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

[Laura]

As they say, who would doubt it! Completely unbridled creatures, corrupted by the permissiveness of the "defenders of democracy".

СБУ взяла на себя ответственность за убийство Кириллова, пишет NYT

Spoiler: Russian spelling

Как говорится, кто бы сомневался! Окончательно распоясавшиеся твари, развращенные вседозволенностью "защитников демократии".

I guess we can expect some spectacular reaction from Russia pretty soon. There is usually a delay of a few days or a week or so, while the targets are selected...

 

[mabar]

I guess we can expect some spectacular reaction from Russia pretty soon. There is usually a delay of a few days or a week or so, while the targets are selected...

Russia just launched ballistic missiles onto Kiev, it is not specified what type and, these are some videos that are emerging.

 

[Joe]

These are satellite images of the impacts of the first use of "Oreshnik". Not as dramatic as some might have expected/projected.

Explainer here

Yuzhmash and Oreshnik Demystified

 

[N1mTzo]

These are satellite images of the impacts of the first use of "Oreshnik". Not as dramatic as some might have expected/projected.

It took them a whole month (since the impact) to publish low-quality photos (like from Google Street) and say that Oreshnik is worthless. Okay, I believe them (no).
PS I see black roofs of buildings (burnt), but GREEN trees are growing next to them. The trees are not burned by the temperature and not destroyed by the shock wave. How can this be?

 

[youlik]

So what has been my key observation? First of all, they come in all shapes and sizes - fat, thin and everything in between. There is some ethnic diversity, some that look Chinese but are russian - someone said Kazakhs perhaps? The thing though that surprised me is they aren't different from western Europeans, they like to have a good time. Drink, party etc etc.

I sincerely and heartily congratulate you on these amazing discoveries.
In 2018, when the football championship was held in Russia, there were a lot of messages of this kind from representatives of different countries who visited Russia. These strange people seemed genuinely surprised that in Russia they walk on two legs, and not on their ears, that during their stay in Russia they did not see a single horse troika, which would be controlled by a brown bear with a balalaika and that no one robbed them with a knife to their throat. There were such messages even here on this forum and then I replied, if my memory serves me right, to an American in the sense that it was time to stop looking at Russians as Martians.
The problem of Russian nationality and Russian citizenship has existed since Soviet times. In those days, the same Kazakhs, once outside the borders of the Union, immediately became Russians. Now, of course, Kazakhs cannot be Russian by nationality, but they can still be Russian by citizenship. In addition to the Kazakhs, who now have an independent Kazakhstan, there are about 150 different nationalities and peoples living in Russia, and all of them there, in Thailand, will be Russians.
If any person answers the question "where did you come from?" that he is from Tuva or Buryatia, then no one will understand him, because few people in the world know what Tuva or Buryatia is, and these people are Russians by citizenship, not Russians at all, but pure Asians are closer to the Chinese. After relatively recent events, I think that a few more people know about the existence of Chechnya and Chechens, but almost no one in the world still knows about the existence of Ingushetia or Dagestan neighboring Chechnya.

Now let's get back to the current topic.

Putin suggested that the West try to shoot down the "Oreshnik" over Kiev
On December 19, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on Western experts' criticism of the latest Russian Oreshnik weapons system. According to him, statements about the possible vulnerability of the system indicate only the inability of the West to compete in the high-tech sector.

"Why does Oreshnik have such a name? Honestly, I don't know," Putin said during his speech, humorously answering a question about the name of the system.

However, his further statements dealt with more serious topics.

"If Western experts think so [that the Oreshnik can be shot down], then let them offer us and those who pay them in the West to produce a high-tech duel of the XXI century. Let them identify targets in Kiev, concentrate air defense and missile defense systems there, and we will strike," the president said.

This statement was a direct challenge to Western countries, which continue to criticize Russian developments while simultaneously increasing their own efforts in the field of missile defense.

The Oreshnik system is supposedly the latest technology in the field of strategic weapons, combining high maneuverability, protection from interception and the possibility of an accurate strike. Official data on its characteristics remain classified, which arouses interest and skepticism in the West.

Criticism of the system by Western experts was met by Putin with obvious sarcasm. His proposal to hold a "duel" indicates confidence in the technological advancement of Russian developments and the ability to compete with NATO in the field of strategic weapons.

