WAR RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE - Consolidated Thread

M

mecoastie

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Repairman-Jack said:
<shrug>

' "Don't sleep beyond dawn. Dawn's when the French and Indians attack" is a common saying in the context of the French and Indian War, specifically associated with the Rogers' Rangers.'

Maybe something to do with human alertness of defenders?

The tech doesn't really care, it will be harder to detect drones visually at night.
Click to expand...
Traditionally it is when your enemy is at its least alert. The night watch is at their most tired and the rest of the camp is just waking up. Additionally, if you attack out of the sun they will have the sun in their eyes. To counter this you would have your whole camp mustered and ready before dawn. Waiting just in case.
 
CaryC

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Countrymouse said:
Interesting point.

The same thing was mentioned in "Alas! Babylon"--that the traditional hour Russians liked to attack was just before or at dawn. I don't know if that's just a Russian / eastern European thing, or is practical from some military standpoint.

Maybe those of our members with military experience/knowledge could chime in on this.
Click to expand...
Attacking before dawn, and even better in the 2-4:00 hours has been a strategy going back to the Indian Wars.

Granted it was a bit more difficult without night vision goggles, but still done. Slipping in a cutting a guards throat was normal.

Standing guard is THE hardest job in the military. With nothing going on, the guard has a tendency to zone out, become complacent and sleepy, and is also the reason it carries severe penalties if caught sleeping on duty.
 
wait-n-see

wait-n-see

Veteran Member

Lavrov Harshly Blames UK For Kiev Dirty War Hints Retaliation; Huge Missile/Drone Strike Hits Kiev​

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNSpCnRELms

Run time - 59:57
Jun 10, 2025

0:00 - Report on Russian missile and drone strike on Kiev

1:00 - Ukraine's claims of shooting down missiles and drones

2:04 - Independent reports dispute Ukrainian claims

4:06 - Ukraine's new Patriot missile battery from Israel

6:00 - Deterioration of Ukraine's air defenses

7:30 - Increase in Russian drone production

9:32 - Ukrainian frontline drone shortages

10:56 - Impact of Russian air and missile strikes on Ukraine

11:39 - Russian advances in Sunumi region

12:32 - Russian advances south of Constantin

13:44 - Ukrainian troop numbers and defense strategy

16:00 - Challenges for Ukrainian troops due to Russian drones

17:04 - Increasingly grave situation for Ukraine

18:45 - Ukraine's asymmetrical warfare tactics

20:45 - Russian Foreign Minister's accusations against Britain

22:59 - Russian intelligence on Western intentions

26:07 - Discussion on attack on Russian air bases

28:04 - Western involvement in attacks on Russian air bases

32:25 - Russian belief in third-party involvement in attacks

34:07 - Possible Russian retaliation against British interests

38:00 - Speculation on Russian attack on British embassy in Kiev

42:03 - Potential consequences for Britain

46:03 - Economic and military implications for Britain

50:16 - Need for Britain to reassess its involvement in Ukraine

55:00 - Urgent need for Britain to distance itself from Ukraine conflict
 
Countrymouse

Countrymouse

Country exile in the city
wait-n-see

wait-n-see

Veteran Member
:prfl::prfl:

They were unable to get Graham's 500% 2dary sanctions included so they had to go with what they only had from the EU.

@@@

EU Demands Putin Cease Fire – Slashes Oil Revenues and Freezes Russian Banks​

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDoai2ItqnE

Run time - 7:07
Jun 10, 2025

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia, warning that Putin’s regime is not interested in peace but seeks to impose force. Despite Ukraine’s call for an unconditional ceasefire, Russia continues its aggression, prompting the EU to intensify economic pressure.


The new measures include:
  • A transaction ban on Nord Stream 1 and 2, ending any future engagement.
  • A lowered oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel.
  • Sanctions on 77 more ships in Russia’s “shadow fleet” evading oil sanctions.
  • A ban on imports of refined products derived from Russian crude.
  • A full transaction ban on 22 Russian banks, expanding the SWIFT-related restrictions.
  • Measures targeting third-country financial operators circumventing sanctions.
  • Sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund and its subsidiaries.
  • New export bans worth €2.5 billion on critical goods, including dual-use tech used in drones and missiles.
  • Designation of 22 Russian and foreign companies enabling Moscow’s military-industrial base.
Von der Leyen reaffirmed that Russia’s war economy is collapsing, but only a real, unconditional ceasefire can open the door to peace. The EU remains united in denying Putin the resources to continue his war.
 
Doc1

Doc1

Has No Life - Lives on TB
CaryC said:
Attacking before dawn, and even better in the 2-4:00 hours has been a strategy going back to the Indian Wars.

Granted it was a bit more difficult without night vision goggles, but still done. Slipping in a cutting a guards throat was normal.

Standing guard is THE hardest job in the military. With nothing going on, the guard has a tendency to zone out, become complacent and sleepy, and is also the reason it carries severe penalties if caught sleeping on duty.
Click to expand...

Agreed! I was guilty of this exactly one time. After a week of hard patrolling, we returned to our base and as luck would have it, I drew guard duty that same night. I tried to stay awake. I really did. As fate would have it, the next thing I knew our lieutenant was gently shaking me awake. He was a good man and I only received a quiet admonishment to stay awake.

