WAR trouble brewing again in ukraine
- Thread starter danielboon
- Start date
northern watch
TB Fanatic
Doomer Doug
TB Fanatic
You can tell Obama/biden/harris and Oprah are serious when they make no attempt to hide the NEO NAZI "MERCENARIES." I mean who are these thugs going to Ukraine to murder Russian civilians. And that "analysis" was the biggest pile of 
I've read in a while given all the outright lies about Russia is up to. Just a bunch of Ukies laying around when the big bad ruskies start shelling the F#%%%% out of them. I wonder how all the Marxist democrats are going to freak out when they find out biden has gotten them in a real rationing, fascist war with Russia. Neither Russia or China is going to take any of of our dementia addled fruitcake who stole the election and has half the American population, the ones with the guns he will try to take away, hating his brain dead guts.
And yeah, one of the many books I read over the year has a scenario where Russia aids the Patriots to break up the USA after we lose a war with China in Africa of all places.
so yeah, I know how strange it is to realize the Russians are the good guys and the ukies are the FREAKING NAZIS HERE.
Mongo, any comments on the combat efficiency of these so called "mercenaries," who are going to fight for the Ukraine? Sheesh, biden really is going to shatter the USA when he gets us with woke combat troops in Ukraine fighting Russia.
A lot of American patriots will stay neutral or even join sides with Russia to get rid of biden and his marxist scum supporters.
I've read in a while given all the outright lies about Russia is up to. Just a bunch of Ukies laying around when the big bad ruskies start shelling the F#%%%% out of them. I wonder how all the Marxist democrats are going to freak out when they find out biden has gotten them in a real rationing, fascist war with Russia. Neither Russia or China is going to take any of of our dementia addled fruitcake who stole the election and has half the American population, the ones with the guns he will try to take away, hating his brain dead guts.And yeah, one of the many books I read over the year has a scenario where Russia aids the Patriots to break up the USA after we lose a war with China in Africa of all places.
so yeah, I know how strange it is to realize the Russians are the good guys and the ukies are the FREAKING NAZIS HERE.
Mongo, any comments on the combat efficiency of these so called "mercenaries," who are going to fight for the Ukraine? Sheesh, biden really is going to shatter the USA when he gets us with woke combat troops in Ukraine fighting Russia.
A lot of American patriots will stay neutral or even join sides with Russia to get rid of biden and his marxist scum supporters.
northern watch
TB Fanatic
Russian troops massing near Ukraine border - panic on edge of Europe as UK issues alert
RUSSIAN troops are gathering close to the border with Ukraine, a move which has sparked concern across the West with the UK issuing a statement.
By CIARAN MCGRATH
Express UK
PUBLISHED: 00:00, Sun, Apr 4, 2021 | UPDATED: 00:10, Sun, Apr 4, 2021
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was “gravely concerned” at the situation, while US President Joe Biden offered reassurances to Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a 50-minute phone conversation yesterday. Ukraine, Western countries and NATO have all accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of sending troops and heavy weapons to prop up proxies in Donbass who seized a swathe of eastern Ukraine in 2014, at the same time Russia annexed the Crimea.
Kyiv and Moscow have blamed each other in recent weeks for a spike in violence in the eastern Donbass region, where Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed forces have fought a conflict which has killed 14,000 people in seven years by Ukraine's estimate.
Russia says it only provides political and humanitarian support to separatist fighters in what it casts as an internal conflict.
However, speaking yesterday, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the BBC Russia troops were massing at Ukraine’s northern and eastern borders, as well as “in the illegally occupied Crimea".
He added: "So from three directions we observed a military build-up of the Russian federation.
"Ukraine is not looking for any escalation - we do not need war."
Mr Kuleba has discussed matters with Mr Raab, who subsequently tweeted that he had “reaffirmed UK support for Ukraine's sovereignty & territorial integrity”.
He added: “We are gravely concerned about Russian military activity which threatens Ukraine."
After his conversation with Mr Biden, President Zelenskiy said: "We discussed the situation in Donbass in detail.
“President Biden assured me that Ukraine will never be left alone against Russia's aggression.”
A US statement added: "President Biden affirmed the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression in the Donbass and Crimea.”
The Kremlin said yesterday any deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine would lead to further tensions near Russia's borders and force Moscow to take extra measures to ensure its own security.
NATO voiced concern on Thursday over what it said was a big Russian military build-up near eastern Ukraine after Russia warned that a serious escalation in the conflict in Ukraine's Donbass region could "destroy" Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters yesterday that the situation at the contact line in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatist forces was quite frightening and that multiple "provocations" were taking place there.
Footage widely circulated on social media last week purportedly shows large numbers of Russia tanks and other materiel being sent to Crimea by train.
The clip was shared by The Intel Crab, who describes themselves as an “open source intelligence aggregator & content contributor” for the @StratSentinel Twitter feed.
They posted: “Russian forces are deploying massive amounts of military hardware into #Crimea.
“One of the largest deployments I've seen in recent memory.”
Commenting on similar clips shared the previous day, they said: “Note: Spring exercise season is WELL underway across Russia, but the size and scale of these deployments are far from what typically occur in the region.”
In a statement issued on Thursday, the European Union said Russia had launched a conscription campaign in the Crimea peninsula in a move which broke international law.
The statement said: "Today, the Russian Federation has launched yet another conscription campaign in the illegally-annexed Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to draft residents of the peninsula in the Russian Federation Armed Forces."
"This is another violation of international humanitarian law. The Russian Federation is bound by international law, and obliged to ensure the protection of human rights on the peninsula."
Russian troops massing near Ukraine border - panic on edge of Europe as UK issues alert | World | News | Express.co.uk
RUSSIAN troops are gathering close to the border with Ukraine, a move which has sparked concern across the West with the UK issuing a statement.
By CIARAN MCGRATH
Express UK
PUBLISHED: 00:00, Sun, Apr 4, 2021 | UPDATED: 00:10, Sun, Apr 4, 2021
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was “gravely concerned” at the situation, while US President Joe Biden offered reassurances to Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a 50-minute phone conversation yesterday. Ukraine, Western countries and NATO have all accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of sending troops and heavy weapons to prop up proxies in Donbass who seized a swathe of eastern Ukraine in 2014, at the same time Russia annexed the Crimea.
Kyiv and Moscow have blamed each other in recent weeks for a spike in violence in the eastern Donbass region, where Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed forces have fought a conflict which has killed 14,000 people in seven years by Ukraine's estimate.
Russia says it only provides political and humanitarian support to separatist fighters in what it casts as an internal conflict.
However, speaking yesterday, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the BBC Russia troops were massing at Ukraine’s northern and eastern borders, as well as “in the illegally occupied Crimea".
He added: "So from three directions we observed a military build-up of the Russian federation.
"Ukraine is not looking for any escalation - we do not need war."
Mr Kuleba has discussed matters with Mr Raab, who subsequently tweeted that he had “reaffirmed UK support for Ukraine's sovereignty & territorial integrity”.
He added: “We are gravely concerned about Russian military activity which threatens Ukraine."
After his conversation with Mr Biden, President Zelenskiy said: "We discussed the situation in Donbass in detail.
“President Biden assured me that Ukraine will never be left alone against Russia's aggression.”
A US statement added: "President Biden affirmed the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression in the Donbass and Crimea.”
The Kremlin said yesterday any deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine would lead to further tensions near Russia's borders and force Moscow to take extra measures to ensure its own security.
NATO voiced concern on Thursday over what it said was a big Russian military build-up near eastern Ukraine after Russia warned that a serious escalation in the conflict in Ukraine's Donbass region could "destroy" Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters yesterday that the situation at the contact line in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatist forces was quite frightening and that multiple "provocations" were taking place there.
Footage widely circulated on social media last week purportedly shows large numbers of Russia tanks and other materiel being sent to Crimea by train.
The clip was shared by The Intel Crab, who describes themselves as an “open source intelligence aggregator & content contributor” for the @StratSentinel Twitter feed.
They posted: “Russian forces are deploying massive amounts of military hardware into #Crimea.
“One of the largest deployments I've seen in recent memory.”
Commenting on similar clips shared the previous day, they said: “Note: Spring exercise season is WELL underway across Russia, but the size and scale of these deployments are far from what typically occur in the region.”
In a statement issued on Thursday, the European Union said Russia had launched a conscription campaign in the Crimea peninsula in a move which broke international law.
The statement said: "Today, the Russian Federation has launched yet another conscription campaign in the illegally-annexed Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to draft residents of the peninsula in the Russian Federation Armed Forces."
"This is another violation of international humanitarian law. The Russian Federation is bound by international law, and obliged to ensure the protection of human rights on the peninsula."
Russian troops massing near Ukraine border - panic on edge of Europe as UK issues alert | World | News | Express.co.uk
northern watch
TB Fanatic
northern watch
TB Fanatic
Do they have a "few months" left?
northern watch
TB Fanatic
No, if NATO is going to move forces to the Ukraine to act as a trip wire, they have to do it now
northern watch
TB Fanatic
One are where I have not heard any reports from, is the Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania . If there is any intelligence there then they would be calling up reservists, holding military exercises.
In 1939, before the German invasion of Poland, the UK persuaded the Polish government not to callup reservists, hold military exercises lest they stir up the Germans. So when the German invasion came, the Poles lost.
Invasion of Poland from the Polish Perspective
In 1939, before the German invasion of Poland, the UK persuaded the Polish government not to callup reservists, hold military exercises lest they stir up the Germans. So when the German invasion came, the Poles lost.
Invasion of Poland from the Polish Perspective
Last edited:
Nowski
Let's Go Brandon!
Peoples, I have spent the entire day, following the Ukraine
crisis threads, on TB2K and other forums, blogs, etc.
