WAR RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE - Consolidated Thread
- Thread starter danielboon
- Start date
Anton Gerashchenko
@Gerashchenko_en
·
1h
Belarus has become Russia’s nuclear staging ground.
Belarus has not been annexed. But functionally, it has already become part of Russia. Lukashenko has long existed only with the Kremlin’s permission.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Lukashenko officially appeared to be a bystander - yet missiles and columns of tanks moved through Belarusian territory. Russia used it as its own operational zone.
In March 2023, Putin announced the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons. In December 2024, Russia and Belarus signed the Treaty on Security Guarantees that legalized permanent Russian bases and legally included Belarus in Russia’s nuclear strategy. Since mid-2025, around 2,000 Russian troops have been permanently stationed in Belarus, including air defense and aerospace units.
In December 2025, the Oreshnik ballistic missile entered combat duty near Krychaw. In May 2026, large-scale joint nuclear exercises were held: 64,000 troops, 200 missile launchers, 73 surface ships, and 13 submarines.
The nuclear sharing agreement marks a departure from Russia’s long-standing position, as Moscow spent decades criticizing NATO’s nuclear-sharing arrangements. Now it is reproducing the same model it once condemned.
The 2024 nuclear doctrine explicitly equated a conventional attack on Belarus with an attack on Russia - automatically creating conditions for a nuclear response.
Control over the warheads officially remains with Moscow. But Putin stated that Lukashenko himself would select targets for Oreshnik deployed in Belarus. In other words, the Belarusian president would bear public responsibility for missiles launched by Putin.
Now to the arsenal and the numbers.
As of March 2026, Russia possesses around 4,400 nuclear warheads in total, of which up to 2,000 are assigned to non-strategic tactical forces.
Belarus hosts Iskander-M - the 465th missile brigade in Asipovichy. Range: up to 500 km. Accuracy: 5-7 meters. Nuclear warhead: 10-50 kilotons. Vilnius is just 340 km away. Flight time: 3-4 minutes. NATO would have virtually no warning time.
Oreshnik belongs to another category. Speed exceeds 14,000 km/h. Up to six independent MIRV blocks, each capable of deploying up to six sub-warheads. Range exceeds 5,500 km. Interception by modern air defense systems is almost impossible.
From Belarusian positions, Oreshnik can reach an airbase in Poland in 11 minutes and NATO headquarters in Brussels in 17 minutes. Berlin, Ramstein, and Warsaw all fall within range.
According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, only three missiles had been produced at the time of deployment. One was used against Dnipro in November 2024. One was destroyed in Kapustin Yar during a joint operation involving Ukraine’s Security Service, Defense Intelligence, and Foreign Intelligence Service. The Kremlin plans to produce up to six missiles per year.
There is also Lida airbase - just 40 km from the Lithuanian border. Modified Su-25 aircraft are capable of carrying nuclear bombs.
The most dangerous problem is neither range nor speed. It is the impossibility of identification. Until the moment of impact, it is impossible to determine whether Oreshnik carries a nuclear or conventional warhead.
Every launch is an automatic nuclear alarm regardless of the actual payload. This ambiguity is a strategic weapon no less important than the warhead itself.
Now to the likely scenarios.
️ The most likely scenario is not total nuclear war. It is a "demonstration strike": a single low-yield tactical strike against a peripheral military base - for example, an airfield in Poland or the Baltics. The goal is not destruction but testing Article 5. The Kremlin’s logic: "You will not launch a nuclear response over a single tactical strike."
Shock and fear of escalation alone would be a sufficient outcome for the Kremlin.
NATO freezes, Ukraine becomes isolated, and the frontline shrinks by 400 kilometers.
Finally, let’s turn to the West’s response - or the absence of one.
No symmetrical nuclear response followed. NATO did not deploy nuclear weapons in the Baltics or Poland. The response remained conventional: additional brigades and expanded air defense.
New START expired in February 2026. No new treaty exists. Verification of nuclear arsenals is effectively absent. The United States abandoned the "voluntary compliance with limits" proposed by Russia. Patriot and THAAD were not designed to intercept targets at Mach 10 with maneuvering flight trajectories.
Kyiv directly called Belarus’s transformation into a "nuclear outpost" near NATO borders an unprecedented challenge to the global security architecture and a dangerous precedent that de facto legitimizes nuclear proliferation among authoritarian regimes.
IMHO Gerashchenko is missing something very important with these scenarios. As I read them, he's not considering the potential retaliation "like for like" from the US, particularly if Ramstein were to be hit, or even NATO countries themselves against targets in western Russia, particularly with the apparent condition of the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces. Considering what the US and Israel did to Iran, defended with Russian and PRC air defense gear, that definitely would be a poor choice IMHO.
If it were to be nuclear, the on patrol SSBNs would be the likely ones to be employed as the opener in such a response. They give the smallest OODA Loop. After that it's anyones' guess where it would go.
There's also the fact that Moscow hasn't been all that restrained in hitting civilian residences in Ukraine either.
jward
passin' thru
NEXTA
@nexta_tv
37m
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he is ready to represent the EU in possible negotiations with Russia
“This is probably one of those questions you simply cannot answer ‘no’ to,” he said in an interview with Yle.
At the same time, Stubb stressed that negotiations are impossible until Russia commits to a ceasefire.
@nexta_tv
37m
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he is ready to represent the EU in possible negotiations with Russia
“This is probably one of those questions you simply cannot answer ‘no’ to,” he said in an interview with Yle.
At the same time, Stubb stressed that negotiations are impossible until Russia commits to a ceasefire.