Best
Doc
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
GeoInsider
@InsiderGeo

Moscow says it will end the war in Ukraine once NATO pulls its troops out of the Baltic states, according to Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. He told state news agency TASS that NATO’s expansion eastward is the root cause of the conflict. This echoes Russia’s pre-2022 demands for NATO to retreat to its 1997 borders, including withdrawing troops from the Baltics and Eastern Europe.

This is what I’ve been saying for a long time Russia’s negotiations with US and Ukraine aren’t just about the Baltics or territory in Ukraine but about pushing NATO out of the entire Eastern European region. I doubt they can actually achieve this, but it remains one of their main demands.
10:36 AM · Jun 10, 2025
·
6,467
Views
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
GeoInsider
@InsiderGeo
1h

BREAKING: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirms upcoming budget includes a reduction in military aid to Ukraine, citing a shift toward pursuing a "negotiated peaceful settlement." No details yet on the scale of the cuts.
 
C

Cedar Lake

Connecticut Yankee
wait-n-see said:
:prfl::prfl:

They were unable to get Graham's 500% 2dary sanctions included so they had to go with what they only had from the EU.

@@@

EU Demands Putin Cease Fire – Slashes Oil Revenues and Freezes Russian Banks​

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDoai2ItqnE

Run time - 7:07
Jun 10, 2025

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia, warning that Putin’s regime is not interested in peace but seeks to impose force. Despite Ukraine’s call for an unconditional ceasefire, Russia continues its aggression, prompting the EU to intensify economic pressure.


The new measures include:
  • A transaction ban on Nord Stream 1 and 2, ending any future engagement.
  • A lowered oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel.
  • Sanctions on 77 more ships in Russia’s “shadow fleet” evading oil sanctions.
  • A ban on imports of refined products derived from Russian crude.
  • A full transaction ban on 22 Russian banks, expanding the SWIFT-related restrictions.
  • Measures targeting third-country financial operators circumventing sanctions.
  • Sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund and its subsidiaries.
  • New export bans worth €2.5 billion on critical goods, including dual-use tech used in drones and missiles.
  • Designation of 22 Russian and foreign companies enabling Moscow’s military-industrial base.
Von der Leyen reaffirmed that Russia’s war economy is collapsing, but only a real, unconditional ceasefire can open the door to peace. The EU remains united in denying Putin the resources to continue his war.
Click to expand...
Hmm...
  • A lowered oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel.
  • Break-even price for U.S. oil companies is 50.00 per barrel. (Domestic)
  • A ban on imports of refined products derived from Russian crude. (All Diesel, right?)
 
A

Abert

Veteran Member
Doc1 said:
Agreed! I was guilty of this exactly one time. After a week of hard patrolling, we returned to our base and as luck would have it, I drew guard duty that same night. I tried to stay awake. I really did. As fate would have it, the next thing I knew our lieutenant was gently shaking me awake. He was a good man and I only received a quiet admonishment to stay awake.

Best
Doc
Click to expand...
Can be hard to keep awake at times - in flight training we were doing a LOT of night flights and getting VERY little sleep.
One evening operating out of a staging field we were lined up waiting to take off. The helicopter on the take off pad had just done a 90 deg turn (standard to verify clear) then NOTHING - sitting on the pad - no radio ???
Turns out the pilot had FALLEN ASLEEP at the controls!!! After this event - we did get a bit more sleep time!!
 
A

Abert

Veteran Member
Countrymouse said:
And I don't understand this at all.

Has Israel been taking a side in the Ukraine conflict up to this point?
Click to expand...
I am sure it was done more to gain favor with Biden and crew as opposed to any hard support for Ukraine.
These were systems and missiles they had no use for (good indication on how well they worked) likely sitting in storage.
The US was looking under rocks for ANY systems they could obtain - I am sure they did not go for FREE.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Clash Report
@clashreport
3m

Russia's Medinsky on the war in Ukraine:

This is like a conflict between two brothers—one older and one younger—about who is smarter and more important. This conflict sadly deepens our differences, and that’s why we want it to end as soon as possible.

Source: WSJ
 
wait-n-see

wait-n-see

Veteran Member
Abert said:
Well there is at least on thinking person on the Trump team - hope she can balance off the war wing
3 min video - excellent.
Click to expand...

As DNI, she needs to figure out how to shut down the deep state intelligence department, that she is in charge off, that is continuing the cold war operations intended to defeat Russia before they get out of hand, like they almost did last week with the attack on the Russian bombers.

And then Trump needs to tell British, German and French intelligence to back off as well or we will cut them off. The rest of NATO will fall in line like a scared puppy after that.
 
wait-n-see

wait-n-see

Veteran Member
Yes, Russia is Escalating the War with Ukraine

10 June 2025 by Larry C. Johnson

I apologize for not posting on Monday, but the schedule of events surrounding my visit to Moscow made it impossible for me to park myself in front of my computer. I did get to spend some time with Errol Musk (father of Elon), George Galloway, Pepe Escobar and Alexander Duggin. On Monday, I was part of a panel that hosted Foreign Minister Lavrov, who made some news with his comments about Tony Blinken, Biden’s Secretary of State:

