For the Saker Blog by Saker Staff
Looking back at the bigger picture, i.e., Russia is too slow, and other canards:
February 21 president of Russia Vladimir Putin signed a decree to recognize the independence of the DPR and LPR and promised to support the republics. On February 24, President Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the republics of Donbass with a request for help.
The President stressed that Moscow’s plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories. Since that time, an operation has been underway on the territory of Ukraine to denazify the country and liberate the civilian population from the Kiev regime.
So that is a refresher on what the focus and objectives are of Russia’s SMO. Keep this in mind in your commenting.
“Reach Out and Touch Someone”
Highly recommended by Andrei Martynov, Larry Johnson tells us exactly what this means:
A common theme marshaled to “prove” that Russia is failing in its war with Ukraine is that Russia failed to quickly take Kiev and, in fact, was forced to retreat from Kiev. In addition, the military analysts that populate the cable news channels in the United States insist that the Russians are bogged down and not making the rapid progress they (the Russians) expected.
This is nonsense. I defy anyone to show me one statement by Putin or the Russian General Staff where a specific timeline was established or identified. This is a construct of western military analysts who do not have access to Russia’s military plan and are projecting their own wishful thinking as “evidence” of a flailing Russian military.
Russia is not sitting on its haunches licking its wounds. Rather than send troops against fortified positions, Russia continues to hit targets throughout Ukraine with precision missiles. Here is the activity reported on May 4:
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Russia attacked railway substation in Pyatihatki with a high-precision missile;
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Russia attacked railway substation in Tymkove with a high-precision missile;
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Russia attacked railway substation in Volovets with a high-precision missile;
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Russia attacked railway substation in Lviv with a high-precision missile;
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Russia attacked railway substation in Pidbirtsi with a high-precision missile;
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Russia attacked military assets of the AFU near Protopopovka with a high-precision missile;
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Russia attacked military assets of the AFU near Novaya Dmitrovka with a high-precision missile;
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Russia attacked military assets of the AFU near Sandjeika with a high-precision missile;
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Russia attacked military assets of the AFU near Krysino with a high-precision missile;
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Russia attacked military assets of the AFU near Volnyansk with a high-precision missile;
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Russia attacked military assets of the AFU near Novoalexandrovka with a high-precision missile.
Larry goes further with a video of a bombardment of Mykolaev aka Nikolaev explaining the “reach out and touch someone” strategy and explaining that if you think that enduring this kind of shelling is inconsequential, then you have no appreciation of the limits of human endurance to such a sustained barrage.
Russia is reaching out and touching someone with each of their actions!
Read the whole thing and seriously revise the canard of ‘Russia is moving too slow’. Take a note of The Ukrainian supply lines (just about non-existent), the economy, and the nature of the Russian ground strategy. He says:
“… I am offering an alternative explanation for Russia’s ground strategy. They are under no deadline. They are not going to send their military units into head-on assaults and risk unnecessary casualties.
And they are going to bomb Ukrainian units relentlessly until they surrender or are destroyed. Time is on Putin’s side.”
Russia is raining a curtain of steel:
Then we will look at another westerner commenting on the Russian strategy. Brian Berletic is an ex-marine and he has published for many years from the east. He explains what Russia is doing now on the ground by saying they are raining a curtain of steel.
A summary:
The US and its allies spent 8 years building up the military the Ukraine had at the beginning of Russian military operations in February 2022. This Ukrainin military failed to prevent Russian forces now from shaping the battlefield in Donbas creating the conditions for Ukrainian forces there to be cut off, encircled, and systematically destroyed.
After 8 years – this was the best the US and its allies could do to prepare Ukraine. Despite the urgent (reported) flood of weapons and money into Ukraine now along with remedial training programs – nothing now can be done better or quicker than over the past 8 years – Russia is removing Ukrainian combat capabilities off the battlefield faster than the Ukraine and its allies can replace or regenerate it.
For detail of the past 24 hours, fierce fighting is still taking place.
Take a look at the Readovka report: https://readovka.news/news/96041
Yandex will give you the best translation.
There is much FUD being spread about the Red Babushka. Please be very careful what you read and watch, as the last video is a propaganda of the Ukies. We wait!
Ukrainian fighting forces are fierce but they have some help:
One of the fighters of the nationalist battalion who laid down arms told about combat drugs used by Ukrainian fighters to suppress fear and lower the threshold for pain. These drugs were supplied to them by volunteers.
💬 “…I can tell you about some medication called Ephedrine, supplied by volunteers to our unit. We used this drug just before the fight, after that we lost the feeling of fear, we could calmly go into battle, being afraid of absolutely nothing…”
https://t.me/mod_russia_en/1356
Another canard needs some debunking. RT (bless their socks!) had a headline that Putin apologized for Mr.Lavrov’s comments on Jewishness. And this is being passed around (by our own FUD delivering colleagues) as how bad Mr. Putin is. Well, here is the readout. Confirm for yourselves, there is no apology there. http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/68356
And it would be a good thing to question all the various announcements and pronouncements on new weapons being supplied to the Ukraine. Frequently the announcement and the presser are done to the applause of the collective west, but the weapons never make it. Ukraine is not getting the 40-year old Gepard tanks as it was promised. Reason, no ammo. Switzerland makes ammo for these, but they cannot supply to conflict zones. (Or perhaps, they have none?).
“Switzerland makes ammo for these, but they cannot supply to conflict zones”.
Surely there must be some mistake there? They make ammunition for tanks, but will not deliver to anywhere there is fighting?
What is the purpose of tank ammunition?
Same switzerland announced for the Yugoslavian theatre.
Spoils of war by Serbis proved the opposite.
Like Germany there is a law against shipping to open conflicts. Germany flouted it’s Basic Law, Switzerland so far respects its.
Hmmm…i lived through the 1991, 1993 and 1995 Yugoslav wars during business visits to Slovenia and Croatia…and i remember well the Swiss Beobachter front page which showed Swiss Military equipment being shipped overnight to Austria after the incursion of Serbian Tanks across the Spielfeld border post, where it was assumed that the Serbs intended to go further…The Swiss emptied their deep tunnels where they had been storing their Jeeps and Trucks and brought them by train right across Austria….
In America during the NATO destruction of Kosovo and ultimately all of Yugoslavia, the distraction tactic was Monica Lewinsky! IMAGINE THAT! Been awake since! 🇺🇸
Germany previously sent former East German military hardware to Croatian’s during the Croatian conflict during 1990’s Yugoslav Wars This including aviation assets that were easily identifiable due to the East German versions of radars installed in aircraft.
This means that they send ammo to countries when updating their defense possibilities, but not to active warzones
German tank, Swiss Oerlikon gun.
Or Switzerland sells to Austria, who then sells to Germany, who then sells to USA, who then delivers to Ukraine. (Then it gets blown up.)
. . . or it falls in the hands of the LPR or DNR, and is used *against* the Ukie army.
In 1942, American industrialists and financiers were fulfilling contracts to Nazi Germany supplying war material. Even after Nazi Germany declared war on The United States. FDR – the most ruthless Capitalist President in American History – set up a government loan program to establish new businesses (Reynolds Aluminum being one of them) before threatening American industrialists with treason – to include confiscation of all property and assets.
Trade continued between neutral countries and belligerents, supplying raw materials. Until the point where Nazi Germany could only obtain resources in occupied and friendly countries.
The supplying of finished war materials, the supplying of and training to troops; that is where a country becomes a co-belligerent in the war. Co-belligerents are subject to attack. Russia has refrained from doing so, to this point as Russia does not wish to widen the theater of war. Yes, The US would lose 40,000 troops in the European theater should open conflict with Russia, occur. Russia would lose about as many – a point that many fail to make. Then, probably the inevitable nuclear war turning the world into radioactive ashes.
And who says the Swiss are going to deliver the tank munitions? That is what contractors in other countries are for.
“How Bush’s grandfather helped Hitler’s rise to power”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/sep/25/usa.secondworldwar
“His business dealings, which continued until his company’s assets were seized in 1942 under the Trading with the Enemy Act, has led more than 60 years later to a civil action for damages being brought in Germany against the Bush family by two former slave labourers at Auschwitz and to a hum of pre-election controversy.
The evidence has also prompted one former US Nazi war crimes prosecutor to argue that the late senator’s action should have been grounds for prosecution for giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
The debate over Prescott Bush’s behaviour has been bubbling under the surface for some time. There has been a steady internet chatter about the “Bush/Nazi” connection”
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The following is IIRC from old readings, but during the time when the Americans were doing ‘lend-lease’ with the Brits, there were active submarine v destroyer fights off the American coastline. So, in the 1940’s, this did lead to a sort of ‘unofficial war’.
Yep, found this … the first US Navy warship to be sunk by a Nazi U-boat was sunk on Oct 31, 1941. Pearl Harbor was of course on Dec 7, 1941. https://www.businessinsider.com/a-nazi-u-boat-sank-the-first-us-warship-of-wwii-on-halloween-1941-2018-10?op=1
Broadside: Excellent links there. I remember the exposure of those Bush-Nazi connections quite well.
So perhaps FDR *wasn’t* “the most ruthless Capitalist President in American History”, as R. Robertson so forcefully asserts, albeit sans evidence. ;-)
FDR did many things inside America that were not exactly pure, but let me concentrate only on his foreign policy.
He signed Lend- Lease with one of the belligerents to the WWII, thus forfeiting neutrality; would you consider a country “neutral” after it starts leasing naval ships to your enemy? With the American entry into WWI fresh within the living memory, Germany would have no illusions about American neutrality.
He froze Japanese assets and brought an oil embargo, thus forcing it to into a war with the US. America hardly had any skin in the fight between Japan and China till then.
He encouraged the Bretton Woods conference, which is not exactly a conduct clear of foreign entanglements.
He misled the American people about entering the war, just like Woodrow Wilson. He interned countless American citizens in camps.
He may or may not be called ruthless, depending on one’s perspective, but he definitely involved America deeper into foreign entanglement. Up to that point, no Eurasian power ever considered invading the United States. Even if the whole world except the American continents were taken over by a hostile Eurasian power, the United States had the capacity to survive, flourish and even retaliate against such a power, so, there was no need for him to engage into these prematurely.
My argument was precisely aimed at the aspersion of “most ruthless Capitalist President in American History”, which I find utterly ridiculous.
For one thing FDR’s New Deal programs were more accurately socialist in nature — hardly “ruthlessly capitalist”!
For those domestic policy programs et al, I’ll simply refer you to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt
I don’t disagree with some of your points above. The internment of Japanese-Americans was incredibly wrong-headed.
Lend-Lease is debatable. While it assuredly showed favoritism towards “allies”, Germany clearly did not consider it an outright act of war. But then, Germany was at the same time receiving significant support from American industrialists and financiers, which continued even during the declared war.
Your objection to Bretton Woods escapes me. That plan was intended to level the economic playing field for post-war reconstruction and the perpetuation of peace. The problems arose when Nixon abandoned the gold standard that successfully underpinned BW, leading to “dollar dominance”.
Were there machinations against the Japanese prior to Pearl Harbor? Certainly. But I can’t address the political mindset that motivated those sanctions. Nominally, they were a response to ongoing Japanese imperialism.
Roosevelt wasn’t perfect. But he certainly doesn’t deserve the broad brush caption of “ruthless Capitalist” in any way. He was the only US president ever elected to 4 terms and was immensely popular. And as the Wikipedia article concludes, “… he is consistently ranked by scholars, political scientists, and historians as one of the greatest presidents in American history.”
Alas, this is probably wildly off-topic now, so I myself will cease and desist.
Roosevelt was no better than mr. Churchill or mr. Hitler.
The fact that “scholars, scientists, historians” (and I guess also clowns, clochards and curling players) rank him as “one of the greatest presidents in American history” is pretty telling.
I would not define him a “ruthless capitalist”, but defining the New Deal “socialist in nature” is equally wrong, unless one sticks with a narrow-minded US POV where one can even deem Bernie Sanders to be a “socialist” or VVP to be a “communist”.
Making an “offer that you cannot refuse” is not “socialism”: it’s actually the Mafia method.
I openly accuse FDR to have been a liar, playing double-agent and behaving like an international jewry puppet.
“Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports that the Russian army had broken into the territory of the plant, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to avoid storming of the plant was still in place.”
Its an open secret that these so called civililians in Azovstal belong to Azov nazis either relatives, friends or sympathizers. Its unbelivable how Azov rats can basically thumb its nose at the Russians respectivly Putin. Italy Whats wrong with Putin?
Between civil and anarchic behavior lie 9 meals.
I would not rule out Azov cannibalism though.
Wait, no fly moves, and Russia already caught a Canadian senior officer in a sewer pipe, apparently now in Moscow.
This is going to be really fun when they are paraded before camera’s.
Then they better hurry up – the meat is rotting
https://www.bitchute.com/video/v2V80DeesNMa/
Lazar wrote:
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to avoid storming of the plant is still in place.”
My comment:
The first rule of war tactics is: lie and use propaganda to misinform the enemy.
So why do you believe that this order is still intact when the Russian Forces have been pounding the Azovstal factory since the 2 first batches of hostages was liberated? Don’t believe anything unless it is documented either by video or independent report.
Lazar wrote:
Ukraine civilians do not respect RF and Putin anymore. Nobody in Ukraine is taking Putin serious.
My comment:
The many Russian victory flags raised all over Eastern Ukrainian City halls, and the many civilians cheering Russian Soldiers for their liberations, don’t agree with your statement.
Lazar wrote:
US officials have reportedly confirmed they are providing intelligence that has helped Ukrainian forces target and kill many of the Russian generals and shoot down a Russian plane with Russian Special Forces.
My comment:
The first rule of war tactics is: lie and use propaganda to misinform the enemy.
So why do you believe unnamed US official spewing lies and propaganda to the New York Times.
This is not the first time NYT has been caught in publishing lies. They also claim that the US was instrumental in sinking the Russian warship Moskva, without producing any shred of evidence.
Lazar wrote:
Russia’s slow approach and total confusing policies are creating great opportunities for US to inflict further losses.
My comment: Read this if you want to understand what is going on.
/open-thread-for-today-and-comments/#comment-1085598
Lazar wrote:
With each passing day Russian president harms the state image more and more.
Putin is overwhelmed and simply the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time.
My Comment:
If President Putin had not become President of Russia back in 1999, Russia would still be a broken economic slave state of the Globalist financial Elite.
If Russia did not have President Putin at the helm to navigate in the showdown with the US and NATO, Russia would have lost its base in Syria and Crimea. NATO would have placed Missiles in Ukraine, Georgia and Kazakhstan. And Russia would not be in trade partnership with China, India, Iran, Africa and Latin America.
Lazar, You sound like either a scare school boy or an Agent spewing negative propaganda about Putin.
Which one is it?
I think that he is simply concerned and makes hastily some conclusions based on real, unreal or exagerated information. But it applies to many others here just in the opposite direction.
One more thing, people in Eastern Ukraine are raising the red Soviet state flag, somewhere the state flags of LDNR, not the flag of Russia – white, blue, red horizontal strips.
You do realize that the red Soviet flag is the one used to honor the May 9 victory over Nazi Germany, right???
And that it is close to May 9, right???
I do realize that the red Soviet flag is the Victory flag very well, marched with this flag in my arms many times.
For each Soviet flag (victory flag), LPR or DPR flag going up, an Ukrainian Flag is coming down
You forget that LPR and DPR are recognized by Russia as independent states.
Thus the Russian flag will not go up in respect of the sovereignty of Luhansk and Donetsk.
BTW: my question were to Lazar, so why do you answer on his behalf?
Yellow blue flag should come down everywhere.
Re- Lazar, I just shared my view on his frustration, right or wrong.
I guess that’s the flag most people who never was thrilled with the Ukrainian independence have lying around.
For that matter, they might not have been to trilled with the disolution of the Soviet Union either.
That is not true. There has been loads of footage of the white, blue and red of the Russian national flag being raised over public buildings in Kherson and Zaporozhye oblasts.
Agreed, not going to comment on what the basis of his reasoning but there was a poster talking about Putin being part of the Cabal and is part of the “Hollywood production” Russia does not have a Central bank along with seven other countries, that should put that theory to rest.
Russia does have a central bank and it is PRIVATELY controlled as per the Russian constitution.
That concerns me because Putin has had the political pull to nationalize it but didn’t.
Recently Sergy Glasyev has been listened to a lot which is good IMHO.
Russia’s central bank is privately owned and a member of the IMF. Putin recently nominated the head of this bank for another five-year term.
@bratya – The first sentence opening statements are both wrong.
Russia’s Central Bank is owned by the state and administered at arms length from the government, as is the case in most countries except the USA and Italy.
https://www.cbr.ru/eng/about_br/bankstatus/
The Country is a member of the IMF not their Central Bank. In most case the voting member is the Minister of Finance (or equivalent) and the alternate is the Central Bank governor.
https://www.imf.org/en/About/executive-board/members-quotas
Great.
Banking lines would provide an easy clue to whether a country is part of the cabal or not. Central banks are sure signs.
I read that one of the first conditions that the UN/IMF lays down to be part of the international system is that the country should give an undertaking that it would not use gold and silver as currencies.
This shows the extent to which the IMF/UN fear use of gold/silver as currencies as this will destroy their entire system of slavery through the monetary system.
Any threat to this Dominant system is taken very seriously and crushed mercilessly.
I read here from viewer’s comments that Russia has agreed not to demand paymens in gold or gold backed Rubles. I think that is a terrible concession. But maybe Russia has long-term plans and this could be a temporary concession.
You can trust Russians to help you, when they promise they’ll help you, they will help you, and would do that without asking for payment for that help, one way or another. But, if Americans offer you help, just run, run as fast as you can.
I know this personally.