Путин предложил Западу попытаться сбить "Орешник" над Киевом

It remains to walk 8 kilometers and the Yekaterinoslav province of the Russian Empire can be incorporated into the Russian Federation.

Selidov direction: Russian troops 8 kilometers from the border with the Dnipropetrovsk region
In the Selidov direction, Russian troops continue offensive operations, providing flanks for the group bypassing Pokrovsk from the south and southwest. According to data from the front, yesterday was marked by important tactical successes that bring Russian units closer to the borders of the Dnipropetrovsk region.

An important achievement was the capture and consolidation of positions in the settlement of Novovasilevka. This made it possible to bypass the APU's defense line in the Sandy area and strike at the flank, which significantly weakens the enemy's position in this area.

At the same time, the battles for Novoolenevka and Ukrainka continue. Russian troops managed to oust Ukrainian units, and, according to military analysts, the outcome of these battles is already a foregone conclusion.

The offensive in the Selidovsky direction fulfills a key task — it ensures the stability of the positions of Russian troops in the Pokrovsky direction. Successful actions in this sector of the front contribute to the overall dynamics of the advance, as well as create prerequisites for further operations deep into the territory of Ukraine.

According to the latest data, about 8 kilometers remain to the borders of the Dnipropetrovsk region. This fact indicates that the Russian army is approaching strategically important borders, which may become an important stage in changing the operational situation.

Селидовское направление: Российские войска в 8 километрах от границы с Днепропетровской областью

The answer is still without the use of Oreshnik.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation named the targets of a group strike on objects in Ukraine

Among the targets hit are the control center of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Luch Design Bureau in Kiev, which designs and manufactures Neptune missile systems and ground-launched cruise missiles of the Olkha MLRS

The positions of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system were also hit.

The strike was carried out with high-precision long-range weapons. As emphasized in the Ministry of Defense, the goods have been achieved, all facilities have been hit.

This strike was a response to the attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles at a plant in the Rostov region, the department noted.

Recall that on Friday morning, an air alert was announced throughout Ukraine. Then came a series of powerful explosions in Kiev.

The city authorities reported damage and fires in several areas, without specifying what exactly was affected.

Минобороны РФ назвало цели группового удара по объектам на Украине - Российская газета

Spoiler: Russian spelling

Я искренне и от души поздравляю вас с этими потрясающими открытиями.
В 2018 году, когда в России проходил чемпионат по футболу, было очень много сообщений подобного рода от представителей разных стран, побывавших в России. Эти странные люди, кажется искренне, удивлялись тому, что в России ходят на двух ногах, а не на ушах, что за время пребывания в России они не увидели ни одной конской тройки, которой бы управлял бурый медведь с балалайкой и что никто не грабил их, приставляя нож к горлу. Такого рода сообщения были даже здесь, на этом форуме и я тогда отвечал, если мне память не изменяет, американцу в том смысле, что пора бы перестать смотреть на русских, как на марсиан.
Проблема Русского по национальности и Российского по гражданству существует еще со времен СССР. В те времена те же казахи, оказавшись за границами Союза, немедленно становились русскими. Теперь конечно казахи не могут быть Русскими по национальности, но по прежнему могут быть Российскими по гражданству. Помимо казахов, у которых есть теперь независимый Казахстан, в России живет около 150 разных национальностей и народов и все они там, в Тайланде будут русскими.
Если какой-нибудь человек, на вопрос "откуда вы прибыли?", ответит, что он из Тувы или из Бурятии, то его никто не поймет, потому что мало кто в мире знает, что такое Тува или Бурятия, а эти люди по гражданству Россияне, по национальности совсем не русские, а чистые азиаты, ближе как раз к китайцам. После относительно недавних событий, я думаю, что несколько больше людей знают о существовании Чечни и чеченцев, но о существовании соседних с Чечней Ингушетии или Дагестана по прежнему почти никто в мире не знает.

Теперь вернемся к текущей теме.
Осталось пройти 8 километров и Екатеринославскую губернию Российской Империи можно будет включать в состав Российской Федерации.
Ответ пока без применения Орешника.