The mouth was a cliff. CIA Director W. Burns was coming. He tried (in the presentation of the Americans) to pull us away from the “impartable” decision to attack Ukraine. We told them that our concern was not to attack someone, but to protect our legitimate security interests. Then the draft agreement between Russia and NATO was presented, as well as a draft treaty between Russia and the United States, which clearly outlined the interests of Russia’s security, but not to the detriment of the security of our neighbors. On both documents, we met in January 2022 with the then US Secretary of State E. Blinken in Geneva. We were actually ignored. The tasks that have been put forward and that we are now solving in the framework of a special military operation have been called unacceptable. No guarantee of Ukraine’s non-accession to NATO. Don’t even think about it.
U.S. Secretary of State E. Blinken told me that the maximum is that we are creating medium- and shorter-range ground missiles. This is a class that was banned by the INF Treaty, where the United States came out. They have not responded or to respond to our call in the absence of a treaty to make two parallel, non-related moratoriums. Blinken proposed to agree that the United States in a certain amount will deploy ground RIAC in Ukraine. And Russia, they say, will also make such a commitment near the Ukrainian border. The “ceiling” will be provided. A week later, at the Munich Security Conference, V.A. Zelensky was hysterically shouting that no one would ban Ukraine from joining NATO. He was applauded. A week later, in a gross violation of the Minsk agreements, the shelling of Donbass increased by 10-15 times. When the “plan B” was ready to implement – not through the Minsk agreements to end that war, but through the violent seizure of small territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, which were not under the control of Kiev, we have no choice.
Click to expand...

Lavrov also had some choice words for the Brits in response to my question. I asked:

What problems or obstacles or challenges do you envision as Russia now shifts from a special military operation to a counter-terrorism operation?
Click to expand...

Mr. Lavrov responded as follows:

This concerns us not only because of what happened earlier this month but also because the Kiev regime has used these methods in one form or another (perhaps not so bluntly as it was done in the Bryansk and Kursk regions) since the very beginning. I can name any territory where hostilities occurred, and the outcome will be the same. I believe the Kursk Region is the most telling example. The Russian armed forces clarify which sites on Ukrainian territory they targeted. These are the sites associated with the military, such as military units, locations where equipment is concentrated, or former civilian sites used by the armed forces or the Security Service of Ukraine.
As concerns the Kursk Region, we have all seen what the Ukrainian Nazis did there. There is not a single site that could be presented to the “audience” as a site associated with combat activity. Therefore, it is not surprising for us. During his last meeting with the Government, President of Russia Vladimir Putin clearly said what conclusion we have reached. We will proceed from that.
This is a rather serious threat. Obviously, Ukraine is responsible for all that but it would be helpless without the support of the Anglo-Saxons. We can omit the Saxons now and just say, without the support of the English. It is possible that, by inertia, US intelligence services are still involved, but the British are involved 100 percent. Measures should be taken not only by Russia’s Federal Security Service (it has a load of work) but also the Interior Ministry, the National Guard, and other security services. It is important to enhance what we used to call public vigilance. This is being taken care of. You are right when you say that there are higher risks of terrorist acts. We can see it. We will do anything to suppress these threats and prevent harm to the Russian public.
Click to expand...

Today, I interviewed retired Lt. General Evgeny Buzhinsky, who served in the International Treaty Department of the Main Directorate of International Military Cooperation of the Russian Ministry of Defense. I asked him specifically about the importance, or lack thereof, of the Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian airfields that host some of Russia’s strategic bombers. He said that people should not read too much into his public silence on the matter because Putin viewed this act as a betrayal by London and Washington of the New Start Agreement. The General specifically said, “Putin was furious.” The General went on to say that this moment marked the closest that the United States and Russia have come to the brink of nuclear war since the Cuban missile crisis. I hope to post the video on Thursday and you can watch him yourself.

I talking to the General I also gleaned some other important insights into Russia’s military strategy. When I asked, “Why hasn’t Russia destroyed the bridges over the Dnieper River, which would cutoff the Ukrainian army from its vital logistics needs?” he laughed and said, “I have wondered that myself.”

But then he went on to explain what he believed was the reason (some of this conversation happened off camera), “If Russia had destroyed the bridges early on in the Special Military Operation, it would have left the bulk of Ukraine’s army intact on the west side of the river.” So, now? Destroying the bridges may now make sense. It will cut off what is left of Ukraine’s army and facilitate Russia gaining control of all of Eastern Ukraine.

I did mange to squeeze in my regular Monday appearances with Nima and with Judge Napolitano:

Larry C. Johnson: Russia Goes All-In: Ukraine’s Defenses Are Crumbling Fast!​

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssuTZH9zndI

Run time - 50:52
Jun 9, 2025

Larry Johnson : LIVE FROM MOSCOW: What the Russians Are Thinking.​

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mZTuOPQjz4

Run time - 24:48
Jun 9, 2025
 
T

tanstaafl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Countrymouse said:
And I don't understand this at all.

Has Israel been taking a side in the Ukraine conflict up to this point?
Click to expand...
When Israel attacked Iran not so long ago with airstrikes, they apparently made a point of destroying a factory where Iran was making drones to send to Russia. As far as I'm concerned, that meant Israel had joined the war on the side of the Ukraine.
 
Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
Best Trolling headline of the day - from the UK Daily Mail who know exactly how well this will go over in the United Kingdom - Melodi

'British mothers must accept their sons have to die to defend Finland, or there is no NATO': Chilling warning as Putin looks to test if Europe will stand up to his forces​

www.dailymail.co.uk

'British mothers must accept sons have to die to defend Finland'

Ukraine's former foreign minister has starkly warned that British mothers must accept their sons have to die defending Europe, otherwise there is no NATO.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk

'British mothers must accept their sons have to die to defend Finland, or there is no NATO': Chilling warning as Putin looks to test if Europe will stand up to his forces
By PERKIN AMALARAJ

Published: 13:34, 11 June 2025 | Updated: 15:28, 11 June 2025


Ukraine's former foreign minister has starkly warned that British mothers must accept their sons have to die defending Europe, otherwise there is no NATO.