Regarding the claims of US intelligence providing specific information to target Moskva, Russian Generals, and shoot down a Russian plane?
Take those with a grain of salt. The Pentagon has released a statement that such specific targeting information has not been provided. Take that with a grain of salt, also.
The NYT’s has cheerleaded every military action since their existence. It is very well possible that US intelligence officials did provide the data. However, it is also very well possible that such “leaks” are false, designed to drag the US/NATO into open conflict. The NYT’s and MSM has been especially egregious in promoting such acts.
From the Spanish-American War to the SMO? The NYT’s and other MSM outlets in the US have promoted falsehood after falsehood, to justify wars and conflicts. Time and again. As organs of special interests and/or The State.
‘Pounding’ the Avostal plant in between people exiting via humanitarian corridors is not the same as ‘storming’ the lower reaches of the plant.
Ergo, you have presented no evidence Putin’s order not to storm the plant is not still in place
@David. Exactly.
Storming an enemy is a quite different operation than pinning the enemy down, or softening the enemy to surrendering via bombardment.
During a storm of a fortification, you are up against all odds. The enemy is placed behind cover, while you have to pass open space in direct line of fire.
During a storm more that 70% of the soldiers storming are expected to be killed. Its a bloodbath.
President Putin obviously knows the implications.
start looking as Debaltsevo 2.0
they are locked away like rats in a cellar, they will die there or be killed if they don’t surrender, only a Ukrainian desperate for succour would see this as any kind of ‘victory’ Thse people live amoingst their own and others shit and piss, injured soldiers with gangrene rot alive and die. Their bodies decompose. One would have to be hyper desperate to believe that this is some kind of ‘brave resistence’. They are rats locked in a sewer, they are not contributing to the war in any way whatsoever and they are supposed to be good combat shaped soldiers, what a waste. The reason Azovstal is being bombed again is because a batch tried to escape, came to the surface and tried to create firing positions (this was done during one of the many ceasefires the Russians operate during certain hours each day to allow civilians to leave the conflict zone.) They were bombed into oblivion. Putins orders are to not go into the catacombs to fight, it will be too costly. If they really want to end it they will gas them all, fill the place with seawater or sewage, there are many options which will cost nothing in terms of troop losses to the allies. Time is on Russias side.
“Rats in the cellar” a song by Aerosmith comes to mind.
But there’s Russian videos showing them walking/running on the ground around the plant. The video is from a Russian plane or helicopter making a strike at them but they go on the other side of the building and likely don’t get hit. So, they aren’t stuck down underground all the time. They come up and down.
This video gives an excellent oversight of how this can be:
https://youtu.be/e_iMChr2T-A
All of us are operating on assumptions. What Russia should do, what we might do if we were in charge, what we expected Russia to do, etc. These are unhelpful because they are not analysis. We’re not going to know anything unless Russian government authorities tell us, and then (for the sake of good analysis) we need to expect that we’re not getting the whole truth. No government, especially its military, tells the whole truth.
Analysis of the SMO has to be based on Russia’s stated aims, though it may include some assumptions about wider aims so long as these are grounded with possible, probable and likely variations. A good example is “push NATO back to 1997 borders”. What Russia didn’t say is how that would happen or give a timeline for completion. So an assumption that the SMO is phase I of pushing NATO borders back via military power is possible, but it’s unlikely. It’s unlikely because that’s WWIII and would require a massive mobilization that isn’t occurring. The same goal is more probable via showing that NATO will not actually defend those nations and allowing them to feel the pain of European economic problems concurrent with a realization that the other NATO members will always put their own needs ahead of Eastern European members.
It is likely that Russian political and military leadership would prefer this be going faster than it is. But if they’re smart, then they did not base their planning on only the best case scenario. It is very unlikely (though possible) that Russia is feeling desperation as the US likes to portray because it’s probable that if Russia feels the current plan is going very badly that it would escalate with strategic bombing of the “shock and awe” sort.
It’s also probable that Russia is not projecting how it performs the SMO towards the West. A clear turn east is obvious. So to analyze Russia’s actions solely through the lens of the west is problematic. The same goes for Russia continuing to fulfill contracts. If we take the Sino-Russian statements at face value, then we must consider a larger geopolitical context in which Russia is showing the rest of the world a different manner of behavior to contrast it with the west. Exactly what that means isn’t easy to describe since we have incomplete information. But we can at least start from using examples of what the US would do and how it would do it and then expect that it’s likely Russia will do the opposite or at least quite different.
Serious analysis is difficult because it requires dispensing with our own biases and preconceived notions. To do it we have to attempt to see the situation through the perspective of all the actors and then pick out where they intersect, line up and/or conflict. That’s the foundation of realist foreign policy, to which Russia is a strong adherent. It’s hard for us westerners because the west discarded realism in foreign policy three decades ago.
Nice commentary! And because it is hard for the westerners, that is exactly why we chose two westerners, military men, today and displayed their analysis.
But you know what makes me laugh. I see the timings on the blog, and most of the kneejerker fudspreaders on here did not even take the time to read the first article, or the second video, or even the happenings on the ground given today by Readovka, before they started spreading their certitudes. Many comments are based on — well, let me not use that word.
It was a fine thing to read your reasoned approach.
Larry Johnson and Ray McGovern, both trained analysts, say during the Cold War they were competent people, but now it is game-theory. As Alastair Crooke (UK Diplomat) hinted, likely they have no HUMINT (Putin sanitized the Kremlin, knew what to look for!).
«No government, especially its military, tells the whole truth.»
The USA and UK governments are not like that: as a rule they never tell *any* truth, even if partial, they always make up things from fantasy, just like USA and UK corporations. One of the reasons is career consequences, it is always safer to lie:
* Suppose they tell the truth and that causes problems: their boss says “you should have lied, that would have avoided those problems”.
* Suppose they lie and that causes problems: they can say to their boss “at least I tried to avoid problems by telling as lie, these problems are not my fault”.
President’s statement stressing that Russia is not going to occupy Ukrainian territories did a lot of damage in the so called Phase 1. May be it was addressed mainly to the western “partners”, but in Ukraine it had a huge demoralizing effect among this part of the population who were ready to support Russians. This effect was even bigger when the Russian forces were ordered to leave areas around Kiev and Ukrainian retaliation followed in the most cruel way on the civilians there. It had a bad impact on the Russian military who literally sacrificed themselves in taking Gostomel airport only to be told later to leave. No wonder, Kherson’s citizens demanded guarantees that Russians are not leaving.
Fully agree with ur analyse!
The ukraine civilians do not respect anymore RF and Putin.
Nobody in Ukraine is taking Putin seriouse.
With each passing day russian president harms the state image more and more.
Putin is taken very seriously and he should be.
However, he is not the multidimensional chest palyer, portrayed here, he makes mistakes (openly discussed in Russia, I wonder why not here) ), some with grave consequences, he does not have military education and put in charge of the Defence someone who even avoided the draft to the army training, but is loyal to him. The previous Defense Minister was corrupted,stole few millions worth of $ and went to jail, but he was the one who did the gigantic job of reorganizing, modernizing and arming the forces.
Sorry about the typos
Oh, mistakes of Putin have been discussed many times. Mainly by Andrei (The Saker). I still remember the pension debacle for one.
I think what has happened here, is that we all kinda believed (and rightly so in a different perspective), that Russia is going to run over the Ukraine in 3 or 4 days. We were in a way romanticized by all the new wizz bang weapons. I remember before the SMO I asked in some thread .. but, what about all these weapons – they will kill innocent and guilty all at the same time. People kinda pooh pooh’d and told me I’m a softie.
Now, we see that. I don’t think Russia is making large mistakes here. Perhaps in terms of the SMO there are many mistakes that I cannot even identify.
But the thing is, they’re reaching the objectives set and we need to not forget that there is a larger objective here and that is what we can call the war against NATO and the issue of security and indivisible security. Russia said at the time that because they were ignored (and for many years), they will now use military/technical means of forcing that indivisible security, and the issue does not stop here. China is in the same boat.
We are but one step into a world changing almost new epoch.
@amarynth
I seriously think that the guy named Lazar is a troll. Maybe you should keep an eye on him. Dude is always posting pessimistic ideas.
I agree… I usually ignore the ‘trolls’ comments. I’d advice everyone to do the same and not respond to
the usual rhetoric.
I think you are correct amarynth in that some thought the 3 or 4 day rule would be in affect. When for the past 20+ years the US military actions weer all broadcast like some Law and Order TV show, one seems to get a certain bias as to what war really is. I am one of those people who took that experience and projected it onto the Russian objectives. I am certainly glad to see that there is a different way than the Shock and Awe of the US version of war. War can also never be fought without mistakes being made since it is fought by man.
There is no reason to believe anyone every took the 3-4 day fantasy seriously. In brief:
The initial Russian advance forced the UAF to reveal all its important targets and its disposition of forces within 72 hours. It was well designed to pin down a significant portion of those forces and reduce the UAF’s mobility.
Once Russia knew what it was looking at the rest of the plan has evolved based on reality on the ground. No meaningful threat exists that could cause Russia to accelerate any timetable.
In the larger picture, Russia gains nothing from hastening the war. Europe dreads the inevitable cutoff of gas. That will come right about the time Phase 2 begins in earnest. A disrupted NATO will have great difficulty mounting a meaningful response. Europe’s anti-Russian leaders have put their faith in 1) Joe Biden’s committing the full might of the US military against Russia, 2) the West wins quickly, and 3) Russian gas will be plundered after the war. Every other scenario involves much pain for Europe.
I like this reasoning. Makes sense! I think Putin simply must hold the logical, humane line
Most military mistakes have “grave” consequences! The question is: Did anyone learn from them, so as to avoid making them again??? That answer seesm to be “Yes” in Putin’s case.
Wish our military would do that, but with the staff-origin “bootlickers” left in the Pentagon, it’s very doubtful!
(As an aside, someone pointed out there are currently 44 four-star generals in this Pentagon hierarchy, commanding 1.3 million troops; contrast with WWII when, with a 12 million man army, there were ONLY 7 four-star generals! Hmmm…….and those 44 couldn’t even arrange an orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan!)
I wonder why in hell Russia has any generals for I mean after all Putin according to some makes all the decisions, seems like a lot of wasted time and money just to say well we have some generals who must spend all their time out on the golf course while Putin makes all the decisions. He must be a super man to run a country the size of Russia while having two conflicts going on at the same time, (Syria and Ukraine) and then putting up with the yellow dogs who pretend to be Russia’s friend, Turkey comes to mind. And I think you’re sadly mistaken, for those getting blown up by Russian missiles and long range artillery take Russia very serious, wouldn’t you?
How do you know this? Did you visit the Ukraine? Did you speak with people?
When did anyone ever cared what their enemy think of them? Only narcissists do that.
Russia cares only for the liberated areas, where they need to strengthen civil support.
“Kherson’s citizens demanded guarantees that Russians are not leaving.”
This is what Ukie population should have to do. Demanding RF forces: “please don’t leave us”.
Perhaps they didn’t ask it in many areas and RF forces left them. You want to be victims of Ze, then don’t whine when facing consequences.
Most of Ukrainians are stupid enough and wanna be Afghanistan of Europe. Must me great to be poor, slave and whore?
Kherson is an example, because it was liberated relatively early. People were reluctant to participate in the new administration and work force etc. and kept asking what is going to happen to them when the Russian forces left as per the statement. Everything changed when DNR Denis Pushilin and especially Crimean governor Sergey Aksyonov stepped in, introduced payments in rubbles , DNR and Russian television, opened the schools in Russian, started paying salaries and pensions. People understood that there is no “Azov” coming back and now they are rebuilding their city speedily.
Kherson should have been the template for every liberated town but it wasn’t and some civilians were left to the devices of the Orcs once the RF forces ‘pulled back’. Big push to pin orcs, or miscalculation leaving civilians to bare the brunt of the Orcs outright hatred for all things Russian? Situational oversight?
Cheers M
Melitopol was managed in the same way as Kherson and most towns in the south-east by the DNR and Kherson autorities. Unfortunately, in north and north-east people were left at the mercy of Orcs when the Russian army pulled back and also when moved forward, the territory behind the frontline was left with the Kievan regime administration intact and the groups of the so called “teroborona” intimidating and terrorizing civilians. Miscalculations or oversights? When the Russian force was pulled of the area of Kiev and gave back Chernobyl, that exposed the borders of Russia undefended and now the Orcs are shelling the Russian provinces of Belgorod and Kursk regullarly.
Your point is very relevant indeed. Any people under the same circumstances in any other country would be equally reserved as to the final outcome of the war, given the insidious, poisonous, murderous ideology that had taken over the country. Many have already been murdered for being forthcoming and open in their appreciation of their liberators, and their confidence in their freedom proved to be tragically premature.
«Russia is not going to occupy Ukrainian territories did a lot of damage in the so called Phase 1. May be it was addressed mainly to the western “partners”, but in Ukraine it had a huge demoralizing effect among this part of the population who were ready to support Russians.»
That was indeed a big problem, but what could V. Putin say and still claim that the “special military operation” was entirely legal under the U.N. charter right to self-defense and defense alliances?
On the other hand he also promised to “denazify” (he should have said “defascistify”) the ukrainian government, so non-fascist ukrainians, and the victims of fascist ruthenian xenophobes, can hope for when that happens. I think V. Putin’s goal is not to annex Ukraine, but to restore the old way, where Ukraine was independent, but friendly to the Russian Federations and seamlessly interchanging goods and people with it and other CSTO states.
«This effect was even bigger when the Russian forces were ordered to leave areas around Kiev and Ukrainian retaliation followed in the most cruel way on the civilians there.»
That was bad news indeed for them.
«It had a bad impact on the Russian military who literally sacrificed themselves in taking Gostomel airport only to be told later to leave.»
The military should realize that they some of them will have to be sacrificed to achieve greater goals. Keeping a large part of the ukrainian army on the defensive around Kiev was a costly choice, but it seems to have worked well: the ukrainian government ended up choosing to not reinforce the south-east and south-west to hold Kiev for propaganda purposes (all those “visits” to “Kiev” by “Washington Consensus” bosses).
Ultimately the sacrifice of a small number of soldiers to threaten Kiev will save many more russian and ukrainian soldier and military lives.
Putin said everything in the right way. Should’ave stopped there and say nothing about leaving.
Things changed, liberated territories present and future are not going back to Kiev.
like many things in life, nothing ever stays the same, the original plan was thrown out the window once realities on the battlefield presented itself. maybe they did go in thinking they wouldn’t have to occupy new territory, but as things devolved and escalated both sides have adjusted.
i see it as just evolution, but 2 things hasn’t changed for the Russians, the goal of demilitarization and denazification is still going strong.
US officials have reportedly confirmed they are providing intelligence that has helped Ukrainian forces target and kill many of the Russian generals……shoot down a Russian plane with Russian special forces…… with Russian special forces…….
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/05/us-intelligence-helping-ukraine-kill-russian-generals-report
USA is war party and can basically thumb its nose at the Russians.
Russias slow approach and total confusing policies are creating great opportunities for US warmongers and NATO to inflict further losses.
Again. What is wrong with Putin?
Putin is overwhelmed and simply the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Putin is overwhelmed and simply the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time.
You are speaking nonsense. You know nothing about all the nuances at play.
Frankly speaking i must not know all the so called nuances at play.
For me its not a play but real war with real blood on both sides.
Following now more than two months the “play” i am convinced that this play is a nonsense caused by incompentent people who maybe really believe they are into a play?
The incompetence on play is the butchering of Ukrainian conscripts. That blood is in elenskys hands.
AFU leave their fallen to rot on the way-side, while propping the living with drugs .
I dare you to take a closer look at what’s really happening
https://www.bitchute.com/video/kWgP8Rb35p3m/
https://www.bitchute.com/video/ZQWfZvfMz9UU/
https://www.bitchute.com/video/9J6ijyKISY0k/
No just a troll. Avoid engaging him.
Reads the Grauniad. See above… The New York Slimes scratches the Grauniad, and it scratches back. A Zoo!
Unfortunately, US DOD rushed to disclaim this NYT rubbish yesterday. US DOD blamed Ukraine for any assassination attempt, if there were one. Looks like it is a dog vs. dog show, I didn’t do it, he did it, type of farce.
Funny you are a bit late I see on the news from the US. The pentagon made clear this was utter BS. As to everything else you claim it to is utter BS, it sounds like you read and spew US main stream media with out bothering to use your little mind at all. Why are you here? Why are you wasting space here. Saker readers actually think and read articles from all over the world then discuss it. You are at the wrong place go back to the NYTs the mouth piece of the CIA
Slight correction:
Washington Post is CIA(always has been)
NY Times is DIA/Pentagon (always has been)
You really have to disabuse yourself that because you read something in a Western newspaper that you actually know something. The question is why did they decide to tell us these stories? If you believe it is to get the truth out and inform people, you are living in another era (if one ever existed).
People support wars when they are achieving success. For example: “The American defeat of the superior British army at Saratoga lifted patriot morale, furthered the hope for independence, and helped to secure the foreign support (France) needed to win the war”. Mussolini only joined the Germans when it was clear France was going down to defeat. And so far there have been zero Western successes and the ruble is heading to all time highs.
So, what are Western people sacrificing for?
And everything Western Intelligence is claiming is unverifiable and can’t be debunked: generals, Moskva, aircraft, etc. So, no chance of creating another “Ghost of Kiev”.
Maybe Biden needs to get another aid package through or Lend Lease? Once we see who starts parroting these stories in the US media, then we will know their purpose. IMHO
PS: Remember, Putin said that most everything that happens anywhere involves US domestic politics. So, we might start there first.
I long ago decided that in America what was most important was those big ‘number one’ fingers that are seen at sports entertainment.