 

[SOTTREADER]

I sincerely and heartily congratulate you on these amazing discoveries.
In 2018, when the football championship was held in Russia, there were a lot of messages of this kind from representatives of different countries who visited Russia. These strange people seemed genuinely surprised that in Russia they walk on two legs, and not on their ears, that during their stay in Russia they did not see a single horse troika, which would be controlled by a brown bear with a balalaika and that no one robbed them with a knife to their throat. There were such messages even here on this forum and then I replied, if my memory serves me right, to an American in the sense that it was time to stop looking at Russians as Martians.
The problem of Russian nationality and Russian citizenship has existed since Soviet times. In those days, the same Kazakhs, once outside the borders of the Union, immediately became Russians. Now, of course, Kazakhs cannot be Russian by nationality, but they can still be Russian by citizenship. In addition to the Kazakhs, who now have an independent Kazakhstan, there are about 150 different nationalities and peoples living in Russia, and all of them there, in Thailand, will be Russians.
If any person answers the question "where did you come from?" that he is from Tuva or Buryatia, then no one will understand him, because few people in the world know what Tuva or Buryatia is, and these people are Russians by citizenship, not Russians at all, but pure Asians are closer to the Chinese. After relatively recent events, I think that a few more people know about the existence of Chechnya and Chechens, but almost no one in the world still knows about the existence of Ingushetia or Dagestan neighboring Chechnya.

Now let's get back to the current topic.

Путин предложил Западу попытаться сбить "Орешник" над Киевом

It remains to walk 8 kilometers and the Yekaterinoslav province of the Russian Empire can be incorporated into the Russian Federation.

Селидовское направление: Российские войска в 8 километрах от границы с Днепропетровской областью

The answer is still without the use of Oreshnik.

Минобороны РФ назвало цели группового удара по объектам на Украине - Российская газета

Spoiler: Russian spelling

Я искренне и от души поздравляю вас с этими потрясающими открытиями.
В 2018 году, когда в России проходил чемпионат по футболу, было очень много сообщений подобного рода от представителей разных стран, побывавших в России. Эти странные люди, кажется искренне, удивлялись тому, что в России ходят на двух ногах, а не на ушах, что за время пребывания в России они не увидели ни одной конской тройки, которой бы управлял бурый медведь с балалайкой и что никто не грабил их, приставляя нож к горлу. Такого рода сообщения были даже здесь, на этом форуме и я тогда отвечал, если мне память не изменяет, американцу в том смысле, что пора бы перестать смотреть на русских, как на марсиан.
Проблема Русского по национальности и Российского по гражданству существует еще со времен СССР. В те времена те же казахи, оказавшись за границами Союза, немедленно становились русскими. Теперь конечно казахи не могут быть Русскими по национальности, но по прежнему могут быть Российскими по гражданству. Помимо казахов, у которых есть теперь независимый Казахстан, в России живет около 150 разных национальностей и народов и все они там, в Тайланде будут русскими.
Если какой-нибудь человек, на вопрос "откуда вы прибыли?", ответит, что он из Тувы или из Бурятии, то его никто не поймет, потому что мало кто в мире знает, что такое Тува или Бурятия, а эти люди по гражданству Россияне, по национальности совсем не русские, а чистые азиаты, ближе как раз к китайцам. После относительно недавних событий, я думаю, что несколько больше людей знают о существовании Чечни и чеченцев, но о существовании соседних с Чечней Ингушетии или Дагестана по прежнему почти никто в мире не знает.

Теперь вернемся к текущей теме.
Осталось пройти 8 километров и Екатеринославскую губернию Российской Империи можно будет включать в состав Российской Федерации.
Ответ пока без применения Орешника.

Thank you for your wonderful insights @youlik. I shared my experiences on this thread in the hopes of getting your thoughts.

 

[mantle]

And thus another slice of propaganda message is delivered to sway the opinion of those who receive it . Virtual propaganda at that. Photographs... can't you see them ? What is wrong with your eyes ?
Not 90% but a hundred% of all information about Russia is either fake or a scam or a hundred% biased in the West.
It has been fully in charge of PR control since the start of the Third World War [ Libyas atrocity].
Therefore , Oreshnik cannot be given any veracity by the West.
Putin knows this. That is why he laid down the gauntlet.

It took them a whole month (since the impact) to publish low-quality photos (like from Google Street) and say that Oreshnik is worthless. Okay, I believe them (no).
PS I see black roofs of buildings (burnt), but GREEN trees are growing next to them. The trees are not burned by the temperature and not destroyed by the shock wave. How can this be?

