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

[Ca.]

Russians Gained Initiative On Donbass Front Lines
Video Snip: SouthFront

More than 50% of the territory of the DPR has been liberated from the Ukrainian military, the acting head of the DPR said. The Russian military continues to implement the task of “liberating the entire territory of the DPR within the constitutional borders.”

The Russian military has gained the initiative on the Luhansk front lines, where it seeks to push the Ukrainian army on the right bank of the Zherebets River.

With the support of artillery, Russian troops attacked Stelmakhovka. Russian assault operations began in the area of Makeyevka. The battle for the initiative in the areas of Ploshcanka and Krasnopopovka continue. Russian strikes on the military positions and the rear of Ukrainian units continue.

In their turn, the Armed Forces of Ukraine attempted to advance towards Lisichansk from their military positions near Belogorovka.

To the east of Seversk, Russian troops continue their offencive in the area of Verkhnekamenskoe. Fighting continues for control of Spornoe.

The situation remains tense in the Soledar area, where fierce fighting continues in the city limits. At the same time, the Wagner fighters are storming the village of Belogorovka, located north of Soledar. Yakovlevka remains under the control of Russian forces.

The offensive mounted by Russian forces in Bakhmut is gaining momentum. Attempts by Ukrainian forces to counterattack on the southern outskirts in Opytne do not bring significant success. Bearing heavy losses, they cannot dislodge Russian forces from the village.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1602975650264276992

https://twitter.com/x/status/1602642590280650753

https://twitter.com/x/status/1602789125874241538

Ukrainian refugees evicted from state-sponsored housing in Israel

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, 15,000 non-Jewish refugees have fled the conflict to Israel, 100 of whom received state-sponsored housing.

www.jpost.com

The State of Israel is set to evict 100 Ukrainian refugees who are currently living in state-sponsored housing that Israel had provided for them free of charge earlier this year.

While this arrangement had continued unchanged up until now, last week the state informed them that they are being evicted and should look for living solutions on their own, N12 reported on Wednesday.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, 15,000 non-Jewish refugees have fled the conflict to Israel. Some of them initially stayed with relatives or acquaintances, but as the months of war dragged on, they had to look for alternative living arrangements.

Speaking to N12, Angela recounted how she had fled Ukraine in March with her mother-in-law and two sons, aged 6 and 7, with the eldest having special needs. In the first months of the war, they stayed with Israeli relatives, but had to soon relocate as the apartment they were all staying in was too small.

They applied to the Welfare Ministry for assistance and received state-sponsored housing, sharing the space with two other refugee families in an apartment in Ashdod.

"We've been in the country for nine months. It's quite difficult, especially when there's a child with special needs. It's to be constantly on alert; we don't know what will happen next," Angela, who was asked to vacate her apartment last week, told N12.

What will the refugees do?​

Speaking to N12, Galina and Igor Yarmonov said that while they were grateful for the assistance they had received up until now from the government officials and volunteers, they are frustrated and concerned about the upcoming eviction, especially as Igor uses a wheelchair and requires extra assistance.

"Where will I take Igor?" asks Galina. "Should we take the wheelchair and bags, go to the beach and set up a tent there? Where will we go?"
"We are very grateful to everyone who helped us, from the officials to the volunteers we meet, but where will I take Igor? Should we take the wheelchair and bags, go to the beach and set up a tent there? Where will we go?"
Galina Yarmonov

Moshe Shalev, chairman of the Shalu group which provides apartments for refugees in cooperation with the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry, said that "the refugees are told to simply 'get out' without being given a solution.

"They are expecting that I'll be the one to do the dirty work, that I'll throw them out – it won't happen. I will not take them out in any way."

Ukrainian refugees are not officially recognized as refugees in Israel, leaving them unable to open bank accounts or find legal work, and the state has turned a blind eye to the issue.

Responding to the queries over the decision to evict the Ukrainian refugees, the Welfare Ministry stated: "The contract with one of the operators hosting the war refugees has come to an end, and tenants who are unable to finance accommodation due to a medical or physical condition have been offered alternatives in a hotel.

"The period of state-sponsored residence for the war refugees was initially limited to three months and has been extended time and time again."

They report a repeated alarm over the eastern regions of Ukraine. Explosions in Zaporozhye and Dnepropetrovsk.

Russia strikes Ukrainian strong in the Regional Administration Building in Kherson.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1602983732415266816

https://twitter.com/x/status/1602688680224866307

 

[Deliverance]

Russian troops eliminate five Ukrainian subversive groups in Donbass — top brass​

It is reported that Russian forces repelled counter-attacks by four Ukrainian assault groups in the southern Donetsk area in the past day

MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. Russian forces eliminated five Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups in the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Wednesday.