RUSSIA LAUNCHES MASSIVE STRIKE: ORESHNIK MISSILE HITS BELAYA TSERKOV - KYIV UNDER FIRE
Run Time 14 min
This video describes the military situation in Ukraine on the 24th of May 2026
0:00 – Intro – main events of May 23-24, 2026
0:20 – RUSSIA'S MASSIVE RETALIATORY STRIKE – 690 drones/missiles. Oreshnik, Iskander, Kinzhal, Tsirkon, Kalibr used
0:44 – Three main targets: Kyiv, Belaya Tserkov, Starokostiantyniv airfield (F-16 & Mirage base)
1:12 – ORESHNIK MISSILE HITS BELAYA TSERKOV – 6 warheads × 6 submunitions = 36 impacts (video confirmed)
2:00 – KYIV UNDER FIRE – Not hit with Oreshnik, but massive drone/missile barrage. Multiple explosions, fires, buildings destroyed
4:45 –
Ukraine's Ministry of Defense confirms: Russians did NOT use Oreshnik on Kyiv – only on Belaya Tserkov5:53 – What did Russia hit in Belaya Tserkov? Industrial zone, fortified bunker, or decision-making center? Retaliation for Starobilsk
8:18 – ️ ZELENSKY RESPONDS – Rushed to publish video proving he's alive after rumors of bunker strike
9:00 –
UKRAINIAN DEPUTIES CALL FOR SURRENDER – 5-6 parliament members posted appeals to capitulate after the strike10:12 – UKRAINE STRIKES BACK – Drones hit Belgorod region (Borisovka) and Luhansk oil refinery
11:15 – ️ M14/M18 SUPPLY LINES COLLAPSING – Ukraine tightens fire control over Russian logistics to Crimea & Zaporozhye
12:29 – ️ DROBYSHEVE DIRECTION – Russians continue advancing westward. Map adjusted based on combat footage
13:02 – ️ KOSTYANTYNIVKA – After 3 days of silence, Russians improved positions south of N20 and N32 roads. Industrial zone under Russian control
14:31 – VOZDVYZHIVKA – Group of Forces East is finishing the battle for this settlement. Updates expected soon
Russia Launches Massive ORESHNIK Strike As Europe-Ukraine Tensions Grow
Run Time 15 min
Last night Russia has hit Ukraine in one of the biggest combined strikes over the last two years. Russia has used over 90 missiles and over 600 drones, including Kalibr cruise missiles, Kinzhal and Zirkon missiles but also an Oreshnik Ballistic Missile IRBM. The Oreshnik missile has hit Bila Tserkva which is abut 75 kms away from Kiev. Zelensky has responded to the proposal German Chancellor Freidrich Merz has made regarding Ukraine becoming an “associate member” and he’s not happy with this proposition. Zelensky has twice stated that Ukraine fights not onfy for itself but also for Europe and this is why Ukraine expects a full and equal membership. Mark Rutte ha stated that he has invited Zelensky to the Ankara summit this summer. The EU’s economic forecast doesn’t look very good, given the wars in Iran and Ukraine. Lithuania calls for the Russian frozen assets debate to return and argues that it’s the “real funding resource” for Ukraine.
RUSSIA RETALIATES WITH ORESHNIK MISSILE STRIKE ON UKRAINE
Run Time 14 min
May 24, 2026
Moscow has confirmed that Russian forces launched “massive strikes” on military targets in Ukraine, which included the use of the intermediate-range hypersonic Oreshnik system (for the third time), along with Iskander ballistic missiles and Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles.
This, as President Trump is busy trying to sell the story that Iran has sold its soul for a deal with the U.S., while Tehran is saying the opposite on key issues that include Iran’s stockpile of enriched Uranium and control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Zagdid
Veteran Member
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2058551628463034828
Starlink at the strike site in Starobilsk
Foreign journalists were shown one of the Starlink Mini terminals at the wrecked dormitory in the LNR, which were equipped on Ukrainian drones.
On the one hand, they are used for precise navigation in conditions of spoofing and electronic jamming. On the other hand, with its help, you can control the drone in real time. If cameras from drones are found, it means that the operators of the Armed Forces of Ukraine saw with their own eyes where they were directing the UAVs.
Starlink at the strike site in Starobilsk
Foreign journalists were shown one of the Starlink Mini terminals at the wrecked dormitory in the LNR, which were equipped on Ukrainian drones.
On the one hand, they are used for precise navigation in conditions of spoofing and electronic jamming. On the other hand, with its help, you can control the drone in real time. If cameras from drones are found, it means that the operators of the Armed Forces of Ukraine saw with their own eyes where they were directing the UAVs.
Zagdid
Veteran Member
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2058859219441373455
RT: 1:35
FSB prevented a terrorist attack on a gas tanker arriving from Belgium
️Security forces found magnetic mines attached to the outside of the engine room on the ship "Archenius", which arrived in Ust-Luga, Leningrad Region from Antwerp.
️The gas tanker could not have been mined in Russia - this was confirmed by experts' assessment.
️In Belgium, the ship was held in dock for a day - allegedly due to a strike in the port of Antwerp.
️The weight of the explosives in each of the mines on the ship from Belgium was about 7 kg.
️The mined ship was supposed to depart from Ust-Luga to Turkey.
RT: 1:35
FSB prevented a terrorist attack on a gas tanker arriving from Belgium
️Security forces found magnetic mines attached to the outside of the engine room on the ship "Archenius", which arrived in Ust-Luga, Leningrad Region from Antwerp.
️The gas tanker could not have been mined in Russia - this was confirmed by experts' assessment.
️In Belgium, the ship was held in dock for a day - allegedly due to a strike in the port of Antwerp.
️The weight of the explosives in each of the mines on the ship from Belgium was about 7 kg.
️The mined ship was supposed to depart from Ust-Luga to Turkey.
33% OF KOSTIANTYNIVKA & DOBROPASOVE HAVE FALLEN
2 ORISHNIK Strikes
Run Time 16 min
This video describes the military situation in Ukraine on the 25th of May 2026
00:00 – Intro – Welcome to Military Summary Channel
00:14 – Massive Russian attack: 100+ drones, dozens of missiles, Arishnik system
00:42 – TWO ORISHNIK strikes confirmed – first failed, second successful
01:02 – Video evidence: Bila Tserkva strike (Kyiv region)
01:36 – Failed ORISHNIK strike hit Russian-held territory (Donetsk region)
02:21 – Consequences: Buildings destroyed near Bila Tserkva airfield
02:53 – Overnight drone attack (May 24–25, 2026): 262 Russian drones
03:21 – SBU building damaged (Mykolaiv), energy substation destroyed (Sumy)
04:06 – Ukrainian counter-drone attack: 340 drones on Russian territory
04:33 –
Energy infrastructure hit05:21 – ️ Major Zaporizhia battle: Ukrainians target M14 & M20 roads
06:02 – Dozens of Russian vehicles destroyed by Ukrainian FPV drones
07:29 – Russians intensify offensive – DOBROPASOVE captured
08:33 – Video proof: Russian flag raised in DOBROPASOVE (south & northwest parts)
09:47 – Russians cross river Vilcha– fighting for Pakovske
10:03 – Evacuation announced in Chaplina region
10:36 – Bridges & crossings bombed by Russia to stop Ukrainian reserves
11:06 –
New cauldron brewing north of Zaporizhia11:47 – ️ Battle for Kostiantynivka
12:11 – Russians create cauldron in eastern & central parts
13:01 – 33% of the city under Russian control
13:26 – Slaviansk–Kramatorsk direction bombed
13:49 – Russians recapture Odradne (lost during Ukrainian counteroffensive)
14:17 – ️ Sumy area: Russians improve positions near Riasne, Zapsillia
15:22 – ️ Kharkiv: Russian drones control northern ring road
16:08 – Outro
NATO Rejects Rutte’s Ukraine Plan As Russia Expands Oreshnik Production
Run Time 14 min
After Russia’s Oreshnik strike on Ukraine which took place yesterday, the European leaders have reacted and have provided statements of support and solidarity with Ukraine. Kaja Kallas in particular has stressed that Russia’s use of Oreshnik missile is a political scare tactic. That said, there are reports showing that Russia has actually increased and keep increasing the production of Oreshnik missiles. Europe at the moment doesn’t have a reliable way to intercept an Oreshnik strike nor does it have an equivalent of the Russia’s Oreshnik missile. Five NATO countries have rejected Mark Rutte’s proposal for the NATO member states to contribute with 0.25% of their GDP each year towards Ukraine’s long term military assistance. Finnish President Alexander Stubb has signaled that he would accept the role of EU’s negotiator with Russia, but only after Russia agrees to a ceasefire in Ukraine. Ursula von Der Leyen will travel to Lithuania in the light of recent drone incursions.