Dmytro Kuleba, who was in office between March 2020 and September 2024, told Metro that Vladimir Putin's goal was to 'expose' the 'falsehood' of the NATO alliance, which has a mutual assistance clause that compels its members to fight for each other in the event of an attack of another member.

He said: 'Putin may invade NATO territory soon – so now what? Is NATO going to send a division to fight back?'

‘Many people believe that the real test for NATO is whether the US is going to fight for Europe.

‘The real test will be whether British mothers will actually accept that their sons have to die for Finland or Estonia or Poland. If they don’t, there is no NATO.'

The chilling warning comes after Germany's spy chief warned that Putin is plotting to attack a NATO territory to test the bloc's mutual assistance clause.

‘This is is how World War II started. “Why fight for Danzig [now the city of Gdańsk]? Let’s give it to Hitler, it is just a city in Poland. Why should we die for it?” That was the question asked by western European nations [at the time].

‘And this is exactly the question that Putin is going to pose to NATO. Europe is already spending money on weapons, but it has to do so much faster.


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Dmytro Kuleba, who was in office between March 2020 and September 2024, told Metro that Vladimir Putin 's goal was to 'expose' the 'falsehood' of the NATO alliance
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Dmytro Kuleba, who was in office between March 2020 and September 2024, told Metro that Vladimir Putin 's goal was to 'expose' the 'falsehood' of the NATO alliance

A High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) of Ukrainian army fires close to the frontline at the northern Kherson region, Ukraine, 5 November 2022
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A High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) of Ukrainian army fires close to the frontline at the northern Kherson region, Ukraine, 5 November 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, 10 June 2025
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Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, 10 June 2025

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‘But the real question is, who is going to tell the voters that the threat of the war is real?’

Kubela said his warning comes from personal experience, telling Metro that as Minister of Foreign Affairs during Russia's invasion, he made the mistake of believing that Russia would withdraw after losing 'like 10,000, 20,000 soldiers.'

But as Russia nears the point of having one million soldiers killed or wounded in Ukraine since war broke out in February 2022, he pleaded with British citizens not to underestimate Putin.

He said: ‘People in Britain or any other country can listen to what I’m saying or they can decide that I am a warmongering Ukrainian who is trying to pull them into my war.

‘I am perfectly fine with any choice they make. What I can say, what I can urge them, is not to repeat our mistakes.

‘The biggest mistake Ukraine made was that we did not believe that this can happen to us on this scale. We, in Ukraine, also believed that it is not going to happen to us because Putin would never dare to do it.

‘So this is the mistake that people are making. I look around in Europe and I just see the same pattern happening. The same pattern of behaviour.

‘Do you think that if Ukraine was able to attack airfields in Russia, 1,000 miles away from Ukraine, Russia is not able to attack any piece of infrastructure in any European country? That would be a very, very big mistake to think so.’

Earlier, Bruno Kahl, the outgoing head of Germany's federal intelligence service (BND), said in a rare interview that it has 'concrete' evidence that Russia no longer believes NATO's Article 5 will be honoured.

This is the clause which guarantees that if one member is attacked, all others will come to its aid.

He told the German podcast Table Briefings: 'We see that NATO is supposed to be tested in its mutual assistance promise. There are people in Moscow who don't believe that NATO article 5 still works.'

He said: 'We are very sure, and we have intelligence evidence to back this up, that [Russia's full-scale invasion of] Ukraine is only one step on Russia's path towards the west.'

But Kahl was quick to say: 'This doesn't mean that we expect large tank battalions to roll from the east to the west.'

He added that Russia didn't need to do this, as they could simply send 'little green men to Estonia to protect supposedly oppressed Russian minorities.'

Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea involved occupation of buildings and offices by Russian soldiers in unmarked uniforms and civilian clothes, who came to be known as the 'little green men' when Moscow initially denied their identity.

Bruno Kahl, the outgoing head of Germany's federal intelligence service (BND), said in a rare interview that it has 'concrete' evidence that Russia no longer believes NATO's Article 5 will be honoured


Kahl, who is set to become Germany's ambassador to the Vatican, did not specify which officials in Moscow were thinking along these lines.

He said that Moscow's ultimate aim was to push NATO back to its 1990s borders, 'kick out' the US from Europe and aggressively expand its influence.

'We need to nip this in the bud', he said.

Key to NATO cooperation, he pointed out, was the US and its enormous army.

Kahl said his contacts with U.S. counterparts had left him convinced they took the Russian threat seriously.

'They take it as seriously as us, thank God,' he said.

It comes after NATO boss Mark Rutte warned that Britons should start learning Russian if the UK doesn't ramp up defence spending.

Mark Rutte issued the chilling message while in London for talks with PM Sir Keir Starmer, ahead of a NATO summit later this month.

NATO allies are expected to be asked at the gathering to agree a commitment on allocating 3.5 per cent of GDP to core defence spending by the 2030s.

A further 1.5 per cent of GDP would be required for 'defence-related expenditure' under Mr Rutte's plan to strengthen the alliance.


Bruno Kahl (pictured) said: 'We are very sure, and we have intelligence evidence to back this up, that [Russia's full-scale invasion of] Ukraine is only one step on Russia's path towards the west'

It follows pressure from US President Donald Trump on European members of NATO to hike their military budgets.