"In the area of the settlement of Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, strikes were delivered against a column of the Ukrainian army’s reserves. In addition, five enemy subversive/reconnaissance groups were eliminated in areas near the settlements of Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Torskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroyed roughly 100 Ukrainian troops in four communities in the Kharkov Region and one community in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, as many as 100 Ukrainian servicemen, an armored personnel carrier and six pickup trucks were eliminated as a result of artillery fire against the amassment areas of the Ukrainian army’s manpower and military equipment in areas near the settlements of Sinkovka, Kotlyarovka, Tabayevka and Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region and Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.


Russian forces thwarted three counter-attacks by Ukrainian assault groups advancing towards two communities in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, artillery fire and active offensive operations of Russian troops thwarted counter-attacks by three Ukrainian assault groups advancing towards the settlements of Ploshchanka and Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

In the past 24 hours, the enemy lost over 60 soldiers killed and wounded, one infantry fighting vehicle and two pickup trucks in that area, the general specified.

Russian forces established control of the major part of the settlement of Vodyanoye in their offensive in the Donetsk area, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, the major part of the settlement of Vodyanoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic was placed under control as a result of offensive operations by Russian troops. About 50 Ukrainian soldiers, one tank, three armored combat vehicles and four pickup trucks were eliminated," the spokesman said.

Russian forces repelled counter-attacks by four Ukrainian assault groups in the southern Donetsk area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the southern Donetsk direction, four Ukrainian assault groups attempted to counter-attack the Russian troop positions in areas near the settlements of Pavlovka, Novomayorskoye and Neskuchnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. All the counter-attacks were repelled and the enemy was pushed back to initial positions," the spokesman said.

The Ukrainian army lost as many as 80 soldiers, three combat armored vehicles and four motor vehicles during the battles in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.

Russian forces delivered strikes at Ukrainian military columns in the Donetsk People’s Republic, thwarting the enemy’s attempt to redeploy reserves to the southern Donetsk area, Konashenkov reported.

"An attempt to redeploy the enemy reserves was thwarted as a result of strikes at Ukrainian army columns in areas near the communities of Novosyolka and Prechistovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian forces wiped out the command post of the Ukrainian battlegroup Liman near Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the community of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the command post of the Ukrainian army’s operational-tactical battlegroup Liman was obliterated," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroyed two US-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radars of the Ukrainian army in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the areas of the settlements of Yampolovka and Kalinina in the Donetsk People’s Republic, two AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radars of US manufacture were destroyed," the spokesman said.

In the area of the community of Kamenskoye in the Zaporozhye Region, Russian forces obliterated a missile/artillery armament depot of the Ukrainian army, the general said.

Russian forces destroyed the Ukrainian army’s ammunition depot of about 2,000 Grad rockets in Kramatorsk in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the community of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 81st air mobile brigade storing about 2,000 rockets of Grad multiple launch rocket systems and over 3,000 artillery shells of various caliber was wiped out," the spokesman said.

Russian air defense forces destroyed a HIMARS rocket and three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities destroyed three unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Peremozhnoye and Tokmak in the Zaporozhye Region and Rachevka in the Kherson Region. In addition, a rocket of the American HIMARS multiple launch rocket system was intercepted near the community of Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 343 Ukrainian warplanes, 183 helicopters, 2,658 unmanned aerial vehicles, 396 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,099 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 931 multiple rocket launchers, 3,685 field artillery guns and mortars and 7,599 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

Russian troops eliminate five Ukrainian subversive groups in Donbass — top brass

It is reported that Russian forces repelled counter-attacks by four Ukrainian assault groups in the southern Donetsk area in the past day

tass.com

 

[youlik]

Previously, it was already reported about such a problem as secret arms supplies to Ukraine. Those who are closely monitoring this say that if there is an announcement of future deliveries of any weapons, it means that these weapons are already on the territory of Ukraine.
I propose a possible confirmation of this trend. In the USA, they only talk about the possible approval of delivery plans, but there is a video (and clearly not from the USA) with a tractor that is part of the Patriot air Defense System, painted with Ukrainian pictures. In the background there is a kind of barbell with stretch marks. Maybe an antenna or a locator.

Washington Post: Biden will approve the transfer of Patriot to Ukraine only after the Pentagon report

WASHINGTON, Dec 14 - RIA Novosti. US President Joe Biden may agree to the transfer of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine only after the US Defense Ministry answers all questions about the preparation of Ukrainian troops for the use of weapons, their maintenance, the legal basis for the transfer and the consequences for the combat readiness of the United States itself, the Washington Post reports, citing sources in the administration.
Earlier, the media wrote that the United States may soon announce the transfer of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to Kiev. Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that if NATO supplies Kiev with Patriot complexes together with NATO personnel, they will immediately become a legitimate target of the Russian Armed Forces.

