[CDRSALAMANDER via CFP] Hence, as long as the territorial integrity of Ukraine has not been fully restored, it is the rules-based order of the West that is facing a strategic failure. It may have come at a higher cost than expected, but Russia is still on track towards its strategic aims. Historically, political concessions are only a fast track to another "special military operation", possibly against Allied countries.
[Reuters via Yahoo] Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia's mercenary group Wagner, accused unspecified officials of deliberately denying his fighters sufficient ammunition as part of an ongoing rivalry between himself and parts of the Russian elite.
A onetime catering entrepreneur who once shunned the public spotlight, Prigozhin has assumed an ever more public role in Russian politics since the start of the war in Ukraine a year ago, with his Wagner Group spearheading Russia's months-long battle for the town of Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donetsk region.
In a seven-minute long audio message published on Monday by his press service, an apparently angry and emotional Prigozhin said he was required to "apologise and obey" in order to secure ammunition for his troops.
Speaking at times with a raised voice and occasionally swearing, he said: "I'm unable to solve this problem despite all my connections and contacts."
Prigozhin said Russia's military production was now sufficient to supply the forces fighting at the front, and that the supply difficulties his fighters were experiencing were the result of conscious decisions.
"Those who interfere with us trying to win this war are absolutely, directly working for the enemy", he said.
[Yahoo News] The document, written for Putin’s Presidential Administration, envisages the total incorporation of Belarus into a "Union State" with Russia by 2030.
A leaked internal strategy document from Vladimir Putin’s executive office and obtained by Yahoo News lays out a detailed plan on how Russia plans to take full control over neighboring Belarus in the next decade under the pretext of a merger between the two countries. The document outlines in granular detail a creeping annexation by political, economic and military means of an independent but illiberal European nation by Russia, which is an active state of war in its bid to conquer Ukraine through overwhelming force.
Who would leak such a thing?
"Russia’s goals with regards to Belarus are the same as with Ukraine," Michael Carpenter, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, told Yahoo News. "Only in Belarus, it relies on coercion rather than war. Its end goal is still wholesale incorporation."
According to the document, issued in fall 2021, the end goal is the formation of a so-called Union State of Russia and Belarus by no later than 2030. Everything involved in the merger of the two countries has been considered, including the "harmonization" of Belarusian laws with those of the Russian Federation; a "coordinated foreign and defense policy" and "trade and economic cooperation ... on the basis of the priority" of Russian interests; and "ensuring the predominant influence of the Russian Federation in the socio-political, trade-economic, scientific-educational and cultural-information spheres." Mucho details follow.
#3
A leaked internal strategy document from Vladimir Putin’s executive office and obtained by Yahoo News
I would love to hear the story of how this document made its way from Putin's desk to Yahoo News. Perhaps Yahoo has infiltrated world capitals with crack journalist spies. Perhaps that guy from GCHQ called again and said "I got another one for ya." Perhaps I'm just getting tired of these transparent media ops.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 23:19 A conflict is actively developing in the Russian military-political elite, which has already gone public. The founder of PMC Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, complains about the lack of weapons and personally the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu. The conflict of mercenaries with the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense has been developing for more than a month, but Prigozhin still preferred one of his subordinates to publicly complain about the problems. About what has now changed - in the material Prigozhin against the Ministry of Defense .
23:15 Zelensky said in an evening video message that relations between Ukraine and the United States "have reached the historically most meaningful level: we can be called real allies, and our alliance with America really strengthens the world."
The president also said that he heard today from IMF Director Kristalina Georgieva, who arrived in Kiev, "a positive assessment of the stability of our institutions, the effectiveness and efficiency of our country in the face of such cruel and total aggression. The Ukrainian state has passed terrible tests and retained full functionality."
22:34 Portugal is ready to send three Leopard 2A6 battle tanks to Ukraine in March, the country's Ministry of Defense reported.
21:59 US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced the allocation of $ 10 million to Ukraine "to support the energy infrastructure in the face of continuous missile and unmanned attacks by Russia."
21:36 The governments of about 30 countries, including the host of the 2024 Olympics, France, have called on the International Olympic Committee to remove athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in the competitions, writes Politico, which has read the contents of the appeal. "Until these fundamental questions and the significant lack of clarity and specific details about the validity of the 'neutrality' model are resolved, we do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to compete," the letter says.
21:11 Serbia refuses Russian fighters and will buy French Rafale, said President Aleksandar Vucic. He explained that because of the sanctions, it became impossible to service the Russian MiG-29s: "You can't import almost anything from Russia that is related to military purposes."
21:07 Borrell also said that China will cross the red line if it sends weapons to Russia: "I asked the representative of the PRC not to do this and expressed not only our concern, but also that for us this will be a red line in our relations. He said me that they are not going to do it. But we will be careful."
20:58 Biden made an unannounced visit to Kiev, which literally blew up the information space around the world. For the first time in history, a US President visited the capital of a country that is at war and where the US military does not control critical infrastructure. For Ukraine, this is the first visit by a US president since 2008. For more details, Putin has nothing to answer in the material .
20:53 Ukraine will receive at least two battalions of Leopard 2 tanks, as well as probably six or seven battalions of Leopard 1 tanks with ammunition, Reznikov said: “It will be a coalition. Different countries will provide these Leopard 1 tanks. And there will also be Challenger 2 tanks and Abrams and light tanks AMX-10 from France".
20:21 King Charles III of Great Britain visited the Ukrainian military, who are being trained in Wiltshire.
19:55 Russia, despite the sanctions, is selling weapons at the IDEX international exhibition in Abu Dhabi, AP reports. In particular, the Russian Federation sells there from Kalashnikov assault rifles to missile systems. At the event, Russian Minister of Trade and Industry Denis Manturov, who is under US and British sanctions, was noticed.
19:27 Zelensky announced that he had met in Kiev with IMF Director Kristalina Georgieva.
18:58 The Chinese plan for a "peaceful settlement" of Russia's war against Ukraine contains calls for a ceasefire and the supply of weapons to Kiev, Bloomberg reports, citing European officials. They did not rule out that Putin would make similar statements during his speech on February 21, and that the Russian Federation could propose a draft UN resolution on February 24 as an alternative to the Ukrainian resolution.
Bloomberg notes that China's peace plan is causing skepticism in the US and Europe, as well as Beijing's attempts, a year after the announcement of a borderless partnership with Russia, to convince the world that it is a neutral player.
18:24 The Russians attacked the village of Antonovka in the Kherson region, killing two people, the OVA reported.
18:20 The Pentagon announced the provision of a new $460 million military aid package to Ukraine. It included:
ammunition for HIMARS;
artillery shells of 155 mm caliber and mortar shells of 120 mm caliber;
four radar systems;
additional Javelin anti-tank systems and explosive rounds;
about 2,000 anti-tank missiles;
four Bradley infantry fighting vehicles;
as well as two tactical vehicles, Claymore anti-personnel mines, night vision devices, communications equipment, medical equipment and spare parts for equipment.
18:04 Prigozhin again accused the Russian military leadership of not giving the Wagnerites the ammunition that is in the warehouses. According to him, because of this, twice as many members of PMCs and "other military units that we cannot cover" die every day. In addition, PMC Wagner encountered a problem when placing advertisements for the recruitment of volunteers on television.
17:45 The next meeting in the Ramstein format can take place in mid-March and will probably take place online, Reznikov said. "I think that the anniversary of Ramstein, which began in April last year, will probably be in Ramstein, directly at this military air base. And in March, I think I will be able to connect from Kiev," the minister added.
17:39 The Russians fired on the village. Ivanopolye of the Konstantinovsky community of the Donetsk region: one person was killed, two were injured, said the head of the OVA Pavel Kirilenko. In addition, during the day, the invaders launched artillery strikes on Toretsk, Grad was fired from multiple rocket launchers with. New Komar, they hit Avdiivka with artillery and rockets.
17:22 The European Union plans to include officials involved in the deportation of Ukrainian children into the new sanctions package against the Russian Federation, writes EUobserver. According to the publication, restrictions may be imposed against the Minister of the Family of Bashkiria, Lenara Ivanova, Deputy Head of the Government of the Moscow Region Vyacheslav Dukhin, Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova and 59 other people.
It is also planned to introduce restrictions against the Russian military, who are directly involved in war crimes against the civilian population and are responsible for attacks on the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine.
16:43 Shmyhal said that during Biden's extended meeting with Zelensky, he focused the US president's attention on three important reforms: anti-corruption, justice reform, and corporate governance reform. "We appreciate the support of the United States in the matter of rapid recovery. We are grateful for the allocation of $1.5 billion to this direction and $1.1 billion to support the energy sector of Ukraine and Moldova. We expect to attract $17 billion this year on the basis of the "financial Ramstein" to restore critical infrastructure on the principle of build back better".
16:31 Russian oppositionist, political prisoner Alexei Navalny publicly stated for the first time that Crimea is Ukraine, and Russia must return all the occupied territories to Kiev. This is stated in the published program of the politician. "What are Ukraine's borders? The same as Russia's - internationally recognized, defined in 1991. We, Russia, also recognized them then. Russia should recognize these borders even now. There is nothing to discuss. Almost all borders in the world are random and cause someone's discontent. But it is impossible to fight for their change in the 21st century. Otherwise, the world will plunge into chaos."
Navalny urged "to leave Ukraine alone and give it the opportunity to develop as its people desire." And Russia, according to him, after the change of power and the end of the war, "together with Ukraine, the United States, the European Union and Britain, should look for acceptable ways to compensate for the damage caused to Ukraine." He also proposes to investigate the war crimes of the Russian Federation in cooperation with international institutions.
In 2014, after the annexation of Crimea by Russia, Navalny said that the peninsula would not be returned to Ukraine, even if the oppositionist himself became president of the Russian Federation. "Crimea - what is it, a sausage sandwich to return it back and forth?" Navalny said.
16:24 The Italian government is considering the possibility of transferring five of its own fighter jets to Ukraine, but "for reasons of political expediency" it will do this only in the event of the first similar step from other countries, writes La Repubblica. Rome wants such a move to look forced following the decision of other allies, the newspaper notes.
16:08 The New York Times has published declassified documents handed over in 2009 by outgoing President George W. Bush to his successor Barack Obama. In them, Bush called for "watching Russia" which "craves the territory of its neighbor Ukraine": "Russia's attempts to challenge the territorial integrity of Ukraine, especially in Crimea, which is 59% ethnic Russian and where the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy is based, must be prevented."
15:52 Blinken and Erdogan discussed support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression and stressed the need for closer cooperation on bilateral issues, including defense, energy, trade and collective security, the US State Department said.
15:28 Speaker of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuriy Ignat said that the number of Russian aircraft deployed to airfields in Crimea, Belarus and the Russian Federation since the beginning of the aggression against Ukraine has not changed - 700 aircraft: "As for the information about the accumulation of aircraft, it is an old story ". You can't say that it is around Ukraine, but directly on the airfields that it uses in aggression against Ukraine. It has been said more than once that these are about 40 airfields, including in Crimea, in the occupied territory in Crimea, Belarus and the Russian Federation" .
14:59 The first visit of a US President to Ukraine in almost 15 years is the most important visit in the history of Ukrainian-American relations, Zelensky said: “It is precisely during this period when our state is fighting for its freedom and freedom for all Europeans, for all people of the free world - emphasizes how much great results we have already achieved and how historic results we can achieve - only together with the whole world, with Ukraine, with the United States, with all of Europe. Our talks today with Joseph Biden were just so meaningful and important, as it has already become a tradition for relations between our states."