- 0:00 Intro
- 1:38 Rutte's proposal is DoA
- 7:00 Kaja Kallas reacts
- 7:44 Oreshnik production increases
- 8:36 Subb "mathematics"
- 10:38 Stubb EU negotiator
- 12:07 Drone problem
blueinterceptor
Veteran Member
So NATO is going to send a nice letter?
Russia Unleashes Oreshnik, More Strikes Planned
Run Time 27 min
Russia has launched its most devastating missile strike on Kiev to date, deploying the Oreshnik hypersonic missile system alongside Kinzhal and Zircon weapons in a massive coordinated assault that has left Western leaders visibly shaken. Alex Christoforou and Alexander Mercouris on The Duran break down how this strike was a direct response to Ukraine's attack on a student dormitory in Starobilsk, why Ukrainian air defenses completely failed while Moscow's held firm, and what the simultaneous collapse of ceasefire negotiations and China's hardening stance toward Russia means for the trajectory of the conflict. Is the West still telling its publics the truth about where this is all heading?
- 00:00:00 Russia's massive strike on Kiev and the Oreshnik missile
- 00:01:11 Dormitory attack and Western media silence
- 00:02:53 Western governments disconnect the retaliation from its cause
- 00:03:25 Oreshnik hits command bunkers south of Kiev
- 00:05:28 Satellite photos reveal the scale of destruction
- 00:06:15 New mobile Zircon hypersonic launchers change the equation
- 00:07:11 Ukrainian air defense collapses compared to Moscow's defense
- 00:08:09 This is the first of many: Russian escalation plan ahead
- 00:09:43 The West insists Russia is showing weakness, not strength
- 00:12:39 Putin reemerges and hardens Russia's position post-Starobilsk
- 00:14:39 Negotiations are dead: Ushakov buries the Anchorage talks
- 00:18:42 Front lines update
- 00:19:52 Russian economy: deflation, rebound, and rate cuts ahead
- 00:22:50 Lavrov in China: Beijing now tells Russia to finish the fight
- 00:24:52 Russia funds this conflict with cash, not debt
auxman
Deus vult...
World Source News:
Russian Foreign Ministry says that Russia will be striking all major government and military facilities in Kyiv in retaliation for the Ukrainian strikes on Starobilsk.
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2059003893653159964
Russian Foreign Ministry says that Russia will be striking all major government and military facilities in Kyiv in retaliation for the Ukrainian strikes on Starobilsk.
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2059003893653159964
Effectively "business as usual".
jward
passin' thru
George Barros
@georgewbarros
We’re calling it: The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase.
@KatStepanenko
and I have authored a new special report studying how Ukraine is actively challenging the positional character of the war that has dominated the battlefield since 2023.
Data on Russia’s battlefield performance indicates that the character of the war is shifting in favor of Ukrainian forces – at least for now. Russian forces rates of advances are stagnating while Ukrainian forces are employing novel tactics and operational concepts in efforts to break out of positional warfare. Neither Russia nor Ukraine can conduct operational maneuvers yet, however.
The bottom line is that the war in Ukraine is competitive and far from stalemated. Ukrainian forces are out-innovating Russian forces in both military technologies and in applying these new technologies in effective operational concepts that can help Ukrainian forces break out of positional warfare. Ukraine is employing mechanized equipment in tactical maneuvers in ways that were impossible 12 months ago. Russia’s ability to conduct infiltration missions will likely continue to degrade as Ukraine’s intermediate-range strike campaign pushes Russia’s logistics and forward operating bases further away from the frontlines, reducing resourcing to sustain infantry tasked with infiltration missions. Ukraine may be able to scale these effects if they resourced properly by international partners.
Ukraine’s advantage in intermediate range strikes is notably not permanent, and Russia will very likely eventually develop countermeasures to mitigate Ukraine’s advantages. Ukraine’s international partners thus have a rare and temporary opportunity to help Ukraine exploit favorable battlefield dynamics while Ukraine has the upper hand.
Key Points of the report:
• Russia’s rate of advance is plummeting during the Russian Spring-Summer 2026 offensive.
• Russia is losing more soldiers to make fewer gains, with monthly Russian casualty rates reportedly outpacing monthly recruitment since December 2025.
• Ukraine is starting to regain more ground than it is losing for the first time since 2023.
• Ukraine’ recent counterattacks feature unique characteristics and deviate from key trends that defined the positional character of the war since 2023.
• Ukraine is conducting a pattern of more frequent mechanized counterattacks at the tactical level for the first time since 2023.
• The Ukrainian command’s operational planning is maturing.
• Ukraine’s early 2026 counterattacks in the south were successful likely due to better planning and preparation of the battlefield.
• Ukraine has been conducting a coherent campaign to suppress and destroy Russian air defenses since late 2025, in order to shape the battlefield as part of more sophisticated campaign planning.
• Ukraine significantly intensified its intermediate-range strike campaign against dynamic targets in Spring 2026 in order to degrade Russian logistics at operational depths ahead of planned Ukrainian maneuver.
• Ukrainian forces started actively disrupting Russian railway logistics in occupied Ukraine and Russian western regions in Spring 2026.
• Ukrainian intermediate-range strikes are already achieving notable operational effects, including degrading Russia's ability to use the key Russian highway connecting Russia to occupied Crimea and GLOCs around Donetsk City.