"Biden will approve a plan to transfer the Patriot system to Ukraine only after the Pentagon answers all questions about training and maintenance, the legal basis for the transfer and the consequences for the combat readiness of the US armed forces," the newspaper writes.
According to one of the interlocutors, who kept their confidentiality, the anti-aircraft missile systems will be allocated from the US army's own reserves, and not from operational units.
As it became known to the newspaper, the US Department of Defense is already working on the parameters of the Patriot training program. It is noted that Germany will be used as the most likely platform for training.
"In normal circumstances, training can take more than six months," the publication says.
Russia earlier sent a note to NATO countries because of the supply of weapons to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that NATO countries were "playing with fire" by supplying weapons to Ukraine. The press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov noted that pumping Ukraine with weapons from the West does not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative effect.

Байден одобрит передачу Украине Patriot после доклада Пентагона, пишут СМИ

In Ukraine, heavy American M985 tractors from the Patriot air defense system lit up
IMG_5992

Taken from here
15.12.2022 Последние новости с Украины: ЖЕСТОКИЕ бои за Марьинку и Бахмут. Карта боевых действий на сегодня (17 видео)

Spoiler: Russian spelling

Раньше уже сообщалось о такой проблеме, как секретные поставки вооружений Украине. Те кто это внимательно отслеживают говорят о том, что если появился анонс будущих поставках какого либо вооружения, то это значит что это вооружение уже находится на территории Украины.
Предлагаю возможное подтверждение этой тенденции. В США говорят только о возможном утверждении планов поставки, но есть видео (и явно не из США) с тягачом входящим в состав ЗРС Пэтриот, разрисованным украинскими картинками. На заднем плане там стоит некая штанга с растяжками. Возможно антенна или локатор.

 

[lilies]

with a tractor that is part of the Patriot air Defense System, painted with Ukrainian pictures. In the background there is a kind of barbell with stretch marks. Maybe an antenna or a locator.

So far only CNN and WP mentioned this Patriot Myth:

Biden will approve a plan to transfer the Patriot system to Ukraine only after the Pentagon answers all questions about training and maintenance, the legal basis for the transfer and the consequences for the combat readiness of the US armed forces," the newspaper writes.

But in reality:

WASHINGTON, December 14 - RIA Novosti. The White House has not confirmed the inclusion of the Patriot air defense system in a future military aid package for Ukraine, said John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator at the National Security Council. "I can't confirm this message," he told reporters at a briefing.

Because of the several months of training needed the Patriot would have been manned by NATO personnel anyway. Problem is Patriot cannot even stop Houthi missiles wrecking Saudi oil fields..

What kind of chance would poor Patriot have in Ukraine under the Russian hi-tech onslaught??

Also Pentagon doesn't have enough Patriot missiles to send. Raytheon and Lockheed Martin only plan to increase Patriot production up to 500 per year from the current 200, but that increase would take years. So if they must Pentagon will have to steal all current stockpiles from their current owner nations.. which would be not enough, since air defense teams usually fire two missiles to catch one Russian incoming rocket. But Russian rockets number in the thousands.. Even if Patriot could catch them..

Also the Patriot system isn't Fire & Run! Its like a large pregnant elephant, once it placed it cannot be moved away fast, so it will remain as a sitting duck target for Russian artillery..

 

[youlik]

What kind of chance would poor Patriot have in Ukraine under the Russian hi-tech onslaught??

And what are the chances of these?
Polish tanks of the late 70s. Without modern fire control systems, without modern protection systems. 200 pieces. At least there is a solid amount here.

Poland delivered the first batch of T-72M tanks removed from storage to Ukraine
Poland has started supplying Ukraine with Soviet-style armored vehicles, we are talking about T-72 tanks and BWP-1 infantry fighting vehicles (the Polish version of the BMP-1). According to a number of Telegram channels, the first batch of equipment has already been delivered to the Ukrainian territory.

Officially, Kiev does not report anything, continuing to beg for heavy weapons from the West, but according to available information, Poland has already delivered to Ukraine the first batch of T-72 tanks removed from storage. It is unknown how many tanks there were in the batch, but in total the Poles intend to supply the APU with up to 100 (one hundred) T-72M OBT.

The T-72M tanks supplied to Ukraine are a simplified modification of 1979, they lack dynamic armor, modern fire control systems, multi-channel sights. These tanks were located at a storage base in Lublin, the Polish military planned to upgrade them to the RT-91 level, but then there were no funds, then they did not reach their hands. Now the Poles will also receive money for this scrap metal.

It is unclear what condition the tanks are in now, but it can be confidently stated that Kiev does not have time for major repairs and modernization of these tanks, and there is nowhere to work, Russia has struck all factories capable of repairing armored vehicles.

Together with the tanks, the Poles transfer infantry fighting vehicles BWP-1 (Polish licensed version of the BMP-1). The number of cars is unknown, their transfer at the Ukrainian border was noticed yesterday.

Against this background, Slovakia confirmed plans to transfer MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine from the presence of the country's Air Force. According to the Prime Minister of the country Eduard Heger, this issue will be resolved after Bratislava receives guarantees of protection of its airspace from NATO partners. Heger did not specify the terms of the negotiations.

