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US sends extra forces to Caribbean to deter drug cartels
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
Page 5: Local News
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Page 6: Politix
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-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
Forecaster Leus: Moscow to see rain and cold snap on Sunday
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] On Sunday, August 17, Moscow will experience short-term rains and a cold snap. This was reported on August 16 by Mikhail Leus, a leading specialist at the Phobos weather center.

"A cold atmospheric front will bring short-term rains to the capital and lower the daytime temperature to +18…+20°. On the first day of the new week, the region will be in the rear of a cyclone with the center over Vyatka, it will continue to drizzle and lower the temperature by another degree," Leus wrote on his Telegram channel.

During the week of August 18–24, the air temperature will be around +20°, 1–2 degrees below the average long-term figures, and then a new cyclone with showers and thunderstorms is expected, the forecaster added.

Earlier, Yandex Weather meteorologists reported that in many regions of Russia, the temperature in autumn will be higher than in the last 30 years. New records of average seasonal and monthly temperatures are expected, in particular, in Novosibirsk, Kazan, Samara, Krasnoyarsk, Chelyabinsk and Perm, and the greatest excess of usual values is predicted for November, which may become the warmest in the last decade.

Posted by: badanov || 08/17/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [23 views] Top|| File under:


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian sniper reportedly breaks world record with 13,000-foot kill shot against Russian forces: report

Snipex Alligator
Posted by: Skidmark || 08/17/2025 01:01 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [102 views] Top|| File under:

#1 

An 'un-inflated' dollar
Posted by: Skidmark || 08/17/2025 1:10 Comments || Top||

#2  2.46 miles . . . at that range the rotation of the earth itself comes into play. If you are curious, the Swedish "Maritime Sniper Manual" (available on Amazon) is the ultimate reference on the topic IMHO
Posted by: Clem+Elmish4239 || 08/17/2025 6:51 Comments || Top||

#3  Ya, but did he hit his target, or some random dude?
Posted by: Bobby || 08/17/2025 8:15 Comments || Top||

#4  Category: Gotta see it to believe it.
Posted by: Besoeker || 08/17/2025 9:27 Comments || Top||

#5  Can rifle bullet fly 4 km?
Posted by: Grom the Affective || 08/17/2025 9:35 Comments || Top||

#6  Ya, but did he hit his target

He hit 2.
Posted by: Skidmark || 08/17/2025 10:18 Comments || Top||

#7  Who fired the shot, the "ghost of Kiev"? Like I believe anything the Ukrainians say.
Posted by: DooDahMan || 08/17/2025 11:19 Comments || Top||


Ukrainian General Staff on the advance of the Ukrainian forces in the North Slobozhansky direction
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] In some areas, the advance of Ukrainian units is from 1 to 2.5 kilometers, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.

In the North Slobozhansky direction, Ukrainian soldiers continue active operations to destroy the enemy and liberate our settlements. In the relevant areas, the advance of Ukrainian units is from 1 to 2.5 kilometers, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports .

"In order to prevent logistical support, evacuation and reinforcement of units of Russian occupiers, zones of continuous fire damage to the enemy are being maintained in certain locations. In particular, active actions are taking place in the areas of Alekseyevka and Yunakovka in Sumy Oblast," the statement says.

Earlier, the media reported that Russian mercenaries from 28 countries were killed in Ukraine . Among the dead foreigners, whose identities journalists were able to establish, most were citizens of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Posted by: badanov || 08/17/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [28 views] Top|| File under:


Ukrainian Armed Forces Hit Three Russian Army Command Posts
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Strikes were also carried out on 10 areas where Russian personnel and military equipment were concentrated, as well as on an ammunition depot.

Over the past 24 hours, 139 combat clashes occurred on the front in 11 directions. The most active battles were fought in the Pokrovsk area, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in the morning report on Saturday, August 16.

Thus, yesterday, Russian aggressors carried out two missile and 111 air strikes on the positions of Ukrainian units and populated areas, using three missiles and dropping 213 guided aerial bombs (GAB). In addition, the enemy carried out 6,045 shellings, 98 of which were from MLRS, and used 5,659 kamikaze drones.

In turn, the aviation, missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces hit 10 areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, three command posts, one ammunition depot and three artillery systems of the Russian invaders.

Seven military clashes occurred in the Severo-Slobodskoy and Kursk directions .

In the Yuzhno-Slobodskoy direction, the Defense Forces repelled five attacks near the settlements of Vovchansk, Kamenka, Khatnee and Figolovka.

In the Kupyansk direction, there were five enemy assaults in the areas of the populated areas of Petrovpavlovka, Zagrizovo, Novaya Kruglyakovka and in the direction of Kupyansk.

In the Liman direction, the enemy attacked 21 times, trying to advance near the settlements of Karpovka, Shandrigolovo, Kolodyazy, Yampol, and Ridkodub.