Everything going on right now in the Ukraine, can be laid at
the feet of the corrupt ZUSA federal government,
when they interfered in the internal affairs of the Ukraine back
in 2014.
When the Soviet Union fell in 1990, the Russians were
promised that there would be no NATO expansion to the east,
and that the Ukraine, especially the Ukraine, would never be a part
of NATO. Russia firmly stated, that they wanted a sovereign
and strong Ukraine.
Russia has been invaded twice from the West.
First by Napoleon, and then by Hitler. Russia lost 20 million
people in World War II, the ZUSA lost about 600,000.
Russia pulled in the Eastern European countries as as buffer,
against another invasion. Of course, with Russia having turned
communist by the Bolsheviks, who were financed by the
banks of New York City, London, and Berlin, the people of Russia,
and the Warsaw Pack nations caught hell, especially the Ukraine.
Therefore, there is a lot of hatred for Russia in the Ukraine,
and that is why, there has always been a division between
Eastern Ukraine, Crimea, and the rest of the Ukraine.
If there is an invasion of Eastern Ukraine by the Russians,
that is all that the Russians will do. They will secure
Eastern Ukraine for the ethnic Russians there,
who like in Crimea, are the major demographic there,
and that’s it. Russia IMHO, has no desire or need for any
of the others regions of the Ukraine, or any of the former
Warsaw Pack nations.
The Soviet Union fell in 1990, and the former Warsaw Pack
nations gained their freedom. However, the Russian people
did as well. A new Russia came into existence, a Russia
that is not communist, but in many ways, more capitalist
than the ZUSA is right now. An entire generation of Russians
has never known communism, however they know about it,
and they want nothing to do with it.
Yet, the POS damocraps, the warmongering neocons,
and especially the military industrial complex that
President Eisenhower warned us about, will not let the
new Russia exist in peace.
I pray each night, and my prayers are for the Russians,
to be successful in whatever military actions, that they have
to execute, in order to protect their people in Donbass,
in eastern Ukraine.
Please be safe everyone.
Regards to all.
Nowski
crisis threads, on TB2K and other forums, blogs, etc.
Everything going on right now in the Ukraine, can be laid at
the feet of the corrupt ZUSA federal government,
when they interfered in the internal affairs of the Ukraine back
in 2014.
When the Soviet Union fell in 1990, the Russians were
promised that there would be no NATO expansion to the east,
and that the Ukraine, especially the Ukraine, would never be a part
of NATO. Russia firmly stated, that they wanted a sovereign
and strong Ukraine.
Russia has been invaded twice from the West.
First by Napoleon, and then by Hitler. Russia lost 20 million
people in World War II, the ZUSA lost about 600,000.
Russia pulled in the Eastern European countries as as buffer,
against another invasion. Of course, with Russia having turned
communist by the Bolsheviks, who were financed by the
banks of New York City, London, and Berlin, the people of Russia,
and the Warsaw Pack nations caught hell, especially the Ukraine.
Therefore, there is a lot of hatred for Russia in the Ukraine,
and that is why, there has always been a division between
Eastern Ukraine, Crimea, and the rest of the Ukraine.
If there is an invasion of Eastern Ukraine by the Russians,
that is all that the Russians will do. They will secure
Eastern Ukraine for the ethnic Russians there,
who like in Crimea, are the major demographic there,
and that’s it. Russia IMHO, has no desire or need for any
of the others regions of the Ukraine, or any of the former
Warsaw Pack nations.
The Soviet Union fell in 1990, and the former Warsaw Pack
nations gained their freedom. However, the Russian people
did as well. A new Russia came into existence, a Russia
that is not communist, but in many ways, more capitalist
than the ZUSA is right now. An entire generation of Russians
has never known communism, however they know about it,
and they want nothing to do with it.
Yet, the POS damocraps, the warmongering neocons,
and especially the military industrial complex that
President Eisenhower warned us about, will not let the
new Russia exist in peace.
I pray each night, and my prayers are for the Russians,
to be successful in whatever military actions, that they have
to execute, in order to protect their people in Donbass,
in eastern Ukraine.
Please be safe everyone.
Regards to all.
Nowski
Last edited:
jward
passin' thru
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
Russian analyst warns European or world war could break out in Ukraine
https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3
He claimed all the conditions could be in place by early May when Russia will hold a major Red Square parade to mark the anniversary of victory in World War Two, and he suspected a 'decision has been made already'.
View: https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1378487613405995009?s=20
@EndGameWW3
Russian analyst warns European or world war could break out in Ukraine
https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3
He claimed all the conditions could be in place by early May when Russia will hold a major Red Square parade to mark the anniversary of victory in World War Two, and he suspected a 'decision has been made already'.
View: https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1378487613405995009?s=20
Marie
Veteran Member
This is a long one click on the link. I can't embed all of it
View: https://mobile.twitter.com/Ilias90s/status/1378663781287485446
View: https://mobile.twitter.com/Ilias90s/status/1378663781287485446
Marie
Veteran Member
Die Anti-Putin PsyOp, 31.03.2021
TranslationsThe anti-P
Understand the anti-Putin PsyOps:
Preparations for War
vom Saker, March 31st, 2021 written for Unz Review
Introduction: cause and pretext
It is no exaggeration to say that in the mythology of the Anglo-Zionist empire, Putin is something like Satan, or at least a kind of "Sauron" who is the epitome of evil. And we've all heard Biden recently stated in a taped interview that Putin was "a murderer". When she was given the chance to tone down that statement, Jen Psaki did nothing of the sort. From this we can conclude that this was an official, deliberately planned characterization of the Russian leader.
This type of language was never used by Western officials during the Cold War, at least not at the highest levels. So why this simmering hatred of Putin?
It's not because he's ex-PGU KGB of the USSR. Yuri Andropov was a former KGB chairman, and he has done a lot to strengthen the KGB, its staff, and its operations. Still, nobody called him a murderer. It is not because of the Crimea or Donbass, at least not directly, because when the USSR invaded Czechoslovakia and before that in Hungary, Western politicians did not call Khrushchev or Brezhnev "killers". It's not because of the downing of MH-17 (Western leaders all know these are lies created by Western special services), because there were quite a few civil airliners shot down by different states, but that didn't work to the kind of total demonization of the leaders of these states.
There is a big difference between the terms "cause" and "pretext" and all of the examples I have given are nothing but pretexts. We need to look at the real causes of such blind hatred of Putin.
Here we come across another list of possible reasons: First, it is undeniable that while Yeltsin nearly destroyed Russia as a country, Putin single-handedly "resurrected" Russia in an astonishingly short time. From a country that was in ruins and a population that wanted nothing more than the next Germany or, if that is not possible, at least the next Poland, Putin made Russia the strongest military power on the planet, and he shaped it the Russian perception of itself and of Russia completely new. Not only that, Putin used every single step the West took (such as sanctions, boycotts or threats) to further strengthen Russia (through means such as import substitutions, international conferences and military maneuvers).US politicians spoke of a country with an "economy in tatters" and of a "gas station masquerading as the country". But in the real world (Zone B), the Russian economy fared much better than the western one, and as for the "energy war" between the US, Saudi Arabia and Russia, it ended in a catastrophic defeat for the US and a triumph for Russia and, to a lesser extent, the KSA
Then came COVID and the truly epic disaster of total mismanagement of this crisis by the West. Not only that, but the contrast between the way Russia (and China!) Handled the crisis and what the West did could not have been greater. That Russia was the first country to develop a vaccine (there are now three; now Russia is about to release another vaccine, this time protecting animals from COVID) and, worse, the country that has the best vaccine in the world World has evolved - this is a PR disaster for the West, and there is nothing the West can do to mitigate the blow. If anything, things will only get worse
But that's not the real reason either, as evidenced by the fact that the West hated Putin long before COVID.
The “stolen” victory in the Cold War
In truth, the West has a very long list of reasons to hate Putin and everything Russian, but I believe there is one reason that trumps them all: Western leaders sincerely believed that they defeated the USSR in the Cold War (Medals were even made to commemorate this event) and after the collapse of the former superpower and the seizure of power by an unsuspecting, alcoholic puppet, the triumph of the West was total. At least in appearance. The reality, as always, was much more complicated.
[ Aside: The causes and mechanisms of the collapse of the Soviet Union are not our topic today, so I just want to point out that I believe that the USSR never "collapsed", but that it was deliberately destroyed by the CPSU apparatus that decided that Dissolve land so that the party and the nomenklatura could stay in power, not at the head of the USSR, but at the head of the various ex-Soviet republics. Weak leaders and ideologies that no one really believes in do not inspire people to fight for their rulers. That's why the Russian monarchy collapsed
Putin, who was not well known in either the West or Russia, came to power and immediately reversed Russia's course towards the abyss. First, he dealt with the two most pressing threats, the oligarchs and the Wahabi uprising in the Caucasus. Many Russians, including myself, were utterly amazed at the speed and determination of his actions. The result was that Putin suddenly found himself one of the most popular leaders in Russian history. At first the West fell into a kind of shock, then it went through a process that was reminiscent of the so-called "Kübler-Ross model", and finally the West fell into a Russophobic frenzy, as it has been during the Nazi regime in Germany of the Second World War no longer existed.
