Putin Recognizes Donbass Republics, Sends Russian Military to 'Denazify' Ukraine

[iamthatis]

If you suffered an internet outage around the start of the operation, this was probably the reason. It could be the case of a REAL Russian cyberattack if those satellites were used also by western and/or Ukrainian military/intelligence. The article mentions that windfarms were affected in Central Europe, and mentions no other type of user, but could be reasonable to think that those satellites provided more than just service wind farms.

UK blames Russia for satellite internet hack at start of war​

Notice that they have no evidence. But they are 'almost certain'. In other words, they are hysterical. And the reason to go public is to decry Russia's ability to do so. By inference, it must be the Russians - after all, they poisoned people with Novichok!

We're living in a world of Dr. Strangelove levels of disintegration and paranoia. All in all, I don't see what the benefit would be to the Russian operation in shutting down the internet in Ukraine, nor the West, as this BBC article claims. I'd think that if the Russians were to engage in a cyber military operation, it would follow the same pattern of their physical missile strikes - precise targeting at military installations, with few civilian casualties.

I am thinking the internet shutdowns more generally are more likely a PTB operation, now being pinned on Russia... along with just about everything else. Rising inflation? Russia. No more food on the shelves? Russia! Lost your job? It was those despicable Russkies. Girlfriend break up with you? Yes, that was also somehow Russia. Stub your toe? 3/5 doctors agree that Russia is the leading cause of stubbed toes. And now, if your internet doesn't work, it should be clear who it is to blame.

I recall that many Russian websites, including the Kremlin site, RT and Tass were inaccessible to me at the start of the conflict. This leads me to think that the purpose of the internet shutdown was mostly a PTB 'fog of war' operation designed to cancel Russian news outlets so that the Western narrative was the only readily available reality. But there is also another complementary explanation - that the PTB were further testing some more of their WEF-promised cyber attack capabilities... much in the same way Ukrainians were used as lab rats in all of those bio-labs.

There could be some truth to what you're suggesting, in that there was most likely a cyber conflict, which is most likely ongoing. I haven't seen much reportage about it to confirm anything. Another option is that it was the PTB who was attacking Russian sites, and also the internet capabilities within Western nations, in order to create the semblance of a cyber war. Again - to pin on Russia.

I think this dynamic is going to be a continuing trend, perhaps for years into the future - the PTB will continue to target citizens and industries within NATO, creating domestic conditions of absolute misery, with Russia to blame.

 

[Ben]

Ukraine conflict: Russian soldiers seen killing unarmed civilians

The incident, captured on video seen by the BBC, is being investigated as a suspected war crime.

www.bbc.co.uk

This new video purports to show the shooting of civilians by Russian troops.
A 'stolen' white van pulls up spray painted with V's and supposedly the words 'Russian Tank Special Forces'. So you know it's Russians, no question, right? A translator would be helpful here.

The Russian mod did warn several days ago that false flags involving vehicles with V's painted on them would be in western media soon.

For some reason I thought it might look a bit more convincing than this, it's just really lazy. The only credible reason I can see for Russian troops using such a vehicle is to avoid friendly fire, but it seems extremely unlikely to me.

 

[Approaching Infinity]

Ukraine conflict: Russian soldiers seen killing unarmed civilians

The incident, captured on video seen by the BBC, is being investigated as a suspected war crime.

www.bbc.co.uk

This new video purports to show the shooting of civilians by Russian troops.
A 'stolen' white van pulls up spray painted with V's and supposedly the words 'Russian Tank Special Forces'. So you know it's Russians, no question, right? A translator would be helpful here.

CNN did the same story: Exclusive: Video shows Russian soldiers killing 2 civilians

This apparently took place when Russians were still circling Kiev, so in March, but neither article gives the precise date.

The Russian mod did warn several days ago that false flags involving vehicles with V's painted on them would be in western media soon.

Could be, but showing surveillance footage with their faces doesn't seem in line with that.

For some reason I thought it might look a bit more convincing than this, it's just really lazy. The only credible reason I can see for Russian troops using such a vehicle is to avoid friendly fire, but it seems extremely unlikely to me.

Looks convincing enough to me. Every military has some idiot hot-heads, including Russia. Unlike allegations like Bucha of intentional mass atrocities that are created out of thin air or massively exaggerated, this is the type of thing that is unfortunately common enough in war. (Though I'd be open to any convincing debunking - just doesn't strike me as implausible on the face of it.)

 

[Ben]

If it turns out to be true, then I think a Russian statement should acknowledge it and state that the perpetrators will be identified and appropriately punished. Concealing or denying it would probably backfire.

I still think the writing on the van is suspicious. If it were a false flag though, it would seem more convincing if the vehicle was unmarked. They probably wouldn't make it so obvious. The uniforms could have come from dead soldiers.