In the Seversk direction, our defenders repelled six assaults near Grigorovka, Serebryanka, Vyemka, Fedorovka, Pereyezdnoye and in the direction of Seversk.

In the Kramatorsk direction, two armed clashes were recorded in the Orekhovo-Vasilyevka area and in the direction of Bondarnoye.

In the Toretsk direction, the enemy carried out six attacks near Pleshchievka, Stepanovka, Yablunovka and Rusiny Yar.

In the Pokrovsk direction, our defenders stopped 45 assaults in the areas of the settlements of Poltavka, Vladimirovka, Fedorovka, Novoekonomicheskoe, Rodinskoye, Sukhetskoye, Promen, Pokrovsk, Zvirovoye, Udachnoye, Dachnoye, Novoukrainka, Lisovka, Nikanorovka and in the direction of the settlement of Filiya.

In the Novopavlovsk direction, 21 battles took place near the settlements of Tolstoy, Komyshuvakha, Zelenoe Pole, Maliyevka, Mirnoye, Zaporozhskoye, and Olgovskoye.

In the Dnieper direction, our soldiers repelled five attacks towards Primorsky, Antonovsky bridges and Belogrudy Island.

Let us recall that in the course of 24 hours on August 15, Russia lost more than 1,000 soldiers killed and wounded at the front. The total number of Russian losses is approaching 1.1 million people

Posted by: badanov || 08/17/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [25 views] Top|| File under:


Current information on the situation on the front line on August 16 (updated)
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 20:59 Posted a selection of ambushes of the Russian Armed Forces on Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment using FPV drones.

20:25 Published footage of the work of the UAV unit led by "Uday" in the Khar'kov region.

20:17 The Russian Armed Forces have taken a new commanding height.

Russian troops completely suppressed the enemy's resistance andreleasedthe settlement of Serebryanka in the DPR.

19:45 Ukrainian Armed Forces attack on Belgorod region continue. Preliminary reports indicate that none of the residents were injured.

In the village of Murom in the Shebekinsky District, explosive devices were dropped from a drone, causing significant damage to several garages.

In the village of Malomikhaylovka, a company truck caught fire as a result of drone strikes; the fire was extinguished. In addition, a commercial facility and two parked cars were damaged at the site of the attack.

In the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka, a drone attack knocked out windows and damaged the body of a passenger car. Another drone struck a private house; the roof and canopy were pierced, and the garage and the car inside were damaged.

In the village of Belyanka, a drone detonated in the parking lot of an enterprise, causing two cars to catch fire; the fire was extinguished by a fire brigade.

In the village of Rzhavets, an FPV drone detonated in the air, damaging the facade and equipment of a commercial facility.

In the Belgorod district, in the village of Tavrovo, as a result of drone attacks, the facade and fence of a private house were damaged and three outbuildings were damaged.

In the village of Bochkovka, a drone strike destroyed a fence and an outbuilding in one private house, and knocked out windows and damaged the fence in the second.

In the village of Tserkovny, an FPV drone detonated on the territory of an enterprise - a warehouse was damaged.

In the Masychevo farmstead of the Grayvoronsky district, an FPV drone attacked a private house — the glazing was damaged.

In the village of Novostroevka-Pervaya, a social facility and a GAZelle were damaged by the drone's detonation. The second UAV attacked a private house — windows were knocked out, the roof and ceiling were pierced.

In the Valuysky District, in the village of Borki, as a result of a drone strike, windows were knocked out in a private house.

In the village of Dvuluchnoye, as a result of a drone detonation, a power line was damaged.

In the village of Posokhovo, an FPV drone attacked a residential building - windows were knocked out, walls and a facade were damaged. A power line was also broken.

In the village of Ilek-Penkovka in the Krasnoyarsk region, a drone struck the territory of an enterprise, damaging the fence, equipment, and water supply infrastructure.

In the village of Rakitnoye, Rakityansky district, as a result of the detonation of a drone, four vehicles were damaged by shrapnel.

In the village of Gruzskoye, Borisovsky district, as a result of an explosive device dropped from a drone, an outbuilding and a passenger car were damaged.

In the village of Volokonovka, the detonation of a drone in a private home damaged the glass.

19:17 Russian Armed Forces during the Special Military Operation liquidated participant in the ATO coup, Ivan Malisevich.

18:00 Over the past 24 hours, due to shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces one person suffered injuries.

A man was wounded in Novaya Kakhovka. He was taken to a local hospital. The enemy fired at a minibus in Vasilyevka, Kakhovka District. Four residential buildings were damaged in the village of Radensk.

17:26 Opened a criminal case on a terrorist act in connection with the attack by Ukrainian militants on the city of Kursk.

The Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case on a terrorist act (clause “b” of part 3 of article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) in connection with the attack by armed formations of Ukraine on civilian objects in the Kursk region.

