.g., EU member states, North America) represents an asymmetric evolution in warfare.
## Technical Architecture and Scalability
The volume of remotely piloted drones is theoretically bound only by server bandwidth and local hardware availability in the combat zone. Thousands of trained operators from the international diaspora or volunteer organizations can operate globally and simultaneously.
The infrastructure requires a local server pipeline within the combat theater to receive the drone’s telemetry and video feeds. This data is uploaded via Starlink into a secured cloud network and routed via encrypted IP protocols (VPN) to the external operator. The operator maneuvers the asset using a standard PC gamepad.
## Operational Feasibility Assessment
The real-world viability of this concept depends strictly on the mission profile:
* Strategic Long-Range UAVs (Reconnaissance / One-Way Strike): Highly Feasible. These assets operate on pre-planned routes at high altitudes or navigate via GPS/INS. The round-trip latency over Starlink ranges between 30 and 100 milliseconds, which is negligible for strategic flights that do not require rapid evasive maneuvers. Piloting from safe sanctuaries dramatically improves operator survivability and mission sustainability.
* Tactical FPV Kamikaze Drones (Close Range): Not Feasible. FPV drones operate at ultra-low altitudes, navigating through trees and urban structures at speeds exceeding 100 km/h. The terminal engagement phase demands millisecond-level human reflex inputs. A cumulative network latency exceeding 50 ms (Drone → Starlink Terminal → Satellite → Ground Station → Internet → Remote Operator and back) inevitably causes overcorrection and loss of control. Furthermore, low-altitude RF links often degrade just before impact due to terrain masking, making AI-driven autonomous terminal guidance mandatory.
Operational Assessment Summary: Remote proxy piloting is highly efficient for operational reconnaissance and strategic deep strikes from deep sanctuaries. However, close air support at the Forward Edge of the Battle Area (FEBA) must be executed by local forces or fully autonomous edge-AI systems operating without a human-in-the-loop requirement.
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## CONTEXT VI: GEOPOLITICAL FRAMEWORK AND LOGISTICAL RESILIENCE
When conducting operations against a nuclear-armed state, planning must operate under the constraints of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) and escalation dominance. To mitigate the risk of an existential tactical nuclear first strike, all logistical supply lines and cyber architectures must function below the threshold of open collective defense treaties (e.g., NATO Article 5). The strategic goal is maximizing asymmetric degradation while maintaining Plausible Deniability.
## 1. Cross-Border Asymmetric Supply Corridors
Constructing a continuous subterranean tunnel from NATO territory directly to the front line (600–1000 km away) is geologically and logistically impossible during an active conflict. Instead, logistics rely on a hybrid network of cross-border micro-tunnels and covert distribution hubs.
* Micro-Tunnelling Operations: To shield high-tech components (Starlink terminals, EW modules, drone avionics) from satellite surveillance, espionage, and long-range precision strikes, Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is utilized at the border. Tunnels of 1 to 2 meters in diameter are bored beneath official border checkpoints and riverbeds.
* Subterranean Transit: These tunnels are unmanned and equipped with automated rail systems or pneumatic conveyors. Materiel is covertly loaded inside civilian logistics facilities on NATO soil (disguised as agricultural or industrial freight) and emerges at concealed depots inside the partner country.
* Geopolitical Protection Layer: Because the injection points reside on NATO territory, they are conventionally immune to kinetic strikes, as an attack on NATO soil would trigger a catastrophic nuclear escalation spiral.
## 2. In-Theater Logistics & Counter-Grey-Market Operations
Once past the border, transport shifts to a decentralized network. Heavy volumes move via the civilian rail network in unmarked cars, while the final tactical mile to the FEBA is executed by autonomous logistics Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) and heavy cargo UAS.
Simultaneously, the adversary’s grey-market logistics chain is targeted via cyber embargo operations. Starlink terminals destined for hostile forces are intercepted at global transshipment hubs, compromised via hardware trojans, or blocked via provider-side software geo-fencing as soon as they attempt to register within the operational theater.
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## CONTEXT VII: NETWORK OPTIMIZATION AND AUTONOMOUS TERMINAL GUIDANCE
To minimize network latency across intercontinental distances, protocol and hardware optimizations are deployed.
## 1. Network Layer Optimization
* UDP/QUIC Protocol Modification: Standard transport layer protocols (like TCP) enforce error checking and packet retransmission, introducing critical delays. The drone C2 link utilizes a proprietary, streamlined UDP-based protocol. If a video frame is dropped, it is skipped rather than retransmitted to keep the data stream perfectly synchronized.
* Edge Computing Nodes: High-performance edge servers are co-located at Starlink satellite gateways near the border. These nodes handle hardware-accelerated transcoding of the drone’s H.265 video stream directly at the point of entry into the terrestrial fiber-optic network, eliminating routing overheads over the global internet.
## 2. Predictive AI Input Compensation
Because physical latency is fundamentally constrained by the speed of light through fiber and space (approx. 40–70 ms minimum round-trip time), a client-side AI engine compensates for the delay at the operator’s station:
The local AI calculates the drone’s probable flight path 100 milliseconds into the future based on real-time telemetry (wind vector, velocity, angular inertia) and renders a predictive reticle on the screen. The pilot essentially commands a “future model” of the drone, while the physical steering inputs arrive at the actual asset in a delayed but highly precise sequence.
## 3. Autonomous Terminal Guidance
To counter total signal loss caused by hostile tactical EW jamming or latency spikes during the final dive phase, the system transitions to edge autonomy:
* Human-in-the-Loop Reconnaissance: The remote operator flies the drone to within approximately 500 meters of the target area and highlights the hostile asset (e.g., an armored vehicle or EW jammer) on the interface.
* Autonomous Target Engagement: Following target designation, the drone completely severs its network connection. An integrated, low-power AI processor (e.g., Edge TPU) takes complete control of the visual tracking loop via the onboard camera. The drone strikes the target fully autonomously, rendering it immune to any form of radio frequency disruption or network latency.
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## CONTEXT VIII: OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIC AIR DEFENSE (S-500 PROMETEI)
The S-500 air defense system (“Prometei”) is fundamentally designed around conventional kinetic energy interception rather than nuclear deployment, distinguishing it from older Soviet-era strategic missile defense systems.
## 1. The Physical Principle: “Hit-to-Kill” Kinetic Interception
Legacy strategic missile defense systems (such as the Moscow-defending A-135 network utilizing Gazelle interceptors) relied on tactical nuclear warheads. Because vintage radar tracking and guidance packages lacked precise resolution, a nuclear weapon was detonated in space to neutralize incoming ICBM re-entry vehicles via a massive area-of-effect blast and radiation wave.
In contrast, the S-500 utilizes newly developed 77N6-N and 77N6-N1 interceptor missiles for exoatmospheric defense (altitudes up to 200 km):
* These interceptors are equipped with inert, non-explosive kinetic warheads.
* The system utilizes the “Hit-to-Kill” principle: the threat vehicle or low-orbit satellite is pulverized entirely by the sheer kinetic energy of a direct physical collision at extreme hypersonic velocities.
## 2. Tactical Disadvantages of Nuclear Outfitting on the S-500
Equipping the S-500 with tactical nuclear warheads to counter massive satellite constellations would introduce severe operational liabilities:
* Inadequate Interceptor Apogee: S-500 interceptor missiles possess a maximum vertical ceiling (apogee) of approximately 180 to 200 kilometers, with a horizontal range of roughly 500 to 600 kilometers. While this allows the S-500 to access the lowest boundaries of Low Earth Orbit (LEO), it cannot physically reach the core of constellations like Starlink, which operate at higher altitudes of approximately 550 kilometers.
* Collateral Self-Induced EMP: The S-500 is a mobile air and missile defense platform. Detonating a nuclear warhead at an altitude of only 150–200 km directly over domestic territory or the active combat zone would generate a devastating High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP). This would cause catastrophic damage to friendly civilian and military electronic infrastructure directly below the blast. Strategic space-based nuclear weapons are therefore deployed via heavy Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) designed for significantly higher operational orbits.
## 3. Layered Integration: S-500 and A-235 Synergy
While the S-500 operates conventionally via precision kinetic tracking, it is architected to complement the heavy, silo-based A-235 (“Nudol”) strategic missile defense complex. The S-500 acts as a high-precision scalpels to mechanically neutralize discrete high-speed targets (hypersonic glide vehicles, tactical ballistic missiles, low-altitude satellites). Meanwhile, the heavier A-235 system remains the primary asset designed for high-altitude, potentially nuclear-configured strategic interceptions.
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## CONTEXT IX: NON-NUCLEAR EMP WEAPONS (NNEMP) VS. NUCLEAR EMP (NEMP)
Technological alternatives to nuclear weapons exist for generating Electromagnetic Pulses. These are classified as Non-Nuclear EMP (NNEMP) devices or High-Power Microwave (HPM) weapons. Unlike a Nuclear EMP (NEMP), which is generated via gamma-ray interactions with the atmosphere and scales to continental proportions, NNEMP weapons rely entirely on conventional physics and electronics. Their effects are highly localized, precise, and leave no residual radioactive contamination.
## Physical Principles of Conventional EMP Weapons
NNEMPs generate high-intensity, short-duration bursts of electromagnetic energy. The two leading designs utilize distinct physical principles:
1. Flux Compression Generators (FCG): This technology converts chemical energy from conventional explosives directly into electromagnetic energy, typically integrated into bombs or missile warheads. A strong initial electrical current is injected into a copper field winding to establish a magnetic field. A conventional explosive core inside the winding is then detonated. The shockwave compresses the armature and magnetic field within fractions of a millisecond, causing a massive spike in magnetic flux density. This produces a massive electrical current pulse (up to millions of amperes) radiated via an antenna as a one-time high-power microwave flash immediately before the weapon destroys itself.
