WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

[Vicus]

Russia to Present New Drone for Protecting Underwater Pipelines at Army-2023 Forum
6 hours ago


hoto : Twitter/Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering Rubin

Apart from protecting pipelines, the advanced Argus unmanned underwater vehicle can also be used for exploring oil or gas fields and conducting rescue operations.

"Rubin", the Russian Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering, has developed a new maritime drone to protect underwater pipeline infrastructure, the company’s press service told Sputnik.
According to the press service, the so-called autonomous unmanned inhabited underwater vehicle “Argus" will be on display for the first time at the international military-technical forum Army-2023, which will be held in Kubinka outside Moscow on August 14-20.


A Rubin spokesperson explained that upon detecting an unknown object near a hypothetical pipeline, the 5.6-meter-long drone “will identify the object as a source of danger and then transfer information to the support vessel [on the surface].”

After the pipeline is laid, the Argus will monitor its technical condition, the spokesman said, adding that the drone is capable of detecting an oil or gas leak, as well as a pipe displacement.
Additionally, the vehicle can be used for conducting the underwater exploration of minerals and in search-and-rescue operations, according to the spokesperson. They noted that the 3.2-ton Argus is powered by a lithium-ion battery and when in the surface position, it can use very high-frequency waves-related radio equipment, satellite communication, and a Wi-Fi system.

Nord Stream Blasts
It seems that the development of the drone is especially topical in light of last year's blasts which disrupted the Nord Stream pipeline network. The pipelines, built to deliver gas under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, were hit by explosions in September 2022. The pipeline's operator, Nord Stream AG, said that the damage was unprecedented and it was impossible to estimate the time repairs might take.
Denmark, Germany and Norway have left Russia out of their investigations into the attack, prompting Moscow to launch its own investigation over the charge of international terrorism.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230814/ru...112580089.html

[Vicus]

The Inevitable Defeat: Retired US Colonel Speaks Candidly On Ukraine’s Losing Battle Against Russia

https://www.sott.net/image/s14/29044.../wilkerson.jpg 12 August 2023

FILE PHOTO: Former National Security Advisor, Assistant Secretary of State and retired U.S. Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson

Retired US Army Colonel Lawrence B. Wilkerson provides a sobering analysis of Ukraine's conflict with Russia, highlighting the inevitability of defeat, the tragedy of misguided support, and the profiteering motives behind the scenes

Washington, D.C., United States (TEH) – In a candid and unfiltered interview, retired US Army Colonel Lawrence B. Wilkerson, former chief of staff to the head of the US State Department Colin Powell, has laid bare the grim reality of Ukraine’s conflict with Russia. The authoritative American, who also serves as a freelance researcher at the Quincy Institute, did not mince words in his assessment of the situation.

“It was a disaster from the start. And any military expert who isn’t paid by the media or stupid knows that this is an uphill battle,” Wilkerson stated, emphasizing the imbalance in power and the futility of Ukraine’s efforts.

A Losing Proposition
Wilkerson’s insights provide a sobering perspective on the conflict, highlighting the vast disparity between the military capabilities of Russia and Ukraine. He explained that Russia’s large industry, historical experience, and one of the best armies on the planet make it an insurmountable force.

“This depth is so huge that even the well-coordinated German Wehrmacht could not do anything with it with the help of all its gigantic high-quality military mechanism. Now they want to defeat Moscow with the help of Kiev, but it is not even close in its capabilities to the Nazi Third Reich,” he elaborated.

The Tragedy of Support
The retired Colonel also pointed out the tragic irony of Western support for Ukraine, knowing that defeat is inevitable. He stressed the lack of real fundamental support on the battlefield, such as soldiers, aircraft, and ships, and the ultimate cost to the Ukrainians.

“They will lose, and this, in my opinion, is the whole tragedy. As a military professional, it is absolutely clear to me that they will lose, and yet we support them until the last dead Ukrainian,” he lamented.

Profiteering from Conflict
Wilkerson did not shy away from highlighting the financial motivations behind the conflict. He named defense corporations like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon as beneficiaries, profiting from the ongoing strife.

“There are other people who make money from this in other ways. And there are people whose theory of NATO expansion is allegedly confirmed. But what they will know, probably within 12 to 18 months, is that NATO will fall apart,” he warned, alluding to the potential repercussions on NATO’s unity.


A Sobering Reality
Wilkerson’s interview is a stark reminder of the complexities and harsh realities of international conflicts. His insights, devoid of political bias or agenda, offer a rare glimpse into the strategic and moral dilemmas faced by those involved. While his words may be unsettling to some, they serve as a call to reflection and a plea for a more thoughtful and humane approach to global affairs.


https://www.easternherald.com/2023/0...ssia-conflict/

[Bill Ryan]

This was originally a Moon of Alabama comment, but was elevated to be the leading article on the website today. One can see why.