On August 15, 2025, representatives of the Ukrainian armed forces, acting in the interests of the highest military and political leadership of Ukraine, carried out an attack on residential facilities and other civilian infrastructure in Kursk. As a result, a civilian was killed, another 17 civilians were injured, residential buildings and a school building were damaged.

17:00 From 12:00 to 15:15 Moscow time by air defense systems on dutydestroyedand 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the aircraft type were intercepted over the territory of the Belgorod region.

16:30 According to preliminary information, as a result of an attack by an enemy drone in the Rylsky district two people died.

This is a 52-year-old man and his 13-year-old son. The car caught fire due to the attack, they died on the spot.

16:10 In the area of the settlement. Boyaro-Lezhachi, a concentration of equipment and personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was destroyed.

15:30 Calculation of the 122mm BM-21 MLRS "Grad" of the group of forces "Center" inflicted a strike on a stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.

Intensive artillery fire support ensures the reliable advance of our motorized riflemen.

14:30 Russian FPV drone operators destroyed M-777 howitzers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Liptsov direction.

13:50 Armed Forces of Ukraine continue strikes on Belgorod. Two civilians were injured.

One man received a shrapnel wound to the head as a result of a drone that detonated on the roadway. An ambulance crew took the victim to Belgorod City Hospital No. 2. Four cars were damaged at the scene of the attack

The second man received multiple shrapnel wounds as a result of the drone detonation in the courtyard of the apartment building. The wounded man is being taken to the hospital in serious condition. All necessary assistance is being provided.

As a result of attacks by two more drones, a private house and an apartment building were damaged. The fifth drone detonated in a parked GAZelle - the vehicle's windows were knocked out and the body was damaged.

In addition, as a result of falling debris from downed drones, the facades of four apartment buildings and a social facility were damaged. Two cars were damaged. In addition, a building on the territory of a sports facility was damaged.

13:00 From 10.20 to 11.35 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed five Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territory of the Belgorod region.

12:40 Summary of Ministry of Defense on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of 16.08.2025

Units of the North group of forces inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of a tank, two mechanized, airborne assault, ranger brigades and an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Boyaro-Lezhachi, Novaya Sich, Sadki, Stepnoye, Khrapovshchina and Yunakovka in Sumy Oblast.

In the Khar'kov direction, units of the mechanized and motorized infantry brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Ambarnoye, Volchansk, Ilyicha, Kazachya Lopan and Staritsa in the Khar'kov region.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 170 servicemen, three combat armored vehicles, four cars, three field artillery pieces, including a US-made 155mm M-777 howitzer. An electronic warfare station, a counter-battery radar station, and ten ammunition and material depots were destroyed.

They inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized and a motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Borovskaya Andreyevka, Kupyansk, Osinovo, Peschanoye, Petrovpavlovka in the Khar'kov region, Karpovka, Shandrigolovo and Sredneye in the Donetsk People's Republic.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 230 servicemen, a British-made Mastiff armored vehicle, a Novator combat armored vehicle, 14 vehicles, three artillery pieces, four electronic warfare stations, and four ammunition depots.

Units of the "Southern" group of troops improved the position along the front line, inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of three mechanized, mountain assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a territorial defense brigade and a national guard brigade in the areas of the settlements of Belaya Gora, Berestok, Ivanopolye, Konstantinovka, Mayskoye, Novodmitrovka, Seversk, Serebryanka and Stepanovka of the Donetsk People's Republic.

The enemy lost over 220 servicemen, an M113 armored personnel carrier and two US-made MaxxPro armored vehicles, a pickup truck, five field artillery pieces, including two Western-made ones. Two Anklav and Quertus electronic warfare stations, as well as an ammunition depot, were destroyed.

Units of the Center group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defense, inflicting defeat on the formations of four mechanized, infantry, airborne assault, assault, and ranger brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, a territorial defense brigade, a national guard brigade, and the Foreign Legion formations in the areas of the settlements of Andreyevka, Dimitrov, Krasnoarmeysk, Muravka, Novoaleksandrovka, Rodinskoye, and Udachnoye of the Donetsk People's Republic.

The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to over 400 servicemen, four combat armored vehicles, including a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier and two Turkish-made Kirpi armored vehicles, five pickups, and three field artillery pieces.

The manpower and equipment of the mechanized, assault, mountain assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the marine brigade, and two territorial defense brigades were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Dibrova, Ivanovka, Levadnoye, Novonikolaevka, Orestopol in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Novodarovka in the Zaporizhia region, and Kamyshevakha in the Donetsk People's Republic.

The enemy lost more than 215 servicemen, an armored combat vehicle, 11 vehicles and two electronic warfare stations.

Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of a mechanized brigade, a coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and two territorial defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Berislav, Dneprovskoye, Nikolskoye, Sadovoye, Chervony Mayak in the Kherson region and Stepovoye in the Zaporizhia region.

