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

Scott Ritter takes the gloves off on the subject of Germany. A truly scathing rebuke begins at 28:00 with Nima’s question about Olaf Schulz’ remarks about May 8. “Scratch a German get a Nazi!”. Ritter has never been accused of being even-tempered, but this one’s for the books!
 
The offensive is developing a bit.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirms the advance of the Russian army in the Kharkiv region
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirms that the Russian army continues its attempts to move deeper into Ukraine by intensifying offensive operations in the Kharkiv region. In particular, the focus is on the settlements of Lipetsk and Volchansk, where Russian troops use infantry and technical units for attacks.

In addition, fighting is underway for control of settlements that were located in the so-called gray zone, including Strelechye, Dusty, Borisovka, as well as in the area of Oleinikovo and Ogurtsovo. These territories remain the subject of clashes, which indicates the desire of both sides to consolidate their positions in strategically important areas.

According to representatives of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian troops managed to achieve some success by wedging into the Ukrainian defense in these areas.
Генштаб ВСУ подтверждает продвижение российской армии в Харьковской области

Ukrops air defense, even in such a "hybridized" form, must be suppressed.
The Russian army destroyed the NATO hybrid FrankenSAM for the first time (VIDEO)

The video for the first time recorded, allegedly, the destruction of the Buk-M1 air defense system, which appeared relatively recently in service with the AFU, which was crossed with American Sparrow / Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missiles.

This installation was nicknamed Frankensam because of the combination in one system of different types of weapons created on the basis of Western and Soviet developments
https://rusvesna.su/news/1715367324

An interesting statement by the Ukropsky general. It seems that the Americans want to avoid the fate of the Abrams for the F-16.
They're pushing. The Ukrainian general spoke about the strange behavior of the United States

The United States is putting pressure on European allies to shift the supply of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine at a later date, despite completely different public statements, such an assertion was made by former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Igor Romanenkov on the air of the Internet channel "News Factory".

"The Americans said that they see no reason to make changes in this regard, but on the one hand, and on the other, the same Americans are putting pressure on European allies to postpone the deadline for the transfer of the F—16," he said.

According to the general, deliveries of American fighters could have begun at the end of last year, but the United States allegedly forced Belgium, Denmark and Norway to postpone the deadline first to mid-summer and then to autumn.

"That is, statements are statements, but on the other hand, such behavior," Romanenko stated.

In early May, Ilya Yevlash, a representative of the AFU air force, promised the first flights on the F-16 after Easter. On Tuesday, deputy of the Ukrainian parliament Alexei Goncharenko* said that F-16 fighter jets may appear in Ukraine in July.

Moscow has repeatedly warned Western countries that arms supplies to Ukraine do not change anything and only prolong the conflict. As Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed, the United States and NATO are directly involved in this confrontation not only by sending military assets, but also by training personnel.
https://rusvesna.su/news/1715350610

A recent article from Rostislav Ischenko. The article is quite long and therefore I have highlighted one of the key paragraphs in the middle of the article showing our common perspectives.
The World of the West
Recently, the President of Finland once again said that, from the point of view of our Western "friends and partners", the path to peace in Ukraine lies through war. I am sure that many people will immediately want to play this saying, recalling Orwell's: "War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength." This maxim really fully describes the Kiev regime.

But there is a nuance — it fully describes any totalitarian regime, including those that many in our society continue to consider exceptionally progressive and useful due to inertia. All totalitarian regimes proclaim the pursuit of peace as their goal, but in order for peace to come, it is necessary to wage war for a classless "bright future for all mankind" or for the domination of a "higher race", which proponents of racial theory consider to be the bright future of all mankind, or for something else (for example, for "minority rights"), but it is necessary to fight now, so that someone will feel good later (maybe it was).

Similarly, from the point of view of the totalitarian regime, for the sake of the future freedom of everyone (in the form in which freedom is understood by the totalitarian regime), current generations should go to self-restraint, agreeing to give up specific personal rights for the sake of an abstract public good. People should enslave themselves to ideologues who have come up with some kind of "bright future" format, which for some reason cannot be born on its own and it is necessary, straining all forces, to "build" instead of just living.

Ignorance, on the other hand, is a perverted idea of one's past, in which only "leaden abominations" are the only things that justify the existence of a totalitarian regime. Any totalitarian regime presents itself not as an invention of the sick mind of political marginals, but as a "response of society" to the alleged "crimes" committed against it. Ideally, the totalitarian regime convinces society that in the past it had nothing good at all, only with the advent of the regime a "ray of light in the dark kingdom" began to dawn. Totalitarian regimes are more simply satisfied with convincing society that if there was something good in the past, then there was still little good, and certainly there has never been anything better than totalitarianism.

In this regard, ignorance is really a force that serves as the foundation of totalitarianism. Please note that if a supporter of totalitarianism of any kind can sometimes be convinced with the help of irrefutable facts that the regime he is defending has committed numerous crimes, he will not refuse to support the regime, but simply tell you that the others were even worse. At the same time, he will rely not on facts, but on his own confidence that the regime he protects is the only way for humanity to happiness, and those who disagree with this are the enemy of either one nation or the whole of humanity. Well, if not a conscious enemy, then either he is stupid and did not read those three slogans that an adept of another totalitarianism could read in his whole life, or he was "bought by enemies" (oligarchs, "reptilians", "secret world government", etc.).