14:41 Biden left Kiev - his visit lasted six hours, CNN reports.
14:34 Ukraine has received a new aid package from Italy, Zelensky told the Italian Rai TV channel. "It means that Prime Minister Georgie Meloni's support has not changed," he added.
14:27 Associated Press writes, citing the White House, that before Biden's trip to Kiev, Washington representatives contacted Russia to "ensure deconfliction in order to avoid any miscalculations that could lead to a direct conflict between the two nuclear powers."
13:48 Ukrposhta has opened a pre-sale of the postal set "PTN PNH!" to the anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Russia. The stamp depicts a drawing by Banksy on the wall of a destroyed building in Borodyanka, Kyiv region.
13:41 The United States, together with 50 partner countries, has collected more than 700 tanks, thousands of armored vehicles, a thousand artillery systems, more than 2 million artillery shells for Ukraine, Biden said at a press conference in Kiev. He also said that this week the United States will provide billions of budgetary assistance to help provide basic services for Ukrainian citizens.
13:37 A resolution in support of peace in Ukraine will be submitted to the UN General Assembly this week, Zelensky said at a briefing with Biden. He also stressed the importance of involving the United States in the implementation of the Ukrainian peace formula and the lack of alternatives to the creation of an international special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression.
13:35 Japan plans to allocate $5.5 billion in additional financial assistance to Ukraine, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. He also noted that he would invite Zelensky to the online G7 summit, which will be held on the first anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is expected that at the summit the leaders of the Group of Seven will reaffirm their unity in the fight against Russian aggression and agree to continue supporting Ukraine.
13:27 Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that Washington "has no right to lecture" on the possible supply of Chinese weapons to Russia. He stressed that China continues to "demand peace and negotiations" on the issue of war in Ukraine.
13:14 Biden said he made a surprise trip to Ukraine because it is "critical" that no one "has any doubts" about Washington's support for Kiev and Zelensky.
13:00 The results of today's meeting will be reflected on the battlefield, Zelensky said at a press conference with Biden.
12:56 Ukraine has succeeded in the war against all forecasts and will continue to win, Biden said at a meeting with Zelensky in Kiev: "This is the biggest ground war in Europe in three quarters of a century. And you succeeded in it, contrary to all expectations, except your own. And I'm sure you'll continue to win." At the same time, he added that "hard days, weeks and years lie ahead. Putin's goal is to erase Ukraine from the map."
12:41 Biden said that Ukraine will receive a new $ 500 million military aid package , Reuters reports. Zelensky said he and Biden also discussed long-range weapons.
12:30 Biden said he was meeting with Zelensky and his team in Kiev for an expanded discussion of support for Ukraine. In particular, he will announce the next delivery of critical equipment, including artillery ammunition, anti-tank systems and air surveillance radars, the White House said in an official statement.
The White House also confirmed that Washington will announce additional sanctions later this week, and Biden will travel to Poland after a visit to Kiev to meet with President Duda and other allies, as well as to make a speech about further support for Ukraine.
12:19 Israel is working on a pilot project of an early warning system for the approach of missiles and drones for Kiev, which can later be expanded to other regions, Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk said. In particular, the system will make it possible to turn on an airborne alert more sectorally - exactly in the place where the missile flies, and not in several regions or throughout the country at once. In addition, the siren gives a special signal indicating how many minutes the population has to hide in a shelter.
Korniychuk noted that work on the project has been underway for four months. "In fact, during the visit, the Israelis confirmed that they would complete a pilot project for Kyiv within three months to suit our realities," the ambassador added.
12:07 Zelensky published a photo with Biden in Kiev. "Your visit is an extremely important manifestation of support for all Ukrainians," the Ukrainian president said.
11:55 Biden arrived in Kiev and, to the sound of an air raid, paid tribute to the memory of the fallen defenders of Ukraine at the wall of memory of St. Michael's Cathedral:
11:48 The Russians have set up a machine-gun position on the roof of the fifth power unit of the Zaporizhzhya NPP, and also placed checkpoints at all entrances to the flyovers through which personnel enter the power units, Energoatom said. At the same time, a new batch of military personnel arrived at the ZNPP - more than 600 mobilized and cadets from the Russian Federation. They were placed in the bomb shelter of the non-standard equipment plant, where they are waiting to be transferred to the Donetsk sector of the front.
In addition, the Russians continue to build fortifications and build military installations around the plant's power units and its dry storage facility for spent nuclear fuel. Earlier, the occupiers denied access to the storage facility to both Ukrainian personnel and representatives of the IAEA present at the ZNPP site.
11:22 The SBU reported the suspicion to the head of the Cherkasy diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP), who, in particular, disseminated propaganda appeals of the Russian Orthodox Church, popularized the Kremlin regime.
10:59 Chief diplomat and adviser to the Chinese leader Wang Yi arrived in Moscow to discuss the situation in Ukraine, Sky News reports.
10:56 Ukroboronprom as a management system is not an effective enough structure to meet the military needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Reznikov said in an interview with Babel. According to him, the state concern was never completely reformed, since the open phase of the war began. The minister added that defense enterprises do not have time to increase production in large volumes during the war, primarily due to lack of funds.
10:50 There is no shortage of power in the energy system and it is not predicted, all types of power plants are working, Ukrenergo reported. Electricity imports are insignificant and are approaching zero due to the stabilization of electricity supply in the country. Consumption limits have not been set to date, however, when the situation in the energy system changes and consumption increases sharply, shutdowns may be applied. In the Odessa region and Odessa, hourly outage schedules apply due to network restrictions.
10:36 Ukraine considers the F-16 fighters to be optimal for itself, followed by the Swedish Gripen, as well as British, French and German aircraft, Reznikov said in an interview with Babel. According to him, Ukraine has already managed to solve the problem of the unpreparedness of domestic airfields for the F-16. The minister said that one type of aircraft will be the base, and other types will be added to support it, as is the case with Western tanks, where the German Leopard 2 should become the main ones.
He also estimated the number of combat aircraft that Ukraine could get: “Of course, we will first fight for fifty, and then for a hundred. Realistically, if we had a hundred aircraft with different mission capabilities, this would be a good case. And it is realistic, because each country can give 10-15 pieces, and this will not reduce their defense capability."
10:19 An Israeli parliamentary delegation arrived in Kiev , Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk said.
10:01 In the Kherson region over the past day, three people were killed due to Russian shelling, eight were injured, including three children, the IVA reported.
09:48 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, three people were killed - in Bakhmut, Bogdanovka and Avdeevka. Another person in the region was injured, Pavel Kirilenko, head of the OVA, said.
09:34 British intelligence predicts that in the near future political pressure will increase on the Russian military to demonstrate some "victories" by the anniversary of a full-scale war, although there are no such successes. In particular, it may be that Russia will announce the capture of Bakhmut, regardless of the real state of affairs. If the spring offensive of the Russian Federation ends in nothing, the tension within the Russian leadership will grow, according to intelligence.
Analysts note that Russian troops are trying to advance in several directions in the east: near Ugledar, in Kremennaya and near Bakhmut. At the same time, they suffer heavy losses, especially near Bakhmut and Ugledar. In particular, the 155th Brigade and the 40th Naval Infantry Brigade, named as elite, suffered very heavy losses near Ugledar and are most likely ineffective in combat.
09:07 The Russians fired at the Kupyansky district of the Kharkiv region in the morning, the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov said. In the village of Novoosinovo, a private residential building was destroyed; one person is probably under the rubble. In the village of Kurilovka, buildings of an agricultural enterprise were damaged by shelling, and a large-scale fire broke out. In the village of Strelechie, Kharkiv region, two people were injured.
08:43 Since Sunday, February 19, mobile communications have been completely disconnected in part of the territory of the Lugansk region, the OVA reported. The occupiers reported an alleged accident on the main lines, but the OVA notes that it "occurred" in several places at the same time. Now local residents have no connection not only with the territory controlled by Ukraine, but also between neighboring occupied cities.
08:36 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of February 20.
personnel - about 143,680 (+820) people liquidated,
tanks - 3316 (+6),
armored combat vehicles - 6553 (+8),
artillery systems - 2334 (+7),
MLRS - 471 (+2),
air defense systems - 243 (+0),
aircraft - 299 (+1),
helicopters - 287 (+0),
UAV operational-tactical level - 2018 (+2),
cruise missiles - 873 (+0),
ships/boats - 18 (+0),
automotive equipment and tankers - 5209 (+13),
special equipment - 225 (+1).
08:29 The Russian army continues to focus its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Miner directions, the General Staff said in the morning summary . Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces repelled the attacks of the invaders in the areas of the settlements of Gryanikovka, Kharkiv region; Belogorovka, Luhansk region; Vasiukovka, Dubovo-Vasilievka, Berkhovka, Bakhmut and Ivanovskoye Donetsk region.
06:33 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Russia does not have enough free reserves to increase the scale or intensity of attacks in the Lugansk region. Analysts point out that the Russian ground forces operate within the framework of conventional doctrinal formations and units, and not as part of battalion tactical groups or other temporary structures.
In addition, Russia has lost a large number of tanks in previous battles, and their absence makes it impossible to organize tank units for offensive operations. At the same time, ISW believes that the Russians may have a certain amount of restored equipment, but it will not be able to influence the course of the offensive. Experts predict that the Russian offensive will continue for some time and may temporarily gain momentum with the use of the last reserves, but the likelihood of achieving their goals or operationally significant victories is low.
04:25 Macron is wasting time communicating with Putin, Zelensky said in an interview with Corriere della Sera: "This will be a useless dialogue, in fact, Macron is wasting time. I came to the conclusion that we cannot change the position of the Russian Federation ... If they decided to isolate themselves in a dream of restoring the old Soviet empire, we can do nothing about it, it is their business whether or not to cooperate with the community of nations on the basis of mutual respect."
01:42 U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that China would cross a red line if it decided to provide lethal military assistance to Russia: "We welcome China's statement that it wants peace, as this is what we always strive for in such situations. But we also need to be clear: if the Chinese or anyone else intends to give lethal support to the Russians in their brutal attack on Ukraine, then this is unacceptable. That would be a red line."
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kirill Strelnikov
[RIA] Obviously, in a few years the socio-political landscape of Russia will change beyond recognition, and the talented children of effective managers will have to seriously think about including camouflage "hill" and a shabby pair of berets in their work wardrobe.
Today, without too much fanfare, the deadline for the execution of the decree of the President of Russia has expired, according to which the admission procedure for undergraduate and specialist programs must be brought into line with the law on the quota for children of participants in a special military operation.
If in Russia, then from today ten percent of state-funded places in Russian universities should be allocated without a hitch to the children of SVO participants: without exams - in the event of the death, injury or illness of a parent during the hostilities, according to a special preferential competition - if dad and mothers are fighting or have served, remaining alive and healthy.
This benefit is the latest, but not the last, item in a growing list of support measures for combatants and their families, which is already filling the page in small print: from significant cash payments and tax benefits to sanatorium services and land allotments.
It’s right to display the nation’s gratitude, but one wonders if Russia will be as dilatory about this as they are about making payroll for the fighting troops.
But this list can be safely multiplied by a hundred, and then again. And further.