Польша поставила на Украину первую партию снятых с хранения танков Т-72М

Slovenian tanks are even older than Polish ones, but modernized by Israeli systems, but the ambush is that the Ukrainians had no shells for their guns. Shells must also be supplied. 28 pieces

Kiev received a batch of modernized Soviet T-55S tanks from the presence of the Slovenian Army

The APU received a batch of T-55S tanks from the Slovenian army, the echelon with equipment has already arrived on the territory of Ukraine. The transfer of tanks was confirmed by the Slovenian Ministry of Defense.

The Ukrainian army was replenished with modernized Soviet T-55S tanks, Slovenia handed over to Ukraine 28 tanks removed from storage of the Slovenian Armed Forces. The equipment was delivered as part of a trilateral exchange with the participation of Germany. The deal was announced more than a month ago, on the 20th of September. During the exchange, Ukraine receives 28 T-55S (M-55S) tanks, Slovenia - 35 modern 8X8 trucks and five tankers, and Germany - satisfaction from the completed transaction.

Just in September, Kiev pressed Berlin with a demand to deliver German Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, so the deal with Slovenian tanks turned up allowed Zelensky to calm down for a while, although the exchange is not equivalent. However, in Kiev, such tanks are also welcome against the background of the losses of armored vehicles recently.

The T-55 tanks went to Slovenia from the remnants of the Yugoslav army. In the early 90s, the Israeli company Elbit Systems developed a modernization option, in which the tank received an English 105 mm L7A1 cannon with Israeli ammunition, Israeli dynamic protection Super Blazer, modern fire control systems, communications and surveillance equipment. Thermal night vision devices, a laser radiation warning system, Israeli-made smoke grenade launchers, a boosted engine, new tracks, etc. were installed on the tank.

Modernization turned out to be too expensive, so only 30 tanks were allowed through it. They were in service with the Slovenian army until 2007, after which they were sent for storage. Apparently, they had some kind of training before the transfer, although there is no information about it. The tanks were delivered to Ukraine covered with covers, so it is not possible to say something about their condition.

Киев получил партию модернизированных советских танков Т-55S из наличия армии Словении

Slovak fighters also still remember Brezhnev. They once tried to modernize them, but that was also a long time ago. 11 pieces.

The Foreign Minister of Slovakia announced the country's readiness to transfer MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine

The story of the Slovak MiG-29 fighters is finally coming to an end, Bratislava seems to have finally decided to transfer them to Ukraine. At least this was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic Rastislav Kacher.

The Slovak Ministry of Defense is ready to transfer MiG-29 fighters from the Air Force of the Republic of Ukraine, this will happen in the coming weeks. According to Kacher, the planes are still in Slovakia, although they have long been promised to Kiev. Slovak Defense Minister Yaroslav Nagy recently discussed the transfer of fighters with Zelensky.

(...) I think a Ukrainian delegation will arrive in Slovakia in the coming weeks and we will work together with our American friends to make this a reality... I am very optimistic about this, I think it will happen soon and the planes will be in Ukraine

Kacher said.

The Slovak Air Force was armed with eleven MiG-29AS and MiG-29UBS fighters with radio and navigation equipment upgraded to NATO standards and an identification system. The Slovaks promised to transfer ten of them to Kiev after they were decommissioned. This should have happened back in September of this year, at least that's what Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nagy said. The technical condition of the aircraft is unknown, most likely they will undergo maintenance at the Lviv Aircraft Factory.

Just a few days ago, the same Kacher said that in a new package of military assistance for Ukraine, Slovakia would transfer ammunition for combat aircraft, most likely remaining from decommissioned fighters.

Глава МИД Словакии заявил о готовности страны передать Украине истребители МиГ-29

I'm not talking about piece deliveries of various self-propelled guns. French Caesars, German PZH-2000, Polish KRAB and others Dana, Zuzanna.
What, all this can radically change the situation? Of course not, the goal is different. The war with Russia to the last Ukrainian for the maximum weakening of Russia. In this sense, the Patriot as such has no meaning. What matters is that Soviet air defense systems are running out in Ukraine. There were many of them, but still they are not infinite. All these S-300, Buk, Wasp, Arrow systems are good for their time, but in the Ukrainian army they are all in the original versions, therefore they are quite easily affected. However, even in such a situation, they somehow do their job. The Russian army has somehow lost several planes and helicopters and is still not actively working on Ukrainian territory. They work almost only from beyond the reach of the Ukrainian air defense. But if Ukraine does not have air defense, then aviation will be able to work throughout Ukraine from high altitudes, where MANPADS are not available, and then it will be very bad for Ukrainians. That's the task - to saturate the Ukrainian air defense, and what is not so important. NASAMS have been installed, if there are not enough of them, then the Patriots will also be installed. By the way, I recently came across the news that the Americans bought and delivered Soviet S-125s to Ukraine somewhere. This missile system is almost the same age as the Vietnam War.
It seems to me that if the Americans realize (fantastic of course) that they can achieve more serious goals than just prolonging the war, then everything will go into action. And Abrams and Leopards and Leclerc and everything else of the latest modifications.