(Note: see Kübler-Ross, The Five Phases of Dying)
To understand why Putin is the devil incarnate, we have to understand that the leaders of the collective West really thought that this time, after a millennium of failures and embarrassing defeats, the West has finally "defeated" Russia, which is now a leaderless would become, cultureless, mindless, and of course, unhistorical territory, the sole purpose of which would be to provide resources for the "triumphant West". Not only that, but the Anglo-Zionist leaders of the empire carried out the 9/11 false flag operation, which provided them with the pretext for the GWOT (Global War On Terror), but which completely diverted the West from its previous focus on the so-called "Russian" Threat ", simply because there was no Russian threat in 2001. So there was some logic behind these steps. And then, "suddenly" (at least for Western leaders) Russia was "back": in 2013 Russia stopped the planned US / NATO attack on Syria (the pretext here was Syrian chemical weapons). In 2014 Russia supported the Novo-Russian uprising against the Ukrainian regime in Kiev, and in the same year Russia also used its military to enable local people to vote on a referendum on joining Russia. Finally, in 2015, Russia stunned the West with an extremely effective military intervention in Syria. In 2013, Russia stopped the planned US / NATO attack on Syria (the pretext here was Syrian chemical weapons). In 2014 Russia supported the Novo-Russian uprising against the Ukrainian regime in Kiev, and in the same year Russia also used its military to enable local people to vote on a referendum on joining Russia. Finally, in 2015, Russia stunned the West with an extremely effective military intervention in Syria. In 2013, Russia stopped the planned US / NATO attack on Syria (the pretext here was Syrian chemical weapons). In 2014 Russia supported the Novo-Russian uprising against the Ukrainian regime in Kiev, and in the same year Russia also used its military to enable local people to vote on a referendum on joining Russia. Finally, in 2015, Russia stunned the West with an extremely effective military intervention in Syria.
In this sequence, Russia committed two very different types of "crimes" (from an Anglo-Zionist point of view, of course):
- The lesser crime of doing what Russia did
- The much bigger crime of never asking permission from the Empire
The West likes to treat the rest of the planet like some sort of junior partner, with very limited autonomy and almost no real agency (the best example is what the US has done with countries like Poland or Bulgaria). If such a "junior" country wants to do something in its foreign policy, it must absolutely ask permission from its Anglo-Zionist big brother. Failure to do so is like riot and revolt. In the past, many countries have been "punished" for daring to have an opinion or, even more so, for daring to act on it.
It would not be inaccurate to sum it up by saying that Putin turned the finger on the empire and its leaders. This "crime of crimes" was the real trigger for the current anti-Russian hysteria. Soon, however, the (mostly unsuspecting) leaders of the empire found themselves confronted with an extremely frustrating problem: while the Russophobic hysteria was well received in the West, it produced a very powerful setback in Russia due to a typical Putin "judo" move: far from it Far from suppressing anti-Russian propaganda from the West, the Kremlin used its power to make it widely available (in Russian!) through the Russian media (I've written about this at length:Counter-Propaganda, Russian style and Re-Visiting Russian Counter-Propaganda Methods ).
The direct consequence of this was twofold: first, the "opposition" led by the CIA / MI6 became heavily associated with Russia's Russophobic enemies, and second, the Russian public continued to rally around Putin and his intransigent stance. In other words, by calling Putin a dictator and, of course, a "new Hitler", the Western PsyOps gained a limited advantage in Western public opinion, but shot themselves completely in the leg with the Russian public. (Note: PsyOp stands for "Psychological Warfare")
I refer to this phase as " phase one of the strategic anti-Putin PsyOp ". As for the outcome of this PsyOp, not only would I say that it almost completely failed, but I think that within Russia it has exactly the opposite intended effect.
A change of course was urgently needed.
The realignment of the US PsyOps against Putin and Russia
I have to admit that I have a very low opinion of the US intelligence community, including its analysts. But even the rather boring US "Russia Territory Specialist" finally discovered that telling the Russian public that Putin was a "dictator" or a "murderer leads to a typically Russian mixture of laughter and support for the Kremlin." of dissidents "or a" chemical poisoner of exiles ". Something had to be done.
So some smart ass came up with the following idea in a basement somewhere: There's no point in accusing Putin of things that make him popular at home, so let's make a new list of allegations carefully tailored to the Russian public.
Let's call this " phase two of the anti-Putin PsyOp operation ".
And so the "Putin is in cahoots" thing began. Specifically, these allegations were used by the US PsyOps and those who are in their pay:
Putin disarms Syria
Putin will sell out the Donbass
Putin is a puppet of Israel and especially Netanyahu
Putin is a corrupt traitor to Russia's national interests
Putin allows Israel to bomb Syria (see here: Why is Putin 'Allowing' Israel to Bomb Syria? )
Putin sells the Siberian riches to China and / or Putin subjects Russia to China
Putin is corrupt, weak and even cowardly
Putin was defeated by Erdogan in the Nagorno-Karabakh War
These are the main topics of conversation that were immediately adopted and carried out by the US strategic PsyOps against Russia.
Was it effective?
Yes, to a certain extent. For one thing, these "anti-Russian PsyOps reloaded" were immediately picked up by at least part of what could be termed "internal patriotic opposition" (much of it very sincerely and without the awareness of being skillfully manipulated). Even more poisonous was the emergence of a rather noisy neo-communist (or, as Ruslan Ostashko often calls it, "emo-Marxist") movement (which I personally refer to as the sixth column) which launched an internal anti-Kremlin propaganda campaign that followed Topics focused:
- "Everything is lost" (всепропальщики): This is the thesis that says that nothing is right in Russia, everything is either wrong or evil, the country is collapsing, its economy, its science, its military, etc. etc. etc. etc. This is just a forest and meadow variant of defeatism, nothing more.
- "Nothing has been achieved since Putin came to power": This is strange because it takes an absolutely spectacular amount of mental gymnastics not to see that Putin literally saved Russia from total destruction. Nor does this stance explain why Putin is so hated by the empire (if Putin had done everything wrong, like Yeltsin for example, he would be revered, not hated!) In the West.
- All elections in Russia were stolen. This is where the 5th (led by the CIA / MI6) and 6th columns must agree: according to both, there is absolutely no way that most Russians have supported Putin for so many years and there is no way that they could have supported him support now. And ignores the fact that the vast majority of polls show that Putin was and still is the most popular political figure in Russia.
After all, the big SNAFU with the pension reform definitely did not add to Putin's popularity, so he had to act: he "toned down" some of the worst provisions of this reform and eventually successfully sidelined some of the worst Atlantic integrationists, including Medvedev himself.
Sadly, some supposedly pro-Russian websites, blogs, and individuals showed their true colors when they jumped on the bandwagon of this second PsyOp strategic campaign, probably in hopes of either getting more exposure or money, or both. Hence all the nonsense about Russia's cooperation with Israel, or Putin's "sellout" that we've seen so many times lately. Worst of all, these websites, blogs, and individuals have seriously misled and troubled some of Russia's best real friends in the West.
None of these people ever answer a very simple question: If Putin is such a sell-out and all is lost, why does the Anglo-Zionist Empire hate Putin so much? In nearly 1000 years of warfare (spiritual, cultural, political, economic and military) against Russia, the leaders of the West have always hated real Russian patriots and they have always loved the (unfortunately many) traitors to Russia. And now you hate Putin for being such a terrible leader?
That makes absolutely no sense.
Conclusion: is war inevitable now?
The US / NATO don't do strategic PsyOps just because they like or dislike someone. The main purpose of such PsyOps is to break the resistance of the other side. This was also the main goal of the two (phase one and phase two) anti-Putin PsyOps. I am happy to report that both phases of this psyops have failed. The danger is that these failures have failed to convince the leaders of the empire of the need to urgently change course and accept "Russian reality" even if they do not like it.
Since the (illegal) seizure of power by the "Biden" administration (the "collective Biden", of course, not the potted plant), we have seen a sharp escalation in anti-Russian statements. Hence the latest "yeah, he's a killer" - that wasn't a mistake of a senile mind, that was a carefully prepared statement. Worse still, the Empire has not limited itself to words, it has also made some important "body moves" to show its determination to seek even more confrontation with Russia:
TranslationsThe anti-P
Understand the anti-Putin PsyOps:
Preparations for War
vom Saker, March 31st, 2021 written for Unz Review
Introduction: cause and pretext
It is no exaggeration to say that in the mythology of the Anglo-Zionist empire, Putin is something like Satan, or at least a kind of "Sauron" who is the epitome of evil. And we've all heard Biden recently stated in a taped interview that Putin was "a murderer". When she was given the chance to tone down that statement, Jen Psaki did nothing of the sort. From this we can conclude that this was an official, deliberately planned characterization of the Russian leader.
This type of language was never used by Western officials during the Cold War, at least not at the highest levels. So why this simmering hatred of Putin?
It's not because he's ex-PGU KGB of the USSR. Yuri Andropov was a former KGB chairman, and he has done a lot to strengthen the KGB, its staff, and its operations. Still, nobody called him a murderer. It is not because of the Crimea or Donbass, at least not directly, because when the USSR invaded Czechoslovakia and before that in Hungary, Western politicians did not call Khrushchev or Brezhnev "killers". It's not because of the downing of MH-17 (Western leaders all know these are lies created by Western special services), because there were quite a few civil airliners shot down by different states, but that didn't work to the kind of total demonization of the leaders of these states.
There is a big difference between the terms "cause" and "pretext" and all of the examples I have given are nothing but pretexts. We need to look at the real causes of such blind hatred of Putin.