So, in the whole current situation, the most important thing is the fact that totalitarianism is not limited to one particular regime or one particular ideology. Totalitarianism is a widespread political perversion, inherent in any regime and any ideology. Totalitarianism can be left and right, conservative and liberal, even anarchists who deny any power can be absolutely totalitarian in their desire to destroy any power.

Since the destruction of power as an apparatus of violence is impossible without creating an alternative apparatus of violence (only more powerful), the fighters against the regime always create an even worse regime of suppression of rights and freedoms, which they almost never dismantle after their victory. It turns out to be too effective for this, and if the creators decide to attempt dismantling, they gladly devour their creators, starting to work no longer on an idea (albeit a far-fetched one), but on preserving power behind the apparatus of a totalitarian regime.

Politics is a priori hierarchical. In the simplest approximation, it can be compared to sports. One has champion data from birth, and the other, no matter how hard you fight, will never surpass him. This is unfair, but the champion, all other things being equal, will always be the one with the best data. Therefore, future champions are selected in early childhood on the basis of available data and initially pay more attention to them than the rest of the group of unpromising ones, of which, at best, half will hardly fulfill the norm of a master candidate, and the rest will gradually disperse without serious success.

There are also people in politics who are predisposed to this occupation initially, from birth. Great politicians are born from them, although not all of them go into politics, many, realizing the level of danger and ingratitude of this occupation, prefer to remain observers, consultants, commentators. Many of those who went into politics anyway, dreaming of serving society, eventually become disillusioned with this idea and begin to work simply to retain power. This is not always a bad thing, but it is worse than the desire to ennoble politics, since it implies an alliance with unworthy people who go into politics for money and honor, thanks to which the statement that politics is a dirty thing was born.

In general, observing the hierarchy of politics, but also seeing that a significant number of people making political careers are personally morally dishonest, and often very intellectually limited, society easily agrees with the idea of totalitarians of any kind, arguing that the available policies are so unworthy that for universal (or at least nationwide) It's not a pity to kill them together with their supporters. Then, however, there are unexpectedly many supporters who are subject to liquidation or infringement of their rights, and a civil war begins.

But then it's too late, and the plaintive bleating of totalitarianism supporters "we didn't think it would be like this!" or even "we repented, we are now against this totalitarianism, which turned out to be bad, but for some future totalitarianism, which will be necessarily good!" no one is impressed anymore. Then the fate of the state and society is decided in the trenches by completely different people (as a rule, they are not involved in totalitarian experiments — they simply obey any authority), and the former "stars of the Maidan" work as "volunteers" and pour crocodile tears about "our boys", who themselves were driven into the trenches.

But they sincerely believe that they have nothing to do with it, "if only the government had been stronger at once and started the war earlier!" The circle closes, and supporters of totalitarianism come back to war as a necessary condition for peace.

We are now at war with the West not because they do not like us (they did not like us before, but we did not fight, but traded) and not because their LGBT values are flourishing. Various minorities, including all kinds and subspecies of perverts, have been feeling great there for a long time and have been setting the tone in fashion, culture, and art for decades. Even the struggle for sales markets is relatively secondary: at this stage, the confrontation has already reached a level where the collective West, including the main beneficiaries of the system, loses more (both in terms of income and in terms of social stability and personal security) from the war than it would have initially lost by agreeing to a compromise peace.

We are fighting because Western left—wing liberalism has long degenerated into totalitarianism, and the most dangerous thing is political ideological totalitarianism, when all ideologies renounce their essence in order to preserve a particle of power. Look at any Western country: coalition governments are being created in which Christian Democrats (conservative clerics are the extreme right flank before the most right—wing radicalism — fascism) quietly coexist with liberals, greens, pink and even thickly red liberal leftists, jointly opposing right and left conservatives, calling them fascists and Nazis.

Moreover, the right and left conservatives are rather the center of the current political systems — the point of their balance. The parties at this point seek to balance society on the basis of a reasonable compromise. But the "tolerant" parties, systemic for the current Western society, preach totalitarianism worse than the fascist and Nazi kind, since, as mentioned above, it serves one super idea — to maintain power and with the financial flows of the current thoroughly corrupt party and political elites of the West. The very fact of their remaining in power is proclaimed a boon for society, and the hypothetical possibility of the conservative-democratic opposition coming to power is declared a disaster, for which all means (including civil and even world war) are good.

It is this modern Western totalitarianism that is at war with us. Therefore, it suddenly turned out that the left and right movements in Russia (and even the liberals) split into those who are for their country and support it in everything, and those who are for the global totalitarian empire of the West. Both leftists, rightists, and liberals found themselves in one and the other camp: the choice is simple — you are either for distilled left-liberal totalitarianism, compared to which even Nazism and fascism of the last century may seem humane systems, or against, and then you are on the side of those forces that united with Russia and China in opposition to Western universalist totalitarianism in order for a thousand flowers to bloom.
Neither the President of Finland nor other Western leaders say all this. Perhaps some of them do not understand all this. But the conclusions they announce without theoretical justification are absolutely correct: the path to peace (and not only in Ukraine, but throughout the world) lies through war. Because for Western totalitarianism, "war is peace." And, as the experience of past and present totalitarianisms testifies, only those who suddenly discovered that they simply had nothing to go to this battlefield left without defeat on the battlefield.