 

[Julia]

So I'm not sure where to put this. Is this the right thread? Over the last few days I have been surrounded by Russians and I thought it'd be interesting to share some observations. No, I have not been to Russia, instead, I have visited Thailand, Phuket. I would say Russians make up the majority of western tourists here now. The hotel I'm staying in is mostly Russian and I visited another which was again Russian. On the streets, mostly Russian. A lot of russian digital nomads around too - young people who live here and work digitally.

Ignore the headline linking this to the war - intention is to show that the island is satured by Russians now.

Half a million Russians arrived in Phuket in six months. Now, there is growing resentment

On the holiday island of Phuket, an influx of Russians buying property and setting up their own businesses is driving up prices and driving a wedge between the new residents and Thai locals.

www.abc.net.au

So what has been my key observation? First of all, they come in all shapes and sizes - fat, thin and everything in between. There is some ethnic diversity, some that look Chinese but are russian - someone said Kazakhs perhaps? The thing though that surprised me is they aren't different from western Europeans, they like to have a good time. Drink, party etc etc. They are very proud - I couldn't help but think of Americans. . You know that feeling you get when you run into a bunch of Americans and they are being loud and dominating the space? Yup, that exact feeling. At some point I was thinking to myself - what would I prefer, a world ruled by Americans or Russians? My answer was neither .

I got a death stare from one earlier in a fancy resort which we were visiting for the day. Clearly it dawned on them that some amongst the huge crowd were clearly not Russian - walking past this lady, I got one of those cold Siberian death stares. I tried a smile perhaps in the hope this would portray that just because I wasn't Russian didn't mean I was an alien but alas, that death stare was unbreakable - felt like something out of Siberia.

So this is a direct report from a local taxi driver. We got on a taxi from one end of the island to the other - about one hour trip. The taxi guy was quite chatty and could speak English well enough for us to be able to communicate. In amongst the discussion was what he thought of tourists from different countries. I specifically asked him about Russians and he proceeded to start complaining. These are his words, not mine, he said they were rude and complained about some russian tourists being stingy on the fare like they agree a fee at the beginning of the ride and then at the end they knock off a percentage which results in an argument. Anyways, my impression is the Thai locals may not have a favourable view.

In any case, it's interesting being surrounded by so many Russians - just being an observer out here.

Oh my God, I was reading and laughing!It turns out that we are also Europeans, we eat, drink and have fun!I've been to Phuket 2 times, Thais cheat tourists, maybe that's why Russians are rude to them.Siberian frosts in the eyes - it's very funny!The most interesting thing is that if something had happened to you, this crowd of Russians would have started saving you, then treating you, and then they would have taken you to their house and put you to sleep!Come to Russia if you want to get to know Russians, you will be surprised by a lot more!

 

[taratai]

Now now. Don't let it get to you what SOTTREADER wrote about Russians in Thailand.
The truth is simply what it is, and in this case, the truth can be summarised in one word:
tourists

Ask anyone living in a place that lives of tourism, and you should hear more or less the same thing: how much they hate those &$@% tourists. Loud, boisterous, uncultured, they litter and thrash everywhere, desacrate local traditions, yet behave as if their ways are superior. Human flood that blocks the city and raises prices of everything. A literal invasion.
And then, when they're done tarnishing their place of visit, they vanish, leaving a trail of destruction (either physically or spiritually, and sometimes both). Mindless consumerism to take a bite of the world for themselves, and then return back to their safe and boring daily routine, bragging to their collegues what wonderful places they've been to!

Does not matter if it's from Russia or US, UK or China, the type of people that feel the appeal of mass-tourism is the same.
That's the gift of globalism. We're all living in America, and eventually, everyone starts displaying the worst charecteristics of it.

 

[lilies]

These are satellite images of the impacts of the first use of "Oreshnik". Not as dramatic as some might have expected/projected.

Explainer here

Yuzhmash and Oreshnik Demystified

View attachment 104397View attachment 104398View attachment 104399View attachment 104400View attachment 104401View attachment 104402View attachment 104403

Without tactical ranges - seeing the destruction at scale, which is critical, these photos are misleading laypeople. Also its contested in same articles' comment section that these images are simply regular war damage since 2022.

These photos of unknown missile damage taken at an unknown time - despite what original poster Amerikanets requested from the satellite companies - versus WHAT two large photos + JSON file he was actually given [about what and when??]. Since there is war in Ukraine and frequent large missile and traditional bombardments have happened especially targeting industrial sites since 2022, but still here are 'the photos' at scale:

As you can see distances keep getting larger:

With Joe's post included, here is just one of the buildings on G**gle Streetview. See how large and strong and massive Soviet-built 'Anti-Nuke Concrete' just one of these buildings is?