Here we come across another list of possible reasons: First, it is undeniable that while Yeltsin nearly destroyed Russia as a country, Putin single-handedly "resurrected" Russia in an astonishingly short time. From a country that was in ruins and a population that wanted nothing more than the next Germany or, if that is not possible, at least the next Poland, Putin made Russia the strongest military power on the planet, and he shaped it the Russian perception of itself and of Russia completely new. Not only that, Putin used every single step the West took (such as sanctions, boycotts or threats) to further strengthen Russia (through means such as import substitutions, international conferences and military maneuvers).US politicians spoke of a country with an "economy in tatters" and of a "gas station masquerading as the country". But in the real world (Zone B), the Russian economy fared much better than the western one, and as for the "energy war" between the US, Saudi Arabia and Russia, it ended in a catastrophic defeat for the US and a triumph for Russia and, to a lesser extent, the KSA
Then came COVID and the truly epic disaster of total mismanagement of this crisis by the West. Not only that, but the contrast between the way Russia (and China!) Handled the crisis and what the West did could not have been greater. That Russia was the first country to develop a vaccine (there are now three; now Russia is about to release another vaccine, this time protecting animals from COVID) and, worse, the country that has the best vaccine in the world World has evolved - this is a PR disaster for the West, and there is nothing the West can do to mitigate the blow. If anything, things will only get worse
But that's not the real reason either, as evidenced by the fact that the West hated Putin long before COVID.
The “stolen” victory in the Cold War
In truth, the West has a very long list of reasons to hate Putin and everything Russian, but I believe there is one reason that trumps them all: Western leaders sincerely believed that they defeated the USSR in the Cold War (Medals were even made to commemorate this event) and after the collapse of the former superpower and the seizure of power by an unsuspecting, alcoholic puppet, the triumph of the West was total. At least in appearance. The reality, as always, was much more complicated.
[ Aside: The causes and mechanisms of the collapse of the Soviet Union are not our topic today, so I just want to point out that I believe that the USSR never "collapsed", but that it was deliberately destroyed by the CPSU apparatus that decided that Dissolve land so that the party and the nomenklatura could stay in power, not at the head of the USSR, but at the head of the various ex-Soviet republics. Weak leaders and ideologies that no one really believes in do not inspire people to fight for their rulers. That's why the Russian monarchy collapsed
Putin, who was not well known in either the West or Russia, came to power and immediately reversed Russia's course towards the abyss. First, he dealt with the two most pressing threats, the oligarchs and the Wahabi uprising in the Caucasus. Many Russians, including myself, were utterly amazed at the speed and determination of his actions. The result was that Putin suddenly found himself one of the most popular leaders in Russian history. At first the West fell into a kind of shock, then it went through a process that was reminiscent of the so-called "Kübler-Ross model", and finally the West fell into a Russophobic frenzy, as it has been during the Nazi regime in Germany of the Second World War no longer existed.
(Note: see Kübler-Ross, The Five Phases of Dying)
To understand why Putin is the devil incarnate, we have to understand that the leaders of the collective West really thought that this time, after a millennium of failures and embarrassing defeats, the West has finally "defeated" Russia, which is now a leaderless would become, cultureless, mindless, and of course, unhistorical territory, the sole purpose of which would be to provide resources for the "triumphant West". Not only that, but the Anglo-Zionist leaders of the empire carried out the 9/11 false flag operation, which provided them with the pretext for the GWOT (Global War On Terror), but which completely diverted the West from its previous focus on the so-called "Russian" Threat ", simply because there was no Russian threat in 2001. So there was some logic behind these steps. And then, "suddenly" (at least for Western leaders) Russia was "back": in 2013 Russia stopped the planned US / NATO attack on Syria (the pretext here was Syrian chemical weapons). In 2014 Russia supported the Novo-Russian uprising against the Ukrainian regime in Kiev, and in the same year Russia also used its military to enable local people to vote on a referendum on joining Russia. Finally, in 2015, Russia stunned the West with an extremely effective military intervention in Syria. In 2013, Russia stopped the planned US / NATO attack on Syria (the pretext here was Syrian chemical weapons). In 2014 Russia supported the Novo-Russian uprising against the Ukrainian regime in Kiev, and in the same year Russia also used its military to enable local people to vote on a referendum on joining Russia. Finally, in 2015, Russia stunned the West with an extremely effective military intervention in Syria. In 2013, Russia stopped the planned US / NATO attack on Syria (the pretext here was Syrian chemical weapons). In 2014 Russia supported the Novo-Russian uprising against the Ukrainian regime in Kiev, and in the same year Russia also used its military to enable local people to vote on a referendum on joining Russia. Finally, in 2015, Russia stunned the West with an extremely effective military intervention in Syria.
In this sequence, Russia committed two very different types of "crimes" (from an Anglo-Zionist point of view, of course):
- The lesser crime of doing what Russia did
- The much bigger crime of never asking permission from the Empire
The West likes to treat the rest of the planet like some sort of junior partner, with very limited autonomy and almost no real agency (the best example is what the US has done with countries like Poland or Bulgaria). If such a "junior" country wants to do something in its foreign policy, it must absolutely ask permission from its Anglo-Zionist big brother. Failure to do so is like riot and revolt. In the past, many countries have been "punished" for daring to have an opinion or, even more so, for daring to act on it.
It would not be inaccurate to sum it up by saying that Putin turned the finger on the empire and its leaders. This "crime of crimes" was the real trigger for the current anti-Russian hysteria. Soon, however, the (mostly unsuspecting) leaders of the empire found themselves confronted with an extremely frustrating problem: while the Russophobic hysteria was well received in the West, it produced a very powerful setback in Russia due to a typical Putin "judo" move: far from it Far from suppressing anti-Russian propaganda from the West, the Kremlin used its power to make it widely available (in Russian!) through the Russian media (I've written about this at length:Counter-Propaganda, Russian style and Re-Visiting Russian Counter-Propaganda Methods ).
The direct consequence of this was twofold: first, the "opposition" led by the CIA / MI6 became heavily associated with Russia's Russophobic enemies, and second, the Russian public continued to rally around Putin and his intransigent stance. In other words, by calling Putin a dictator and, of course, a "new Hitler", the Western PsyOps gained a limited advantage in Western public opinion, but shot themselves completely in the leg with the Russian public. (Note: PsyOp stands for "Psychological Warfare")
I refer to this phase as " phase one of the strategic anti-Putin PsyOp ". As for the outcome of this PsyOp, not only would I say that it almost completely failed, but I think that within Russia it has exactly the opposite intended effect.
A change of course was urgently needed.
The realignment of the US PsyOps against Putin and Russia
I have to admit that I have a very low opinion of the US intelligence community, including its analysts. But even the rather boring US "Russia Territory Specialist" finally discovered that telling the Russian public that Putin was a "dictator" or a "murderer leads to a typically Russian mixture of laughter and support for the Kremlin." of dissidents "or a" chemical poisoner of exiles ". Something had to be done.
So some smart ass came up with the following idea in a basement somewhere: There's no point in accusing Putin of things that make him popular at home, so let's make a new list of allegations carefully tailored to the Russian public.
Let's call this " phase two of the anti-Putin PsyOp operation ".
And so the "Putin is in cahoots" thing began. Specifically, these allegations were used by the US PsyOps and those who are in their pay:
Putin disarms Syria
Putin will sell out the Donbass
Putin is a puppet of Israel and especially Netanyahu
Putin is a corrupt traitor to Russia's national interests
Putin allows Israel to bomb Syria (see here: Why is Putin 'Allowing' Israel to Bomb Syria? )
Putin sells the Siberian riches to China and / or Putin subjects Russia to China
Putin is corrupt, weak and even cowardly
Putin was defeated by Erdogan in the Nagorno-Karabakh War
These are the main topics of conversation that were immediately adopted and carried out by the US strategic PsyOps against Russia.
Was it effective?
Yes, to a certain extent. For one thing, these "anti-Russian PsyOps reloaded" were immediately picked up by at least part of what could be termed "internal patriotic opposition" (much of it very sincerely and without the awareness of being skillfully manipulated). Even more poisonous was the emergence of a rather noisy neo-communist (or, as Ruslan Ostashko often calls it, "emo-Marxist") movement (which I personally refer to as the sixth column) which launched an internal anti-Kremlin propaganda campaign that followed Topics focused:
- "Everything is lost" (всепропальщики): This is the thesis that says that nothing is right in Russia, everything is either wrong or evil, the country is collapsing, its economy, its science, its military, etc. etc. etc. etc. This is just a forest and meadow variant of defeatism, nothing more.
- "Nothing has been achieved since Putin came to power": This is strange because it takes an absolutely spectacular amount of mental gymnastics not to see that Putin literally saved Russia from total destruction. Nor does this stance explain why Putin is so hated by the empire (if Putin had done everything wrong, like Yeltsin for example, he would be revered, not hated!) In the West.
- All elections in Russia were stolen. This is where the 5th (led by the CIA / MI6) and 6th columns must agree: according to both, there is absolutely no way that most Russians have supported Putin for so many years and there is no way that they could have supported him support now. And ignores the fact that the vast majority of polls show that Putin was and still is the most popular political figure in Russia.
After all, the big SNAFU with the pension reform definitely did not add to Putin's popularity, so he had to act: he "toned down" some of the worst provisions of this reform and eventually successfully sidelined some of the worst Atlantic integrationists, including Medvedev himself.
Sadly, some supposedly pro-Russian websites, blogs, and individuals showed their true colors when they jumped on the bandwagon of this second PsyOp strategic campaign, probably in hopes of either getting more exposure or money, or both. Hence all the nonsense about Russia's cooperation with Israel, or Putin's "sellout" that we've seen so many times lately. Worst of all, these websites, blogs, and individuals have seriously misled and troubled some of Russia's best real friends in the West.
None of these people ever answer a very simple question: If Putin is such a sell-out and all is lost, why does the Anglo-Zionist Empire hate Putin so much? In nearly 1000 years of warfare (spiritual, cultural, political, economic and military) against Russia, the leaders of the West have always hated real Russian patriots and they have always loved the (unfortunately many) traitors to Russia. And now you hate Putin for being such a terrible leader?
That makes absolutely no sense.
Conclusion: is war inevitable now?