2. Virtual Cathode Oscillators (Vircator): Unlike the single-use FCG, a Vircator is a purely electronic system capable of emitting repetitive pulses. It is commonly mounted on drones, aircraft, or mobile ground platforms. A Vircator utilizes a high-energy electron source. The rapid discharge of high-voltage capacitor banks accelerates an intense electron beam through an anode, forming a space-charge cloud behind it (the “virtual cathode”). This cloud oscillates at high frequencies within the gigahertz range, generating a continuous or pulsed stream of High-Power Microwaves (HPM) that can be directionally focused onto targets.
## Operational Comparison Matrix
| Technical Parameter | Nuclear EMP (NEMP) | Non-Nuclear EMP (NNEMP / HPM) |
|—|—|—|
| Primary Energy Source | Nuclear Fission / Fusion | Chemical Explosives (FCG) / Capacitor Banks (Vircator) |
| Effective Radius | Continental scale (thousands of kilometers via high-altitude detonation) | Localized (ranging from several meters to a few kilometers) |
| Frequency Spectrum | Wideband (spanning kilohertz to megahertz ranges) | Narrowband (focused microwaves within the gigahertz range) |
| Infrastructure Damage | Widespread destruction of national electrical grids and transformers | Target-specific thermal destruction of microchips and circuit boards |
| Collateral Impact | Massive (severely affecting civilian power, hospitals, utilities) | Minimal (leaves physical structures completely intact) |
| Legal/Political Threshold | Extreme (violates Outer Space Treaty / constitutes nuclear warfare) | Low (classified as a conventional, non-lethal electronic weapon) |
## Engagement Efficacy Against Space-Based Networks
Conventional HPM weapons are ineffective when deployed from the ground against LEO satellite constellations. Microwave radiation obeys the inverse-square law, losing energy exponentially over distance (1/r²). Destroying a satellite at an altitude of 550 km from the surface requires power levels that cannot be engineered on mobile conventional platforms. Furthermore, satellites travel at orbital velocities exceeding 27,000 km/h, making tracking and focusing a narrow microwave beam over long distances nearly impossible. Consequently, neutralizing a mega-constellation via conventional NNEMP alternatives is physically unviable.
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## CONTEXT X: PHYSICAL DYNAMICS OF EXOATMOSPHERIC NUCLEAR DETONATIONS
A nuclear detonation within the vacuum of space is highly effective against a mega-constellation, operating purely on radiation physics rather than blast mechanics.
## 1. Vacuum Detonation Mechanics
Because space lacks an atmosphere, standard nuclear destruction mechanisms fail:
* Absence of Blast Waves: Without air molecules to compress, there is no physical blast wave. Mechanical destruction is confined to an extremely tight radius caused only by the expanding hypervelocity fragments of the weapon casing itself.
* Absence of Thermal Fireballs: Without oxygen or air to superheat, no atmospheric fireball can form. Thermal energy is instead instantly released as pure, unattenuated electromagnetic radiation.
## 2. Primary Destruction Mechanisms in LEO
* System-Generated EMP (SGEMP): The blast releases massive flux densities of prompt X-rays, gamma-rays, and high-energy neutrons. When this radiation hits a satellite, it induces extreme electrical surges within the solar arrays and internal circuitry (SGEMP). Because mass-produced commercial satellites are not hardened against radiation to the level of military-grade assets, their semiconductors and processors melt instantly across an unattenuated line-of-sight spanning hundreds of kilometers.
* Artificial Radiation Belts: This represents the most severe long-term threat to orbital architecture. Exoatmospheric explosions release trillions of high-energy electrons that become trapped within the Earth’s geomagnetic field lines, creating an intense, artificial radiation belt. Satellites orbiting at low altitudes (such as Starlink at ~550 km) must pass through this artificial belt during every orbital revolution (~every 90 minutes). The accumulated ionizing dose degrades and destroys the semiconductor electronics of thousands of satellites globally within days or weeks, far beyond the initial blast zone.
## 3. Strategic Dilemma and Self-Induced Paralyse
While a space-confronted nuclear strike bypasses the constellation’s structural redundancy (which easily routes around individual kinetic ASAT tracking), it creates a profound security dilemma:* Indiscriminate Damage: Artificial radiation belts do not differentiate between friend and foe. A strike would destroy the attacker’s own military communication satellites and those of its strategic partners.* Kessler Syndrome: De-orbiting and crippling thousands of mass-produced satellites renders them uncontrollable, preventing collision-avoidance maneuvers. This can spark a cascading debris chain reaction, rendering low Earth orbit entirely unusable for generations.* Legal and Geopolitical Isolation: Such an act directly violates the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, resulting in total global diplomatic and economic isolation.——————————## CONTEXT XI: EXPLOITATION OF HOSTILE TERMINALS AS TROJAN VECTORSFrom an intelligence and cyber warfare perspective, physically destroying an adversary’s grey-market Starlink terminal is often suboptimal. Preserving and covertly exploiting an active hostile terminal yields critical Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Communications Intelligence (COMINT), and computer network exploitation (CNE) advantages. The device is transformed into a Trojan Horse inside the adversary’s tactical C2 infrastructure.
[ legitimate satellite constellation ]
│
(compromised firmware link)
│
▼
[ PARTY B’s TARGET STRIKE NODE / C2 ]
│
(deep packet injection / shaping)
│
▼
[ PARTY A’s CYBER / SIGINT OPERATIONS ]
## I. CNE Exploitation and Tactical Intelligence Collection
Once a hostile terminal is identified and captured intact, or compromised via supply-chain operations (e.g., infected firmware updates), it provides a persistent window into hostile operations:
* Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): Although Starlink data is encrypted end-to-end, compromising the local terminal or its adjacent routers allows the capture of data streams before encryption or after decryption. This enables intelligence forces to read active chat logs (e.g., operational target coordinates shared on Telegram), tactical orders, and situation reports.
* Metadata Analysis and Infrastructure Mapping: Monitoring terminal traffic reveals the specific IP addresses and servers targeted within the hostile logistics network. This permits cyber forces to map out command structures and supply hubs deep within the interior.
* Adversary Blue-Force Tracking Exploitation: Hostile forces utilize these terminals to report positions to higher command nodes. Intercepting this stream provides Party A with real-time tracking of hostile troop movements directly on its own display networks.
## II. Signal Manipulation and Tactical Deception (PSYOP)A compromised terminal allows cyber forces to inject manipulated data back into the hostile chain of command:* Ghost Target Generation: By injecting synthetic situational data into hostile channels, cyber forces create phantom units or false drone attack coordinates. Hostile artillery wastes ammunition firing at empty fields, while their tracking assets deploy into pre-arranged ambushes.* Traffic Shaping (Latency Injection): Rather than severing connectivity completely—which would immediately alert the adversary—network latency is artificially and subtly throttled. During tactical drone piloting, this subtle delay causes hostile operators to overcorrect their video feeds, leading to missed targets or immediate crashes.## III. UAS Hijacking via Traffic Control InfiltrationThe most sophisticated application involves hijacking hostile drone swarms directly through the hijacked terminal infrastructure:* Firmware Exploitation: Hostile long-range reconnaissance UAS or FPV relay networks utilize ground control stations connected directly to Starlink to stream video back to headquarters. A cyber payload delivered through the compromised terminal infects the ground station’s firmware.
* Protocol Spoofing: Once the ground control station is infected, electronic warfare forces corrupt the drone’s command frequencies. Control is stripped from the hostile operator via protocol spoofing, and the asset begins executing commands injected through the infiltrated network.
* Vector Inversion (“Return to Sender”): The hijacked drones are dynamically reprogrammed. Their GPS “Return-to-Home” coordinates or strike profiles are redirected onto their own launching positions or ammunition depots, turning the adversary’s own unmanned weapons against them.
## IV. Strategic Scaling and Automated Network Infiltration
* The Grey-Market Botnet: If intelligence services infiltrate the serial-number pools of illegal supply chains before delivery, the adversary’s entire grey-market infrastructure can be turned into a sleeping botnet. At the launch of a major counter-offensive, a corrupted firmware payload can be pushed globally to all verified hostile terminals. Within seconds, frontline communication collapses due to internal software-driven terminal shutdown rather than external jamming.
* Financial Tracking and Sanctions Interdiction: Since terminals require monthly service fees funded via global financial pathways (cryptocurrencies, shell companies in offshore jurisdictions), tracking terminal metadata provides highly accurate financial forensics. Each active terminal maps a digital path to the foreign backers of the hostile military apparatus, allowing Western agencies to dismantle sanctions-evasion networks.
* AI-Driven Voice Cloning and Infiltration: In advanced phases, real-time AI tools analyze voice-over-IP (VoIP) streams passing through intercepted terminals. The system clones the voice signatures of hostile commanders and injects counterfeit deepfake orders back into frontline communication nets, inducing operational paralysis and friendly-fire incidents.
Posted by: BlindSpot | Sep 17 2026 18:24 utc | 2
Fuck BlindSpot | Sep 17 2026 18:24 utc | 2 and the AI slop they brought to the bar
Posted by: psychohistorian | Sep 17 2026 18:26 utc | 3
Posted by: BlindSpot | Sep 17 2026 18:24 utc | 2
ASSHOLE!!
Posted by: UWDude | Sep 17 2026 18:31 utc | 4
Fuck BlindSpot and the AI slop they brought to the bar
Where’s the bouncer? I knew a bartender that kept a baseball bat behind the bar, -b, time to pull out the 36 ouncer.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Sep 17 2026 18:36 utc | 5
English Outsider | Sep 17 2026 18:22 utc | 1
Yes, we – or most here in the ‘bar’ – knew what was played, and continues to be played. But the ‘play and games’ stop when there is a definite end of the war – meaning, like the defeat of Germany in 1945 with subsequent Nuremberg trials. The generals under Hitler who followed the idiotic politics of Nazi were either hanged, or had a safe ‘landing’ in the Russian/Soviet hands in special camps , or in the West returned to civil society after a while.