More than 80 servicemen, a US-made HMMWV armored vehicle, ten vehicles, five electronic warfare stations, and five ammunition and supply depots were destroyed.

12:21 Units of the West group of forces as a result of active actions released the settlement of Kolodezi of the Donetsk People's Republic.

As a result of active and decisive actions of units of the "East" group of forces, the liberation of the settlement of Voronoe in the Dnepropetrovsk region has been completed.

11:05 Counter-UAV crews of the 1431st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 11th Army Corps shot down five Ukrainian Baba Yaga-type attack UAVs with FPV strikes and a net, –video.

10:30 Frontline summary on the morning of 16.08.25

Zaporizhzhya Front. Fierce fighting continues in the southern part of Stepnogorsk: the Ukrainian Armed Forces counterattack, the Russian Armed Forces retain the initiative. The expansion of the Russian troops' control zone in Malaya Tokmachka is recorded.

Donetsk Front. The Russian Defense Ministry reported the liberation of the village of Aleksandrograd in the South Donetsk direction. There is information that the Russian Armed Forces are fighting on the approaches to the village of Voronoe in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

In the Pokrovsk direction, there are reports of tactical successes of the Russian Armed Forces in the area of the Stakhanov mine to the east of Mirnograd.

Fighting continues in the area of Udachnoye, Leontovichi and Troyanda. It is reported that the situation in the northern outreach is stabilizing: the Russian Armed Forces are consolidating their previously occupied positions and fighting off counterattacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

In the Konstantinovsk direction, fighting continues in the area of Katerynivka, Kleban-Byk and Aleksandro-Shultino, the enemy is counterattacking in the area of Shcherbinivka.

Krasnolimanskoe direction. Information is coming in about the tactical successes of the RF Armed Forces in the area of the settlements Sredneye and Shandrigolovo. No significant changes in the LBS are recorded.

Khar'kov direction. In the Volchansk sector, Russian troops are attacking the enemy with FABs in the Ambarnoye area.

In the Kupyansk direction, according to some sources, Russian troops are beginning battles for Petropavlovka east of Kupyansk. On the western flank, battles continue near Sobolevka.

Sumy direction. Heavy fighting is reported along the Novokonstantinovka-Varachino-Yunakovka line.

9:55 UAV crews of the 11th Army Corps hit the Starlink satellite communications terminals with precise VOG drops and restricted the operation of foreign messengers specifically at their positions, –video.

9:41 From 7.00 to 09.30 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territory of the Belgorod region.

9:05 Servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine tried to carry out several counterattacks in the area of the settlement of Temirovka in the Zaporizhia region.

The Russian Armed Forces destroyed two sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the enemy lost several key strongholds and dugouts, and a mortar crew and armored vehicles were destroyed.

8:35 UAV crews of the North group of troops pass specialized training in FPV drone control for work in the SVO zone.

8:05 During the past night from 00.00 to 03.30 Moscow time on August 16, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 29 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:

- 10- over the territory of the Rostov region,
- Nine - over the territory of the Stavropol region,
- Four - over the territory of the Kursk region,
- Three - over the waters of the Sea of Azov
- One UAV each - over the territories of the Belgorod, Bryansk regions and Krasnodar region.


Posted by: badanov || 08/17/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [24 views] Top|| File under:


'The Isolation Myth Has Been Dispelled': Key Results of the Meeting of the Presidents of Russia and the United States
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Gevorg Mirzayan
See today also here, here, and here. Yesterday here and the day before the summit here
[REGNUM] On the night of August 15-16, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump held long-awaited face-to-face talks. Yes, they failed to reach a final deal on Ukraine — but, to be fair, none of the experts expected any immediate breakthrough decisions as a result of the meeting.

Moscow and Washington are only at the beginning of a long negotiating path. And from this point of view, even if the presidents calmly exchanged points of view – without ultimatums, threats and demonstrations – it would be a success.

However, they not only exchanged, but also agreed on a number of positions, for example, in their desire to conclude a peace agreement, and not just a ceasefire.

“We are convinced that in order for the Ukrainian settlement to be sustainable and long-term, all the root causes of the crisis must be eliminated, all of Russia’s legitimate concerns must be taken into account, and a fair balance in the security sphere in Europe and the world as a whole must be restore,” Vladimir Putin said during his speech after the talks.

And this is a great success, and not only for Russia and the United States. "The summit was successful for countries that strive for a lasting and just peace. Peace not in the understanding of Ukraine, which has a very distorted idea of this, but in the understanding of states that are concerned about global and their own security.

That is, Russia, China, India - and the United States. Trump has proven that he is consistently moving not just toward a technical truce, but toward a peace agreement," Alexey Mukhin, general director of the Center for Political Information, explains to Regnum.