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2023/0...lies.html#more

A Litany of Lies

by Arch Bungle

Being a catalogue of the lies I have imbibed through by means of torturous exposure to Anglo-American Newspapers and the rumor mills of Continental Europe.

See the examples below:

1. The Russian MIC cannot manufacture semiconductors. All their semiconductors are obtained via the black market from western sources. Or Iran. Or China. Or North Korea (all of whom are themselves under sanctions!).
2. The Russian microchip industry doesn't exist (But the Russians can build things with black market American chips that even the Japanese can't build)
3. The Russian microchip industry has collapsed (How something that doesn't exist "collapses" I am not sure, but there you are)
4. Putin is a Dictator. He micromanages every single aspect of Russian Society up to the frontline battles (The Surovikhin Line should actually be renamed the "Putin Line". But russian military bloggers and even military staff are criticising him on a daily basis without apparent consequence, and outspoken media figures are allowed to hurl an endless stream of criticism against Putin and his conduct of the war).
5. Putin is Russia and "Russia is Putin" (And that one aging bureaucrat alone is enough to terrify the West )
6. Russia / Putin is Isolated from the global community (Because everyone knows the "International Community" consists of white folks plus some honorary members like the Japs and South Koreans (whose membership may soon be up anyway))
7. The Russian economy is insignificant and smaller than Italy/Texas/France/etc. (it's only the biggest economy in Europe by PPP, and nobody cares about PPP)
8. The Soviet Union was an Empire and Russia is seeking to restore it's imperialism
9. Putin is a "Thug" and a "Murderer" (Because he bombed all those Afghan weddings, blockaded the starving people of Yemen and stated publicly that 500 000 Iraqi children were a worthy sacrifice to Mammon)
10. Russian military operations are at a disadvantage at night due to inferior night vision (The AFU on the other hand has access to the best NATO night vision technology)
11. Russia is starving the world by withdrawing from the grain deal
12. The Oil Price Cap, defying all laws of economic gravity, has been surprisingly effective in strangling Russian oil revenues
13. Russia is running out of artillery/drones/tanks/men Russia is salvaging microchips from dishwashers
14. Putin is dying from Alzheimers/Parkinsons/Cancer
15. Russia is stealing millions of Ukrainian children and abducting them to Russian territory
16. Putin eats brains cooked by Prigozine
17. Prigozine was Putin's Chef (literally)
18. Russian army is demoralised and bordering on mutiny
19. Putin's inner circle is plotting a coup against him (It's going as slow as the SMO because they also believe in the slow grinding approach)
20. [Counter-Narrative character assassination] Putin was responsible for the Moscow Apartment Bombings
21. Russian army is incompetent and poorly trained
22. Russian satellite coverage of the battlespace is poor, so poor large swathes of Ukraine are completely invisible to them
23. Russian army has poor targeting precision. So bad that even a large CEP and a salvo won't help
24. Russia is deliberately targeting civilians
25. Ukraine is not targeting civilians (deliberately)
26. Putin is preparing to colonise Africa (The Africans will be given a choice of Russia, China, The EU or the US for their new colonial masters)
27. The Wagner group is involved somehow in the coup in Niger
28. Russia has been making extensive use of cluster munitions since the start of the SMO (Extensive evidence of this to be found in Bucha, Mariupol and Kherson)
29. Ukraine has an artillery advantage over Russia (July/June 2023)
30. NATO tactics are superior to Russian battlefield tactics (Specifically the training provided by the Brits, those eternal masters of battlefield tactics going back to the charge of the light brigade)
31. Putin has a poor grasp of strategy (As compared to Biden, Sunak, Boris Johnson, Olaf Scholtz, Jens Stotenberg, Milley, Von der Leyen and Borell who are strategic geniuses)
32. The Sanctions Are Working (Just like they worked against Iran, Cuba, North Korea, the Houthi, China, Vietnam ...)
33. The HIMARS Missile system will be a "game changer" (It's impossible to shoot down a hi mars round, and not a single Himars system has been destroyed)
34. American drones will be a "game changer" (especially the little spy ones)
35. The AFU has "semi-encircled" the Russian forces in Bakhmut/Artyomsk
36. Byraktar will be a game-changer (Because somehow the Turks managed to evolve from kebab makers to advanced drone manufacture. Who do they think they are, Iranians?)
37. F16s will turn the tide of the battle in Ukraines favour