The old Roman dictum continues to be valid: vae victis. (woe to the defeated).
I hope to live the days when the perpetrators of horrors in Ukraine and in Palestine, and the whole Middle East – will face the ‘end-game’. Life and AI accelerate events, and I may be proven right.
Posted by: fanto | Sep 17 2026 19:01 utc | 6
EU Head Von der Leyen Announces European Security Pact, Including Canada & Independent of NATO
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/09/16/cnkn-s16.html
“…It was a declaration that the European bourgeoisie must act independently of the Trump administration to assert its predatory interests on a world scale, above all by waging war against Russia in Ukraine and a trade war against China.
In a direct challenge to the US, this plan includes forming an economic and military alliance with Canadian imperialism. Von der Leyen made the fight against Russia and trade supremacy over China central to her call for closer ties to Ottawa…”
Canada Has Formally Applied To Become A Full Member of the UK-Led Joint Expeditionary Force
https://x.com/CoffeReport/status/2100344090453832126
“Canada is already involved with the JEF through the JEF+ framework, including participation in last year’s TARASSIS exercise. Today’s application would take cooperation a step further – from a JEF+ partner to a full member of the 10-nation force focused on the Baltic, High North & North Atlantic.”
What is a ‘full member’ full of? Big war prep process continues.
Posted by: John Gilberts | Sep 17 2026 19:08 utc | 7
Low-level “terrorism” or populist resistance?
An explosion occurred near the building of the Stryi RTCC in the Lviv region: a serviceman was injured
An unknown device exploded near the building of the Stryi District Territorial Center for Recruiting and Social Support in the city of Mykolaiv, Stryi District, Lviv Region. A serviceman was injured.
This was reported by the Lviv Regional CCC and JV, RegioNews reports .
The explosion occurred today, September 17, at around 4:30 p.m. near the entrance to the RTCC building. According to preliminary information, the unknown device could have been thrown from the street by unidentified individuals.
A serviceman from the 2nd department of the Stryi RTCC and SP was injured in the explosion. He was hospitalized to the Mykolaiv Central District Hospital. The injured man’s condition is assessed as moderate.
Law enforcement officers and an investigative and operational group are working at the scene. Law enforcement officers are conducting primary investigative actions and establishing all the circumstances of the explosion.
https://regionews.ua/ukr/news/lvovshchina/1789657777-na-lvivshchini-stavsya-vibuh-bilya-budivli-striyskogo-rttsk-poraneno-viyskovosluzhbovtsya (via translation add-on.)
Lviv again; seems to be quite a centre of pushback against the TCC activities.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 19:15 utc | 8
Tee hee, considering all the fuss about Russian mismanagement of official information in the previous thread, I couldn’t help but smile at this:
In the Lviv region, the head of the CCC mobilized people who did not exist
Former head of the CCC exposed in Lviv region. He entered false information into the register
This was reported by the Lviv region police, RegioNews reports .
As law enforcement officers found out, the head of the CCC artificially inflated his performance. To do this, he entered information about citizens liable for military service, allegedly mobilizing them and sending them to military units for service. It turned out that he simply reused the data of people already serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
He could now face up to six years in prison.
https://regionews.ua/ukr/news/lvovshchina/1789646641-na-lvivshchini-nachalnik-ttsk-mobilizuvav-lyudey-yakih-ne-isnuvalo (via translation add-on.)
Probably not the sort of thing that Rybar would “concern” themselves with…
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 19:21 utc | 9
Y’know, how can anyone compile accurate Ukrainian recruitment information, when senior officials make up the numbers out of non-existent or already-serving personnel?
It’s not the first time such a report has appeared either, there have been numerous previous cases, I don’t generally bother highlighting them in the bar, but this one appearing just after the hoo-hah in the previous thread seemed timely.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 19:30 utc | 10
Zelesnky’s former press secretary – “Zelensky’s strategy is national suicide”
https://gist.github.com/jokull/60c3c1c6860a8efbaf454bf7c31a5a63
Since the “influence operation” this summer, more than 90 percent of Ukrainian warehouses have been hit, our energy system has been torn apart and a humanitarian catastrophe will arrive with the winter snow. In the fifth year of full-scale war, the state’s offer to civilians in the worst-affected regions is often simply: leave. People on the front line who have no money and no means are told to go somewhere else.
Every day Ukraine loses more of its people. Those who want their children to have proper healthcare and education are forced to emigrate. The number of people dying in Ukraine is roughly four times the number of births. The nation is perishing, and yet the war grinds on.
Finland lost land after a devastating war, yet it managed to preserve its nation and its future. Ukraine could still become a frontier between the West and Russia: armed, sober and alive. But the present strategy is pushing us down a different path: that of Afghanistan.
Extraordinarily, corruption rivals the war in rankings of public opinion as the biggest national problem. There are those in the Ukrainian government who are making millions of dollars from this war. I have just been sanctioned by the Zelensky government for saying so publicly.
Meanwhile, normal Ukrainian men do not leave their homes for months, for fear of press gangs who hunt them in the streets. There are reports of the disabled being pushed into frontline combat, of men dying mysteriously in recruitment offices, of women fighting to save husbands from being kidnapped in plain daylight. According to the Ukrainian ombudsman, only 2-3 percent of those seized in press gang raids ever reach the frontline. Many pay, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars, to buy their way out. The corruption around this system runs into the billions of dollars annually. I do not blame my people for refusing to fight for a machine they no longer believe in.
If the purpose of this war was to create a path for Ukraine to join NATO, that prospect is already off the table. If the purpose was to recover territory, Ukraine is losing more of it, not taking it back. If it was to protect democracy, then the wartime martial law has already killed it. Freedom of speech has been greatly restricted, institutions have been corrupted, basic political rights suspended, the constitution violated, political opponents persecuted. All of this with a casualness about human life that would be recognized as deeply authoritarian anywhere else.
The war in Ukraine has lost any plausible theory of victory. At this point, it only lines the pockets of a corrupt and narrow circle of elites while the country itself perishes. Ukraine can still choose the Finnish road: stop the bleeding, hold what can be held, restore the economy and a way of life to which people can return. The other road is already visible. It is a road down which we lose land and people every day – and with them, the chance that there will be a Ukraine left to win.
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Sep 17 2026 19:41 utc | 11
The Russian Yaroslavl refinery “Slavneft-YANOS” has halted oil processing after an attack by Ukrainian drones, Reuters reports, citing four industry sources.
The strike damaged the AVT-3 primary processing unit with a capacity of about 17,100 tons per day, which accounts for roughly 40% of the plant’s total capacity.
@IntelSlava
The US is ready to approve the transfer of 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine from Germany for $29.6 milion
— US State Department.
@IntelSlava
Posted by: Jo | Sep 17 2026 19:46 utc | 12
UN Sec Gen playing silly buggers re Bucha Massacre hearing.
Congress passed Russia sanctions bill.
Posted by: Suresh | Sep 17 2026 19:49 utc | 13
From ZH
Dangerous Escalation: German, French, UK Militaries Ramp Up Flights Near Russian Border
Kremlin sources are sounding the alarm over increasing NATO flights observed flying closely to Russia’s border, amid dangerously heightened rhetoric over alleged Russian drone incursions in the Baltics and Poland, as well as accusations of a Russian-backed UAV sabotage campaign in Germany and central Europe.
State media reports, “German, French and UK military aircraft have been spotted flying near the Russian border, according to flight data analyzed by Sputnik on Thursday.”
The heightened Western military aerial activity is further described, with the outlet writing, “A German air force aircraft took off from the German Nordholz airfield at around 6:12 a.m. (GMT) and as of 8:50 a.m. it was spotted patrolling over the Baltic Sea.”
“A French air force Airbus A330-243MRTT military aircraft was circling in Finnish airspace near the Russian border as of 9:42 a.m., while a UK air force Boeing Poseidon MRA1 patrol aircraft with the call sign RFR7045 was circling near Russia’s Kaliningrad Region in Polish airspace as of 10:30 a.m.,” the report indicates.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Sep 17 2026 19:50 utc | 14
The Russian Yaroslavl refinery “Slavneft-YANOS” has halted oil processing after an attack by Ukrainian drones
Posted by: Jo | Sep 17 2026 19:46 utc | 12
Not sure what anyone thinks is going to be changed by that. Damaged refineries can be repaired, whereas Ukraine’s civic collapse cannot be reversed.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 19:58 utc | 15
Posted by: English Outsider | Sep 17 2026 18:22 utc | 1
I responded briefly end of old thread – appreciate your response on the IDF and possibility of a coup. On Ukraine – sending men to certain death is a disgrace to Western military planners.
Posted by: Don Firineach | Sep 17 2026 20:06 utc | 16
As for this:
The US is ready to approve the transfer of 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine from Germany for $29.6 milion
Are they talking about 10 actual missiles, or 10 complete Patriot batteries? Because 10 missiles will last all of 30 seconds at Ukrainian firing rates; 10 batteries would be useful, for some value of “useful”, but then again, looking at the price quoted it does seem as if it is 10 missiles only.
Still, I suppose it keeps the invoices circulating…
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 20:07 utc | 17
Scott Ritter and Stanislav Krapivnik talk about Nato ‘3.0’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-aNCvI5At0
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 17 2026 20:10 utc | 18
@Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 20:07 utc | 17
As for this:
The US is ready to approve the transfer of 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine from Germany for $29.6 milion
I have a lot of stuff that doesn’t work that I can sell for less than $29.6 million
Posted by: Norwegian | Sep 17 2026 20:12 utc | 19
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 20:07 utc | 17
They are talking about 10 missiles. Another point of evidence that US is dry out of Patriot PAC-3 missiles.
1o missiles shouldn’t even be a news footnote, never mind a headline.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 17 2026 20:12 utc | 20
🇺🇦🇺🇸🇷🇺⚡️ — Ukraine is critically short of AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles for F-16 fighters and Patriot systems
— Ukrainian F-16 squadron commander.