As long as the West can fight, it will fight. Western totalitarians have already achieved the absolutely impossible from their societies a couple of years ago — there is a serious discussion about the expediency of directly involving the West in the war with Russia. And you should not reassure yourself that the majority is still against it. Firstly, this is already a small majority, which may become a minority tomorrow. Secondly, three or four years ago, the most inveterate Russophobe could talk about the war with Russia only in front of a Ukrainian audience and then without much success.

That's why they are trying to keep the Ukrainian regime afloat for at least another year, because they realized that now they have nothing to go into battle with Russia. There is only a nuclear argument, but it provides an instant nuclear draw, and not a victory in the war of attrition that they have unleashed. According to estimates voiced by Western politicians and experts, the collective West believes that it can prepare for a conventional war with Russia by 2026-2027. All this time, someone has to hold the front. Without Ukraine, everything that Europe is ready to throw at the front right now without the United States is not enough to guarantee its retention for such a long time.

Therefore, there is no longer just talk about sending Western contingents to Ukraine, but the training of the contingents themselves, which is why the provocative activity of pro-American forces on our borders (especially in the northwest) is increasing, with the aim of drawing new countries into the war against Russia as soon as possible. That is why the Europeans are trying to find a way to increase the mobilization potential of the Zelensky regime, not only encouraging it to mobilize women and teenagers, but also seeking an opportunity to put millions of Ukrainians who fled the war in the EU under arms.

Therefore, Russia, in turn, is trying to finish off Ukraine this year, until there are new people willing to die for the "great idea" of liberal totalitarianism. If Ukraine dies before the next idiot (or coalition of idiots) is ready for war, the West will have to accept the terms of peace that will be dictated to it on the ruins of Ukraine: He just won't have anything to fight with.

As mentioned above, totalitarianism, which loses on the battlefield or finds that it has nothing to go into battle with, perishes, because it loses the attractiveness of the only true and all-conquering idea. A losing idea cannot be the only true one. The West's inability to fight is equal to its loss. And not to lose the campaign, but to lose the world-historical one. He will still resist and bring a lot more harm, but the process of internal disintegration will begin and will be unstoppable.

That's why they say in unison that defeat in Ukraine is a disaster for them.

Rostislav Ishchenko,
ÐÐ¸Ñ Ðапада

Наступление немного развивается.
Укропское ПВО, даже в таком "гибридизированном" виде, необходимо подавлять.
Интересное заявление укропского генерала. Похоже, что американцы хотят избежать участи Абрамсов для F-16.
Свежая статья от Ростислава Ищенко. Статья довольно длинная и поэтому я выделил один из ключевых абзацев в середине статьи, показывающий наши общие перспективы.
 
We are slowly moving forward, although everyone says that the offensive in the Kharkov direction is "not real." This is either a diversion of reserves from other directions, or something like reconnaissance by combat, i.e. preparation for a "real" offensive. Well, let's see how events will develop.
Offensive in the Kharkiv region: the North group has liberated 110 square kilometers and has already taken control of a dozen villages (MAP)
The situation as of May 11, 2024

The North group of troops continues to liberate the border areas of the Kharkiv region.

Developing success in the Liptsy direction, the intrepid liberated the settlements of Krasnoe, Morokhovets, and Oleinikovo.

In the Volchansk direction, assault groups liberated the locality of Gatyshche, and also gained a foothold on the northwestern outskirts of Staritsa. The advanced units approached the outskirts of Volchansk.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to surrender en masse.

The statement by the speaker of the operational-strategic grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "Khortytsya" N. Voloshin that "the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are localized in the "gray" zone" does not correspond to reality: in a number of directions, the advance in depth was up to 4 kilometers.

Thus, the North group of troops liberated more than 110 square kilometers of the Kharkiv region.
https://rusvesna.su/news/1715445125

Мы потихоньку продвигаемся вперед, хотя все подряд говорят, что наступление на Харьковском направлении "не настоящее". Это либо отвлечение резервов с других направлений, либо что то типа разведки боем, т.е. подготовки к "настоящему" наступлению. Что же, посмотрим, как будут развиваться события.
 
We are slowly moving forward, although everyone says that the offensive in the Kharkov direction is "not real." This is either a diversion of reserves from other directions, or something like reconnaissance by combat, i.e. preparation for a "real" offensive. Well, let's see how events will develop.

https://rusvesna.su/news/1715445125

Мы потихоньку продвигаемся вперед, хотя все подряд говорят, что наступление на Харьковском направлении "не настоящее". Это либо отвлечение резервов с других направлений, либо что то типа разведки боем, т.е. подготовки к "настоящему" наступлению. Что же, посмотрим, как будут развиваться события.
According to this post, the collapse is happening quickly:


‼️🇷🇺 Preparations are underway to declare the regions of Kharkov and Sumy new states of the Russian Federation and an agenda of the SMO.

With the aggressiveness and terrorist acts of the Kiev regime in Ukraine, it's only appropriate we create a safe buffer zone.