This is because if you attempted any serious conversation with an American, pointing out that era’s conflicts between reality and what America is supposed to believe, it was quite interesting. At first, people would try to argue with you. But, they weren’t very good at it, because all they really knew on the topic was what CNN or FOX had told them. Thus, their arguments were quite shallow and quickly exhausted when someone argued facts against them.
They usually then dropped back into a simple “America is great” argument. The TV-consumer’s version of ‘we are exceptional’ and thus everything we do is ‘right’ (and of course that means that ‘they’ are ‘wrong’).
But, if you then tried to discuss what exactly made America ‘great’ to thus warrant such assumptions that every act is thus good and exceptional, they again quickly ran out of arguments. And what they always fell back upon was ……
“America is Number One!” “America is the Best!” “America is Number One”.
And thus, the fact that the giant foam fingers represent what is truly important in America. America is Number One! America is Great! When you peel through the CNN/FOX implanted mind-control, that’s what it comes down to. Americans are convinced that everything that America does is right and good because America is Great.
BTW, if you reach this point with an American, its best to stop there. If they haven’t already decided to beat you to a pulp by this point, if you try to argue with ‘America is number one’, they most certainly will beat you down. Welcome to America.
Of course, what we’ve seen in America, both abroad and domestically, is the ‘double-down’ on the lies. When one lie has been revealed, tell a bigger lie. Get everyone arguing about your latest, biggest lie, and they’ll forget about the last lies. But no matter what, don’t ever admit to a lie, and especially don’t admit that America is not number one.
I was watching a World Cup soccer game once, with Team USA playing. And, it struck me that the commentary was quite odd, but I couldn’t put my finger on ‘why’. Then it struck me. The American announcers on the American network could not admit to an American audience that America was not absolutely the greatest at anything. They couldn’t even admit that an American soccer team was not exactly the greatest of all time. This made for quite bizarre commentary, as a bunch of American’s who played in the second-division leagues in Europe were struggling to hang on against a team with English Premier League stars. But, even in a soccer broadcast, the people in charge of what Americans are told felt that they could not tell Americans that the American team is not ‘Number One’ is football.
It would appear that the people in charge believe that the American people will have a severe nervous breakdown should they ever find out that they really are not number one. Which is probably why no President since Carter has dared to even hint at such a thing. America long ago decided that it preferred ‘Morning in America’ to ‘American Malaise’.
(Fascinating, in a world where you can listen to almost any televised Presidential speech in the TV age on youtube, this Carter speech is harder to find. I found lots of right-wingers still attacking Carter for daring to say that perhaps something is wrong. I eventually found a CBS-Viacom ‘news’ segment that gave a highlight of the speech. It was only from there that I found the full version on Youtubes suggestions, and that was far down the list. Since I used Reagan’s phrase of Morning in America as a counterpoint, I tried that as well, and one finds glowing reviews and the actual speech is in the top three of search results. America does still does not want to even think about its problems, only declare victory.)
“Jimmy Carter Crisis of Confidence (Malaise) Address” (3742 views)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy5U68FgZcQ
Its a fascinating speech. One could wish that a President could feel this, act like this, say this today. But, given the decades of scorn heaped upon Carter, one can guarantee that no President would dare to give such a speech at this time when it is very needed.
“We are at a turning point in our history. There are two paths to choose. One is a path I’ve warned about tonight, the path that leads to fragmentation and self-interest. Down that road lies a mistaken idea of freedom, the right to grasp for ourselves some advantage over others. That path would be one of constant conflict between narrow interests ending in chaos and immobility. It is a certain route to failure.
All the traditions of our past, all the lessons of our heritage, all the promises of our future point to another path — the path of common purpose and the restoration of American values. That path leads to true freedom for our nation and ourselves. ”
— Jimmy Carter, “Crisis of Confidence” speech
https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jimmycartercrisisofconfidence.htm
Guess which path America chose? Carter went on to lose the next election, and all of his plans about dealing with ‘the energy crisis’ were scrapped by Reagan.
——————–
From the Moderator:
Please stay on topic and take other matters to the Moveable Feast Cafe or the Open Thread. Thank you.
Best president the Americans never knew they had
You hit the nail right on the head. Half of the U.S. “establishment” has profited from the corruption in Ukraine for more than a decade; the Europeans for nearly 20 years. Mitt Romney, John Kerry, and a lot of other shills for “old money” behaved as if they would never be held accountable. Biden himself was a latecomer to the party and by far the most indiscrete…
The other half of the U,S. establishment, however, did not. They instead observed and documented And they are the ones coming to power, first in 2022 then again in 2024. Trump is their puppet, and these discretions will very much be used against those who committed them. Romney has already acknolwedged this week the supremacy of this group. He can’t afford not to.
Do you remember when the media first raised the issue of “war crimes” trials, presumably for Putin? Those were actually a coded threat to those in the U.S. establishment involved with Ukraine not to go too far. Jake Sullivan, are you listening?
“-Biden himself was a latecomer to the party and by far the most indiscrete…“
What?
Biden has been a senator for 50 years.
That you are only now discovering his corruption…. Disproves that he was far, far, far, from “indiscreet”.
Quoting the Grauniad is worse than the New York Slimes.
‘nuf said.
Lazar: “US officials have reportedly confirmed they are providing intelligence that has helped Ukrainian forces target and kill many of the Russian generals……shoot down a Russian plane with Russian special forces…… with Russian special forces……”
Lazer, Source?? Bet it’s Ukie cheerleaders from ISW, the Kagan-Nuland Bunch!!
What they don’t tell you is Russian generals lead from the front, rather than from dozens of miles in the rear like US /NATO generals!
Next you’re going to tell us the Russians’ use of overwhelming artillery barrages to grind down the “dug-in Ukies, is hurting the Russian gunners more than those on the receiving end of such barrages, because of “concussions and PTSD” allegedly suffered by the Russian gunners!!!!
As one of those dug-in (think, “buried”) Ukie infantrymen said: “The Russians fire 300 rounds at us. We fire back with 3 rounds.”
“Russian generals lead from the front, rather than from dozens of miles in the rear like US /NATO generals!”
More like thousands of miles in the rear.
Fake.
Putin is certainly burdened, but not overwhelmed. I don’t want to be in his place. I don’t want to be in my place, but there we are all in our places and no other choice.
You must be a fool to believe what US official are saying.
How can you believe to somebody who is laying domestically on regular base and internationally since the bombing of Serbia. Do you remember that? Let alone Iraq, Syria… and I do remember when Russians intervened in Syria US official were saying that it will be a new Vietnam war for Putin and Russia will be bogged and weaken so badly. And what had happened after? Assad is still in power and we know the rest. Now, in the link you have shared there is a pic of destroyed equipment saying it is Russian (which might be) but there is no a single proof of that as in many posted and published information from US/Europe/Ukraine media. Ghost of Kiev….and such…BS. CNN even interviewed someone represented as a ghost of Kiev having the bushy beard… like no oxygen musk needed for a pilot….such a BS.
And IT IS NOT PUTIN, this is another western propaganda and BS, it was MIosevic, Gaddafi, Assad, Saddam… and so on. Russia has a government including MoD responsible for SMO in Ukraine, with very formidable people in it. Putin do not decide by his own, only in western propaganda he is Jack of all trades!!
According to them what he has done, and what he is doing he must be a superman.
“How can you believe to somebody who is laying domestically on regular base and internationally since the bombing of Serbia.”
Yes they lied but they ended up getting their way and in the end a traitorous puppet government installed in Serbia.
Lazarus,
I’m sick and tired of your armchair-general FUD. Nothing wrong with Putin when I listen to what he has to tell, but there’s definitely something wrong with you.
That is also true for quite a number of other FUDder’s spouting their drivel on this site. Please take your pills…
I beseech you,stop posting .You are too emotional to the point of being hysterical about propaganda pumped out by the best known outlets of the same.Unless you are pointing to the readers of this blog the filthy output of NATO media,you are soiling this blog.
Do a simple analysis of these two statements:
1.us-intelligence-helping-ukraine-kill-russian-generals
2.us-intelligence-helping-ukraine-kill-russian-soldiers
1.High adrenaline,easily believable by dumbed down masses and hard to debunk by the opposition-Generals are few and one can post some grainy pics of some dead military from the 80’s to the 20’s.
2.Does not elicit much attention as ordinary soldiers are as numerous as worker bees in a hive but its very easy to debunk by the opposing side-you’d have to produce clean evidence in form of say videos.
Guys – Please stop feeding this troll!
Everyone – stop commenting about trolls and stay on topic. Any further comments are going to trash. Mod.
u sure it is factual
Why are you focusing on Putin? Are you buying into the western propaganda that this is a state run by a strong man as in Iraq (Saddam,…)? Russia is not ruled by a strongman called Putin, there is a state and the head of it is Putin. The state is not homogeneous, there are many tendencies within it and Putin mostly acts according to the vector sum of these tendencies. He does have a significant influence but I dont think he is responsible for the less than expected performance of the army. It is clear the intelligence they had was wrong. They expected the Ukr army to carry out a coup or to surrender once the action began, and it did not and went along with the likes of Azov battalion. So, Phase 2 is actually a Plan B. A plan that also has many issues but again one cannot blame president Putin. At any rate, Russia today is not the Soviet society that defeated Nazi Germany and that has huge implications in the battle field, the diplomatic scene, and media outlet performance (by the way, look at the pathetic coverage of RT!).
I really support Russia, but this SITREP was more of an excuse for Russia’s SLOW advancement and poor performance.
“And they are going to bomb Ukrainian units relentlessly until they surrender or are destroyed. Time is on Putin’s side.”
Sorry but Ukrainians receive tons of weapons each passing day, I don’t see them surrendering at all, we cannot be blind just because we support Russia.
“…I can tell you about some medication called Ephedrine, supplied by volunteers to our unit. We used this drug just before the fight, after that we lost the feeling of fear, we could calmly go into battle, being afraid of absolutely nothing…”
For God’s sake man, now you are blaming the drugs ukrainians are using for poor russian performance?
We must be realistic, this war is harder than we all thought, Ukrainians are fighting very hard, and Russians underestimated their enemy.
Sorry but Ukrainians receive tons of weapons each passing day, I don’t see them surrendering at all, we cannot be blind just because we support Russia.
How do you know this? Do you have special lnfo that the rest of us are not privy to?
@ Joao Lima
Please take a little advice from a very old hand and use quotation marks (“xxxxxx”) when quoting from somebody’s comment to avoid confusion and ambiguities.
Only trying to be helpful.
Since I am here I’ll say a few words about some commenters,(Removed,it violates the blog rules to insult fellow posters,MOD)
Now, about the topic of misinformation and obfuscation in the media theatre regarding the Special Military Operation:
Firstly the obvious fact: no-one outside the inner sanctum of the Kremlin and the General-Staff Command knows what are the concrete objectives behind “demilitarization and dezanification” of Ukraine. It could be anything from cleaning up the mess in a region where sovereign government had never existed until the dissolution of the USSR, to demilitarization of Europe to NATO’s borders of 1997 or even as far back as 1947, that is, NATO should go back to its procreator across the Atlantic. The ambit of SMO is limitless within the concept of Russia’s indivisible security.
Secondly, within the overarching objective of SMO, there are specific secondary objectives and multiple schemes each of which are contingent on the local conditions and always subject to review and even cancellation.
Thirdly, misinformation and deception play a large role in all military conflicts, especially in modern warfare when, due to sophisticated counter-intelligence electronic devices, one side’s plans may have been compromised.
When this SMO fired the first shots the armchair generals here and everywhere decided to take command of Russian operations and even dictated their version of what should have been dome politically, diplomatically, militarily, socially and informationally. No mean task even for Stalin!
They created an imaginary scenario to fit their version and started blabbering about the fact that the Russians were doing the wrong things, going to wrong places, losing the plot, even losing the war and causing WWIII!
Now, suffering from armchair generalship fatigue and disconnection with reality and cognitive dissonance
anxiety, are showing symptoms of withdrawal and defeatism, ripe victims for the zombies from hell.
Here is a secret revealed by my puppet Maskirovka in words you understand but the zombies won’t:
“A procissao ainda vai no adro”.
@ MOD who removed an “insulting” paragraph from my comment.
I know and appreciate the fact that the moderator’s task is a demanding and judgemental one, and that The Saker is entitled to exercise discretionary and even abusive powers if it so wishes. If I don’t like its censorship, tough!
On the other hand, this blog is supposed to help and create a fair image of Russia amidst unrelenting hostility in the Hegemon’s domain and I am part of the army of its friends in the image battle space and for justice in this world. If I could do more for Russia I would without hesitation.
I don’t really know where I insulted a commenter with the following words:
(Removed,MOD. It is that type of insulting words that violate the blog rules. We are happy to have you here commenting. But you must follow the rules. I know we all have strong opinions about things.But I’m sorry, you must still follow the rules.)
I know my position here as a guest is fragile and the only rejoinder is to withdraw my contribution. I am comforted though by the thought that Russia will win without it, or yours.
Да здравствует Россия!
@Leo…..
Well they get the guns….. but they’re all old guns, except maybe for smaller things like the Javelins.
I have a friend who was a machine mechanic.
During his 4-year apprenticeship at the Wild-Heerbrug company, he manufactured parts for the Stinger warheads.
That was 40 years ago and he will soon be retiring.
In the German Wehrmacht there were basic rules….. once you had located an enemy battery, taking out took 48 rounds of artillery ammunition.
A battery consists of 3-6 guns.
Rate of fire 6-10 shots per minute.
Does Ukraine still have 200 guns in service and the works 10 minutes a day…
6 x 200 = 1200 rounds and x 10 = 12000 rounds per day.
20 shots are 1 ton……400 shots 20 tons 0 1 truck that has to drive through the whole Ukraine.
You see, what’s being said isn’t enough. What we deliver in 1 week, Ukraine consumes in 1 day.
And you can’t simply deliver more…… via which railways, which bridges, with which vehicles and with what kind of petrol….?
“We must be realistic, this war is harder than we all thought, Ukrainians are fighting very hard, and Russians underestimated their enemy.”
That’s flawed logic. “This war is harder than WE all thought, Ukrainians are fighting very hard,” – true.
“Russians underestimated their enemy.” -false
Conclusion drawn from assumption that if “we all” (you) are made mistake , therefore Russians made the same mistake.
The same goes for “poor” speed. Poor compared to what speed?
Again your own assumption of what is fast or slow.
My assumption is that Russia has timeline that factors in destruction of petrodollar and chasing off NATO from its borders. Quick victory over Ukraine would slowed that goal.
The peacekeepers choose to demilitarize 100km from their border rather than 1000km.
Demilitarize first, then gain ground
“We must be realistic, this war is harder than we all thought, Ukrainians are fighting very hard, and Russians underestimated their enemy.”
No, the MSM is wrong too, but they would be like half-right if so. They don’t have the means to inflict massive casualties on the Russians and it’s not for lack of any courage. They have no way to get too close. They were able with the more exposed troops that served as the “feint” around cities, to keep Ukrainian soldiers there…Now they are weakened with heavy artillery in the Donbass, right?
It is not a real contest in “the book” and it has not been a real contest now (never will be). Or Bolivia can defeat Brazil in a war, Paraguay can defeat Chile in a war – things that also cannot happen.
“I really support Russia, but…”
Sounds very much like “I support free speech, but…”
Every time someone starts like that, you know he’s lying. How much do the 3-letter agencies pay for this low-quality shilling? I’m asking because i have seen far better designed western propaganda on this blog. What you just posted is twitter-tier, so either you must be new here, or you’re slacking off.
Leo, by leading off saying, “I really support Russia” what you are disclosing is you don’t support Russia at all!,
You trolls are really too funny! And way too obvious!
Oh, and Where are these “tons of weapons” the Ukies receive? Nobody else seems to notice them!
The “tons of weapens” are lying all over, the rests of the tons I mean. I think scrap dealers will be a good business model after the war ends.
“Sorry but Ukrainians receive tons of weapons each passing day, I don’t see them surrendering at all, we cannot be blind just because we support Russia.”
It’s not a video game where you keep having wild fun as long as there are constant weapon drops. Most of those Ukrainians don’t even want to fight for jew _elensky and his murderous bullies, nor for the Unmemorable Satanists of America. I have plenty of ukrainian and russian friends, and all of them have friends and family in both countries.
And how well are those tons of weapons reaching the front and performing against Russian armour? Hm?
“Sorry but”
Ahh, the good old American junior high school “Sorry to be the one to burst your bubble and make you cry, bro” social engineering tool. Certainly Pentagon level tech. Guaranteed to break, or even “nuke” your opponent and make everyone (in the world!) think you’re number one. Quite like the military and information warfare we’ve seen lately, in terms of sophistication.
It is quite possible Lavrov was referring to this well known and discussed Jerusalem Post 2019 article :
Study suggests Adolf Hitler’s paternal grandfather was Jewish
https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Study-suggests-Adolf-Hitler-was-a-quarter-Jewish-597966
As UkColumn noticed, the entire MSM hysteria is that a Gentile cannot discuss what Zionists have been amongst themselves for years. The cat is out of the bag. Impossible that Bennett does not know this!
Next will the name Jabotinsky, from Odessa, appear – the Likud idol and revisionist Zionist, who wrote to Mussolini that he would support fascism.
An elementary study of the Judenrat and their behavior toward fellow Jews in the Warsaw extermination machine easily disproves the “Jews cannot practice Naziism” mantra.
Removed. Dis-information. Mod.
@Beldar Conehead If you insist on consuming MSM you will never be informed. Go to the source Kremlin.ru, there you will find the date and content of the phone call, without a word about VVP apologizing. As this very article (did you even read it?) stated. Lavrov knows exactly what to say, VVP does not need to apologize for him.