The Russian Embassy condemned the possible sending of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine

WASHINGTON, Dec 15 - RIA Novosti. The possible transfer of Patriot complexes to Kiev by the United States will be another provocative step fraught with unpredictable consequences, the Russian embassy in Washington said on Wednesday.
"An information campaign has been launched in the United States about the allegedly upcoming shipment of high-tech air defense systems to Kiev. It is claimed that Joe Biden may soon make such a decision. If this information is confirmed, then we will witness another provocative step of the administration, which may lead to unpredictable consequences," the commentary published in the telegram channel of the diplomatic mission says.

The embassy claims that the continuation of defense supplies will only strengthen "the sense of impunity of the regime of (Vladimir) Zelensky" and will push Kiev "to new crimes against civilians of Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions."
According to the diplomatic mission, even without providing Patriot complexes to Kiev, the United States is "getting deeper into the conflict" in the post-Soviet space. "The flow of weapons is growing, the training of Ukrainian servicemen is expanding, the Armed Forces are being supplied with intelligence. Sending American military specialists to the combat zone is increasingly being discussed. In addition, US citizens participate in the confrontation as mercenaries," the embassy says.
"Such a line from Washington causes enormous damage not only to Russian-American relations, but also creates additional risks for global security. It is the United States that is responsible for the prolongation and escalation of the Ukrainian conflict," the diplomatic mission stressed.

Spoiler: Russian spelling

А какие шансы вот у этих?
Польские танки конца 70 годов. Без современных систем управления огнем, без современных систем защиты. 200 штук. Тут хоть количество солидное.
Словенские танки еще старше польских, но модернизированные израильскими системами, однако засада в том, что для их пушек у украинцев снарядов с роду не было. Снаряды надо тоже поставлять. 28 штук
Словацкие истребители тоже еще Брежнева помнят. Их когда то пытались модернизировать, но это тоже было давно. 11 штук.
Я уж не говорю про штучные поставки всеразличных САУ. Французские цезари, Немецкие PZH-2000, Польские KRAB и прочие Dana, Zuzanna.
Что, все это может кардинально изменить положение? Конечно нет, цель другая. Война с Россией до последнего украинца для максимального ослабления России. В этом смысле Патриот как таковой никакого значения не имеет. Значение имеет то, что на Украине кончаются советские системы ПВО. Их было много, но все же они не бесконечны. Все эти С-300, Бук, Оса, Стрела хорошие для своего времени системы, но в украинской армии они все в изначальных версиях, поэтому и поражаются довольно легко. Однако и в такой ситуации они свое дело как то делают. Российская армия так или иначе потеряла несколько самолетов и вертолетов и до сих пор активно не работает на украинской территории. Работают практически только из-за пределов досягаемости украинской ПВО. Вот если ПВО у украины не останется, то тогда авиация сможет работать по всей территории украины с больших высот, куда не достают ПЗРК и тогда украинцам будет совсем плохо. Вот в этом задача- насытить украинские ПВО, а чем не так уж и важно. NASAMS поставили, если их не хватит, то и Патриоты поставят. Кстати, недавно мне попадалась новость, что американцы где то купили и поставили на Украину советские С-125. Эта ракетная система почти ровестница вьетнамской войны.
Мне кажется, что если американцы поймут (фантастика конечно), что могут добиться более серьезных целей чем просто затягивание войны, то в дело пойдет все. И Абрамсы и Леопарды и Леклерки и все остальное самых последних модификаций.

 

[f1esk]

The center of Donetsk this morning was subjected to the most massive blow since 2014 - the head of the administration of Donetsk, Aleksey Kulemzin.

"Forty rockets were fired at civilians in our city from BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers," he clarifies.

According to incoming information, the shelling continues.

When hitting the center of Donetsk, a shell hit the dome of the Transfiguration Cathedral, fires were recorded.

People were under the rubble due to a direct hit by a Ukrainian shell in a residential building in the center of Donetsk, the district administration reported.

And at this time in the Ukra-channels:
Donetsk has come under the heaviest shelling since 2014.
Shutkina, the so-called deputy head of the "DNR", reports this. The video shows footage of the shelling by Rashists and its consequences.
The “Russian world” is devastation and death.

There are no words.

 

[Laura]

The center of Donetsk this morning was subjected to the most massive blow since 2014 - the head of the administration of Donetsk, Aleksey Kulemzin.

"Forty rockets were fired at civilians in our city from BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers," he clarifies.

According to incoming information, the shelling continues.

When hitting the center of Donetsk, a shell hit the dome of the Transfiguration Cathedral, fires were recorded.

People were under the rubble due to a direct hit by a Ukrainian shell in a residential building in the center of Donetsk, the district administration reported.