• Ukrainian forces decisively seized the initiative in intermediate-range strikes by fielding new technologies such as the US-made Hornet strike UAV, among other systems.
• Ukrainian forces are achieving temporary tactical drone overmatch in some frontline sectors, which is slowing Russian offensive operations by degrading the effectiveness of Russian shaping operations.
• Ukrainian forces likely achieved tactical drone overmatch in certain frontline sectors after degrading Russia’s drone capabilities in late 2025 to early 2026 - primarily by suppressing drone launch positions and increasingly intercepting Russian tactical UAVs.
• Ukraine’s degradation of Russian forces at operational depth combined with tactical-level drone overmatch likely is creating vulnerabilities in the Russian lines.
• Ukraine’s intermediate-range strike campaign is likely far from its zenith, assuming continued support from Ukraine’s partners, and will likely intensify over 2026 as Ukraine fields new weapons capable of striking Russian’s operational rear.
Link to full report: Russian Naval Base Tartus
View: https://twitter.com/georgewbarros/status/2058899241284620653?s=20
@georgewbarros
We’re calling it: The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase.
@KatStepanenko
and I have authored a new special report studying how Ukraine is actively challenging the positional character of the war that has dominated the battlefield since 2023.
Data on Russia’s battlefield performance indicates that the character of the war is shifting in favor of Ukrainian forces – at least for now. Russian forces rates of advances are stagnating while Ukrainian forces are employing novel tactics and operational concepts in efforts to break out of positional warfare. Neither Russia nor Ukraine can conduct operational maneuvers yet, however.
The bottom line is that the war in Ukraine is competitive and far from stalemated. Ukrainian forces are out-innovating Russian forces in both military technologies and in applying these new technologies in effective operational concepts that can help Ukrainian forces break out of positional warfare. Ukraine is employing mechanized equipment in tactical maneuvers in ways that were impossible 12 months ago. Russia’s ability to conduct infiltration missions will likely continue to degrade as Ukraine’s intermediate-range strike campaign pushes Russia’s logistics and forward operating bases further away from the frontlines, reducing resourcing to sustain infantry tasked with infiltration missions. Ukraine may be able to scale these effects if they resourced properly by international partners.
Ukraine’s advantage in intermediate range strikes is notably not permanent, and Russia will very likely eventually develop countermeasures to mitigate Ukraine’s advantages. Ukraine’s international partners thus have a rare and temporary opportunity to help Ukraine exploit favorable battlefield dynamics while Ukraine has the upper hand.
Key Points of the report:
• Russia’s rate of advance is plummeting during the Russian Spring-Summer 2026 offensive.
• Russia is losing more soldiers to make fewer gains, with monthly Russian casualty rates reportedly outpacing monthly recruitment since December 2025.
• Ukraine is starting to regain more ground than it is losing for the first time since 2023.
• Ukraine’ recent counterattacks feature unique characteristics and deviate from key trends that defined the positional character of the war since 2023.
• Ukraine is conducting a pattern of more frequent mechanized counterattacks at the tactical level for the first time since 2023.
• The Ukrainian command’s operational planning is maturing.
• Ukraine’s early 2026 counterattacks in the south were successful likely due to better planning and preparation of the battlefield.
• Ukraine has been conducting a coherent campaign to suppress and destroy Russian air defenses since late 2025, in order to shape the battlefield as part of more sophisticated campaign planning.
• Ukraine significantly intensified its intermediate-range strike campaign against dynamic targets in Spring 2026 in order to degrade Russian logistics at operational depths ahead of planned Ukrainian maneuver.
• Ukrainian forces started actively disrupting Russian railway logistics in occupied Ukraine and Russian western regions in Spring 2026.
• Ukrainian intermediate-range strikes are already achieving notable operational effects, including degrading Russia's ability to use the key Russian highway connecting Russia to occupied Crimea and GLOCs around Donetsk City.
• Ukrainian forces decisively seized the initiative in intermediate-range strikes by fielding new technologies such as the US-made Hornet strike UAV, among other systems.
• Ukrainian forces are achieving temporary tactical drone overmatch in some frontline sectors, which is slowing Russian offensive operations by degrading the effectiveness of Russian shaping operations.
• Ukrainian forces likely achieved tactical drone overmatch in certain frontline sectors after degrading Russia’s drone capabilities in late 2025 to early 2026 - primarily by suppressing drone launch positions and increasingly intercepting Russian tactical UAVs.
• Ukraine’s degradation of Russian forces at operational depth combined with tactical-level drone overmatch likely is creating vulnerabilities in the Russian lines.
• Ukraine’s intermediate-range strike campaign is likely far from its zenith, assuming continued support from Ukraine’s partners, and will likely intensify over 2026 as Ukraine fields new weapons capable of striking Russian’s operational rear.
Link to full report: Russian Naval Base Tartus
View: https://twitter.com/georgewbarros/status/2058899241284620653?s=20
jward
passin' thru
MAKS 26
@Maks_NAFO_FELLA
44m
Ukraine has developed a Granit hexacopter capable of destroying equipment and delivering tens of kilograms of supplies, - Militarnyi
It is equipped with a six-slot ammunition drop system.
The drone is used at night to destroy equipment. It uses specially designed or adapted ammunition: high-explosive, cumulative, incendiary and fragmentation.
There have also been cases when Granit delivered 40 kg of supplies to the Ukrainian military at a distance of up to 10 km.
View: https://twitter.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/2059231402021826808?s=20
@Maks_NAFO_FELLA
44m
Ukraine has developed a Granit hexacopter capable of destroying equipment and delivering tens of kilograms of supplies, - Militarnyi
It is equipped with a six-slot ammunition drop system.
The drone is used at night to destroy equipment. It uses specially designed or adapted ammunition: high-explosive, cumulative, incendiary and fragmentation.
There have also been cases when Granit delivered 40 kg of supplies to the Ukrainian military at a distance of up to 10 km.
View: https://twitter.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/2059231402021826808?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Visegrád 24
@visegrad24
22h
Russia moves to completely ban Visa and Mastercard
The Central Bank of Russia has officially announced plans to fully remove Visa and Mastercard cards from the Russian market.
“Our position is that cards of international payment systems should, of course, leave our market. They no longer perform the functions they used to provide,” stated Alla Bakina, head of the National Payment System Department.
@visegrad24
22h
Russia moves to completely ban Visa and Mastercard
The Central Bank of Russia has officially announced plans to fully remove Visa and Mastercard cards from the Russian market.