38. X wonder weapon will "turn the tide against Russia" (I thought the tide was already in Ukraine's favour from the start?)
39. X general/commander has been fired/sacked/discipled
40. X and Y generals have a personal rivalry that is affecting Russian battlefield performance
41. The Russian army is dependent on decrepit Soviet-era equipment (e.g old Soviet Hypersonic missiles)
42. There's nothing special about Ukraine's neo-nazi problem since neo-nazism is a worldwide problem.
43. There are no weapons bio-labs in Ukraine operated by the Pentagon
44. The weapons labs operated in Ukraine by the pentagon are not a threat to Russia
45. Russia Attacked Ukraine Unprovoked (The bombing of civilians in donbas was no reason to go in guns blazing. R2P is the divine right of Europeans only)
46. NATO made no commitment (written or otherwise) to not advance on Russia's borders (Gorbacheff was drunk and hallucinating at the time)
47. The SMO has nothing to do with the NATO advancement in Eastern Europe
48. The SMO has nothing to do with the 8-year killings of ethnic russians in donbas
49. Cluster munitions are acceptable in Ukraine's case since they're in dire straits
50. The Russians invaded Ukraine in 2014 ("Little Green Men")
51. Russian tanks are inferior to American tanks (Even Shermans.)Russian tanks are inferior to German tanks (Even WW2 tiger tanks)
52. Russian tanks are inferior to French tanks (Especially in reverse)
53. The Russian army is the second most powerful one in the world (Second most powerful in Ukraine, which means the AFU is the most powerful army in the world)
54. Putin is a Crypto-Jew (Because there are some photos of a Putin-looking dude wearing a weird cap)
55. Ukraine cannot be a NAZI state because it's president is Jewish
56. [Counter-Narrative Character Assassination] Alexander Mercouris is a convicted criminal
57. [Counter-Narrative Character Assassination] Scott Ritter is a convicted paedophile
58. "X" pro-russian commentator has never been right (non of his predictions has come true)
59. "Y" pro-Russian commentator is a convicted x,y,z (character assassinations)
60. The sanctions will work if we only apply enough rounds of sanctions!
61. The Russian economy is in tatters!
62. Putin is losing the political support of his people: Protests breaking out all over Russia with a possible cooler revolution brewing
63. The Ukrainian Counteroffensive (June/July/August 2023) is/was/will be successful
64. Russia is firing S300 missiles into Poland (over Ukrainian airspace)
65. The Russo Ukraine war started in 2022
66. The Russian Army is using Human Wave attacks (wagner's HR department must be the most efficient on planet earth - a revolution in HR affairs for sure)
67. The Russian Army is targeting civilians (And yet the Russians have poor targeting ability?)
68. The Russian army is using cluster munitions since the start of the war (with not a single mention in the media until the US decided to suggest using them?)
69. Putin wants to expand the Russian empire into Europe (including such useless basket cases like the Greeks, Italians, French and Spaniards and those malevolent psychopaths the Germans)
70. Ukrainian Grain is key to solving world hunger (But the EU frequently rejects the grain due to toxins?)
71. 'International Law' says x , y , z about the SMO (the same international law that has no enforcer or single legislative body acknowledged internationally)
72. NATO is a defensive organisation (Except when it comes to brown people in non-european countries, or yugoslavs, who may be bombed with wild abandon)
73. NATO is limited to the "North Atlantic" (Libya is a north atlantic country of course, everybody knows THAT)
74. NATO has greater military power than Russia (An organisation made up mostly of countries who got their asses kicked by the Wehrmacht or paid Russia to do their fighting for them are now suddenly the most powerful military force on earth)
75. Putin is in league with the Russian Oligarchs and therefore targeting the Oligarchs harms Putin (which explains why they're fleeing Russia for London)
76. Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure are justified (but Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure are not. All Ukrainian attacks on civilians are unintentional, including the couple killed on Kerch bridge orphaning their daughter)
77. The Russian Tank Autoloader is inferior to the manually loaded western tank loader (Because a meat-bag on captagon can outperform automation in any era)
78. The Ukrainian offensive is stalling because NATO is drip-feeding weapons to the regime' (But still Ukraine is winning!).
79. Current hostilities between the AFU and the RF are "stalemated" (Even in Kupyansk)
80. Current hostilities between the AFU and the RF are "stalled" (but Ukraine is making 'incremental gains', but Russia is not making 'incremental gains')