And at this time in the Ukra-channels:
Donetsk has come under the heaviest shelling since 2014.
Shutkina, the so-called deputy head of the "DNR", reports this. The video shows footage of the shelling by Rashists and its consequences.
The “Russian world” is devastation and death.

There are no words.

Well, every time they do something like this, Russia smacks them. I guess we can expect something along that line in the next few days.

 

[Ryan]

There are no words.

"Decapitation strikes" are two that come to mind.

 

[f1esk]

"Decapitation strikes" are two that come to mind.

The problem is that the heads are not in Ukraine ...

 

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1602221420641423360

https://twitter.com/x/status/1603298060766961667

https://twitter.com/x/status/1600112828198928391

https://twitter.com/x/status/1603036695569514501

The US newspaper "Wall Street Journal" marvels at Germany's migration policy. Although more than 13 million have entered the country since 2015, there is a shortage of workers. Instead, the army of welfare recipients and crime increased.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1603264869360345088

https://t.co/MKAHlRp6WJ

 

[fifty_five]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1602221420641423360

giorgio was there from the beginning

About Giorgio - Giorgio Bianchi - Photojournalist and Documentarist

Giorgio Bianchi is an Italian photojournalist, documentary photographer and filmmaker. Giorgio has won several international prizes and has received many public recognitions, and his pictures are regularly published in newspapers and magazines.

www.giorgiobianchiphotojournalist.com

And is there now too

 

[f1esk]

The US newspaper "Wall Street Journal" marvels at Germany's migration policy. Although more than 13 million have entered the country since 2015, there is a shortage of workers. Instead, the army of welfare recipients and crime increased.

German citizens began to move to the Kaliningrad region for the winter due to high prices for housing and communal services in Germany - the governor of the region Anton Alikhanov.

 

[thorbiorn]

Monitoring and guiding the information about the NATO/UA war effort
In this post, I work with an article from the Ukrainian site Ukrinform, comment on its content. Then I move on to find offices with similar goals in the EU and NATO, and end with a few remarks about what kind of public support for the NATO/UA war in Ukraine, they apparently would like to have.

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia: what Baltic countries write about Ukraine and how it is influenced by Russian propaganda
written by:

The Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security (CSCIS) (Ukrainian: Центр стратегічних комунікацій та інформаційної безпеки) is a government organization established under the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine in March 2021 as one of the mechanism to build the national resilience, fight against information threats and disinformation together with relevant public institutions, civil society organizations, and international partners.[1] The editorial team of the CSCIS is a structural unit within the Ukrainian national news agency Ukrinform.

After the start of the full-scale Russia invasion into Ukraine, the centre has become one of the leading channels of government communication about the war in Ukraine.

One should think that their concern would be restricted to Ukraine, but that is quite not so. The Ukrinform article has:

The Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security has analyzed the media landscape of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia based on monitoring conducted by the Ukrainian social startup LetsData in partnership with the Detector Media NGO in September and October to find out what the online media of the Baltic countries are saying about Ukraine and how Russian propaganda affects it.

We also do not know how reliably the Ukrainian support companies collect their data, or how it is done.

The first image in the article shows:

They write:

An analysis of the dynamics of publications from September 17 to October 27 indicates that Lithuanian online media write about Ukraine more than others. Among the three studied countries, Estonia is the one that writes about the events in Ukraine and related subjects the least often.

Now it turns out, the population and it s composition is not the same in the three countries. Estonia with the lowest amount of articles also has the smallest population, out of which 26.6 % say they are ethnic Russians, Ukrainians or Belarusians.

Estonia: 45,339 km2 Population: 1,326,535

• 69.4% Estonians
• 23.6% Russians
• 2.1% Ukrainians
• 0.9% Belarusians
• 0.6% Finns
• 3.4% Others

About Estonia the article has:

Estonia. In Estonia, Russian messages ended up in the information space mostly through citing persons who reproduce them. Common statements were connected with calls for peace negotiations with Russia, as well as manipulations concerning refugees.

Latvia has 500,000 more people than Estonia, out of which 29.3 % are saying they are Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians:

Lativa: 64,589 km2 Population: 1,842,226

• 63.0% Latvians
• 24.2% Russians
• 3.1% Belarusians
• 2.2% Ukrainians
• 1.9% Poles
• 1.1% Lithuanians
• 0.3% Roma
• 0.2% Jews
• 4% Others /
  Unspecified

About Latvia the article has:

Latvia. In Latvia, Russian statements and particularly Putin’s statements are sometimes reproduced. This was how in October, Latvian information space was infiltrated by statements that “the president of Russia is not planning to destroy Ukraine,” and “Ukraine’s accession to NATO will lead to World War III.”

Lithuania is closer to Ukraine than the others, has a larger population, a million more than Latvia and more than twice as many as Estonia, which could explain the higher amount of articles in the diagram than both Estonia and Latvia, but this fact is not brought up in the Ukrainian article. Lithuania has the same number of people registering as Polish, as all those saying they are Russian Belarusians, or Ukrainians, about 6 %.