Israel is just saving face by making up a story about the apology, knowing full well that the Kremlin won’t openly call them liars by denying their story. That would be undiplomatic and counterproductive. The Kremlin knows that those who want the truth can get it from the source, they can’t worry about gullible people falling for Western propaganda.
Thanks for the SitRep, but what has happened to NightVision? He posted updates every second day.
Maybe I’m wrong, but his last comment was on May 01, 2022 · at 6:29 pm EST/EDT
I hope he will reemerge like Gonzalo Lira.
“And they are going to bomb Ukrainian units relentlessly until they surrender or are destroyed. Time is on Putin’s side.”
Absolutely not, time is never on the attackers side, victory needs to be achieved as soon as possible, this has likley never been as true as this conflict
“victory needs to be achieved as soon as possible, this has likley never been as true as this conflict”
Actually not. In this war victory after 3-4 years will punish European economy and destroy what is left its competitiveness. Russia can survive only after Europe namely EU give up and admit its defeat.
The question is Russian capacity and especially will to accept change where European trade is replaced by Eurasian trade. In this change we can say the faster the better.
Time is absolutely on the attackers side when what they are attacking is right next them. Maybe its more of an issue if on the other side of the globe.
About the Ukrainians using drugs in order to fight. Most stimulants effects wear off after protracted use. They will start to want more and more to have the same effect.A level could easily be reached that the drug has little effect, is needed to drive away withdrawal symptoms and overdoses are common. Either way ,having many drug addicts is hardly conducive to an effective military and absolute calamity will sooner or later be the result!
In WW1 every soldier charging out of a foxhole recieved two shots, either rum, or whisky, to steady the nerves, then out you charge. Being shot to death on a battlefield with a few shots of the ‘dew’ is no different than popping a pill, sitting in your foxhole and being killed by arty.
It may be something that needs to be experienced, to really appreciate what any soldier goes through in ‘real’ combat.
Cheers M
Yes that’s true. Also consider fear is a part of staying alive. There is value to a properly functioning endocrine system. Military ones that run on stimulants quickly wear out personnel. They may have a use for short specific tasks. However no modern army that values long term function and professional behaviour will keep its personnel on stimulants. Far better to arrange reasonable shifts to allow actual sleep and rest.
The Kiev military in the cauldron have been written off by NATO. their only role now is to delay the peacekeepers until NATO builds a new Army in the West.
In WW2 German troops were given ‘speed’, especially before the blitz on France. It worked so well that they overran French defenders, who had been advised (by British advisors), that because they’d come the hard way into France, they would need to rest.
By the time Germany started to head for Russia, the effect was wearing off.
For me it is simple once the terms are clarified, as follows:
1. “Russia is too slow.” Too slow for what, measured against what?
Not being privy to Russia’s strategic plans, let alone being any kind of military or political experts, I’d say the statement “Russia is too slow” is correct only if clarified as wishful thinking:
“Russia is too slow for me because I want Ukraine thoroughly demilitarized, denazified and reorganized and I want it NOW! I don’t know how that can be accomplished and I don’t even care but I want it NOW. How come Russia, with its awesome military power cannot do what I have seen spectacularly done in so many Hollywood movies!?”
2. I understand in part the frustration of those who see the West redoubling its efforts to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian left standing and worry that time is on their side, but I don’t believe Russia had any illusions about the enemy’s ruthlessness and determination and has factored it in.
3. In fact, the enemy’s accelerated efforts to hobble Russia economically and financially demonstrate their awareness that time is not on their side as the house of cards of their own economies is crumbling and huge societal problems are on the horizon when “Putin’s price hike,” and “Putin’s energy crisis” are thoroughly rejected as excuses.
4. I have commented elsewhere on RT’s curious reporting and odd phrasing. I don’t know what the explanation is. Are they under some delusion that if they maculate their reports with CNN-like garbage they will regain their status quo antes in the Western media? I have friends in the US to whom I cannot send links to any RT report because they cannot open it: I have to copy and paste, although lately I get better reports elsewhere (here, Sputnik News, Duran, Alex C, Gonzalo and Moon of Alabama.)
—————–
On a lighter note:
It puzzles me that the Russian cats and dogs have been sanctioned but not the most iconic Russian animal: the bear! I know, bears do not participate in competitions like the cats ands the digs but they are in zoos everywhere.
I doubt that Israel or the ADL would object to a thorough examination of the bloodlines of those bears to identify those with a Russian bear grandmother.
Something very odd going on at RT, from someone who was interviewed ther :
The Predictable Demise of RT America
https://consortiumnews.com/2022/03/05/the-predictable-demise-of-rt-america/
Adriana you bring up many good points. First of all RT America’ s staff was mostly American, many intelligent not allowed on MSM. The war started and everyone started to get banned, including RT America. They are now running again which a much diluted operation. To me,it is understandable. They are mostly American and love their country.
The perceived pause in Russia’s campaign is frustrating to most of us and I will go further. It is that Avostal plant and the time it takes to get rid of all the scum below. When Putin ordered a halt to the attack, I was extremely upset because I know that Russia has the means to destroy that plant.
But the next day, it made perfect sense. Why waste Russian lives to go into bobby trapped caves, mines laid etc. Why not just starve them? Then we find out that many civilians are down there, and a few let out to date.
For everyday that goes by, the MSM propaganda keeps piling on the pressure with false assumptions.
It does not help that Russia gives 3 more days for evacuations and then the understandable May 9th victory over Nazi Germany. 5 more days for the west to pile on their lies, and it keeps flowing. It is frustrating to say the least.
We are all in a waiting game for Russia has to secure the Donbass and Odessa. Then the gloves will be off.
@ ariadna
“It puzzles me that the Russian cats and dogs have been sanctioned but not the most iconic Russian animal: the bear!”
I wouldn’t be so sure; looks like Masha’s and Mishka’s heads are heading for the chopping block.
“Children’s show is propaganda for Putin” – The Times
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2022/05/05/masha-and-mishka/
Thank you for injecting much needed sanity in regards to the current situation in the Ukraine!
People need to realize that this is not a replay of WWII.
In WWI weapons technology tended to favor the defender. In WWII weapons technology tended to favor the attacker.
I believe the balance has shifted back to the defender with the advent of man portable anti tank/aircraft weapons.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are very effectively meeting this challenge, in my opinion.
I also note that despite the publicity about high precision missiles, Russia is using them sparingly. At the same time Russia is being positively profligate in its use of good old fashioned artillery. This points to good logistical planning, given that one can produce a lot of artillery shells in time it takes to manufacture one missile.
Russia is at war with the West and so far, Russia is winning!
Apparently Russia beats Ukraine’s artillery shots by a factor 100 and kill rate is 1- 5/7.
Russia is justly famous, for its effective use of artillery.
If you can’t see by now that Russia intends to absorb other Ukrainian provinces other than Donetsk and Lugansk, you are blind. (And to make it clear, I support these efforts – save as much of Ukraine as you can).
U.S. Generals gave the same ‘Russia is losing’ line in Syria, until they didn’t.
I re-checked the timeline in Syria, Russia started Oct 2015, the lines were static for a long time causing U.S. analysts to gloat over Russia’s ineffectiveness. It wasn’t until late 2016 before the SAA was able to decisively turn the tide.
That’s how it is !!
In war the best brains of each country face each other. In 404 CIA, MI6, MOSSSAD, EUROPEAN INTEL are operating against a single country.
But with the same goal and four different mindesets that are not mutually amenable and rather different, (Add the Ukies into that witch broth cauldron!) Russia, however, is one-on-one — once its fift collumn and also its sixth mind- and economy-sucking piglets of “that tribe” are dealt with properky.
Think of Helge Ingstad – there’s was a NATO-officer at the bridge when the accident happened.
I wonder what will be exposed in the criminal trial soon to come.
How’s that work out in Afghanistan and Iraq???
“Best minds of the West”. my patootie!
“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness”
— Howl, by Allan Ginsberg
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49303/howl
SUCCESSES of early operation (in spite of loses):
Secured Chernobyl
Secured Biolabs
Note the obvious publicity control value. They were experimenting with COVID in Ukraine?
Successes at Azustal Steel Plant might be the people captured there. Rumor has it that they had a biolab there and have captured the guy in charge, or perhaps they just know his name. This is against international law, isn’t it? This indicates a highly political war being fought here, not so much a kinetic on Russia’s part. One gets the feeling they are more comfortable in high end air defense and hypersonic missile technology, not so much in advanced conventional weaponry including drones and down looking radar(?).
What is RT trying to do? This is not their first intentionaly misleading heading/subheading (Putin’s apology).
You have to ask how did Maria Baronova, an anti-Putin Pussy Riot activist (IMO Western intelligence asset) chemist, become editor in chief of RT to begin with?
I will answer: subversion at the decision making levels in the Russian media and government.
Recall the founder of RT, Mikhail Lesin, was obviously murdered in a Washington DC hotel (unless you swallow the “he beat himself to death” conclusion) and then not only was this allowed to pass but the powerful investigative reporting on western intelligence false flag operations such as 9/11 disappeared with his death as well.
I saw the Ukrainian ambassador to the US on CNN the other day, a fat slovenly woman– pipe down, kneejerkers, I am not against ALL fat, slovenly women.
Of all her lies the one that gets more traction among the lobotomized on MSM is the “proof” that Russia is losing is that Russia was unable to take Kiev (not her pronunciation)! See, it’s like this… the Russian tanks encircled Kiev for a very long time but were unable to get in so they had to retreat…
Naturally CNN in Spanish is exactly the same, which is why I advised a friend of mine to stop watching it if he is unable to control his temper and keeps throwing objects at the TV set.
In modern warfare anything goes especially just lie through their teeth. Its an effective weapon. If u re too slow with lying u re losing the narrative.
Narrative Battles are war battles.
Propaganda and the Weaponization of Storytelling.
“The Revolution will be complete when the language is perfect.” — George Orwell.
Russia has either NO counter-narratives or is too late (slow) with own stories.
SLOW = LATE = Losing narrative = Losing war on different levels
«In modern warfare anything goes especially just lie through their teeth. Its an effective weapon. If u re too slow with lying u re losing the narrative.
Narrative Battles are war battles.»
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2007/01/untruth-and-consequences/305561/>
«at a conference in Tehran in which the Allies discussed opening new fronts against Nazi Germany, Churchill stressed the need to keep the Allies’ plans secret. To Joseph Stalin, he said, “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.”»
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/19/politics/us-weapons-ukraine-intelligence/
«Privately, officials recognize that Ukraine has an incentive to give only information that will bolster their case for more aid, more arms and more diplomatic assistance. “It’s a war — everything they do and say publicly is designed to help them win the war. Every public statement is an information operation, every interview, every Zelensky appearance broadcast is an information operation,” said another source familiar with western intelligence. “It doesn’t mean they’re wrong to do it in any way.”»
«Russia has either NO counter-narratives or is too late (slow) with own stories.»
it is impossible for the Russian Federation arguments to get aired in “Washington Consensus” areas, where only “aligned” arguments are allowed. All reporting on the Ukraine situation are from NATO or ukrainian sources.
So the arguments from the RF side need only be targeted at RF citizens and citizens of “unaligned” countries, and what is most persuasive there is just mostly-reasonable arguments with some (not expected) biases and exaggerations, because much of the audience in the RF and “unaligned” countries are not stupid.
“If u re too slow with lying u re losing the narrative.”
“Russia has either NO counter-narratives or is too late (slow) with own stories.”
Umm, everyone in the world, including a large part of the very populations of Europe and the Unmemorable Satanists of America, actually hate Europe and USA for what they’re doing and for their lies. And the world for the most part loves Russia for what it is doing. I can see who’s winning. The opinions of TV watching detritus who believe the quick, preposterous lies are of no importance to the outcome.
Slow in military terminology means a lot and is the generic term for
speed, anticipation, decision making, implementation, reinforcements, insufficiency, provide clarification, goal achievment, defined targets, ……………………………………………………..
Face it, it’s the 21st century, slowness isn’t very useful. We live in an information economy and competitive advantages are given to people who can manage information and process it the best fastest way.
The same applies for military operations, warfare, guerilla warfare,….
Russia is too slow in every possibe aspect.
Btw Bringing drugs into play seems to be quite poor whitewashing.
Lazar, do you need to go into the commenting freezer for a few days?
Feels to me like you’re spamming as you say the same thing over and over again.
If you continue like this, I’ll even go so far as to call trollery.
i am open for substancial critcs. Where do u exactly identify spamming from my side?
The article is about SLOW. I am only explaining the meaning of slow and connecting slow with the main acteur in this theater. Slow is NOT slow like the author wants us to explain. Slow is much more in this context.
Well, you asked and I’ll answer you. I think you should go and read and understand the resource material added to this writing.
Understand what Johnson is saying, then understand what Berletic is saying and then go and at least read the Readovka comments.
If you have not done that, then you do not understand this material. Shouting about ‘slow’ is nuts. Slow or fast has to be presented vs something else, not drawn out of the air according to your feelings. There are people here that are doing comparisons with other campaigns. You don’t seem to hear a word that they say. So, all of that is spammish. Besides that, each decent military analyst disagrees with you. So, take a deep breath, and take in the resource material.
What is kinda funny about this Slow westerner, is the US has lost every war. Vietnam, NK, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Afghanistan, each one taking years each one a 3rd world country, yet Russia has basically already won this war against the US in 4 months. Lazar reads only the NYT who still claims Ukraine is winning! This is what it is like in the US it doesn’t seem to matter how many times we are lied to by the oligarch run media and government they believe it every time. Assange says everything about the US government
US did not have the objective to win in the same sense as Russia has. They simply ruined and created chaos, that was their objective.
Something which is for sure NOT slow is the markets and western economies collapse.
These are facts and easily checkable. Believe me trillions have already evaporated, inflation is out of control, this will destroy if not the US, for certain the EU. And just wait for the ‘bouquet final’ when entering the winter, they have no choice, no alternative.
$SPX down 5 wks in a row for the first time in 11 years and only the 9th time in 25 yrs. Notes on chart.
https://twitter.com/ukarlewitz/status/1522671559910977536
Repsol Chairman calls for realistic energy mix for Europe — company
Antonio Brufau questioned whether it makes sense to replace Russian gas with gas imported from the US
https://tass.com/economy/1448103
The EU was unable to take a decision on oil embargo as Hungary and 4 other countries revolted.
🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡️Evacuation from Azovstal completed, 50 civilians rescued, including 11 children – Russian Defense Ministry
APU and national battalions, on the instructions of United States and Britain, equip fortified areas at large chemical enterprises. Ukrainian militants have deployed heavy weapons at the Azot enterprise in Severodonetsk. They are holding a thousand people as a “human shield”.
The US/UK are trying to improve the low morale in Ukrainian military by destroying a Russian warship.
Except the mother of all false flags happening this week-end (by US-UK), one baltic state leader said that they will destroy the Crimea bridge during monday parade in Russia.
They are enough crazy (as desperate they are)to try to bomb Russia or to prepare some kind of shadow CIA op in Russia.
Their goal is to force Russia to escalate very big to have an excuse to strike back etc…
The all thing is a ‘diversion’ for the collapse of western financial bubbles, Ukraine is just a detail.
Today in western msm: Putin is dying, cancer surgery, he will not be there for Christmas etc…massive psyop.
Ukrop-azov-uk-us army (a de facto nato army) is now on ISIS mode: human shields everywhere is now the tactic du jour.
No surprise it is 100 % the same road map as in Syria x 100
Slow is Nato saying will need not send troops into Ukraine despite the endless begging ….indecision of Germany to supply stuff.. some European countries to say no staying out of it . no MIGs yet either.. slow is Nato thinking their arms dumps and supply lines are invulnerable….slow is USA UK and EU B.S dumbhead politicians actually having to face up to reality of their self ruination economic and “defence ” policies that will bankrupt military stock….and slow that Nato is to be embaressed ashamed of their strategies and cohesiveness.. and to realise bigger stuff can be targeted by Russia.
Lazar, stop relying on ISW reports which are the basis for most Western MSM reports.
Watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CMby_WPjk4&t=305s
The Croats were also given drugs when they attacked the Serbs. Stella Jatras (Greek American) did an article on it. They were also giving Captagon to the militants/terrorists in Syria. These drugs turn them into fearless fighting machines who commit atrocities with out a second thought.
Thanks for another excellent analysis. Stories and wrong assumptions start to lead a life of their own and this is necessary to put things in perspective. I always look forward to this sitrep.
The last conflicts of the most powerful armed forces in the world last an average of 20 years. Sorry, the last defeats of the most powerful armed forces in the world last an average of 20 years. Everything that came out in the Western press about the conflict in Ukraine is pure propaganda! Like the UK’s homage to the ghost of Kiev. And the idea that it’s possible to fight a war with someone else’s scrap isn’t even worth commenting on.
Russia is conducting this operation in Ukraine as it understands it should be conducted and doesn’t care what people say in the West. Like Putin’s promise to conquer Ukraine in 72 hours. Firstly Putin never said that and secondly Russia doesn’t want to conquer Ukraine. Russia said what it wanted from Ukraine before entering Ukraine. Russia wants NATO out of Ukraine and wants Ukraine to stop posing a military threat. And eliminate neo-Nazis serving in the military. Everything else like the boats and planes that the Ukrainians shoot down are nothing more than propaganda. Some can be true with the help of Nato or a lie. Like the mountain of war crimes staged by Ukraine. Which is the most corrupt country in Europe.
The EU is already committing economic suicide. Even for the largest European economy like Germany it will be very difficult to recover from paying for much more expensive gas and oil. Just yesterday the Fed raised the interest rate another 50 basis points. Inflation will never stop in the West. The EU that did nothing to prevent this conflict with countries like France and Germany with the power to force NATO out of Ukraine and tasked with putting pressure on Ukraine to comply with the Minsk accords as soon as Russia entered Ukraine should have started immediately thinking of a peace process that would force Ukraine to negotiate with Russia. But seriously. To definitively end the sanctions that only harm Europeans and send the USA to the American continent. NATO GO HOME!