81. The Tochka missile attack on the Kramatorsk train station was perpetrated by Russians using an old Soviet missile from Ukrainian stocks.
82. The Russian people are collectively responsible for Putin's war on Ukraine (So they need re-education and De-Russification)
83. The Ukrainian Industry is continuing as normal despite the war. It's glorious industrial machine pumps out tanks, shells, missiles, semiconductors, fuel and grain at impressive levels, supplying The World and their own army with important commodities (Motorsich is running fine producing tanks for the AFU, jet engines for the Ukrainian Airforce, the neon/argon production facilities have not been captured by Russia, oil reserve facilities are untouched).
84. Life in Ukrainian cities is continuing as normal despite the war. All is well. Pool parties and street celebrations are commonplace. (Millions of Ukrainians have not fled for Europe, it was merely the tourist high season, hospitals are not filled with the casualties of war, funeral hearses in their thousands are not seen in the streets, WW2 cemeteries are not seeing a capacity problem ...)
85. If the west only gets rid of Putin Russia will collapse and the West will be victorious. (This short, balding, 70-year old bureaucrat is the only one standing between Victoria Nuland and "World Domination").
86. The use of nuclear weapons by Russia will end the war and the world will be at peace thereafter (or some variation thereof).
87. Ukraine should be grateful to the West for supplying the Ukrainian Army (But the West owes Ukraine nothing for fighting their wars for them?)
88. General Gerasimov was killed on the battlefield.
89. Putin is dead and what we're seeing is one of his many body doubles (The body double is somehow as worthy of hatred as the original and as capable of running Russia as the OG Putin (anybody watched Foundation Series lately?))
90. Russia is the last bastion of the "white, straight, christian male" and is fighting this war in the name of White Christendom (not the chechen muslim, tengrist buryat, buddhist tuvan, shamanist Yakhut ... no they're all just immigrant labour shipped in for their "white" masters)
91. The Ukrainians should never have surrendered their USSR nuclear weapons (the ones they never had control of to begin with)
92. If you were against the invasion of Iraq by the USA you should be equally against the invasion of Ukraine by Russia (During which Vasiliy Nebenziya stood up in the UNSC waving a vodka bottle filled with Novichok as evidence the Ukraine was using chemical weapons against "it's own people")
93. The Ukrainian Counteroffensive (June/July/August 2023) is/was/will be successful
94. The USA is able to fund the Ukraine war on Russia indefinitely (because "infinite money printer capacity" = "infinite manufacturing capacity" and all this manufacturing capacity can be restored to the US in the space of a few months, just like 9 women can birth a single baby in 1 month if working in parallel)
95. The Ukrainians are winning because they've taken back 50% of the territory Russia took from them in a fraction of the time Russia took to take it (at the cost of more than 50% of the Ukrainian army, and just not the part Russia truly cares about. The other 50% of the land will cost another 50% of the AFU probably)
96. The Wagner Coup' (Because a 10 minute speech by Putin is enough to stop a coup right in the tracks)
97. the Wagner Mutiny (Because somewhere there was a ship involved)
98. The Wagner Protest (Minus the protest placards)
99. The Wagner Insurrection (Because a couple of clowns barreling down the road with some stolen artillery can take on the entire Red Army)
100. The Wagner Invasion of Poland (Because "why not"?)
101. The Russian people would rise up and overthrow the Putin regime if they could only just receive CNN, BBC, MSNBC (Because they're all nostalgic for a repeat of the 1990s)
102. The West has unparalleled media freedom (as long as you don't watch RT, Sputnik, Iranian Opress-TV, Al-Manar because those are obvious propaganda, because we think so)
103. Putin intends to invade Moldova (skipping on right past Lvov because "Stretch goals: we can do better!").
104. Putin is "weaponising" hunger by forcing the West to impose grain sanctions on Russia ("I made you hit me in the face to hurt your hand").
105. The Wagner 'insurrection' left Putin weakened politically (So weak he had to deliver an entire 10 minute speech including pauses to shut the whole thing down completely).
106. US Patriot missiles in Kiev shot down Russia's hypersonic Khinzal missiles without sustaining significant damage.
107. Ukrainian Air Defences are capable of shooting down Khinzal hypersonic missiles (but by their own admission cannot defend against Onyx, probably because Onyx beats Dagger in trading card games)
108. ...