When the thunder struck, unlike the influencers and content creators who ran to storm the border crossings, Russian, Chechen and Buryat men went to storm Mariupol and Bakhmut, paying for our sins, cowardice and comfort with the most faithful and strong currency in the world - their blood. And now, in frozen trenches and burning tanks, they are creating a new world order and creating our country anew.
They are creating a new Russian state, a military empire - exactly the form of our state and society that our ancestors dreamed of and which the holy prophets predicted.
For decades, the best philosophical minds of Russia fought to the point of hoarseness in discussions on the topic of the Russian idea, not realizing that this idea was within a sword's stroke in their heart.
Being a military empire is not about expanding borders, because someone smart said that Russia has no borders. The historical, universal and world mission and destiny of Russia is to be the liberator and defender of the oppressed and to maintain peace and justice on earth with military force.
And now Russia is doing just that.
Now, when the scab of modernity has been shed, the living flesh of history has suddenly been exposed, which has not gone anywhere, but has been waiting for us to finally open our Instagram-covered eyes.
It's time to realize that the mothball-smelling words "Moscow is the Third Rome, and there won't be a fourth" are not from a series of mice running through a tree, but a step-by-step instruction for the coming years.
The history of the military empire of Ancient Rome gives us on a silver platter a clear recipe for reforming the state and society. And this recipe now needs to be implemented surrounded by a ring of "friends" who would be glad to solve the Russian question once and for all, but are very afraid to turn into radioactive dust.
The cornerstone and elite of Romethere were citizen-soldiers who, every one of them, were obliged to expand the borders of the empire with weapons in their hands. Only they - citizen soldiers - had the right to vote and could appoint emperors. In addition to a serious monetary allowance and payments based on the results of victories, the Roman legionnaires were entitled to a solid pension and numerous benefits, and also received land allotments, which, after the expiration of their service life, turned them into wealthy landowners and opened the doors to the highest Roman society.
For non-citizens from outlying provinces, serving in the Roman army was the shortest route to citizenship, status, and wealth. Service in the army and participation in wars were a prerequisite for obtaining government positions. Known today mainly by his dying phrase, Gaius Julius Caesar introduced the law.
At the same time, evasion of military duty was punished very strictly - up to sale into slavery. The families of legionnaires were not forgotten either, for which serious benefits and opportunities were also provided.
As a result of such a consistent and purposeful policy, the Roman legionnaires turned into a wealthy and privileged social group, which had a serious influence on the domestic and foreign policy of the state and thanks to which Rome turned into the most powerful power of its time, protecting the peoples gathered under its wing and expanding its influence over around the world.
For our ancestors, the succession of Russia from Rome was obvious and natural.
The connoisseur of human souls F. M. Dostoevsky noted that “the purpose of the Russian person is, undoubtedly, <…> worldwide. <…> We will be the first to announce to the world that we want our prosperity not through the suppression of the individual and foreign nationalities, but strive to him through <...> fraternal unity. <...> Only Russia lives not for its own sake, but for the sake of an idea, <...> our destiny is the destiny of the world."
Philosopher Nikolai Berdyaev wrote that "Russia must take an active role in transforming the world. Russia is called upon to be the liberator of other peoples. <...> We are God's chosen country, the only stronghold of true Christianity, a messianic country."
Even if we leave out the theosophical context, taking into account the multi-confessional nature of our homeland, then the off-scale historicity of the current moment builds a clear logic of Russia's survival and victory through the restructuring of our slightly rusty braces in the military-imperial way, where the benefits to participants and family members of the NWO participants are the first, small, quiet but irreversible steps towards a new Russia and its new elites.
Vladimir Putin has already told the whole world in confidence what will happen if Russia is not in it. But he said this, knowing that there would never be such an outcome, because right here, right now, with every volunteer going to the front to defend truth and justice, we are getting closer to fulfilling the prophecy of St. Seraphim of Sarov: "Russia will always be glorious and the enemies are terrible and invincible, having faith and piety in the shield and in the armor of truth: the gates of hell will not prevail against them.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Vladimir Kornilov
[RIA] The Munich Security Conference passed under the sign of panic, which, in general, Western observers do not hide either . The bravura statements that Russia is either losing, or has even already lost the "war in Ukraine", were literally immediately followed by frightened statements about what consequences for the West and the "world based on rules" invented by it, Russia's victory will turn out.
Ukraine was declared David, and our country, respectively, Goliath. But for some reason, this David opened the Munich conference by begging the collective West for a "sling" - this was the key word in the speech of the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, to the meeting participants. He repeated several times that the Ukrainian "sling" should be strengthened.
Can you imagine the mythical David, who, before the fight with Goliath, runs around the neighbors and begs them for stones for a sling? If Zelensky were a little more educated than the German "geometrist" Annalena Burbock , he would know that David even refused armor before the fight with Goliath, being sure that the Lord would protect him.
The head of NATO Jens Stoltenberg does not rely on help from above , who in the same Munich directly admitted that the West started a "world war of logistics." He stated literally the following : "The war in Ukraine is now increasingly turning into a debilitating war of attrition, and a war of attrition is a battle of logistics. It is about supplies and ammunition."
A common theme of concern in the West has been the fact that Russia's long-promised "ammunition depletion" is not happening in any way. For how many months they have been discussing there when the Russian army will be left without missiles, without shells, without cartridges. True, it began to dawn on someone that Russia's resources are inexhaustible and it has already mobilized its military-industrial complex, significantly increasing the production of ammunition.
With the comprehension of this truth, fear intensifies in the West, whose media are openly panicking, crying out: "The world war machine is running out of ammunition." And great Estonia called on the European Union to allocate four billion euros this year to increase the production of shells, which the Ukrainian "David" lacks. Estonians know that it is not for them to pay for it.
However, we must understand that the panic in the West in connection with the shortage of weapons that has formed there is also part of an information campaign aimed at reconciling public opinion with the need to tighten their belts. We certainly should not go to the same extreme, thinking that NATO countries will be without tanks, planes and shells tomorrow.
Recently, CNN journalists lifted the curtain on this "smoke screen" of information, showing how Washington has dramatically increased the production of ammunition at a military plant in Pennsylvania, significantly expanding it and transferring it to round-the-clock operation. According to these data, the Pentagon plans to increase the monthly production of artillery shells there by almost 500% - from 15,000 to 70,000 pieces.
Therefore, we definitely should not be like those Western and Ukrainian "experts" who for several months have been predicting the depletion of Russian arsenals. The West declared war on Russia and now clearly articulates that it is being transferred to the production shops of the military-industrial complex factories. Yes, Russia is winning this war. But you can't relax.
Kindly note that several entries in this article may have been removed because they included discussions of the grand strategic level.
[NewsFrontInfo] 22:27 Aviation and artillery of the Russian Federation hit almost 100 artillery units of the Ukrainian military in a day.
21:12 Russian paratroopers near Kremennayacapturedtaken prisoner by the Ukrainian military.
21:04 Armored personnel carrier YRP-765 of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed in the Artemovsky direction -video
20:28 Russian servicemen are destroying the supporters of nationalists in the area of Ugledar -video
19:51 Near Artemovsk February 12eliminatedsniper of the sniper platoon Sergey Marenkov.
19:16 "Solntsepek" fries enemy positions in the Ugledar direction -video
18:57 Trophies of PMC Wagner.
next fromtrophiesPMC Wagner - army m4a1 in the standard configuration. Transferred from part of the US Armed Forces. You can also pay attention to the regular sight for the American armed forces - trijicon acog 4 × 32
18:08 Features of Ukrainian mobilization: "Muscovites" catch "Bandera", and "Bandera" "Muscovites" -video
And then all of them are sent to die for British interests in Soledar, Artemovsk, etc.
The well-known Ukrainian nationalist politician Igor Mosiychuk complained in his TG channel that Kharkiv residents are mobilizing in Ternopil. Moreover, they conduct it harshly, as it should be on foreign territory.
At the same time, residents of Western Ukraine are often responsible for mobilization in eastern Ukraine.
Apparently, this is a new trick of the Zelensky gang. Realizing the hostility of the two Ukraines to each other, and realizing that the locals will definitely thwart plans to recruit "live meat" for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, use this feature of the country.
So that the “Muscovites” from Kharkov would catch “Banderites” from Ternopil for him, and the “Banderites” from Ternopil would catch “Muscovites” from Kharkov.
17:53 Russian guards for the weekdestroyedmore than 200 explosive objects in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.
In a week, sappers of the Russian Guard discovered and destroyed more than 200 explosive objects in the territories of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Among the destroyed were artillery ammunition and about 2 kg of TNT.
In addition, the artillerymen of the Russian Guard completed more than 600 tasks in a week: enemy ammunition depots and military equipment were destroyed by fire.
17:46 Fighting near Artyomovsk: ours are tracking down the militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and covering them with fire -video
The artillery of the Russian army continues to destroy the direction of the position and the manpower of the Ukrainian Nazis, supporting the offensive of the assault groups.
16:39 Army aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the area of the special operation -video
15:31 In the Chernivtsi region, a small area with a population of 10 thousand peoplegonefor a week of mourning
The local administration reports that just yesterday, the 93rd battalion of the Chernivtsi Troops (military unit A7186) suffered significant losses in the Donbass, including three local residents.
It should be noted that until recently the battalion did not take part in hostilities and was transferred to the Bakhmut direction only a few weeks ago. Therefore, for the time being, most of the battalion is the “first composition” of nationalist volunteers who took up arms of their own free will, and not at the request of the military enlistment offices.
14:50 Highlights of the newthe briefingMinistry of Defense of Russia:
Russian air defense systems destroyed 15 Ukrainian drones in a day;
Losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Krasnolimansky direction per day amounted to 100 soldiers;
In the Kupyansk direction, the Zapad grouping of the RF Armed Forces destroyed up to fifty military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, one tank and three vehicles;
The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donetsk direction amounted to over 115 servicemen per day;
Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Su-27 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force in the Izyum region;
The Armed Forces of Ukraine lost up to 60 soldiers in the Yuzhno-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions.
14:44 Michell Lennart Johansson —liquidatedSwedish mercenary in Vugledar
Yesterday it became known about the death of another officer from Europe in Vugledar. They became the Swede Michell Lennart Johansson.
In his youth, Johansson served in the K4 Norrland Dragoon Regiment, the army's special forces for operations in the Arctic. As part of the Swedish Armed Forces, he took part in the war in Afghanistan.
After leaving the army, the Swede signed a contract with the French Foreign Legion, in which he served in Guiana and fought in Syria.
In August 2022, he joined the "International Legion of Ukraine" along with 12 mercenaries from the French Legion. Michell himself received an officer's position and fought in the Kherson direction.
In December 2022, the Swede was seriously wounded during shelling and, according to him, suffered a clinical coma and had sepsis. Of the 12 of his colleagues from the French Legion, by the beginning of 2023, only five survived.
On January 23, his brother, a lieutenant of the Swedish army and a mercenary of the International Legion, Roger Johansson, was liquidated in the Kherson region.
On February 6, the Swede signed a contract with the nationalist battalion "Kraken", together with the militants of which he was transferred to Vugledar.
Michell Johansson did not really have time to fight in the same ranks with the radicals: on February 17, he disappeared under artillery fire.
It is possible that the liquidated Swede had Ukrainian roots: he knew the language perfectly, and his relatives called him Mikhail.