There are questions about how the UK would fund such an huge increase - roughly equivalent to an extra £30billion annually.

Britain allocated 2.33 per cent of GDP to defence last year, and Sir Keir has only committed to reaching 2.5 per cent by April 2027.


Speaking at Chatham House on Monday, Mr Rutte was asked if he believed Chancellor Rachel Reeves should raise taxes to meet NATO's commitments.

The NATO secretary-general replied: 'It's not up to me to decide, of course, how countries pay the bill.

'Look, if you do not do this, if you would not go to the 5 per cent, including the 3.5 per cent core defence spending, you could still have the NHS... the pension system etc., but you had better learn to speak Russian.'

Mr Rutte would not reveal the deadline for when he hopes NATO allies will spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence.

Asked about a deadline, he told reporters: 'I have a clear view on when we should achieve that.

'I keep that to myself, because we are having these consultations now with allies, and these discussions are ongoing.

'We will in the end agree on a date when we have to be there.'
 
Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
More "information" from the UK Daily Mail - I think I understand today's official "message" (hit with a hammer on the head).

www.dailymail.co.uk

Russia planning attack on NATO as a test, says Germany spy chief

Vladimir Putin is plotting to attack a NATO territory to test the bloc's mutual assistance clause, Germany's spy chief has warned.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk


Russia is planning an attack on NATO territory to test the Western alliance's joint defence, German spy chief warns
By PERKIN AMALARAJ

Published: 10:01, 11 June 2025 | Updated: 10:05, 11 June 2025


Vladimir Putin is plotting to attack a NATO territory to test the bloc's mutual assistance clause, Germany's spy chief has warned.

Bruno Kahl, the outgoing head of Germany's federal intelligence service (BND), said in a rare interview that it has 'concrete' evidence that Russia no longer believes NATO's Article 5 will be honoured.

This is the clause which guarantees that if one member is attacked, all others will come to its aid.

He told the German podcast Table Briefings: 'We see that NATO is supposed to be tested in its mutual assistance promise. There are people in Moscow who don't believe that NATO article 5 still works.'

He said: 'We are very sure, and we have intelligence evidence to back this up, that [Russia's full-scale invasion of] Ukraine is only one step on Russia's path towards the west.'

But Kahl was quick to say: 'This doesn't mean that we expect large tank battalions to roll from the east to the west.'

He added that Russia didn't need to do this, as they could simply send 'little green men to Estonia to protect supposedly oppressed Russian minorities.'

Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea involved occupation of buildings and offices by Russian soldiers in unmarked uniforms and civilian clothes, who came to be known as the 'little green men' when Moscow initially denied their identity.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the Council for strategic development and national projects in Moscow, Russia, Friday, June 6, 2025

Kahl, who is set to become Germany's ambassador to the Vatican, did not specify which officials in Moscow were thinking along these lines.

He said that Moscow's ultimate aim was to push NATO back to its 1990s borders, 'kick out' the US from Europe and aggressively expand its influence.

'We need to nip this in the bud', he said.

Key to NATO cooperation, he pointed out, was the US and its enormous army.

Kahl said his contacts with U.S. counterparts had left him convinced they took the Russian threat seriously.

'They take it as seriously as us, thank God,' he said.

It comes after NATO boss Mark Rutte warned that Britons should start learning Russian if the UK doesn't ramp up defence spending.

Mark Rutte issued the chilling message while in London for talks with PM Sir Keir Starmer, ahead of a NATO summit later this month.

NATO allies are expected to be asked at the gathering to agree a commitment on allocating 3.5 per cent of GDP to core defence spending by the 2030s.

A further 1.5 per cent of GDP would be required for 'defence-related expenditure' under Mr Rutte's plan to strengthen the alliance.


It follows pressure from US President Donald Trump on European members of NATO to hike their military budgets.

There are questions about how the UK would fund such an huge increase - roughly equivalent to an extra £30billion annually.

Britain allocated 2.33 per cent of GDP to defence last year, and Sir Keir has only committed to reaching 2.5 per cent by April 2027.

The Labour Government has an 'ambition' of increasing that to 3 per cent in the next parliament - likely to run to 2034.

Speaking at Chatham House on Monday, Mr Rutte was asked if he believed Chancellor Rachel Reeves should raise taxes to meet NATO's commitments.

The NATO secretary-general replied: 'It's not up to me to decide, of course, how countries pay the bill.

'Look, if you do not do this, if you would not go to the 5 per cent, including the 3.5 per cent core defence spending, you could still have the NHS... the pension system etc., but you had better learn to speak Russian.'

Mr Rutte would not reveal the deadline for when he hopes NATO allies will spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence.

Asked about a deadline, he told reporters: 'I have a clear view on when we should achieve that.

'I keep that to myself, because we are having these consultations now with allies, and these discussions are ongoing.

'We will in the end agree on a date when we have to be there.'
 