Lithuania: 65,300 km2 Population: 2,835,988

• 84.6% Lithuanians
• 6.5% Poles
• 5.0% Russians
• 1.0% Belarusians
• 0.5% Ukrainians
• 2.3% Others

About Lithuania, the article has:

Lithuania. In October, Lithuanian online media reported messages about “the easing of the energy crisis through the lifting of sanctions”, “the cessation of arms supplies to Ukraine” and that “eventually, the West will have to talk to Russia about a common future.”

It is odd that the apparent correlation between the size of the populations and the number of articles is not brought up. At any rate, the Ukrainian Government need not fear any lack of support from the Baltic States. Recently there was:

EU nations lodge formal protest over Macron's suggestion that NATO should give Russia security guarantees -- Sott.net

France is facing a backlash from a group of fellow EU member states over President Emmanuel Macron's proposal that NATO should offer Moscow security guarantees, if and when the parties to the ongoing Ukraine conflict sit down for peace talks....

www.sott.net

France is facing a backlash from a group of fellow EU member states over President Emmanuel Macron's proposal that NATO should offer Moscow security guarantees, if and when the parties to the ongoing Ukraine conflict sit down for peace talks.

Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and Slovakia have lodged a formal protest against Macron's suggestion, according to Reuters.

About all three countries, the article has:

Among the phrases used to refer to Russia’s war against Ukraine, the online media of all three countries only occasionally use the phrase “special military operation,” but it is mostly used in quotation marks. The use of the word “conflict” in the context of war is still a rare option, too.

What the Ukrainian CSCIS and Ukrinform in their article call propaganda media is:

For example, a study of the media landscape of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia over September 12 – October 31 shows active citing of Russian propaganda media RIA Novosti, TASS, and other equally notorious disinformation channels of the Kremlin.

The line about the Kremlin is well known in Ukrainian and Western media, but the diagrams show a large segment of news sources are listed as "Other Russian media". Some of the more interesting channels could be hidden behind "Other Russian Media". But maybe Ukrinform would not give away that much; at least they do not comment on this category.

The CSCIS divide the period under consideration in three segments, but do not dwell on why they did that, or try to explain why the first period is rather different, from the two following.

In the diagram, the news agencies they single out are Ria Novosti, TASS, Sputnik News, RT, and Izvestia. Some countries block one or more of these channels, especially RT and Sputnik in the EU, perhaps because being available in other languages they are followed more by the international audience.

The aim of the Ukrinform article
One aim of the article could be to discourage people from reading Russian media, not least in their English reading international audience of Ukrinform. Perhaps there is also a political motive, with this little study, they can forward to their superiors in the US, EU and NATO and complain about too much Russian influence, and too little support for Ukraine. "Therefore" Ukraine needs more money, more weapons, and more efforts in the Baltic States are needed to denigrate, defame and belittle Russia.

In a war for attention and information, the claim that something is propaganda, or as here "notorious disinformation channels", can itself be a tool of propaganda. In a sense, that goes for both what comes from Russia and what comes from NATO. There can be lies and misinterpretations on all sides, but discouraging people from seeking to understand both sides does not help being aware of what is going on. In other words, if Ukrinform does not like a few news agencies, do the opposite and try to look them up once in a while.

Besides the Ukrainian Government, many EU and NATO countries also have an interest in maintaining an image of Russia that boosts public enthusiasm for sending weapons, and money to Ukraine, accept devaluation of currencies, take in thousands of refugees, pay for increased energy costs, and embrace a decreased standard of living with the joy of a true believer. The study was carried out and analysed by the Ukrainian Government and only concerns the Baltic States, but it would not surprise if similar studies are done for other EU and NATO countries.

The Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security in Ukraine has parallels in the EU and NATO:
East StratCom Task Force for the EU

The East StratCom Task Force (ESCTF) is a part of the European External Action Service, focused on "effective communication" and promotion of European Union activities in Eastern Europe (including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine)[1][2] and beyond[3] (Russia itself).[1] The task force's flagship project is EUvsDisinfo, a database of articles and media which the organization considers as providing false, distorted or partial information.[4]

You can read about their work at https://euvsdisinfo(.)eu/about/ Next is:

Strategic Communications Center of Excellence for NATO
https://stratcomcoe(.)org/ which has an office in Riga in Latvia.
About themselves, they write: https://stratcomcoe(.)org/about_us/about-strategic-communications/1