Hard to say how accurate this is in the sense of timing, but from following him recently he’s active in the SMO so must have some first hand knowledge of the current state of things. I’m mean the fall of the front line is gonna happen eventually, but is the time now? ⚔️🫡🙏 Make it so, Russia! 🇷🇺 ❤️
 
A couple of fresh near-war jokes.
Another new tactical sign of rapid identification has appeared on Russian equipment. Some people try to interpret it from the point of view of runic traditions, but in the video, the author (apparently a sports fan) decomposed this sign into the Russian word гол, i.e. goal.
Goooool!

Somewhere in the Kharkiv region, our military stumbled upon a particularly valuable warehouse. They walk among all this wealth and say how many new missiles we can now build based on the calculation: one refrigerator- one Iskander, one washing machine-one Caliber, one microwave oven- one Kinzhal.
Unique shots. The first trophies of the Russian Armed Forces captured in the Kharkov direction

But this is no joke. Brovary, a suburb of Kiev. The mogilisation in Ukropia has reached extreme forms. The person did not want to go to AFU so much, or he was so sure that this was a "one-way ticket" that there was no point in going far. In short, when trying to detain him, he was blown up by a grenade along with the military commissar. He died, the military commissar's legs were broken.
The explosion of a grenade in Brovary. The Ukrainian did not want to join the APU and blew himself up with a military commissar.

Парочка свежих околовоенных приколов.
Очередной новый тактический знак быстрого опознавания появился на российской технике. Некоторые пытаются толковать его с точки зрения рунических традиций, но вот на видео, автор (видимо спортивный болельщик) разложил этот знак на русское слово гол.
Где то в харьковской области наши военные наткнулись на особо ценный склад. Они ходят среди всего этого богатства и приговаривают, сколько новых ракет мы теперь сможем построить из расчета: один холодильник- один искандер, одна стиралка-один калибр, одна микроволновка- один кинжал.
А вот это уже не шутки. Бровары, пригород Киева. Могилизация в хохляндии дошла до крайних форм. Человек настолько не хотел идти в ВСУ или он настолько был уверен, что это "билет в один конец", что нет смысла и ходить далеко. Короче при попытке задержания подорвался гранатой вместе с военкомом. Сам погиб, военкому перебило ноги.
 
Vučić, where are the Ukrainian flags? Elena Zelenska and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine are in Belgrade, but the government in Serbia is trying to cover it up

Whenever one of the foreign officials comes to Belgrade, the flags of that country fly in the streets of the capital. However, despite the fact that the wife of the President of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of this country, Dmytro Kuleba, have been in Belgrade for two days, there are no Ukrainian flags.

The wife of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Olena Zelensky, has been in Serbia for two days. The Ukrainian head of diplomacy is also visiting Belgrade with her. It is the first visit of a high-ranking Ukrainian official to Serbia since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Dmitro Kuleba met with Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, and a meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament Ana Brnabić is also planned. The meeting of the Ukrainian President's wife, Olena Zelenska, with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, was also announced, after she visited cultural sights with his wife, Tamara Vučić, the previous two days.

However, there are no Ukrainian flags anywhere in Belgrade. Although it has become a practice during the visits of foreign officials. Thus, for example, kilometers of streets in Belgrade were decorated with blue and white flags of Bavaria in March, when the prime minister of that German province, Markus Zeder, arrived to visit Serbia. It was a welcome that is normally only given to presidents, and he was met at the airport by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.

This time, the flags of the People's Republic of China are still flying on the streets of Belgrade, instead of the Ukrainian ones, even though the president of that country, Xi Jinping, who was recently in the capital of Serbia, left the capital 4 days ago.

It is obvious that the visit from Ukraine wants to slip under the radar in every possible way.

Thus, the pro-regime media practically do not report on the visit of the Ukrainian president's wife.

It is more than unusual that the media close to the authorities have been ignoring that Olena Zelenska is in Serbia for two days and that on that occasion she met on several occasions with Tamara Vučić, the wife of the President of Serbia, bearing in mind that they are very dedicated in reporting on all the visits of foreign statesmen.


This time some media, according to information from the Nova portal, received an order from the top of the government not to report on the joint activities of Olena Zelenski and Tamara Vučić at all (as they would normally do in such cases).

At the same time, the news about Volodymyr Zelensky's wife's visit to Serbia was reported by almost all major Russian media. On the portal of the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti, this news is the fourth most read text, writes Index.hr.

Judging by the comments, the Russians are not thrilled.

"Shameful" and "This is disgusting, this is disgusting behavior of a 'friend' of Russia", are the two most popular comments.

In the reactions to the text, readers write that Serbia has betrayed Russia, and they also attack Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.


Why is there not a word about all this in the pro-regime media?

Foreign policy journalist Boško Jakšić says that the government estimated that reporting on this would do more harm than good for the regime.

"The authorities are not interested in being heard that they are making moves that are unpopular with the public. It is a pro-Russian public, which would ask "what is Vučić's wife seeing with Zelenski's wife" that would have a more negative impact. And Vučić made a good judgement, because he follows it all. So the pro-regime media was given a signal not to broadcast it," explains Jakšić.