The fighters themselves are not enough if there is no sufficient stockpile of ammunition to carry out combat missions. An aircraft without weapons is a tool that makes no sense, he stated.
@IntelSlava
Posted by: Jo | Sep 17 2026 20:13 utc | 22
Russia now widening the conflict to the Euro poodles in the Baltics amd Poland who are unable to anything about it
drone factories across Europe really need to be targeted next
Posted by: Night Tripper | Sep 17 2026 20:21 utc | 23
I have a lot of stuff that doesn’t work that I can sell for less than $29.6 million
Posted by: Norwegian | Sep 17 2026 20:12 utc | 19
Are car boot sales much of a thing in Norway?
Because that’s probably where NATO supplies are these days, at the level of a military car boot sale.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 20:21 utc | 24
An aircraft without weapons is a tool that makes no sense
Posted by: Jo | Sep 17 2026 20:13 utc | 22
—
An F16 is an ideal escape vehicle. One way it can fly over 1’600km.
Posted by: too scents | Sep 17 2026 20:24 utc | 25
This morning, a member (the boss?) of Rodina party was interviewed by RT. Rodina is a small party that has made it from a single Duma delegate to a double digit percentage of the vote. This guy talks about as tough as many in MoA would like to hear Putin talk.
The SMO, he says, is not a real war. While Ukraine is seriously trying to hurt Moscow, Russia is not retaliating seriously. Ukraine is shrinking nevertheless, and it has but two options left: (1) surrender, give up territory and remain a small country which is 100% Russian friendly, (2) become a part of Russia.
To the Germans, he has a special message: Its weapons industry will be hit decisively if they continue to supply German UAVs to Ukraine, helping them to attack Russian territory. This will be a perfectly legal military target. And in case war breaks out with Europe, this will be a real war (not another SMO) and, comparing the Russian with the German potential, it will result in the full destruction of Europe.
Putin, as we heard him recently, used to be ambigious when the subject of striking German factories came up (“this is a military secret”). If I were Merz, it should alert my survival instincts, since even Putin will not go on like this forever. But Merz does not care about the German population, not any more than Zelenski cares about the Ukrainian population.
Posted by: grunzt | Sep 17 2026 20:32 utc | 26
Posted by: grunzt | Sep 17 2026 20:32 utc | 26
Victor Bout recently pointed out that in the UN charter exists a clause allowing Russia to attack the aggressor nations of WW2 (Germany) in case they re-militarize or somehow reactivate or directly threaten Russia. I expect that clause would be invoked in case something like that happens.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 17 2026 20:37 utc | 27
This guy talks about as tough as many in MoA would like to hear Putin talk.
The SMO, he says, is not a real war. While Ukraine is seriously trying to hurt Moscow, Russia is not retaliating seriously.
Posted by: grunzt | Sep 17 2026 20:32 utc | 26
One takeaway from that is those in the West who hang their hopes on the “overthrow” or displacement of President Putin are not being careful about what they wish for…
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 20:39 utc | 28
By the way, the noise coming out of Baltics and EU crazies in general points out that MI6/Ukraine will soon conduct some major false flag attack(s) in EUrotardistan. SBU agents are roaming all over EU.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 17 2026 20:41 utc | 29
Victor Bout recently pointed out that in the UN charter exists a clause allowing Russia to attack the aggressor nations of WW2 (Germany) in case they re-militarize or somehow reactivate or directly threaten Russia. I expect that clause would be invoked in case something like that happens.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 17 2026 20:37 utc | 27
I can’t remember the exact details of which treaty, but at least one at the end of WW2 explicitly named both Japan and Germany as “Enemy States”; I’m not aware of any agreement or new treaty since then that has overturned, neutralised or rescinded that wording.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 20:49 utc | 30
English Outsider | Sep 17 2026 | 1
JHC, you truly are a wanker, aren’t you? I feel the same disgust Truman exhibited when he told his aide to get rid of Oppenheimer.
How many times must we go through this catechism? You cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet. The emerging resource wars reflect the inflection point is happening *now*.
The strategy of the two main camps is to secure and harden defensive lines from which to launch future operations. Ukraine was simply about where the line in that particular theater would be drawn ie Poland or Russia.
Managing an organized retreat that includes staging rear gaurd action is absolutely a baseline military operation. That some/many are sacrificed is simply a fact of war, not something to get teary eyed over.
Imagine the disaster that would have unfolded if Russia had reached the Polish border 1-2 years ago. Now, the entire EU block has had enough time to condition their people to the new reality, shifting spending away from social programs and towards defense, and buying enough time to prepare their economies for a long, drawn out war.
Really, it’s embarassing to see such levels of naivete.
Posted by: Hobbes | Sep 17 2026 21:01 utc | 31
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 17 2026 20:41 utc | 29
no need for false flags. Just keep supplying 404 with weapons and they will receiver a ‘response’ from Russia shortly
Posted by: Night Tripper | Sep 17 2026 21:01 utc | 32
Posted by: Hobbes | Sep 17 2026 21:01 utc | 31
OK Hobbes – OK.
Just a few comment in and I have come to the conclusion that you either have an agenda or you require a tutorial on the geopolitics of the Western edge of Eurasia. I suspect the former …. time will tell.
Posted by: Don Firineach | Sep 17 2026 21:14 utc | 33
Life and AI accelerate events, and I may be proven right. fanto | Sep 17 2026 | 6
Sadly (for you), you may very well be proven wrong. The last 3-4 years have simply been the warm up act, the necessary movements to secure the lines.
What comes next is full throttled war, one representing existential victory and defeat to settle who will rule over the globe’s dimishing energy reserves.
The reason I think the west will prevail is really quite simple: overlay the highest per capital GDP zones with the regions considered the most beautiful, with ample space, nice weather and sufficient natural resources.
Gee, what do we find? Yes, of course W Europe and N America. Coincidence? LOL people have been fighting over these prime pieces of territory literally for millenia, with the winners being the very types of people you’d expect.
OK, so riddle me this: top flight scientists and engineers are going to be heros, toiling away for the state in some second run butt hole, when they could be rich in Los Angeles, Paris, enjoying the very finest things in life. (Big house, nice property, exclusive neighborhood, expensive cars …)
The thing pansies never get is self-interest. They project their fantasies and imaginary utopia on their idols and heroes, without considering people are all the same and want the same things.
Posted by: Hobbes | Sep 17 2026 21:16 utc | 34
Zing! Norwegian throws a touchdown.
We in the US are about to see what transistors in washing machines are worth.
But at what cost? No matter.
How to say “TO THE LAST UKRAINIAN!!!” to the last Ukrainian? Kaja K Kallas can teach us how, while singing “Over There! Over There!” as she cackles.
Posted by: Duck n cover | Sep 17 2026 21:21 utc | 35
The EU is Militarizing the Arctic. Here’s How it Plans to Do It
https://www.rt.com/news/645866-eu-is-militarizing-arctic/
“From shared icebreakers to NATO-ready infrastructure, Brussels is preparing the High North for confrontation…”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Sep 17 2026 21:23 utc | 36
Really, it’s embarassing to see such levels of naivete.
Posted by: Hobbes | Sep 17 2026 21:01 utc | 31
Huh? What in the world is that rant all about?
~~~
First of all:
You cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet
I don’t see anybody here, including @English Outsider, arguing any differently.
The strategy of the two main camps is to secure and harden defensive lines from which to launch future operations.
Ukraine was simply about where the line in that particular theater would be drawn ie Poland or Russia.
.. which for the West, has emphatically failed. The line is still in flux, and at this moment in time, is highly likely to fall in Russia’s favour. You also completely neglect the active (though largely non-militarised, so far) lines in West, South, and East Asia.
Now, the entire EU block has had enough time to condition their people to the new reality, shifting spending away from social programs and towards defense, and buying enough time to prepare their economies for a long, drawn out war.
Well, I wish you good luck running a “long, drawn out war” without energy, raw material and skilled labour resources. And, of course, some may agree that a “long, drawn out war” might well need the infinite, or near-infinite growth you yourself argue against earlier in your spiel. Are you a follower of MMT, by any chance? “We can print our way to victory! Hurrah!!!”
The single biggest reason why the focus is so intensely upon Ukraine is because it was the biggest, best, most well-prepared, most well-equipped, and most well-trained (at least by NATO doctrinal standards) spear that the West pointed at Russia, in it’s centuries-old attempt at seizing the land-mass and resources of Russia.
That spear has been neutralised by Russia, perhaps similar in a way to cat litter neutralising the odious deposits landing upon it.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 21:23 utc | 37
What really changed in Ukraine war that causes Nato to panic?
Probably Russia’s ability to extend drone force projection through its satellites to west Ukraine. Nato logistics rely heavily on trains that ship things to Kiev, Uman or Dnipro. If trains are out of commission that’s a big chunk of those logistics gone which cause big problems replacing it. Trucks yes but with Russia also taking out gas stations on those node cities crimp the ability of trucks to operate efficiently. Most likely the drone umbrella this was also one of the topics with Ratcliff.
But he demanded that Russia unilaterally refrain from striking west Ukraine while US offered nothing in return.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 17 2026 21:24 utc | 38
🙂 I’ve come to see AI bloviating and arrogant ex-cathedra aggression as new moves in old forum tactics, like the saying new wine in old wine skins. It’s supposed to waste good grape juice and time to make vinegar in the end. Little does one know that stuff goes great on tossed salads! 😀
So I just skip it until it matures into vinegar. 😉 Vinegar comes with three complex flavors, according to the Chinese classical allegory of vinegar tasters. Thus patience is a virtue, and letting another stew in one’s juices is an educational experience. We should learn quite a but from these old civilizations, like Russia, China, Iran, etc.
Oh well, probably hard to be patient when you’re strung out on cocaine, I mean “glory”, like ‘elensky and EU whooping gibbons, am I right?