Yes that’s true. Also consider fear is a part of staying alive. There is value to a properly functioning endocrine system. Military ones that run on stimulants quickly wear out personnel. They may have a use for short specific tasks. However no modern army that values long term function and professional behaviour will keep its personnel on stimulants. Far better to arrange reasonable shifts to allow actual sleep and rest.
“..And eliminate neo-Nazis serving in the military”
Actually the goal is to eliminate Neo NAZIs from Ukranian military, political, and civil life. Total removal.
What is the reason for being in such a hurry? The impatient have not yet understood something crucial: this war leads to a nuclear stalemate.
Is there a hurry to reach Armageddon?
In the future, if there is one, the current war in Ukraine will be a subject of study in military academies. But not only. For it is also the milestone of the end of a world.
This being the question: how to end the unipolar world without, however, destroying the conditions of life on the planet?
Russia is facing militarily on the territory of Ukraine the most powerful and deadly empire to date.
It is not a question of defeating Ukraine (for this has already been done), but how to defeat the U.S. and NATO without using nuclear weapons.
So many nerves!
Excellent comment IMO. The concern of avoiding nuclear war (in which all is lost) is fundamental to Russia’s military strategy.
@norecovery
But see how there is a sinister paradox: while Russia needs to avoid nuclear war, neither can it refuse this option in case its existence is endangered.
What is the price of sovereignty? Only he who is willing to lose everything for it, is able to conquer it.
Perhaps the world needs to stand on the brink of the nuclear abyss in order to regain a modicum of sanity. Or not even in this way.
Amarynth posts data detailing the reasons for the perceived slow RF movement, multiple newer posters pile on and disagree – based on their opinion. >.<
War is not just military, it's an amalgam of cultural, economic, logistics replenishment, political, diplomatic, and even religious stressors all pushing towards a military resolution. This is basic Sun Tzu! Being that is the case, why would anyone ever think only in the military terms.
Time is on Russia's side, the Ukrainians keep sending low grade troops with equipment that is captured or destroyed. The EU is committing economic suicide and the un-elected Brussels Euro-rats are now even considering a law to destroy any autonomy left to EU countries – the Russian SMO is creating and widening the fracture lines in the EU. Longer the war, greater the fracture lines. Political, diplomatic, cultural, and economic points – Russia!
Time is on Russia's side, NATO is collectively showing its' true face. Finland and Sweden apply to join but several NATO countries are against this due to the risk. Some countries want to supply Ukraine, other's don't, US is caught handing Poland a poisoned chalice. Probability of Russia's SMO splintering NATO increases the longer the SMO takes. Military, cultural, political points – Russia!
Time is on Russia's side, the USA is showing signs of discontent heading into a mid-term while led by an increasingly decrepit president, with multiple factions fighting behind the scene for control and influence, and an increasingly poor population. Potential for civil unrest in the USA increases the longer Russia maintains their SMO. Cultural, political, diplomatic points – Russia!
Time is on Russia's side, the rise of commodity based currencies in Asia will drive a new economic order and collapse the entire power base of the western world. This is just in the opening stages but the more developed it becomes the more difficult it is for the western banking system to disrupt. The longer the SMO takes, the more developed this system will become. Economic points – Russia! (Resources superpower)
So for all you posters who are coming on and providing opinions, perhaps just sit back and think a bit beyond the military venue. Here's a bonus thought – the additional bonus of the SMO taking time is a complete depletion of western military hardware at a time when the resource based currencies are being developed and FIAT currencies are falling. Re-armament for the west is going to be painful.
And a tip of the hat to Amarynth for the update – thank you!
Thank you sir! I had a lot of help with this one. Thank you to the helpers!
A common shill tactic is to pretend to be on one side while then commenting in way to attempt to discourage supporters of that side.
Any comment that starts with some variation of:
– I’m all for Russia, but…..(proceeds to describe all the ways Russia is supposedly failing)-
should automatically be considered suspect.
Its known as “concern trolling”, e.g. I’m on your side but concerned about …
“Another canard needs some debunking. RT (bless their socks!) had a headline that Putin apologized for Mr.Lavrov’s comments on Jewishness. And this is being passed around (by our own FUD delivering colleagues) as how bad Mr. Putin is. Well, here is the readout. Confirm for yourselves, there is no apology there.”
There was no State apology and Lavrov even answered back through his department, mentioning some Jewish betrayal example from WWII. Putin apologized or said I am sorry in a personal way. That’s him. I agree that some apology was necessary too. To understand better the need for an apology, it’s good to read the speeches of Hitler during the 1920s; Hitler also literally said he was an “anti-Semite” at least once. Bennet got what he could, but Russia let it be known that it is too big to be made to apologize like Israel asked. To Israel, Lavrov is an “anti-Semite.” I think from his response that he doesn’t like Jews (like so many). I suppose Lavrov could not apologize anyway as FM. Maybe Putin didn’t even bring it up.
What about this “Lukashenko believes “operation by Russians” in Ukraine is dragging on”
It is from https://news.yahoo.com/lukashenko-believes-operation-russians-ukraine-114116926.html
The Yahoos at Yahoo will Yahoo. They can’t put everything on CNN, others need to earn a buck also.
If true this is wonderful news:
Secretary General of the United Russia Turchak during his visit to Kherson said that “Russia is here forever.”
It remains to find out in what form – as part of the Crimean Federal District, in the form of the Kherson People’s Republic, or as a separate entity.
https://t.me/wargonzo/6873
Telegram
WarGonzo
In a war of attrition Russia has the advantage over the long haul but surely it didn’t have to be this way. If more troops had been committed, maybe just 100,000 more, then Russian troops wouldn’t have had to abandon the region around Kiev and be forced to regroup for the Donbas phase 2 which has been taking forever.
What this slow progress has done is embolden the hardcore Ukrainian nationalists & NATO. Would Finland & Sweden be behaving in such an obnoxious way towards RF? Romania of all countries is thinking of attacking Russian troops in Moldova! Unthinkable.
Also the psychological impact of leaving behind citizens who supported the Russian forces early on is depressing and demoralising for the general Ukrainian public who would have been more friendly towards Russia.
We are seeing open bragging in the West today on how the US helped sink the Moskva as well. It’s really incredible that the Russian leadership can’t see that they require full mobilisation to ward of threats developing on multiple fronts.
Maybe Paul Craig Roberts is right and that by the time the Russians realise what’s going on, it will be too late except to the press the big Nuke button goodbye.
The only ‘attrition’ that is happening, is to Ukrainian manpower and NATO War Stock levels.
When your current tactics are effective, there is no need to change them. And Russia’s tactics, based on the information we have available, are very effective.
When your current tactics are effective, and when your enemy’s only effective tactic is an ‘information war’, then you can expect to hear lots of voices telling you that you must change your tactics …. for your own good, of course.
excellent update Amaryrth…I hardly ever see a long established fact about armored warfare in the Ukrainian area mentioned anywhere ….believe during WW2 very little tank action took place in the March/May period because of the quagmire that the fields of central Europe became…rainy season….and it makes tank columns and transport especially vulnerable as they have to stay on well established roads……
I agree with you completely. We should recall that when Kiev was close to being encircled they almost capitulated. Since the withdrawal from Kiev, they are now demanding Russia’s surrender.
There were never enough troops deployed since day one and there still are not. It seems like the Russian MOD is obstinate about it or perhaps thinks putting more troops in is some sort of admission of failure. We are told that there is no need for mobilization, that Russia is only using a fraction of its forces, yet it never brings in any additional reserves. I think there are now less Russian Troops in the theater that when they first started. We have to be honest too, as far as Donbass is concerned, very little if anything has been accomplished. Ukraine’s front line troops are right in front of the city of Donetsk from day one and haven’t moved an inch. There has been fighting in the “outskirts of Severodonetsk” for over two months now.
Some people think if Poland enters western Ukraine and threatens Russia or Romania and Poland attack Transnistria that suddenly it will be like a light switch, and then Russia will begin to fight a real war. Perhaps, but I think what you see is what you get so far. I think they have performed well given the limitations that have been placed on them.
I hope after May 9th something changes. I don’t think Putin has addressed the nation since the operation began. This is big mistake. People need communication. If there are problems, please tell us. If sacrifices need to be made, let us know and we our prepared to make them.
There is one source of that «apology story» only — an Israeli official. Read it carefully:
Bennett accepted Putin’s apology over Lavrov’s remarks that Hitler ‘had Jewish blood’ and thanked him for clarifying the Russian president’s position, his office said.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-putin-sends-herzog-independence-day-wishes-amid-spat-over-russia-s-nazi-comments-1.10781843
The Prime Minister accepted President Putin’s apology for Lavrov’s remarks and thanked him for clarifying his attitude towards the Jewish people and the memory of the Holocaust.
https://www.gov.il/en/departments/news/pm-bennett-speaks-with-russian-president-putin-5-may-2022
Yep, that’s the only one I saw…
So Bennett is the source for that story??
Sorry, NO, the source is Bennett’s press officer only… And it differs from Haaretz explanation, too…
This was a threat to Israel and Russia is allowing it to save face with this narrative. My guess is Russia has a boatload of evidence on Israel’s trafficking with neo-Nazis in eastern Europe and will use it to disrupt Israeli politics if it doesn’t toe the line.
Many people seem to view the SMO-404 as an isolated matter, and seen that way, they imagine that it may be “slow”.
But the Feb 4 Démarche (et sec) by RF and China outline the Policy Goal. SMO-404 ought properly be seen as a campaign, not a war…which is to say that successful strategy is indirect. People should understand that this means that SMO-404 is being used to manipulate events and objective reality in other “theaters of conflict”.
The organizational ability and power of the pirate nazi base, which is not in 404, is being undermined. Piroshki takes time to cook.
Evidence for the effectiveness of this Grand Strategy includes the establishment of the new “Reich Ministry of Truthieness”, the strident suppression of established custom and law in AZE, and much more…anybody can make a list. @ Saker (/forward-to-the-ussr-and-operation-z/) some ideas along these lines. Recall MacBeth was obviously doomed when he ordered “Hang those who speak of Fear!” Much the same…
Demarche > http://www.en.kremlin.ru/supplement/5770
I suppose people said of Stalingrad “It’s taking too long, it’s too slow!.”….it takes as long as it takes to get “Berlin” to bend to the requirements of Law.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hJVFMIFyqr4/XQ3rtGYTtUI/AAAAAAAADKY/PYToWObGP-EeEj7V28HDP7cOFmSbhrPswCLcBGAs/s1600/Raising_a_flag_over_the_Reichstag.jpg
Meantime…Brother Messan (Voltaire) L’Otan se prépare à une guerre sur son front Est sans les troupes US
This manifestation may imply that the widely expected FF “attack” by AZE will not be taken against US forces, but against other “fodder units”…since the nazi shoot civilians and use them as disposable, it may be that the nazis intend to use their “allies” the same way, thus motivating those populations to support…the “people, the nazis, that did it. The bigbigplan may not work as imagined… but it’s not a new gambit> Überfall auf den Sender Gleiwitz and all that stuff, or the magic airplanes and 911 demolitions.
I understand that in common people in AZE-US about 1/2 don’t believe the BS…that’s a pregnant moment.
“Вторжение стран НАТО на западную Украину всё более реально — оно позволит перебросить дополнительные части ВСУ на донецкий фронт” – Объясняет Readovka, https://t.me/readovkaru/458
We feel the pressure because the situation is open to complications and potential escalation.
For example, considering the above by Readovkaru, what’ll happen when NATO forces enter Western Ukraine under whatever pretense they deem necessary? How will Russia react?
We as human beings understand – or are afraid – that breaking point is not yet reached, and until that, we lack the knowledge we need to feel safe. This seems to be one of the defining features of the war for a lay person.
Russia’s “silent” effort combined with Ukraine’s leaders reluctance to act like statesmen of an independent state are really and truly bewildering.
Poland is preparing to take parts of the western Ukraine, the so called East Cressy, wich Ukrainians call Galicia/Galichina. At the same time Romania is preparing to take Bukovina and the area around Odessa. There is amassing of heavy armory and combat forces in both countries. To Poland and western Ukraine directly, to Romania and southern Ukraine via Hungary-Serbia- Romania.
I think the policy makers behind the american response are in complete meltdown. And they have a long way to fall. The entire paradigm, crafted falsely,created a dystopian world in which wokenism replaced common sense. I’m shocked at my country’s actions, but I’m not surprised. Having targeted average US residents to be extremist I guess I saw this coming. Now my leaders are held accountable..Our law let us down. Our institutions let us down. Our people went woke and let us down. Now Russia put the question to the Bishop chess piece.
Well, this is something unexpected from the Saker Staff. A big Thank You.
A much needed ‘cleansing’ of the canards and opinions based on wrong premises regarding Russian intentions in the Ukraine — to borrow the Saker’s expression, opinions of those who don’t ‘get it.’
I may be wrong, but in all humility I suspect I am right, when I say that these canards get expressed here — repeatedly — because their authors don’t take trouble to understand what the Russians want to accomplish by paying attention to what they, the Russians, say right from the get go.
The Russian president, VV Putin, said in his speech on the morning of 24 Feb at 6.00 am Moscow time:
‘In this context I would like to address the citizens of Ukraine …
:
The current events have nothing to do with a desire to infringe on the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. They are connected with the defending Russia from those who have taken Ukraine hostage and are trying to use it against our country and our people.’ [emphasis mine]
https://archive.is/A6i9J (scroll down)
It is pretty clear that the SMO is not a war, much less a war of conquest.
For some unfathomable reason many people can’t get their heads around this concept; imagining the SMO to be akin to the wars of occupation waged by the US on Afghanistan and Iraq.Thus they look upon the SMO through the lens of American war experience. And hence their impatience with the SMO’s ‘lack of progress’; asking why the whole of Ukrainian-held Donbass is not yet flattened with no structure left whole or standing; why critical infrastructure is unmolested — there’s still electricity, running water and telecommunications in Kiev and indeed most parts of the Ukraine, even contested cities such as Kharkov and Nikolaev; why Russian gas is still flowing through pipes in the Ukraine; why Russia opens humanitarian corridors. They continuously question similar ‘inexplicable’ behaviour (as it appears to them) displayed by the warring Russians, ad nauseum.
Several columns ago the Saker suggested a simple solution for those suffering this problem of ‘not getting it’:
1) listen to the Russians,
2) pay less attention to what run-of-the-mill MSM commentators (elderly ex-generals, pimple-faced ‘strategists,’ instant ‘experts’ parachuted in to MSM studios) in the West say — they don’t get it either.
Related to point 2, if anybody here has the stomach for it, here is an example of a US think-tank, CSIS no less, discussing the Ukraine operation. I stopped watching when the female panel member, a senior fellow, started gushing about a Ukrainian female warrior who went to war with beautifully manicured nails.
https://youtu.be/pLWYN1jkmXc
The consternation around going slow and methodical has been interesting to me. Since when is acting hastily a good strategy? The RF MOD and US DOD, so far, seem to be going out of their way to avoid direct, official escalation. Both in the immediate SMO/Ukraine front and the broader empire’s testing of Moscow’s limits/red lines (Syria assault to undermine Tartus, Maidan coup to undermine Sevastopol, etc.). The empire’s ongoing move is to further tighten control of Europe (since most of the wealth expropriation from ordinary citizens in North America is now complete). All the while, of course, passing gigantic digital piles of fiat currency to connected insiders in banking, armaments, etc.
I understand the imperial propaganda side. The intel folks need something to talk about on behalf of the globalist fascists running things (after all, part of the point is to distract Americans from the COVID narrative which is past its prime and to distract the Eurolemmings from greater awareness of the next phase of their vassalage), and if they can goad other actors into rash/suboptimal decision-making while at it all the better.
But why would anyone on the Russian side be worrying? The Ukraine as a coherent actor capable of taking initiative is disintegrating before our eyes with relatively minor human and natural resource costs and a remarkable lack of action from the ‘international community’ to stop the trajectory of what’s happening. The response is so muted that it’s why we can’t rule out the possibility that the US and RF have an understanding between them that Moscow can basically take whatever they feel is critical and the empire won’t do anything beyond off-the-books intel community actions, screechy propaganda, and yet more ‘sanctions’ that are clearly more impactful for the Eurolemmings than Russia. A sort of ‘strategic understanding’ replacing formally negotiated treaties.
Does anyone at the Saker have any information on NATO personnel and even Avos Avos fighteres being evacuated from Mariupol under cover of civilians being let out? I was surprised by the number of youngish or middle aged men I saw on the pictures of the evacuation a few days ago. Who is vetting these people? An article by John Helmer reports that Putin is well aware that Guatterres, the UN chief, was win on a plan to do this. “Russians sources believe that, despite the explicit warnings Guterres received from Putin and Lavrov in Moscow the week before, the Secretary-General authorized the plan to assist in a break-out by the combatants using the civilian evacuees as their shield.” Why were 70 buses sent to evacuate a supposed 100 or so people? Helmer also noted that most of these evacuated decided to go to Ukrainan held territory, which would indicate they may be family of the fighters there and the “hostages” are still being held. Helmer does not make clear whether any NATO people actually got out. Surely Russia is not allowing people to go without interviewing them themselves – they could at least identify the foreigners? I really hope that Russian goodwill has not yet again been exploited by the West.
http://johnhelmer.net/did-un-secretary-general-guterres-commit-a-war-crime-at-azovstal/#more-48015
I’ve read some of the process, but also, I cannot confirm anything.
Apparently, the last numbers that I’ve seen, is that +- 500 civilians have been evacuated. The Russians arrange for a humanitarian corridor and talk to the people first. There is Red Cross Representation and some UN Representation. After people get emergency care if they need, they may choose which direction they want to go – Russia or Ukraine. If Ukraine, they get handed over to the Red Cross.