[Michel Leclerc]

Posted by Rizotto (here)
"SECRET Cable Shows Biden State Dept Pressured Pakistan TO REMOVE Khan For CHALLENGING NATO: Report"
(more specifically, Khan wanted to remain neutral regarding the Ukraine conflict, while maintaining communications with Putin)
(...)

Alas, alas, alas.

The American hegemon taking down the entire world in its demise. And we, inhabitants of countries run by its “ethical dissonance" ’d lackeys, complain that the gas prices remain high.

[Ravenlocke]

Text:
🇺🇸 🇺🇦 CNN explains to the Americans that the UAF counteroffensive has failed completely

📝 “One of the main problems is that there have been no changes in 8 months. The Russians managed to take this territory. So, this whole area is heavily mined, there are many trenches, tank traps.

It is extremely difficult to go straight through this area. You see many areas where there are geographical obstacles. There's a triple defense! The Russians manage to keep the Ukrainians at a distance,” said former US Army Colonel Cedric Leighton.

The Western media completely lost faith in the counteroffensive.
https://twitter.com/djuric_zlatko/st...26684245032960

¤=[Post Update]=¤

Text:
🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Lancet drones destroy the Armed Forces of Ukraine - ex-NATO officer

📝 “Russian forces use drones for a variety of purposes, including reconnaissance and strikes. Lancet suicide drones are a dangerous tactical threat on the battlefield,” said former NATO officer Stavros Atlamazoglou.

According to him, Kyiv, in turn, is losing UAVs on an industrial scale. In a month, the number of vehicles lost by the Armed Forces of Ukraine reaches ten thousand pieces, the officer specified.

https://twitter.com/djuric_zlatko/st...26811982643201

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/ArthurM40330824/...08597134172161

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/ArthurM40330824/...67403629326337

[Ravenlocke]

Text:
‼️🇷🇺Fierce Battles for Staromayorskoye-Urozhaynoye and Klescheevka Evident in Satellite Imagery.

Satellite images reveal intense clashes in the populated areas of Staromayorskoye and Urozhaynoye, as well as Klescheevka. The homes in these localities are being leveled to the ground due to the onslaught of artillery fire.
(http://t.me/RVvoenkor)

https://twitter.com/djuric_zlatko/st...30614337253376

https://twitter.com/djuric_zlatko/st...30721166200832

¤=[Post Update]=¤

https://twitter.com/DD_Geopolitics/s...73709858992128

[Gwin Ru]

...

... foggy war:

https://t.me/ScottRitter/1340




https://t.me/ScottRitter/1342

[Rizotto]

https://www.rt.com/news/581317-rfk-u...iolabs-tucker/

August 15, 2023

Kennedy comments on US biolabs in Ukraine

The Pentagon used other countries for bioweapons research, RFK Jr. told Tucker Carlson

The US military outsourced some of its biological weapons research to the government installed by the 2014 coup in Kiev, Democrat presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Junior has claimed in an interview.

“We have biolabs in Ukraine because we’re developing bioweapons,” RFK Jr. told independent journalist Tucker Carlson in a lengthy conversation posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday evening. Though the US signed the ban on bioweapons in the 1970s, he explained, the Patriot Act adopted after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 allowed the Pentagon to resume research.

According to Kennedy, the bioweapons program has operated under the guise of “life sciences” research, such as gain-of-function experiments on viruses and other pathogens, ultimately overseen by Dr. Anthony Fauci, who headed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases between 1984 and 2022.

Modern bioweapons are “frightening stuff,” made with genetic engineering tools such as CRISPR, Kennedy said. When some of these “bugs” escaped from laboratories in the US, back in 2014, the Obama administration banned gain-of-function research, Kennedy added, so Fauci outsourced it overseas.

“A lot of them went to Ukraine,” Kennedy told Carlson, while some of the research was moved to the Wuhan, China laboratory, the suspected origination point for the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of the research was funded by the Pentagon, or by USAID, which Kennedy described as “a CIA cutout.”

The US has long dismissed claims about the biological research laboratories in Ukraine as “Russian propaganda,” until senior State Department official Victoria Nuland confirmed their existence at a 2022 Senate hearing. The Pentagon continues to insist the research is neither illegal nor intended for military purposes.

The Russian military has discovered evidence that the US was creating “biological weapons components” at facilities in Ukraine, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov testified to lawmakers in Moscow earlier this year.

Kennedy also told Carlson that the American public has been “lied to” about the Ukraine conflict, pointing out Nuland’s role in the 2014 coup in Kiev and the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) vision of NATO expansion to argue that war with Moscow has been Washington’s plan all along.

Ukraine “is a proxy in, essentially, a struggle between two superpowers, between Russia and the US,” Kennedy said. He accused the US of sabotaging the March 2022 peace talks by having then-British PM Boris Johnson visit Kiev and tell Vladimir Zelensky’s government the West would not support them.

As a result, Kennedy said, “350,000 Ukrainian kids are now dead, and 40-50,000 Russians.”

RFK Jr. is the nephew of the 35th president, John F. Kennedy, and the son of Robert Kennedy, JFK’s attorney general who went on to become a senator. Both brothers would end up being assassinated – JFK in 1963, and RFK in 1968 during the presidential primaries. RFK Jr. is challenging fellow Democrat and incumbent president Joe Biden for the party’s presidential nomination.

[rgray222]

A sustained war is one of the worst things that can happen to Russia not just for the economy but also with their trade agreement (deeply discounted oil contracts) with China. As a result China is exerting immense pressure to have Putin bring the Ukraine war to a halt by the end of September. The Russian economy is simply not large enough or strong enough to bankroll all the events and circumstances in today's world.