Posted by: titmouse | Sep 17 2026 21:33 utc | 39
they could be rich in Los Angeles, Paris, enjoying the very finest things in life. (Big house with even bigger taxes, nice property once upon a time, exclusive homeless encampments, expensive cars burning …)
Posted by: Hobbes | Sep 17 2026 21:16 utc | 34
Now I get it; fair play on the satire…
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 21:33 utc | 40
The ruminating/questioning about the pace of the SMO (now war) has looked at almost every angle, but I don’t recall anyone stating it quite like this: the Russians knew that their losses at the scale needed for a quick win were unacceptable – but more – that the only way to not trigger a full NATO engagement and response was the grind. The Western propaganda machine thus had sparse material with which to justify escalating to a full war.
My apologies if I missed that being pointed out already.
Posted by: Third Chimp | Sep 17 2026 21:45 utc | 41
It’s supposed to waste good grape juice and time to make vinegar in the end.
Posted by: titmouse | Sep 17 2026 21:33 utc | 39
Meh, no grapes in cider vinegar…
Indeed, no grapes in cider brandy either…
Hic….!
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 21:48 utc | 42
@ Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 21:48 utc | 42
titmouse is correct on grapes turning into a vinegar type thingy – not cider ( apple ) vinegar obviously… but they can go vinegar as i understand it…. now for the authorities to come and carry me away, lol… btw – i have a whack of grapes here in the front yard, and i can’t give them away!
Posted by: james | Sep 17 2026 21:59 utc | 43
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 21:33 utc | 40
Have a Remy Martin on me Jeremy …
Posted by: Don Firineach | Sep 17 2026 22:12 utc | 44
The way AMK mapping presents the AFU offensive. AFU took Lyman and are moving east all the way till Makiivka on the other end. That would be a 27 km long front. Terny would change to AFU hands and Torske is threatened.
Massive RUAF attacks in Odessa region. Zatoka bridge was hit again. Large amounts of fuel trucks in the northern Mayaky route were hit by RUAF drones. A lot of railway infrastructure and energy facilities supporting them were also hit west of Dnipro in Kropnovytski. This is a railroad cross hub. Ships were hit in and outside Odessa. Seems to be a near total blockade of Odessa now.
RUAF formed a large cauldron of AFU troops in the eastern area of Vovchansk/border area. Wide offensive based out of Bilyi Kolodiaz. Drones are clearing out AFU vehicles and assets all along the Kharkov front. The entire North-east part of Kharkov region is collapsing.
Seems like the focal point is now moving to Dobropilla, close to falling to RUAF hands. That provides a launching pad north-west to take over the entire north-west of Donbass region. It also isolates Slavyansk and Kramatorsk from further west, rendering the AFU PR offensive around Lyman moot. Seems any move on Druzhivka has stopped for now, waiting for events in Dobropilla.
RUAF is also moving in the area NE of Orekhov, directly east of Zaporozhye. This too seems to be extending and collapsing for AFU. AFU deployed its troops into or just north of Orekhov. Doubt that will have too much effect, considering the flank is collapsing NE of Orekhov, much more important.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 17 2026 22:29 utc | 45
John Gilberts | Sep 17 2026 19:08 utc | 7
*** What is a ‘full member’ full of? Big war prep process continues. ***
Full of orders from Washington — maybe some direct from Israel as well — about to what to do (including pantomimes of fake dissent) while pretending to be something semi-independent of NATO — all to dupe sufficient of the European and Canadian public into absorbing heavy losses from indulgence in further warlike activity while no longer blaming their real (US / Israeli) masters.
YetAnotherAnon | Sep 17 2026 19:41 utc | 11
[quoting Zelensky’s former press secretary]
*** Ukraine can still choose the Finnish road: stop the bleeding, hold what can be held, restore the economy and a way of life to which people can return. The other road is already visible.***
Unfortunately, it is a sensible road from which corrupt politicians and mass-media have now contrived to divert Finland.
Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Sep 17 2026 20:07 utc | 17
*** The US is ready to approve the transfer of 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine from Germany for $29.6 milion
Are they talking about 10 actual missiles, or 10 complete Patriot batteries? Because 10 missiles will last all of 30 seconds at Ukrainian firing rates; 10 batteries would be useful, for some value of “useful”, but then again, looking at the price quoted it does seem as if it is 10 missiles only. ***
Such waste!
But if they store nine missiles a safe distance away from the Patriot radar/firing system, and then detonate the tenth warhead in its launcher, they could thereby save nine missiles for future use.
The number two post of the thread: all that can be rendered moot if Russia proliferates it’s AI drones and starts killing all trains and trucks in sight. No matter what you say about civilian cars moving weapons, they will never replace the capacity of a train or large road trucks.
All big vehicles on Ukrainian highways need to be turned into scrap metal that blocks up other vehicles that will also be turned into scrap metal. No amount of technology matters if these long range drones are no longer moving on the highways in their modified truck-trailers.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 17 2026 23:11 utc | 49
Lithuania plans to introduce universal military conscription — and it could happen sooner than expected
The military and the Ministry of National Defence will assess whether the transition can be completed by 2030.
Notably, the possibility of drafting women is also being discussed separately.
The initiative has already been backed by 63 organizations. Polling also shows public support for the move, LRT reports.
https://x.com/nexta_tv/status/2100612940709724331
Posted by: UWDude | Sep 18 2026 0:01 utc | 50
Polling also shows public support for the move, LRT reports. https://x.com/nexta_tv/status/2100612940709724331
Posted by: UWDude | Sep 18 2026 0:01 utc | 50
I wonder who the pollsters asked to get that answer.
Posted by: arby | Sep 18 2026 0:32 utc | 51
Posted by: arby | Sep 18 2026 0:32 utc | 51
I wonder who the pollsters asked to get that answer.
Half of this country’s population is over 44 years old, and the population is both aging and shrinking.
It is one of the countries facing potential demographic extinction.
Those who would be most affected in 2030, currently aged 15 to 19, and who will be between 19 and 24 at that time, make up 5% of the total population, women included.
This is also the age group most likely to emigrate by taking advantage of European regulations.
It therefore stands to reason that the majority, who will not be affected themselves, favors mandatory conscription.
Posted by: Sebgo | Sep 18 2026 1:24 utc | 52
Cynic@46:
“…(including pantomimes of fake dissent)…”
You got it. It’s not about making it work but keeping it working.
Posted by: John Gilberts | Sep 18 2026 1:34 utc | 53
The way AMK mapping presents the AFU offensive. AFU took Lyman and are moving east all the way till Makiivka on the other end. That would be a 27 km long front. Terny would change to AFU hands and Torske is threatened.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 17 2026 22:29 utc | 45
And yet, the latest body exchange was slanted the usual way: 253 to 23.
Those who said that Ukrain picks less bodies because it id not advancing, care to explain these numbers?
Posted by: Thomas | Sep 18 2026 2:01 utc | 54
@31 @34 Hobbes
I would disagree.
The west has better resources, as you point out, energy dependency could be curtailed with introduction of newer technology and organisation (i.e. efficiencies) . Put another way, vital dependency on energy does not actually exist in terms of beyond that which is locally available, and ignoring that trade of energy would still normally exist.
Redesign of energy economy , and not the attempted shoe fit seen, is quite possible. People don’t like change much though, finance doesn’t accept it often either.
What we have is ‘lifestyle’, which is reasonable to want maybe, but is also a luxury.
We have less productivity, because it suits to not to have to do the tedious work, which is laziness or vanity or de-organisation by intervention. Instead that cost of productivity has been traded abroad in exchange for other services (fdi, financial organisational access, technology transfer etc.) .
GFC was the first rebalancing, used to consolidate western homogeneity, under US or globalist hegemony.
Now, the west could have ceded Russian Ukraine, agreed Ukraine out of NATO, and settled all disputes reasonably with Russia.
That would have been ‘winning’ , because Russian adventurism would not have had initiative, because the consequences would be what they continue to be now, because there would be no pretext.
The west would have had to adapt to a lesser status on world stage, i.e. would have to balance trade, watch other countries catch up or even overtake in social and economic status with their own version and ability. The west might also have chosen an exemplary direction of organisation, setting an example itself. Independently.
You fixate on global. Is not a country, defended from others and self reliant, as good as a whole world ?
Instead, the winners now would be the globalists, the arms manufacturers, the hypocritical leaders, the full spectrum dominance and surveillance crowd, the losers who start wars and who buy and sell the concept of arms trade to others would also be winners. The like minded exist in Russia, EU, US and around the world, but you are not part of them, are low down on the food chain and expendable, dependent, manageable, cannon fodder like hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and Russians, and in future possibly Americans, and europeans.
How you manage to confuse the likes of:
“In such condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing, such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” Hobbes
..where any given group of a few thousand individuals would be able to form a society able to trancend the state described… how you confuse that with a need for global domination, or domination of world energy supply, is simply a mistake.
The internation order was founded to allow these different groups of people to evolve according to their own design. Isolated or in partnership, but with one basic law that if you attempt to take from the territorial resources of another without permission, even to cross a border if so defined, you could be shot on sight.
The Malthusian constraints of each society were their own problem, available to be evened out in trade with others if freely agreed upon.
That was the inter nation order.
Now some have decided they are above that, that they wish to rule and ‘win’ at international level, without nation state, where nations can be pitted against each other for own profit and position.
This is utterly corrupt, and it also reduces the world to the condition Hobbes describes, with the excuse of escaping from it, but under a ‘new unified leadership’ , meaning simply a single succeeding hierarchical monopoly , for those that are not disposed of, read executed, along the way.
After all, access to world resources would then be universal, and so be fair ?
I’m sure it would all be very jolly in the end but …’No thanks’.
Just an own view, and there seem to be plenty who are oblivious, or who are already lined up just waiting to receive their award…the idea of taking money out of citizens pockets to then pay them to work in arms factories with what is left after any grift, being a very simple example.