It could of course be Russian soldiers, I posted it because I wanted to check that my reaction to it wasn't affecting my perception too much. Thankfully, I have you guys!

 

[ApotheosisMMC.]

Last ̶u̶k̶r̶a̶i̶n̶i̶a̶n̶ ̶ Finnish soldier

Putin: "NATO would be happy to fight with Russia to the last Finnish soldier"

Russian President Vladimir Putin predicted back in 2016 what would happen if Finland joined NATO.

According to the President, with Finland's accession to NATO, Finnish troops will no longer be independent, sovereign. They will become part of the NATO military infrastructure, which will suddenly appear on the borders of the Russian Federation.

"Imagine Finland joining NATO. Do you think we will continue to act like this: our troops have withdrawn to 1,500 kilometers, so they will stay there, or what? We value Finland's neutral status and respect it, but it is not for us to solve this issue.

To paraphrase the statement of one of my Finnish friends, I could say that the NATO organization would probably be happy to fight with Russia to the last Finnish soldier. Do you need it?", the president said (speech of 01.07.2016).

 

[Approaching Infinity]

If it turns out to be true, then I think a Russian statement should acknowledge it and state that the perpetrators will be identified and appropriately punished. Concealing or denying it would probably backfire.

I still think the writing on the van is suspicious. If it were a false flag though, it would seem more convincing if the vehicle was unmarked. They probably wouldn't make it so obvious. The uniforms could have come from dead soldiers.

It could of course be Russian soldiers, I posted it because I wanted to check that my reaction to it wasn't affecting my perception too much. Thankfully, I have you guys!

Well that van is pretty shady! In the CNN video there is also footage of some military vehicles with the V at the same location - allegedly from the fight with the Ukrainian civilian fighters after the injured man called for help. Also, didn't notice but the date on some of the CCTV footage is 3/19.

 

[Ellipse]

“We are using the Ukrainians for the time being as proxies. We potentially face an economic cataclysm in the US. Inflation is inevitable. We have this long-running move towards the border of Russia. The 'Boys from Davos' plot out the future of the world.”
— Senator Richard Black

https://twitter.com/x/status/1523927620999475200

 

[Joe]

Looks convincing enough to me. Every military has some idiot hot-heads, including Russia. Unlike allegations like Bucha of intentional mass atrocities that are created out of thin air or massively exaggerated, this is the type of thing that is unfortunately common enough in war. (Though I'd be open to any convincing debunking - just doesn't strike me as implausible on the face of it.)

A white van with a V on the side and "Russian tank special forces"? Really? Whoever these guys were, they were clearly not engaged in any official or unofficial Russian military operation. Shameful reporting by the BBC (as usual) to portray them as if they were.

 

[Alejo]

And this made the rounds in another "Russia is shaking in its pants" declaration by the media

Finnish leaders make statement on NATO​

Russia’s northern neighbor will seek membership in the US-led military bloc

President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin of Finland made a joint statement on Thursday morning, confirming their desire to become part of NATO. The country refrained from asking for accession during the Cold War, but made a U-turn after the Russian attack against Ukraine in February.

The statement expressed the view that “as a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defense alliance.” The two officials said their country “must apply for NATO membership without delay”.

NATO claims to be a purely defensive organization, but Russia, which shares a 1,340km (833-mile) land border with Finland, perceives the bloc’s expansion as a threat to its national security. Moscow warned that Helsinki will lose its status as a trusted mediator that its non-alignment stance granted it throughout much of the last century. It also said Finland’s security would be compromised rather than served by joining NATO, since Russia would have to respond to the expansion.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which Moscow said was partially motivated by NATO’s creeping expansion in the country, swung public opinion in Finland in favor of joining the bloc. According to recent opinion polls, around three-fourths of the population favor the move.
A special governmental body that includes the two top Finnish officials and several members of the cabinet are expected to meet later this week to pen a formal application, which will then be submitted to the Finnish parliament for approval.
https://www.rt.com/russia/555319-uk-sweden-finland-security/
The legislative bodies of each current NATO member will then need to approve the request before Finland becomes a member. Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said this week that the process will be complete no sooner than October and could take as long as 12 months.
Fellow Nordic country Sweden is also a potential applicant, but there is some disagreement in the government on whether it should seek NATO membership. The country has a tradition of non-alignment that dates back to the Napoleonic Wars. Opinion polls show that roughly half of Swedes currently favor joining NATO.

Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said earlier this week that if his country submits an application to join NATO, he would prefer it to be processed along with Finland’s bid.

Russia has said, on countless occasions that should Finland join NATO, there would be consequences, this is yet another way the conflict could expand outside the borders of Ukraine, and as Russia has shown... they do what they say they're going to do.