“Our position is that cards of international payment systems should, of course, leave our market. They no longer perform the functions they used to provide,” stated Alla Bakina, head of the National Payment System Department.
jward
passin' thru
Visegrád 24
@visegrad24
59m
Poland warned Russia over possible strikes on diplomatic missions in Ukraine
The Polish Foreign Ministry stated that any Russian strike on Polish diplomatic facilities in Ukraine will be regarded as a deliberate action.
The statement appeared after new massive Russian attacks on Kyiv and Moscow’s warnings to foreign diplomats to leave the Ukrainian capital.
@visegrad24
59m
Poland warned Russia over possible strikes on diplomatic missions in Ukraine
The Polish Foreign Ministry stated that any Russian strike on Polish diplomatic facilities in Ukraine will be regarded as a deliberate action.
The statement appeared after new massive Russian attacks on Kyiv and Moscow’s warnings to foreign diplomats to leave the Ukrainian capital.
jward
passin' thru
Clash Report
@clashreport
49m
Russia's FSB claims divers found two magnetic limpet mines attached to the hull of the LPG tanker Arrhenius at the Baltic port of Ust-Luga.
The devices, each containing around 7 kg of explosives, were placed near the engine room and defused by Russian security services.
Moscow described them as NATO-manufactured and said they must have been attached while the ship was anchored off Antwerp.
NATO denied the claim.
@clashreport
49m
Russia's FSB claims divers found two magnetic limpet mines attached to the hull of the LPG tanker Arrhenius at the Baltic port of Ust-Luga.
The devices, each containing around 7 kg of explosives, were placed near the engine room and defused by Russian security services.
Moscow described them as NATO-manufactured and said they must have been attached while the ship was anchored off Antwerp.
NATO denied the claim.
From a few Web sources - more detail
If you're a foreign visitor to Russia: Foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard cards do not work in Russia at all. Any Visa or Mastercard issued by financial institutions outside of Russia will not work within the Russian Federation. Russia itself has advised foreign visitors that these cards are unusable and recommends carrying cash or obtaining a Mir card.
If you're inside Russia with a Russian-issued card: Visa and Mastercard have operated only domestically since leaving the Russian market after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Even those domestically-issued cards are being phased out. Chip security certificates for Visa and Mastercard cards expired on January 1, 2025, leaving banks to decide whether to continue processing payments on these outdated cards.
What's replacing them: The Bank of Russia is preparing to phase out Visa and Mastercard entirely and switch to the domestic Mir payment system. Authorities plan a gradual timeline for banks to replace international cards. Visa and Mastercard's share in Russia's payments market has already fallen to less than 17%.
RUSSIA ISSUES FINAL ULTIMATUM: NATO on Brink?
Zapsilia Falls, Sumy Next & Logistics War
Run Time 18 min00:00 Intro
00:18 Russia ultimatum to Kyiv
00:55 Lavrov–Rubio call
01:26 NATO diplomats stay – conflict risk
02:36
Moscow skies closed04:10 Zelenskyi: war by November
05:01 Putin's new law – Lithuania, Moldova, Armenia
06:59 124 drones overnight
08:58 ️ Logistics war – dozens of Russian vehicles destroyed
10:04
Pro-Russian sources confirm problems12:39
Clashes for Pyshchivka & Vovchansk13:25 Zapsilia has fallen
14:29 Riasne has fallen
15:12 Sumy is primary target
17:52 Outro
More comments on the Lavrov–Rubio call
Today’s Lavrov-Rubio call was a highly significant and alarming diplomatic communication, covering three major topics. The call took place at Lavrov’s request, with Rubio currently on a four-day trip to India attending the QUAD meeting in New Delhi. State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Minister’s request. The parties exchanged views on the Russia-Ukraine war, bilateral relations, and the situation in Iran.” Here is a full account:
Message 1: Imminent Systematic Strikes on Kyiv — By Direct Order of Putin
The most alarming element of the call was its primary purpose. By direct order of President Vladimir Putin, Lavrov informed Rubio that Russian armed forces are launching systematic strikes on facilities in Kyiv used for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The strikes are described by Moscow as a response to the Kiev regime’s continued attacks against civilian population and infrastructure in Russia — specifically citing a recent deadly attack on a college dormitory in the Russian town of Starobelsk which killed at least 21 people, mainly teenage girls, which Moscow described as “the last straw.”
Russian troops subsequently launched a massive strike on Kyiv using Iskanders, Zircons, X-101 cruise missiles, and Oreshnik hypersonic missiles — approximately 50 missiles and 700 drones.
Message 2: Evacuate US Diplomats from Kyiv
Lavrov drew Rubio’s attention to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement issued on May 25 recommending that the United States, along with other states with missions in Kyiv, ensure the evacuation of their diplomatic personnel and other citizens from the Ukrainian capital in anticipation of the impending campaign of systematic strikes.
Message 3: The Anchorage Agreements Are Being Undermined
Lavrov reminded Rubio of the agreements reached at the highest level at the suggestion of the US in Anchorage in August 2025 regarding the Ukrainian conflict, and expressed regret that the “high-handed efforts of the European elites and the Kiev regime” are undermining these agreements, which Moscow says “paved the way for a sustainable long-term settlement based on a balance of interests.” This is Russia’s formal notification to Washington that it holds European capitals and Kyiv — not Moscow — responsible for the collapse of the Anchorage framework.
Some have asked, “Why has Russia waited four years to do this?” I think there are two reasons: First, I believe that Russia has intelligence assets in all of the key Ukrainian military and intelligence units in Kiev and did not want to risk killing them or exposing them by attacking those sites without warning. Second, Russia wanted to avoid killing US and other NATO military and intelligence personnel who were working alongside Ukrainian counterparts to avoid provoking a military confrontation with the West.
In light of the terrorist attack on the children at the school in Lughansk, and faced with the reality that this attack was facilitated by Western intelligence and technology, Russia has reached the limit of its patience and is going to put an end to Ukraine’s ability to carry out further terrorist attacks, even if it means killing US and European personnel. They have been warned. Russia is giving them time to withdraw. Any who remain in place are likely to die. That was the essence of Lavrov’s message to Rubo.