The reports come in every day. The most formal that I have, is an older piece by the Russian MFA who described the process. Of course the number was for that day:
Thanks for that, Amarynth, but worryingly there’s no indication that those opting to go to Kiev controlled areas were interviewed by the Russians. Unfortunately the Red Cross – and certainly not the UN – cannot be trusted nowadays. The one thing the US has no shortage of is dollars, and I worry they’ve been put to work. There were numerous reports of European, American and large numbers of Israelis, embedded with jihadists being quietly let go in Syria. Why Russia should fall for this again, is beyond me, and I sincerely hope they haven’t. I hope to goodness we see a good haul of NATO personnel soon – our own populations need to realize what our traitorous rulers have been up to (particularly as regards the alleged labs) and indeedwhat our presstitute media have been covering up.
There were a few video’s on Intel Slava where the RF rounded up Azov members attempting to blend into the evacuee’s.
Do you have link? That’s reassuring.
I scanned the last 110 posts without coming across this event but I remembered seeing it there. Here is a recent post of civilians evacuated today:
https://t.me/intelslava/28114
He was clearly talking about foreign personnel.
Just brainstorming here. It’s all hypothetical:
Nazi / Five-Eye Intel/ Foreign Mercenary / Bio-warfare Specialist smuggling operation. I use specialist as a general term.
Checklist:
1. Find a hostage that looks close enough to foreign specialist. Also possible that hostages were selected because of their likeness to high value individuals before Azovstal was cut off.
2. Learn hostage’s biography and associations from initial interview when detained (there was enough time, its been weeks). Might even have extensive files on hostages saved on a small flash-drive. Wasn’t Mariupol a CIA haven and where every five-eye intel agency had free reign for 8 years?
3. Take hostage clothes and ID. Match or mask major external features like hair color and style/scars/etc.
4. Shoot the selected hostage and dispose the body in a pit – or better yet dress the corpse in
combat fatigues (yay – another KIA Ukrainian everyone thinks).
5. Repeat as much as necessary for each specialist. Walk out as imposter-hostage while making sure no other hostages who knew the person – now a corpse – make it out alive.
6. Pass cursory interview with Russian serviceman – I mean, is there a fingerprint/ DNA/ dental records database to work with? One that Kiev or SBU couldn’t access and alter. Success also assumes that the imposter is fluent to the local dialect, but why wouldn’t they be fluent given where they were?
7. Get transport to destination of choice – free and clear.
Some other thoughts:
Who say’s Nazi’s are all men? I suspect there may be more ‘non-combat’ women Nazi’s than you would think.
Bio-warfare (allegedly) scientists. Most lab tech/sci I’ve know tend to over represent as women – at least in my experience in a certain region of the US. Maybe it’s different elsewhere of course. The point is that the high value people trapped at Azovstal may not be only men – maybe the exact opposite if there was ‘research’ going on. Another way to put it: if there is a research facility hidden underground, I would be very scrutinizing about the background of ‘hostages’ ((regardless)) of gender.
Are children being interviewed separately from the adults? Maybe there’s a hidden surprise to be found like fake parents or fake ‘replacement’ spouse. As a hostage, what would a person be willing to go along with to
reach daylight, fresh-air, and safety? A Stockholm syndrome may apply.
Also, I’m sure that NATO/CIA/MI6 would never stack operatives into Red Cross. And I’m sure Red Cross would never collude to help smuggle someone out with the old swap clothes for a red cross uniform and ride off in the escort vehicle trick. A bus could accommodate plenty of hidden compartments, after all who’s in charge of the headcount on and off the bus and seeing that the numbers match.
Just some thoughts
Nice thoughts though North East.
Allow nothing to slip through the dragnet. Inspect the women for tattoos, cause those nazi bitches love an Adolf clit piercing.
In regards to the “Putin apologized” nonsense – it was easy to see that it came from microsoft servers. Even super propagandistic Reuters did not run with this story. Hence, it was a bit disappointing that some posters here swallowed this mental GMO without testing it for poison first. Saying that, I have plenty of propagandistic hooks stuck in me and their removal requires serious mental surgeries and healing time.
” In regards to the “Putin apologized” nonsense – it was easy to see that it came from microsoft servers. ”
Just Microsoft servers you say ?
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-putin-sends-herzog-independence-day-wishes-amid-spat-over-russia-s-nazi-comments-1.10781843
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/5/israel-says-putin-apologised-over-his-fms-holocaust-remarks
https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-putin-apologizes-to-israeli-pm-over-russias-holocaust-remarks-as-it-happened/a-61688699
All these references to said apology but where is the actual apology? I read the transcript, and apart from the cordial wishes, talks about war and being overall diplomatic, there is nothing.
Everyone, please read Esteban’s comment at 4.41pm – the Kremlin has denied there was any apology. More mis-information. Mod.
Ukraine is about the size of Texas; the Russian military knows how to act in such a theatre of war…
I think it’s clear now that the pace of Russian actions has been intentional. They have known from day 1 that the west intends to fight Russia down to the very last Ukrainian. A blitzkrieg is not the right approach in that situation. Russia must swallow and fully “digest” (ie: clean up and de-Nazi/de-program) little pieces at a time.
I also think they intentionally wanted to leave pathways open to get as many Ukronazi weapons and personnel to the front as possible – because that’s where they can be eliminated the easiest!
Russia is taking the pain and losses of fighting the Ukronazis “face to face” so that the enemy can be effectively and completely destroyed. They know that an “American style” war with lots of explosions and infrastructure destruction would only achieve a short term crippling of the country but make the long term goal of de-nazifying even more difficult.
I think the ideal Russian situation is every for single Russia-hating Nazi in Ukraine (and even the entire world) to make their way to the front lines of Donbass right NOW, and bring ALL their weapons, and let’s have a go. Yes, there would be Russian losses, but they would prevail, and that would be the end of it.
I think NATO is going to eventually switch into an Iraq/Afghanistan style counter-insurgency but there are two big problems with that (1) it’s not really NATOs game to play as terrorists and (2) Ukraine is not as simple as a homogeneous Ukraine with a hostile “foreign” Russian occupation. Not even close…
The discussion of a so-called apology seems to me to be without rigor. Let us remember what the word means. (see https://godandgoodlife.nd.edu/assets/261104/the_apology_of_socrates.pdf for a stirring example, and of course the dictionary. Since it’s a Greek word, I expect the meaning in Russian is close – but I don’t know this)
When a statement offends and the speaks repeats the statement, buttressing it with evidence of Truth – that’s an apology.
The relationships between zionists and nazis and the pharmacos Mr Hitler and his “racial” origins amount to an apology…the relationships are factual.
Saying “gee, sorry!” is not an apology. Saying “here’s the proof!” is. Of course in these times of muddled and abused language, when girls and boys pretend “identity”, we expect muddled understanding.
“When a statement offends and the speaks repeats the statement, buttressing it with evidence of Truth – that’s an apology.”
Apology like the Apology of Justin Martyr to the Roman Senate? You are being too rigorous.
Well, I don’t think then I know what an apology is :-)
But in this case, I think there was no apology. But there is a reason.
Kremlin shoots down Israeli PM’s claims of Putin ‘apology’
https://thecradle.co/Article/news/10002
He refers to one of the other definitions. Here we’re with the first definition. He’s trying to be funny and he was. I don’t know about “denazification” anymore. After the link, looks more like a Jewish thing with a Jewish president.
very interesting report from Dreizin. Watch all segemnts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks0oG96IkJU
He’s not wrong, esp second segment.
Cheers M
As the US cashes in on weapons production they chase the same strategy that defeated the USSR: indirect economic attrition.
The US is literally bankrupting itself with a trillion-dollar-a-year military. The civilian infrastructure is collapsing, social services are insufficient for the rapidly increasing low-income population and rising costs of living. Life spans are declining due to the monetization of health care.
This is nothing new and has been going on for decades. What we are seeing now is an even greater acceleration of military spending that effectively limits and denies spending on other categories.
I would not be surprised if this was actually part of the RF strategy to defeat the US.
The obvious flaw in the whole “Russia is too slow” meme is that it is completely dependent on the claimers own prior assessments of what would happen and how quickly. They thus get to argue that Russia is failing because they were wrong.
This by the way is a very typical style of argument within American politics. First, you start by telling your audience what the other side is doing and planning, and then you show how that is wrong, crazy, fill-in-the-blank. Look closely, and you’ll see it all the time. I noticed it just the other day in a Tucker Carlson piece that someone had posted. It began with a long bit about what the opposition was doing and thinking, then argued against that description. At this time, its not just Tucker nor one political point of view, this is “The American Way.”
It is an easy way to win an argument, as you are only arguing against what you said about the other side to begin with, and not with any sort of facts, nor even a live opponent who could punch back.
If you want to know why America is now a failed state, this ‘Russia is too slow’ meme points the way, because this is exactly how Trump, Biden, Pelosi, Cruz, etc, etc, etc have risen to power. Yes, it works as an argument to be presented to stupid people who’ve had their public education system dismantled and who thus don’t even know that they are ignorant and poorly educated … but it fails as a way of operating in ‘the real world’.
As everyone else in the world can see today.
There are several sources reporting Russian frigate Admiral Makarov has been hit with Neptune anti ship missile so its a blow if confirmed
So far, the only thing “fast” about this war is the rate at which the Russian Navy is being sent to the bottom of the Black Sea.
It’s time for Russia to stop pretending that things are going well, and to get serious about winning this war.
So, One ship = Russian Navy??? LOL!!!
already posted on Wikipedia so you know who’s involved.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_frigate_Admiral_Makarov
If this doesn’t convince Russia that it needs to start sinking US and NATO ships…then nothing will!
The photo they are using for evidence is from Early March so this might be BS.
https://twitter.com/Cyberspec1/status/1522528699094286337?cxt=HHwWgoDS3Z_yjaEqAAAA
Lira had it on his twitter feed, but could not find another source apart from the one he retweeted.
Huge news if true..
always funny seeing the idiots who spent 20 years losing in afghanistan talk about “speed”. and no one was sending F-16s or tanks to the taliban on a daily basis.
with the lack of communication ability and the loss of almost all useful hardware, i see the remaining ukie forces as that japanese soldier found in the middle of nowhere decades after WWII who thought the war was still going. or maybe just any western analyst after 2006 who thought the US could “win” in iraq.
This is pure cope. Russia is getting its ass beat, publicly and humiliatingly, in a way that will only invite endless further provocations from the West. And it’s happening because Russia seemingly refuses to take this war seriously, acting like it’s still just a minor “Special Military Operation” instead of what it is, which is a full-scale war for the future of Eurasia. If Russia doesn’t wake up soon, realize that it’s in a fight for its life, and start acting accordingly, then the West will keep pushing and pushing with increasingly outrageous provocations until it is finally forced to – and the terms of that will not get any better for Russia tomorrow than they are today.
America did the same thing in Vietnam – refusing to take the war seriously and do what needed to be done to win. Finally they slunk away in defeat – something that Russia can not afford to happen in Ukraine. It’s time to stop making excuses for this, and to tell the Russia authorities plainly: Fight to win, decisively, or do not fight at all.
To the contrary, I’d venture that Russia is the West’s North Vietnam.
The US ran countless strategic bombing sorties, used Agent Orange and assassinated 30,000 in Operation Phoenix, yet you say it wasn’t serious enough when over 2 million died in the War in Southeast Asia?
The US lost because its troops mutinied during a near-revolution in the US after it failed to break the resistance of their opponents nor thwart their international support.
Your comparison boggles the mind; maybe Russia should turn Ukraine “into a parking lot.”
Your analysis has nothing to do with reality. There was never any large-scale mutiny of US troops in Vietnam. It ended because the US refused to fight North Vietnam the way it had fought Japan twenty years earlier. It was half-measure after half-measure until Nixon managed through diplomacy to make Mao promise not to use Vietnam as a starting point for a communist conquest of all of Asia, thus making the “Domino Theory” a moot point and making the loss of Vietnam a localized failure instead of a major geostrategic catastrophe. With that out of the way, Nixon felt free to withdraw and take the minor loss in exchange for the greater win of both containing China and decisively getting it out of the Soviet sphere of influence.
Agreed. If they are not going to run a proper military campaign then they have no business being in Ukraine. You can call it shock and awe, you can call it whatever you like, but this is the way war has always been prosecuted and this is the only method that works. What Russia is doing doesn’t work. It seems that Russia has given up on trying to take any cities. If they ever get to Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, Dnipro, what is the plan?
People can make all excuses they want, but I see Russia has now abandoned Kharkov. Folks, this is 40km from the Russian border. The same thing started to happen when they were around Kiev. Ukraine started to take back territory and then it was first denied, then conceded and then Russia made a full withdrawal. I see the same pattern happening all over again with people making the same excuses.
The Zionists are looking for nuclear war.
They say its end time.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10789563/Ukraine-war-Russian-battleship-hit-Black-Sea.html
The chances they hit another warship are close to zero. Just typical propaganda.
What happened to Nightvision? His sitreps were actually informative.
I don’t understand why the Moderator will not answer this simple question. What happened to him. Why did he leave? We know his information on the Red Babushka was wrong but was there something else?
I just wish Saker/Staff would give us an answer.
Sure, I’ll give you an answer.
Nobody here at this blog is a slave. People make their own decisions.
For the best winning site, wish you could get all on the Saker team.
Well, we do miss his reports and also the many informative comments he made. Personally, I don’t know anything about some “Red babushka”, but if Nightvision, who is usually rather measured and careful, made one or two minor misstatements – out of very long, very informative series of posts, that’s to be expected. Who among us was always unerringly right about everything?
personally, I liked and appreciated his reports and analysis very much – they’d often gave additional angles and interpretations on top of – and complementary to other blogs and analysts we read, and in general saw little strife among the commenters on his reports, the vast majority of whom seemed to share my take, and then some.
No one owes us, mere readers, anything of course. All this information on The Saker is provided free, last I saw, and is an invaluable service to the community of readers around the world, who only hunger for more information.
In any case, I’m sure most of those interested in the goings-on on the ground as the SMO rolls on, take everything we learn and read in stride. It is the nature of a war such as this one, that there’ll be all manner of information bits, counter-bits, and counter to counters, as this is hardly a static situation. I reckon the military operations in the Donbass for example iareextremely complicated, what with such a large contact area with so many flash points and many variations from one day to the next. Yet, overall, just looking at today’s (May 6) Readovka map, it is clear that much progress has been made in the past week alone. Surely very difficult and hard won at times (like in Popsnaya, where the allied have to fight literally for every building), but clear progress nonetheless.
What I liked about Nightvision’s comments and posts all along was their granularity, and his willingness to tackle almost any issue, including momentary set-backs (often quickly reversed) while not succumbing to silly triumphalism.
Personally again, as I did not read through every single comment, I can’t say I saw any problems – the vast vast majority seemed very appreciative of his reports and I join them in that. If there’s a way to pass this collective gratitude on to Nightvision, that’d be great, and I, for one, will be much obliged.
Of course, kudos to you amarynth, and the Saker guest writers and many good commenters for continuing to inform and enlighten us all, as we do thirst for honest and fair information and anlysis, mired as we are, each in our own propaganda deserts.
I pray and hope that nothing bad has happened to Nightvision, in his personal life for example, that made him need to take some time off.
It would be good if he came back (or, if not, he can be found somewhere else on the internet, doing sitreps…)
Mr Christoforou posited that the propaganda that the Ukraine is winning and Russia is depleted is to trick the sheep into supporting troops on the ground in the Ukraine. I add, this will be right after a false flag, probably of huge proportions to shock people into following the leader
The sheep will NOT support American troops in Ukraine. We are awaiting the Biden resignation.
Great sitrep! But I think you start your “big picture” clock too late. The true start date is in December when Russia presented its security demands to the US and NATO. That tell us that Ukraine is just one theatre of a larger conflict, the first phase if you will. Right now the larger conflict is principally economic, but that could just be temporary. Not to approach the Ukraine conflict in this larger scheme seems to me a serious mistake. There is no chance of this thing ending until Russia has either secured its security guarantees or the war expands to NATOstan (which now needs to include Finland and the Arctic theatre).
Regarding Putin’s declaration the other day which opens the way for Russian countersanctions, I think Russia should stop sales of gas and other commodities to all European countries that are arming Ukraine. That would only leave out Hungary and Serbia. It would hurt Russia seriously, but it would be fatal for the German economy.
Two primary weapons that Russia has yet to fully deploy: refugees and embargo. i believe both are being held in reserve to inflict maximum damage to the EU and NATO.
The first refugee flow was relatively modest: a bit less than 6 million, with about half going to Poland. Another would be easily enough achieved with a Russian push westward or southward from Belarus and would overwhelm Poland, so much so that NATO would be forced to enter Ruthenia for “humanitarian” purposes.
The second – a trade embargo – has only been teased, with a “gas cutoff” to Bulgaria and Poland. Since these countries likely siphon gas from the pipelines, this is in effect merely a massive increase in cost and reduction of supplies to Germany and Italy. Clearly this is designed to pressure the two most powerful/most vulnerable members of the alliance.
So, what circumstance causes Russia to create another refugee push toward Poland? When does it benefit them to start a direct action against Polish and/or NATO troops in Ruthenia?
And is this the circumstance that causes Russia to embagro all trade with “members of a terrorist entity?”
Finally, does it not require an actual war on European soil (that is, beyond Ukraine) to effectuate a new security arrangment? It seems to me that is the logic of the situation now.