About Strategic Communications
The Strasbourg I Kehl Summit declaration states that "it is Increasingly important that the Alliance communicates in an appropriate, timely, accurate and responsive manner on its evolving roles, objectives and missions. Strategic communications are an integral part of our efforts to achieve the Alliance's political and military objectives".
Today's information environment, characterized by a 24/7 news cycle, the rise of social networking sites, and the interconnectedness of audiences in and beyound NATO nations territory, directly affects how NATO actions are perceived by key audiences. That perception is always relevant to, and can have a direct effect on the success of NATO operations and policies. NATO must use various channels, including the traditional media, internet-based media and public engagement, to build awareness, understanding, and support for its decisions and operations. This requires a coherent institutional approach, coordination of effort with NATO nations and between all relevant actors, and consistency with agreed NATO policies, procedures and principles.
What is NATO StratCom?
NATO Strategic Communications is the coordinated and appropriate use of NATO communications activities and capabilities in support of Alliance policies, operations and activities, and in order to advance NATO's aims. These activities and capabilities are:

• Public Diplomacy: NATO civilian communications and outreach efforts responsible for promoting awareness of and building understanding and support for NATO's policies, operations and activities, in complement to the national efforts of Allies
• Public Affairs: NATO civilian engagement through the media to inform the public of NATO policies, operations and activities in a timely, accurate, responsive, and proactive manner
• Military Public Affairs: promoting NATO's military aims and objectives to audiences in order to enhance awareness and understanding of military aspects of the Alliance
• Information Operations: NATO military advice and co-ordination of military information activities in order to create desired effects on the will, understanding, and capabilities of adversaries and other NAC-approved parties in support of Alliance operations, missions and objectives
• Psychological Operations: planned psychological activities using methods of communications and other means directed to approved audiences in order to influence perceptions, attitudes and behaviour, affecting the achievement of political and military objectives.

NATO strategic communications aim, as appropriate to circumstances and theatres, to:
a. Contribute positively and directly in achieving the successful implementation of NATO operations, missions, and activities by incorporating strategic communications planning into all operational and policy planning;
b. Build, in close and lasting coordination with NATO nations, public awareness, understanding, and support for specific NATO policies, operations, and other activities in all relevant audiences; and
c. Contribute to general public awareness and understanding of NATO as part of a broader and on-going public diplomacy effort.

A conclusion
From this small peek into the information efforts of Ukraine, the EU, and NATO, it would seem that just about anything that does not bolster or support the US/NATO/UA/UK/EU campaign to fight Russia risks being called Russian propaganda. This would explain why some prominent people in the West have ended in the bad books of Ukraine. They simply do not support the NATO stance enough, if at all, and they try to understand the other side. A Western public that is informed about Russia, what it does and its reasons for doing so, is seen as a threat. What is needed, it seems, is an audience that is one step away from being as ardent in their support for the NATO/UA efforts as a role model of Ukrainian Nationalism.

 

[Ryan]

The problem is that the heads are not in Ukraine ...

Perhaps, like a dinosaur, severing the "second brain" located further down the spinal column will still have the same effect?

 

[thorbiorn]

A word of caution: I wouldn't believe in even one sentence coming from Sierakowski. He is a fierce, aggressive supporter of US domination/Pax Americana. Mainstream far-leftist with all the worst that it entails, associated with Soros, Gates and similar organisations' funding, just as is Project Syndicate.

His conclusions, that the common people disagree with their leaders, aren't surprising. On the subject of Ukrainian refugees, one can find similar views in countries that have taken in less than Poland.

He calls for the authorities to address the development of decreasing support for the mass immigration from Ukraine, since not talking about it and being politically correct has not helped. He refers to the example of Germany:

Thus, the situation is somewhat reminiscent of that in Germany 2015, when genuine public fear of refugees found no articulation either in the media or in the mainstream parties, until the marginal AfD party took it up and suddenly grew into the third force in the country. In Poland, a year before the elections, the same could happen.

In Germany and the EU there have been efforts to marginalize the AfD. They have been quite successful, even when their opposition of the AfD to vaccination and Corona measure as well as their energy and foreign policy are quite reasonable, compared to the militaristic and green policies of the current Traffic Light Coalition, that appear as front-runners in the deindustrialization of Europe.

Sierakowski and his co-author write:

The basis for defusing this ticking bomb should be a message: you have a right to be afraid (of rising housing prices, lack of a place to go to the doctor or a nursery), you have a right to be tired of help. And patiently explaining and showing that the real threat is not refugees. And from below, this should be supported by real, not just legal integration, so that Poles really get to know Ukrainians, Belarusians and other refugees from the East. This, too, is not discussed and integration remains superficial. This is a task for the media, NGOs and public authorities.

If he is representing views similar to Deep State, or Soros, Gates etc, what could the above lead to? Would militant left Deep State aligned NGOs get boosted, would politicians that are more Euro-centric get more coverage, would conservative or traditionalist parties be targeted with scandals and divisions?

Perhaps one could even ask if there have been any changes in the political arena since this study came up in early November? Are there indications, the Polish elite is preparing to deal with the issues brought up in the article? Will a selling pitch in some circles eventually become: "Okay, we take in a good number of Ukrainians, but Poland will demand a chunk of Ukraine and thus help Ukraine to become a part of NATO and the EU." Even if this does not happen, it might keep the public entertained for a time.