Lavrov Tells Rubio, Russia Will End the War with Ukraine and the West
Lavrov Tells Rubio, Russia Will End the War with Ukraine and the West
25 May 2026 by Larry C. JohnsonToday’s Lavrov-Rubio call was a highly significant and alarming diplomatic communication, covering three major topics. The call took place at Lavrov’s request, with Rubio currently on a four-day trip to India attending the QUAD meeting in New Delhi. State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Minister’s request. The parties exchanged views on the Russia-Ukraine war, bilateral relations, and the situation in Iran.” Here is a full account:
Message 1: Imminent Systematic Strikes on Kyiv — By Direct Order of Putin
The most alarming element of the call was its primary purpose. By direct order of President Vladimir Putin, Lavrov informed Rubio that Russian armed forces are launching systematic strikes on facilities in Kyiv used for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The strikes are described by Moscow as a response to the Kiev regime’s continued attacks against civilian population and infrastructure in Russia — specifically citing a recent deadly attack on a college dormitory in the Russian town of Starobelsk which killed at least 21 people, mainly teenage girls, which Moscow described as “the last straw.”
Russian troops subsequently launched a massive strike on Kyiv using Iskanders, Zircons, X-101 cruise missiles, and Oreshnik hypersonic missiles — approximately 50 missiles and 700 drones.
Message 2: Evacuate US Diplomats from Kyiv
Lavrov drew Rubio’s attention to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement issued on May 25 recommending that the United States, along with other states with missions in Kyiv, ensure the evacuation of their diplomatic personnel and other citizens from the Ukrainian capital in anticipation of the impending campaign of systematic strikes.
Message 3: The Anchorage Agreements Are Being Undermined
Lavrov reminded Rubio of the agreements reached at the highest level at the suggestion of the US in Anchorage in August 2025 regarding the Ukrainian conflict, and expressed regret that the “high-handed efforts of the European elites and the Kiev regime” are undermining these agreements, which Moscow says “paved the way for a sustainable long-term settlement based on a balance of interests.” This is Russia’s formal notification to Washington that it holds European capitals and Kyiv — not Moscow — responsible for the collapse of the Anchorage framework.
Some have asked, “Why has Russia waited four years to do this?” I think there are two reasons: First, I believe that Russia has intelligence assets in all of the key Ukrainian military and intelligence units in Kiev and did not want to risk killing them or exposing them by attacking those sites without warning. Second, Russia wanted to avoid killing US and other NATO military and intelligence personnel who were working alongside Ukrainian counterparts to avoid provoking a military confrontation with the West.
In light of the terrorist attack on the children at the school in Lughansk, and faced with the reality that this attack was facilitated by Western intelligence and technology, Russia has reached the limit of its patience and is going to put an end to Ukraine’s ability to carry out further terrorist attacks, even if it means killing US and European personnel. They have been warned. Russia is giving them time to withdraw. Any who remain in place are likely to die. That was the essence of Lavrov’s message to Rubo.
Russia Prepares Systematic Strikes On Kyiv As US Takes A Step Back
Run Time 18 min
After the latest Oreshnik strike near Kiev, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has informed Marco Rubio and Donald Trump of the fact that from now, Russia will begin “systematic strikes” on Kiev, targeting decision making centres and specific sites used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Sergey Lavrov has also recommended to foreign states to evacuate diplomatic personnel from Kiev. Vladimir Putin has signed a law, allowing Russia to deploy it’s Armed Forces abroad in order to protect Russian citizens in case of detention, arrest, criminal prosecution by jurisdictions which Russia does not recognise. The EU keeps searching for a suitable negotiator with Moscow and three more names were added to the list.
0:00 Intro
1:24 Lavrov's warning
7:36 EU's eternal quest
10:46 Putin's response
12:50 Margus Tsakhna
17:14 ISW-Oreshnik
jward
passin' thru
Mark Satter
@marksatter
NEW: The just-released House NDAA would extend, and build upon, prohibitions on moving U.S. troops from Europe and Korea.
It would extend for another year
- 76,000 U.S. troop floor in Europe
- Prohibition on removing more than $500k mil tech from Europe
- Prohibition on giving up SACEUR
- 28,500 troop floor in Korea
12:47 PM · May 26, 2026
9,105
Views
@marksatter
NEW: The just-released House NDAA would extend, and build upon, prohibitions on moving U.S. troops from Europe and Korea.
It would extend for another year
- 76,000 U.S. troop floor in Europe
- Prohibition on removing more than $500k mil tech from Europe
- Prohibition on giving up SACEUR
- 28,500 troop floor in Korea
12:47 PM · May 26, 2026
9,105
Views
jward
passin' thru
Rob Lee
@RALee85
33m
“Russia is considering limiting exports of diesel and jet fuel, according to Interfax, as refinery run rates fall to multi-year lows amid Ukraine’s escalating attacks.
Oil companies were advised to curb sales of oil products to foreign markets following a Tuesday meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on the domestic fuel market, the Russian news service reported, citing several people familiar with the situation. One of the people said that the decision to ban exports of diesel and jet fuel is at an advanced stage, but the date for the ban hasn’t yet been set, according to Interfax.”
View: https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/2059402646377685479?s=20
@RALee85
33m
“Russia is considering limiting exports of diesel and jet fuel, according to Interfax, as refinery run rates fall to multi-year lows amid Ukraine’s escalating attacks.
Oil companies were advised to curb sales of oil products to foreign markets following a Tuesday meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on the domestic fuel market, the Russian news service reported, citing several people familiar with the situation. One of the people said that the decision to ban exports of diesel and jet fuel is at an advanced stage, but the date for the ban hasn’t yet been set, according to Interfax.”
View: https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/2059402646377685479?s=20
Plain Jane
Just Plain Jane
Ukraine Donor Fatigue: Half Of Countries Withdraw From Czech Ammunition Initiative<!-- --> | ZeroHedge
ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
www.zerohedge.com
Ukraine Donor Fatigue: Half Of Countries Withdraw From Czech Ammunition Initiative
by Tyler DurdenWednesday, May 27, 2026 - 05:45 AM
According to Czech President Petr Pavel, a full half of the Kiev-supporting Western coalition has quietly abandoned Prague's flagship initiative to jointly procure artillery ammunition for Ukraine's military.
Pavel said that while 18 countries participated last year, only nine are still making financial contributions now. "This initiative has been delivering up to 50 per cent of all large caliber ammunition to the Ukrainians, so in this sense it cannot be replaced easily by anything else," the FT on Tuesday quoted the Czech president as saying.
It's unclear precisely which precise countries have dropped participation, but reports indicate that Germany and some Scandinavian countries remain involved.
But the program is now teetering on life support as donor fatigue morphs into outright abandonment, and also as the Ukraine conflict has mostly slipped from driving world headlines, as attention has turned to the US-Israeli war in Iran instead, alongside the Hormuz Strait standoff and global crude crisis.
When Pavel first launched the initiative in 2024, 18 countries - including Canada, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands - enthusiastically led the way and jumped on board.