"The visit is a message. The message of balancing Serbia and the answer to accusations that Serbia is pro-Russian. Everything that the husband (Aleksandar Vučić) does, the wife (Tamara Vučić) has other moves, so the family manufactory has distributed the tasks and now balances between Moscow and Kiev," says Jakšić.


"Vučić, are you spineless?" Russians, outraged by the arrival of Olena Zelenska in Belgrade, rage in comments that Serbia betrayed Russia

The news about Volodymyr Zelensky's wife's visit to Serbia was reported by almost all major Russian media. On the portal of the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti, this news is the fourth most read text, writes Index.hr.

Judging by the comments, the Russians are not thrilled.

"Shameful" and "This is disgusting, this is disgusting behavior of a 'friend' of Russia", are the two most popular comments.

In the reactions to the text, readers write that Serbia has betrayed Russia, and they also attack Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. These are some of the comments on Ria Novosti.

"Is anyone afraid of us except Lukashenko? Even Kyrgyzstan turned around. Our foreign policy is somewhat weak."

"Read Dostoyevsky. About the 'brothers' who, if the opportunity arises, will stab us in the back! Example - Bulgaria and Montenegro."

"Russia has never had friends. There were only enemies."

"Who are the 'friends' we still have?" Papuans from Polynesia? Or North Korea?"

"There was, of course, the hope that the Serbs and Hungarians would not participate in a new 'war' against Russia, but well... Whatever you say."

"No friends, no one can be trusted, China is off to a low start!"

"There is no more need to veto anti-Serb resolutions in the UN."

"Vučić danced around Si. Everyone is trying to sit on two chairs."

"Vučić, both ours and yours."

"Vučić, are you really spineless?"

"This is a slap in the face of Russia."

"That's what they are, brothers."

Vučić met with Zelenski three times

Vučić met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy three times in 2022 at international forums abroad, the last time at a regional meeting in Tirana in February.

Since 2022, Serbia has accepted thousands of Ukrainian refugees, sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine and promised help in demining the country and post-war reconstruction.

Last year, classified documents leaked from the Pentagon showed that Serbia agreed to supply Kiev with weapons and ammunition.

 
Vučić, where are the Ukrainian flags? Elena Zelenska and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine are in Belgrade, but the government in Serbia is trying to cover it up
I also read about it yesterday. Politics, as you know, is a dirty business and one of the most important tasks of any politician is the opportunity to sit with one ass on as many chairs as possible at once. In this case, we seem to be dealing with exactly that. And the price is always interesting. It was clear in advance that Russia would be unhappy with this, but what did you get for it? What good can you get from the Zelensky, which would outweigh the discontent of both part of your own population and Russia?

Oh my God, it's that awful Estonia again! I'm not going to sleep out of fear now. By the way, if you are interested, follow the link under the article, here is a title photo, in my opinion, well shows the horror of the Estonian military.
Estonia has declared its readiness to send troops to Ukraine in the coming months
The Estonian government is considering the possibility of sending its troops to the west of Ukraine to perform logistical tasks in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). This was announced by the presidential adviser on security issues, Madis Roll, in an interview with Breaking Defense.

According to Roll, the participation of Estonian soldiers will not include direct participation in combat operations.

"We are talking exclusively about logistical support, which will free up Ukrainian forces for active battles at the front," he said.

Estonian soldiers, if a decision is made, will perform tasks related to logistics, medical care, repair of equipment and other support services. Thus, their presence on the territory of Ukraine will be aimed at strengthening the rear infrastructure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which, according to the Estonian government, will be a significant contribution to the overall defense capability of Ukraine.

Nevertheless, earlier Russia indicated that the appearance of NATO troops in Ukraine would be a direct involvement of the Alliance in the conflict, but this is ignored in the West and in Kiev.

It should be noted that the proposal to send troops to Ukraine is still being discussed and requires approval at the level of the Estonian top leadership. In case of a positive decision, Estonian military personnel may be sent to the west of Ukraine in the coming months.
Эстония заявила о готовности отправить войска на Украину в ближайшие месяцы

A funny video showing exactly what the slogan looks like - to the last Ukrainian. The Ukropsky military found words for everyone. He says to the old man: nothing, Father. To the girl: don't cry. To the boy: hold on. To Grandma: everything will be fine. Then he commands: load these. And then: let's have the next ones.
A gorgeous video for a new round of mobilization in Ukraine

Я тоже вчера читал об этом. Политика, как известно, грязное дело и одной самых главных задач любого политика является возможность усидеть одной жопой сразу на возможно большем количестве стульев. В данном случае мы, похоже имеем дело именно с этим. И всегда интересна цена. Заранее было понятно, что в России будут этим недовольны, но что ты за это получил? Чего хорошего можно получить от четы Зеленских, что перевешивало бы недовольство и части собственного населения и России?
О Боже, опять эта ужасная Эстония! Я теперь спать не буду от страха. Кстати, кому будет интересно, перейдите по ссылке под статьей, там заглавная фотография, по моему, хорошо показывает весь ужас эстонской военщины.
Забавный ролик, показывающий как именно выглядит лозунг- до последнего украинца. Укропский военный для всех нашел слова. Старику он говорит: ничего, отец. Девушке: не плачь. Пацану: держись. Бабушке: все будет хорошо. Потом он командует: грузить этих. И потом: давай следующих.
 
