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ISIS chief from Brooklyn who groomed terrorists and made prisoners dig their graves before shooting them faces life
Today's Headlines
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7 19:40 DooDahMan [6] 
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-Great Cultural Revolution
Colin Kaepernick Gets A Tryout With The Raiders
I'm inclined to think new head coach Josh McDaniels, formerly the offensive coordinator with the New England Patriots, is being told to do this by the Raiders GM or that idiot owner Mark Davis, who clearly isn't Al Davis.
[SportsIllustrated] Colin Kaepernick Has Secured a Workout With Raiders, per Report

Colin Kaepernick, who hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016, is scheduled to work out for the Raiders, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed the report and added the workout is Wednesday.

The workout will be at the team facility and coach Josh McDaniels along with general manager Dave Ziegler will be in attendance, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Kaepernick last played for the 49ers and was eventually released at the end of the 2016 season. He was never signed by a team in free agency after he made waves in the NFL for kneeling during the national anthem before games to protest police brutality and institutionalized racism in America.
SI is just as bad as ESPN in the woke department. Also - he doesn't have a fuckin' prayer of making an NFL roster even as a backup - he's been out of football almost six years now. I'm not aware of any athlete in any sport coming back to the big time after that long a layoff. And even if he did, how well would he be received in the locker room after this incredibly stupid and counterproductive stunt?

Don't go away mad, Colin, just go away.
Posted by: Raj || 05/26/2022 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Bah! Humbug! IIRC, Kaepernick had one decent year when the SF 49'ers instituted the RPO (Run/Pass Option) offensive scheme and the opposing defenses didn't have a good handle on it.** Soon opposing defenses developed schemes for it (because it was a fairly common College football offense) and Kap-er-dummy started fading into backbench irrelevance.

**Never was impressed with the RPO because I watched a lot of Option football played by Oklahoma in the 'Wishbone Era'. The plan everybody ended up was "Make the quarterback run with the ball and tackle him until he breaks -- sooner or later..." You really don't see any old RPO quarterbacks, if you get what I mean.
Posted by: magpie || 05/26/2022 0:29 Comments || Top||

#2  Lets invite cancer into the locker-room so he and his wife can create more divisive press moments. Genius.
Posted by: NoMoreBS || 05/26/2022 0:54 Comments || Top||

#3  A Solar Eclipse, or, The Natural

An accident victim demands
His chance with the Astros. The stands
Full of fans groan with glee
A he falls to one knee
And still hauls in a drive... with no hands.
Posted by: Tholugum Gling2919 || 05/26/2022 1:03 Comments || Top||

#4  "As," dammit, as in, "as if it mattered."
Posted by: Tholugum Gling2919 || 05/26/2022 1:05 Comments || Top||

#5 

COLIN KAEPERNICK SAYS HILLARY CLINTON SHOULD BE IN JAIL

"I mean, you have Hillary who's called black teens or black kids super-predators.

You have Donald Trump who's openly racist.

I mean, we have a presidential candidate (Hillary) who's deleted emails and done things illegally and is a presidential candidate. That doesn't make sense to me, because if that was any other person, you'd be in prison.

So what is this country really standing for?"
Posted by: Woodrow || 05/26/2022 1:25 Comments || Top||

#6  ..you get someone who can't see beyond his racist glasses at the world and can't put the obvious existence of a multi-tiered justice system based upon whether you are a member of the Inner Party, the Outer Party or just a prole.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/26/2022 7:52 Comments || Top||

#7  Well, this is only because Mark Davis opened his mouth... He also pays for this haircut
Posted by: Frank G || 05/26/2022 9:52 Comments || Top||

#8  So what is this country really standing for?

The flag, anthem, the vote and to sing praises to God.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/26/2022 10:00 Comments || Top||

#9  The Oakland Traitors are nothing if not consistent
Posted by: Mercutio || 05/26/2022 12:44 Comments || Top||

#10  Al Davis must be thrilled (somewhere?) that his kid is creepier looking than him.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 12:45 Comments || Top||

#11  I mourned the passing of Al Davis. I hoped that his son Mark would carry on with the Commitment to Excellence. These days I just don't pay much attention.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 05/26/2022 12:49 Comments || Top||

#12  NFL? No Firearms League? No, I don't watch that...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 12:57 Comments || Top||

#13  -Ref #7: Oh my Gods! That's actually Al Davis' son. I can remember when the Raiders were on top of the world and Al Davis was a god. Let'em sign Kaepernick and good luck with that.
Posted by: jpal || 05/26/2022 13:09 Comments || Top||

#14  No Firearms League?

I thought it was the National Felons League?
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/26/2022 13:13 Comments || Top||

#15  Colin Kaepernick did lead the 49ers to a 2-14 record in his last season, so there is that to recommend him.
Posted by: Tom || 05/26/2022 13:35 Comments || Top||

#16  2 games more than a dead man
Posted by: Frank G || 05/26/2022 13:42 Comments || Top||

#17  2 games more than a dead man

So you are saying he is not the worst possible choice.
Posted by: SteveS || 05/26/2022 15:05 Comments || Top||

#18  If the dead man satisfies the "Rooney Rule," maybe not.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 15:14 Comments || Top||

#19 
The NFL could be giving out free season tickets and I still would not go to or watch a game.

They shot themselves in the A$$ with all their allowed Kneeling and disrespect to America done by their $$ Millionaire Player race pimps.

Posted by: NN2N1 || 05/26/2022 17:32 Comments || Top||


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Zelensky blasts Kissinger, New York Times for suggesting appeasement deal with Russia
[Washington Examiner] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took aim at the New York Times and American statesman Henry Kissinger, blasting the two for suggesting that Ukraine give up territory to end the war with Russia, comparing the idea to Britain's appeasement deal with Nazi Germany in 1938.

In his nightly address on Wednesday, Zelensky referenced Kissinger's remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Monday, in which the former secretary of state said Ukraine should negotiate a deal with Russia to return "to the status quo ante," meaning returning to the territorial lines in place on Feb. 24, when Russia began its invasion. The agreement Kissinger suggests would allow Russia to maintain control of the Crimean Peninsula and parts of the Donbas region. The Ukrainian president argued that Kissinger, who fled Nazi forces at the age of 15, should know better.

"No matter what the Russian state does, there is always someone who says: let's take its interests into account. This year in Davos it was heard again. Despite thousands of Russian missiles hitting Ukraine. Despite tens of thousands of Ukrainians killed. Despite Bucha and Mariupol, etc. Despite the destroyed cities. And despite the 'filtration camps' built by the Russian state, in which they kill, torture, rape and humiliate like on a conveyor belt," Zelensky said before taking aim at Kissinger.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 03:29 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  the New York Times and American statesman Henry Kissinger

No comments from the WH or Foggy Bottom? Appears a 'back-channel' arrangement with the Russians may be in the works.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 3:34 Comments || Top||

#2  The Ukrainian forces are collapsing nearly everywhere across the Donbas. Zelensky has told his people that their forces are outnumbered by 7:1; their elite units are surrounded; others are cutting and running. One of Zelensky's top assistants had a tantrum on Telegram today, launching f-bombs at all the western leaders calling for peace talks with territorial concessions. There may be small tactical reversals here and there, but the Ukrainians are certain to lose large amounts of territory in the next 4-5 weeks.

The longer the war continues, the worse the Ukrainian negotiating position will be. Kissinger and The NY Times editors are doing the Ukrainians a huge favor by wisely recommending a swift settlement.
Posted by: Jean-Paul || 05/26/2022 5:45 Comments || Top||

#3 
Given the number of shady deals Kissinger worked out over his career that later fell apart. I feel his motives are more DC Elite geared than overall Pro-America.

Besides, he has always reminded me of movie character Dr. Strangelove.
Posted by: NN2N1 || 05/26/2022 6:15 Comments || Top||

#4  One of Zelensky's top assistants had a tantrum on Telegram today, launching f-bombs at all the western leaders calling for peace talks with territorial concessions.

Here is what Zelensky's aide wrote:
"Go fuck yourselves with such proposals, you dumb fucks, to trade Ukrainian territory a little bit! Are you fucking crazy? Our children are dying, soldiers are stopping shells with their own bodies, and they are telling us how to sacrifice our territories. This will never happen"

Of course, this will never happen means that it is about to happen.

The Ukraine leaders are losing it. The foreign minister is delusional.

Yesterday Kuleba wrung his hands and gnashed his teeth, saying that the situation in the Donbas is "extremely bad." Today Kuleba claimed that"Nato as an alliance, as an institution, is completely sidelined and doing literally nothing."

This is after NATO countries including the US have given his country more military and other aid than his adversary spends in a year on its entire defence budget.
Posted by: Palmerston || 05/26/2022 6:55 Comments || Top||

#5  The Israelis are resisting US pressure to escalate by sending weapons to Ukraine. The Israelis have blocked the Germans from sending to the Ukrainians the Israeli anti-tank missiles produced in Germany with Israeli technology under an Israeli license. Zelensky begged the Israelis to do so but they refused.

Israel and India refuse to take the US side in the war. China refuses US demands that she put pressure on Russia. The West is fracturing and Ukraine is increasingly isolated.
Posted by: Jean-Paul || 05/26/2022 7:19 Comments || Top||

#6  I feel his motives are more DC Elite geared than overall Pro-America.

You "feel"? Based on what? How is prolonging this war good for anyone EXCEPT the "DC Elite"? We know that Biden and Lloyd Raytheon Austin and all the DC swampies who see Ukraine as their ATM are making millions each off of this war, but how does it benefit the American people? The longer this pointless war continues, the poorer and less safe we will be.

Kissinger is 100% right on this. Prolonging the war is a disaster for everyone except the MIC and corruptocrats in Washington and Kyiv.

No wonder Zelensky and his people are having hissy fits and telling us we've "done literally nothing" for them. Fuck off, you ungrateful bastards
Posted by: Billy Budd || 05/26/2022 7:30 Comments || Top||

#7  The real reason for the panic in DC is that the polling is bad. Most US citizens aren't interested in US involvement in this mess. That's why you don't see the media trumpeting polls about it.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 7:36 Comments || Top||

#8  This is after NATO countries including the US have given his country more military and other aid than his adversary spends in a year on its entire defence budget.

$53 billion from our country, when we cannot even afford a summer road trip or provide our children with baby formula, is an astonishing waste of money. That is more money than any of our NATO "allies" spends on its military in a year -- and much or even most of it is certain to be stolen. It is nothing short of surreal to hear these little fuckers berating us for not sending even more.
Posted by: Billy Budd || 05/26/2022 7:53 Comments || Top||

#9  I'm totally in favor of ending all expenditures overseas until the US national debt is zero. Ain't gonna happen, but a boy can dream...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 7:58 Comments || Top||

#10  I've been very impressed with the trolls and the amount of effort spent on a fifth (or lower) tier blog trying to rationalize naked aggression. It's not like the Rant has any special influence in the world. The best I can come up with, this is sort of their homework for progression to higher assignments or some mole in our government had to provide their bosses with some sort of excuse that they're actually working and made some outlandish claim one or more alphabet agencies are doing something more than just monitoring the place for 'disinformation'.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/26/2022 8:03 Comments || Top||

#11  ^ Rantburg punches way above its weight in intel aggregation on a variety of things. That's down to the community and the diverse (sorry, that word has not been ruined like some others yet, but it's close) backgrounds of its members.

I'm sure it's on the radar of agencies domestic and foreign.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 8:06 Comments || Top||

#12  Hey "Procopius" - Why don't you suit up and go fight "naked aggression" (love that cliche) instead of dissing people who are appalled at what our leaders are doing to us?

The 'Rant' as you call it is an outlet for D.C. insiders to speak honestly about the foolishness of their Deep State employers.

This war is the stupidest waste of our money since ... the last pointless fuckup. Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Iraq: How many more of these colossal botchjobs are you willing to accept before you finally say, ENOUGH? It's bullshit and you know it.
Posted by: Billy Budd || 05/26/2022 8:12 Comments || Top||

#13  Sorry bud, I put my life on the line for 20 years, how many did you?
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/26/2022 8:15 Comments || Top||

#14  The 'Rant' as you call it is an outlet for D.C. insiders to speak honestly about the foolishness of their Deep State employers.


Hey! I'm a DC insider!!!! w00t!!!!
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/26/2022 8:17 Comments || Top||

#15 
Posted by: Billy Budd || 05/26/2022 8:17 Comments || Top||

#16  For all the trolls using the "we-us-our" constructs in your posts: Nothing sets an observant person's teeth on edge like a stranger calling me "friend," or otherwise insinuating they are in the same boat with me when I know damn well they are not. See War Drums Johnny McShame.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 8:20 Comments || Top||

#17  Interesting ad hominem. Attacking without a declaration of war against another sovereign state by a country that has already shown an appetite for geographical aggrandizement, yeah naked aggression - see Marco Polo bridge incident China, July 1937. Doesn't matter who the parties are or where, its naked aggression. It is a simple statement of opinion. You're the one projecting that somehow I believe in becoming engaged in some overt military action. Playing the game that the Soviets played in Vietnam supplying another agent waging war on their home territory, I can see that. It's a game being played by many participants across the globe this very day.

As for the Ukraine, the historic animosity between the two parties means there will never be peace. The Russian may occupy the place, at great cost, but it will always fester. It will only be a matter of time and circumstances before another outbreak hostilities occurs.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/26/2022 8:50 Comments || Top||

#18  Whoever is blocking the responses to insults, if you don't like the response, then block the original insult as well. These childish playground taunts don't advance the discussion in any way.

Sorry bud, I put my life on the line for 20 years, how many did you?

25. Your arguments are lame. The war in Ukraine is nowhere near as simple as your simplistic retelling makes it out to be. "Naked aggression" is a stupid cliche that's most often used against us by anti-American critics.
Posted by: Billy Budd || 05/26/2022 9:01 Comments || Top||

#19  The war in Ukraine is nowhere near as simple as your simplistic retelling makes it out to be.