 

[f1esk]

Looks convincing enough to me. Every military has some idiot hot-heads, including Russia. Unlike allegations like Bucha of intentional mass atrocities that are created out of thin air or massively exaggerated, this is the type of thing that is unfortunately common enough in war. (Though I'd be open to any convincing debunking - just doesn't strike me as implausible on the face of it.)

Proof of war crimes or another fake? A detailed analysis of the high-profile CNN report.

CNN aired a lengthy report on how Russian Armed Forces soldiers shot two Ukrainian civilians in cold blood in the back. It is noteworthy that it was today that the UN voted on a resolution to launch an investigation into alleged Russian war crimes. Our team has conducted a comprehensive review...

telegra.ph

And who is Sarah Rainsford?

 

[f1esk]

Thanks, I'm impressed !

A few more videos. The Armed Forces of Ukraine used these towers as repeaters, and also installed surveillance cameras on our positions. Soldiers of the special forces of the Armed Forces of the DPR, using anti-tank guided missiles, made their own adjustments.

Сolonelcassad

#эксклюзив ВСУ использовали эти вышки, как ретрансляторы, а также устанавливали на них камеры наблюдения за нашими позициями. Бойцы спецназа ВС ДНР используя противотанковые управляемые ракеты внесли свои коррективы.

t.me

 

[sToRmR1dR]

'Is US preparing to nuke Russia?'

No nukes for Ukraine – US​

12 May, 2022

Washington won’t gift nukes to Kiev, but a top official refused to publicly rule out a first strike with such weapons

There is “no question” of the US providing nuclear weapons to Ukraine, Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried told a Senate hearing on Thursday. However, she would not publicly commit to ruling out a first nuclear strike.

“The United States is not a party to this conflict,” Donfried told lawmakers during a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, adding that “the United States is providing security assistance and weapons to Ukraine, but there’s no question of the US providing nuclear weapons to Ukraine.”

Donfried was not asked whether the US would be gifting nukes to Kiev. Rather, Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, pressed her to publicly state that the US does not “want to pose an existential threat” to Russia, and would not be the first party to fire nuclear weapons.

Donfried did not directly answer either question, insisting that the US is not directly participating in the Ukrainian conflict, and therefore not at war with Russia.

Russia, however, views the US as participating in the conflict because of its supply of arms and intelligence to Kiev. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the Washington and its NATO military bloc of “essentially going to war with Russia through a proxy and arming that proxy,” while President Vladimir Putin has threatened a “swift, lightning-fast” response to any outside interference that puts his country's national security at risk.

Russia has a no-first-use policy on nuclear weapons, save for a hypothetical situation in which the existence of the Russian state is threatened by either nuclear or conventional weapons. The US maintains a more ambiguous policy, stating that its nukes are a deterrent, but may be used in “extreme circumstances to defend the vital interests of the United States or its allies and partners.”

Russia may use nuclear weapons in case of existential threat - diplomat​

12 MAY, 2022

When asked to define what an "existential threat" is, Dmitry Polyansky replied that he was "not the right person to be asked about it"

UNITED NATIONS, May 12. /TASS/. Russia’s nuclear doctrine envisages the possibility of using nuclear weapons in case of an existential threat to the country, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky said in an interview with the UK-based UnHerd News portal on Thursday.

"I’m a diplomat. I’m not dealing with the decision-making circles on the implementation of nuclear strategy. But I can, again, tell you that yes, we possess nuclear weapons and yes, if there is an existential threat to Russia, then I’m absolutely sure that we can use nuclear weapons," he said.

When asked to define what an "existential threat" is, Polyansky replied that he was "not the right person to be asked about it."

"I’m not a military man, it’s not up to me to make such conclusions. But I think that if you are dealing with a nuclear state, if you threaten a military state, you should count on all the options that are on the table," he added.

(Translated by Google)

US massively lifted doomsday planes into the air​

2022-05-12

Published on May 11, 2022 (1:25)

'Money laundering is a "moral obligation" in the US.'

$40 billion Ukraine aid package delayed in US Congress​

12 May, 2022

Rand Paul holds up Senate vote on massive spending bill for Kiev, demanding tighter oversight of how the money is spent

A US plan to provide nearly $40 billion in additional military and economic aid to Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia has hit a speed bump, with Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) blocking a quick vote to approve the funding bill and likely delaying passage to at least next week.

Paul stood in the way on Thursday by objecting to a request by Senate leaders to approve “unanimous consent,” a provision that allows bills with strong bipartisan support to be fast-tracked without debate. The former presidential candidate said he would only allow for a quick vote if the bill was revised to include the appointment of a special inspector general to monitor how the massive aid package is spent – a demand that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) refused to meet.

Schumer claimed that Washington had a “moral obligation” to help Ukraine in its fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “immoral war.” He said Paul’s oversight provision was strongly opposed by Democrats and Republicans alike.