I suspect all did Putin did was say something like Lavrov “could have chosen his words more carefully”. There were actually quite a few Nazis with Jewish blood – ideology will usually trump ancestry. One conveniently forgotten in the UK, is John Amery, the son of Leo Amery MP, the half Jewish (through his Hungarian mother) drafter of the Balfour Declaration. It was Amery’s speech in the House of Commons in 1940 that effectively brought down Neville Chamberlain. Amery fils meanwhile was in in Germany busy acting as a propagandist for the the Nazis which he carried on throughout the war. He was hanged for his efforts in 1945. I wouldn’t put Zelenski in quite that camp, but maybe as with Leo Amery’s mother’s fellow Hungarian, George Soros’s wartime activities, he’s just an unscrupluous opportunist? Really a pathetic figure to have as a hero of our time.
Scott Ritter says most oldish Nato howitzers are very high maintenance requiring experts …down time etc and parts supply lines ..doubts Ukrops are up to that.
Putin the Judo master is winning at the highest levels of conflict, that of Grand Strategy and Morale.
Short term results
– Russia is dismembering Ukraine and taking all of the parts that can be integrated into a pro- Russia nation
– winning support of 80% of the worlds population for the operation
– minimizing civilian and Russian military casualties, ignoring western provocations designed to escalate the conflict, while preserving Russian military power for any future conflicts
– providing rapid aid to liberated territory, rebuilding infrastructure and establishing rule of law
– criminal Ukranian government is losing its legitimacy and will fall
Longer term results
– Ukraine is no longer a threat to Russia
– Nato commits self inflicted political and economic suicide by imposing sanctions on Russian exports and will no longer have the means to wage war when they are in economic depression/precipitous decline/collapse. Russia could impose its own sanctions to speed up the process.
– Nato dissolved, USA out of Europe due to severe economic pain inflicted upon Nato member states
“The President stressed that Moscow’s plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories. Since that time, an operation has been underway on the territory of Ukraine to denazify the country and liberate the civilian population from the Kiev regime.”
____
Unfortunately, because probably none of us here are members of the Russian Ministry of Defense, we can know only what we are allowed to know by reading or listening to reports issued by it. All we can do is consume those reports, The Vineyard’s sitreps, do our own analysis and draw our own conclusions. Because of past experience, absolutely anything that I read or hear from the West’s MSM (other than the prediction of a solar eclipse) I instinctively assume to be a bald-faced lie and my instinct almost always turns out to be correct. But there is still some value in knowing what the western microscopic percentages want their herds to think, because very often the truth is the exact opposite – for example, when the western MSM claims that what the US is doing at the moment is “spreading freedom and democracy”.
So the goals of the SMO are still the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. I have to assume that that means that after a successful SMO there will be no Russia-threatening military or, how to put it, “politically active” Nazis living on the part of the earth delineated on a present map of the earth as Ukraine. Is that goal reachable? I think that we will have a pretty good estimate of the likelihood of that happening in a few months. But most of us have the irresistible urge to speculate on the future of that region. (Call that urge Martyanov’s “Reminiscence of the Future”.) I’m going to stop resisting mine for a bit right now by asking a series of intentionally provocative questions.
US-imposed obstacles on Russia’s path to reach its two major goals are already appearing and will no doubt increase as time marches on. For example, will the microscopic percentage of the population that constitutes “Ukraine” even exist within the present land area of Ukraine after the SMO is completed, or will the present “Ukraine” be magically moved to London and be officially recognized by the rest of the West as the government of Ukraine “in exile” (as they dutifully did the ridiculous government of Venezuela “in waiting” with Guaido as its internationally recognized president), and will whatever national government, if any, that remains within the land borders of Ukraine after the SMO be declared “illegitimate” by the West and, thereafter, be subjected to continual regime-change operations with the stated goal of moving the government in exile back into Ukraine, having full sovereign control of the eastern regions and Crimea, “at some point in the future”?
Why not? After all, there is a literally infinite amount of money available at the Fed to pay for that quest. All it will take to make that quest an ongoing reality is a never-ending supply of mercenaries who will be willing to kill and be killed for that money. But the mercenaries will have to be paid in money that can buy whatever they want. They won’t accept “play” money. How long will/can the USD continue to act as “real” money?
Back to the UK and BM BoJo. Of course “the UK” can call any group of people living in the UK whatever it wants – for example, the UK’s officially recognized government of Mars “in waiting” (it’d be pretty tough to label it “in exile”). What is important is how many other nations’ microscopic percentages will support the UK’s latest future insanity. How many “in waiting” or “in exile” governments are “the international community” going to tolerate?
Will a nation, a country or a microscopic percentage with the label Ukraine even exist after the SMO? If it doesn’t, Russia’s goal of demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine will either have to be modified to apply to the area of land that used to be labeled Ukraine, or it will have to be modified to apply to the new nation or multiple nations or autonomous regions or protectorates, etc. that come to exist on that area of land. My point in stating things this way is that I believe that what Russia wants is to have the area of land that is now called Ukraine not inhabited by people who are Nazis — people who also do not have a military force capable of threatening Russia, — regardless of the label that is placed on a map of that area of the earth’s surface.
Further, and more problematic, if a large part of what is now labeled “Ukraine” comes to be invaded/occupied/annexed/whatevered by “Poland”, will Russia then demand security guarantees (you know, no Nazis, a non-threatening military presence only) from the microscopic percentage that will then constitute “New Poland”………. or else maybe SMO 2? Will New Poland still be part of NATO and, if so, will the no doubt new and improved government of New Poland then be forced by other NATO members to rein in its new, still-Nazi-leaning population’s irresistible desire to keep shelling Russia-controlled areas from behind a new, much longer (perhaps even Maginot-style!) “line of contact, version 2”, which will then be called a “national border”? Is New Poland going to allow to happen on its newly acquired territory what it is today allowing to happen on Old Poland – US (“NATO”) military bases and a huge build-up of US (“NATO”) military forces?
What, if anything, will the microscopic percentage that constitutes “Russia” have to say about what may soon come to be called a New European Order (NEO)? Is Russia going to allow Poland to simply walk into the western part of Ukraine, plant its flag and declare that “this is Poland”, or is there going to be some kind of “negotiated settlement” between “Russia” and the US (“Poland”) for that region? Negotiations between Russia and the West have gone so well lately that I think that this negotiation will be over and done with very quickly and cleanly, with all parties being very satisfied in the end.
While I’m typing, it’s now obvious, even to stone cold cadavers, that the microscopic percentage of the US population that constitutes “the US” is willing to fight the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to the death ………………….…………of every living Ukrainian and, probably, every Pole, Fin, Dane, Swede, German, Italian, Frenchman, Turk, etc.. If all of these stupid, suicidal US dominoes eventually fall and Russia and China still stand tall, what rabbit will the magician US then pull out of its hat?
Oh,… these irresistible reminiscences of the future!
Despite my best efforts, I can’t bring myself to understand the Russian strategy in this war. I have never sided with the naysayers and doomers and crypto 5th columnists, but a healthy dose of critique – and realism – is indeed, a duty of every honest observer who is on the side of justice, that is, on the side of Russia in its war against the Empire of Death. I’m obviously not going to discuss strategy or criticize the Russian operation, due to lack of information about its goals and military expertise.
Now, what worries me personally is the fact that Donetsk is still being shelled, and so is Russian territory along the Ukrainian border. We also hear worrying reports of Kiev preparing some kind of an assault against Transnistria. Today’s info reports Russian forces withdrawing from the vicinity of Kharkov to avoid encirclement after a Ukrainian offensive succeeded in taking a few villages and settlements.
I have also read a report on Colonel Cassad’s Telegram channel, the translation of which I will provide below:
The invasion of western Ukraine by NATO countries is becoming more and more real – it will allow to redeploy additional units of the AFU to the Donetsk front
Large-scale maneuvers of NATO countries continue in the vicinity of Ukraine’s borders (https://t.me/readovkaru/435). At the same time, Polish President Andrzej Duda makes a very loud statement: “There will be no border between Poland and Ukraine. In fact, there will not be this border. In fact, this is the beginning of the legalization of the invasion of Ukraine in the public sphere.
As we said earlier, it is likely that a “peacekeeping” contingent of NATO countries will be brought in under a far-fetched pretext, which will be revealed to the world in the coming weeks. At the same time Western countries will continue to avoid even minimal fire contact with Russian units. However, this NATO maneuver will make it possible to redeploy additional AFU units from western Ukraine to the east, where the Ukrainian army is not doing very well.
Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Actually, after the preparation of the newly formed brigades armed with equipment and artillery from NATO countries delivered from Eastern Europe is completed, they will be used for more significant counterstrokes in the Nikolaev, Krivoy Rog or Kharkov directions. Accordingly, Western Ukraine will be denuded and prepared for the entry of Polish (and other) troops.
I don’t and can’t believe that time is not of importance in this conflict; the prolongation of the war will play into the hands of Washington, that seeks to profit from the devastation of Ukraine and the military and economic consequence that Russia will face in bringing the conflict to a close and having to worry about the reconstruction of whatever is left of the country after. Neither can we hope for a swift and sudden collapse of the Ukrainian war effort and the unhinged Kiev regime. A serious situation such as this requires serious action.
Same scenario as in Syria, same signature.
Erdogan in Idlib and ”we stole the oil” of the US in deir ezzor.
It is amazing how many people, even those very sympathetic to the Russian cause, criticise Russia for its performance in the information war then also go on to accept the US/NATO propaganda about how the SMO is going and it not being fast enough for their liking.They seem to easily forget that not many recent “shock and awe” military campaigns have turned out to result in successful long-term outcomes! Also, we are calling them an “Empire of Lies” for a reason. So, falling and repeating their BS about the SMO is just plainly ridiculous
Very good video sitrep. I’d really like to see more of his reports on the blog.
He is a good guy Uncle Bob.
Speaker Pelosi said to “Ze”: “‘America stands with Ukraine. We stand with Ukraine until victory is won,’ adding ‘Our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done.’”
In Ukraine versus Russia?
It brings to mind the Covid Lockdowns, the three-year investigation to see if Trump was a Russian agent (!), the drive to impeach him because of a conversation between him and Ze (also unbelievable), or accepting one-third of all ballots be sent by mail in a few states that determined the election, with ballots without signatures accepted as a “minor” thing (response of one of the states to the Texas brief). It makes no sense in the third world. In the third world, you have to stamp your inked thumb on your ballot. Forget about sending it by mail and without your signature. And if you as a state lawyer admit that you accepted ballots like that in a brief to the Supreme Court, you go to jail. There’s no way they let that pass; the written admission of what is nowhere else accepted would offend all. Shouldn’t they watch and discuss the high heels dance video before committing their great country to an impossible mission far away? Same people, same problem. (‘There’s a worm on the wall.’)
The Saratov Hotel in Havana Cuba was (mysteriously) blown up today. Gruesome videos
https://readovka.news/news/96114
Washington Bullets Again
It is interesting how ‘Putin’ is blamed for everything that ‘Russia’ does.
The same should apply both ways, so let us be direct.
“Joe Biden today blew up a hotel in Havana and killed at least 4 innocent people.”
Turn about is fair play, right?
The ‘they failed to take Kiev’ thing is getting quite old. I think a lot strategists were correct when they identified that eariler move as a feint. You keep jabbing to the body with a left and when you have your opponent concentrating and expecting that left then bam, you send a big right hand straight down the pipe.
Not only Swiss cannot supply the ammo. It takes a tremendous amount of time (something about 12 Months) to be able to use the ridiculous complex radar of the Gepard.
In fact this unanticipated “slowness”-indicates that something much more “fishy” has come into play-more than likely baked into the plan by entities anonymous.Ominous indeed.There is mischief afoot -have no doot.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/latest-eu-sanctions-draft-includes-putins-rumored-girlfriend
I think Russia should return the favor and identitfy and sanction the various mistresses and boyfriends of the EU elite as well as the liquor stores who supply people such as Juncker.
“Russia is reaching out and touching someone with each of their actions!”
The AT&T offensive!
Any truth that the Admiral Makarov has been hit?
I have been reading this site for a few months. This is my first comment.
One thing to note is that while Russia is meeting in part it’s objectives, whether slowly or not.
The US has met all it’s objectives bar one, complete decimation of Russian economy leading to regime change.
The US has,compete control of Europe, Japan, Anglosphere. It has boosted arms sales. It has tripled it’s African military presence and now operates with a degree of bullying, intimidation and outright force and threat of force that seems to I belong to a more savage age.
Why?
Because it can. While Russia handles Ukrainie the US is savagely and quickly rounding up the rest of the world.
I can tell you they are succeeding. In Kenya they have stopped journalists I know from writing from an objective or Russia perspective and the IMF us busy whipping Africans and others to US orders.
The US isn’t just barking at Russia’s door. It is all over the world right now cashing in on its plans on other countries and working to total spectrum domination.
As an African I can only fear the worst. If Russia loses we are all next. If Russia wins they will still come for us but more slowly.
The level.of confidence in the West in relation to this war make me think they know something we don’t. Do they have a mole? Have the corrupted key officials in Russia? Are they just bluffing?
The Ukrainie conflict is but one theatre. The West is operating in many theatres. They point to Ukrainie and make us shiver. Knowing we could be next.
Good points. We need to understand that the Washington Deep State seeks world-domintion through a central imperial authority that many call “globalization” because it seeks to connect up the oligarchical networks in all countries into one AI mediated grand network very similar to the network that runs Washington. There are many components to this network and all the components are convinced that a solid, stable and robust networks is instituted and maintained.
You are right about Africa that it can and will bully leaders in that continent to get with the program Washington has for them. Washington has had and continues to have almost unlimited funds to finance their clear plot to dominate the world. The personalities and institutions involved include everybody with power and money. Those that carry out and enforce Washington’s will are gangsters in all but name. Nothing is beneath them, i.e., murder, genocide, false-flag events, human trafficking, drugs, intimidation, torture, in fact, just what you would see in a gangster movie only worse because the money is more big time. The fatal flaw of all this is the corruption of the institutions involved and the society of the USA in which almost every public institution is systemically corrupt–meaning these institutions cannot be reformed in any way–they can only get worse. Africans, along with everyone else in the world is and will continue to be supine in the face of this overwhelming force.
As I often say the only remedy for all this is to maintain an attitude of resistance while avoiding anger (which is destructive to us) and fostering spirituality which, in turn, is the only solid basis for community which is the antidote to the alienation of globalism.
Russia is playing a subtle game–we’ll see how it turns out in a couple of years.
Dear Truth Seeker,
The only constant in the world is change:
Russia, for example, through the JewSA denunciation of the ABM Treaty, is now not only REGIONAL POWER, but the unbeatable military power in the world. The current American role of repeated criminal international law breaker and leading wolf of the “West” is based on the role of the dollar and the current world financial system. With his ultimate peace demand of the Russians of December 15, 2021, the Russians are now reaching for at least MULTIPOLARITY after their achieved military supremacy. Who will ultimately be able to achieve this fnancial-economic victory is still written in the stars. But it is clear that Russia will not lose it. The Ukraine conflict, in which a handful of Russian armies in the Ukraine deputy conflict are currently flattening NATO, speaks volumes for the obvious tendency. The role of the WEST increasingly resembles that of the ASOW murder cronies in the cellars of ASOW steel in Mariupol. Russia’s military superiority can never be reversed. The great cold country has namely also uncopyable weapon systems, probably thermonuclear, but RADIOPASSIVE warheads, bombs and launchable shells. Thus a presumed everyday nuclear weapon.
Politically, Russia has nestled itself in Asia. Financially, Russia is too rich, and too self-sufficient to be in trouble. Ukraine could have been both completely without war, if not big-mindedness had caused non-thinking. Even simple Ukrainian compliance by recognizing the Minsk Agreement itself only after February 24, 2022 would have brought about immediate peace. Now, however, Ukraines will cease to exist in their state form and with nuclear and biological weapons.
Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Sorry, maybe some typos have compromised the end of my reasoning. Remade:
I think some people may be missing three things:
01) NATO has three nuclear powers, so, as much as the current Russian technological superiority is evident, there are limits to what the Russians – always guided by common sense – can do.
02) War has a lot to do with resource and time allocation. Russia has fuel, energy, food and raw materials at an almost infinite level; what does NATO have allows them to sink _ without Russia _ at most until what, October? Unbelievably Russia is making – and the West is spending – a lot of money selling essential resources to the Eurorats; I don’t see why the Russians should want to be financed by their enemies, while they are the ones who will decide how much their economies and people will suffer. Russia holds the sword of Damocles over Europe’s head; why would that be bad?
03) Moving forward categorically and persistently, Russia can “Chechenize” Novorussia [then why not Mallorrus and Ruthenia?] by proving to be a much better alternative to the people than the Ucries. Why should she speed things up and impose the scorched-earth policy on the territory that will be hers and a sister people?
Not to mention that Russia is causing the West to spend precious resources in the form of weapons and ammunition that cannot be quickly replenished – even more so in a situation of compromised supply chains – while Ukraine [see, Ukraine, not Russia] sacrifices its own people, taking them out of their productive economy and converting them into unprepared troops, into cannon fodder, which sacrifices their economy and creates widows and orphans, a situation that the Ukrainians themselves will not endure forever.
The Russian army retreated 13 kilometers from Kharkov! REAL REVIEWS and the latest videos from Ukraine – the evening of May 6 (10 videos)
https://voenhronika.ru/
After the withdrawal of units of the RF Armed Forces from Stary Saltov, the issue of the withdrawal of units of the RF Armed Forces from the north-eastern outskirts of Kharkov was a matter of time. After the DRG of the Armed Forces of Ukraine blew up the bridge across the Mur River between Russian Tishki and Cherkasy Tishki, the threat of encirclement became obvious. ️
To prevent the units from being locked in the boiler, the command made a decision to withdraw Russian units from Tsirkuny, Cherkasy Tishki and Liptsy. The forward detachments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine entered Liptsy this morning. At that time, the RF Armed Forces were no longer in the village: the units retreated to the north. For this reason, there are also no epic video fights. In fact, now the RF Armed Forces control a 7-8-kilometer buffer zone north of Kharkov.