No war is. However as humans we do not engage in some sort of algorithmic calculation in making decisions of what we generally do, its behavioral. Tell me how we ended up backing Stalin who killed more Russians than Hitler did, who invaded and occupied sovereign states, and sponsored agencies to destabilize western democracies? Yeah, nothing is really simple.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/26/2022 9:23 Comments || Top||

#20  Whoever is blocking the responses to insults, if you don't like the response, then block the original insult as well.

It wasn’t me, Mr. Budd, but the first comment established the tone. I imagine the subsequent comments added nothing useful or interesting to the conversation, however pleasurable they might have been to write.

when we cannot even afford a summer road trip or provide our children with baby formula, is an astonishing waste of money.

Of course we can afford both. It’s just that President Biden’s government has chosen to prevent adequate production of either. Here’s hoping for landslide elections across the country in November driving the Democrats and their fellow travelers out of office so we can start getting that kind of nonsense under control.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/26/2022 9:24 Comments || Top||

#21  It's not like the Rant has any special influence in the world.

Layers upon layers, wheels within wheels. I can say no more.
Posted by: SteveS || 05/26/2022 9:26 Comments || Top||

#22  ^ Why do you not block the other personal insults? The "trolls" insult is still up. So is the embarrassingly stupid insult, "Sorry bud, I put my life on the line for 20 years, how many did you?"
Posted by: Billy Budd || 05/26/2022 9:28 Comments || Top||

#23  I just want to know why nobody invites me to the really good cocktail parties. I’m tired of sneaking in the back entrance to take tea with whomever happens to be secretary of defense at the moment. (Yes, yes — of course they all drink good American coffee, but the permanent staff secretary admin. thoughtfully keeps a tin of tea for when I drop by.)
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/26/2022 9:34 Comments || Top||

#24  Layers upon layers, wheels within wheels. I can say no more.

It's Fred all the way down.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 9:37 Comments || Top||

#25  The"trolls" insult is still up.

We have had Russian and Ukrainian trolls posting here. Obviously you have missed a lot. The gatekeepers here are able to track back the origins of many posts to foreign IPs. Before the Ukraine, long before you've shown up, the Rant has had trolls from other geographical origins. They're names that appear all the sudden and disappear when the 'world event' quiets down.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/26/2022 9:44 Comments || Top||

#26  And make no mistake, trolls are useful in a useful idiot kind of way. From giving insight into the opponents' mindsets to keeping us all sharp, they only get spamcopped when they start slinging playground psychotic insults or outright drool-a-thon garbage.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 10:00 Comments || Top||

#27  Well, I am foreign but I sincerely hope you do not block me as a "troll."

Back on topic, the Russians are making steady gains all along the Luhansk salient. They will encircle and cut off the Ukrainians at some point during the next 7-10 days.

The Maryland-based American former paratrooper who calls himself "Jomini of the West" (after the great French military strategist) has been the most incisive analyst of the Donbas engagements since the very beginning of the conflict.

This is what he said a month ago:
"I have been stressing since March 14 this portion of the Donbas front is the key to ultimate victory or defeat in the east. I still hold to this assessment...."

A summary of @JominiW's latest analysis follows - this is actually more than 48 hours old but his analytical framework is so solid that his predictions are usually validated by events. The material point is that the Russians have learned and adapted their tactics significantly. They are no longer using throwaway units but are instead putting forth elite troops that are well-supplied and carefully integrated. This is why the Ukrainian leadership is panicking.

Here is "Jomini of the West":
@JominiW

1/ Ukrainian TVD, Day 80-88. The past 9 days has seen one of the most fluid periods to date in the Russo-Ukrainian War. The most significant developments have been the surrender of Ukrainian forces in Mariupol & the Russian breakthrough around Popasna.
...
21/ As stated previously, the breakthrough at Popasna has been the result of a better application of doctrinal methodologies and the integration of new combat assets (like BMPT AFV) that has allowed Russian forces to maneuver more effectively and outflank Ukrainian defenses.

22/ Likewise, supporting this has been a missing element of Russian offensive capability, effective supply of sustained combat operations. The Popasna OMG has remained effective largely in part because it has been better supplied than previous Russian offensives.
Posted by: Jean-Paul || 05/26/2022 10:01 Comments || Top||

#28  All good stuff, JP. Certainly not name calling crap. Carry on...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 10:03 Comments || Top||

#29  ^ Merci, Jean-Paul!

Baron de Jomini's principles are quite relevant to the current battles in the Donbas. Jomini's staff officer approach is much more tactically focused than Clausewitz's theories of "friction." Jomini emphasised mobility and asserted the principal goal as being "to mobilise, at a decisive point and at the right moment, more forces than the enemy".

This is an interesting brief analysis of some of the differences in approach and outlook between Clausewitz and Jomini.
Posted by: Palmerston || 05/26/2022 10:14 Comments || Top||

#30  the Russians have learned and adapted their tactics significantly

Defeat is the best teacher for a military. (Success often teaches the wrong lessons -- look at WWII vet arms Westmoreland's and LeMay's failures in Vietnam.)

The Russian defeats in March have enabled their military to make more progress and develop faster in 6 weeks than they ever could have in 20 years of peacetime. Their commanding officers are now battle tested, most of the dead wood has been cleared out of the upper ranks, and they have saved their elite units for this decisive, final stage of the war.
Posted by: Billy Budd || 05/26/2022 10:24 Comments || Top||

#31  American statesman broker Henry Kissinger.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/26/2022 10:26 Comments || Top||

#32  #12 Hey "Procopius" - Why don't you suit up and go fight "naked aggression" (love that cliche) instead of dissing people who are appalled at what our leaders are doing to us?

Does aggression have tits and a vagina? Asking for a friend.
Posted by: badanov || 05/26/2022 10:28 Comments || Top||

#33  ^ Nowadays, it may have tits and a beard. Who are we to question that?
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 10:29 Comments || Top||

#34  Defeat is the best teacher for a military.

No. Not really. Sure there are a couple great stories here and there, but they are great because they are rare.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/26/2022 10:30 Comments || Top||

#35  Hey "Procopius" - Why don't you suit up and go fight "naked aggression" (love that cliche) instead of dissing people who are appalled at what our leaders are doing to us?

Does aggression have tits and a vagina? Asking for a friend.

Nowadays, it may have tits and a beard. Who are we to question that?


"Gonna head 'em off at the pass!" sure has changed meaning over the years.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/26/2022 10:32 Comments || Top||

#36  I think the "naked aggression" comments may be in line for Snark o the Day - Tag Team Edition.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 10:34 Comments || Top||

#37  #33 "American statesman broker Henry Kissinger"

I do not understand these attacks on Kissinger's diplomatic achievements. Do American veterans of Vietnam truly think that continuing to lose tens of thousands of American lives was preferable to Kissinger and Nixon's successful "Vietnamization" policy?

Kissinger and Nixon combined diplomacy and punitive air power. They didn't "broker" a peace with the Viet Cong; they smashed them and forced them to negotiate. In this war, Russia has already been hit very hard. Kissinger is simply acknowledging realities, as he and other Realists have always done.
Posted by: Jean-Paul || 05/26/2022 10:37 Comments || Top||

#38  He's a closer, not a statesman.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/26/2022 10:42 Comments || Top||

#39  Defeat is the best teacher for a military. (Success often teaches the wrong lessons)

Quite true, assuming that the defeated military is willing to learn. The Russians are learning very rapidly. Don't know whether we can say the same about our own military and its 20-year losing streak.
Posted by: Oye Como Va || 05/26/2022 10:44 Comments || Top||

#40  I grew up in a family with some aunts and uncles who were very far-right. They considered Kissinger to be a traitor and his work to be nothing less than surrender. I don't see it that way. THE USA has really not been willing to fight to a win since Korea (not that we could have there.) With the exception of Grenada (beating on a small child) and Gulf War I (both justified and run correctly) everything else the USA has done since then, war wise, should have been skipped.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 10:46 Comments || Top||

#41  He's a closer, not a statesman.

His masterstroke was the opening to China. No one initiated that for him to "close."

To achieve this, Kissinger and Nixon orchestrated an extraordinarily subtle, patient and sophisticated series of maneuvers involving not just Mao's China but Pakistan, India and the USSR.

"Closer" would better describe a less-accomplished ordinary diplomat like Warren Christopher.
Posted by: Jean-Paul || 05/26/2022 10:48 Comments || Top||

#42  Don't know whether we can say the same about our own military and its 20-year losing streak.

Can't win wars your politicians won't let you win. That means if you are unwilling to win don't go to war.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/26/2022 10:49 Comments || Top||

#43  All roads lead to Carthago Nova.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/26/2022 10:50 Comments || Top||

#44  And don't lump LeMay in. His job was to be ready to kill the Russians in an all-out nuke war. He was decidedly lukewarm on using B-52s to deliver conventional bombs in Viet Nam. He, of course, knew how to do that, and he followed his orders. Which came from the White House and the Pentagon.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 10:51 Comments || Top||

#45  Can't win wars your politicians won't let you win.

And, the JCS absorbed that lesson. That's how we got Milley and Mullen. They figured out what the politicians want and they have delivered it in spades.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 10:56 Comments || Top||

#46  Biden Administration's Victim of Naked Aggression (note the battle scars)
Posted by: Oye Como Va || 05/26/2022 10:56 Comments || Top||

#47  don't lump LeMay in. His job was to be ready to kill the Russians in an all-out nuke war. He was decidedly lukewarm on using B-52s to deliver conventional bombs in Viet Nam.

That's fair. Point taken. I do think Westmoreland should take some blame for trying to, in broad terms, fight WWII again. But you're right that it's the C-in-C and his cabinet who bear the ultimate responsibility.

Ironic that Rumsfeld was trying mightily to move the US toward a lighter, more mobile, less expensive footprint before 9/11 and the Iraq War... There's the curse of (Shock & Awe's) illusory "success" for you
Posted by: Billy Budd || 05/26/2022 11:05 Comments || Top||

#48  Ref# #47, Can't win wars your politicians won't let you win.

You kill (utterly vanquish and destroy) all the weeds, might be a while until you need to buy weed killer again.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 11:07 Comments || Top||

#49  You kill (utterly vanquish and destroy) all the weeds, might be a while until you need to buy weed killer again.

Reformat and bare metal build of Washington DC
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/26/2022 13:06 Comments || Top||

#50  I do not understand these attacks on Kissinger's diplomatic achievements. Do American veterans of Vietnam

That was not his only legacy, Jean-Paul. Were it up to him, Israel would have lost the Yom Kippur War in 1973, and the current civil war in Syria would have included the depopulated ruins of Jerusalem Al Aqsa and Tel Aviv, while Iraq, Syria, and Iran would have been flinging nuclear bombs at their enemies for the past few decades.

He's a closer, not a statesman.

A closer in the American idiom is a salesman who makes deals, persuading purchasers to sign contracts, regardless whether it’s what they need or want — so there is a certain level of skill involved. A statesman is what politicians pretend to be —looking well beyond momentary profit to the best long term outcome for all involved.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/26/2022 15:38 Comments || Top||

#51  Pro tip: There have been no "statesmen" in the US gummint since the early 1800s.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 15:42 Comments || Top||

#52  Kissinger is 99 years old.

Also one should consider the many different positions he has taken on Ukraine/Russia. Back in 2014 post Russia's Crimea takeover, he said that Crimea should remain part of Ukraine, then in 2016 or so he said the opposite, then in 2018 he was back to the earlier position, now apparently back to the Crimea is part of Russia position.
Posted by: Lord Garth || 05/26/2022 17:21 Comments || Top||

#53  That was not his only legacy, Jean-Paul. Were it up to him, Israel would have lost the Yom Kippur War

Kissinger was the American Secretary of State. He was not representing Israeli interests
Posted by: Jean-Paul || 05/26/2022 18:05 Comments || Top||

#54  Kissinger, D.C. surrender monkeys, and everyone else in Washington, Euro-weenies, need to quit offering free advise and stay out of it.

Ammo and intelligence, meds, fine.... maybe. Let the Ukies prosecute the war effort and STFU.

Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 18:28 Comments || Top||

#55  This is exactly what Kissinger wrote in 2014 ("How the Ukraine Crisis Ends March 6, 2014) regarding the way the Crimean issue should be resolved.

In short, Russia should control this crucial southern bulwark and with it, the indispensable Russian naval base at Sevastopol and the Black Sea Fleet.

Cleverly as always, Kissinger argued that the process by which this desired result would be achieved would involve a plebiscite and that the peninsula would de jure be part of Ukraine -- while at the same time, Kissinger clearly signaled that the de facto control of this extraordinarily significant territory whose residents overwhelmingly identify with Russia would be with the winner of the plebiscite, that is, Russia.

Kissinger began by (diplomatically) criticizing Russia -- "It is incompatible with the rules of the existing world order for Russia to annex Crimea -- and then made it clear that Crimea will and must be controlled in reality, it on paper, by Russia.

Note once more the careful, subtle but unambiguous diplomatic language deployed artfully to express the central realpolitik concept, which is that control of Crimea is absolutely essential to Russian security:

"But it should be possible to put Crimea’s relationship to Ukraine on a less fraught basis. To that end, Russia would recognize Ukraine’s sovereignty over Crimea."

But this sovereignty is sharply curtailed by autonomy and elections. The Crimean population is 90% in favor of Russian control:

"Ukraine should reinforce Crimea’s autonomy in elections held in the presence of international observers. The process would include removing any ambiguities about the status of the Black Sea Fleet at Sevastopol.
Posted by: Jean-Paul || 05/26/2022 18:32 Comments || Top||

#56  /\ All of which, could be the very playbook Vlad is following.