Western media have already reported that during negotiations with Zelensky and Europe, Trump said that peace is better than a ceasefire.

That is, the American president has effectively taken the Russian position. “The United States has fully accepted the Russian approach to settling the Ukrainian conflict: that is, first agreements on a final peaceful settlement and only then, at the very end, a ceasefire,” Dmitry Suslov, deputy director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, explains to Regnum News Agency.

Of course, the change in the American side's approach was largely influenced by the situation on the battlefield. Russian troops are advancing on many sections of the front, and it is possible that if the current pace is maintained and clearly accelerated, Russian demands for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbass may become irrelevant in the foreseeable future.

And if a perfect storm were to arise – a combination of military, political and economic crises in Ukraine – the front could collapse. And then the Americans would lose their instruments of trade with Moscow altogether.

And, of course, Trump was influenced by the collapse of his previous strategies. " Trump came to the conclusion that forcing Russia to a truce through pressure on Russian partners and increasing economic pressure is pointless and counterproductive.

The US President suffered a catastrophic fiasco in this attempt: instead of refusing to import Russian energy resources, all these countries announced an increase in trade and economic relations with Moscow,” says Dmitry Suslov.

The American leader no longer had time to warm up, or to experiment with new pressure and blackmail. That is why Trump is trying to reach an agreement here and now. And to reach an agreement politely, respectfully - to the point that he personally met Putin at the airport, which he has never done for any other leader.

"Vladimir Putin has really gained a lot. The myth of Russia's isolation has been shattered. It has been demonstrated that Russia and the United States are equal partners who can negotiate one-on-one and without preconditions," explains Alexey Naumov, an international political scientist and RIAC expert, to Regnum.

Without the edification, disdain or demonstrations of superiority that the American president regularly arranges for his European partners. “ The summit, of course, became a clear illustration of the fact that Trump is ready to negotiate with Russia as with another great power. This is evidenced by both the entourage of the negotiations and Trump himself,” notes Dmitry Suslov.

And, of course, the whole atmosphere. In fact, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump were restoring normal Russian-American dialogue, which had been destroyed by the administration of Joseph Biden.

"The parties gave a very powerful impetus to the further normalization of Russian-American relations. They agreed that confrontation is disadvantageous, as opposed to establishing selective cooperation," says Dmitry Suslov. Moreover, cooperation in all areas, from the economy to strategic stability.

"It is obvious that Russian-American business and investment partnership has great potential. Russia and the United States have much to offer each other in trade, energy, digital, high technology and space exploration.

Cooperation in the Arctic and the resumption of interregional contacts, including between our Far East and the American West Coast, also seem relevant. In general, it is important and necessary for our countries to turn the page and return to cooperation,” says Vladimir Putin. Cooperation based on national interests.

And, of course, the parties have come closer to resolving the Ukrainian conflict. Apparently, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have discussed some framework for a settlement, which Trump must now convey to Europe and Ukraine. Convey it — and force them to accept it.

“We expect that Kiev and the European capitals will perceive all this in a constructive manner and will not create any obstacles, will not attempt to disrupt the emerging progress through provocations or behind-the-scenes intrigues,” Vladimir Putin said after the summit.

Kiev's reaction was not known at the time of the text's submission (apparently, the Ukrainian regime will hold it until Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington on August 18), but Europe has already responded unconstructively. The leaders of European countries have stated that they will continue to arm Ukraine and support its course toward joining NATO.

And, apparently, the European efforts will not end there. “In the coming days, Europe will do everything to convince Trump to abandon his own position and the agreements with Russia in favor of the European point of view,” says Dmitry Suslov.

But it is not a fact that the pressure will be successful. Trump clearly understands what he wants and how. In turn, Trump, Brussels, and Kyiv understand that time is not in their favor. That the Europeans, with their sabotage, will only spoil relations with the American president.

“They made a mistake when they tried to pit Trump against Putin before the Alaska summit, and they will make a mistake now if they position the summit’s results as Trump’s weakness,” says Alexey Mukhin.

Europe also understands that Ukraine has already lost the war, and the only question is by what score. "Zelensky and Europe will either agree to accept the agreements between Putin and Trump, or they will be forced to accept them through war. They have no other options," Alexey Naumov sums up.

They understand all this. The only question is when they will accept it.

Posted by: badanov || 08/17/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [70 views] Top|| File under:


No 'Grand Deal': How the US Assesses the Results of the Alaska Summit
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
See today also here, here, and here. Yesterday here and the day before the summit here
by Malek Dudakov

[REGNUM] The Alaska summit ended in a unique way. Donald Trump's opponents in the US immediately called the summit a defeat for the White House. Republicans point to a major diplomatic success in negotiations with Moscow. And representatives of the European and Ukrainian lobbies were completely at a loss.