The US / NATO don't do strategic PsyOps just because they like or dislike someone. The main purpose of such PsyOps is to break the resistance of the other side. This was also the main goal of the two (phase one and phase two) anti-Putin PsyOps. I am happy to report that both phases of this psyops have failed. The danger is that these failures have failed to convince the leaders of the empire of the need to urgently change course and accept "Russian reality" even if they do not like it.
Since the (illegal) seizure of power by the "Biden" administration (the "collective Biden", of course, not the potted plant), we have seen a sharp escalation in anti-Russian statements. Hence the latest "yeah, he's a killer" - that wasn't a mistake of a senile mind, that was a carefully prepared statement. Worse still, the Empire has not limited itself to words, it has also made some important "body moves" to show its determination to seek even more confrontation with Russia:
Marie
Veteran Member
- There was a lot of saber rattling from the west, especially some rather unwise (or even downright stupid) military maneuvers near / along the Russian border. As I've explained a billion times, these maneuvers are self-destructive from a military point of view (the closer to the Russian border, the more dangerous for Western forces). Politically, however, they are extremely provocative and therefore dangerous.
- The vast majority of Russian analysts do not believe that the US / NATO will attack Russia openly, if only because it would be suicidal (the current military balance in Europe is strongly in Russia's favor, even without the use of hypersonic weapons). What many of them now fear is that "Biden" will unleash the Ukrainian armed forces against the Donbass, "punishing" both Ukraine and Russia (the former for its role in the US presidential campaign). I tend to agree with both of these statements.
At the end of the day, the Anglo-Zionist empire was always racist at its core, and that empire is still racist: for its leaders, the Ukrainian people are just cannon fodder, an irrelevant third-rate nation with no capacity to act that has outlived its utility (US analysts understand, that the US plan for Ukraine ended in another spectacular faceplant that such delusional plans always end with, even if they don't say so publicly). So why not throw these people into a suicidal war not only against the LDNR but also against Russia itself? Sure, Russia will win the military war quickly and decisively, but politically it will be a PR disaster for Russia, as the "democratic West" will always blame Russia
I wrote about the absolutely catastrophic situation in Ukraine three weeks ago ( Ukraine am Rande eines Krieges, 10.03.2021) so I'm not going to repeat everything here, just saying that things have gotten a lot worse since that day: suffice to say that Ukraine moved a lot of heavy tanks to the line of contact while the regime in Kiev is now Banned the import of Russian toilet paper (which tells you what the ruling gang believes is important and much-needed action). While it is true that since the neo-Nazi coup, Ukraine has become a utterly failed state, there is now a marked acceleration in the collapse of not just the regime or the state, but the country as a whole. Ukraine is falling apart so quickly that one could launch an entire website that just tracks this evolving horror, not day by day, but, Hour after hour. Suffice it to say that "Ze" turned out to be even worse than Poroshenko. The only thing Poroshenko has done that "Ze" has not (yet!) Done is start a war. That being said, the rest of what he's done (through action or inaction) can only be described as "more of the same, only worse".
Can a war be prevented?
I dont know. Putin has given the Ukronazis a very strict warning ("serious consequences for the statehood of Ukraine as such"). I don't think for a second that anyone in power in Kiev doesn't give a damn about Ukraine or the Ukrainian statehood, but they are smart enough to see that a Russian counterattack is in defense of the LDNR, and certainly Crimea, precision -Might include strikes "against the leadership" with sophisticated missiles. The Ukronazi leaders would be well advised to realize that they have all drawn crosshairs on their heads. You might also think about it: What happened to every single Wahabi gang leader in Chechnya since the end of the Second Chechen War? (Note: they were all found and executed).
Maybe. We hope so.
But we now have to bear in mind that there are only two options for Ukraine for the foreseeable future: "a terrible end or a horror without end" (Russian expression).
- The best scenario for the people in Ukraine would be a (hopefully relatively peaceful) break-up of the country into manageable parts.
- The worst option would definitely be a full war against Russia.
Judging by the rhetoric coming from Kiev these days, most Ukrainian politicians are firmly in favor of option 2, especially since it is also the only option that is acceptable to their overseas masters. The Ukrainians have also adopted a new military doctrine (they call it "Ukraine's military security strategy") declaring Russia the aggressor state and military opponent of Ukraine:
Decree of the President of Ukraine NO. 121/2021
This could be why Merkel and Macron recently had a video conference with Putin ("Ze" was not invited): Putin could try to convince Merkel and Macron that such a war would be a disaster for Europe. In the meantime, Russia is rapidly increasing its armed forces along the Ukrainian border, including in Crimea.
But all these measures can only deter a regime that has no handle. The outcome will be decided in Washington DC, not Kiev. I fear that the traditional sense of total impunity of US political leaders will once again make them feel that there is very little risk (for them personally or for the US) of starting a war in Ukraine. The latest news on the US-Ukrainian front is the delivery of 350 tons of military equipment by the USN to Odessa. Not enough to be militarily significant, but more than enough to continue inciting the Kiev regime to attack Donbass and / or Crimea.
Indeed, I would trust "Biden" to launch an attack on Iran while the world sees Ukraine and Russia go to war. After all, the other country whose geostrategic position has deteriorated significantly since Russia moved its armed forces to Syria is Israel. The one country that all US politicians will serve faithfully and regardless of cost (including human cost to the US). The Israelis have been calling for war against Iran since at least 2007, and it would be very naive to hope that they don't get their way at some point. Last but not least, there is the crisis that Blinken's condescending chutzpah triggered with China, which so far has only led to an economic war, but which can escalate at any moment,
At the moment, the weather in eastern Ukraine is not conducive to offensive military operations. The snow is still melting, resulting in very difficult and muddy road conditions (called "rasputitsa" in Russian) that greatly impede the movement of forces and troops. However, these conditions will change with the warmer season ahead, so that the Ukrainian armed forces will then be ideally equipped for an attack.
In other words, if nothing serious happens, we could be weeks away from a major war.
The saker
- The vast majority of Russian analysts do not believe that the US / NATO will attack Russia openly, if only because it would be suicidal (the current military balance in Europe is strongly in Russia's favor, even without the use of hypersonic weapons). What many of them now fear is that "Biden" will unleash the Ukrainian armed forces against the Donbass, "punishing" both Ukraine and Russia (the former for its role in the US presidential campaign). I tend to agree with both of these statements.
At the end of the day, the Anglo-Zionist empire was always racist at its core, and that empire is still racist: for its leaders, the Ukrainian people are just cannon fodder, an irrelevant third-rate nation with no capacity to act that has outlived its utility (US analysts understand, that the US plan for Ukraine ended in another spectacular faceplant that such delusional plans always end with, even if they don't say so publicly). So why not throw these people into a suicidal war not only against the LDNR but also against Russia itself? Sure, Russia will win the military war quickly and decisively, but politically it will be a PR disaster for Russia, as the "democratic West" will always blame Russia
I wrote about the absolutely catastrophic situation in Ukraine three weeks ago ( Ukraine am Rande eines Krieges, 10.03.2021) so I'm not going to repeat everything here, just saying that things have gotten a lot worse since that day: suffice to say that Ukraine moved a lot of heavy tanks to the line of contact while the regime in Kiev is now Banned the import of Russian toilet paper (which tells you what the ruling gang believes is important and much-needed action). While it is true that since the neo-Nazi coup, Ukraine has become a utterly failed state, there is now a marked acceleration in the collapse of not just the regime or the state, but the country as a whole. Ukraine is falling apart so quickly that one could launch an entire website that just tracks this evolving horror, not day by day, but, Hour after hour. Suffice it to say that "Ze" turned out to be even worse than Poroshenko. The only thing Poroshenko has done that "Ze" has not (yet!) Done is start a war. That being said, the rest of what he's done (through action or inaction) can only be described as "more of the same, only worse".
Can a war be prevented?
I dont know. Putin has given the Ukronazis a very strict warning ("serious consequences for the statehood of Ukraine as such"). I don't think for a second that anyone in power in Kiev doesn't give a damn about Ukraine or the Ukrainian statehood, but they are smart enough to see that a Russian counterattack is in defense of the LDNR, and certainly Crimea, precision -Might include strikes "against the leadership" with sophisticated missiles. The Ukronazi leaders would be well advised to realize that they have all drawn crosshairs on their heads. You might also think about it: What happened to every single Wahabi gang leader in Chechnya since the end of the Second Chechen War? (Note: they were all found and executed).
Maybe. We hope so.
But we now have to bear in mind that there are only two options for Ukraine for the foreseeable future: "a terrible end or a horror without end" (Russian expression).
- The best scenario for the people in Ukraine would be a (hopefully relatively peaceful) break-up of the country into manageable parts.
- The worst option would definitely be a full war against Russia.
Judging by the rhetoric coming from Kiev these days, most Ukrainian politicians are firmly in favor of option 2, especially since it is also the only option that is acceptable to their overseas masters. The Ukrainians have also adopted a new military doctrine (they call it "Ukraine's military security strategy") declaring Russia the aggressor state and military opponent of Ukraine:
Decree of the President of Ukraine NO. 121/2021
This could be why Merkel and Macron recently had a video conference with Putin ("Ze" was not invited): Putin could try to convince Merkel and Macron that such a war would be a disaster for Europe. In the meantime, Russia is rapidly increasing its armed forces along the Ukrainian border, including in Crimea.
But all these measures can only deter a regime that has no handle. The outcome will be decided in Washington DC, not Kiev. I fear that the traditional sense of total impunity of US political leaders will once again make them feel that there is very little risk (for them personally or for the US) of starting a war in Ukraine. The latest news on the US-Ukrainian front is the delivery of 350 tons of military equipment by the USN to Odessa. Not enough to be militarily significant, but more than enough to continue inciting the Kiev regime to attack Donbass and / or Crimea.