Thanks for your input Jean-Paul. Irony? Yes possibly, but more likely a well supported Russian strategic analysis.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 18:38 Comments || Top||

#57  ^ It was that idiotic little shit-stirrer Zelensky, no doubt egged on by the return to the White House of Biden and Nuland and the 2014 coup-monger gang, who declared in March 2021 that he would seize Crimea for Ukraine.

Kissinger recommended a plebiscite overseen by neutral international observers. Biden and Zelensky fired shots across Russia's bow by sending the US and British fleets right up against the Black Sea Fleet last summer.

That stunt in June 2021 was an astonishingly reckless and stupid bit of saber rattling, one which was certain to be interpreted by the Russians as a sign of hostile intent to seize Crimea by force.
Posted by: Billy Budd || 05/26/2022 18:51 Comments || Top||

#58  /\ Exactly! Biden, Nuland, Kissinger and many other shi* stirring Washington neo-cons bloviating at the brink of a nuclear conflict.

Stay the fok out of it.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 18:57 Comments || Top||

#59  Irony?

No, not ironic at all. Realistic. There can be no peace of Ukraine is not a neutral buffer state that does not control or interfere in any way with Russia's most important military base.

To Billy Budd's point, the recklessness of the Biden people and their client has been astounding. The American and British naval exercises last summer deserve much closer attention and study, as I'm sure they will receive from future historians.

Also, cutting off Crimea's water supply as the Ukrainians did was by itself a casus belli. (I read that the Russians have just restored that supply in total. That's very good news.)
Posted by: Jean-Paul || 05/26/2022 18:59 Comments || Top||

#60  shi* stirring Washington neo-cons

The neo-cons hated Kissinger. They effectively ended his Washington career.

Probably for the reasons articulated by the pro-Israel poster in #50, above, along with their hatred of the policy of détente toward the USSR
Posted by: Jean-Paul || 05/26/2022 19:04 Comments || Top||

#61  #59 should read, "There can be no peace if Ukraine is not a neutral buffer state"
Posted by: Jean-Paul || 05/26/2022 19:06 Comments || Top||

#62  /\ A 99 year old man has no business meddling in geo-politics or war. Just my penny farthings worth.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 19:14 Comments || Top||

#63  I'm going with Air of Acceptable Gravitas for a deal made. Close second would be one of those negotiation flexes, like we want a bowl of jelly beans, but remove all the yellow and blue ones.

Whatever the reason, looks like he is being used to pass the hint to Elenskyy that his time is up. Give Elenskyy one pass at venting, already taken, but another, well, should have taken the retirement package.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/26/2022 19:42 Comments || Top||

#64  Endgame is beginning. Here is NBC News, singing a very different tune from all the BS we've been hearing for the last two months:

NBC News
Russian advances are making the battle for the Donbas a ‘different story’ to the start of the war


"Russia is tightening the noose on Ukrainian troops in the country's east.

"A fierce ground and artillery assault has seen Moscow's forces advance, and they now appear close to encircling the last two hold-out cities in Luhansk province — which together with neighboring Donetsk forms the Donbas region that has become the key focus of the Kremlin’s war.

"With Ukrainian officials voicing concern their troops are now outmanned and outgunned, this Russian push could prove a decisive moment in the conflict...."
Posted by: Oye Como Va || 05/26/2022 20:46 Comments || Top||

#65  Zelensky's aide Arestovich just confirmed in a livestream that the Ukrainians have lost the crucial northern Donbas city of Liman. Ukrainian forces have abandoned their positions and fled west-southwest.

Also, the ruble has climbed so high against the dollar that the Russians are going to LOWER interest rates.... even as Powell announces he will slam the US into recession by raising interests another 175bp
Posted by: Billy Budd || 05/26/2022 20:59 Comments || Top||

#66  Kissinger was the American Secretary of State. He was not representing Israeli interests.

President Nixon was the American chief executive at the time. And despite being more than a bit of an antisemite in both his personal and political life, he concluded that materially supporting Israel at that moment was non-negotiable. Our self-defined intellectual class to the contrary, supporting Israel has been the default position of the vast majority of American voters since the UN voted to establish the country.

Incidentally, trailing wife is both my nym (or is it nic? I’ve seen both) and my career. My pronouns grammatically match my XX DNA, so it should be ...along with her hatred of the policy of détente toward the USSR

Except I didn’t disagree with détente at the time — though I was only a schoolgirl, and so my understanding was necessarily limited. Nor have I seen reason to change my mind on that subject since.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/26/2022 20:59 Comments || Top||

#67  @#65 - Into a recession? Nobody thinks we are already in one?

Fed is years late raising rates, possibly more to help other central banks. The Chinese have begged the Fed to not raise rates. And the ECB and its negative rates? LOL!
Posted by: DooDahMan || 05/26/2022 21:39 Comments || Top||

#68  The Ukrainians are losing their elite battalions now, one after another, with losses exceeding 60% of strength for:
- the 24th Brigade
- the 36th Brigade
- multiple Air Assault brigades

And the Azov neo-Nazi Battalion has been totally destroyed
Posted by: Billy Budd || 05/26/2022 22:36 Comments || Top||


Butusov: Operational situation in Donbass near Bakhmut (Artemovsk)(Ukrainian Report)
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Yuriy Butusov

[Censor] Russian units were unable to gain a foothold on the Bakhmut-Lysychansk highway.

Russian troops continue the offensive in the Bakhmut area, in the strip from the villages of Klinove south of Bakhmut to the village of Berestovo north of Bakhmut. The offensive is very slow due to the resistance of Ukrainian troops, but the slow push of our defense continues.

Russian units were unable to gain a foothold on the Bakhmut-Lysychansk highway, but the highway continues to fire small arms near the village of Nagirne. Traffic on the route is closed, cargo is bypassing the route in this place.

Heavy fighting is going on, Ukrainian soldiers are inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. But we also suffer significant losses.

The enemy advanced in the area of ​​Pokrovsky and Klinov near Bakhmut.

Russian troops entered the Limon the city is fighting.

The main reason for advancing the enemy is a great advantage in the means of destruction and the amount of ammunition.

Russian troops maneuver freely on the front and have the ability to withdraw troops from other areas not attacked by them in order to concentrate their forces in areas where they want to advance. The enemy is also tired and no longer uses large-scale attacks, trying to solve tactical tasks by concentrating artillery and air strikes.

Russian troops, units of the 76th Airborne Assault Division, continue their attempts to break through to the Bakhmut-Lysychansk route on a wide front.

Ukrainian soldiers in the Donbas are making every effort to defeat Russian strike groups and thwart Russian troops' plans. Russian troops are suffering heavy losses.

A youtube.com video was linked to by a commenter, stating that a rocket artillery unit of the Ukrainian 24th Mechanized Rifle Brigade (King David) launched an attack on Russian troops in eastern Ukraine.

Posted by: badanov || 05/26/2022 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:


Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: May 25th, 2022
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 22:48 The Russian invaders are once again changing their tactics of advancement in eastern Ukraine in an attempt to achieve at least some kind of military victory. Read more in the material Three boilers for APU .

22:24 Ukraine welcomes and is ready to discuss any plans to resolve the situation, which do not include the creation of lines of contact and cession of territory, Kuleba said, commenting on the peace plan proposed by Italy.

In turn, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that the proposals of Italy published in the media "are so out of touch with reality that it is difficult to take them seriously."

22:21 UN Secretary General António Guterres said in his report to the UN Security Council that the threat of a nuclear conflict has again become real, although for many years it was considered unthinkable.

He emphasized that the most effective way to protect civilians is to prevent the outbreak of armed conflicts and resolve them peacefully, and "if conflicts cannot be prevented by diplomacy, human suffering can be reduced and completely avoided if international humanitarian law and respect for human rights are followed."

22:12 Poland is preparing for possible shelling by Russia, said Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Andriy Deshchitsa. According to him, given that Russia is shelling Lvov and Yavorov, located a few dozen kilometers from the border, it is quite possible that these missiles can fly 20 kilometers towards the West - and this will already be the territory of Poland.

"Poland sees what this aggressive policy of Russia in Ukraine can lead to, so it's time to prepare for there to be no such Buch, Irpin and Gostomel in Poland," Deshchitsa explained.

22:09 US State Department Speaker Ned Price said at a briefing that the US will not lift sanctions on Russia in response to promises to export grain from Ukraine and that "US non-food sanctions against Russia will remain in place until the war in Ukraine stops ".

21:50 Ukravtodor plans to improve access roads to checkpoints on the borders with the EU countries - they will be equipped with parking lots for vehicles.

21:48 The EU, the US and the UK have announced the creation of a group to coordinate efforts to bring to justice for crimes committed during Russia's war against Ukraine.

21:46 The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the Russian Armed Forces daily open two sea corridors to exit the ports of Mariupol, Kherson, Nikolaev, Chernomorsk, Ochakov, Odessa and Yuzhny.

21:22 The Odessa port plant, which was mothballed and was going to open production on June 1, will not be able to do this because of the missile strike on May 20, the press service of the enterprise said.

20:59 Four civilians were killed in the Donetsk region today, said the head of the OVA Pavel Kirilenko. In particular, two people died in Liman, where fighting is already taking place within the city limits, one in the village of Sidorovo south of Svyatogorsk and 20 kilometers from Slavyansk, and another in Berestovo, which stands on the strategic Lisichansk-Bakhmut highway.

20:31 Russia has occupied about 95% of the territory of the Lugansk region, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai. But, according to him, Severodonetsk is not surrounded, up to 15 thousand inhabitants remain in the city and villages of the community. In total, more than 40 thousand people remain in the territory of the Luhansk region controlled by Ukraine, of which 99% do not want to leave.

20:27 The identity of the Russian who led the looting of the occupied Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been established, Venediktova said. According to the GPU, he turned out to be Oleg Yakushev, a major general of the Russian police, who during the occupation of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant acted as a senior operational group of the federal service of the national guard troops of the Russian Federation.

It was established that he led the operation to illegally keep the nuclear power plant under the control of the Russian troops. By his order, more than 2,000 items of property were stolen from the enterprise - from machine tools, equipment, tools and office equipment to furniture and clothing. In total, the invaders stole property from the station for more than UAH 26 million.

20:22 In Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, railroad workers were injured as a result of a morning missile attack, Mayor Ruslan Trebushkin said. One of them is in a very serious condition, two more - with shrapnel wounds and two in a state of shock.

20:16 The Cabinet of Ministers has amended the rules for crossing the state border, allowing a number of categories of men liable for military service to leave. In particular, three categories of men are allowed to travel abroad during martial law:

  • drivers who transport medical supplies, humanitarian aid for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the population of Ukraine; as well as truck drivers with licenses;

  • railway workers who ensure the functioning and smooth operation of the railway;

  • athletes and coaches participating in international competitions or preparing for them.

  • Length of stay abroad: for drivers and athletes - 30 days, for truckers - 45 days, for railway workers - six months.

20:13 In recent days, the Russian-occupied Ukrainian peninsula has entered the agenda. It is spoken about in Ukraine, and in Russia, and in the West. Experts agree that Ukraine will have forces for Crimea, but suggest that this could lead to the use of nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction by Russia. Read more in the article How Ukraine will return the Crimea .

20:07 The US Embassy in Ukraine announced the allocation of $ 4 million to Kiev for a demining program: "This week, the United States provided $ 4 million in new support for the Halo Trust in Ukraine, which will involve ten teams to clear territories of Russian landmines and unexploded bombs so families can return home safely."

20:03 Zelensky supported the petition to introduce a visa regime in Ukraine for Russian citizens and instructed Shmygal to work on this issue.

19:27 Ukraine will have to restore more than 200 enterprises, 12 airports and over a thousand educational institutions, as well as almost 300 bridges and overpasses, Shmyhal said. According to him, about 25 thousand km of roads were damaged during the hostilities, 40 million square meters were destroyed. m of housing stock. At the same time, the losses are not final, their size is growing with every day of the war. According to Shmyhal, the damage to the Ukrainian economy from the Russian war has already reached $600 billion.

19:25 A train from the Crimea arrived at the Melitopol railway station with old T-62 tanks, which were produced in the 50-60s, local publics report. These tanks have neither minimal active protection nor modern sights and fire control systems.

19:21 The Russians made attempts of assault and offensive actions in the areas of Dolgenkiy of the Kharkov region and Bogorodichnoye of the Donetsk region, but retreated with losses, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. The enemy also tried to attack and storm in the Severodonetsk and Bakhmut directions in the areas of the settlements of Berestovoe, Lipovoye and Nyrkovo, but withdrew to the previously occupied lines.

In the Avdeevka direction, the Russians unsuccessfully tried to storm in the areas of the settlements of Krasnogorovka, Kamenka, Avdeevka and Peski. In the Yuzhnobuzhsky direction, the enemy tried to improve the tactical situation in the direction of Nikolaev and provide access to the administrative borders of the Kherson region.

19:18 On Thursday, May 26, the Belarusian army will begin maneuvers near the border with the Volyn region, head of the executive committee of Brest Alexander Rogachuk said. According to him, the special operations forces of Belarus and aviation will take part in the exercises. Belarusian troops will train to cross the water barrier with the support of helicopters and attack aircraft. There will be a lot of military equipment moving around.

19:15 Putin will go to war against Slovakia if he captures Ukraine, said Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger. He also criticized EU members for relying too heavily on Russian energy: "Compromise with Putin sparked a war in Ukraine. Aggressive war, people are dying. Ukrainians shed their blood for our values."

19:07 The satellite recorded the movement of cargo ships in the port of Mariupol, with which the invaders can take out metal and grain, Radio Liberty reports. According to Planet Labs images, these ships have moved to the berths, where, according to the Mariupol City Council, products are usually shipped. Journalists found out that the grain stored in the grain terminal of the port belongs to Ukraine, and most of the metal belongs to Metinvest.