From the start, Trump's team tried to temper expectations for the event. But just in case, Trump brought a very large delegation to Alaska, including the military-diplomatic wing of his administration, as well as the financial and trade wing. This was done in order to be able to quickly conclude a big deal.

However, following the summit, it became clear that even more preliminary work is needed before it can be said that Russian-American relations are normalizing.

From the point of view of the dramaturgy of the process, the American side tried to conduct the summit in Alaska as beautifully as possible.

The two presidential jets landed opposite each other, with a red carpet laid out between them. The Russian and American presidents met in the middle, shook hands several times, and left in Trump's armored Cadillac.

Negotiations and a final press conference then took place, after which the leaders of the two countries said goodbye.

Initially, a one-on-one dialogue between the two presidents was planned, but the White House was forced to abandon this format. Probably, memories of the previous summit in Helsinki in 2018, after which Trump was accused of collusion with Russia, played a role.

The negotiations were held in a three-on-three format, with the American delegation including Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff. The former is responsible for the general foreign policy agenda, while the latter, as a special envoy, deals specifically with Ukraine.

After that, there were supposed to be meetings in an expanded format and a lunch and dinner, but they did not take place. Trump quite transparently hinted at the reasons for changing the format of the event. He hoped to achieve a breakthrough on the Ukrainian track, after which it would be possible to conduct a dialogue on the economy, sanctions and mutual cooperation projects.

However, the US President mentioned several small issues and one big one in the context of the conflict in Ukraine that have not yet been fully resolved.

For now, we can only guess what these topics were. But we can assume that the big question concerns territorial exchanges. It is not for nothing that this topic has been actively discussed in the Western press recently.

Small questions could concern some private moments - for example, the letter of the US First Lady Melania, dedicated to the fate of Ukrainian children. Although work in the context of family reunification is already being actively carried out by working groups from Russia and Ukraine.

In the run-up to the summit, Trump’s team clearly hoped to show strength in negotiations with Russia. There were leaks to the press about the possibility of new sanctions. And a B-2 bomber, which had recently been used to attack targets in Iran, was flying over an air base in Alaska.

However, in general, it cannot be said that the US negotiating position was very firm. Trump himself showed haste - he wanted to achieve results on the Ukrainian track as quickly as possible.

The White House openly acknowledged the low effectiveness of anti-Russian sanctions. Following the summit, there were no statements about increasing sanctions pressure on Moscow.

This can already be interpreted as an indicator that there was no failure in the negotiations. Although at the same time we did not see any progress in the issue of easing sanctions.

As for the topic of Ukraine, Trump’s comments about the need to force Volodymyr Zelensky to reach an agreement with Russia were symbolic here.

Trump continues to hedge risks and try to present himself as an arbiter of the negotiation process. At the same time, it is the Ukrainian lobby that appears both as those who will have to agree to Russia's conditions and those who can be blamed for everything.

Trump's contacts with Kiev and European capitals will be important in the near future. All the difficult issues, territorial and otherwise, will certainly be raised here.

We can certainly see an attempt on Trump's part to increase pressure - both on the Europeans and on the Ukrainians. If the latter continue to show inability to negotiate, then Trump may well make them responsible for the inability to resolve the current conflict.

At the same time, the American president is unlikely to abandon attempts to negotiate de-escalation in Ukraine. It is important for him to appear as a “peacemaker.”

And it's not just about the Nobel Peace Prize, which Trump really wants.

He wants to show himself as the first US leader to receive this award not only because of his status or reputation, but for some real deeds. The long-standing conflict with Barack Obama also plays a role. Trump clearly considers the latter unworthy of the Nobel Prize, unlike himself, who is simply obliged to receive it this year or next.

The summit was surrounded by a "peacekeeping" atmosphere.

It is not for nothing that even at the press conference slogans like “Pursuing Peace” were shown. And Trump himself has repeatedly said that he is ready to hold such a summit precisely for the sake of the agenda of ending the conflict.

In this way, he responded in advance to criticism from his opponents, who again tried to present Trump as an agent of the Kremlin and a conduit for Russia’s interests.

On the eve of the summit, the heads of the American intelligence services appointed by Trump rolled out documents confirming the facts of falsification of data for the promotion of "Russiagate". This was an important signal to the current and retired representatives of the US intelligence community. If they try to so rabidly accuse Trump of working for Russia again, they will have a hard time.

A trial has also been launched against Obama-era intelligence officers who were at the origins of Russiagate.

And in general, the topic of “Russian interference” has long been boring for Americans. As, by the way, has the Ukrainian agenda.

Polls released before the summit showed that only a third of Americans perceive the Ukrainian conflict as affecting US national interests. At the same time, a solid majority of Republicans oppose further funding for Kyiv or the allocation of new military trenches. This gives Trump carte blanche in negotiations with Russia — any agreement will be positively received by the American electorate.

Ahead, battles are beginning over the format and venue of the next summit.