Russian Ruble Plunges Past 100 Per Dollar as Infighting Goes Public and Sanctions Bite. One ruble is now worth less than a penny. Russia's central bank had an emergency meeting on Tuesday as currency traders smell blood in the water. They raised the interest rates from 8.5% to 12% in an attempt to strengthen the collapsing ruble. Just a few short months ago (Jun 2023) the Russian Ruble was considered one of the strongest currencies in the world if not the strongest.

The Russian currency has passed 101 rubles to the dollar, continuing a more than one-third decline in its value since the beginning of the year and hitting the lowest level in almost 17 months.

"The weakening of the ruble is being driven by significantly increased defense spending — leading imports to rise — and falling exports, particularly in the oil and natural gas sector. "Importing more and exporting less means a smaller trade surplus, which typically weighs on a country’s currency."

Just a week ago Russian propagandists were extolling the strength of the Russian Ruble calling it one of the best-performing currencies, and how quickly things can change. There is now no doubt that the US and EU sanctions are having an impact on Russia's financial situation.

Only time will tell how Russia will fare with these difficult financial situations but right now the cards are stacked against Putin. A war raging on exceedingly longer than anticipated, sanctions having an impact, and one of Putin's main sources of income being substantially discounted to the Chinese.

If Putin sees any financial circumstances threatening his grip on power we may see some sustained changes. First and foremost an end to the Ukraine war.

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by rgray222 (here)


A sustained war is one of the worst things that can happen to Russia not just for the economy but also with their trade agreement (deeply discounted oil contracts) with China. As a result China is exerting immense pressure to have Putin bring the Ukraine war to a halt by the end of September. The Russian economy is simply not large enough or strong enough to bankroll all the events and circumstances in today's world.

Russian Ruble Plunges Past 100 Per Dollar as Infighting Goes Public and Sanctions Bite. One ruble is now worth less than a penny. Russia's central bank had an emergency meeting on Tuesday as currency traders smell blood in the water. They raised the interest rates from 8.5% to 12% in an attempt to strengthen the collapsing ruble. Just a few short months ago (Jun 2023) the Russian Ruble was considered one of the strongest currencies in the world if not the strongest.

The Russian currency has passed 101 rubles to the dollar, continuing a more than one-third decline in its value since the beginning of the year and hitting the lowest level in almost 17 months.

"The weakening of the ruble is being driven by significantly increased defense spending — leading imports to rise — and falling exports, particularly in the oil and natural gas sector. "Importing more and exporting less means a smaller trade surplus, which typically weighs on a country’s currency."

Just a week ago Russian propagandists were extolling the strength of the Russian Ruble calling it one of the best-performing currencies, and how quickly things can change. There is now no doubt that the US and EU sanctions are having an impact on Russia's financial situation.

Only time will tell how Russia will fare with these difficult financial situations but right now the cards are stacked against Putin. A war raging on exceedingly longer than anticipated, sanctions having an impact, and one of Putin's main sources of income being substantially discounted to the Chinese.

If Putin sees any financial circumstances threatening his grip on power we may see some sustained changes. First and foremost an end to the Ukraine war.

All the above was culled from western media articles. (It's easy to search for the key phrases.)

It's not really a "difficult financial situation", though of course it's being propagandized as such in the west. The essence of the issue is that the Russian economy has been surging so strongly it was beginning to overheat. Sanctions have had almost zero effect, apart from making Russia more independent of the west... a good thing.

Alexander Mercouris discusses it all in detail in his video today starting at 58:52, the last 20 mins of the video. He's referenced all this several times in the last week or so, but at some point he'll stop talking about it and just let events take their course — as they surely will, whatever may be written in opinion pieces by Newsweek, Politico, or the WSJ.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=mZvi1aupTxo

[rgray222]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by rgray222 (here)

A sustained war is one of the worst things that can happen to Russia not just for the economy but also with their trade agreement (deeply discounted oil contracts) with China. As a result China is exerting immense pressure to have Putin bring the Ukraine war to a halt by the end of September. The Russian economy is simply not large enough or strong enough to bankroll all the events and circumstances in today's world.

Russian Ruble Plunges Past 100 Per Dollar as Infighting Goes Public and Sanctions Bite. One ruble is now worth less than a penny. Russia's central bank had an emergency meeting on Tuesday as currency traders smell blood in the water. They raised the interest rates from 8.5% to 12% in an attempt to strengthen the collapsing ruble. Just a few short months ago (Jun 2023) the Russian Ruble was considered one of the strongest currencies in the world if not the strongest.