19:05 Spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said that in the Black Sea there are two carriers of cruise missiles of the Caliber type with a possible total salvo of up to 16 missiles.

19:02 In the South Bay of occupied Sevastopol, Russian Black Sea Fleet submarines are loaded with Caliber missiles, writes Krym.Realii. In particular, two submarines of the Varshavyanka project are moored at the berths. Two harbor tugs pulled a self-propelled floating crane SPK-46150 to one of the berths. On the eastern shore of the bay, next to the berths, there are two long KAMAZ trucks, in the back of which transport and launch containers with missiles are visible.

18:59 There can be no question of freezing the conflict in Ukraine, Podoliak said: “There can be no question of freezing the conflict. Firstly, any freeze is a war postponed in time. side of the aggressor, who will work on the mistakes, dismiss and arrest the generals, and put in their place militants with experience of today's war.By the way, we also did our work on the mistakes: Ukraine drew conclusions from the Minsk agreements and therefore will not go to Minsk-3 ".

18:56 Ukraine plans to reduce gas consumption to the level of its own production, the head of the Ministry of Energy said during a meeting with and. about. Chargé d'Affaires a.i. for Ukraine Alan Purcell and Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Ukraine Jim Hope. He clarified that last year Ukraine reduced gas consumption to about 27 billion cubic meters, while production amounted to less than 20 billion cubic meters.

In addition, according to him, the Ukrainian authorities intend to increase the export of electricity to Europe, which will allow European states to largely replace Russian gas.

18:54 The German RWE signed a 15-year agreement with the American Sempra Infrastructure for the supply of 2.3 million tons of liquefied gas per year.

18:50 Recent events directly point to the victory of the FSB-Pushilin group of influence over the FSB-Sablin group - Moscow money will go to Donetsk, not Mariupol, said Petr Andryushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol. According to him, the Kadyrovites have already entered the city to replace the so-called "DPR police", and the work of collaborative police officers is controlled by "state volunteers" of Russia.

"And the most interesting thing: our traitor - the self-named mayor Ivashchenko - does not appear anywhere else without an observer from Pushilin, who is at the same time the only non-Mariupol chairman of the regional administration of the occupiers (in the Left Bank district). His task is to prevent Ivashchenko from conducting political campaigning for himself and representatives Sablin group," writes Andryushchenko.

Ivashchenko himself, according to him, has already realized that his term is coming to an end. "What for Mariupol? Nothing for Mariupol. No one was going to restore and improve life, just one thief outplayed another. But spiders in jars are a very interesting entertainment to watch," Andryushchenko added.

18:42 A draft law has been submitted to the State Duma of the Russian Federation, according to which switching to the side of the enemy in the context of an armed conflict or military operations against Russia will be considered treason and punishable by imprisonment for up to 20 years. Secret cooperation of Russians with foreign intelligence services will be punishable by imprisonment for up to eight years.

And public calls for action against the security of Russia will be punishable by imprisonment for up to seven years with a fine of up to 2.5 million rubles.

18:24 The first ship from the port of Mariupol will send about three thousand tons of metal products to Rostov-on-Don in the coming days, the occupation "authorities" of the city said. Earlier, the port authorities reported that at the time of the invasion there were about 200,000 tons of metal and cast iron on its territory, the cost of which reaches $170 million.

18:08 Russia plans to attack Slavyansk and Kramatorsk from Izyum after the capture of Severodonetsk and Lisichansk, predicts the coordinator of the Information Resistance group Kostantin Mashovets. In particular, according to him, the Russians have already dragged a tactical group of the 45th artillery brigade under Izyum - two 2S7 Pion 203-mm heavy-duty guns and two 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled 240-mm mortars. Also, during the transfer between Burluk and Shipovaty, a Tochka-U fuel dispenser battery was noticed.

The increase in the grouping of missile forces and artillery may indicate a transition to active operations in the direction of Slavyansk-Kramatorsk from Izyum, to which Russia will move at the next stage, after "the issue of Severodonetsk and Lysichansk is resolved," Mashovets believes.

17:59 In the occupied regions of southern Ukraine, Russia resorted to its traditional tactics - the accelerated distribution of Russian passports. About what to expect next - in the material Old tactics .

17:46 The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned Putin's decree, "opening the way for forcing residents of territories temporarily occupied by the Russian army in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions to obtain Russian citizenship." The decree of the President of Russia is legally null and void and will not have legal consequences, the department stressed.

17:18 The situation on the eastern sector of the front is very dynamic, the Ukrainian army is resorting to maneuvers, Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said: “Of course, Russian groups have temporary tactical success in some separate areas and, in principle, this is not a secret. But the fact that Ukrainian troops are retreating there - this is a completely wrong interpretation of these actions. In some areas, Ukrainian units are conducting a mobile defense."

16:56 Zelensky said that he had held talks with the Federal Chancellor of Austria: "I informed about the situation at the front. We discussed the prospects for Ukraine's membership in the EU. He thanked Austria for humanitarian assistance, as well as for its readiness to accept Ukrainian citizens for treatment and medical rehabilitation."

16:54 The European Commission is discussing the construction of a new offshore gas pipeline against the background of the energy crisis, writes El País. Spain has six active regasification plants that can be used to solve the problem with Russian gas.

The EU wants to connect the Iberian Peninsula with Italy along the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. The construction of a new gas pipeline with a length of 700 km will require investments in the amount of 2.5 to 3 billion euros. The project can be completed within two years.

16:51 Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey wants to conclude a written agreement to resolve differences on the application of Sweden and Finland to join NATO. According to the BBC, on May 25, delegations from Sweden and Finland arrived in Ankara for talks with Erdogan.

16:43 The issue of the exchange of prisoners can be considered only after the trial, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said: "We will consider all things after those who surrendered are appropriately convicted and sentenced. Then there may be some other steps. Before all this talk of an exchange is premature."

16:38 Russia continues daily shelling of the border areas, said the head of the Chernihiv OVA Vyacheslav Chaus. According to him, despite the shelling, people continue to return - a third of the population has returned to Chernihiv itself.

Chaus also asked the residents of the region to comply with restrictions on movement, as the occupiers left behind a mined area. At the moment, more than 25 thousand explosive objects have been destroyed in the region.

16:35 In Ukraine, state regulation of prices for gasoline and diesel fuel will be returned when the shortage of fuel on the market disappears, said Deputy Economy Minister Denis Kudin.

16:31 Due to the war in Ukraine and sanctions against the Russian Federation, only ten weeks of wheat reserves on the planet are left, the UN said.

16:29 The Russians are planning to seize and occupy Odessa, they say in OK Pivden. Thus, enemy ship groups are being reorganized, strengthened, transporting goods, trying to equip certain positions, including on Snake Island. At the same time, additional air defense battalions are being deployed in Crimea, since the enemy is already aware that the defeat of his ships is absolutely real.

16:15 Russia has begun issuing Russian passports to residents of Mariupol and other residents of the territories of the Donetsk region occupied by Russia without issuing "DPR passports", said Petr Andryushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol. "The actual annexation of Mariupol has begun," he said.

15:59 Kuleba urged not to succumb to Russia's blackmail on the issue of unblocking Ukrainian ports for the export of agricultural products in exchange for the lifting of sanctions: "Although we fully sympathize with everyone in the world who will face the huge consequences of the Russian blockade of Ukrainian agricultural exports, I want every politician , regardless of his/her status in international relations or the country he/she represents, before saying that the sanctions must be lifted in order to save children somewhere in the world from starvation, visit Ukraine, see the dead Ukrainian children, talk with parents whose children were raped by Russian soldiers, and shut up."

15:51 Russia used 60% of its stocks of high-precision weapons, and for some types even more - about 70%, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, the Russian Federation cannot replenish stocks quickly due to sanctions and low production capacity, so it changed the tactics of using such weapons.

So, if earlier 2-4 missiles were used on an object, now the object is clearly chosen, the target is from eight to 12 missiles of various formats. "We see changes, and we understand that the resource of high-precision weapons, precision-guided munitions in the Russian Federation is at the maximum level," the GUR said.

15:36 The European Commission has proposed adding a violation of anti-Russian sanctions to the list of crimes, the EC said in a statement. In addition, the commission proposes new enhanced rules for the return and confiscation of assets, which will also contribute to the implementation of restrictive EU measures.

"Today's proposals are aimed at ensuring that the assets of individuals and entities that violate restrictive measures can be effectively confiscated in the future. The proposals came in the context of the Freeze and Confiscate Task Force , created by the Commission in March," the EC said.

15:27 The leader of the Kalush Orchestra together with Sergey Prytula put up for auction the statuette of the Eurovision Song Contest and the pink hat of the band's soloist Oleg Psyuk. The money will go to help the army.


15:13 Kuleba called multiple launch rocket systems "the key to change in the war": "If we don't get multiple launch rocket systems as soon as possible, the situation in Donbas will become even worse than it is now. I don't want everyone to have feeling that everything is more or less okay with the war. The situation in Donbas is extremely bad. Some villages no longer exist physically, as they are in ruins. If we don't get multiple rocket launchers, we won't be able to liberate Kherson."

15:00 In Ukraine, mobile applications for collecting evidence of war crimes of the Russian Federation have been launched - these are mobile applications for a single portal warcrimes.gov.ua. iOS and Android users can download the RWC (Russian War Crimes) app from the AppStore or Google Play, the Office of the Prosecutor General said.

14:57 Zelensky said that on Africa Day he had a substantive telephone conversation with the President of Liberia: "He expressed gratitude for Liberia's support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, in particular within the UN. We discussed ways out of the food crisis provoked by Russia."

14:43 Mayor of Nikolaev Alexander Senkevich told that the day before the city was fired from rocket system of volley fire of Tornado-S. As a result of the shelling, a multi-storey building was damaged, one person was injured.

14:15 Belarusian-made weapons are in demand among Russian consumers, Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Roman Golovchenko said on the Belarus-1 TV channel. At the same time, he acknowledged the difficulties due to Western sanctions against the military-industrial complex: "Very large-scale restrictions on imports. It is no secret that we used Western components. And the military-industrial complex of Belarus has been under sanctions for several years."

14:12 The Russian Foreign Ministry said that five foreign ships were able to leave the port of Mariupol after demining. Earlier, the Mariupol City Council warned that such statements could be made to cover up the illegal export of Ukrainian grain and metal products.

14:11 The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, after the US decision not to renew the license for servicing the Russian external debt, announced that it would continue to pay in rubles.

14:10 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation explained that it will be possible to conclude the first contract on military service in Russia until the age of 50 years.

14:08 During the three months of the war, the Russians damaged or destroyed 1059 km or 45% of the roads in the Kharkiv region, the regional Highway Service reported. 16 artificial structures were destroyed - bridges, overpasses, overpasses. Some of the destroyed or damaged roads are located in the occupied territories.

13:57 The head of the Lugansk OVA, Serhiy Gaidai, denied the information of journalist Yuriy Butusov that the Lisichansk-Bakhmut highway was blocked: "The Luhansk region is not cut off! The Lysichansk-Bakhmut highway is not blocked. There is access to Lysichansk and Severodonetsk. After lunch, the media began to spread the news that that the invaders allegedly cut off the "road of life". This is not true."

13:56 Reznikov explained how military salaries are calculated during the war . According to him, payments depend on several factors and can reach 100,000 hryvnia per month for frontline fighters.

13:54 Putin signed a decree on simplified admission to Russian citizenship of residents of Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.

13:51 The Hungarian Embassy in Ukraine has published a clarification on the introduction of a state of emergency in the country. Thus, the state of emergency was introduced in connection with the armed conflict in a neighboring state, to support refugees, to prevent harmful economic influences in the interests of mitigating the consequences.

13:49 Kindergartens will resume work in Kiev from June 1, the city military administration reported. Admission of children to kindergartens will continue until May 31.

In turn, the first deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration Nikolai Povoroznik said that from June 1, educational institutions will begin accepting children for vacant places in the first classes. This process will last until August 23. More than 20% of places for first-graders in the capital are still free. All 425 schools in the capital will be preparing for the opening on September 1.

13:46 The Federation Council of the Russian Federation approved a bill to abolish the age limit for concluding the first military service contract. Now the legislation provides that the first contract can be concluded by citizens from 18 to 40 years old, and foreigners - from 18 to 30 years old. The new bill proposed to eliminate the age limit for citizens of working age.

13:35 Russian troops fired at the last gas distribution station in the Luhansk region, as a result, the entire region was left without gas, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai. One station worker was injured.

13:29 In Zaporozhye, a rocket hit the Aurora shopping center in the morning, the OVA specified. One person died, three were injured.

13:06 The border guards of the Chernihiv region of Ukraine say that the Russians are again accumulating troops and equipment at the cordon. Border guards fear a new Russian invasion from the north, writes The Washington Post. "In any case, we are preparing for a possible re-invasion. They are attacking our positions and cities," said Alexander Vadovsky, deputy commander of the region's border troops.

12:54 The EBRD is preparing to raise additional funds for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. According to Reuters, the total cost of damage to Ukraine could be between 500 and 600 billion euros.

EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso said donors understand that more funding is needed. It is also important that at least some of the funding Ukraine needs be provided in the form of grants, not loans, so as not to burden the country with additional debt.

12:38 Kuleba said that at a meeting with his colleague from Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud, he asked for help to solve the fuel crisis in Ukraine: "Ukraine and Saudi Arabia are friends and partners. We focused on ways to unblock food exports from Ukraine to Arab and African countries. The Kingdom can play an important role. I have also asked Saudi Arabia to help us solve our fuel crisis."

12:23 Ukraine's actions were able to limit the activities of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. The Armed Forces of Ukraine forced the enemy to avoid approaching the Ukrainian coast, Crimea said.Realities representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Vadym Skibitsky: "They have become cautious, but their ship group today, unfortunately, provides full control of the Sea of ​​Azov, and this is understandable, along with the Kerch Strait, and they are now blockading our ports on the Black Sea."