A

Abert

Veteran Member
tanstaafl said:
When Israel attacked Iran not so long ago with airstrikes, they apparently made a point of destroying a factory where Iran was making drones to send to Russia. As far as I'm concerned, that meant Israel had joined the war on the side of the Ukraine.
Click to expand...
Maybe a few years ago they made some for Russia - but Russia makes it own drones that only share the general shape of the original Iranian ones.
t.me

DD Geopolitics

Russian-Style Fiery Salutes How Geran production was localized In one of our previous publications, we mentioned that the Geran-2 kamikaze drone had long become a Russian product. However, this came as a surprise to some – many couldn't believe that the devices flying over the so-called Ukraine...
t.me t.me

In one of our previous publications, we mentioned that the Geran-2 kamikaze drone had long become (Rybar in English) a Russian product. However, this came as a surprise to some – many couldn't believe that the devices flying over the so-called Ukraine weren't made in Iran.

Therefore, to complete the picture and answer pressing questions, we decided to systematize information available online and provide more details about the drones' internal components, the degree of its localization, and the extent of modifications.

How does Geran-2 differ from the original?

▪️Engine: The original Shaheds use the Chinese MD 500 gasoline engine. However, the manufacturer has almost completely localized the product with modifications. Now Geran-2 can reach speeds of up to 200 km/h (compared to 180 km/h for the original) and can also dive onto a target at 400 km/h, reducing the likelihood of interception.

▪️Computing System: Production of the "onboard computer" circuit boards is almost entirely localized. The manufacturing process and defectoscopy have been improved through automation, and modifications have been made. Product quality has significantly increased compared to the original.

▪️Communications & Electronic Warfare Resistance: The system has been progressively improved, up to the installation of a 16-antenna receiver. A radio channel for changing target coordinates mid-flight has been added, and the anti-spoofing algorithm has been enhanced. If an original Shahed were launched now, it likely couldn't even cross the Line of Contact due to jamming, whereas Geran-2 drones can reach anywhere.

▪️Payload: For increased armor penetration, a combined warhead has been developed (Rybar in English), featuring High-Explosive Fragmentation, shaped-charge, and incendiary effects, weighing 90 kg (compared to 50 kg for the original). This allows for more effective engagement of protected targets.

▪️Airframe: Completely localized with modifications, including a black color that hinders visual detection during night attacks.

▪️Launch System: Besides full localization, modifications have been made that reduce the time between deployment and drone launch.

This once again confirms what we've been writing about for a long time: the Iranian Shahed-136 is retained in the Geran-2 perhaps only in the shape of the airframe. (Rybar in English) Everything else is not just produced in Russia, but often significantly upgraded.

Developers continue to refine the product and launch new ones. Footage (Rybar in English) of a modification with a video channel for "free hunting" capability, as well as variants with a jet engine, have already appeared online.

❗️The Geran line has significant potential – the main thing is not to stop and to thoroughly analyze effectiveness and new enemy countermeasures. And, of course, for the customer to employ them competently.
 
Countrymouse

Countrymouse

Country exile in the city
tanstaafl said:
When Israel attacked Iran not so long ago with airstrikes, they apparently made a point of destroying a factory where Iran was making drones to send to Russia. As far as I'm concerned, that meant Israel had joined the war on the side of the Ukraine.
Click to expand...
UNLESS they anticipated those drones being used against THEM--when they attack Iran.

See the INTL - The U.S. embassy in Baghdad is preparing for an ordered evacuation, citing “heightened security risks.” thread.
 
M

mecoastie

Has No Life - Lives on TB
tanstaafl said:
When Israel attacked Iran not so long ago with airstrikes, they apparently made a point of destroying a factory where Iran was making drones to send to Russia. As far as I'm concerned, that meant Israel had joined the war on the side of the Ukraine.
Click to expand...
Iran has sent a number of drones at Israel. On makes sense that they would hit it. I believe the Russian drones are made in Russia now.
 
T

tanstaafl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
mecoastie said:
Iran has sent a number of drones at Israel. On makes sense that they would hit it. I believe the Russian drones are made in Russia now.
Click to expand...
My comment was first mentioned on this thread back when we talked about if this was leading to a World War and I said it was already a World War, with various countries all over the world choosing sides and arming the combatants. As I recall the article I used (posted in this thread) mentioned the drone factory strike somewhat in passing, with the Israeli PR making it sound like they had specifically done it to aid the Ukraine. Russia is now making the vast majority of its own drones and of course Iran sent waves of drones to attack Israel. But it wasn't always that way.
 
Zahra

Zahra

Veteran Member
**I'm no geopolitical wiz, but wouldn't most of these new measures by the EU hurt the west more than Russia?**

The new measures include:
  • A transaction ban on Nord Stream 1 and 2, ending any future engagement.- Cuts off cheap oil for Germany
  • A lowered oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel.- Ok, where are they going to get oil that cheap??
  • Sanctions on 77 more ships in Russia’s “shadow fleet” evading oil sanctions.- Russia won't care
  • A ban on imports of refined products derived from Russian crude.-- Again, where will Europe get its oil from now?
  • A full transaction ban on 22 Russian banks, expanding the SWIFT-related restrictions.- This will strengthen BRICS and hurt the dollar more than it will hurt Russia. Is the EU trying to hurt the US??
  • Measures targeting third-country financial operators circumventing sanctions.-- Forcing Russia & China (and BRICS) to split away further from the West and hastening the demise of the dollar hegemony?
  • Sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund and its subsidiaries.-- Nudging further financial realignment & strengthening of BRICS +.
  • New export bans worth €2.5 billion on critical goods, including dual-use tech used in drones and missiles. - Russia will simply buy more from China & other non-western allies.
  • Designation of 22 Russian and foreign companies enabling Moscow’s military-industrial base.-- I'm sure this will scare Vlad -- he's quivering already ... LOL!
 