Posted by: Ornot | Sep 18 2026 2:16 utc | 55
Both the House and Senate passed the aptly named ‘Lindsay Graham’ sanctions bill that imposes a 100% tariffs on the importation of goods from countries buying RF oil and gas.
Lindsay Graham was the foremost forever war advocate in the US Senate. A John McCain acolyte….
This bill should be vetoed by DJT! Will it?
Posted by: tobias cole | Sep 18 2026 2:38 utc | 56
So NATO recon planes are obviously now co-ordinating attacks on Northern Russia…………this is the very definition of brinkmanship……
Would not be surprising if one of these recon aircraft was ‘accidently’ rammed by an RF fighter is they dare fly too close the RF line………
Meanwhile RF continues to pulverize the Ukronazi rail system near the Polish border………….
May you live in dangerous time………
Posted by: tobias cole | Sep 18 2026 2:52 utc | 57
It therefore stands to reason that the majority, who will not be affected themselves, favors mandatory conscription.
Posted by: Sebgo | Sep 18 2026 1:24 utc | 53
This is actually pretty funny – “Those kids with their funny lousy music and electric scooters. Why dont they sing Sutartinės any more? Some time in the Petyhorcy did my grandfather good. So yes I am for a mandatory conscription!”
Posted by: frithguild | Sep 18 2026 3:24 utc | 58
So NATO recon planes are obviously now co-ordinating attacks on Northern Russia…………this is the very definition of brinkmanship……
Posted by: tobias cole | Sep 18 2026 2:52 utc | 57
IMO NATO will not stop escalating unless Russia makes it absolutely clear that escalation is a big mistake.
Posted by: spudski | Sep 18 2026 4:54 utc | 59
Lena Petrova with Ivan Katchanovski whose forensic research on Maidan was exceptional
Ivan Katchanovski: Ukraine Is Collapsing as Russia Advances — Why the West’s Strategy Failed 1 hour
(14) Ivan Katchanovski: Ukraine’s Biggest Problem Is Not Russia – Zelensky, Corruption & the Far Right – YouTube 40 mins
Posted by: Don Firineach | Sep 18 2026 6:25 utc | 60
Posted by: spudski | Sep 18 2026 4:54 utc | 59
The recent video on Neutrality Studies a guest implies Nato agents are working hard to create the next proxy war between Russia and Finland. This is the reason why Nato is directing attacks in Kola peninsula and St. Petersburg without any ‘worries’ of escalation. That’s the objective.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 18 2026 6:33 utc | 61
@61
IMO Russia would need to play by completely different rules if the war expands there. They should instead go for Nato’s jugular, meaning major EU ports in Belgium and Germany, and Nato bases in Germany, Poland and Romania. All wiped out.
After that the proxies on the ‘eastern front’ will find it difficult to receive any support from the already decimated core EU/Nato countries and those wars will end quickly.
Alternatively Russia needs to hit the first Nato state to attack so hard and cut maritime and rail road connections of Finland to rest of Europe, kill the leadership so that they will find it impossible to continue.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 18 2026 6:38 utc | 62
Tass
MOSCOW, September 18. /TASS/. Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies have accumulated 1,000 hours of compromising audio recordings involving Vladimir Zelensky and his inner circle and have begun actively working with the material, former Ukrainian Prime Minister (2010-2014) Nikolay Azarov told TASS.
“Active work on Zelensky’s inner circle has begun, extremely active work. Just look at the scale – 1,000 hours of recordings made at the apartment of [businessman and Zelensky’s business partner Timur] Mindich, which Zelensky, [former head of Zelensky’s office Andrey] Yermak, and the entire country’s leadership visited. A thousand hours of recordings is an enormous amount of material. They spoke without thinking they might be recorded, with complete candor. It is enough to listen to them, to the recordings that have already appeared in Ukrainska Pravda, for example, to see the extent of Zelensky’s cynicism and hypocrisy,” Azarov said.
He noted that Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies, established with the support of the US Democratic Party, are “a means of influencing and controlling the Kiev puppets; that is, they were allowed to do anything, but compromising material was being collected on them.”
Posted by: Jo | Sep 18 2026 7:09 utc | 63
Posted by: Hobbes | Sep 17 2026 21:16 utc | 34
You mentioned Western Europe in the context of sufficient natural resources. I’m sorry, but I believe that is farcical. They import almost all resources…other than food, that is.
Posted by: Jon_in_AU | Sep 18 2026 7:16 utc | 64
Posted by: Jo | Sep 18 2026 7:09 utc | 63
NABU is the US control mechanism of Ukraine set up immediately after Maidan revolution.
It has been working to remove people from around Zelensky for years now, who is getting increasingly desperate fighting for his own survival. The reason for this is, as Klaus Schwab and other globalists recently alluded, to get him to agree to a a Korea style frozen conflict.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 18 2026 7:17 utc | 65
Forbes: Around 2,000 fraudulent call centers, employing up to 50,000 people, are operating in Ukraine.Staff are paid between $800 and $1,500 per month. Dnipro was previously considered the hub of this business, but these “offices” are now shifting to the west of the country.@ukr_leaks_eng
Posted by: Jo | Sep 18 2026 7:24 utc | 66
Oh my…
Seven soldiers were injured in a powerful explosion during a training exercise, with five of them currently in intensive care. Emergency services are on the scene, and the cause of the accident is still under investigation.
https://x.com/SprinterPress/status/2100700613927751903
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 18 2026 7:58 utc | 67
Ukraine and World Affairs (includes Iran/ME): Weekly Update, 18th September, 2026: May be Useful to Some: (1) Ukraine and World Affairs (includes Iran/ME): Weekly Update
Posted by: The Busker | Sep 18 2026 8:55 utc | 70
Polish PM Tusk just said he was told by his Ukrainian counterparts that AFU losses are 27k per month. Very important data point here.
He is referring to increased RUAF technical capabilities and jet drones increasing losses.
https://x.com/Thorkill65/status/2100638514010304886
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 18 2026 8:56 utc | 71
Posted by: BlindSpot | Sep 17 2026 18:24 utc | 2
Rarely have I read such a heap of rubbish—pieced together, or rather scavenged, from technical and tactical data available online; the CIA and their ilk would love to get their hands on the truly realistic details.
It’s just crystal-ball guesswork amidst the fog of intentional and unintentional fantasies concocted by wannabe weapons geeks……cobbled together and jumbled up by AI.
It includes information on Russian technology that would likely be news even to the Kremlin—and would probably elicit nothing but a derisive smirk.
Posted by: genesiss | Sep 18 2026 8:59 utc | 72
Polish PM Tusk just said he was told by his Ukrainian counterparts that AFU losses are 27k per month. Very important data point here. He is referring to increased RUAF technical capabilities and jet drones increasing losses. https://x.com/Thorkill65/status/2100638514010304886
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 18 2026 8:56 utc | 71
Be wary of statements from this Tusk…
Just yesterday, he announced that he expects a Russian attack on NATO within the next six months…It’s really more about convincing Trump to increase the number of GIs stationed there to the 15,000 that Poland desperately wants, and about supplanting Germany as the main hub for US troops… No one has told him yet that Germany would have to spend billions to maintain these forces—or perhaps he’s counting on Brussels to pick up the tab… Poland certainly wouldn’t have the money for it.
Tusk is a thoroughly devious individual—a typical Polish politician dreaming of a “Greater Poland”—the sort who, a hundred years ago, would have instantly become a doormat for Napoleon; the “hyena of Europe.” Never trust a Polish politician… they will always back the side that appears stronger, only to betray them in the end.
Posted by: genesiss | Sep 18 2026 9:09 utc | 73
Hurrah ! It’s fixed !
genesiss | Sep 18 2026 9:09 utc | 73
“The Germans were not the only vultures upon the carcass. Immediately after the Munich Agreement on September 30, the Polish Government sent a twenty-four-hour ultimatum to the Czechs demanding the immediate handing-over of the frontier district of Teschen. There was no means of resisting this harsh demand.
The heroic characteristics of the Polish race must not blind us to their errors, which over centuries have led them through measureless suffering…it is a mystery and tragedy of European history that a people capable of every heroic virtue, gifted, valiant, charming, as individuals, should repeatedly show such inveterate faults in almost every aspect of their governmental life.”
Winston Churchill, The Second World War.
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Sep 18 2026 9:19 utc | 74
@1
Colonial troops are always treated like that by their masters. They should know from history. Like “Ober Ost” “Ukraine” was invented for that purpose. Since the 90s they could know that they are going to be used as Hilfswillige again to “reduce the risk of body bags for NATO”.
This is what their Nazi masters still think today:
“I couldn’t care less about how the Russians are doing or how the Czechs are doing. We will take whatever good blood of our kind exists among these peoples by, if necessary, snatching their children and raising them among us. Whether other peoples live in prosperity or die of hunger interests me only to the extent that we need them as slaves for our culture; otherwise, I have no interest in it. Whether or not 10,000 Russian women collapse from exhaustion while building a tank trench is of interest to me only insofar as the tank trench is completed for Germany.”(machine translation)
https://web.archive.org/web/20041001015632/http://www.helmut-schmitz.net/nationalsozialismus/texte/posener_rede.html
“In 1957 alone, with CIA support, Prolog broadcast 1,200 radio programs totaling 70 hours per month and distributed 200,000 newspapers and 5,000 pamphlets. In the years following, Prolog distributed books by nationalist Collaborators
Ukrainian writers and poets. One CIA analyst judged that, “some form
of nationalist feeling continues to exist [in the Ukraine] and … there is an obligation to support it as a cold war weapon.” The distribution of literature in the Soviet Ukraine continued to the end of the Cold War.”
http://www.archives.gov/iwg/reports/hitlers-shadow.pdf
The German ambassador and later advisor to Yushchenko in 2006:
“It is not so important in my view to answer the question whether you
share the same roots with Russia from Kyivan Rus. It is more
important that you have something distinctive in your traditions,
customs, in the variety of your regions and in something modern, for
example, when people went into the streets to fight for their
prospects [during the 2004 Orange Revolution].”
https://web.archive.org/web/20060613010844/http://www.kyivpost.com/nation/24609/
Posted by: p3t3r | Sep 18 2026 9:40 utc | 75
And yet, the latest body exchange was slanted the usual way: 253 to 23. Those who said that Ukrain picks less bodies because it id not advancing, care to explain these numbers?