12:01 Yesterday, Russian troops entered the Bakhmut-Lisichansk highway near the villages of Nagornoe and Belogorovka, the highway is blocked, journalist Yuri Butusov reports. According to him, fighting has been going on in this area for the second day, for only seven days the enemy has been trying to break through the Ukrainian defenses and intercept the highway. The enemy seeks to gain a foothold and expand the breakthrough zone. "If the enemy is able to gain a foothold, this will mean an operational cordon of our troops in the areas of Severodonetsk and Lisichansk," the journalist notes.

However, he noted that the environment will be incomplete, but there will be only one secondary path.

11:43 According to the Director General of the IAEA Rafael Grossi, the Zaporozhye NPP, which was seized by Russia, stores 30 tons of plutonium and 40 tons of enriched uranium. In this regard, the IAEA wants to be sure that the stocks are not missing. Enriched uranium and plutonium could potentially be used as raw materials for the production of nuclear weapons, writes The Wall Street Journal.

11:37 Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas announced preparations for sending a new batch of military aid to Ukraine. He clarified that we are talking about 20 M113 armored vehicles, ten military trucks and ten off-road vehicles for mine clearance.

11:31 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that the port of Mariupol "after demining and demilitarization began to work in a daily mode."

11:26 The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia "completely rejects allegations about the export of Ukrainian grain by the Russian military." Moscow also warned that the creation of Western coalitions to escort ships with Ukrainian grain "could seriously aggravate the situation in the Black Sea region."

11:24 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that in Zaporozhye air and sea-based missiles destroyed "the workshops of the Motor Sich plant, which produced engines for Ukrainian military aviation, including drones." Also, near the Pokrovskoye railway station in the Dnipropetrovsk region, "reserve units of the Ukrainian army, which were transferred to reinforce the group in the Donbass," were allegedly destroyed.

11:21 The main battles for the Luhansk region are expected this week - the Russian army has concentrated its forces to capture the Luhansk region, the head of the OVA, Serhiy Gaidai, said on the air of the national telethon. According to him, "the shelling of Severodonetsk is growing exponentially - air bombs, Grads, Tornadoes, mortars," the Russians transported another 2,500 units of military equipment to the region.

11:04 Zelensky said at the Ukrainian breakfast in Davos that after the active phase of the war there will be a peace process, but the question is which Russian president Ukraine will negotiate with: "After the military part, there will be a peace process, a negotiating table, there will definitely be peace, the question is with which president of Russia Ukraine will negotiate peace. And it depends on the desire of the current president of Russia."

10:59 Canadian Finance Minister Christa Freeland receives a call from Russian oligarchs dissatisfied with Western sanctions. She spoke about this at the last meeting of G7 finance ministers, Handelsblatt reports. According to the minister, the oligarchs are unhappy "not only because of the inconvenience of travel restrictions and asset freezes," but also because they "cannot distance themselves from the Russian invasion because of the threat of reprisals from the Kremlin."

A group of prominent Russian businessmen under international sanctions have offered to donate a significant portion of their fortune to the restoration of Ukraine in exchange for the removal of personal restrictions, Freeland said.

10:53 UAE sent oil to Europe for the first time in two years. A tanker called Moscow Spirit with 1 million barrels of oil on board left for the port of Rotterdam, Bloomberg reported.

10:44 Kuleba said during the Ukrainian Breakfast in Davos that the world "does not have the courage" to unblock Ukrainian ports: "If NATO did not close the sky over Ukraine at the most tragic moments of the war, then why should they unblock the sea in order to freely transport agricultural products? I will welcome this decision, but I don't think the world has the courage to do so."

10:26 Germany plans to stop importing Russian coal in the fall, replacing it with supplies from the Republic of South Africa, Scholz said.

10:24 The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was "premature" to talk about the creation of a Russian military base in the Kherson region. The ministry also assured that Moscow is ready to provide humanitarian corridors for the unblocking of Ukrainian ports, "but Kyiv must clear mines."

As for Zelensky's statement about the conditions for returning to negotiations with Moscow after returning to positions until February 24, the Russian Foreign Ministry called them "unconstructive."

10:20 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine spoke about a new scheme of fraud in relation to relatives of servicemen who were captured or missing. Malefactors call them and offer for money "help" in search of relatives and their release. In this regard, the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially announce that they are not engaged in the release of prisoners with the help of a ransom, and urge to be vigilant.

10:15 Zelensky, in his speech at the Ukrainian Breakfast in Davos, criticized the West for the lack of unity and reproached Hungary for blocking the sixth package of sanctions against Russia. As for China, according to the president, Kyiv is satisfied that Beijing remains aloof from the conflict: "It's better than if it helped the Russian Federation, in any case. I would like to believe that China will not pursue a different policy behind its back." . At the same time, he expressed regret due to the lack of support for China: "I would like to have an advantage in these relations in comparison with the Russian Federation."

Zelensky also said that Putin is still waging war, because the environment hides the real situation from him, so a personal meeting of the two presidents is needed, without intermediaries.

09:47 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of May 25. The enemy suffered the greatest losses over the past day in the Limansky direction.

  • personnel - about 29,450 (+100) people liquidated,

  • tanks - 1305 (+3),

  • armored combat vehicles - 3213 (+19),

  • artillery systems - 606 (+0),

  • MLRS - 201 (+0),

  • air defense systems - 93 (+0),

  • aircraft - 206 (+1),

  • helicopters - 170 (+0),

  • UAVs of the operational-tactical level - 491 (+11),

  • cruise missiles - 112 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 13 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tankers - 2217 (+5),

  • special equipment - 44 (+1).

09:44 In Mariupol, 22 thousand people were killed, the adviser to the mayor of the city, Petr Andryushchenko, said in a comment to CNN. The figure is based on information from officials who remain in the city, but could be much higher, he said. Also, the mayor's adviser noted that there are difficulties with the burial of the dead: in order to take the body from the morgue, relatives must make a video recording stating that the Ukrainian military killed the person.

09:42 The American Institute for the Study of War reports that Russia is preparing three “boilers” in the Donbas: in the area of ​​​​Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, around Zolote to the northeast of Popasna, and also around Avdiivka. At the same time, the Russian Federation apparently abandoned the previously planned deep encirclement of Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces are pulling back southwest of Popasna near Bakhmut (leaving Svitlodarsk) to protect supply lines from Russian advances southeast of Bakhmut, analysts say.

09:25 Google was the first to receive from Ukraine Sign of the World - an award that Zelensky founded for companies and corporations that have left the Russian market, as well as for governments and world politicians who support Ukraine the most. The head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mikhail Fedorov, presented the award personally to Google Vice President Karan Bhatia.

09:21 In Mariupol, the invaders opened another filtration point - in the Metro, that is, in the same place where the headquarters is located and where they give out humanitarian aid. Filtration, together with the FSB, is carried out by "state volunteers," said Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the city.

09:14 The Russians launched a missile strike at Krasnopol, Sumy region, at night, hit with air-launched missiles. There is destruction, but there are no victims, according to the head of the OVA Dmitry Zhivitsky.

09:12 British intelligence believes that Ukraine will not be able to replace sea grain supplies with land ones, as a result, significant stocks of Ukrainian grain remain in warehouses and cannot be exported. Therefore, food prices around the world will rise.

09:03 Russians launched missile and air strikes on Kramatorsk tonight. An apartment building in a residential area and the private sector were damaged, there were no victims or injured, Mayor Alexander Goncharenko said.

09:01 The European Commission will propose a way to criminalize sanctions evasion at the EU level, as well as a tool to provide legal grounds for the confiscation of assets of Russian oligarchs, Yermak said.

08:59 Foreign Policy experts analyzed how the military contingent is rotated in the Russian army. According to them, some of the losses have so far been made up by sending units to the Donbass involved in unsuccessful operations for Moscow near Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkov. "Peacekeepers" from Georgia and Syria were also sent to fight in Ukraine.

But this, according to analysts, is not enough, and the lack of manpower is already affecting the ability to develop an offensive in the Donbass. In conditions of a shortage of human resources, commanders are transferring the same units from one sector to another, which have not had time to restore either strength or ammunition. FP researchers conclude that within the next week or two, the current phase of the invasion will reach a climax - there simply will not be enough people to continue it.

08:52 15 grain carriers left the occupied Melitopol in the direction of the Crimea, the Zaporizhzhya OVA reported. In the city, the Russians turned off cellular communications, in particular, due to the redeployment of military equipment of the Russian Federation: along Melitopol Avenue, a large column of military equipment went to the Kherson direction. In addition, the occupiers set up an additional checkpoint in the city - they set up submachine gunners, military vehicles and selectively check cars.

Residents of Melitopol also report that the military of the Russian Federation "began to taxi on their cars marked with the letter Z."

08:48 In Severodonetsk, the invaders are targeting shelters: six dead and at least eight wounded, said the head of the Luhansk Regional Military District Serhiy Gaidai: “The Russians are hitting crowds of people. "Yesterday they killed four local residents there, three more were hospitalized. The enemy also knows which schools have shelters - they also beat them for a reason."

08:46 In the Nikolaev region, the invaders dressed in the uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and tried to capture the observation post, OK Pivden reported. The attack was repulsed, the Ukrainian defenders destroyed four invaders.

08:43 Two more sappers from the so-called "DNR" were blown up at Azovstal yesterday. Both are in serious condition, said Petr Andryushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol.

08:41 The Russians launched a missile attack on Pokrovsk, Donetsk region. The mayor of the city, Ruslan Trebushkin, reported six wounded.

08:39 According to preliminary data, there are no dead or injured as a result of the strike on Krivoy Rog, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council Nikolai Lukashuk said. According to him, the rockets were flying from the Kherson region.

08:38 The wife of the commander of the Azov Regiment, Denis Prokopenko, told The Guardian that her husband is being held in "more or less satisfactory" conditions: "They are fed, watered. The conditions are adequate, and in this short period they have not been subjected to violence."

08:36 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for the creation of a green corridor for the export of Russian and Ukrainian grain. He stated this during a conversation with German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock. Wang Yi called for an end to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia as soon as possible in order to open such a corridor and stressed that China is ready to maintain cooperation with all parties and "will not stand aside."

08:32 Zaporozhye region after "complete liberation" will head towards joining Russia, said the representative of the "administration" Vladimir Rogov. He stressed that the region "does not need gray zones, does not need the Zaporozhye People's Republic", the region should become "a full-fledged subject of the Russian Federation."

08:20 Zaporizhzhya Regional Military District specified the information on today's shelling. At 05:13 Russian troops fired four cruise missiles at the city of Zaporozhye. One was shot down by air defense, the rest attacked two districts of the city - they hit civilian targets in the Shevchenko district and a shopping center in the Aleksandrovsky district. In the private sector, at least 62 houses were damaged. It is already known about one dead and three wounded.

Also, the Russian army continues to shell Gulyaipole, trying to destroy the city, which holds the defense and does not allow the enemy to advance on Zaporozhye. As a result of Russian artillery attacks, outbuildings, storage facilities and the conveyor belt of the elevator were on fire.

07:58 In the morning, the enemy launched three missile attacks on Krivoy Rog, said the head of the Dnepropetrovsk OVA Valentin Reznichenko. According to him, the rockets hit an industrial enterprise, which was badly damaged. In addition, in the Krivoy Rog region, the occupiers again fired at Shirokovskaya and Apostolovskaya communities from Hurricanes. People were not hurt, Apostolovo was partially left without electricity.

07:38 Russian troops have stepped up the use of aviation to support the offensive of the ground group, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in the morning report . It is emphasized that due to the insufficient stocks of high-precision missile weapons, the enemy is looking for other ways to destroy critical and military facilities on the territory of Ukraine.

There are battles for Liman and Severodonetsk. In the Bakhmut direction, the enemy launched an offensive in the area of ​​Kamyshevakhi, Yakovlevka and Troitsky, but was not successful.

06:46 On the morning of May 25, Russian troops fired four cruise missiles at Zaporozhye. One of the missiles was shot down by Ukrainian air defense. At present, the impact sites are being examined, the relevant services are working there, the Zaporozhye Regional Police Department said.

03:11 Zaluzhny showed the Caesar howitzers, which are already on the front lines:

02:37 The number of military personnel in Ukraine can be brought up to a million, but there may be a problem of arming new mobilized, Arestovich said in an interview with Mark Feigin: "This is a problem for us and for the Russians. Everything depends on Western assistance. And it tends to end" .

02:13 In the Kherson region, about 90% of pharmacies do not work, and prices have increased by 3-5 times for most drugs, said Denis Savchenko, Chairman of the Board of CrimeaSOS. According to him, some pharmacy chains are planning to stop their work in the region altogether.

Very expensive highly specialized drugs, vitamins, medicinal herbs and teas, toothpastes and some cosmetic products remained in pharmacies. There is a huge problem with drugs for the heart and blood pressure, a separate problem for pregnant women with the purchase of medicines and pharmacy products in the maternity hospital.

Medicines are now brought to the region from the Crimea and the Russian Federation and sold from car trunks in local markets, they are not certified and can be fake, Savchenko said.

01:37 US Congressmen Brian Fitzpatrick and Dan Crenshaw arrived in Ukraine. This is the first visit of American parliamentarians since the return of the American embassy to Kyiv. Congressmen began their trip with a visit to Borodyanka in the Kyiv region, said Anton Gerashchenko.

01:20 The Russian military secretly took the bodies of the dead and secret equipment and documentation from the sunken cruiser Moscow, Krym.Realii reports with reference to the representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Vadim Skibitsky. According to him, Russia carried out a rescue operation on the sunken cruiser - it lasted at least two weeks. To do this, attracted from five to seven ships - rescue ships, boats, tugs.