Trump's team proposes to organize it as a trilateral one, with the participation of the Ukrainian delegation. However, in this case, European hawks will immediately start asking to attend the summit. Or they will at least try to hold the event somewhere closer to Europe, in order to try to somehow influence its outcome.

In addition, questions remain about the desire of Zelensky's office to conduct real negotiations.

The US retains leverage over the Ukrainian side - for example, it can reactivate the anti-corruption track and resume audits of how American tranches were used in Kyiv. It is only necessary to have political will in Washington to use these mechanisms.

In the near future, we will likely see attempts by the Trump team to force Kyiv to fundamentally agree, for example, to the possibility of declaring a limited ceasefire in the air and at sea until the next summit.

The Ukrainian lobby will once again maneuver and try not to respond with an unequivocal refusal, but at the same time put forward counter-conditions.

However, in any case, the very fact of the activation of the negotiation process is positive. Even if it will take a lot more time to bring it to its logical conclusion.

Posted by: badanov || 08/17/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [59 views] Top|| File under:

#1  By all means, buy off the invader with land. It stopped Hitler in 1938... right?
Posted by: Mercutio || 08/17/2025 10:34 Comments || Top||


The Curse of the Red Carpet: Kyiv Mourns Alaska and Prepares for the Horrible
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Denis Davydov
See today also here, here, and here. Yesterday here and the day before the summit here
[REGNUM] Of all the Ukrainian talking heads who explained in every possible way what Trump “really” thinks, Putin wants, and what Ukraine will get, the legendary “pyramid salesman” Dmitry Gordon distinguished himself the most.

On the eve of the Alaskan meeting, he appeared on air with a sensational statement: "I spoke with two of my sources in Washington. They both said that the war will end tomorrow." True, this time, just in case, he made the reservation that the last time the forecast did not come true.

The aforementioned “last time” there was much more noise: in December 2024, Gordon also promised that “the hot phase of the war will end this year,” Russia will suffer a military defeat, and following Zelensky’s visit to the United States, something will happen that “will turn the entire history of the war upside down and put Russia on its shoulder blades.”

And using the example of this individual character, we can generally judge the thinking of the Ukrainian political elite and the "expert community", which now explains why everything went wrong. And the hated Putin "achieved his goal".

"The meeting ended without the results that Ukraine, Europe and the US had hoped for - there is no ceasefire agreement. And although the American president rated the meeting "10 out of 10", Western media believe that it was a disgrace for the States.

Journalists who worked in the field said: the impression was that Putin came, pushed through his position and left,” states the formerly authoritative publication “Zerkalo Nedeli.”

So, according to the assertion of registered Ukrainian patriots, on board the presidential plane flying to Moscow, the bears joyfully danced to the balalaika. Since on August 15, the US, as expected, was supposed to leave the negotiating process, having heard the refusal of an immediate ceasefire, and move on to forceful actions.

“Transfer maximum weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, introduce sanctions against Moscow so that they will not have money left even to refuel Air Force One, or even Western parts for this aircraft, stand next to Ukraine, and not behind its back.

And so the chances that under Trump the war will spread to other NATO countries are growing, - the MP from "European Solidarity", former first deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada Irina Gerashchenko pours out the pain of her soul. - Europe must wake up immediately. The coalition of the decisive is actions, not a beautiful name. Actions are sorely lacking."

People like Gerashchenko were especially taken with the red carpet leading up to Putin’s plane.

Because the ostentatious gesture of respect for the Russian president (and the fact that it was laid out by US soldiers) means that he is not an outcast and that he was not summoned to Anchorage for an exemplary flogging. And even more so, they would not arrest him “as an international criminal,” which is what Ukrainian social networks unanimously called for on the eve of the meeting.

The general summary is that the monolithic position of the West has been destroyed, Putin has achieved his goal, Trump has been humiliated and now everyone will remind him of this path “after another bombing of Ukraine.” Although who these “everyone” are is a question that obviously requires specification.

To top it all off, Trump admitted that the negotiations resulted in his “agreement” with Putin on a territorial swap between Ukraine and Russia – despite publicly promising not to talk about it.

For Ukraine, all of this is a heavy blow, and now the main task of commentators is to explain why everything is, of course, bad, but not catastrophic.

Moreover, the authorities are still taking a pause to assess the situation. Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited to Alaska, only emphasized that he supports Donald Trump's proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia, since the most important and sensitive issues can only be discussed at the level of leaders.

The details will now be discussed at a meeting with Zelensky himself in Washington on August 18, so his press service got by with general phrases like: "coordination of Ukraine's common positions continues with all partners." And a consolidated position was also given with the Europeans, where everyone once again reported what exactly they want.