The Russian currency has passed 101 rubles to the dollar, continuing a more than one-third decline in its value since the beginning of the year and hitting the lowest level in almost 17 months.

"The weakening of the ruble is being driven by significantly increased defense spending — leading imports to rise — and falling exports, particularly in the oil and natural gas sector. "Importing more and exporting less means a smaller trade surplus, which typically weighs on a country’s currency."

Just a week ago Russian propagandists were extolling the strength of the Russian Ruble calling it one of the best-performing currencies, and how quickly things can change. There is now no doubt that the US and EU sanctions are having an impact on Russia's financial situation.

Only time will tell how Russia will fare with these difficult financial situations but right now the cards are stacked against Putin. A war raging on exceedingly longer than anticipated, sanctions having an impact, and one of Putin's main sources of income being substantially discounted to the Chinese.

If Putin sees any financial circumstances threatening his grip on power we may see some sustained changes. First and foremost an end to the Ukraine war.

All the above was culled from western media articles. (It's easy to search for the key phrases.)

It's not really a "difficult financial situation", though of course it's being propagandized as such in the west. The essence of the issue is that the Russian economy has been surging so strongly it was beginning to overheat. Sanctions have had almost zero effect, apart from making Russia more independent of the west... a good thing.

Bill, I did cull some of this from a Bloomberg piece but mostly the financial info in an effort to get it right. ROE, the dollar against the ruble, and the timeframe regarding the finances. The best I can tell is that the info is correct. Beyond that the rest are my words and the sentiment of these words is mine.
I choose to participate in this thread very lightly because I have unique ties to the military and governments involved. That said there are absolutely no winners and no good guys in this mess. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, and Joe Biden are different shades of the same man.

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/Wagnersfamily/st...95522128121992

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/OlgaBazova/statu...62085597310977

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by rgray222 (here)
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, and Joe Biden are different shades of the same man.

That's ludicrous. It really is.

On 10 February 2022, you wrote this, your first post on the thread.

Posted by rgray222 (here)
I will be clear right upfront. I think that countries have a right to their sovereignty and bully countries like Russia have no right to threaten that sovereignty. If Ukraine wants to join NATO that is their business, if they want to join the clown college that is their business. Just because you live next to a bully that was spawned out of 16 years with the KGB does not mean that the world should acquiesce to the bullies demands.

Putin claims the West broke a promise that was made in the 1990s not to expand NATO "even one inch" beyond Germany. Yes, there were discussions about NATO never expanding beyond Germany but this discussion was ultimately dismissed and never incorporated into any agreements or treaty. Even Gorbachev says that the discussion was never of any consequence. I think any reasonable student of history would easily conclude that this concession by NATO would have changed the complexion of Northern Europe, Central Europe and the Balkans. It would have unleashed Putin's empire-building/restoration desires. If Putin could get the world to agree to this lie that he now repeats at every opportunity it would allow him to re-establish the Soviet Union with little pushback. In a melodramatic speech from the Kremlin in April 2005 Putin said the following.

"Above all, we should acknowledge that the collapse of the Soviet Union was a major geopolitical catastrophe of the century. As for the Russian nation, it became a genuine drama. Tens of millions of our co-citizens and co-patriots found themselves outside Russian territory. Moreover, the epidemic of disintegration infected Russia itself."

Russia encouraged immigration into the Soviet Satellite countries which brought about all those co-citizens that he is referring to but that is another discussion altogether.

Also never expanding NATO beyond Germany is somewhat ridiculous because several countries that border Russia are already NATO members such as Latvia, Estonia and a host of other countries east of Germany are NATO members. One of the cornerstones of NATOs mission is to provide collective security against the Soviet Union expansion (read empire building). So the thought of stopping any further expansion of NATO beyond Germany makes no sense whatsoever.

President Putin warns that Europe will be dragged into a conflict if Ukraine joins NATO. What a twisted and self-centred view of the world this man has. He stages the largest movement of troops on the planet since WWII, aims hundreds of high powered weapons at strategic targets of his next-door neighbour and has the audacity to tell Europe and the US that it is their fault. Unlike Trudeau, Putin certainly has balls.

Putin has stated on many occasions that the west does not pay attention to him. So in 2008 Putin said he would not say anything of importance (to the west) without taking some sort of action to get their attention. Now because of this childish view, he has painted himself into a corner. He has told the world that he has no desire to invade but after making such a massive show of force he has no choice. His gargantuan ego dictates that he can't back down. So now he must save face by taking some sort of action. There will no doubt be unnecessary loss of life, how much - we can only wait and see.

There will be many that will blame this invasion and loss of life on The USA and Europe but in reality, this is all about Putin, his ego, his desire for an empire and his need to stay in power and relevant to his base in Mother Russia.