00:07 Zelensky said in an evening video message that Russia would have to leave Crimea: "Of course, the occupiers will have to leave Crimea too. As well as from Kherson, Melitopol, Energodar, Mariupol and all other cities and communities where they are still portraying the owners. They definitely won't be the owners."

00:02 The Mariupol City Council admits that Russia's statements about a "humanitarian corridor" for foreign ships from Mariupol are spread to cover up a deal to export Ukrainian metal products and grain worth tens of millions of dollars.

Posted by: badanov || 05/26/2022 00:00 || Comments || Link || [11 views] Top|| File under:


Putin praises the paratroopers and infantry involved in the special operation
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[RIA Novosti] Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the actions of the paratroopers involved in the special operation in Ukraine, but did not fail to mention the infantry units.

“The paratroopers work brilliantly, but without infantry it’s impossible to go anywhere, without infantry. Only the infantry consolidates all successes. Thank you very much, get better,” the head of state said.

Putin on Wednesday visited a military hospital where injured Russian servicemen are being treated.

Posted by: badanov || 05/26/2022 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:


Mass grave found in Mariupol, city mayor says
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[RIA Novosti] A mass spontaneous burial was found within the boundaries of the liberated Mariupol in the old cemetery, the mayor of the city Konstantin Ivashchenko said.

“We see two large trenches. Now we can understand that there are a large number of corpses here. <…> This territory was controlled by nationalist units, such as Azov (against whose fighters a criminal case has been initiated in Russia ). Of course, we will examination, which should show how people died," he said.

According to an eyewitness living in Mariupol , from March to the present, about three dozen bodies have been unloaded into the trenches.

"In the old city cemetery, which is over 300 years old, in early March I saw a tractor arrive and dig holes. In the same month, cars arrived and unloaded something in black bags, unloaded and threw it into a pit. This is what I I saw ... I personally saw three times."

But the people who live here say that there were more than 30", he shared.

Later, the Investigative Committee of Russia announced that it would document the findings.

Posted by: badanov || 05/26/2022 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:


From the Russian Perspective: Operation on Denazification of Ukraine: operational summary May 25th (updated)
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFrontInfo] 17:47 The Russian city of Kherson has regained its historical coat of arms. This is reported by the military-civilian administration of Kherson.

17:35 A bill has been submitted to the State Duma, according to which switching to the side of the enemy in the context of an armed conflict or military operations against Russia will be considered treason and punishable by up to 20 years in prison

16:42 The situation in Donbas is extremely bad for Ukrainian troops - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba.

16:39 The governor of the Belgorod region announced one victim during the shelling of the village of Zhuravlyovka from Ukraine.

16:15 The first residents of the Kherson region have already applied for Russian citizenship - the head of the military-civilian administration.

15:27 In Genichesk already pay previously promised benefits of 10,000 rubles.

15:23 Russia will not jump at any Western proposal to resolve the situation in Ukraine - Zakharova.

14:19 Centers for issuing passports of the Russian Federation for residents of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, if necessary, can earn money in the Crimea, the authorities of the region said.

13:48 Putin signed a decree on a simplified procedure for obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation for residents of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions of Ukraine.

13:27 The mayor of Gorlovka said that our troops are liberating the village of Novoluganskoye (near Svetlodarsk). It is obvious that the enemy will not hold onto Novoluganskoye too stubbornly and will withdraw in the direction of Artemovsk.

13:07 Shelling from the side of the VFU was recorded in the following directions:

n.p. Avdievka - n.p. Yasinovataya: five missiles fired from the BM-21 Grad.

n.p. Codema - n.p. Dolomite: fired 12 shells with a caliber of 152mm.

11:54 The port of Mariupol has started working as usual - the Russian Ministry of Defense.

11:53 Russia is not considering the issue of exchanging Medvedchuk for Ukrainian prisoners of war, Deputy Foreign Minister Rudenko said.

11:51 The military-civilian administration of the Zaporozhye region reports that infrastructure and employees are being prepared to organize the issuance of Russian passports to residents of the Zaporozhye region.

11:23 AFU fired at the village of Kochubeevka, Kherson region. As a result of the shelling, two people were injured, residential buildings were damaged.

10:38 In Melitopol, the utilities "Teploset" and "Vodokanal" begin preparations for the autumn-winter period

The corresponding order was given by the head of the military-civilian administration of Melitopol, Galina Danilchenko.

The technical condition of the facilities is being studied, on the basis of which planned repair work and replacement of failed equipment will be carried out in the near future.

09:16 Russian servicemen delivered about 70 tons of humanitarian aid to civilians in the Kharkiv region. Food and basic necessities have been delivered to the settlements. First of all, the necessary assistance is provided to families with children. Local residents thanked the Russian servicemen for their help.

08:54 Residents of the liberated territories of Ukraine are actively expressing a desire to obtain Russian passports. At the moment, about 70 percent of residents of Kherson, Zaporozhye, as well as part of the Nikolaev regions want to get Russian passports, said Viktor Vodolatsky, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots.

08:34 An impressive humanitarian cargo from Russia was delivered to the Kharkiv region. Dozens of local residents helped unload the cars. A covered mini-football field was adapted for the warehouse. The cargo includes buckwheat, rice, flour, sunflower oil, canned meat, fish, condensed milk. In total - 67 tons.

08:30 Russian air defense systems have destroyed about 90 Bayraktar attack drones in the air since the beginning of the operation on the territory of Ukraine.

08:05 The main results of the SVO in Ukraine for May 24, 2022:

In the north of the Kharkiv region, positional battles continue. The RF Armed Forces carried out artillery strikes on the accumulation of enemy manpower in Tsirkuny.

Fighting continues for Ternovoe on the border with the Belgorod region. In the city of Merefa, the railway infrastructure was hit.

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are storming Liman, most of the city is occupied. Street fighting continues in Severodonetsk. A Ukrainian MiG-29 was shot down near Kramatorsk.

The enemy completely left the fortified areas on the Svetlodar arc. Wagner PMC fighters occupied Lugansk and Svetlodarsk without a fight. Vozrozhdenie, Rota, Krinichnoye, Vozdvizhenka, Mironovka were taken under control. Artillery duels continue in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. The RF Armed Forces fired at the places of deployment of Ukrainian forces in Nikolaev and the village.

08:02 Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation: “For the safe exit of foreign ships from the port of Mariupol, from 08:00 on May 25, a humanitarian corridor is being organized 115 miles long and 2 miles wide in the direction of the Black Sea. As a result of the complex of measures taken, the Russian Navy has eliminated the mine danger in the water area of ​​the port of Mariupol, and measures are being taken to restore the port infrastructure.”

08:00 Russian military handed over humanitarian aid to residents of the Kharkiv region. The distribution took place in the villages around Izyum.

Posted by: badanov || 05/26/2022 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Are there any reports from Americans on this website or just pr from the thieving, raping and mass murdering Russians?
Posted by: Omineling Forkbeard1962 || 05/26/2022 10:56 Comments || Top||

#2  Americans should not be in a position to report on it. Because we should not be there. Our money and materiel should not be there.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 10:59 Comments || Top||

#3  American reporters will lie to you even more than Russian and Ukrainian ones. It's part of their code.
Posted by: jpal || 05/26/2022 13:21 Comments || Top||

#4  Are there any reports from Americans on this website

We also have PR from the Ukrainians for balance, Omineling Forkbeard1962.

Politics, opinions, culture war, land of the free, home front: war on terror… In general we try to keep our reportage as local to events as we can manage. If you know your American news media, we generally place the source’s name in square brackets at the beginning of the article text so our readers can quickly judge for themselves how to weight the presented information. As has been mentioned here before, lies and propaganda are also informative to the prepared mind.

At the moment we’re actually limited in terms of Russian sources. I’m told they’ve reduced international access to forestall hackers, so we’re mostly working with Ukrainian and Russian-Ukrainian sources for the war over there. Click on the headlines to see the source material in the original language, if you’d like.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/26/2022 15:21 Comments || Top||

#5  If you want relatively 3rd party analysis good luck - everyone has a dog in this fight. You could try indianpunchline dot com or medium dot com Tom Cooper for an Austrian point of view. Reminiscence of the future and the saker dot is seem to have some interesting insights from the Russian side of the house. Larry Johnson sonar21 dot com is a knowledgeable American. Three big challenges. 1 - the war is live and opsec is in effect. 2 - beaucoup propaganda from all sides. 3 - this isn’t a 3rd world beat down. The Russians are fighting a nato trained and equipped army on their home turf without an overwhelming numerical advantage. Most (90+%) commentators have little real world training or experience in near peer combat tactics - and fewer in strategy. I’m just patiently waiting for the after action reports to eventually trickle out to learn what actually transpired. If they ever do …
Posted by: Cloluck Bourbon1058 || 05/26/2022 17:33 Comments || Top||

#6  My two biggest takeaways so far are how important railroads still are for logistics and how layered air dominance has been (below 3,000 meters all drones and manpads while the Russians seem to have matters in hand above that altitude). Surprising that EM spoofing hasn’t had more of an impact (that we know of).
Posted by: Cloluck Bourbon1058 || 05/26/2022 19:11 Comments || Top||

#7  /\ Entirely valid observations CB. I hope someone in Washington is paying attention.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 19:16 Comments || Top||

#8  I’m just patiently waiting for the after action reports to eventually trickle out to learn what actually transpired.

This. So much this. Though patience is not one of my virtues. ;-)
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/26/2022 21:02 Comments || Top||


Perspective from the Breakaway Republics: Invasion of Ukraine: May 25th, 2022
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFrontinfo] 23:40 According to the operational line of the DPR JCCC, information was received about the wounding of 6 civilians as a result of the shelling of the AFU on the previously liberated territory of the Republic:

n.p. Vladimirovka (temporarily attached to the administration of the Starobeshevsky district):
- woman, born in 1981.

n.p. Mariupol:
— male born in 1992.

n.p. Krasny Liman:
- child (boy) born in 2018;
- men born in 1961, 1949, 1971.

21:40 According to the operational line of the JCCC DPR, information was received about the wounding of a civilian - a man born in 1962. as a result of shelling by the VFU of the Kirovsky district of Makeevka.

The victim was diagnosed with an open craniocerebral injury, brain contusion, and was taken to the Makiivka Clinical Mine Hospital.

21:18 Literally yesterday Svetlodarsk was liberated from the Nazis.

In the photo, Peace Square, as a result of decommunization, it was renamed in this way from Lenin Square. The leader of the world proletariat used to stand on the pedestal. Now the Banner of Victory proudly flaunts on the administration building!

20:52 Updated information about civilian casualties as a result of the shelling of the AFU of the Kievsky district of Donetsk was received through the operational line of the DPR JCCC :

- a man born in 1977 died.

- seven men were injured of varying severity (born in 1981, 1990, 1979, 1978, 1976, 1983), including a teenage boy born in 2005.

The injured were taken to health facilities.

In addition, information was received about damage as a result of shelling by the VFU of the following settlements:

n.p. Yasinovataya:

- st. Lesnaya, 134 - a private residential building.

n.p. Mineral:

- st. Mira, 39 - private residential building

20:45 According to our sources from the place of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, having suffered heavy losses in manpower, they are preparing to leave Krasny Liman - Akim Apachev.

20:41 More than 50 percent of the territory of Krasny Liman is already under our control, there are only a few days left before the liberation - Pushilin.

20:40 Russian troops entered Lisichansk-Kadyrov.

19:33 VFU shelled Makiivka. On st. An industrial civilian was injured.

18:26 According to preliminary information, as a result of the shelling of the AFU of the Kievsky district of Donetsk, there are victims among civilians. Personal data and the nature of the injuries are specified.

In addition, information was received about damage as a result of the shelling of the VFU of the Kievsky district of Donetsk at the following addresses:

- st. Gornaya, 58, Car wash - three cars were damaged.

18:01 Under the fire of the VFU Kyiv district of Donetsk, there are victims. Fixed hit on the territory of a car wash.

16:50 The first ship from the port of Mariupol will send about 3,000 tons of metal products to Rostov-on-Don in the coming days, the mayor of the city said.

16:43 Gorlovka is again under fire from VFU! The car from cooperative "Luch" in the Kalininsky district of Gorlovka came under attack. They report a fire in the area of ​​​​Dneprovskaya street, 33a.

15:59, explosions of Ukrainian shells were heard near the village of Aksenovka and in a field near Angarskaya street. A fire was recorded in the area of ​​the railway tracks between the Solnechny residential area and Aksenovka.

Ukrainian bandit formations shelled the village of Mirny, in the Central City district of Gorlovka. VFU shells are reported to fall behind Avdiivska Street. According to preliminary data, as a result of armed aggression on the part of the VFU, a direct hit by a Ukrainian shell on a house at 22 Tambovskaya Street was recorded.

14:16 On May 24, the Ministry of Health of the DPR provided medical assistance to 2,770 patients in the liberated territory.

Departure of a mobile pharmacy was organized. The work of four health care institutions has been resumed. The work of seven feldsher-obstetric stations was organized. A total of 17 medical workers are employed.

14:14 Five foreign ships were able to leave the port of Mariupol after demining, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

14:13 Moscow welcomes the development of the DPR Charter of the International Tribunal for prisoners of war from Azovstal, Zakharova said.

13:44 Shelling was recorded from the side of the VFU in the direction of the settlement. Avdievka - n.p. Yasinovataya: five missiles fired from the BM-21 Grad.

13:35 They write that the first video with Ukrainian prisoners near Krasny Liman. In total, up to 500 prisoners were declared in 2 days. We are waiting for photos/videos of larger groups (yesterday it was reported that 200 people had already been taken to the rear).