Gulyai-Pol and Orekhov are constantly being hit by fire. These are the two main fortified areas of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the national battalions in this direction. After breaking the defenses near Gulyaipole, it is possible to develop an offensive towards the northern group advancing on Slavyansk from the north. To the west of Orekhov, the Russian Armed Forces occupied the small village of Shcherbaki. Continued in the material.
The “Collective West” continues to fail in understanding the true nature of what is happening now and what it means for the future of the world. The Russians are now wholly capable of acting independently and without regard for what the “Collective West” likes, wants, thinks or needs. Certainly they recognize and plan for possible responses by the “Collective West” but they have made themselves as close to unassailable as possible in military, social, economic, cultural and spiritual terms. They have the means and the will to resist whatever is thrown at them. By contrast, the “Collective West” does not.
EU/NATO/US has had their initiative stolen and has not managed to regain it. I doubt they ever will. They have been put into a reactive mode and are, too a large degree, impotent in this conflict (on all fronts except possibly information – but even that is effective only on Western masses). This does not mean they are incapable of action, only that they are incapable of actions that might alter the outcome of this conflict or significantly affect the results of its aftermath.
As Russia continues its SMO and the winning of the peace in Donbass and the rest of liberated Ukraine, the rest of the world which lives in fear and submission to the “Collective West” will see how different things can be and will start throwing off the yoke.
Yeah, you get it Andrew. This really is a contest of good vs evil played out on the world stage. War is a complex game.
Yes, that is it, “throwing off the yoke of the collective West”. Russia and China are leading the way. The peripheral nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America are welcoming the new paradigm. De-dollarisation and de-Americanisation of culture is necessary to recover each nation’s heritage, sovereignty and wisdom. Here in Europe we have become Americanised, that makes us ignore our own interests. Once colonial powers, we have become colonised. That is the kharma of nations.
Looks like i an getting more pessimistic about Russia winning anything in Ukraine. Just saw some news that Russian troops have withdrawn from a lot of places in kharkov region despite being in control for most part if the time and kharkhov being very close to russian border. What’s going on? Are they losing? Can anyone shed some lights into it, please!
From my military experience there are two types of withdrawal, strategic and defensive.
Russia appears in certain areas to be making defensive withdrawals. The assumption is always that a withdrawal is defensive until it is contradicted by be facts on the ground showing it was strategic.
What appears to me to be the case is Russia has insufficient boots on the ground. It seems to be operating as strategic, supply and back up for the D and L regional para military units.
The problem with this is that it is very hard to work with military units you have not done extensive exercises with and especially in a war zone.
Tactically I believe Russia has frozen it’s troop deployment while it waits to see what happens or has time to prepare.
This means that Russia no longer has the initial element of surprise hence fear.
It is now attacking entrenched forces backed up by Western intelligence and special forces. Huge ask.
Further people talking about Russia blowing up weapons don’t understand war. There in no war that has ended because weapons dried up.
Even in Gaza and Somalia and in Afghanistan weapons always flower. Small arms. Guerilla tactics.
Stopping weapons on that size of border is like trying to plug a one inch hole with needle.zero chance Russia will even be able to destroy 50% of smaller weapons. Biggers ones like tanks more chance. But this idea you can plug this whole is false.
Where does that leave Russia. Very difficult choice.
Fact.
It is now at war with NATO which is a co- belligerent. There are attacks on Russian soil
Therefore it has a right to defend itself.
For Putin to decide:-
1. Attack NATO at source on their own territory
2. Retreat and consolidate land held.
3 Add troops and make one big push for Eastern Ukrainie.
If this war is prolonged it is not in Russias favour.
But.
Russia no longer controls if and when this war ends.
Too late.
They are not going to stop now.
If Russia really wants this, they have to really think hard and see what they are willing to risk. Because anyone saying this is easy for Russia has no idea about war.
This is a hard hard savage war between West and Russia. It’s here. Nothing Russia can do about it now but go all out or retreat.
The West feels no pain. They want to get Russia by the neck before winter.
Ukraine had 5% world mineral wealth and second largest gas reserves in Europe after Norway. You think West are going there for free? No they want those resources. They get Ukrainie. Russia has no Western market. They are independent of Russia.
What is key for Russia. Secure all the mines and assets in Eastern Ukrainie and prevent Western Ukrainie accessing into gas and mineral wealth. How? Completely destroy it’s infrastructure. Keep it unstable.
https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/world/story/are-ukraines-vast-natural-resources-a-real-reason-behind-russias-invasion-323894-2022-02-25
Thank you @Truth Seeker. I whole heartedly support thr Russian cause and love them wim this conflict sooner than later. I get frustrated on seeing such news even in the alt media ( I stopped following/watching MSM 7/7
8 years ago as they are full if shits. Hope Russia should be able to wipe out the ukie Nazi in the east very soon and then move westwards to denazify the rest of the ukrostan before calling it a day.
>This is textbook maneuver warfare. The troops were just there to pin some ukrainian forces. Now they relocate for the coming offensive in Phase 3.
Please don’t just put links but a comment to explain why you have attached the links. Any further will go to trash. Mod.
What’s going on in the south of Ukraine?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp69rZy5_SA
More in The Dreizin Report on 5 May 2022, “The Script is Flipped!”:
https://thedreizinreport.com/2022/05/05/the-script-is-flipped/
Of course, Russia is in no hurry if we take Ukraine in isolation, but we can’t and NATO certainly is, and they’re busy arming all frontier countries. I’m sure the sooner Russia “wins” this, the better.
Kremlin has already said the Putin apology to Israel is nonsense.
Where is the official communication from the Kremlin calling out Israhell and denying the apology ? I would love to read it.
I , as a german , have not given up the task , to find the reasoning and sense following the decisions of the actual government in its effort “to help Ukraine”.
Fact 1 : We will deliver Leopard 1 Tanks.
Fact 2 : We will deliver Gepard AA-Systems (build upon Leo1chassis)
A german youtuber which covers german weaponry post WW2 made some points.
Both Systems are old , between almost 60years to 45years old.
In theory, if well maintained and overhauled they , can make useful work on a battlefield under favourable circunstances.
Now , both systems for the last 25-30 years have been resting in storage , or simply standing on a field or at museum-display.
In other words , they are not in running condition.
I am busy in the restoration of old motor-driven vehicles and know a bit about this trade.
A vehicle without maintenance , sitting around 25 years needs a complete overhaul.
Rust and metal parts are not an issue , on tanks rust is something superficial.
But plastic , most of the electric and rubber-parts normally are a case for the dustbin.
A rough estimate would be about 1000 -3000 man-hours for replacing all that stuff. The vehicle needs to be teared down completely and rebuild. That is if all replacements are at stock and available (something what I doubt)
Next thing , ammo.
Leo1 uses 105mm bullets , which nowadays are not any longer in stock at NATO-depots (firing 50year old bullets is also a risky issue) . Where will this ammo come from ?
Gepard uses (I think) 30mm bullets for its Oerlikons , which as we now know are also a scarce commodity.
(New ones the Swiss don,t want to sell or make , old ones are out of stock or also 50 years old)
What is the purpose of sending weapons to an “ally” which or doesn´t work at all or does more harm to the user as to the opponent?
Now comes my 5cents…..
German government is in situation between a rock and a hard place. Very uncomfortable.
On one hand they want maximum trade with Russia and its ressources , be it gas , oil , grain , fertilizer , metalls , wood etc etc. Necessary to keep german industry running and german cars running at the Autobahn and german households warm and with light which comes from a wall sockett. And German population with a full fridge.
On the other hand they have very bad political bed-companions which want Germany to stop all that trade with the “ugly russians” . Namely USA and EU.
What to do?
Only way , is doubleplay.
Tell the USA and the EU “Yes we help Ukraine against the ugly russians with weapons Made in Germany”
Signalise to the “ugly russians” : “dont be scared , our weapons will do not any harm to you , when this is over we come back to business as usual”.
Germany’s being dictated to by America and that’s your primary war.
The closure of NS1 will bring a reality to the people and business community and until you stop Voting for politicians who (Removed language,MOD) then your lights go out.
Russia closes down NS1 for 3-4 months until it reaches Phase 3 and winter sets in which will give the Germans a window to remove those US (Removed language,MOD).
It’s called hard-ball.
The Russians are not fools. The current EU will have to be dismantled before it can trust the Europeans. So regime change is the name of the game. It will take many years, which is why Russia is in no hurry with the operation in Ukraine. War puts stress on the EU more than on either Russia or the U.S. The British and French will never crack, but the Germans and Italians will. It will just take a few years.
The false narrative that UK is winning because Russia failed to take Kiev is a TYPICAL American strategy we call “moving the goalposts.”
When the Ruling Class in the USA is losing, they simply change the rules so that they can announce that they are winning.
Truth and accuracy are not factors in their announcements.
With RWA taking a break from tweeting over the weekend there appears to be a very concerning and worrying trend occurring in this historical time. This is when need is at its greatest.
It makes sense for Russia to make the Ukrainians stretch their front by using its advantage in mobility, they don’t even have to strike, just threaten Ukrainian flanks.
Ukraine will have to respond or risk been out manoeuvred.
Ukraine can dig in for the long haul and slowly bleed “Russia white” as Falkenhayn tried to do to France at Verdun if the front stays static.
Remember the U.S is risking nothing but armaments and Ukrainian lives so they will fight on.
Russia has to demonstrate it will obliterate all enemies.
Yandex says “Invalid URL”.
I’d like to present to the forum for discussion a proposition – a theory of Russia’s possible strategy, but first I mention Afghanistan and, more specifically what Afghanistan’s historic reputation has been throughout history right up to today.
Lately, “the US” has mentioned that they want Russia’s experience in Ukraine to be a repeat of Russia’s experience in Afghanistan in the 1980s. My theory is a variation on that theme.
We have all observed what Russia has done since long before and after the beginning of the SMO, right up to today.
I would say that Russia’s strategically major military accomplishment up to today is that it has established what is essentially a no-fly zone above Ukraine with warnings to the West to not violate that no-fly zone. Using aircraft, Russia can bomb literally any area of Ukraine it wants to bomb, strafe, or attack with on-board missiles. Russia can also send sea and land-launched independent, high-precision missiles to strike any target in Ukraine – most importantly, supplies and reinforcements of all kinds heading toward the US’s (“Ukraine’s”) military forces in eastern Ukraine or sitting wherever in Ukraine – in Lviv or even Kiev, for example.
I think it’s safe to say that the US’s (“Ukraine’s”) military forces cannot hold out for much longer in either Azovstal or eastern Ukraine.
But Russia, for some reason, does not try to hurry the matter to finish off these forces ASAP and get the SMO over and done with. Is this really to save Russian soldiers’ and civilians’ lives? Maybe, but maybe there is something far bigger going on, and, again, Afghanistan – “the graveyard of empires” – provides a clue, if not the whole answer.
If Russia wanted Ukraine to be “the West’s” graveyard, how would Russia proceed? Here’s how I’d proceed.
— I’d say and do exactly what Russia has done up to today, with all of that’s seemingly “weak” or “counterproductive” acts — “retreats”, “stalling for time” to build up supplies, ammunition, missles, etc.
In other words, showing weakness in strategy and resources. Maybe allow some Ukrainian strikes into borderland Russia, a ship or two to be sunk, etc. Get my enemies hopes up.
— Let time drag on with slow gains and great victories just out of hand – you know, “some….where,….. o..ver the rainbow”.
Meanwhile, what do we see happening in “the West”? A tidal wave of weapons and “money” pouring into …………. Poland and, maybe, other European NATO members.
Finland and Sweden are showing all their cards by announcing their intention to join NATO (with no referendums allowed, of course). The US (“NATO”) will give the microscopic percentages in those countries “security guarantees”, but only after they join. No doubt, after they join, the US’s weapons and bases will begin pouring into those countries. All very comforting, right?
But what, exactly, are Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany, etc. going to do with their huge stockpiles of US (“NATO”) weapons and, for that matter, all their soldiers? Are they all going to 3, 2, 1, suddenly invade Ukraine’s no-fly kill-zone? Let’s put it this way – Finland and Sweden had better follow their US masters’ orders in the same way that the US’s other ass-licking vassal states are today, or else.
No doubt Russian leaders realize all of this perfectly. Are they quaking in their boots? Do they look like they are? No, they don’t. How come? What do they know that we don’t? Maybe it’s that the present Ukrainian border is one of Russia’s inviolable “red lines”. Maybe it’s that Ukraine is going to be the graveyard of the US’s empire.
Let all of the US’s ass-licking vassal states’ weapons and armies and aircraft cross that big red line; let them pile right into Ukraine………….. after which Russia will destroy every thing and every person that has crossed that red line. Talk about killing fields.
The Russians will probably not attack the US’s (“NATO”) nations within their borders, because doing that would be dangerous. Again, Russia will simply destroy whatever crosses their big red line perfectly overlapping the Ukrainian border.
How long are the US’s ass-licking vassal states going to continue to follow the orders of their US masters as their sons and daughters (equality of the sexes, you know) come flooding home in body bags? The masses in EU/NATO countries might not appreciate what their Elite overlords are doing to their nations and their children and actually do something “political” about it.
What’s the vassals’ alternative to dying for the Empire of Lies and Hate? Negotiate, individually, security arrangements with Russia that are favorable and acceptable to all parties — exactly what “Ukraine” should have done with Minsk II, years ago.
This is how Russia just might march NATO back to its 1990 or ’97 position – formally or de facto formally — without militarily striking nations outside of Ukraine.
The de-fanged, neutered microscopic percentage that constitutes “the US” will be really, really pissed if anything like the above comes to pass, but who will care?
If the US does not plan to order its vassals to massively attack Russian forces in Ukraine in the near future, just exactly what will the US order them to do – starve themselves to death? freeze during next winter? what? Russia is patiently waiting.
Fire away.
Hmmm. Interesting idea.
I don’t think Russia allowed attacks on its territory and I think it is vulnerable on that flank as the UAF are able to strike. With NATO on ground they will 100% increase strikes on Russian mainland as they will consider Russia’s failure to react strongly and escalate as weakness.
UKR is also very different to Afghanistan. It’s forces are contained in it’s borders. Unlike Afghanistan where Pakistan was a huge player, Iran a bit player. It’s people are also different and not necessarily backing this gov. The West likes NATO. East Russia.
Also Afghanistan landscape is no joke.
I expect:-
1. Substantial increase in strikes on Russia itself to to attack Russia, force troops back to defensive position and spread Russian defenses
2. Increased use of high precision British weapons by UAF
Response proposed
3. Destroy UKR financial services. This is very hard on ordinary people so open humanitarian corridors.
Money sent to UKR is digital. Cut that off. Destroy ability of UKR to pay troops or civil servants. As we saw with ISIS when these groups have lots of mula they don’t quit.
4. Heavily heavily mine the UKR Poland border through incursions from Belarus or using drones or small teams. Get IUDs in there. Drop thousands or them. Leave one area or two as humanitarian corridors.
4. Russia first priority, if you allow me to pontificate, has to be to get a solid and effective buffer zone on its border. Second to mine the key routes. Third to inflict financial and military damage. If Russia is slow as. They need to reinforce own border – as they will be attacked now on own soil – then that’s smart. They are fighting offence and defence now. New way.
Kenya took a 100 mile buffer on border after Al Shaban Somaliia terror attacks inside Kenya. This has worked quite well so far. No attacks.
Also Kenya got control of illegal coal and sugar trades in Somalia cutting off some funding. Treat UKar gov like a compromised US backed terror org. Cut off all their funds. Blow up a few offices or houses of politicians. Step up the fear factor.
Good points. We need to understand that the Washington Deep State seeks world-domintion through a central imperial authority that many call “globalization” because it seeks to connect up the oligarchical networks in all countries into one AI mediated grand network very similar to the network that runs Washington. There are many components to this network and all the components are convinced that a solid, stable and robust networks is instituted and maintained.
You are right about Africa that it can and will bully leaders in that continent to get with the program Washington has for them. Washington has had and continues to have almost unlimited funds to finance their clear plot to dominate the world. The personalities and institutions involved include everybody with power and money. Those that carry out and enforce Washington’s will are gangsters in all but name. Nothing is beneath them, i.e., murder, genocide, false-flag events, human trafficking, drugs, intimidation, torture, in fact, just what you would see in a gangster movie only worse because the money is more big time. The fatal flaw of all this is the corruption of the institutions involved and the society of the USA in which almost every public institution is systemically corrupt–meaning these institutions cannot be reformed in any way–they can only get worse. Africans, along with everyone else in the world is and will continue to be supine in the face of this overwhelming force.
As I often say the only remedy for all this is to maintain an attitude of resistance while avoiding anger (which is destructive to us) and fostering spirituality which, in turn, is the only solid basis for community which is the antidote to the alienation of globalism.
Russia is playing a subtle game–we’ll see how it turns out in a couple of years.
Chris,
You are right. I am very concerned for Africa. US is going all in here now. Before we worried if China had too many assets and influence here. Now we realise they are better than the West as what you see is what you get with China. It’s business. America is total domination and value imposition.
The world is about to be enslaved by US UK and France if Russia loses. We are a bit coward not going to fight for Russia. Incidentally a South African military friend told me South Africa governent did seriously consider sending troops.
But America has our necks. That said Africa is not stupid. We saw what they did to Libya. For now we can only support Russia by not doing sanctions.
Ukrainiuan Ambassador to Kenya wanted to speak to the Kenya parliament. He was told no, Kenya is neutral and will not go on one side against Russt. He and West made big fuss. But it’s still no.
Bravo Kenya!