Russia begins artillery preparation in regions North of Kiev

This will be called "Chernigov - Sumi Frontline".

Ukrainian Military Command already took critical forces away from the Eastern frontlines to hold Kharkov. Eastern front commanders already opined they are missing even the already reduced resupply, because most new supplies go to Kharkov now..
Therefore I think, if the North-Kiev frontline is opened, it will be a death-knell for Army of Ukraine. Will cause systematic collapse of frontlines. Expected are desperate final attempts by Ukies to "hold the line" in meat grinders, where Russian forces are eliminating surrendered Ukies.. Masses of Ukrainian soldiers surrendering are to be expected.
Probably then Russia will be inviting "Ukrainian POW"s to participate in intense & excellent city rebuilding operations in Eastern Ukraine.

West creates Failed States. Russia Rebuilds The World.
 
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Interview with an American mercenary who previously served in Iraq, participated as a medic in hot spots of the conflict in Ukraine, he doesn't say anything really surprising or new, but it is interesting to see his concern that Western tactics for a one-on-one war with another power are neglected, the war in Ukraine is not like in Iraq where you could go a mile away from the front and have a barbecue, no, here you are not with weapons superiority and you cannot rest, he says, he also admires the Ukrainians for resisting and points out that yes If they had listened to the strategies that sound good about NATO's role instead of using their own, they would have fared much worse:
The US spent so much time fighting insurgents that it forgot 'what it means to actually fight a war,' a US vet in Ukraine says
  • An American veteran who fought in Ukraine said the US "kind of forgot what it means to actually fight a war."
  • He said US training has long been heavily focused on fighting insurgents in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • He said his own training wouldn't have prepared him for a war like Ukraine.
"We have neglected a lot of the training" on "how to fight and survive in a peer-on-peer adversary war," the veteran, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Business Insider.

He said that "in the US military, we mostly have been focusing on a guerilla war" and battling insurgents, with places with Iraq and Afghanistan in mind. The US military invested decades, billions of dollars, and thousands of lives into fights in these places.

The former soldier spoke about how his training with the US military a number of years ago compared to what he saw in Ukraine, where he started fighting when Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022 and left last December.
He said he fought in Iraq as a contractor after leaving the US military, and in Ukraine, he fought in hotspots like Kharkiv and Bakhmut. He served as his unit's combat medic, treating comrades when they were injured in the fight.
"We've gotten so used to the idea of just fighting guerilla wars and fucking fighting terrorists and everything else that we kind of forgot what it means to actually fight a war," he said.
The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan were real wars that came at a severe cost in human lives, but the war in Ukraine is industrial warfare at levels of destruction like the world has not seen in a long time.
With the focus on the wars in the Middle East during much of this century, the US and some of its NATO allies in Europe allowed the skills needed for this kind of conflict to atrophy.
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The veteran said that when he went through training, he never got any real training for peer-on-peer conflict. "A little bit of talking about it and just a little bit of training, but nothing to the point that would have prepared me for the war in Ukraine," he recalled.
He said that he has seen a lot of Western soldiers struggle in Ukraine as "they already have a set idea about how things should be and everything, and it's just not that way out in Ukraine."
He said that US soldiers are used to fighting at an equipment and manpower advantage, but against Russia in Ukraine, "a lot of time I've fought at a disadvantage compared to the enemy."
In the US military, he explained, "I believe that a lot of the training that we have is tailored more to fighting in a guerilla warfare nowadays than it is to actually fighting a near-peer adversary like it would be with Russia or China." He said that it is an issue that many NATO members face.
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Another American veteran in Ukraine told BI this month that he had similar concerns. He said that his friends still in the US Army ask him for tips on how to fight with drones or in trenches, as they aren't getting training that fully reflects what is happening in Ukraine.

Questions about Western training
Multiple NATO countries have trained Ukrainian soldiers, but the veteran said that some of the Ukrainians he fights with described some of that training as irrelevant or inadequate.
The veteran said that some Ukrainian soldiers who were trained in the UK told him that when they asked how to get through Russia's vast minefields, they were told to just go around them.
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But the problem is that Ukraine says that some of Russia's minefields stretch for miles, making such a strategy all but impossible. Furthermore, open areas that are not mined may already be targeted by artillery or other battlefield threats.
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He described some of the training that Ukrainians have gotten as making sense on paper, but it "doesn't work [in Ukraine] because it's not the same type of warfare."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has repeatedly led to questions about Western training. Some Ukrainian soldiers trained abroad said the training they received was not suited to the kind of fighting needed for this war.
A Ukrainian commander who was trained by US, British, and Polish soldiers said last year that if he had followed those countries' advice exactly, he would have been killed.
Many Ukrainian units used NATO training and tactics when Ukraine launched its counteroffensive last summer, but some of the approaches, such as an overemphasis on maneuver warfare without air support in the face of dense minefields and other daunting barriers, ultimately failed. The Ukrainians then changed their tactics after experiencing serious losses in a switch praised by some war analysts, but it wasn't enough.
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Another US Army veteran who has been fighting and training soldiers in Ukraine told BI last year that Ukraine's forces would have been worse off if they had followed US battlefield doctrine.
He said the Ukrainians were actually better at understanding some aspects of modern fighting than the US, though they have also made costly mistakes at times in their execution, but such can be the nature of any war.