Posted by: Thomas | Sep 18 2026 2:01 utc | 54
Modern keyboard warriors have defined territorial gains as the only measure of who is winning or losing a war. They don’t seem to understand that like a boxer who uses the entire ring to his advantage an army in the field can move in any direction to give themselves an advantage including retreat. They recognize how when their favorite football team loses the ball then retreats to a defensive formation it’s a well drilled tactical movement but when an army does it it’s an ignominous defeat.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Sep 18 2026 9:57 utc | 76
One shouldn’t read too much into claimed AFU territorial gains without having context what is happening and why.
As was the case of AFU offensive in Stepnogorsk direction, which was probably intended to go much further past Stepnogorsk, RUAF employed rear-delaying action while clinging on to some part/outskirts of the village. Meanwhile they regrouped and launched another attack on Stepnogorsk, which according to MS will not only recapture Stepnogorsk and areas beyond it but potentially aimed at south part of Zaporozhye.
The same could be occurring in Lyman and area north of it. Handing over some area which AFU may not be even be able to sustain.
While AFU deployed some troops into Orekhov, RUAF cut the road immediately NE of the town and maintains it in a cauldron, trapping the AFU troops.
RUAF is moving north along the entire front between Dobropille and Zolodyi Kolodiaz. This is the W/NW part of Donbass where if RUAF succeeds advancing, it will capture a large area far to the west of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, contributing to their encirclement, while leaving them ever further behind the front.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 18 2026 10:21 utc | 77
@77
Also the collapsing NE corner of Kharkov oblast may turn out to be a big problem for AFU ability to sustain the Kharkov-Slavyansk road, when RUAF starts moving to cut the road and employing drones, mines and whatnot from that direction.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 18 2026 10:27 utc | 78
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 18 2026 7:17 utc | 65
NABU first job was to shield a certain guy that love blowing up pipes … not Joseph , the other one.
It’s function has since been extended for diverse political reasons, mostly to “clean” the lists (They’re gifted to clean lists it seems…) and to serve as a Damocles sword.
What is quite telling of the local mood, is that it’s more employed for the later than the former theses days.
Posted by: Savonarole | Sep 18 2026 10:49 utc | 79
Okay read the thread now – a post to
“Really, it’s embarassing to see such levels of naivete.”
Posted by: Hobbes | Sep 17 2026 21:01 utc | 31
Posted by: Hobbes | Sep 17 2026 21:16 utc | 34
“JHC” ?
Whodat, Hobbesy?
Also:
“You cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet.”
Cool story bro!
Citation needed dude.
At least ONE ‘planet’, to back your absolutist grandiloquent statement.
Or maybe YOU know of many such finite planets suffering that Malthusian Skyfalling Disaster – that would prove the Rule.
Did their surviving inhabitants arrive here in their small lifeboats? With such a tale of woe of miscalculation of their planetary life? Begging us on Earth to take them in, as migrants seeking asylum? In exchange for their lesson of infinite/uninfinite? Did little Malthus sit at their .. err knees? Learning the equations of such limited infinity?
I haven’t read the interplanetary News reports for a few thousand years at least. Not since Vonnegut and Adams and that freak who found landing strips in the Aztec deserts or something.
I understand from some very serious scared humans looking to go off-grid, that some of the ‘not so small space boats’ are parked below the massive plinths that the visible pyramids sit upon; below even The Catacombs that the Greeks explored. Some circular solid metally things according to the space radar systems apparently being used to map them!
By the way I’m sure I responded to another one of your hyperbolic posts in last few days did you respond shitforbrains ?
Always happy to engage in the ‘slap byatches dance’ with willing barflies and unwilling HasbaRats.
Whenever you are ready, soldier.
Posted by: DunGroanin | Sep 18 2026 11:24 utc | 80
IMO NATO will not stop escalating unless Russia makes it absolutely clear that escalation is a big mistake.
Posted by: spudski | Sep 18 2026 4:54 utc | 59
Spell out exactly what you think Russia should do … and if you have no idea then shut up and stop nudging to get us all killed.
Posted by: Tel | Sep 18 2026 12:25 utc | 81
For today Friday Macron has called all the party chairpersons from the French parliament in a special “format”. It is not just about the budgetary problems but also about the possible implementation of the recently adopted fourth form of the state of emergency legislation called “security alert”. It can only be used for a few weeks at a time but it can be prolonged. Reasons abound: budgetary debacle, energy emergency, imminent military threat? Is this the way to send regular troops to Ukraine soon?
Posted by: Teraspol | Sep 18 2026 12:29 utc | 82
Modern keyboard warriors have defined territorial gains as the only measure of who is winning or losing a war. They don’t seem to understand that like a boxer who uses the entire ring to his advantage an army in the field can move in any direction to give themselves an advantage including retreat.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Sep 18 2026 9:57 utc | 76
In this case the keyboard warriors were correct. Control the land and Nato loses areas from where to attack. Russia has spent two years retreating and running in circles with no results. Currently they’re doing exactly what concern trolls and keyboard warriors suggested years ago.
Their original methods caused unnecessary losses, complete destruction of some areas and they had to fight 2x-3x for the same village. Gerasy FAB-ed Kursk more than Ukr. What a genius tactic! Their complete amateurism caused the loss of Kursk where they’re still looking for a lot of people dead or alive.
Since this is a proxy war, they only way to win it is to break the proxy or scare the master. Since Putin has already surrendered to US and is happy to fund Nato’s war against him, Iran and Yemen, the only thing left to do is break the puppet but there’s a small problem. He can’t lose his chair in the process, he can’t upset the population. Because he was asleep at the wheel since the 2000s, the Ukr proxy grew to a large size. Now is not as easy as 2014. His iq did not tell him to blow up energy when the country was full? They still export a lot of energy and food. The population is small, everything is 10x backup. He does it only when it’s for internal propaganda, it has no effect on the smo. The only guy who created a fuel shortage at the correct time was the bald general who was exiled in Africa.
His medieval general staff can’t be replaced either. No matter who is elected, what’s important is that team Gerasy, Shoigu or Medvedev remain in power. No changes allowed. That and the fact they’re poor and can barely sustain their little smo explains everything you see, including the trip to Alaska.
Posted by: rk | Sep 18 2026 12:33 utc | 83
Posted by: Hobbes | Sep 17 2026 21:16 utc | 34
The geographical conditions for long term success/survival?
Methinks Mom let you watch too many Looney Tunes during your formative years as she serviced the neighbors.
Egypt, Rome, Angleland must still be incredible powerhouses.
For AI enthusiasts, remember who the programmers are. Way too many myopic loners doing the deeds for their grubby masters whose only processing is binary. Life is not binary.
AI is for dullards who lack comprehension and imagination.
Posted by: kupkee | Sep 18 2026 12:46 utc | 84
There is no small wars in Europe. Almost everyone gets involved. Now even the Swiss (corrupt leaders) want the country to somehow get involved…
And while aging populations would make war more difficult, improvements in warfare (drones, AI, robot soldiers) make war somehow easier and with less possible mass casualties.
So, more temptation for the top 1% to go for it and get rid of the bottom 99%. The LOC will get wider and wider, until the Baltihuahuas, Poland, Germany and Belarus get involved.
The regular dream of the UK : a continental war where the powers eliminate each other while indebting the remaining serfs into century-long slavery. Nothing new here…
Posted by: Asian Frog | Sep 18 2026 12:47 utc | 85
Spell out exactly what you think Russia should do … and if you have no idea then shut up and stop nudging to get us all killed.
Posted by: Tel | Sep 18 2026 12:25 utc | 81
I think Russia should start with a non-military gesture, by putting export sanctions on all hostile countries :
- no export to them whatsoever, in particular key stuff like hydrocarbons, titanium
- secondary sanctions, meaning not allowing to re-export to those hostile countries stuff that has been exported to non-hostile countries
- no Russian tourists to hostile countries
Adding :
- stop diplomatic relations with the nastiest ones (the stiff noses)
- stop receiving those dumb envoys with handshakes and smiles… use Zoom on Windows11 and let Peskov negotiate
Posted by: Asian Frog | Sep 18 2026 12:57 utc | 86
Pubblicato da: Asian Frog | 18 set 2026 12:57 utc | 86
👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Posted by: Cagliostro | Sep 18 2026 13:12 utc | 87
Statements by a waitress.
“Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni:
I view the ongoing Russian provocations as a sign of nervousness—as if they are trying to divert attention from the conflict, which is not unfolding the way they would like.”
I leave it to you to judge.
Posted by: Cagliostro | Sep 18 2026 13:17 utc | 88
Posted by: Asian Frog | Sep 18 2026 12:57 utc | 86
It would be good to see some accidents on North Sea oil pipes, oil rigs, and Nato affiliated tankers crossing the Atlantic. The satanic EU economy is at it’s most vulnerable ever, it would be nice if it received some help to tip over from the Almighty.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 18 2026 13:18 utc | 89
Seems like Meloni’s handlers flipped on the mind control switch. She started going into full anti-Russia/war mode, like Merz, Macron and these other bastards, who were posing in military fits. It’s posturing but the bankers apparently are planning false flag attacks, etc.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 18 2026 13:20 utc | 90
AI,
a sucker trap,
an entity based on mainstream information,
100% manipulated
Posted by: Cagliostro | Sep 18 2026 13:22 utc | 91
Pubblicato da: Cagliostro | 18 set 2026 13:12 utc | 87
A practice I have advocated since the hostilities began: Putin’s obstinacy—perhaps on the advice of the Anglo-Russian Kirill Dmitriev—in insisting on continuing supplies of gas, oil, steel, uranium, and whatever else Europe and the US need to keep the war against Russia going, is baffling.