13:56 The intelligence unit of the Southern Military District tracked down and eliminated Ukrainian saboteurs -video
Scouts of the "Southern" group of troops with the help of a quadrocopter discovered a Ukrainian DRG hiding in a ditch under the road. With the help of the assault group, which worked under the cover of the BTR-82A, one of the scouts secretly crept up to the ditch and threw a grenade into it. All Ukrainian saboteurs went to Bandera.
12:38 Airalarmover all Ukraine.
12:36 In Kyivannouncedair alert.
12:06 According to our intelligence, UkrainianNazisa command was given to intensify shelling of Russian territory to the maximum possible limit.
This is due to tomorrow's message from the President of Russia to the Federal Assembly and to create the most negative background.
According to specialists from foreign intelligence services who gave such an order to the Ukrainian Nazis, the President of the Russian Federation should speak tomorrow under the cannonade and against the backdrop of the burning territories of Russia.
12:04 According to information from our source from the close circle of the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, yesterday in the area of the settlement. Belozerka (Kherson region) wasinflictedan artillery strike on the position of one of the brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as a result of which a 122-mm gun was destroyed. howitzer D-30 with artillery crew, 5 - military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were disposed of; 2 - received injuries of varying severity
12:03 Tonight in the area of n.p. Antonovka, an artillery strike was inflicted on the ammunition depot of one of the brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Such ammunition as rockets for the Vilkha MLRS, 2A65 Msta-B howitzers, shells for firing from 122-mm D-30 howitzers, mines for mortars were destroyed .
As a result of the fire damage, the unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine suffered losses: 12 servicemen were liquidated, 10 were injured and 10 units. automotive equipment disabled.
11:44 “Where to hang a Russian? Of course, for a bitch" - a cozy evening in a Ukrainian school and sweet smiles of parents and children listening to a cheerful song about murder and death -video
11:02 The Ukrainian military in the territory of the Kherson region under their control in Snigirevka tortured and killed a local resident in the garage of his own house, the head of the Snigirevskiy district Yuriy Barbashov told RIA Novosti -video
10:55 Highlightsinterviewhead of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin TASS:
over nine years, thousands of volumes of evidence of the involvement of the military and political leadership of Ukraine in the genocide of the Russian-speaking population of Donbass have been collected;
almost 700 Ukrainian security officials became defendants in criminal cases on prohibited methods of warfare, about 120 of them are commanders and heads of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine;
Since 2014, about 5,000 people have been killed in the Donbas as a result of the actions of the Kyiv regime, and almost 9,000 have been injured;
almost none of the interrogated Ukrainian prisoners feel any remorse for the crimes against the inhabitants of Donbass.
10:51 Ukrainian Nazis againfired uponNew Tavolzhanka and a number of other settlements of the Belgorod region.
09:52 RF Armed Forces are continuously working on Ukronazi positions non-stop, not letting them raise their heads -video
09:49 Footage of combat sorties of Su-35S aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces during a special operation -video
During the performance of combat missions, the crews of multi-role fighters practiced patrolling in a given area and covering the actions of bomber and attack aircraft, as well as army aviation helicopters.
Flights of Russian Aerospace Forces fighters were carried out with suspended missiles of various classes.
During one of the sorties, an aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was detected and destroyed in a timely manner.
09:47 In Cherkassy, the boys were peacefully celebrating their birthday in a cafe, until a military commissar came to them and handed out agendas to everyone, and the holiday ceased to be languid for them -video
09:16 “Even toilet bowls are dragged!” —video
Evidence of looting by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the villages of the Kherson region has appeared.
A photo from a quadrocopter made by scouts of the 205th brigade appeared in public. The footage clearly shows how the Nazis take things out of the apartment building in bags and load them into a trailer and two cars.
The white objects in the trailer look amazingly like toilet bowls! The case when he could not stand it and realized his main erotic fantasies.
All this is happening on the territory of the Kherson region of Russia, occupied by Ukraine, in the village of Zmiyovka.
08:33 Ukronazi vehicles adorned with a Nazi eagle. Khokhols replaced the swastika inside the eagle with their fork -video
And there is no such thing as Nazism.
08:32 Until the last Ukrainian: World media have alreadystartedcelebrate the anniversary of the start of the conflict in Ukraine, mainly illustrating this with photographs of Ukrainian cemeteries.
08:27 "All over the world, Ukrainians are greeted like gods descended from heaven" - Arestovich -video
"Ukrainians, come home" - Polish edition of Myslpolska.
According to the newspaper, Poland let in thousands of aggressive nationalists with Bandera neo-Nazi views: “They hate Poland, Poles and everything Polish, honor the murderers of our brothers, erecting monuments to them on the land stolen from our grandparents.”
Kindly note that several entries in this article may have been removed because they included discussions of the grand strategic level.
[NewsFrontInfo] 23:18 In the Kupyansk and Krasnolimansk directions, Kyiv lost about 150 soldiers per day, and up to 60 in the South-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, the RF Ministry of Defense reported.
22:07 The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed control over the settlement of Paraskovievka in the DPR, the Ukrainian military lost more than 115 people and 11 pieces of equipment in the direction.
21:54 North of Donetsk, suburb - fanshellingcontinues.
21:18 RF Armed Forces destroyedHMMWVAPU in Belogorovka, DPR.
21:03 Ukrainian tank T-72AMT received 2 hits and lost a caterpillar -video
20:50 RF Armed Forces destroyed a Ukrainian militant in Vuhledar -video
20:46 Kirovsky, Petrovsky districts of Donetsk under fire from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. reported aboutarrivalsaround the 29th.
20:45 Kyiv district of Donetsk, Chervonogvardeysky district of Makeevka - powerful againarrivalson the borders of districts and in the vicinity.
20:21 In the Kremensk direction, the paratroopers destroy the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine -video
20:10 Kyiv district of Donetsk and the outskirts of Gvardeyka - againarrival.
19:57 Makeevka, Guards —shellingAPU continues.
19:55 Kyiv district of Donetsk again undershellingAPU.
19:50 Detachments of the Russian armywringthe last arc around Artemovsk.
After the liberation of Paraskovievka, the assault detachments of the PMC "Wagner" went in a wide ridge behind the Artemovsk-Slavyansk highway in the direction of the west. At the moment, it is known that they came close to Berkhovka, from which a country road proceeds towards the Ukrainian rear, to Yagodnoe, and they also go further north, to Dubovo-Vasilyevka. There is information about the occupation of a convenient height in the area, which facilitates assault operations. Thus, an “avalanche” hangs over the western facade of the city, which, when the indicated settlements fall, will fall down and begin to flow around Artemovsk, already surrounded from the east, south and, in fact, from the north, in the direction of Chasov Yar.
The railway station, Zabakhmutovka, Budenovka came under control.
19:49 "Solntsepek" fries enemy positions in the Ugledar direction -video
19:47 Makiivka, Guards undershellingNazis.
19:46 Kirovsky district of Donetsk is again undershellingAPU
19:37 The enemy again fired at the civilians of the Kirovsky district of Donetsk. From the settlement Galitsinovka Ukrainianpunishersfired 5 shells with a caliber of 155 mm.
19:35 Fixedshellingfrom the side of the VFU in the direction: — n.p. Karlovka - Donetsk (Kuibyshevsky district): 3 shells of 155 mm caliber were fired. JCCC
19:32 Soldiers of "Akhmat" and the 2nd Army Corps of the RF Armed Forces liberated the street in the Belogorovka area (DPR) -video
19:16 VR of the Russian Federation with the help of UAVs attack the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine -video
18:56 Artillerymen of the RF Armed Forces destroyed the manpower of Ukrainian nationalists in the Artyomovsky direction -video
18:32 On the operational lines of the DPR JCCCfixedshelling of a residential building on the street by the Armed Forces of Ukraine Legal, 84, 86
18:14 Gorlovka: the side of Zaitsevo, Majorsk, Golma - a series of powerfularrivalsfrom the APU.
17:58 APU again fired at the DPR. Heavyarrivalin the Kievsky district of Donetsk.
17:50 Russian artillery is working on the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Novoselovka Second area in the DPR -video
17:26 AFU militants fired on a peaceful city from mortars in Shebekino -video
17:09 A Ukrainian Su-27 was shot down in the Izyum region in an air battle. Fighter aircraft of the Russian Federation worked.
16:58 Soldiers of the RF Armed Forces are covering the actions of our infantry from the Zu-23-2 —video
16:28 The village of Voznesenovka in the Belgorod region fell under the shelling of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,sufferedprivate residences and businesses.
16:09 Shelling of the Kuibyshevsky and Petrovsky districts of Donetsk was recorded. The enemy fired 10 shells of 155 mm caliber at peaceful quarters.SCKK.
15:57 AFU fired at the Kuibyshevsky district, the settlement. Northern -video
15:17 Battle for Bakhmut, the situation according toconditionat 15.00 February 20, 2023
After the liberation of Paraskovievka, the assault detachments of the PMC "Wagner" swooped through the defenses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine southeast of Berkhovka and advanced close to Yagodnoye. Now the fighting is going on on the northern outskirts of the village.
At the same time, there is an assault on the northern regions of Berkhovka. Russian units established control over an important position on a hill north of Berkhovka and Dubovo-Vasilevka, improving their tactical position before assaulting the suburbs of Bakhmut.
In Bakhmut, the "Wagnerites" went deep into the defense lines of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Stupka area in the north of the city, freeing the territory of the railway station. The cleanup is ongoing.
In Zabakhmutovka, the assault detachments advanced further along Vatutina Street, reaching the area of the cemetery, in the eastern parts of Bakhmut.
Positional battles are going on in the south of the city and southeast of Bakhmut. Russian units, with fire support from artillery and aviation, are pushing through Ukrainian fortifications in the Budenovka area and near the highway from Konstantinovka.
Now the main efforts are concentrated on the assault on the northern regions of Bakhmut and its suburbs. The successful liberation of Paraskoviyivka made it possible to increase pressure on Berkhovka and Dubovo-Vasilevka, through which the supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the north of the city was organized.
The advance in the south-east of Bakhmut and in the direction of Orekhovo-Vasilevka makes it possible to tie down the efforts of Ukrainian formations. At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine sent a hastily formed battalion from the Sumy region to Bakhmut.
Also in the same area, there is an accelerated training of a combined rifle battalion, which should replace 37 OSB from the Karpaty TGR, which suffered losses in the battles for Krasnaya Gora and Paraskovievka.
14:49 Soldiers of PMC "Wagner"enteredto the village of Yagodnoye in the Bakhmut city community after the abandonment of the Armed Forces of Krasnaya Gora and Paraskovievka.
14:45 Russian grenade launchers in the Zaporozhye direction worked out the destruction of Abrams tanks -video
14:36 Report of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of thespecialmilitary operation (20.02.2023)
In the Kupyansk direction, artillery fire and active actions of units of the "Western" group of troops defeated the enemy's manpower and equipment in the areas of the settlements of Novoselovskoye of the Lugansk People's Republic, Masyutovka and Krakhmalnoe of the Kharkov region.
During the day, up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, one tank and three vehicles were destroyed in this direction.
In the Krasno-Limansky direction, as a result of air strikes, artillery fire and heavy flamethrower systems of the group of troops "Center" in the areas of the settlements of Yampolovka of the Donetsk People's Republic, Stelmakhivka and Chervonaya Dibrova of the Luhansk People's Republic, up to 100 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, two D-30 howitzers, as well as a US-made AN / TPQ-37 counter-battery radar.