Indeed, I would trust "Biden" to launch an attack on Iran while the world sees Ukraine and Russia go to war. After all, the other country whose geostrategic position has deteriorated significantly since Russia moved its armed forces to Syria is Israel. The one country that all US politicians will serve faithfully and regardless of cost (including human cost to the US). The Israelis have been calling for war against Iran since at least 2007, and it would be very naive to hope that they don't get their way at some point. Last but not least, there is the crisis that Blinken's condescending chutzpah triggered with China, which so far has only led to an economic war, but which can escalate at any moment,
At the moment, the weather in eastern Ukraine is not conducive to offensive military operations. The snow is still melting, resulting in very difficult and muddy road conditions (called "rasputitsa" in Russian) that greatly impede the movement of forces and troops. However, these conditions will change with the warmer season ahead, so that the Ukrainian armed forces will then be ideally equipped for an attack.
In other words, if nothing serious happens, we could be weeks away from a major war.
The saker
northern watch
TB Fanatic
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TB Fanatic
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TB Fanatic
Unconscionable: Russia is transferring force seven from the... Siberia on the Ukrainian border - Over 250,000 soldiers - Operation Crash of Ukraine!
Columnist: Vasilis Kapoulas
April 4 2021
War News 247
Translated from Greek
WarNews247 is fully confirmed when it wrote that Russia is proceeding with the largest military deployment in its modern history.
The Russian military mobilization has nothing to do with exercises. By the most optimistic calculations, it seems that Moscow has mobilized perhaps over 250,000 soldiers!
The previous estimate was about 200,000 along with administrative support. It seems that this number has been greatly exceeded.
Moscow is transferring forces even from Siberia!
A transfer of forces from Russia's Central and Eastern Military Region has been detected, which means Moscow is transferring forces to the border with Ukraine even from the... Siberia!
In particular, a train was detected carrying tanks and tanks from the Yurga Central Military Region in Siberia to the Russian-Ukrainian border in the Voronezh region.
The 74th Motor Brigade was reportedly transported with T-72B3 tanks. In Yurga there is also the 120th Artillery Brigade.
At the same time, transport and anti-aircraft pantsir S1 systems were detected.
Yesterday we saw transport of S-300 near the Ukrainian border, today we also detected their necessary shield against the UAV Bayraktar TB2.
Finally, the Russian T-72B3 tanks were detected to carry additional fuel cells.
A BTR-82A and BMP-3 transfer to Crimea was detected on 2 April. But no Russian military unit has a BMP-3 in Crimea. It's obvious that the reinforcements are coming from the mainland.
New artillery units were spotted near the town of Rostov, 100 km from the border with Donbass.
Transfers of BM-27 Uragan MLRS from the Western Military Region and T-80U tanks from the 4th Armoured Division in Moscow have also been detected.
Carrying weapons to Kiev the U.S. with C17 Globemaster
At the same time the Americans sent weapons to Kiev in a C17 Globemaster III RCH900 transport that landed at Lvov airport in western Ukraine, directly from the US with refuelling only in Seville, Spain.
At the same time, a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III RCH204/00-0180 landed in Romania along with a Spanish Airbus A400M-180
Aσύλληπτο: Η Ρωσία μεταφέρει δυνάμεις ακόμη και από την… Σιβηρία στα ουκρανικά σύνορα – Πάνω από 250.000 στρατιώτες – Επιχείρηση συντριβής της Ουκρανίας! (βίντεο, χάρτες) - WarNews247
https://warnews247.gr/defteri-eisig...oukrania-to-diakyvevma-einai-poly-megalytero/
Columnist: Vasilis Kapoulas
April 4 2021
War News 247
Translated from Greek
WarNews247 is fully confirmed when it wrote that Russia is proceeding with the largest military deployment in its modern history.
The Russian military mobilization has nothing to do with exercises. By the most optimistic calculations, it seems that Moscow has mobilized perhaps over 250,000 soldiers!
The previous estimate was about 200,000 along with administrative support. It seems that this number has been greatly exceeded.
Moscow is transferring forces even from Siberia!
A transfer of forces from Russia's Central and Eastern Military Region has been detected, which means Moscow is transferring forces to the border with Ukraine even from the... Siberia!
In particular, a train was detected carrying tanks and tanks from the Yurga Central Military Region in Siberia to the Russian-Ukrainian border in the Voronezh region.
The 74th Motor Brigade was reportedly transported with T-72B3 tanks. In Yurga there is also the 120th Artillery Brigade.
At the same time, transport and anti-aircraft pantsir S1 systems were detected.
Yesterday we saw transport of S-300 near the Ukrainian border, today we also detected their necessary shield against the UAV Bayraktar TB2.
Finally, the Russian T-72B3 tanks were detected to carry additional fuel cells.
A BTR-82A and BMP-3 transfer to Crimea was detected on 2 April. But no Russian military unit has a BMP-3 in Crimea. It's obvious that the reinforcements are coming from the mainland.
New artillery units were spotted near the town of Rostov, 100 km from the border with Donbass.
Transfers of BM-27 Uragan MLRS from the Western Military Region and T-80U tanks from the 4th Armoured Division in Moscow have also been detected.
Carrying weapons to Kiev the U.S. with C17 Globemaster
At the same time the Americans sent weapons to Kiev in a C17 Globemaster III RCH900 transport that landed at Lvov airport in western Ukraine, directly from the US with refuelling only in Seville, Spain.
At the same time, a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III RCH204/00-0180 landed in Romania along with a Spanish Airbus A400M-180
Aσύλληπτο: Η Ρωσία μεταφέρει δυνάμεις ακόμη και από την… Σιβηρία στα ουκρανικά σύνορα – Πάνω από 250.000 στρατιώτες – Επιχείρηση συντριβής της Ουκρανίας! (βίντεο, χάρτες) - WarNews247
https://warnews247.gr/defteri-eisig...oukrania-to-diakyvevma-einai-poly-megalytero/
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TB Fanatic
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TB Fanatic
Escalation: Ukraine closed the border in Belarus - "NATO starts patrols in the Ukrainian EES" say the Russians!
Columnist: Vasilis Kapoulas
War News 247
April 4 2021
Translated from Greek
A Ukraine-Belarus incident is underway as Belarusians were banned from entering Ukraine's airport in Odessa.
Something similar had happened with the Russians in 2014 on the eve of the start of the war.
Ukraine: Closed borders to Belarusians
"Only men have problems entering Ukraine. I and several other Belarusian citizens sent us back, they didn't let us through," said an eyewitness who also showed the paper they gave him.
Later, Ukrainian border guards said that "there is an order not to let foreigners enter the country. An exception may be made only by proof of a permanent residence permit or the invitation of an employer."
This incident came after NATO acknowledged belarus' possible involvement in the war in Donbass.
"Russia can use the southern territory of Belarus for aggressive action. We are seeing the large mobilization near Minsk as well as the military deployment south of Belarus."
The map of Belarusian forces on the border with Ukraine
Russian media build climate in favor of direct Russian intervention
Bad developments presemies the public call of her beloved Russian leadership, RT journalist Simonyan who called B . Putin ending with the "Ukraine" case.
"The truth is that Russians living in Donbass have to live in Russia," he said.
And Russian television's Channel 1 launched a public attack on Ukraine, accusing it of "the death of innocents in Donbass".
Later another Russian TV channel spoke of "escalation in Donbass due to the Ukrainian armed forces".
The Russians are taking advantage of the death of the 5-year-old girl...
President of the Douma: Ukraine to pay for 5-year-old girl's death
We had reported yesterday that the death of the 5-year-old girl in Donbass by a Ukrainian UAV loaded with explosives may also be the cause of an invasion. Today this issue is very high in the Russian media.
The president of the Douma, Viachesslav Volodin, has called on Ukraine's leadership to be punished for the girl's death near Donetsk.
It also called on the Council of Europe to exclude Ukraine from its borders.
Ukraine sends new aid
For the first time in days Ukraine resumed force missions on the border with Donbass. In particular, T-72AMT tanks were found in the town of Dnepropetrovsk (Dnepr) heading for Donbass.
At the same time, Ukrainian marines are being deployed to prevent a Russian landing in the west of Mariupol.
U.S. General: Russia wants Ukraine destroyed!
The US general and former COMMANDER of NATO forces in Europe said Russia wants to completely cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea by conquering the Berdyansk, Mariupol and Odessa regions.
"The return of the territories to Ukraine will not take place in one day but it will take a long time" he stressed.
"The US needs a comprehensive Black Sea strategy that includes the whole region, Moldova, Georgia, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria," he added.
Russian media: NATO fighters approved to patrol Ukrainian EES
Russian media claims NATO fighters have been given permission to patrol Ukrainian national airspace near the contact line in Donbass and in the area next to the Russia-Ukraine border.
If that happens, it's not out of the question that the fighters will bomb Russian-speaking positions in Donbass.
The agreement is said to have ended at yesterday's meeting between the deputy head of the office of Ukraine's president, R. Mashovets, and NATO's representative in Ukraine, A. Vinnikov.
Κλιμάκωση: Η Ουκρανία έκλεισε τα σύνορα στην Λευκορωσία – “Το ΝΑΤΟ ξεκινά περιπολίες στον ουκρανικό ΕΕΧ” λένε οι Ρώσοι! (βίντεο) - WarNews247
Columnist: Vasilis Kapoulas
War News 247
April 4 2021
Translated from Greek
A Ukraine-Belarus incident is underway as Belarusians were banned from entering Ukraine's airport in Odessa.