Follow the money.
Posted by: Cagliostro | Sep 18 2026 13:28 utc | 92
“Gerans” over Poland 📝What do you think of this scenario?
Polish hostility toward Russia is a long-standing pattern spanning centuries. Recently, the issue of strained relations between the two countries has returned to the spotlight, particularly regarding Kaliningrad.
Yet, for some reason, whenever a potential retaliatory action is discussed, the Poles immediately turn to NATO. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed that, according to intelligence, Russia might resort to “hybrid attacks” using drones and missiles against countries supporting the so-called Ukraine—including Poland.
🖍Russia has no need for this, a point the authorities emphasize repeatedly. But what if Polish rhetoric suddenly escalates into even more active anti-Russian measures? Admittedly, they are already doing plenty.
Trains carrying equipment, warehouses, repair shops, airfields, ports, and fuel depots—all of these serve, in one way or another, to keep the Ukrainian war machine fighting.
❗️And all of these are prime targets for loitering “Gerans.”
➡️The ports of Gdynia, Gdańsk, Szczecin, and Świnoujście facilitate maritime supply and cargo handling. Rail and road links to the so-called Ukraine run through the eastern voivodeships.
➡️Rzeszów is home to a major transshipment hub for Western aid; the surrounding area contains airfields, warehouses, roads, and fuel infrastructure. Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets are stationed at Mińsk Mazowiecki.
➡️There are also numerous data centers in Poland supporting the country’s entire digital infrastructure, all of which are extremely vulnerable to loitering drones.
🚩From the Bryansk or Pskov regions alone, half of Poland lies within the operational range of loitering “Gerans.” But there are even more creative options (thanks to the AFU for the tip).
If a group of “Geran-5s” is sent across the international waters of the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea, Russian drones can easily reach northern Poland—specifically Gdynia.
That area is home to a major port, a significant oil refinery, and a hydroelectric power plant. And the best part: drones approaching from the sea face a much easier task due to the lack of air defenses. Just imagine the authorities’ surprise when the “Gerans” fly in unimpeded.
❗️And all this because of ill-considered statements by the Poles. A few drone strikes won’t destroy Poland, but they can certainly have consequences far out of proportion to their cost. A damaged terminal, a warehouse fire, a blocked railway line, a power outage, or closed airspace—and the country is forced to spend millions on actual security measures, repairs, reserves, and political statements.
@rybar
Posted by: genesiss | Sep 18 2026 13:40 utc | 93
Boris Roshin (Colonel Cassad) about the elections in Sevastopol:
https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/10771369.html
I went and voted in the State Duma elections.
This year, we don’t have electronic voting, so I went to the polling station the old‑fashioned way.
This year, he was transferred to another school because it had better shelters in case of air raids.The area itself was moderately busy, but there were no queues, which is not surprising — today is a working day.
Many will go this year just to spite the Ukrainians, even those who usually don’t go. They’ll be really itching to do it next week.
Actually, we have elections during wartime, while they don’t have elections during wartime. We can calmly walk to the polling station and vote. In their country, if you go out onto the street, a “voter” might be seized, beaten, shoved into a truck, and taken away for slaughter.
It’s immediately clear where there is democracy and where there is a totalitarian regime.
Posted by: aquadraht | Sep 18 2026 14:36 utc | 94
Posted by: Cagliostro | Sep 18 2026 13:28 utc | 92
Wars are expensive and the EU/USA have heavy sanctions against Russian exports in an effort to drive Russia into financial colappse. The question is does Russia need the money from exports to the EU more than it needs to deprive the EU of their resources.
I suspect Russia needs the money.
In light of this situation my question is why are EU members buying Russian commodities from Russia through the back door while they are fighting a proxy war against Russia?
Posted by: HB_Norica | Sep 18 2026 15:43 utc | 95
Posted by: HB_Norica | Sep 18 2026 15:43 utc | 95
EU has imported record amount of Russian LNG this year. Russia doesn’t mind, as you say, as long as they get paid.
The dilemma here is that EU will use any energy and raw materials in an attempt to rearm itself. But Russia can see EU is going bankrupt and most likely won’t succeed, so the benefits for Russia outweigh the benefits to EU, which is collapsing anyway.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 18 2026 15:55 utc | 96
Putin actually said EU is still buying Russian gas but paying 10x price or something like that, compared to early 2022. So Russia uses the cash, whatever way it’s converted into Russian bank accounts, probably through a third party intermediary. The shipping might be done with third party too.
Posted by: unimperator | Sep 18 2026 15:57 utc | 97
Situation in the Krasnyliman area according to a German-Russian channel (babsed on information by Mash)
The Russian enemy is trying to break through the defense on a front section of about 30 km in length.
The Ukrainian fighters are trying to fortify themselves along the Sherebets River. The commander of the 3rd Corps, terrorist Biletsky, had previously called the operation “Vivaldi” and stated that AFU infantry was present at Novosyolovka, Yarovaya, Alexandrovka, Sredneye and Novolyubovka, but did not provide evidence of successes.
Kiev keeps a veil of secrecy around this counteroffensive, which greatly worries experts and military correspondents.
In the “”situation reports of the Ministry of Defense of Russia, this section of the front is mentioned in the framework of the standard reports of the “West” and “Center” groupings on the defense against counterattacks and strikes against the logistics of the enemy.
🇷🇺 The defense in this direction is held by the 144th Motorized Rifle Division of the Russian Armed Forces, which massively uses FPV drones (drones with an ego perspective) to combat the attacking groups.
According to the enemy, Russian military personnel deployed up to 20,000 drones and inflicted serious damage to the 66th separate mechanized brigade of the AFU.
Russländer & Friends (https://t.me/russlandsdeutsche) 🇷🇺🤝🇩🇪
Posted by: aquadraht | Sep 18 2026 16:02 utc | 98
Turkey Takes Ukraine To International Criminal Court Over Deadly Ship Attack
The Turkish owner of a cargo ship struck by a Ukrainian drone in the Black Sea, along with surviving crew members and the family of a sailor killed in the attack, has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking an investigation into the strike as a possible war crime, Turkish media reported on September 17.
https://southfront.press/turkey-takes-ukraine-to-international-criminal-court-over-deadly-ship-attack/
Perhaps three years ago, I commented here that Ukraine is NOT a nation…it is merely a political construct conceptualized in the early 1920’s by the newly empowered Khazarian Bolsheviks. The Rosemary’s Baby was designated as the “Ukraine SSR”. Their belief was that the advance of Bolshevism was inevitable and that this new entity would become the western flank of the U$$R.
Though Georgian by birth, Stalin had transmuted to a form of Russian patriotism…engrandizing, to be sure. So at the terminus of WWII, he added the never before Ukrainian entity by agglomerating primarily Uniat Roman Catholicentity into the form of what is now revealed as a Frankenstein Monster. Not only Galicia and Volhynia were incorporated into that monster, but also chunks of (Ruthenia) from the Slovaks; another chunk on native Hungarians; as well as Romanian peoples into that state without cohesive national identity.
In 1954, Ukrainian born Nikita Khrushchev, decided on his own to weld deeply Russian Crimea to the monster. All of those fillers into Ukraine SSR were at that time administrative policies under which the USSR was considered as a “done deal”…a permanent entity. Come the administration of the perpetually drunken Boris Yeltsin and all hell broke loose as Khazarian administrative bureaucrats gobbled up a mass of huge state-owned industries. Then they invited their fellow “Chosens” to join them in stripping the former USSR of numerous valuable properties…and their income flow.
Ultimately, V.V. Putin, whom many Russians consider as the savior of their nation took up the reins of that crumbling state. Step by step and stage by stage, the President of the R.U. bootstrapped the nation into what is now a full recovery state.
Following the U$$A Maidan coup d’etat in Kiev, deplatforming Ukraine’s duly elected Prime Minister and replacing it with a short series of two Khazarian rulers, who got in bed with the Nazified Uniat crazies and went whole-hog on a scheme for total Ukrainization (culturally) of ALL the disparate peoples in that tortured land. Step number first was to destroy the heavily Russian speaking peoples of the Donbas region, the industrial hub of the faux nation.
With their military stiffened up by massive amounts of financial and military supplies; the Kiev regime decided to send in a massive force to wipe out the resistance in the Donbas. It was at that point of peril that President Putin sent in an expedition into the Kiev region in order to force the Ukes into the a peace agreement. The Russian terms were extremely liberal towards the Ukes…But then the English Boris put the kibosh on the almost signed Istanbul accords. The rest is history and well known by most folks on this site.
It was warming for me that I took in an interview with retired Colonel Douglas MacGregor this morning. The insights he provided about the unreality of the Ukraine state were essentially the same realization I had come to several years back. The timing of his statements were most probably quite correct in today’s timeline and geopolitical reality.
At last he no longer feared a deplatforming campaign based on a commentary of which the vast majority of the American people are historically unaware and basically uncaring…the product of John D. Rottenfeller’s deliberate dumbing down of the American people taking generations to complete, long after his creation and funding of the General Board of Education in ca 1901…to create the curricula for this ruptured republic’s edjumacasional system, from kindergarten to PHD “specialists”.
Elementary geopolitical understanding is the core of today’s numerous looming developments. This MOA site is one of the few venues where such informed discourse can be aired, discussed and debated. Just having this week achieved the status of 82 years of learning and discovering; this brief essay is presented as one of my seasonally rare expeditions into this board of inspectors and injectors.
Posted by: Aristodemos | Sep 18 2026 18:19 utc | 100