In the Donetsk direction, in the course of successful offensive operations, the volunteers of the assault detachments, in cooperation with the units of the Airborne Forces, with fire support from the rocket troops and artillery of the "Southern" group of troops, completely liberated the settlement of Paraskovievka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
During the day in this direction, the enemy lost over 115 military personnel, an infantry fighting vehicle, three armored combat vehicles, two vehicles, two Grad MLRS installations, a D-30 howitzer, an anti-tank gun Rapira, as well as a radar station for counter-battery combat production US AN/TPQ-36.
In the South-Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia directions, operational-tactical aviation and artillery of the Vostok group of forces inflicted a complex fire defeat on the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Vuhledar, Dobrovolye of the Donetsk People's Republic, Gulyaipole and Yurkovka, Zaporozhye region.
Enemy losses per day in these directions amounted to 60 military personnel, one tank, two armored combat vehicles, a D-20 howitzer and two D-30 howitzers.
In addition, three ammunition depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed in the areas of the settlements of Malinovka in the Zaporozhye region, Vuhledar and Vodiane in the Donetsk People's Republic.
In the Kherson direction, a self-propelled howitzer "Akatsiya", a towed gun "Hyacinth", a self-propelled howitzer "Gvozdika" and three D-30 howitzers were destroyed in a day as a result of fire damage. Also, an ammunition depot of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was hit near the city of Kherson.
During the day, army aviation, missile troops and artillery of groups of troops (forces) of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation hit 98 artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at firing positions, as well as manpower and equipment in 124 districts.
Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the area of the city of Izyum, Kharkiv region, shot down a Su-27 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force in an air battle.
During the day, one HIMARS multiple rocket launcher was intercepted by air defense systems, and 15 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed in the areas of the settlements of Vladimirovka, Kolomyychikha, Zmievka, Rubizhne, Ploschanka, Krasnorechenskoye, Kremennaya Luhansk People's Republic, Yegorovka, Novoandreevka, Volnovakha , Yelenovka of the Donetsk People's Republic and Lesnoe, Zaporizhia region.
14:10 Makiivka came under fire from the Armed Forces of Ukraine,reportedabout arrivals from the MLRS.
13:41 The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to shell Donetsk. The Kirovsky district came under shelling, next to the Abakumov mine -video
13:40 Shelling of the Kirovsky district was recorded from the positions of the VFU in the settlement. Galitsinovka: 6 shells of 155 mm caliber were fired, according toSCKK.
13:16 Petrovsky district of Donetsk was again subjected toshellingfrom the APU.
12:47 Special Forces "Akhmat" and the 2nd Army Corps of the RF Armed Forces recaptured the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of Belogorovka (DPR) -video
12:45 Soldiers of the 60th Airborne Brigade "VETERANS" liquidate Ukrainian positions from an RPG-7 with a converted shot from an 80-mm mine -video
12:37 The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched an airstrike on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of the 60th Airborne Brigade "VETERANS"
12:16 The BUK air defense missile system successfully destroyed the UAV of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which corrected its artillery -video
11:48 Marines of the Pacific Fleet storm the trenches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Ugledar —video
11:05 Yesterday, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired 60 shells at the civilian infrastructure of the Kherson region -source in emergency services
- Cossack Camps: 9 shells from cannon artillery;
- Kardashinka: 9 shells from cannon artillery;
- Podlesnoe: 7 shells from cannon artillery;
- Korsunka: 5 shells from cannon artillery;
- Naked Pier: 4 shells from cannon artillery;
- Alyoshki: 8 shells from cannon artillery;
- Dnepryans: 5 shells from cannon artillery;
- Peschanovka: 13 cannon shells.
Also during the night, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired 49 shells from cannon artillery at peaceful villages.
10:57 Information aboutpromotionassault detachments of PMC "Wagner" in the Berkhovka area, located 6.5 km north of Bakhmut. According to preliminary data, the settlement is already in a semi-encirclement.
10:47 - Makeevka, Gvardeyka district - againshellingAPU.
10:08 Shelling of the Petrovsky district of Donetsk continues 4 shells were fired from Kurakhovocaliber155 mm.
09:58 Close combat footage: Marines storm the trenches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Ugledar -video
Marines of the Pacific Fleet break through close to the fortified positions of the enemy. At the first stage, the Marines identified the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and retreated, after which they more competently carried out a successful assault, throwing Nazis with hand grenades, suppressing small arms fire and clearing the positions.
The quadcopter helps our guys coordinate the attacking actions of the assault groups.
VSUshniki snarl, trying to repel the attack, it ends badly for them.
09:56 Battles near Kremennaya: "Msta-S" "Brave" against the American M-777 -video
Self-propelled guns "Msta-S" and howitzers D-20 of the Central Military District conduct daily fire raids to destroy manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Commanders of mixed artillery battalions receive up to 50 different targets to hit per day. Depending on the range and type of target, they distribute them among the crews of guns and self-propelled guns.
The actions of the artillery of the Central Military District prevent the transfer of enemy reserves and support the offensive operations of our troops.
09:53 Battles near Ugledar: our troops destroy enemy strongholds —video
Artillery destroys the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine around the clock, supporting the offensive of the marines and infantry.
“Walked along the forest belt, got into fire contact. Did it during the day. We occupied the first line, ”says the senior shooter with the call sign“ Fire ”.
The Marines also handed over the coordinates of three BMP-2 BMPs to our armored group, which destroyed them.
Local victory has become strategically important. The Marines continue their advance, clearing enemy positions.
09:12 Representation of the DPR in the JCCCinformsabout 47 facts of firing by the VFU per day
The enemy fired from the MLRS "Grad", artillery 155, 152.122 mm, mortars 120 mm, firing 246 units of various ammunition across the territory of the DPR.
Under the fire of the VFU were: Mayorsk, Zaitsevo, Gorlovka, Donetsk, Makeevka, Yasinovatsky district.
09:08 Chronicle of blows and mutualshellingin the NWO zone for the night from February 19 to February 20, 2023
Russian troops hit the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Karpovichi, Timonovichi and Yanzhulovka of the Chernihiv region, as well as in Atinsky, Bunyakino and Stukalovka of the Sumy region.
In the Kharkiv region, the RF Armed Forces attacked enemy targets in Strelechya, Staritsa and Volchanskie Khutori.
In the Starobelsky direction, the Russian troops worked on the concentrations of personnel and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Berestovo, Stelmakhivka and Kupyansk.
The enemy, in turn, fired on Gryanikovka and Belogorovka.
On the Bakhmut (Artyomovsk) direction, Russian missile troops and artillery hit the places of concentration of Ukrainian units in Bakhmut, Berkhovka and Belaya Gora.
In the Donetsk direction, the RF Armed Forces attacked enemy positions in Georgievka, Veseloe and on the western outskirts of Maryinka.
In turn, Ukrainian formations from cannon and rocket artillery fired at residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in Donetsk, Novobakhmutovka and Gorlovka.
In the Yuzhnodonetsk direction, Russian troops worked on targets in Ugledar, Vremyevka and Novopol.
In the Zaporozhye region, the RF Armed Forces attacked enemy positions in Malinovka, Novoandreevka and Poltavka.
In the Dnepropetrovsk region, Russian artillery worked on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Nikopol, Marganets, Mirovka and Velikomikhaylovka.
On the southern sector of the front, the RF Armed Forces hit enemy concentrations in Kherson, Burgunka and Tyaginka.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine shelled civilian infrastructure in Nova Kakhovka, Cairo and Aleshki at night.
08:43 Frontlinesummaryon the morning of 02/20/2023
In the Ugledar sector, Russian troops, with fire support, again attacked in the direction of the city outskirts from the side of Nikolsky dachas. Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation hit Vremevka, Bolshaya Novosyolka, Zolotoy Niva and Bogoyavlenka.
On the Donetsk front, the Russian army attacks the Ukrainian garrison in Maryinka. Both in the western part of the city itself, and on its southern and northern outskirts. Artillery is working closely on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She also shells Georgievka, Nevelskoye, Avdeevka, Vesyoloye and New York. The Ukrainian army carried out rocket attacks on Aleksandrovka, Donetsk, Yasinovataya and Zaitsev.
To the south of Bakhmut, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are shelling Kurdyumovka and Kleshcheevka. PMC "Wagner" with the support of artillery again attacked in the direction of Ivanovsky, but without success. However, the "orchestrants" managed to advance in Bakhmut itself. Moreover, from the south from Ivangrad, as well as on the eastern outskirts of the city. After the capture of Paraskoviivka, the "musicians" to the south-west of this village pushed through the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and went to Yagodnoye. Thus, the Ukrainian garrison in Bakhmut is threatened by coverage from the northwest as well. Also PMC "Wagner" conducts assault operations near Dubovo-Vasilyevka. A little to the north, with the support of artillery, it attacks the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Zheleznyansky. And already to the north of Soledar, he is trying to break through the defenses of the Ukrainian army in the area of Fedorovka and Rozdolovka. The RF Armed Forces attacked in the direction of Vyemka.
In the Lugansk direction, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation again tried to advance towards Belogorovka. They also attacked from the side of Shipilovka in the Serebryansky forest area. And from the area of the Dibrovs they carried out offensive operations on Zarechnoye. A little to the north, Russian troops made an attempt to break through to Makeevka. The Ukrainian army, in turn, counterattacked in the direction of Krivosheevka and managed to advance towards this settlement, near which an important section of the road passes.
08:22 Battles near Kremennaya: Landing forces are advancing, knocking out the enemy from positions in the LPR -video
The Airborne Forces use new BMP-2M infantry fighting vehicles with the Berezhok combat module during the offensive
08:18 Per day on the territory of the DPRdied1 person, 12 more wounded - Headquarters of TerO DPR
Over the past 24 hours, from 00:00 on February 19 to 00:00 on February 20, 1 person was killed and 12 more civilians were injured as a result of shelling of the VFU in the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic.
08:05 Summaryas of February 20, 2023
In the Kupyansk direction, they report on the actions of the Russian Armed Forces to seize a bridgehead on the right bank of the river. Oskol, located 6-12 km north of the city
To the north of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) PMC "Wagner" are conducting a bloody assault on Berkhovka. The enemy puts up fierce resistance in the battles for an important transport hub for supplying Artemovsk. Fights are going on in the city itself and in the south-west of it, in the direction of Clock Yar at the turn of Krasnoye-Stupochki
PMC "Wagner" transferred from 1 to 1.5 thousand attack aircraft to the Zaporozhye direction.
Artillery strikes were carried out on enemy positions in the Sumy region.
The enemy fired more than 240 rounds of ammunition at the civilian population of the DPR, under fire Mayorsk, Zaitsevo, Gorlovka, Donetsk, Makeevka, Yasinovatsky district. At lunchtime, the Nazis fired 40 MLRS rockets into the city center. A civilian was killed, 12 people were injured.
A 12-year-old girl was killed as a result of the shelling of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at Novaya Tavolzhanka in the Belgorod Region.
The new Prime Minister of Moldova, Dorin Recean, said that Pridnestrovie must be demilitarized, Russian troops should be driven out of there, and then the inhabitants of the region should be integrated economically and socially.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] Washington, Yerevan, Ankara and Baku began to rush, fearing the emergence of a Russian project in Transcaucasia after the Ukrainian crisis, which could change the course of events. It should not be overlooked that, despite the strong desire of Armenia and Azerbaijan to solve problems behind Russia's back, they will be forced to resume peace negotiations with her participation.