Something similar had happened with the Russians in 2014 on the eve of the start of the war.
Ukraine: Closed borders to Belarusians
"Only men have problems entering Ukraine. I and several other Belarusian citizens sent us back, they didn't let us through," said an eyewitness who also showed the paper they gave him.
Later, Ukrainian border guards said that "there is an order not to let foreigners enter the country. An exception may be made only by proof of a permanent residence permit or the invitation of an employer."
This incident came after NATO acknowledged belarus' possible involvement in the war in Donbass.
"Russia can use the southern territory of Belarus for aggressive action. We are seeing the large mobilization near Minsk as well as the military deployment south of Belarus."
The map of Belarusian forces on the border with Ukraine
Russian media build climate in favor of direct Russian intervention
Bad developments presemies the public call of her beloved Russian leadership, RT journalist Simonyan who called B . Putin ending with the "Ukraine" case.
"The truth is that Russians living in Donbass have to live in Russia," he said.
And Russian television's Channel 1 launched a public attack on Ukraine, accusing it of "the death of innocents in Donbass".
Later another Russian TV channel spoke of "escalation in Donbass due to the Ukrainian armed forces".
The Russians are taking advantage of the death of the 5-year-old girl...
President of the Douma: Ukraine to pay for 5-year-old girl's death
We had reported yesterday that the death of the 5-year-old girl in Donbass by a Ukrainian UAV loaded with explosives may also be the cause of an invasion. Today this issue is very high in the Russian media.
The president of the Douma, Viachesslav Volodin, has called on Ukraine's leadership to be punished for the girl's death near Donetsk.
It also called on the Council of Europe to exclude Ukraine from its borders.
Ukraine sends new aid
For the first time in days Ukraine resumed force missions on the border with Donbass. In particular, T-72AMT tanks were found in the town of Dnepropetrovsk (Dnepr) heading for Donbass.
At the same time, Ukrainian marines are being deployed to prevent a Russian landing in the west of Mariupol.
U.S. General: Russia wants Ukraine destroyed!
The US general and former COMMANDER of NATO forces in Europe said Russia wants to completely cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea by conquering the Berdyansk, Mariupol and Odessa regions.
"The return of the territories to Ukraine will not take place in one day but it will take a long time" he stressed.
"The US needs a comprehensive Black Sea strategy that includes the whole region, Moldova, Georgia, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria," he added.
Russian media: NATO fighters approved to patrol Ukrainian EES
Russian media claims NATO fighters have been given permission to patrol Ukrainian national airspace near the contact line in Donbass and in the area next to the Russia-Ukraine border.
If that happens, it's not out of the question that the fighters will bomb Russian-speaking positions in Donbass.
The agreement is said to have ended at yesterday's meeting between the deputy head of the office of Ukraine's president, R. Mashovets, and NATO's representative in Ukraine, A. Vinnikov.
Κλιμάκωση: Η Ουκρανία έκλεισε τα σύνορα στην Λευκορωσία – “Το ΝΑΤΟ ξεκινά περιπολίες στον ουκρανικό ΕΕΧ” λένε οι Ρώσοι! (βίντεο) - WarNews247
northern watch
TB Fanatic
AlfaMan
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Unconscionable: Russia is transferring force seven from the... Siberia on the Ukrainian border - Over 250,000 soldiers - Operation Crash of Ukraine!
Columnist: Vasilis Kapoulas
April 4 2021
War News 247
Translated from Greek
WarNews247 is fully confirmed when it wrote that Russia is proceeding with the largest military deployment in its modern history.
The Russian military mobilization has nothing to do with exercises. By the most optimistic calculations, it seems that Moscow has mobilized perhaps over 250,000 soldiers!
The previous estimate was about 200,000 along with administrative support. It seems that this number has been greatly exceeded.
Moscow is transferring forces even from Siberia!
A transfer of forces from Russia's Central and Eastern Military Region has been detected, which means Moscow is transferring forces to the border with Ukraine even from the... Siberia!
In particular, a train was detected carrying tanks and tanks from the Yurga Central Military Region in Siberia to the Russian-Ukrainian border in the Voronezh region.
The 74th Motor Brigade was reportedly transported with T-72B3 tanks. In Yurga there is also the 120th Artillery Brigade.
At the same time, transport and anti-aircraft pantsir S1 systems were detected.
Yesterday we saw transport of S-300 near the Ukrainian border, today we also detected their necessary shield against the UAV Bayraktar TB2.
Finally, the Russian T-72B3 tanks were detected to carry additional fuel cells.
A BTR-82A and BMP-3 transfer to Crimea was detected on 2 April. But no Russian military unit has a BMP-3 in Crimea. It's obvious that the reinforcements are coming from the mainland.
New artillery units were spotted near the town of Rostov, 100 km from the border with Donbass.
Transfers of BM-27 Uragan MLRS from the Western Military Region and T-80U tanks from the 4th Armoured Division in Moscow have also been detected.
Carrying weapons to Kiev the U.S. with C17 Globemaster
At the same time the Americans sent weapons to Kiev in a C17 Globemaster III RCH900 transport that landed at Lvov airport in western Ukraine, directly from the US with refuelling only in Seville, Spain.
At the same time, a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III RCH204/00-0180 landed in Romania along with a Spanish Airbus A400M-180
Aσύλληπτο: Η Ρωσία μεταφέρει δυνάμεις ακόμη και από την… Σιβηρία στα ουκρανικά σύνορα – Πάνω από 250.000 στρατιώτες – Επιχείρηση συντριβής της Ουκρανίας! (βίντεο, χάρτες) - WarNews247
Δεύτερη αναφορά εναντίον ΗΠΑ σε Ερντογάν: “Μείνε μακριά από τη σύγκρουση στην Ουκρανία – Το διακύβευμα είναι πολύ μεγαλύτερο” - WarNews247
Good information here. Also, a note on the extra "fuel cells" on those T-72s. They're not fuel cells, they're essentially the metric equivalent of our 55 gallon drums with plumbing to feed into the tanks' internal fuel tanks.
Soviet tanks are generally a bit smaller and lighter than ours-the autoloader and ammo storage inside take up quite a bit of room. So, the fuel storage internally is a bit less than it probably should be.
northern watch
TB Fanatic
Doomer Doug
TB Fanatic
No. The end of april at the latest.
Countrymouse
Country exile in the city
interesting.............given a few comments made in a thread in the REL sig last year by jed turtle, re April 2021.... (that's all; no thread drift---go search in REL if interested)
jward
passin' thru
Shelters reportedly opened in Donetsk today
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
Ukrainians complete crew training for US cutters
Ukrainians complete crew training for US cutters | KyivPost - Ukraine's Global Voice
BALTIMORE, Maryland — Ukrainian sailors completed training to crew two more vessels the U.S. is giving to the Ukrainian Navy as part of America’s military assistance program. The sailors were praised...
kyivpost.com
www.kyivpost.com
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
Ukrainians complete crew training for US cutters
Ukrainians complete crew training for US cutters | KyivPost - Ukraine's Global Voice
BALTIMORE, Maryland — Ukrainian sailors completed training to crew two more vessels the U.S. is giving to the Ukrainian Navy as part of America’s military assistance program. The sailors were praised...
kyivpost.com
Ukrainians complete crew training for US cutters - Apr. 04, 2021
BALTIMORE, Maryland — Ukrainian sailors completed training to crew two more vessels the U.S. is… - Apr. 04, 2021. By Askold Krushelnycky
jward
passin' thru
CIT (en)
@CITeam_en
Conflict Intelligence Team. Русская версия:
@CITeam_ru
Moscow, Russiaciteam.org/?lang=en
Joined May 2015
39 Following
10.4K Followers
CIT (en)
3 Apr, 5 tweets, 4 min read
Russian convoy watch update: there's been a minor but troubling development.
@GirkinGirkin spotted two videos where we can either hear or see for ourselves that parts of the Russian trucks' number plates are obscured: namely the 2-digit codes that denote a military district.
1/
@mentions 2/
Both videos appear to show the same or very similar convoys, and both were filmed around Rostov on the M4 highway, facing north.
Further north, that highway runs just past the Ukrainian border.
@mentions 3/
We can't be sure where the convoys were heading.
But we know that the obscured number plates are significant, because recently we spotted a video from the border region of Voronezh (Western military district) showing military trucks with a Central Military District code (76)
@mentions 4/
The Central district does not even border Ukraine, and troops from there have no business being near Ukraine outside of a major exercise or something more sinister.
Moreover, we've seen footage of military trains passing towns in Siberia and the Urals - also in that district.
@mentions 5/5
Taken together, this evidence suggests that troops from Russia's hinterlands are also being moved towards Ukraine - and judging by the obscured district codes, the military does not want us to know this.
We will continue monitoring the situation closely.
@CITeam_en
Conflict Intelligence Team. Русская версия:
@CITeam_ru
Moscow, Russiaciteam.org/?lang=en
Joined May 2015
39 Following
10.4K Followers
CIT (en)
3 Apr, 5 tweets, 4 min read
Russian convoy watch update: there's been a minor but troubling development.
@GirkinGirkin spotted two videos where we can either hear or see for ourselves that parts of the Russian trucks' number plates are obscured: namely the 2-digit codes that denote a military district.
1/
@mentions 2/
Both videos appear to show the same or very similar convoys, and both were filmed around Rostov on the M4 highway, facing north.
Further north, that highway runs just past the Ukrainian border.
@mentions 3/
We can't be sure where the convoys were heading.
But we know that the obscured number plates are significant, because recently we spotted a video from the border region of Voronezh (Western military district) showing military trucks with a Central Military District code (76)
@mentions 4/
The Central district does not even border Ukraine, and troops from there have no business being near Ukraine outside of a major exercise or something more sinister.