On a side note, it always amazes me how far the leaders of countries like Russia, China and others are willing to go no matter the consequences. When you think about it, it is because they have little to no regard for human life.

Mashika immediately responded: (her post clipped here)

Posted by Mashika (here)

Posted by rgray222 (here)
I will be clear right upfront. I think that countries have a right to their sovereignty

That's about when your entire post lost all validity as a serious reply to the current issue

The US overthrow the democratic elected government in Ukraine, around 2014, and placed a puppet government that later was 'elected' by pointing a finger to a new puppet. There has not been a real/official elected Ukranian government since 2014

What you think, and what your government thinks, are two completely different things. Your government sit happily for years while 10+ thousands of Ukranian citizens were murdered by their own government

~~~

All that was two weeks before the SMO actually began.

In my very strong opinion, you were incorrect then, you're incorrect now, and anyone can search and find your 29 posts on this thread to evaluate for themselves how correct or otherwise you've been all this time.

But I don't expect anything I'd say to change your views, and I doubt if anything you say will change mine. That's the state of the world we're in at the moment. I mean you no disrespect, truly. But I just don't know what else to say.

• Social media discussion rarely changes anyone's minds.

[Matthew]

Is this leaderphobia? If so I confess I have it too. If I drop my guard and trust a government leader or head of state I feel betrayed already. Not saying I'm justified but I'm right more of the time than wrong

[Rizotto]

Let me know if Russian media is ever proven wrong (so far I haven't seen that). Because the following Sputnik article on UK & Ukraine puppets taking the USA hegemony war against Russia to the rest of the world seems far-fetched, except that most everything that the USA military industrial complex has done during the past few decades is over the top criminal hubris spread all over the world.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230816/we...112645300.html

August 16, 2023

West's Desire to Control Russia-Friendly Africa Explains MI6 Plot to Send Ukrainian Mercs

A military-diplomatic source revealed to Sputnik and other Russian media Wednesday that Britain’s foreign intelligence service, the MI6, has prepared a 100-militant-strong “sabotage hit squad” to send to Africa on missions against Russia-friendly governments. Sputnik reached out to a Russian special forces vet to dissect the details of these plans.

“According to information confirmed by several sources…MI6 has formed and prepared for deployment on the southern continent a sabotage and assassination squad, comprising of members of Ukrainian nationalist and neo-Nazi formations, in an attempt to prevent cooperation between African countries and Russia,” an informed source told Sputnik early Wednesday morning.

According to the source’s information, the MI6 and the British Army’s elite Special Air Service special forces unit helped handpick the 100-man squad from among fighters with “significant combat experience” against Russia. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry (GUR) were directed to assist them, with the would-be mercenaries’ training conducted in Greece and Poland.

The squad is reportedly led by Lieutenant Colonel Vitaliy Prashchuk, a veteran GUR officer with reported experience in “successful liquidations,” including combat experience in Donbass going back to 2014, and assisting covert MI6 missions in Zimbabwe.

Along with operations to sabotage African countries’ infrastructure (a favorite tactic of Western special operations on the continent during the Cold War), the secretive Ukrainian unit’s job will reportedly include attempts to assassinate African leaders seeking closer ties with Moscow.

A chartered civilian ship sailing from the southern Ukrainian port city of Izmail is thought to have taken the squad on route to Sudan, and is expected to arrive in the Sudanese Nile-adjacent city of Omdurman sometime “during the second half of August.”

Also:
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230816/uk...112628632.html
UK's MI6 Prepared Ukrainian Sabotage Unit to Be Sent to Africa - Source

[shaberon]

Posted by Rizotto (here)
Let me know if Russian media is ever proven wrong (so far I haven't seen that).

The worst swipe I can take at it is they perhaps under-report their losses.

Not in the sense of denial, or something like Trump's remark that the Iranian missile "caused a few headaches".

They just don't float the statistics in the daily reports or say much about it.

Otherwise, no, I can't remember a time that I found something flaky that was a serious issue. In my experience, it was the beginning of the Syrian conflict when I basically shut off any western reporting--not just because of the articles but also the reader comments--and started taking a more regular look from Syria itself, as well as Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. They are all pretty calm and lucid.

Try tracking down the latest MI6 escapade in the Anglo sources, and it will be like taking a bath in leeches.

[shaberon]

Here's a report that may be a little odd:


Yevgeny Balitsky, Zaporozhye region’s acting governor, took to his Telegram channel to report that approximately 500 Ukrainian soldiers had fled the offensive on the Zaporozhye front.


I can understand surrender, but where, exactly, does one flee to?

Maybe the governor is mistaken, and they're just fiddling with the adjustments.

I doubt the real explanation is that nothing happened and he said this so someone would listen to him.