In Munich, on the sidelines of a security conference, a trilateral meeting was held between US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. It lasted an hour and a half, and it was, as Blinken himself said, about the use of Baku and Yerevan "a historic opportunity to establish a lasting peace after more than 30 years of conflict."
Experts drew attention to the fact that earlier the United States, when organizing such meetings at different levels, designated its mission as "mediation". This time, there is no such definition in the comments of the State Department on the results of the meeting.
Washington believes that Yerevan and Baku heard his calls "to enter into a direct dialogue in order to reduce tensions in relations," that is, to withdraw Russia from the peace process. At the same time, Baku is strongly recommended to stop acting in tandem with Turkey, which stipulates the signing of a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia with a number of conditions.
Attempts to ignore Russia are already being observed.
At the end of 2022, under the pretext of the Lachin crisis, Yerevan refused to participate in the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow, at which it was planned to discuss a peace treaty between the parties. Yerevan then did not even notify Moscow through official channels of its refusal. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, "he learned about it from a press release."
On the eve of the Munich conference, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said at a press conference that Moscow was ready to hold a new trilateral meeting at the level of foreign ministers with Azerbaijan and Armenia "for further movement towards stabilization within the framework of existing agreements."
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, specified that it was necessary to move away from “freezing the negotiation process through the resumption of work on all tracks for normalization, including the unblocking of transport communications, delimitation of the border, the conclusion of a peace treaty and contacts through civil society.”
Yerevan practically did not respond to such calls.
Moreover, on February 15, 2023, Pashinyan announced at a government meeting that Yerevan had handed over to Baku “its draft of a coherent agreement with Armenian proposals,” which Armenia is ready to sign “as soon as possible.”
Thus, Pashinyan’s “formula of action” acquires the logic of step-by-step measures: first, a peace treaty with Azerbaijan is signed, and its parameters consider the issues of delimiting the border and unblocking transport communications on a bilateral basis.
This completely eliminates the Russia-Azerbaijan-Armenia trilateral agreement of November 9, 2020, which stopped the second Karabakh war, and all subsequent peace agreements. Moscow can be involved in this process, but not in the status of an intermediary, but as a consulting party providing geographical maps and something else.
In addition, the heads of the ministries of foreign affairs of the EU member states agreed to send a long-term monitoring mission to Armenia on the border with Azerbaijan, which creates a complex and confusing situation in the region.
Apparently, this aspect of the peace treaty was actively discussed by Aliyev and Pashinyan at the meeting with Blinken.
The Azerbaijani president qualified this dialogue as "constructive". Speaking at a panel discussion in Munich, Aliyev and Pashinyan virtually ignored Moscow's peacekeeping efforts.
The President of Azerbaijan stated that he is close to the approach of Washington and Brussels, which divide the negotiation process into two separate tracks: the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the establishment of contacts between Azerbaijan and the Armenian population of Karabakh. He also said that "he will not allow external forces to interfere in our internal affairs, Karabakh is Azerbaijan."
As a result, Russia's participation in the work on a peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan is called into question.
But Baku also believes that if Yerevan recognizes the borders of Azerbaijan in 1991 (when Nagorno-Karabakh was part of Soviet Azerbaijan) in the new peace treaty, then the mention of Karabakh is inappropriate, since the problem of the Armenian enclave living there becomes an internal affair of Azerbaijan.
Armenia wants the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to be mentioned in the agreement as a separate clause. The United States is also in favor of fixing in the treaty a provision on the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan is still against this, although it cannot be ruled out that it will compromise approaches in this direction, but without international guarantee mechanisms. He still opposes the wording in the peace treaty of "international mechanisms to ensure the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh."
But there is a third track - Turkish.
The point is that Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan visited Turkey. According to Turkish publications, at a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, he resolved specific issues related to "accelerating the preparation of infrastructure for the opening of land communication between the two countries."
By all indications, a summit meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pashinyan and the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries "without linking relations between Baku and Yerevan" are being prepared.
Earlier, Ankara and Yerevan had already reached an agreement on direct air transportation and approved the decision to open the land border for third-country nationals. That is, a new process is taking place: the separation of the Armenian-Turkish agenda itself from the Armenian-Azerbaijani one.
According to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, there are certain reasons for this.
Relations between Turkey and its Western partners are complex. The West openly accuses Erdogan of seeking to establish an authoritarian regime in the country, ignoring the principles of European-style democracy. Accordingly, Ankara is facing the problem of losing confidence in its foreign policy.
“ Due to the fact that Turkey has previously lost confidence in the eyes of its allies or neighbors in the region, it, frankly, was hardly bothered by the fact that Armenia was also among these neighbors,” writes Hürriyet . “ As a result, her chances of becoming a truly important regional player in the South Caucasus instantly vanished. At the same time, Turkey is confident that out of the entire set of existing complex foreign policy problems both in the West and in the Middle East, it can make a breakthrough precisely in the Armenian direction, which will not only change the geopolitical situation in the Transcaucasus, but also pave the way for Ankara to Europe ".
As we can see, the next geopolitical intrigue in the Transcaucasus is based on some nuances that are not always heard publicly.
The dynamics of the development of events in the region is such that nothing can be ruled out and almost all participants in the Transcaucasian geopolitical mystery must have a backup strategy. But for now, we see the active efforts of Washington, combined with new impulses received during the Munich agreements between Blinken, Aliyev and Pashinyan.
In general, one gets the feeling that Washington, Yerevan, Ankara and Baku are in a hurry, fearing the emergence of a Russian project in the region after the Ukrainian crisis, which could change the course of events. It should not be overlooked that, despite the strong desire of Armenia and Azerbaijan to solve problems behind Russia's back, they will be forced to resume peace negotiations with her participation. After all, it may also happen that one of the conflicting parties uses a technological device in diplomacy with the Americans in order to politically compromise the positions of the other side.
At the moment, gaining historical time may suit Armenia, because there are always some problems on the way to signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan has not yet been able to convert the victory in the Karabakh war into a sustainable peace agreement. Moscow still has arguments to continue the "Transcaucasian party" with the most diverse participation of external players. So the main events are ahead.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Alena Zadorozhnaya, Daria Volkova, Evgeny Pozdnyakov
[NewsFrontInfo] There are more and more details about the arrival of Joe Biden in Kyiv. The visit itself, as it turned out, was agreed in advance with Moscow as part of the “deconflict”.
At the same time, the organization of the trip was so secret that the journalists had to hand over their phones. In addition, Biden announced several things in Kyiv that caused surprise in the expert community. Among them is a fantastic number of tanks promised by the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The unexpected arrival of Joe Biden in Kyiv is being actively discussed in the Western media. According to Politico, the initial goal of the US leader was to visit Poland, where he planned to meet with Andrzej Duda. Moreover, White House staff allegedly dissuaded Biden from leaving for Kyiv, but he insisted on his own, writes Time.
It is noteworthy that Biden's entry into the territory of Ukraine was coordinated with Moscow. According to the Associated Press, U.S. and Russian officials discussed securing "deconflict" "to avoid any miscalculations that could lead to direct conflict between the two nuclear powers."
Later, this information was confirmed by National Security Adviser to the US President Jake Sullivan. “We notified Russia that President Biden will leave for Kyiv a few hours before departure in order to avoid a conflict situation,” he said.
Also, Biden's visit to Kyiv highlighted the White House's work with journalists. Against all claims of freedom of speech and information, the Biden administration has required journalists to hand over their phones and maintain secrecy, according to the New York Times. In addition, because of Biden, the security forces blocked most of the center of Kyiv.
Biden's tour began with St. Michael's Cathedral. And it is no coincidence. During the Polish rule over Kiev, the cathedral was given to the Uniates. Later, when the ancient capital returned to Russian control, the cathedral was reconstructed in the Baroque style and became one of Kyiv's hallmarks. In the Soviet period, Mikhailovsky Golden-domed was demolished. His frescoes and other treasures, which constituted the heritage of the cathedral, "dispersed" to the museums of Kyiv, Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Over time, the cathedral was restored, but handed over to schismatics from the "Kyiv Patriarchate". Now the territory of the cathedral, together with the central complex of buildings, is under the control of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, a schismatic organization created by the efforts of the United States and the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Biden also visited a memorial near the Maidan and the Mariinsky Palace - this is another hallmark of Kyiv. The palace was built under Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in 1744. The author of the project was the legendary architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Later, the Mariinsky Palace was considered a residence for members of the imperial family visiting Kyiv until 1917.
As a result of the walks and negotiations, Biden promised Ukraine not only “hard days, weeks and years”, but also about 700 tanks, a thousand armored vehicles and a thousand artillery systems, more than 50 MLRS, two million shells and $500 million.
“Biden, apparently, decided to play it safe by talking about the difficult weeks and years that await Ukraine. He understands that the Ukrainian crisis may not be resolved before the end of his presidency. In addition, the US leader thus showed that he does not intend to bear any personal responsibility for what is happening in Ukraine, ”said Timofei Bordachev, Program Director of the Valdai Club.
“It is worth noting that Russia has repeatedly recognized the impossibility of a quick end to the conflict in Ukraine. True, Moscow and Washington have a completely different understanding of the goals and objectives of this process,” the interlocutor noted.
“In general, this visit became a kind of performance for Americans and Europeans. And the most interesting signal is that Biden's trip was coordinated with Russia. This shows a rather high degree of civility in our relations with Washington. Everyone understands that the presence of a culture of dialogue is always better than its absence,” Bordachev concluded.
Political scientist Dmitry Drobnitsky looks at the situation somewhat differently. According to him, "Biden tried to reduce the degree of concern among Europeans and Americans about the growing escalation of the Ukrainian conflict and the risk of a third world war." “If he was trying to cheer up the Ukrainians, he would say the phrase “victory is close.” But the opposite was said," Drobnitsky notes.
“In addition, words about difficult days, weeks and years were heard not only against Ukrainians, but also against US allies.
“It will take a long time to fight, democracy is expensive,” as Biden says. This is also a signal that the US president allegedly keeps his finger on the pulse, controls everything, and Ukraine remains in the center of attention of the Western world,” the expert explained.
“As for the signals to the Kremlin, they were not here. Perhaps they will be heard on Tuesday, when Biden makes a speech in Poland. However, I do not expect anything supernatural and interesting there, because the abstracts for his speech are prepared not by Jake Sullivan, but by Anthony Blinken and Victoria Nuland, ”concluded Drobnitsky.
At the same time, Biden's promise to transfer 700 tanks to Ukraine deserves special attention. “This is a loud statement, but even Western analysts did not understand why the US President suddenly announced such a figure. In recent weeks, the leaders of the NATO countries have called different numbers and different terms for the delivery of tanks, how many of them will eventually arrive in Ukraine is a mystery. Apparently, Biden said this as part of the start of his election campaign and for the sake of a red word, ”said military expert Mikhail Onufrienko.
Biden's numbers of military aid are huge, says Alexander Shurygin, a military expert. However, even the United States is not capable of making such large-scale deliveries in a short time, because it is completely unclear where the States are going to get, for example, 700 tanks, even taking into account those that are in Europe.