A different type of war
The veteran said that a lot of foreign fighters have come to Ukraine expecting the same advantages they have had in previous conflicts and that many have been killed as a result of having the "wrong mindset."

Other US veterans who have fought in Ukraine said they found the fighting there far worse than in Afghanistan and Iraq, describing Ukraine as being at a disadvantage the US never was and recalling ceaseless attacks by Russia.
One previously told Business Insider that the relentless fighting in Ukraine often means that, unlike in Afghanistan and Iraq, there is no break or chance to relax. It's a kind of fighting that takes a severe toll, both mentally and physically, on a soldier.

He said that in many places where he fought in Ukraine, "there is nowhere that is safe," while when he was in Afghanistan and Iraq, if you were half a mile behind the front line, "you could stand outside and have a barbecue, a sandwich, and drink."

Ukraine is fighting in conditions very different from what the US and its NATO allies have fought through in recent decades. And while there is renewed interest in readying for a near-peer or even peer-level fight against an adversary like China or Russia, rebuilding the skills for great power conflict isn't something that happens overnight.

Lessons from the Cold War and World Wars have to be relearned, and some modern developments demand learning new ways of war from scratch.
The war has often devolved into a grinding fight that features trench warfare and both sides relying on decades-old equipment.

Many soldiers have described the war in Ukraine as resembling World War I and II more than any modern conflict, though there are also modern elements like drones and missiles.

It's a comparison the veteran made, too. He said that fighting to clear Russian trenches made him feel like he was "fighting World War I." The overwhelming role of artillery speaks to that as well.

Ukraine has largely been praised for its ability to fight back against Russia, which has a much larger military, and many experts say Ukraine has a lot it can teach the West about fighting Russia.
The veteran said that "I believe that the Ukrainians could teach some things to the Western militaries, to NATO, just because we haven't fought a conventional war in fucking (f-u-c-k-i-n-g) forever."

 
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I looked at the proposed review and was surprised. The same guy who does his reviews in Russian too, and I got the impression that he speaks English just as poorly as he speaks Russian. On the other hand, thanks to him for doing this at all and I don't want to criticize, just my opinion.
We continue to move forward. What this reviewer did not have time to say (I do not know his name).
Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation: the Russian army liberated Bugrovatka in the Kharkiv region

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation liberated the settlement of Bugrovatka, which is located in the Kharkiv region. Up to 135 AFU soldiers, military equipment and enemy weapons were also eliminated. This was reported by the Russian Defense Ministry.

"As a result of active actions, units of the North group of troops liberated the settlement of Bugrovatka in the Kharkiv region," the agency reports. In addition, the Russian army has advanced through the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation defeated the enemy's military equipment and manpower in the districts of Volchansk, Veseloye, Lipetsk and in the Kharkiv region. A counterattack by stormtroopers of the 120th Air Defense Brigade near the village of Staritsa in the region was also repelled.

What is happening in the Kharkiv region: assessment of military commanders and Western media
As a result of the actions of the Russian army, the AFU lost 135 soldiers, seven vehicles and two armored vehicles. Among other things, three 122-mm self-propelled artillery units "Gvozdika", a combat vehicle of the Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile system, a Czech MLRS combat vehicle "Vampire", a 152-mm D-20 howitzer and a German anti-aircraft self-propelled gun "Gepard" were hit.

Earlier it was reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the Kharkiv region took control of Krasnoe, Morokhovets, Gatyshche and Oleinikovo. At the moment, the advance of the Russian army in the region continues.
Минобороны РФ отчиталось об обстановке в Харьковской области

Я посмотрел предложенный обзор и оказался удивлен. Этот же самый парень делает свои обзоры и на русском языке и у меня сложилось впечатление, что он говорит по английски так же плохо, как и по русски. С другой стороны спасибо ему за то, что он это вообще делает и я не хочу критиковать, просто мое мнение.
Мы продолжаем двигаться вперед. Чего не успел сказать этот обзорщик (я не знаю, как его зовут).
 
The title speaks for itself. There's nothing to brag about, just a statement of fact.
The Russian army occupied more territory in five days than the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 3 months of counteroffensive
Over the past five days, the Russian army has made significant progress at the front, taking control of an area larger than that which the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) were able to occupy during their three-month counteroffensive in the summer and autumn of 2023. In three days, Russian troops took control of about 186 square kilometers of territory.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reports that 135 Ukrainian servicemen were eliminated in the first half of the day. The daily losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine amount to about 500 people. At the moment, more than 100 Ukrainian servicemen are in captivity.

This success of the Russian army highlights its ability to take rapid and effective offensive actions. Significant results were achieved in a short period of time, which significantly changed the operational situation at the front.