CaryC

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Note the source material is both Russian and Ukraine:

Nearly All Abrams Tanks The US Gave Ukraine Have Been Destroyed Or Disabled​

by Tyler Durden
Thursday, Jun 12, 2025 - 04:45 AM
Russian media outlet RIA Novosti has cited a study which says the majority of the 31 US-supplied M1 Abrams tanks delivered to Ukraine have been destroyed.

The tanks, which were authorized for transfer under President Biden, have all been destroyed or damaged with the exception of a mere five. These remaining tanks were then reportedly pulled from the front lines given Ukrainian commanders' fears they are too vulnerable to superior Russian airpower.

The claim that 26 have been destroyed since they entered the battlefield seems plausible, and consistent with an April 2024 Associated Press report which confirmed at the time, "Ukraine has sidelined U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now in its fight against Russia, in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack," citing two US military officials.

And here's what a Ukraine war monitor published in December 2024:
Ukraine has lost at least 17 Abrams, according to the Oryx open-source tracking group. Of those, at least eight were destroyed, one damaged, seven damaged and abandoned and one captured. The actual figures are likely higher in reality because Oryx only tabulates losses for which it has visual confirmation.
Click to expand...
Given that a year-and-a-half has passed since that prior report, it is certainly easy to consider that at least nine more tanks were disabled or destroyed in that time period.

War-related social media posts have circulated several videos which purport to show Abrams tanks being targeted from the air and blown up...

According to Russia's RT and the defense ministry, Ukraine lost two of the Abrams tanks as recently as last week.
"Last week, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that two Ukrainian Abrams tanks had been seized during an operation in Ukraine’s Sumy Region," RT wrote. "The Defense Ministry released a video showing Russian troops recovering the vehicles, which appeared to be intact," the report continued. "The tanks were reportedly towed to the rear by the 22nd Motor Rifle Regiment after reconnaissance teams secured the area."

Both President Biden at the time (in 2023) as well as much of the American media hailed that the Abrams tanks for Ukraine program (which involved training operators) would be a "game-changer". But it perhaps in the end proved embarrassing for the Pentagon.

Go to link to see video of a drone taking out an Abrams.

Nearly All Abrams Tanks The US Gave Ukraine Have Been Destroyed Or Disabled | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
www.zerohedge.com www.zerohedge.com
 
CaryC

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB

Russia Won't End Ukraine War Until NATO Pulls Forces Out Of Eastern Flank​

by Tyler Durden
Thursday, Jun 12, 2025 - 01:45 AM
A top Kremlin official was quoted in Newsweek this week warning that Russia won’t end the Ukraine war until NATO pulls its troops out of the Baltic and 'eastern flank' states.
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov demanded that NATO must withdraw its troops from the Baltic region. Russia has long seen the Baltics as very near, and its sphere of influence, also given its territory of of Kaliningrad.
"The American side requires practical steps aimed at eliminating the root causes of the fundamental contradictions between us in the area of security," he had said, originally in state TASS.
Click to expand...
"Among these causes, NATO expansion is in the foreground," he emphasized. "Without resolving this fundamental and most acute problem for us, it is simply impossible to resolve the current conflict in the Euro-Atlantic region."
NATO's 'eastern flank' closer to the start of the Ukraine war - forces have since grown...

"Given the nature and genesis of the Ukrainian crisis, provoked by the previous U.S. authorities and the West as a whole, this conflict naturally acts, well, if you like, as a test, a trial, which checks the seriousness of Washington's intentions to straighten out our relations," he said.
Ryabkov said Moscow's position all along has been that the Western military alliance "not deploy strike weapons near Russian border."
"In any case, reducing NATO's Eastern European contingent would likely boost the security of the whole continent," he concluded.
Such a broader ultimatum was actually issued just before the full-scale invasion, but was not heeded. In fact, countries like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have only grown more hawkish and vocal in their anti-Moscow rhetoric, and have even taken legal action against the Russian Orthodox Church in the Baltics.
A very provocative and sensational alert issued by German intelligence...

Newsweek has meanwhile reviewed that "NATO maintains a strong military presence on its eastern flank in Europe, with multinational battle groups and brigades stationed in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia."
* * *
Michael Every of Rabobank has commented the following of this renewed Kremlin demand...
In geopolitics, Russia warned it won’t end the Ukraine war until NATO pulls its troops out of the Baltic states. Whatever asset you look at, take a step back and think about that for a moment.
Is that a bluff – how can you know? Does it mean the EU surrendering those states back to Russian influence – and where afterwards? That’s the end of the EU as we know it, let alone the version that breezily states it wants to expand to Moldova, next to a Russian client state, and Georgia, next to Russia itself.
Or it implies a permanent state of EU-Russia hostility --the latter not with “an economy the size of Italy”, but a war economy with a purchasing power parity of $7 trillion and a world of physical resources-- with profound implications for both sides socio-politically, economically, and financially.