For example, the reopening of some of the 3,700 American Abrams vehicles and bringing them to combat readiness will take a long period of time. Therefore, we are probably talking about creating a delivery schedule: a certain number of vehicles will be delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for at least a year. Work with the rest of the equipment will be carried out according to the same plan.
Shurygin suggests that one of the goals of Biden's visit is to instill self-confidence in Ukrainians. The figures announced by the President of the United States are in fact only a "decoding" of the Lend-Lease promised last fall.
But there is another version. Perhaps Biden once again misspoke and named the amount of equipment and ammunition that the West has already supplied and is currently supplying. That is, we are talking about the total figures for the year. Therefore, it is worth waiting for detailed comments from the American side.
First, he agreed with the Russian leadership that he would come by train and, accordingly, he knew that nothing threatened him, and the Russian leadership always keeps its word.
As a result, just like all the media controlled by America are trumpeting, I was not afraid and came! The main question is why?
There are still serious analysts in the "freedom-loving" Western democracy, they are well aware that the Anglo-Saxon song has been sung in Ukraine, and very soon Kyiv will return to where it has long wanted to. Historical justice will be restored, whose name is Kievan Rus.
Instead of the expected secret meeting between Biden and Zelensky on the Polish border, the world saw a sudden voyage of the American president to Kyiv. Behind the detective details and spectacular shots, the main thing is lost. As a result of personal contact between Biden and Zelensky, Ukraine received not the largest arms tranche, did not receive the expected fighter jets and long-range missiles. What then was the goal pursued by both sides?
Around 9 am on February 20, US President Joe Biden unexpectedly arrived in Kiev. According to The New York Times, the president left Washington unannounced after having dinner with wife Jill at a restaurant on Saturday. Around 8 a.m. (9 a.m. Moscow time), Biden arrived by train from Poland, CNN reported . The trip to Warsaw was announced in advance, for February 21. Now it has become clear that Biden will go to Poland from Ukraine.
The fact that someone is preparing an extraordinary visit to Ukraine was evidenced by the unprecedented activity of NATO aviation on the Ukrainian-Polish border and the air alert announced in Kyiv itself.
The owner of the White House was met by US Ambassador to Kiev Bridget Brink, and half an hour later, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky received Biden in the Mariinsky Palace in the center of Kiev . Previously, there were suggestions that a “secret” meeting between Biden and Zelensky would take place in Poland, but a “throw on Kyiv” was clearly not expected.
U.S. President Joe Biden's sudden and seemingly unannounced visit to Kyiv took about a week to prepare. This was reported by Politico , citing a source in the Ukrainian government. In Kyiv, "they have long asked" Biden to come for a visit.
The blitz voyage was prepared under the "strictest secrecy" through the communication channels of the head of the office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Dmitry Kuleba . The public part included filming at St. Michael's Cathedral (which had been previously taken from the canonical UOC) and a walk along Mikhailovskaya Square to the sound of air raid sirens.
The main bottom line is Biden's promise to provide Kyiv with a new half-billion dollar military aid package.
The US President spoke about the transfer of HIMARS MLRS ammunition to Kiev, Reuters reported . Earlier, the same agency reported: Washington agreed to send Ukraine GLSDB precision-guided missiles, which can hit targets at a distance of up to 150 km.
But it was the media effect that was paramount, which was prepared, staged and presented primarily for an intra-American audience, experts agree. Although, they note, the media effect for the enemy - Russia, for the allies - in Europe also took place.
WHY BIDEN NEEDED THE KYIV BLITZ
“What we have seen is very similar to the visit of the now former speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan," American expert Dmitry Drobnitsky told REGNUM.
"Biden’s visit to Kiev is a demonstration: we arrived in our warring city, to our client, to our colony, this is ours."
Political scientist and specialist in the USA Malek Dudakov gives another analogy. Even when only Biden's pre-announced visit to Poland was announced, the United States expected that the current head of the White House "would try to present himself as a wartime president, similar to his well-known Democratic predecessors - Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman," Dudakov said in an interview with REGNUM.
Truman, we recall, is associated not so much with the last months of World War II, but with the beginning of the Cold War - a confrontation that is often compared to the current confrontation between Russia and the United States.
Analysts agree that this is an important element in Biden's election campaign that has begun. The voyage to Eastern Europe is intended to be a continuation of the president's recent address to Congress. In Washington, he touched on the domestic American agenda, and is now formulating his foreign policy message, Dudakov said.
“For Biden, the main thing in this visit is the domestic political agenda, ” agrees political analyst Vladimir Kornilov. “In fact, this is such an announcement of his nomination for a second term after even the media affiliated with the Democratic Party began to write that it would be better for him not to be nominated, due to his age."
Actually, the announcement of a rather small military "tranche" for $500 million and the supply of artillery shells and ammunition for NIMARS did not require a show visit to Kyiv, Kornilov notes. But the main thing is the media effect for the American audience, the expert pointed out.
Secondly, the team of Democrats, having sent Biden to Kiev, also solves the foreign policy problem, political scientist Alexander Asafov points out .
“Neither the meeting at the Ramstein base, nor the Munich Conference, nor other anniversary events were enough to create a convincing picture of the support of Ukraine by the collective West,” Asafov told REGNUM.
"On the contrary, we heard the words that not a single foreign tank was found throughout Europe. We have heard about the fact that Ukraine can get modern aviation, but most likely it will be "someday never." Now the geopolitical opponent - Moscow - has also been shown support, and indecisive allies have been motivated.
Third, but not least, Asafov points out, Washington had to manually manage a number of key issues to continue dismantling the corrupt hierarchy of the Ukrainian government.
The Ukrainian military-political leadership, of course, received serious symbolic support, Kornilov notes.
“It is clear that this will be very actively involved and is already being used by Ukrainian propaganda, which is already spinning all sorts of videos and informational messages in the spirit of “the cardinal and the haberdasher are power!” the interlocutor pointed out.
Behind spectacular media statements and loud promises of help, the main thing may remain hidden - what kind of help Kyiv will receive from the American patron.
"AMERICA IS WITH US", BUT THE F-16 WILL HAVE TO WAIT
The US Congress agrees on the need to provide assistance to Ukraine, despite disagreements on other issues, Biden assured, quoted by CNN. The results of today's meeting with Biden "will be displayed on the battlefield," Zelensky said in turn.
At the same time, as TASS notes, Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy warned: his fellow party members in Congress will not allow the allocation of unlimited and unjustified aid to Ukraine. In November, the Republicans prepared a resolution to control the spending of funds allocated by Congress to help Ukraine.
During Biden’s trips to Eastern Europe, “there will be some non-public agreements, for example, on the timing of the delivery of the same heavy equipment. There are big problems with this now, because their deliveries have been agreed, but the deadlines are shifting quite seriously," American expert Malek Dudakov told REGNUM . The London Times noted on February 19 that “less than a quarter of the planned tanks will arrive for the spring offensive in Ukraine,” 50 out of 320.
The Reuters publication noted: the States rejected Kyiv's requests for the supply of ATACMS missiles with a range of up to 300 km. The question of long-range systems seems to remain open.
Zelensky said that he had now discussed the issue of long-range weapons with Biden, Reuters also notes. But we are talking about "discussion", but not about the promise.
As recently as this Saturday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the Munich Security Conference called for a doubling of military aid to Ukraine, also declaring the need to supply Kiev with long-range artillery. As IA REGNUM pointed out , we are probably talking about the British counterparts of the American ATACMS.
But as a result of Biden's visit, Kyiv did not receive either American long-range missile and artillery systems, or - note - F-16 fighters.
In fact, Biden somewhat limited Kyiv's appetites, Kornilov believes. “He has actually said no to the fighter jets,” the source said. In any case , even the statements made by Rishi Sunak, who has already given the go-ahead for the supply of military aircraft, will not be the last word. It is already said that the transfer of aircraft will not be able to take place tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and even this year.”
Therefore, Kornilov believes, Biden's upcoming trip to Poland on February 21 is unlikely to change anything in Washington's position regarding the transfer of F-16s or long-range artillery.
Speech begins at 0500 EST on Tuesday
[RIA Novosti] Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver a message to the Federal Assembly on Tuesday, in which he is expected to assess the special military operation, the international situation, and also pay attention to Russia's social and economic issues.
This will be the first message since the beginning of the special operation. The president treats him annually, but last year he was absent, as in 2017.
The Russian leader explained at the end of last year that the dynamics of events is very intense, and the results need to be recorded, so additional analysis and time are required for the speech to be solid and fundamental.
The message will be heard in Gostiny Dvor in Moscow and will traditionally begin at 12.00 Moscow time.
Traditionally, members of the Cabinet of Ministers, deputies and senators, public figures are invited to the event. This year there will be new faces - participants of the special operation.
The presidential message determines the vector of the country's development and, as a rule, becomes the basis of laws and decrees.
MESSAGE EXPECTATIONS: EVERYTHING FOR VICTORY
The parliamentarians believe that the message will be largely devoted to the topic of the special operation, it will become the leitmotif of the speech of the head of state and will determine many other topics, such as social security for the participants in the special operation, equipping the army, and training fighters. Some of the deputies and senators suggest that the head of state will also talk about the fight against terrorists and saboteurs, the modernization of the military-industrial complex and the results of the opposition to Western sanctions, and the appeal itself will also be directed to an external audience.
Nevertheless, Putin is also expected to designate social and economic tasks. Politicians believe that the president during his speech can talk about the standard of living in the country, touch upon issues of demography, incomes of the population, wage increases, and ensuring affordable prices for food and medicine. Parliamentarians are convinced that Putin will not ignore the support of new regions of Russia. The main thing that both houses of parliament expect from the head of state is a speech that will inspire "the country and the army", become the beginning of a "powerful leap forward" and draw an image of the future that will unite people even more.
Trade unions are waiting for the message of the President of the Russian Federation to voice the problematic topics of society, interviewed representatives of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia ( FNPR ) told RIA Novosti, while expressing the opinion that Russia's prospects for a special military operation will be outlined.
“We are part of society, and therefore we are concerned about all the problems that we have and all the solutions that the president proposes. The most special issues, you know, is a special military operation, and therefore we are all now working under a common motto: everything for front, everything for victory," said Mikhail Shmakov, head of the FNPR.
Businesses have expectations. Farmers expect that the removal of restrictions on grain exports, including the abolition of duties, and large-scale procurement interventions in all regions will be announced. Also, agricultural producers are concerned about the issue of electricity tariffs.
The business community also expects to hear in the message of the President of the Russian Federation clear signals about what kind of participation the government expects from business in solving social and economic issues - in return, companies want to get more freedom and support where it is required.
The message can also become a starting point for changes in the tax system, in particular, for the further development of a progressive scale of taxation of personal income tax, entrepreneurs believe. Another of the initiatives being discussed now is related to the use of super profits that big business received in past years: it can be implemented both in the form of a one-time voluntary contribution to the budget, and in the form of an increase in income tax. Experts believe that not everyone will like these proposals - but under the sanctions, business should provide support to the country.
WORLD BACKGROUND
The message will be delivered against the backdrop of high-profile events in the international arena.
The day before, US President Joe Biden arrived in Kiev on a visit , from whom they expected some kind of speech dedicated to Ukraine . In Kiev, he announced a new aid package for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia and then traveled to Poland . Biden plans to meet in Warsaw with representatives of NATO's eastern bloc.