13:27 The mayor of Gorlovka said that our troops are liberating the village of Novoluganskoye (near Svetlodarsk). It is obvious that the enemy will not hold onto Novoluganskoye too stubbornly and will withdraw in the direction of Artemovsk.

13:07 Shelling from the side of the VFU was recorded in the following directions:

n.p. Avdievka - n.p. Yasinovataya: five missiles fired from the BM-21 Grad.

n.p. Codema - n.p. Dolomite: fired 12 shells with a caliber of 152mm.

09:09 An operational headquarters for the restoration of the Republic has been created in the DPR. The head of the headquarters was appointed acting. Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Yezhikov.

09:07 Between Popasna and Kamyshevakha Sergei Zenindiscovereda broken observation post of the Nazi organization "Right Sector". It is very interesting, but the most interesting thing is that this checkpoint was located in the same place where the OSCE had the same checkpoint.

08:51 Svetlodarksk: How people meet, not to convey. The fighters who hail from here returned home to their mothers. Friends are here. Knocked out the enemy, squeezed out.

08:30 Shelling was recorded from the side of the VFU in the direction of the settlement. Avdievka - n.p. Yasinovataya: four missiles were fired from the BM-21 Grad.

08:16 According to updated data, as a result of night shelling of the village "Administrative" of the Kuibyshev region on the street. Zuevskaya, 19a, a man born in 1988 was wounded. With a penetrating shrapnel wound, the victim was hospitalized in GBU No. 17. In addition, damage to the glazing of the windows of MBDOU “Kindergarten No. 364 in Donetsk”, located on the street. Zuevskaya, 16a.

08:00 Shelling from the side of the VFU was recorded in the following directions:

n.p. Avdievka - n.p. Yasinovataya: five missiles fired from the BM-21 Grad.

n.p. Avdievka - n.p. Yasinovataya: fired five mines in 120mm caliber.

Posted by: badanov || 05/26/2022 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:


Russia looks to scrap upper age limit for soldiers
Is this meaningful, given the numbers of Russian troops killed (by both sides) and captured during this little war?
The breakaway republics and the Ukrainian militants both have men fighting for them 60+ years old, all volunteers.
[IsraelTimes] Russia’s parliament is to consider scrapping the upper age limit for signing up to join the army, in a sign Moscow may be looking to recruit more troops for its military campaign in Ukraine.

Under current legislation, only Russians aged 18 to 40 and foreign nationals aged 18 to 30 have the right to sign their first military service contract.

A draft bill on the agenda of the lower house State Duma would completely lift that upper age limit.

"Highly professional specialists are needed to use high-precision weapons and operate weapons and military equipment," says a note accompanying the draft bill.

The note said that such specialists usually acquire the necessary skills when they reach their early- to mid-40s.

President Vladimir Putin
...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...
sent troops to Ukraine on February 24 but three months into Moscow’s military campaign the offensive has "lost momentum," Western defense chiefs say.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/26/2022 00:00 || Comments || Link || [9 views] Top|| File under:

#1  ...There was a confirmed report a couple days ago of a retired Russian Air Force general in his 60s who came back to fly combat. Unfortunately, the Ukranians retired him again, this time with extreme prejudice. The point here though is that they're putting guys my age in combat.

Mike
Posted by: MikeKozlowski || 05/26/2022 8:16 Comments || Top||

#2  "Highly professional specialists are needed to use high-precision weapons and operate weapons and military equipment" and all the old shit that's left.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/26/2022 10:02 Comments || Top||

#3  Well, how old is Tom Cruise Maverick?
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 10:05 Comments || Top||

#4  The US has an age limit for enlistments but its based upon the probability of reaching a 20 year retirement. So enlisting at 40 would imply age 60 to reach retirement which is the point. However, that has been waived in the past for those who sign a paper saying they do not expect to remain in long enough for that to happen.

Also note that in the 'contract', you may or may not have read, for Regular Army that you may be recalled at anytime by the Secretary of the Service. IIRC, that was adjusted till age 65 by some legislation in the 90s.

Small factoid, five star generals are never retired, but are kept on the rolls. Bradley being the last.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/26/2022 10:09 Comments || Top||

#5  Nothing annoys me quite as much as seeing a sheriff in a uniform with 5 stars on the collar tabs. Fucking pretentious.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 10:15 Comments || Top||

#6  I think we just found a couple teams Kaperneck can make.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/26/2022 10:20 Comments || Top||

#7  That sparked a memory from the late 70s early 80s. The Army recruited retired physicians. One that showed up on our installation had served in WW2, as a youngin, and was entitled to wear ribbons no one had seen in their service.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/26/2022 10:24 Comments || Top||

#8  Getting more people killed is not a solution to a population crunch.
Posted by: Rob Crawford || 05/26/2022 11:33 Comments || Top||

#9  I remember fondly the Navy Chiefs and Gunner's Mated recalled for the Iowa Class Battleships coming out of mothballs. One of then actually had a walker, but nobody knew how to make some of the systems work. When I visited the Iowa in Long Beach a few years ago, the retired Navy guy gave me a blank stare when I asked about the ballistic range-finders for local control on the 16-inch turrets. Co-incident range finding was unknown to the guy.
Posted by: NoMoreBS || 05/26/2022 11:41 Comments || Top||


EU’s von der Leyen says Russia bombing Ukrainian grain supplies, weaponizing hunger
Does Russia want a second Holodomor? Because this is how to go down in the history books as for the second time deliberately causing the starvation deaths of millions of Ukrainians.
[IsraelTimes] European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accuses Russia of deliberately bombarding grain warehouses across Ukraine and using food supplies as a weapon.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created disruptions of global food supplies, with both countries two of the world’s biggest exporters of wheat, barley and sunflower oil. The blockade of Ukrainian ports has been particularly harmful, with the EU saying sea shipments accounted for 90% of grain and oilseed exports before the war.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the head of the EU’s executive arm says about 20 million tons of wheat are stuck in Ukraine.

Von der Leyen says exports typically amount to 5 million tons of wheat per month, and are now down to 200,000 to 1 million tons. She says "by getting it out, we can provide Ukrainians with much-needed revenues, and the World Food Program with supplies it badly needs."

The European Commission has proposed helping Ukraine export its wheat and other grains by rail, road and river to get around the Russian blockade of Black Sea ports.

Von der Leyen says that fragile countries and vulnerable populations suffer the most, with bread prices in Lebanon Hezbollahstan
...a strong argument in favor of European colonialism, even French colonialism...
having increased by 70% and food shipments from Odesa prevented from reaching Somalia.

Plus, she says "Russia is now hoarding its own food exports as a form of blackmail — holding back supplies to increase global prices, or trading wheat in exchange for political support. This is using hunger and grain to wield power."

Von der Leyen adds that the EU is stepping up its production to ease pressure on the global food market while supporting Africa to become less dependent on imports.
14:07 Kuleba said that he spoke with Blinken and thanked the United States for its support: "More and more weapons, including heavy ones, are being sent to Ukraine, while Russia continues its devastating attacks in the Donbas. We also discussed ways to unblock Ukrainian exports and ensure global food security".

The head of the Foreign Ministry also spoke about the theft of Ukrainian grain by Russians: “Russian thieves steal Ukrainian grain, load it on ships, pass through the Bosphorus and try to sell it abroad. I call on all states to remain vigilant and refuse any such offers. Do not buy stolen goods. become accomplices in Russian crimes. Theft has never brought good luck to anyone."
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/26/2022 00:00 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under:


Leader of Ukraine’s far-right Azov brigade alive in Russian captivity — wife
[IsraelTimes] The top military commander who fought until last week to keep Ukrainian control of the southern port city of Mariupol is alive in Russian-controlled territory, his wife says after holding a brief telephone conversation.

Kateryna Prokopenko, who is married to Azov Regiment leader Denys Prokopenko, says her husband asked her how she was, but that the line broke off before he could say anything about himself.

She says the phone call was possible under an agreement between the governments of Ukraine and Russia and thanks to the mediation of the Red Thingy, which has been visiting some of the Ukrainian fighters who surrendered.

Earlier this month, Russia announced its takeover of Mariupol with the surrender of the fighters holed up at the massive Azovstal steel mill.

Prokopenko, who spoke to The News Agency that Dare Not be Named in Kyiv together with another wife of a soldier, Yuliia Fedosiuk, said that the Ukraine and Russia agreement guarantees proper burial of dead soldiers and certain conditions for the prisoners of war, including allowing them to hold telephone calls with family members a few times per week.

The two women said several families had received calls in the past two days. They said they could not reveal more details of the agreement but they were hopeful that the soldiers will not be tortured and that they eventually will "come back home."
From today’s Korrespondent:
08:38 The wife of the commander of the Azov Regiment, Denis Prokopenko, told The Guardian that her husband is being held in "more or less satisfactory" conditions: "They are fed, watered. The conditions are adequate, and in this short period they have not been subjected to violence."
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/26/2022 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  “Show me the man and I’ll show you the crime” --Lavrentiy Beria
Show trial in 5..4..3..2...1 Whether or not he is actually guilty the process is *cough* suspect *cough*
Posted by: magpie || 05/26/2022 16:01 Comments || Top||

#2  Once you have been called a nazi, you are a nazi. Pay close attention.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 16:02 Comments || Top||

#3  The criminals in the CIA that organized the bio labs in Ukraine and trained the holos nazis are a group of scumbags that needs to be eliminated ones for all.
There’s no security for Americans anymore until that group is put six feet down.
Posted by: Amsicora || 05/26/2022 21:20 Comments || Top||


Pro-Putin journalist accidentally reveals position of Russian mega mortar in propaganda report... and Ukraine blows it up the next day
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Loose lips sink ships.
  • Aleksandr Kots proudly showed off the 2S4 heavy mortar, taken from Mariupol, in propaganda report

  • It’s full description is the 2S4 Tyulpan 240mm self-propelled heavy mortar, the largest calibre mortar system in service

  • It fires huge 288-pound F864 shells to a range of six miles, and can also fire Smel'chak laser-guided rounds, 3B11 nuclear shells, and 308 rocket-assisted cargo shells

  • He gave away the huge calibre mortar system's location in Rubizhne, in the Donbas

  • The next day, Ukraine blew it up in the first confirmed loss of an 2S4
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/26/2022 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1 
Posted by: Rob Crawford || 05/26/2022 11:32 Comments || Top||

#2  That Jason Mamoa guy bugs me.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 11:44 Comments || Top||

#3  The Slavic Geraldo Rivera ought to be chewing bear blubber in Kamchatka by the end of today.
Posted by: Super Hose || 05/26/2022 12:01 Comments || Top||

#4  ...not a bear chewing journalist blubber? Ah, PETA would bitch, right.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/26/2022 13:23 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
North Korea tests suspected ICBM and 2 other missiles, hours after Biden leaves Asia
[IsraelTimes] South Korea alleges rogue state fired projectiles into sea; if confirmed it would be first launch in 2 months; reported test comes as Pyongyang claims its 1st COVID wave receding.

South Korea’s military said the suspected ICBM reached a maximum height of 540 kilometers (335 miles) while traveling 360 kilometers (223 miles) east after being fired from the North’s capital region. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North apparently lost the second missile 20 kilometers (12 miles) into flight, while the third missile flew 760 kilometers (472 miles) on an apogee of 60 kilometers (37 miles).

A JCS statement said the US and South Korean militaries fired two surface-to-surface missiles in response to demonstrate the allies’ striking capabilities. It said the allies had detected North Korea
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/26/2022 01:36 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under: Commies

#1  Shame they missed his plane.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/26/2022 6:51 Comments || Top||


Beijing needs the ability to 'destroy' Starlink, say Chinese researchers
[The Register] Paper authors warn Elon Musk's 2,400 machines could be used offensively

An egghead at the Beijing Institute of Tracking and Telecommunications, writing in a peer-reviewed domestic journal, has advocated for Chinese military capability to take out Starlink satellites on the grounds of national security.

According to the South China Morning Post, lead author Ren Yuanzhen and colleagues advocated in Modern Defence Technology not only for China to develop anti-satellite capabilities, but also to have a surveillance system that could monitor and track all satellites in Starlink's constellation.

"A combination of soft and hard kill methods should be adopted to make some Starlink satellites lose their functions and destroy the constellation's operating system," the Chinese boffins reportedly said, estimating that data transmission speeds of stealth fighter jets and US military drones could increase by a factor of 100 through a Musk machine connection.

The authors also expressed concern over the ability of Starlink satellites to quickly change orbits via ion thrusters as an offensive move, or for military payloads to be disguised as Starlink machines and sent into orbit undetected.

This means China will need upgraded surveillance systems to detect the fakes and, according to Ren, the ability to intercept Starlink signals to look for threats.

Unfortunately for the researchers, with 2,400 satellites in orbit, taking out Starlink would be quite difficult to accomplish as the system is extensive enough to continue working even with some satellites missing.

While a "hard kill" method, such as a grapple arm or ballistic missile, may not be the most feasible, a "soft kill" method such as using jamming technology would be more practical.

These days the practice of jamming satellites is considered typical warfare activity, as is the inevitable anti-jam satellite communication systems that comes next.

While Starlink parent company SpaceX is privately owned, it does have contracts with the US Department of Defense, such as an award for building satellites that track and warn of hypersonic missile launches for the Space Development Agency.

Starlink assisted Ukraine with connectivity after a suspected cyberattack took out the previous satellite service amid Russian military aggression. On May 2, Ukraine's digital minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, tweeted that the service amounted to "crucial support" for the country's infrastructure and that around 150,000 people use it daily.

While the generosity clearly shows SpaceX has taken a side in the invasion of the Ukraine, China has attempted to appear neutral, with limited success. If China was in any way against Russian aggression, someone should let Russia know, as foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said this week Moscow would lean into its relationship with the Middle Kingdom.

Should China take down Starlink, there are more satellite broadband systems to follow. Amazon's 3,236 Project Kuiper birds are ready for flight.