There is now only one thing holding us back: The junior senator from Kentucky is preventing swift passage of Ukraine aid because he wants to add, at the last minute, his own changes directly into the bill,” the majority leader said. He added, “All he will accomplish is to singlehandedly delay desperately needed Ukraine aid.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) also pressed for an immediate vote on the bill, which passed overwhelmingly in the House on Wednesday. He called for Paul’s revision to be voted on as an amendment, which would likely fail, clearing the way for passage of the aid package.

Paul insisted that his proposal be added to the bill, which would require that the revised legislation go back to the House for another vote after Senate approval. He noted that the latest package would bring total US aid to Ukraine to $60 billion since the conflict began in February, nearly as much as Russia earmarks annually for its entire defense budget.

The senator argued that the US would be funding Ukraine’s war effort with borrowed money, adding to America’s $30 trillion debt and worsening its inflation crisis. “Americans are feeling the pain, and Congress seems intent on only adding to that pain by shoving more money out the door as fast as they can,” Paul said.

My oath of office is to the US Constitution, not to any foreign nation, and no matter how sympathetic the cause, my oath of office is to the national security of the United States of America. We cannot save Ukraine by dooming the US economy.

The aid bill passed the House with support from all Democrats and all but 57 Republicans. The package would be more than double the total amount sent to the 10 largest recipients of US foreign aid in 2021. Those who opposed the legislation, such as Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), were accused of spreading “Putin’s propaganda.”

Paul said the US is still trying to recover financially from the $1.6 trillion spent on Middle East wars and the $5 trillion borrowed to fund the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. “We should not forget that the Soviet Union collapsed in large part not because it was defeated militarily, but because it ran out of money,” he said. “In an attempt to save Ukraine, will we doom the US to such a future?”

 

[ziutek]

Information about Russian soldiers who rape Ukrainian girls is spreading through the Polish society.
A friend of mine works in the fire department, and he told him that the Ukrainian women they look after as part of their aid for refugees are telling him how Russian soldiers kidnap little girls in Ukrainian villages and rape them.
It must be true if the information comes from refugees, right?
But nobody even knows (they don't want to know) that the war is going on in the East, that the refugees who spread such information know it only from stories, mainly from Ukrainian media, because they are people only from western regions and they came here mostly only because of material benefits
But it is impossible to explain this to anyone. Eh...

There was a case in one of the hotels that a lady who came there from eastern Ukraine from Kharkiv told other refugees from the western part of Ukraine that their own army was hiding behind civilians and shooting at them was thrown out of the hotel by the owner at the request of her roommates.

Interesting...

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

 

[Magnolia]

Russia Could Cut Gas Supplies To Finland Tomorrow​

By Charles Kennedy - May 12, 2022, 2:00 PM CDT Russia Could Cut Gas Supplies To Finland Tomorrow | OilPrice.com

"Hours after Moscow warned there would be retaliation for Helsinki’s announcement that it is applying for NATO membership, Finnish media reports that the Kremlin threatened to cut the country off from Russian gas by Friday......... Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen said he could not confirm the warning
Prior to this warning, the local media outlet noted expectations that Finland would be cut off from Russian gas after May 23rd, when its next contract payment with Gazprom comes due and the country refuses to pay in rubles..........
“Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both of a military-technical and other nature, in order to stop the threats to its national security that arise in this regard,” the Russian foreign ministry said."
Article is also on zerohedge Russia Prepares To Cut Gas Supplies To Finland On Friday: Local Media | ZeroHedge

 

[Ben]

Russia Could Cut Gas Supplies To Finland Tomorrow​

By Charles Kennedy - May 12, 2022, 2:00 PM CDT Russia Could Cut Gas Supplies To Finland Tomorrow | OilPrice.com

"Hours after Moscow warned there would be retaliation for Helsinki’s announcement that it is applying for NATO membership, Finnish media reports that the Kremlin threatened to cut the country off from Russian gas by Friday......... Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen said he could not confirm the warning
Prior to this warning, the local media outlet noted expectations that Finland would be cut off from Russian gas after May 23rd, when its next contract payment with Gazprom comes due and the country refuses to pay in rubles..........
“Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both of a military-technical and other nature, in order to stop the threats to its national security that arise in this regard,” the Russian foreign ministry said."
Article is also on zerohedge Russia Prepares To Cut Gas Supplies To Finland On Friday: Local Media | ZeroHedge

The Kremlin just denied that this is the case. From the BBC:

"A report that was printed in a Finnish newspaper saying Russia may cut gas supplies to Finland as soon as Friday appears to be fake, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

'Most likely, this is another newspaper hoax', he said, adding that Gazprom remained a reliable gas supplier.
Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources, that the country's politicians had been warned that Russia could halt gas supplies to its neighbour on Friday"

We shall see