Russia Won't End Ukraine War Until NATO Pulls Forces Out Of Eastern Flank | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
www.zerohedge.com www.zerohedge.com
 
A

Abert

Veteran Member
Zahra said:
**I'm no geopolitical wiz, but wouldn't most of these new measures by the EU hurt the west more than Russia?** The new measures include:
  • A transaction ban on Nord Stream 1 and 2, ending any future engagement.- Cuts off cheap oil for Germany
  • A lowered oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel.- Ok, where are they going to get oil that cheap??
  • Sanctions on 77 more ships in Russia’s “shadow fleet” evading oil sanctions.- Russia won't care
  • A ban on imports of refined products derived from Russian crude.-- Again, where will Europe get its oil from now?
  • A full transaction ban on 22 Russian banks, expanding the SWIFT-related restrictions.- This will strengthen BRICS and hurt the dollar more than it will hurt Russia. Is the EU trying to hurt the US??
  • Measures targeting third-country financial operators circumventing sanctions.-- Forcing Russia & China (and BRICS) to split away further from the West and hastening the demise of the dollar hegemony?
  • Sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund and its subsidiaries.-- Nudging further financial realignment & strengthening of BRICS +.
  • New export bans worth €2.5 billion on critical goods, including dual-use tech used in drones and missiles. - Russia will simply buy more from China & other non-western allies.
  • Designation of 22 Russian and foreign companies enabling Moscow’s military-industrial base.-- I'm sure this will scare Vlad -- he's quivering already ... LOL!
Click to expand...
Zahra said:
**I'm no geopolitical wiz, but wouldn't most of these new measures by the EU hurt the west more than Russia?** The new measures include:
  • A transaction ban on Nord Stream 1 and 2, ending any future engagement.- Cuts off cheap oil for Germany
  • A lowered oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel.- Ok, where are they going to get oil that cheap??
  • Sanctions on 77 more ships in Russia’s “shadow fleet” evading oil sanctions.- Russia won't care
  • A ban on imports of refined products derived from Russian crude.-- Again, where will Europe get its oil from now?
  • A full transaction ban on 22 Russian banks, expanding the SWIFT-related restrictions.- This will strengthen BRICS and hurt the dollar more than it will hurt Russia. Is the EU trying to hurt the US??
  • Measures targeting third-country financial operators circumventing sanctions.-- Forcing Russia & China (and BRICS) to split away further from the West and hastening the demise of the dollar hegemony?
  • Sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund and its subsidiaries.-- Nudging further financial realignment & strengthening of BRICS +.
  • New export bans worth €2.5 billion on critical goods, including dual-use tech used in drones and missiles. - Russia will simply buy more from China & other non-western allies.
  • Designation of 22 Russian and foreign companies enabling Moscow’s military-industrial base.-- I'm sure this will scare Vlad -- he's quivering already ... LOL!
Click to expand...

Zahra said:
**I'm no geopolitical wiz, but wouldn't most of these new measures by the EU hurt the west more than Russia?**

The new measures include:
  • A transaction ban on Nord Stream 1 and 2, ending any future engagement.- Cuts off cheap oil for Germany
  • A lowered oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel.- Ok, where are they going to get oil that cheap??
  • Sanctions on 77 more ships in Russia’s “shadow fleet” evading oil sanctions.- Russia won't care
  • A ban on imports of refined products derived from Russian crude.-- Again, where will Europe get its oil from now?
  • A full transaction ban on 22 Russian banks, expanding the SWIFT-related restrictions.- This will strengthen BRICS and hurt the dollar more than it will hurt Russia. Is the EU trying to hurt the US??
  • Measures targeting third-country financial operators circumventing sanctions.-- Forcing Russia & China (and BRICS) to split away further from the West and hastening the demise of the dollar hegemony?
  • Sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund and its subsidiaries.-- Nudging further financial realignment & strengthening of BRICS +.
  • New export bans worth €2.5 billion on critical goods, including dual-use tech used in drones and missiles. - Russia will simply buy more from China & other non-western allies.
  • Designation of 22 Russian and foreign companies enabling Moscow’s military-industrial base.-- I'm sure this will scare Vlad -- he's quivering already ... LOL!
Click to expand...
YES - you are 100% correct
These "Sanctions" were originally designed - planned - as a type of Economic "Shock and Awe" attack on Russia. First batch in 2014 but the big one was when they were cut off from the SWIFT international payment system. The "PLAN" was that these would so disrupt Russia's economy that the population would force a change in government with the hoped for goal of causing so much disruption that several (maybe 5 or more) republics - they have some 21- would break off and fracture Russia into several smaller states / nations

Once the job was done the EU and US would have a field day establishing new economic relations with the new states (on US and EU terms) as well as attempting to purchase or get control of the key resource producing firms at cents on the dollar.

Problem is - they never worked - yes there was some economic disruption in 2014 with the first batch but Russia then worked to change there economic model to invest and purchase internal to Russia and started to cut off dependence on the West. So when the SWIFT (kill shot) took place Russia was able to continue to function with minimal overall disruptions.

Actually looking at the big picture we forced Russia to do what Trump is now attempting to do in the US - redirect investment, production and purchasing internal. To rebuild their industrial base to be self sufficient - it worked for Russia as there economy has advanced year after year - but this takes YEARS to do.

So while the EU did expect some short-term pain (loss of low cost NG from Russia) they were expecting that these economic hits would eventually pay off once they broke Russia up and then massive economic gains from obtaining direct financial control of the - former - Russian resource production.

The plan did not work and totally backfired on the EU and has caused massive economic disruptions across all their industries - but with no PLAN B - they continue to go down the same - failed - path with their 18th sanctions package.

There is a push in Germany and some other EU nations to put an end to these policies and attempt to reestablish relations (and trade) with Russia - while still a minority this view is growing.

In the end with some 60,000+ sanctions in place - a few more or less - will not change the Economic reality in the EU or Russia
 
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