"Another important outcome of the negotiations — this time, one that is beneficial to Kiev — is the political decision that Ukraine should receive a security guarantee from the United States. Since taking office, Trump has defended the position that peace agreements should not include any participation or role for the United States in ensuring Ukraine's future security. They say that these are European affairs and only Europe should deal with them, " one of the main grant media outlets, Ukrainska Pravda, carefully explains. " This position has only begun to change in recent days. <…> And after the negotiations with Putin, this tectonic shift seems to have been finally recorded. Trump, in an interview with Fox News, once again confirmed this readiness and emphasized that this element of the peace plan has already been agreed upon with Russia."

How this is formulated and where is difficult to say, since the thesis presented is also a pure manifestation of sublimation: to find a "victory" where there is none. No specification of Ukraine's status in the security sphere was made. In fact, only a pass was given to the Kyiv regime, which must now undertake something that will facilitate the elimination of the root causes of the conflict and provide real progress towards peace.

Apparently, Zelensky is rushing overseas to specify the task after the two high-ranking negotiating parties squeezed the maximum possible out of their meeting. And the allegedly existing preliminary agreement on a ceasefire in the air, which should continue until the trilateral meeting, was also not confirmed in the Office of the President of Ukraine.

This unusual confusion also happened because Putin and Trump created a much bigger problem for Ukraine in political terms than the one that the “experts” are emphasizing. Namely, the impossibility of leaking and distorting the content of the negotiations.

Only what the White House decides to reveal itself gets aired, and European leaders, while expressing formal solidarity with the Ukrainians, remain silent about the content of the deal that was announced to them.

“If European leaders receive a peace plan from Trump, then even partial agreement to it by individual members of the pro-Ukrainian coalition will destroy it as a whole and significantly reduce Ukraine’s ability to defend itself.

“There are ‘difficult decisions’ ahead that will be political suicide for Zelensky and the ‘Servants of the People’ with their satellites from the Opposition Platform – For Life, Voice, For the Future and Dovira (these will definitely not be able to escape),” MP Alexander Dubinsky ominously prophesies from the Lukyanivske pre-trial detention center.

In fact, the official positions of Russia and Ukraine regarding a peaceful settlement completely coincide in that "a lasting, long-term peace is needed, not a temporary respite before a new war." That is, both countries declare their desire to conclude a full-fledged peace agreement.

Complete misunderstanding exists only in connection with, again, the inflated demands of the Ukrainian side, which continues to position itself as the master of the situation. Kyiv demands the highest level of security guarantees (which is shown by the quote from "Ukrainska Pravda"), guarantees of the implementation of the Western and European vector of development of the country, compensation for damage by Russia and categorically denies the renunciation of part of the territory.

But if the first two points depend solely and exclusively on the goodwill of the West (which has ceased to be collective), then any peace treaty with Russia in one way or another concerns the problem of the border between the two countries, its delimitation and demarcation.

Formally maintaining the status of an ally and “part of the Western world” is not such a big problem; Ukraine has been striving to join the EU and NATO for 30 years now and can do so with the same success for the same amount of time.

But recognizing Russia's control over the territories is a disaster for the government, which plans to remain at the helm. In absolutely any scenario - with a freeze on the front line, with an exchange, with the withdrawal of troops or their destruction and recognition of the "situation on the ground" in fact.

From which we can draw a rather simple conclusion: the fantastic expectations from the meeting in Alaska came down to the traditional Ukrainian calculation that someone would solve Ukraine's problems without it. In the mode of another miracle.

However, the Kyiv regime has obviously exhausted its supply of miracles. The hated red carpet has shown that the calculation on Russia's annihilation was futile and that decisions will have to be made independently.

And they mean the end of the current regime and the reformatting of the Ukrainian system of power – one way or another.

Posted by: badanov || 08/17/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [54 views] Top|| File under:


A group of mobilized Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters disappeared near Sumy after 10 days of service
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] A group of mobilized Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters has disappeared near Sumy in full force. This was reported on August 16 by Russian security agencies.

We are talking about the fighters of the 71st separate ranger brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The disappearance of the mobilized soldiers was reported by a relative of one of the soldiers.

“A group of those mobilized from the training center arrived at the brigade’s deployment point near Sumy in the village of Nizhnyaya Syrovatka and ten days later was sent on a combat mission, where they disappeared in full force,” a RIA Novosti source in the security forces reported.

The source noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces command is sending reinforcements to be slaughtered, trying to save trained units for an attempt at a breakthrough.

Earlier, Russian security forces reported that all fighters of the 71st Separate Ranger Brigade who went missing near Sumy were equated to deserters. At the same time, the unit suffers huge losses, and its personnel go missing in whole platoons.

On August 5, British journalist Warren Thornton stated that the Ukrainian armed forces had lost almost two million soldiers since the beginning of the conflict. He cited the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Luhansk People's Republic as an example: in July, they amounted to 19,877 servicemen (an average of 641 killed per day).

Posted by: badanov || 08/17/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [30 views] Top|| File under:



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