Russia has repeatedly spoken about the intervention of the alliance in the conflict.
Attention is drawn to another visit - the head of the office of the foreign affairs commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Wang Yi will visit Moscow. The Kremlin does not rule out that Putin will meet with him.
Wang Yi was in Munich a few days ago , where he met with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken . This was their first meeting since the interception of a Chinese balloon by an American fighter over the Atlantic Ocean . Due to the incident, Blinken has postponed his visit to Beijing indefinitely.
In Washington they say that the balloon was launched for the purpose of espionage, in Beijing they say that we are talking about a lost civilian weather balloon.
Relations between the US and China are also affected by the situation around Taiwan.
After the meeting in Munich, the media drew attention to the fact that US-China relations have deteriorated, and both sides are ready to quarrel over trifles.
It was reported that Chinese leader Xi Jinping plans to speak on February 24, the anniversary of the Russian special operation in Ukraine.
#2
^ If we or our allies did this, and I cannot imagine who else has the breadth of systems to do so comprehensive and Denial of Service attack, it is a massive escalation that will draw an even greater counter-response. This is insanely dangerous and provocative if our doing!
When I was writing about the war in Ukraine in late 2014, Ukrainians protested that whole Russian units were deployed in Donetsk and Lugansk, and that the volunteers on the front line were not volunteers but conscripts. One Ukrainian, a politician as it turned out, had I continued to include his information would have us believe a Russian Tank Army (900 tanks) was in the breakaway republics.
As it turns out there were Russian volunteers in Lugansk and Donets, likely funded by Russian military or FSB operatives like reserve FSB Colonel Igor Girkin (call sign Strelnikov), who were training volunteers, miners and the like, on basic military skills and tasks.
Until this day I thought there was a full Russian brigade inside Lugansk or Donetsk, a contention later --somewhat-- admitted by sympathetic pro Russian war correspondents, that Russian units, company in size, had become involved in the latter stages of the Debaltsevo Defensive Operation in February, 2015.
The head of the Donetsk Ministry of Defense at the time was a man called Vladimir Petrovich Kononov, but the face of that organization was Lt. Col Eduard Basurin, a name which figures prominently in the discussion below. If you read any of my stories from that time, you would recognize the name.
Neither of these gentlemen was trained military, and neither held rank prior to the start of the 2014 Ukrainian Civil War, but both conducted themselves as military would.
Both Gennady Poddubny, a photographer, who is as far as I can tell was working independently, and Aleksandr Sladkov, a correspondent, both of whom have been working the area since 2014 -- have a lot of experience in these matters, and included in that experience is the ability to tell if subtle shifts in military policy are taking place.
According to Sladkov and Russian socialist media, Basurin was dismissed, and so were a number of field grade infantry officers in both the Lugansk and Donetsk military. None of these people were trained Russian military, but learned how to fight the Ukrainians in their own land, as it were.
The issue of ammunition shortages has appeared, now in the wake of these dismissals, which both writers attribute to the dismissals.
The dismissals, in my opinion, come in the wake of the takeover of the Russian Special Military Operation by Col. General Valery Gerasimov.
The first inkling things were about to be shaken up was Gen. Gerasimov's order three weeks ago, that all front line soldiers be clean shaven and maintain personal hygiene. That raised a hue and cry from those affected, even war correspondents such as Sladkov, Poddubny, Aleksandr Kots and others, all of whom wear beards. As I commented at the time, this is the kind of thing that flag officers such as brigade and divisional commanders like to pass down. It is the word of God and there is little indication that that order has been reversed.
I suspect this removal of field officers who are not formally trained is much in the same program of trying to shake things up. All the protests by the Russian correspondents have merit, save for one little detail: The officers and volunteers have been fighting in a static defense, and it took a while for them to set their standards to hold against Ukrainian attacks and to prevent losses in the field.
From that, I can extrapolate that Gen, Gerasimov is planning a massive offensive to finish the war in Russia's favor. And he needs trained Russian officers at the head of these volunteer units to do it. In infantry, good performance is based oftentimes on how you trust your infantry units will behave in a given situation, situations he plans to put them in in an offensive. He needs Russian trained officers to implement the tactics the Russian Army has learned over the past year.
I'm going to digress for a moment. Back in 2008 just after the start of the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia, we were just getting images of the Russian Army. My first gut reaction was: this is a rabble.
What I saw were unshaven men in mismatched military uniforms with useless identification crap painted on the side of armor vehicles. I was not impressed then, and the actions of the Russian military at the time confirmed that.
No doubt that is what Gen Gerasimov saw as well with the Donetsk and Lugansk infantry units. Discipline starts at the top and that shit always rolls downhill.
The Russian military blogger Andrey Chervonets is a Russian blogger whom I trust to give accurate information about the Russian Army. He provided the world with information about just how bad things were then in 2008.
He presents here a sympathetic explication via two experienced military correspondents.
Gennady Poddubny
You know, I perfectly see the level of interaction and the state of the units that are at the forefront already at the VPU or CP. And rarely does the first impression change after one manages to delve into the combat work that is going on on the ground. When I see the frightened eyes of senior officers, who not only float in reports, but also frankly, like schoolchildren, are afraid of generals, when I see a mass desire to quickly hide from the commander’s gaze, when regiment commanders lie about the lines passed, because they don’t know where their battalions are - everything is very bad and on the front. Combat work does not require lies from the side of inflicted and personal obscene insults from the generals, in the style of "hey you ... yet."
War is a collective matter, and a collective does not work without respect. And a high staff culture is not tags, stacks of documents and signs on chairs. I remember the times when, in one very elite special forces, each operator of the machine gun could express his vision to the commander, and the Commander was a filter that swept aside stupid things and helped to realize worthwhile moves, but these times, due to personnel changes, individual swagger, careerism, have long ended. On the contrary, in those units and formations that operate effectively, there is understanding and respect, and most importantly, the ability to hear a comrade-in-arms. Next, we scale.
The situation in which a flash mob appeared in the cart #Give the Shells to the Wagners- ahh. And even the fact that the discussion on the subject of the supply of ammunition for the structure that is successfully operating in the Artemovsk area has gone into the public field suggests that the commander of this structure, an influential person in every sense, has exhausted the apparatus-bureaucratic possibilities.
In a situation where the SVO has become a people's operation, such problems should be resolved quickly and quietly. And I assumed that a year of hardest fights, successes and defeats, mistakes and conclusions would change the situation. But no. We work with paratroopers, motorized riflemen, special forces, we work with Wagners. These are all our fighters and it does not matter in which department they receive a salary.
What matters is the victory. And here we return to the healthy atmosphere of combat work. From the scale, tendencies often do not change. I'm not trying to oppose the Army PMCs. I again draw attention to the absurd situation, in which there is a shortage of ammunition for assault units, which categorically cannot be stopped. If such a situation had developed in an army unit, it would have been the same absurdity. On the one hand, the task is to go on the offensive, on the other hand, the offensive is not provided with ammunition.
Tynts: https://t.me/chervonec_001/19448
Alexander Sladkov
The Fate of the Officers of the LNDR in the Russian Ministry of Defense
To begin with, it is worth explaining who we are talking about and what the problem is. During the 8 years of the war in the Donbass, its own army was formed, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (plus the Internal Troops) and the State Security. Accordingly, over the long years of hostilities, a large number of officers were brought up, not by education and diplomas, but by the ability to command and fight in extremely harsh conditions.
Even now they lead magnificent, combat-ready brigades and regiments.
It must be taken into account that all these officers began to command the detachments of the volunteer militia of the Russian Spring, and they earned their authority in this armed mass of real daredevils.
In February 2022, full mobilization began in the Donbass, during which, already on the first day of the SVO, rifle regiments from the men of the DPR were assembled, and their officers were also appointed there. I emphasize that the regiments of the mobilized were not formed at the training grounds, but immediately on the front line, after 3 days they already went into battle.
For a year now, they have been successfully fighting with the NATO proxy army. Without rotations and departures for reorganization after heavy losses. These are the Donbas commanders of the second wave.
So what's the problem? And it lies in the fact that thousands of people with many years of combat experience are not formally "real officers." Because they do not have a military education, they often do not meet the requirements for age and health, they do not know how to march, they have never led conscripts in their lives, and in general they do not know many important things that are familiar to a career Russian officer in peacetime. It turns out that the situation born of war is not suitable for peacetime. But there is no peace. Who will fight?
I think that everyone who is now actually in officer positions and ranks should be retained. Yesterday, a "fake" Donetsk officer from the reserve led his "fake" soldiers to the Ukrainian fortifications, giving real results, and this suited everyone, now his seemingly battle-earned career is in jeopardy. And that sucks, but that goes straight to Gen. Gerasimov's command style.
Someone will be weeded out by future commissions, someone has already been thrown out into the civilian world, as if alcoholics and violators, like the same Basurin (he was fired and it’s too late to drink Borzhom) and many other war-hardened officers. By the way, Basurin is a symbol of the DPR army, he is the voice of the 1st Corps, he is a brand, if you like. And how many more will be fired “due to inappropriate position”, or demoted from commanders to deputies. Borzhom is a reference is Borzhom bottled water, made in Georgia, probably Basurin's homeland.
The reason is not age or lack of education. Many officers of the DPR have become real literate commanders who know all the requirements of the Russian Federation for the war.
The point is something else. Here they can stand up and say to the newly arrived Russian general in the eyes: “Petr Petrovich, everything you are telling us here does not correspond to Russian laws, or the Charters of the RF Armed Forces, or combat logic.” And this can often turn out to be a bitter truth, and the authorities do not like the truth. And truth-tellers too. Only. And I, privately, can name a dozen more such combat commanders-nuggets who have already been “asked” from the army of Donbass. To scatter them, especially in such a bloody time, is a crime.
Responsible comrades read these lines and may think about it. And I am writing this because I have already defended this position at a high level. Was not heard.We are throwing people at civilians, followed by thousands of subordinates into battle. For what?
Tynts: https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/7215
Gennady Poddubny
I support Alexander Valerievich. In our Donbass, for eight years of hostilities, "uneducated" officers have grown up who have been taught to command by war. They earned their authority at the forefront, they learned to work under pressure, without enough BC, equipment, convince subordinates by their own example, cunning on the front line to outmaneuver the enemy. They have learned to take care of technology.
A year ago, these officers proved that they often see the situation better and manage their units than some colleagues from the mainland. And if they are squeezed out of the RF Armed Forces, this will certainly have a negative impact on the situation at the forefront. In addition, I know for sure that the country's leadership has an unequivocal position - to protect the Donbass combat personnel.
[ALESTIKLAL.NET] Russia and Moldova have exchanged accusations in the past days, as Chisinau has accused Moscow of criminal masterminding a coup to overthrow its pro-West government, at a time when the Russian Foreign Ministry denied these accusations, accusing Kyiv of trying to prepare Moldova to enter into a confrontation with Russia, warning of the repercussions of this.
Although Moldova officially supports Ukraine, it has not yet provided weapons, nor is it a member of NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... , and it has strived to stay neutral since its independence.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2023 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[15 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#1
As if the CIA and Victoria Nuland didn't engineer a coup in Kiev...as if expansion of NATO into Ukraine is not a breach of Russia's security.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/21/2023 12:20 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Yes, let's ignore Putin's own words and actions. The Baltic States are in NATO, period. As soon as he attempts to annex them by force, it's launch time. Just encourage him.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