Moreover, we've seen footage of military trains passing towns in Siberia and the Urals - also in that district.
@mentions 5/5
Taken together, this evidence suggests that troops from Russia's hinterlands are also being moved towards Ukraine - and judging by the obscured district codes, the military does not want us to know this.
We will continue monitoring the situation closely.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Is Putin about to launch a new offensive in Ukraine?
UkraineAlert by Peter Dickinson
ConflictRussiaUkraine
A Russian soldier pictured during the 2014 military takeover of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. In recent weeks, a major Russian military build-up in occupied Crimea and close to the border with eastern Ukraine has sparked fears of a possible imminent escalation in the seven-year conflict between the two countries. (REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov)
Russia has sparked alarm in Ukraine and throughout the international community in recent days by massing its armed forces close to the Ukrainian border. The military build-up has raised fears of a possible Russian offensive that could push beyond the areas of eastern Ukraine currently under Kremlin control and lead to a dramatic escalation in the simmering seven-year conflict between the two countries.
Ukraine’s Western partners have responded to the threat by voicing their support for Ukrainian sovereignty and calling on Russia to end its aggressive actions. As tensions mounted late last week, US President Joe Biden made his long-awaited first call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and “affirmed the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea.”
As details of Russia’s troop movements emerged, the US European Command raised its alert status to the highest level. Some military observers believe the Kremlin may be engaged in strategic posturing in order to intimidate Zelenskyy and test the resolve of the new Biden administration. However, a number of factors point to the possibility of a looming Russian offensive.
At home, Putin faces parliamentary elections in September with his approval ratings in a slump and support for his United Russia political party collapsing. A military adventure in nearby Ukraine could act as a convenient distraction and serve to revitalize Putin’s personal popularity. In a worrying indication of Moscow’s intentions, the Kremlin-controlled Russian media has recently stepped up its propaganda attacks on Ukraine and begun accusing the Ukrainian authorities of plotting an offensive of their own.
Hopes of achieving a favorable peace agreement with Zelenskyy have also now largely evaporated. When the Russian-speaking former comic was elected as Ukraine’s sixth president in spring 2019, there was some initial optimism in Moscow that he would prove more ready to concede on key issues in order to secure peace. Instead, Zelenskyy has refused to budge on the fundamentals of Ukrainian sovereignty in the occupied east, and has resisted Russian attempts to distance itself from the conflict. In recent months, Zelenskyy has also infuriated Moscow by targeting the Kremlin’s allies in Ukraine, including Putin’s personal friend and close ally, Viktor Medvedchuk.
Growing Russian frustrations have led to an upsurge in violence in eastern Ukraine since the beginning of 2021. On March 26, four Ukrainian soldiers were killed by Russian shelling, taking the death toll for the year to at least 19 Ukrainian servicemen.
A large-scale invasion by conventional forces would represent a major escalation in Russia’s seven-year campaign of aggression against Ukraine. Since fighting first erupted in eastern Ukraine in 2014, the Kremlin has sought to maintain a veil of plausible deniability by deploying limited numbers of conventional troops alongside hybrid forces comprised of mercenaries, volunteers, and local collaborators. If the Russian army units gathering close to Ukraine are deployed, it would mark an entirely new stage in the conflict that would have grave implications for international security.
The Atlantic Council invited a range of experts to share their views on what Russia’s current military build-up could mean for Ukraine and the international community.
John Herbst, Director, Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council: Moscow is back to playing brinkmanship in Ukraine. Over the past weeks, it has built up military forces in northern Crimea and along Ukraine’s eastern border. Russian officials and senior media figures have spread the lies that Kyiv is preparing a military offensive and shelling civilians in occupied eastern Ukraine. All of this could be preparation for a new Kremlin offensive. The aim might be to seize Mariupol or the canal in Kherson Oblast taking water from the Dnipro River to Crimea, or Russia may seek to introduce “peacekeepers” into the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk Peoples Republics.
Alternatively, it might simply be an effort to force concessions from President Zelenskyy and test US President Joe Biden. If that is the case, Biden has passed the test. Washington bombarded Kyiv with telephone calls last week, with calls coming from Biden himself, NSC Adviser Sullivan, Secretary of State Blinken, Secretary of Defense Austin, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Milley, all offering support for Ukraine as it faces this latest provocation. To ensure that the Kremlin got the message, Milley also called Moscow.
All of this reduces the odds that Moscow will strike. But the feckless response from Berlin and Paris, calling on both Russia AND Ukraine to avoid provocative steps, does the opposite. It is now time for Washington to provide additional leadership by announcing conditional sanctions that would be levied on Russia if it escalates in Ukraine. The sanctions could be placed on a major bank such as Vnesheconombank, but certainly on Nord Stream 2.
www.atlanticcouncil.org
UkraineAlert by Peter Dickinson
ConflictRussiaUkraine
A Russian soldier pictured during the 2014 military takeover of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. In recent weeks, a major Russian military build-up in occupied Crimea and close to the border with eastern Ukraine has sparked fears of a possible imminent escalation in the seven-year conflict between the two countries. (REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov)
Russia has sparked alarm in Ukraine and throughout the international community in recent days by massing its armed forces close to the Ukrainian border. The military build-up has raised fears of a possible Russian offensive that could push beyond the areas of eastern Ukraine currently under Kremlin control and lead to a dramatic escalation in the simmering seven-year conflict between the two countries.
Ukraine’s Western partners have responded to the threat by voicing their support for Ukrainian sovereignty and calling on Russia to end its aggressive actions. As tensions mounted late last week, US President Joe Biden made his long-awaited first call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and “affirmed the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea.”
As details of Russia’s troop movements emerged, the US European Command raised its alert status to the highest level. Some military observers believe the Kremlin may be engaged in strategic posturing in order to intimidate Zelenskyy and test the resolve of the new Biden administration. However, a number of factors point to the possibility of a looming Russian offensive.
At home, Putin faces parliamentary elections in September with his approval ratings in a slump and support for his United Russia political party collapsing. A military adventure in nearby Ukraine could act as a convenient distraction and serve to revitalize Putin’s personal popularity. In a worrying indication of Moscow’s intentions, the Kremlin-controlled Russian media has recently stepped up its propaganda attacks on Ukraine and begun accusing the Ukrainian authorities of plotting an offensive of their own.
Hopes of achieving a favorable peace agreement with Zelenskyy have also now largely evaporated. When the Russian-speaking former comic was elected as Ukraine’s sixth president in spring 2019, there was some initial optimism in Moscow that he would prove more ready to concede on key issues in order to secure peace. Instead, Zelenskyy has refused to budge on the fundamentals of Ukrainian sovereignty in the occupied east, and has resisted Russian attempts to distance itself from the conflict. In recent months, Zelenskyy has also infuriated Moscow by targeting the Kremlin’s allies in Ukraine, including Putin’s personal friend and close ally, Viktor Medvedchuk.
Growing Russian frustrations have led to an upsurge in violence in eastern Ukraine since the beginning of 2021. On March 26, four Ukrainian soldiers were killed by Russian shelling, taking the death toll for the year to at least 19 Ukrainian servicemen.
A large-scale invasion by conventional forces would represent a major escalation in Russia’s seven-year campaign of aggression against Ukraine. Since fighting first erupted in eastern Ukraine in 2014, the Kremlin has sought to maintain a veil of plausible deniability by deploying limited numbers of conventional troops alongside hybrid forces comprised of mercenaries, volunteers, and local collaborators. If the Russian army units gathering close to Ukraine are deployed, it would mark an entirely new stage in the conflict that would have grave implications for international security.
The Atlantic Council invited a range of experts to share their views on what Russia’s current military build-up could mean for Ukraine and the international community.
John Herbst, Director, Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council: Moscow is back to playing brinkmanship in Ukraine. Over the past weeks, it has built up military forces in northern Crimea and along Ukraine’s eastern border. Russian officials and senior media figures have spread the lies that Kyiv is preparing a military offensive and shelling civilians in occupied eastern Ukraine. All of this could be preparation for a new Kremlin offensive. The aim might be to seize Mariupol or the canal in Kherson Oblast taking water from the Dnipro River to Crimea, or Russia may seek to introduce “peacekeepers” into the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk Peoples Republics.
Alternatively, it might simply be an effort to force concessions from President Zelenskyy and test US President Joe Biden. If that is the case, Biden has passed the test. Washington bombarded Kyiv with telephone calls last week, with calls coming from Biden himself, NSC Adviser Sullivan, Secretary of State Blinken, Secretary of Defense Austin, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Milley, all offering support for Ukraine as it faces this latest provocation. To ensure that the Kremlin got the message, Milley also called Moscow.
All of this reduces the odds that Moscow will strike. But the feckless response from Berlin and Paris, calling on both Russia AND Ukraine to avoid provocative steps, does the opposite. It is now time for Washington to provide additional leadership by announcing conditional sanctions that would be levied on Russia if it escalates in Ukraine. The sanctions could be placed on a major bank such as Vnesheconombank, but certainly on Nord Stream 2.
Is Putin about to launch a new offensive in Ukraine?
Russia has sparked alarm in recent days by massing its armed forces close to the Ukrainian border. The military build-up has raised fears of a dramatic escalation in the simmering seven-year conflict between the two countries.
www.atlanticcouncil.org
naegling62
Veteran Member
When you look at history a lot of bad things are associated with the end of April.
naegling62
Veteran Member
Well as long as they stick to the main deviant metropolitan areas it's a win win.
Lurker
14
My wife was born at the end of April......hey....wait a minute!!!!
Ractivist
Pride comes before the fall.....Pride month ended.
So wa
So was mine, thanks for the reminder......