China also has its own megaconstellation in progress, called Xingwang or SatNet. The Chinese Starlink analog was established in 2021 and is slated to contain around 13,000 satellites. ®
So they're speculating about attacking other countries' networks with violence while trying to sell service on their own. It's like the world has become medieval Italy with all the Mercantile Republics at war with each other.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 05/26/2022 00:00 || Comments || Link || [8 views] Top|| File under: Commies

#1  Also, in case it wasn’t obvious, I posted this link as a follow up to yesterday’s.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 05/26/2022 11:06 Comments || Top||

#2  Chinese communists and our own big tech appear to be on the same sheet of music. Of course Musk is the enemy.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 11:09 Comments || Top||

#3  Think of trying to kill a cloud of gnats. a cloud about 26,000 miles in circumference. That's what they are up against.

Yes, they could EMP the LEO zone. That would kill a lot of other birds too. It probably would not be a sternly worded letter moment.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 11:10 Comments || Top||


Cyber
Diet Google: ‘Privacy-Focused' DuckDuckGo Fails to Block Microsoft Trackers
[Breitbart] The allegedly “privacy-focused” search engine DuckDuckGo may not be as private as it claims, according to a recent report. According to researchers and eventually the CEO’s own admission, the site doesn’t block trackers from Microsoft, who provides much of the site’s search content.

Review Geek reports that DuckDuckGo has made a confidential search agreement with Microsoft in which the search engine will not block all Microsoft trackers. DuckDuckGo also only acknowledged the privacy issue after it was noticed by security researchers.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/26/2022 07:57 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Not a fan. It's way oversold as a free and clean search engine. And I simply hate animal mascots for tech products. I make an exception for long-gone Elephant Memory brand floppy disks.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 10:22 Comments || Top||

#2  Well DuckDuckGo uses Bing as the base engine so it makes sense. That is why I also use the Brave browser. Can't get 'em all but most are blocked.
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/26/2022 10:43 Comments || Top||

#3  duck duck started using Sting's "I'll be watching you" song in radio based commercials on the theory that you don't want people watching your browser history
Posted by: Lord Garth || 05/26/2022 11:34 Comments || Top||

#4  This is a task for endpoint security. Use encrypted DNS. Use a VPN. Use your browser's InPrivate or similar feature when making those searches you are worried about. (What are you searching for that you are worrying about, BTW?)
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 11:42 Comments || Top||

#5  It's what I use. Not perfect, but at least search results are not all referrer links as with Google.
Posted by: Angstrom || 05/26/2022 12:02 Comments || Top||

#6  When DDG began to censor searches, that was the beginning of the end for me with DDG.

Re: Bing. Actually, this raised a flag as well. Good gawd how I fooking loathe Bing, mostly because it was the default browser at work with all of the microsoft slop.

I've heard swisscows DOT com is a good one.
Posted by: DooDahMan || 05/26/2022 20:15 Comments || Top||


Economy
Orders for Durable Goods Fell and No One Noticed
[Breitbart] Durable goods orders were worse than they looked.

The Commerce Department reported on Wednesday that orders for longer-lasting goods from U.S. factories rose 0.4 percent in April. A big part of that was a surge in aircraft orders, a category prone to huge swings up and down as major airlines make purchases. Excluding transportation, orders were up 0.3 percent.

Orders for core capital goods orders, a category which excludes aircraft and defense purchases, were also up 0.3 percent. Core capital goods are considered a proxy for business investment and therefore a gauge of how businesses see their prospects. If businesses see a recession ahead, core capital goods orders are likely to be weak. If good times are expected to keep rolling, the orders should be strong. Note that there’s a high degree of reflexivity in this. A slowdown in orders for capital goods can actually lower economic output, even bring on a recession. So expectations become reality.

The three-tenths of a percentage point gain was good enough for Bloomberg News to run the headline: "US Durable Goods Orders Rise on Steady Business Equipment Demand." This was almost a repeat of last month’s headline: "Firm U.S. Durable Goods Orders Underscore Resilient Investment." The story explained that the durable goods orders were very good: "Orders placed with US factories for durable goods rose in April, highlighting firm and sustained demand for equipment and merchandise." In Bloomberg’s interpretation, the April numbers indicate that "companies are adhering to capital expenditures plans as they seek to enhance productivity to ease the burden of high inflation and a tight labor market."
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 03:53 || Comments || Link || [10 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Given inflation rate it makes sense to buy durable goods now, even if not quite needed yet.
Posted by: Glenmore || 05/26/2022 11:20 Comments || Top||

#2  ^ Yes. They will cost more before they cost less.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 11:27 Comments || Top||

#3  So, do I (keep trying to) fix my old truck (19 Yrs, 303,000 miles, intermittent electrical demons), buy a new truck at $50-60,000, or go find an antique truck at auction for maybe $40,000, but with a wiring diagram that will fit on an index card and virtually EMP proof?
Posted by: Glenmore || 05/26/2022 18:05 Comments || Top||

#4  /\ Absolutely valid question Glen, but only one YOU can answer. Might boil down (in my case it usually does) to 'wants vs needs.'

I'll buy a haircut every 3rd week or so, enuf gas to get to town for grub, pay the bills, keep the yard mowed, that's about it. No vacations or overseas adventures. Still try to go out to eat occasionally. If we need something, we discuss it, sleep on it, then come to a decision.



Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 18:34 Comments || Top||


Elon Musk's Starlink Satellite Internet Hits 400,000 Users
[Zero] SpaceX's Starlink has exponentially grown its subscriber base worldwide this year. The network of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit, providing high-speed internet anywhere globally, has seen a 275% increase in subs since January.

CNBC noted that the Elon Musk-owned company presented the new figures to the Federal Communications Commission in a presentation on May 19. Starlink had 145k subscribers at the beginning of the year. By March, it was 250k, and as of this month, it had 400k.

Last week, SpaceX launched a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket with 53 more Starlink internet satellites into orbit. The satellites will expand the company's constellation of more than 2.5k, which provides high-speed internet worldwide. Coverage is set to expand across North America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East by the end of the year, opening the doors for the company to add even more subs.

Starlink has also inked deals with two carriers to provide inflight Wi-Fi, which could dramatically increase internet speeds on planes from the dial-up-like speeds that make remote work near impossible.

High-speed internet from space is great, but is it a profitable business? Not yet...
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 03:20 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Been with them a year - once installed, zero problems... and a much better deal than the previous ISP (Hughes.net)
Posted by: Mercutio || 05/26/2022 12:45 Comments || Top||

#2  Jeebus. HughesNet? That's not saying much that it's better.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 12:46 Comments || Top||

#3  It used be the only game in this 1/2 horse town....
Posted by: Mercutio || 05/26/2022 12:47 Comments || Top||

#4  I still have the hots for Margaret Easley from HughesNet commercials...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 12:49 Comments || Top||

#5  I had to look up Margaret Easley. Ah. Cute Redhead. Sucker for redheads, but they burn.
Posted by: whiskey mike || 05/26/2022 15:38 Comments || Top||

#6  Fred: Margaret Easley on the Front Page at some point? Last time I asked it was Susan Oliver.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 15:43 Comments || Top||

#7  Margaret Easley
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 15:48 Comments || Top||


Government Corruption
Report Shows FBI Spied On 3.3 Million Americans Without A Warrant, GOP Demands Answers
[Zero] In a May 25 letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Mike Turner (R-Ohio) asked Wray to explain why his agency had wiretapped and gathered personal information on over 3.3 million Americans without a warrant (pdf).

Limited authority to gather foreign intelligence information is granted by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

Specifically, section 702 of the bill says: "the Attorney General (AG) and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) may jointly authorize the targeting of (i) non-U.S. persons (ii) who are reasonably believed to be outside of the United States (iii) to acquire foreign intelligence information."

However, this power can grant an expanding circle of possible searches to the FBI and other intel agencies, who can use the same power against American citizens who had any interaction with targeted foreigners.

Historically, insight into how FISA has been used against American citizens has been limited and hidden behind classified reports.

However, a November 2020 decision by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC)—which serves as a watchdog for U.S. intelligence agencies—required that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) report "the number of U.S. person queries run by the FBI against Section 702-acquired information."
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 03:16 || Comments || Link || [12 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Time to shut'em down and start over.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 3:19 Comments || Top||

#2 
The FBI even since Hoover has collected and maintained secret files on anyone with the power to do them favors, or do them ill.

Likely the main reason Hoover remained in power for 37 years (1935-1972) until his death.
Posted by: NN2N1 || 05/26/2022 6:33 Comments || Top||

#3  ^ And when J. Edgar died, his "room full of file cabinets" was empty the next day. Some sources say his bestie Clyde Tolson got them, but, like Nikola Tesla's notebooks and the Ark of the Covenant in Indiana Jones, nobody really knows.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 7:56 Comments || Top||

#4  I suspect the ratio of Trunk vs Socialists to be as lop sided as vote counts and census number errors.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/26/2022 8:06 Comments || Top||

#5  ^ Lots of self-described "conservatives" are quite pink and don't even realize it.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 8:08 Comments || Top||

#6  And this is why I send unsolicited dick pics. Hope the FBI enjoys it.
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/26/2022 8:26 Comments || Top||

#7  I would put money on it that they spied on more than 3.3 million.
Posted by: Chris || 05/26/2022 8:29 Comments || Top||

#8  Semantics, since technically the NSA Hoover spies on everyone, its just the question of which files you open to human eyes or a keyword algorithm for further assessment/action.
Posted by: NoMoreBS || 05/26/2022 11:33 Comments || Top||

#9  And still, nobody stops lone wolf high school shooters.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/26/2022 14:36 Comments || Top||

#10  It is 3.3 Million and 1 if you include spying on Americans after lying on the Search Warrant to make it seem legal.
Posted by: Airandee || 05/26/2022 14:58 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
'Dawood in Karachi, sends Rs 10 lakh every month to siblings in India': Witness in Nawab Malik's case tells ED
Not everything the man does supports Pakistan’s pet jihadis.
[OneIndia] A witnesses in a money laundering case against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik has stated before the ED that runaway gangster Dawood Ibrahim is based in Pakistain's Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
city, while another witness said he was told that Dawood would send Rs 10 lakh to his siblings every month.

The statements of the two witnesses are part of the charge-sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Malik in the money laundering case pertaining to a property of Dawood Ibrahim.

In his statement before the probe agency, Alishah Parkar, son of the gangster's sister Haseena Parkar, said Dawood Ibrahim is his "mamu" (maternal uncle) and used to reside on the 4th floor of Dambarwala Building (Mumbai) around 1986.

"After 1986, I heard from various sources and family that Dawood Ibrahim is in Karachi, Pakistain. I was not born when Dawood Ibrahim moved to Karachi, and I or my family members are not in touch with him," he told the ED.

Alishah Parkar further stated that occasionally during Eid, Diwali and other festive occasions, Dawood Ibrahim's wife "is in touch" with his wife and sisters.

Another witness, Khalid Usman Sheikh, has stated before the ED that “(Iqbal) Kaskar (Dawood Ibrahim's brother) told me that Dawood would send money through his men."

"He (Kaskar) said he too would get Rs 10 lakh every month. On a couple of occasions, he showed me wads of cash and said he'd received the money from Dawoodbhai," the witness told the ED.

Malik (62), a senior NCP leader, was arrested by the ED on February 23 this year in the money laundering case and is currently in jail.

The ED's case is based on an FIR filed recently by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Ibrahim, a designated global terrorist and a key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial kabooms, and his aides under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/26/2022 00:00 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under:


Science & Technology
Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) as an anti-aging health product – Promises and safety concerns
[ScienceDirect] Abstract - Background
Elderly population has been progressively rising in the world, thus the demand for anti-aging heath products to assure longevity as well as to ameliorate age-related complications is also on the rise. Among various anti-aging health products, nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) has been gaining attentions of the consumers and the scientific community.

Aim of review
This article intends to provide an overview on the current knowledge on promises and safety concerns of NMN as an anti-aging health product.

Key scientific concepts of review
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels in the body deplete with aging and it is associated with downregulation of energy production in mitochondria, oxidative stress, DNA damage, cognitive impairment and inflammatory conditions. However, NMN, as the precursor of NAD+, can slow down this process by elevating NAD+ levels in the body. A number of in vivo studies have indicated affirmative results of therapeutic effects for various age-induced complications with NMN supplementation. One preclinical and one clinical study have been conducted to investigate the safety concerns of NMN administration while a few more human clinical trials are being conducted. As there is a large influx of NMN based anti-aging products on the market, proper clinical investigations are urgently needed to find out the effectiveness and safety of NMN supplementation.

Graphical abstract
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 04:09 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The use of alcohol while undergoing nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) therapy is not recommended.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/26/2022 4:27 Comments || Top||

#2  There is a blogger, beloved by many, but certainly not all, who obsesses over the life extension stuff. I guess this is something a person might do if they believed this world is as good as it gets...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 8:11 Comments || Top||

#3  NMN is found in fruits and vegetables such as edamame, broccoli, cabbage, cucumber and avocado. (Wikipedia)
Posted by: Bobby || 05/26/2022 8:51 Comments || Top||

#4  David Sinclair is a leading advocate. I've been using it for years. Does it work? Ask me when I hit 70.
Posted by: Angstrom || 05/26/2022 12:03 Comments || Top||

#5  Every generation has it's anti-aging cult. And who can blame them? I know I don't want to ever get old.
Posted by: jpal || 05/26/2022 13:31 Comments || Top||

#6  Once you do, it's all downhill from there. Take it from me...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/26/2022 13:34 Comments || Top||

#7  Sounds like there's a Who song in here somewhere.
Posted by: DooDahMan || 05/26/2022 19:40 Comments || Top||



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Thu 2022-05-26
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Tue 2022-05-24
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