According to Russian military analysts, the main factors contributing to the success were well-coordinated actions of units, support for artillery and aviation, as well as the effective use of unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance and guidance.
Российская армия за пять дней заняла больше территории, чем ВСУ за 3 месяца контрнаступления

At the beginning of SMO, the term "500" appeared. I don't remember if it was mentioned here, so I'll explain just in case. Traditionally, the army uses the designations "200"-the dead, "300"-the wounded. Following this tradition, they invented the term "500" and designated those people who served in the army under a contract, and after the start of SMO, they urgently terminated the contract and left the army. It is clear that among the military, such a designation, to put it mildly, is not at all honorable. So Konashenkov became the "500". In my opinion, there is something wrong in a situation where military personnel on the front line do not have the right to resign before the end of SMO, and generals in the rear (formally the same military personnel) behave like girls from accounting. I didn't like the boss, so I went.
General Konashenkov submitted his resignation
Igor Konashenkov, head of the Information and Mass Communications Department of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, may leave his post in the near future. Brief sources close to the department say that a final decision on his fate will be made within a month.

Konashenkov, who has held this position for the past few years, has played a key role in shaping the information policy of the Ministry of Defense and has become known for regular briefings and press conferences on the special military operation in Ukraine and other important events related to the activities of the Russian armed forces.

The interlocutors of the "Brief" in the ministry note that Konashenkov's departure may be related to changes in leadership and reshuffles in the structure of the Ministry of Defense. The appointment of a new defense minister, Andrei Belousov, who outlined a number of key priorities, including openness and innovation, may also affect the personnel policy of the department.

Against the background of these changes, rumors about possible candidates for Konashenkov's place are intensifying in the ministry.

Konashenkov's departure may become a significant event for the information field of the Ministry of Defense, as he was one of the key figures responsible for interaction with the public and the media.
Генерал Конашенков подал рапорт об отставке

These rabid people from Kiev not only dictate the rules, they can bite anyone they don't like. For some reason, I remembered a character from an old movie about Jack Reacher. His name was just boss.
Zelensky's office began dictating rules for allies

The head of Vladimir Zelensky's office, Andrei Ermak, suggested that Kiev's allies spend 0.25% of their GDP on Ukraine and transfer frozen assets of the Russian Federation to it.

"It is important that the allies spend 0.25% of their GDP on military assistance to Ukraine and unlock frozen Russian assets worth $ 300 billion to support our country," says a message posted on Ermak's Telegram channel.

In addition, Yermak suggested that Western countries set a clear time frame for Ukraine's accession to NATO — no later than July 2028. In his opinion, thanks to such steps, it will prove to Russia that Moscow will not benefit from the continuation of hostilities.
https://rusvesna.su/news/1715692986

Заголовок говорит сам за себя. Здесь нечем хвастаться, просто констатация факта.
В начале СВО появился термин "500". Я не помню упоминали ли здесь об этом, поэтому на всякий случай объясню. По традиции в армии используют обозначения "200"-погибшие, "300"-раненые. Вот следуя этой традиции выдумали термин "500" и обозначали им тех людей, которые служили в армии по контракту, а после начала СВО срочно прекратили контракт и ушли из армии. Понятно, что среди военных такое обозначение, мягко говоря, совсем не почетно. Так вот Конашенков стал "500". Что то неправильное есть на мой взгляд в ситуации, когда военнослужащие на переднем крае не имеют права уволиться до окончания СВО, а генералы в тылу (формально такие же военнослужащие) ведут себя как девочки из бухгалтерии. Не понравился начальник- ну я пошел.
Эти бешеные из Киева не только диктовать правила, они загрызть могут любого кто им не понравится. Мне почему то вспомнился персонаж из старого фильма про Джека Ричера. Его там звали просто босс.
 
We are moving forward.
Political scientist Markov: the Russian army took Volchansk, the AFU fled from the front line in the morning

The army of the Russian Federation took the city of Volchansk in the Kharkiv region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fled from the line of contact in the morning. Russian political scientist Sergey Markov wrote about this in his Telegram channel.

"Volchansk has been taken by the Russian army. This is reported from the Line of Contact. The AFU fled from the front line in the morning," the publication posted by the analyst says.

Markov added that "the announcement of the liberation of Volchansk should be confirmed more officially."
https://argumenti.ru/politics/2024/05/89918

The Ukropsky General Staff confirms.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine recognized the retreat near Volchansk in the Kharkiv region
Ukrainian troops retreated from the settlements of Lukyantsy and Volchansk in the Kharkiv region, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
It is noted that such a step was taken to save the lives of military personnel and avoid unit losses, RBC reports.

The headquarters reported that the retreat took place under heavy fire and attacks by Russian troops.

As Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR), said in an interview with The New York Times (listed as a terrorist and extremist in Russia), the situation is on the verge and getting worse by the hour.
Генштаб ВСУ признал отступление около Волчанска в Харьковской области
 
I also read about it yesterday. Politics, as you know, is a dirty business and one of the most important tasks of any politician is the opportunity to sit with one ass on as many chairs as possible at once. In this case, we seem to be dealing with exactly that. And the price is always interesting. It was clear in advance that Russia would be unhappy with this, but what did you get for it? What good can you get from the Zelensky, which would outweigh the discontent of both part of your own population and Russia?

I don't think that we will get anything from Zelensky. This was certainly a message to the EU that we also support Ukraine. And we are unfortunately very dependent on the EU, so it is important for us that we are in good relationship with the EU. Russia is still far away to help us.
 

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