But he conceded this week, "The initiative is still working, but the new difficulty is that only about nine member states are contributing financially."
NATO officials have confirmed to Reuters that as of February, the scheme had only managed to crawl to €1.4 billion ($1.62 billion) in total funding, which is less than a third of the €5 billion Pavel originally projected.
Ukraine has struggled with persistent artillery deficits since early 2022, while Russia has been well supplied, and its frontline forces are able to fire at many times the rate of Ukrainian artillery units.
As for the Czech program, which involved officials scouring the globe to source immense supplies of badly needed artillery shells, one Western official bluntly told the Financial Times: "Some countries now feel that it is strange to pay for something that is not even properly supported by the ruling politicians of the lead country."
But even as ammo efforts fall short, there's also been little appetite for getting the warring sides to the table once again, as diplomacy has long taken a backseat to finding a 'battlefield solution'.
Plain Jane
Just Plain Jane
Putin Authorizes Debt Relief To Lure New Ukraine War Recruits<!-- --> | ZeroHedge
ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
www.zerohedge.com
Putin Authorizes Debt Relief To Lure New Ukraine War Recruits
by Tyler DurdenWednesday, May 27, 2026 - 02:45 AM
On Monday President Vladimir Putin signed a law that effectively wipes clean up to 10 million rubles (approximately $140,000) in unpaid debt for new military recruits and their spouses, at a moment Russia needs more manpower to keep up its grinding 'special military operation' in Ukraine.
The debt exemption applies to any Russian citizen who signs a minimum one-year contract with the military to serve in Ukraine after May 1, 2026. The economic amnesty explicitly extends to an enlisted member's spouse as well - making it more attractive to struggling families.
The bill smoothly cleared Russia's parliament earlier this month prior to going to Putin's desk for final authorization. It represents the newest addition to a series of economic incentives designed to keep boots on the ground without triggering a domestic political crisis.
While an official death toll has not been issued or publicly maintained by the Kremlin, estimates commonly suggest deaths in the hundreds of thousands, or else a conservative estimate of high tens of thousands - after well over four-years of the tragic war.
Similar figures are often offered on the Ukrainian side, which even more obviously suffers from a severe manpower crisis, leading to forcible recruitment often through officers nabbing eligible men off the streets.
This fresh Kremlin debt forgiveness policy represents a new, softer and more incentive-based approach to military recruitment inside Russia. Prior 'partial' mobilizations have been deeply unpopular.
Within the opening years of the war, there were reports that hundreds of thousands of draft-age Russian men fled across international borders in order to escape these mobilization waves.
The pro-NATO Atlantic Council has meanwhile highlighted that Russia's military also fills manpower through controversial foreign recruitment methods:
In some instances, this happens through deceptive means, such as foreign nationals responding to a job posting in Russia, only to find themselves thrown into Russian boot camp once they sign papers for what they think is another, legitimate occupation or job training.
The conflict and front lines continue to be largely stalemated, with peace talks seemingly no where on the horizon, but Moscow's strategy seems to be based on consistently enduring and making slow gains in this 'war of attrition'.
LOGISTICS WAR BEGINS
Vozdvyzhevka and Granov Have FALLEN
Run Time 18 min
This video describes the military situation in Ukraine on the 27th of May 2026
00:00 Intro
00:56 ️ 78 drone strikes on Russian logistics (M14/M20)
02:57 Russia to attack western Ukraine supply routes from Belarus
05:16 Ukraine: 500 targets in Belarus identified
05:53 Logistics war begins – Russian drones over Rivne
08:42 163 drones overnight
09:40 Voronezh & Taganrog airfields attacked
11:46
Massive attack expected tonight12:12 Vozdvyzhevka captured
14:43 ️ Kostiantynivka – 35% collapsed
16:06 Granov captured
17:42 Outro
Russia Says Peace Is Impossible Unless Ukraine Abandons NATO
Run Time 15 min
Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN has stated that Russia insists on addressing the root causes of the war in Ukraine and that Ukraine needs to abandon it’s NATO membership plans before any peace deal can be concluded. The media has reported that the US is to pull fighter jets, submarines and destroyers from NATO, as part of the European drawdown.
- 0:00 Intro
- 1:39 Russia's NATO Red Line
- 7:39 Lavrov's statements
- 10:59 US to pull jets, submarines and destroyers
- 11:54 Oreshnik ... don't talk about it
- 13:19 Promises
The Duran's Alexander Mercouris
Run Time 50 min
Daniel Davis and Alexander Mercouris discuss the current US (NATO) and Russian relations
markshere2
Senior Member
Oh Lookie - something to Veto!
RUSSIA TO FINALLY GO SCORCHED EARTH ON UKRAINE?
Jim Jatras
Run Time 30 min
Russia is warning all foreign citizens to LEAVE Kiev immediately, raising questions about how it will continue to respond to Ukraine’s latest massacres targeting Russian civilians.
Former U.S. Diplomat and Geopolitical Analyst, Jim Jatras, noted that Russia has to go further than they have before with their attacks—even targeting the GRU and intelligence and political figures—in order to teach Kiev, and the West, a lesson. He emphasized that Moscow has to realize what Tehran has realized: Washington cannot be trusted to make a deal in good faith, and the U.S. Military is in a very weak position right now.
blueinterceptor
Veteran Member
^^^Thats quite the us diplomat
good that he’s former. Who employed this guy as a diplomat
good that he’s former. Who employed this guy as a diplomat
jward
passin' thru
Anton Gerashchenko
@Gerashchenko_en
6h
Russia is launching a new phase of pressure on the Baltic states.
Moscow has announced its intention to appeal to the International Court of Justice over the "suppression of the rights of Russian speakers" in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
In reality, this is another element of a systematic effort to build a legitimacy framework for possible intervention.
Moscow’s rhetoric is standard and familiar: "language bans," "Russophobia," and "persecution of dissent." The foreign ministry pretends that negotiations "have yielded no results" and that complaints submitted to the UN and OSCE have been ignored - therefore, the Kremlin is allegedly forced to go to court. This logic of "exhausting all available means" is not a legal strategy but preparation of a narrative: every refusal of jurisdiction will be presented as proof of "Western bias" and justification for extrajudicial actions.
The scheme is not new. Before the 2008 war in Georgia, Russia spent years talking about the "genocide of Ossetians," distributing passports to residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and then used the claim of "protecting Russian citizens" as a formal justification for invasion. Immediately after that war, in 2009, Medvedev signed amendments to the Law on Defense that explicitly allowed the use of the military abroad to protect Russian citizens. The Kremlin moved the concept of "protecting compatriots" from propaganda into formal law. The same pattern repeated itself in Ukraine in 2014 and was expanded in 2022 - each time using the same set of narratives: "protecting Russians," "neo-Nazism," and "genocide."
Now this framework is being transferred to the Baltics while simultaneously receiving new legislative reinforcement. On May 13, 2026, the State Duma adopted, by 381 votes in favor, and on May 25 - the very same day the foreign ministry announced its intention to appeal to the ICJ - Putin signed a law allowing the use of the military abroad to protect Russian citizens from persecution by courts whose jurisdiction Moscow does not recognize.
What an astonishing coincidence: two steps taken on the same day - a legal claim and expanded legal authorization for the use of force, formalized simultaneously.
The Baltic situation has one fundamental difference from Georgia and Ukraine: passportization failed here. Accession to the EU and NATO in 2004 closed that window, so Moscow now appeals not to "Russian citizens" but to the legally much weaker category of "compatriots" and "Russian speakers."
The role of symbolic "proof of persecution" is played by the Gaponenko case - a man sentenced in Riga to ten years in prison after speaking at a Moscow conference about the "ethnocide of Russians," while Latvian courts classified his actions as incitement of hatred and assistance to a foreign state. The weakness of the legal basis does not stop Russia - it simply shifts the focus from legal results to propaganda effect.
NATO membership remains the main deterrent for Moscow. Therefore, the real goal of the campaign is to create a "gray zone" in the perception of the conflict and build an international record of an "unresolved issue concerning the rights of Russians." This objective becomes especially significant against the backdrop of April statements by the Trump administration regarding a possible U.S. withdrawal from NATO - uncertainty of this kind creates precisely the conditions under which the Kremlin’s human rights narrative becomes operationally useful.
The current campaign against the Baltic states is not a diplomatic episode. It is a methodical construction of an infrastructure within which any future escalation can be presented not as aggression, but as "forced protection."
This is exactly how Russia acted before.
View: https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/2059603419724197954?s=20
@Gerashchenko_en
6h
Russia is launching a new phase of pressure on the Baltic states.
Moscow has announced its intention to appeal to the International Court of Justice over the "suppression of the rights of Russian speakers" in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
In reality, this is another element of a systematic effort to build a legitimacy framework for possible intervention.
Moscow’s rhetoric is standard and familiar: "language bans," "Russophobia," and "persecution of dissent." The foreign ministry pretends that negotiations "have yielded no results" and that complaints submitted to the UN and OSCE have been ignored - therefore, the Kremlin is allegedly forced to go to court. This logic of "exhausting all available means" is not a legal strategy but preparation of a narrative: every refusal of jurisdiction will be presented as proof of "Western bias" and justification for extrajudicial actions.
The scheme is not new. Before the 2008 war in Georgia, Russia spent years talking about the "genocide of Ossetians," distributing passports to residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and then used the claim of "protecting Russian citizens" as a formal justification for invasion. Immediately after that war, in 2009, Medvedev signed amendments to the Law on Defense that explicitly allowed the use of the military abroad to protect Russian citizens. The Kremlin moved the concept of "protecting compatriots" from propaganda into formal law. The same pattern repeated itself in Ukraine in 2014 and was expanded in 2022 - each time using the same set of narratives: "protecting Russians," "neo-Nazism," and "genocide."
Now this framework is being transferred to the Baltics while simultaneously receiving new legislative reinforcement. On May 13, 2026, the State Duma adopted, by 381 votes in favor, and on May 25 - the very same day the foreign ministry announced its intention to appeal to the ICJ - Putin signed a law allowing the use of the military abroad to protect Russian citizens from persecution by courts whose jurisdiction Moscow does not recognize.
What an astonishing coincidence: two steps taken on the same day - a legal claim and expanded legal authorization for the use of force, formalized simultaneously.
The Baltic situation has one fundamental difference from Georgia and Ukraine: passportization failed here. Accession to the EU and NATO in 2004 closed that window, so Moscow now appeals not to "Russian citizens" but to the legally much weaker category of "compatriots" and "Russian speakers."
The role of symbolic "proof of persecution" is played by the Gaponenko case - a man sentenced in Riga to ten years in prison after speaking at a Moscow conference about the "ethnocide of Russians," while Latvian courts classified his actions as incitement of hatred and assistance to a foreign state. The weakness of the legal basis does not stop Russia - it simply shifts the focus from legal results to propaganda effect.
NATO membership remains the main deterrent for Moscow. Therefore, the real goal of the campaign is to create a "gray zone" in the perception of the conflict and build an international record of an "unresolved issue concerning the rights of Russians." This objective becomes especially significant against the backdrop of April statements by the Trump administration regarding a possible U.S. withdrawal from NATO - uncertainty of this kind creates precisely the conditions under which the Kremlin’s human rights narrative becomes operationally useful.
The current campaign against the Baltic states is not a diplomatic episode. It is a methodical construction of an infrastructure within which any future escalation can be presented not as aggression, but as "forced protection."
This is exactly how Russia acted before.
View: https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/2059603419724197954?s=20
blueinterceptor
Veteran Member
European nato better get in high gear.
stop talking and start doing
stop talking and start doing
Old Greek
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Germany can increase their order of wooden rifles!
Old Greek
Has No Life - Lives on TB
They also may have many more available recruits. VW is in process of laying off up to 100,000 peole as Volkswagen sales have died. They 100% bought into EV's!Germany can increase their order of wooden rifles!
jward
passin' thru
NEXTA
@nexta_tv
36m
Zelensky announced new long-range strikes against Russia, warning that Moscow “will pay for this war with its own losses”
“The Russian oil industry will continue to shrink if Russia chooses war,” the Ukrainian president said.
Zelensky also revealed he had sent an urgent letter to both the US president and Congress — a highly unusual move in American politics.
️ He called on Washington to act “quickly and effectively,” stressing that without more air defence systems and support, “diplomacy will not work.”
@nexta_tv
36m
Zelensky announced new long-range strikes against Russia, warning that Moscow “will pay for this war with its own losses”
“The Russian oil industry will continue to shrink if Russia chooses war,” the Ukrainian president said.
Zelensky also revealed he had sent an urgent letter to both the US president and Congress — a highly unusual move in American politics.
️ He called on Washington to act “quickly and effectively,” stressing that without more air defence systems and support, “diplomacy will not work.”
blueinterceptor
Veteran Member
maybe he should repurpose some of those drones. Isn’t that what he’s selling the Middle East
Note its not defense when you keep attacking Russian refineries
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