These test missiles were empty? Did they contain gravel or metal scraps or aluminum powder, etc.. ?
Very good comments:
1.

Regan Howard
Regan's Durbar
15h
Mike Mihajlovic has some interesting insights at his site. I think what I've seen so far dismisses too readily the effects of kinetic impacts as trivial (see Postol's work although I understand how he got to his conclusion). It's reasonable to think that based on 1st order physics, and that the impactor converts on contact into a ball of plasma, but it's misleading.

It doesn't take into account the detailed penetration dynamics of solids at Mach 10 and the resulting shock generation. Also unaccounted for is the combined impact of multiple shock generators on underground structures.

The key technology that the Russians apparently have is something that is solid at 4000 C. This is not unreasonable. There are known ultra-high temperature ceramics in that regime (e.g. hafnium carbide).
https://cassiopaea.org/forum/javascript:void(0)
Like (12)

Reply (2)


Share



Brevette Pfc. Billy Masterson
12h


@Regan Howard

Really, HfC? And at only a density of about 11g/cc... Who would think of using such a light material! (Guilty).

(Also, HfC starts to oxidize in atmosphere at rather low temperatures, below 500° C?)

I've learned a lot about aerospace heat shielding, friction heat dissipation & reduction, exotic ceramic/heat shield technologies, material properties and engineering of composites for reentry bodies fabricated with same these last days. Wish it were towards a more constructive end, can't we get back to exploring our solar system soon?
https://cassiopaea.org/forum/javascript:void(0)
Like (3)

Reply


Share



SensorESP
6h

I don't get how people are so surprised by this claim of 4000C, as if astronauts haven't been returning from 2-3x the speed and remained uncooked. It's just ablative shielding, it prevents the payloads from even reaching that temperature...2.

You'd argue wrong because this Oreshnik lacked a warhead and thus did not have explosive (just kinetic power). Normally it would carry the equivalent of a FAB 300. Imagine 36 FAB 300s falling on a target at once with supersonic speeds.

3.

ScipioAfricanus
13h
No. It is not "more economical" with traditional means - reason being that it 1) cannot be shot down and 2) is high precision without being an ICBM 3) can penetrate hardened Soviet buildings

Traditional means are less high precision, cannot penetrate hardened structures and can be shot down

4. Doesn't help. IMO Putin mentioned weapons based on "New Principles of Physics" years ago. Surely Russian military scientists know, how to deliver a 5000km range missile and then make it behave to go sharply up then come down to maximize hypersonic kinetic destruction.
He does:

Barry Taylor
Barry’s Substack
5h


Well written and informative. As noted, the plant is known to have multiple layers below ground level. Without access to inspection, I doubt we will ever know the true extent of the damage.

Hopefully the next test will be somewhere honest people can look at the aftermath and publish what they find.

It is disgusting the way the West is deriding and ignoring all warnings.

5.
FALSE IMAGES suggestion: means this is just regular war damage done since 2022:

Meteorologist
6h


The author probably did not pay attention to the abundantly green trees in the pictures? All November in Ukraine the air temperature was within +7-2 Celsius. Do you know what trees look like in November in Ukraine?

There was wet snow on 11 November Антициклональное масштабное поле сменит мокрый снег: какая погода будет в Украине 12 ноября.

After such weather the frozen leaves just fall to the ground.

This is how the trees looked in Dnipro a month earlier on 19 October

@avtosfera.dnepr auf Instagram: "Мероприятие #caraudicompetition 19/10/24 Часть 2 Больше фото-видео отчёта в телеграм"

You seem to have been deceived by false images from early October 2024.

6.
Another one maybe a reaction to #5:

Libra74
1h


complete nonsense and lies in this investigation... Yuzhmash was also bombed earlier and the photos were taken from early attacks, but the author of the investigation did not take into account the condition of the trees and the color of the foliage on them, you are being fooled and misled... have critical thinking !!!

7.
Comment section is critically missing initial opinions then professional evaluations of material scientists, military engineers, physicists and mathematicians calculations.

 

[lilies]

'So until more strikes will be done by Oreshnik at NATO sites in multiple countries, this time with real warheads, then we will hear the outraged MSM reports about the real effects of Oreshnik.

Countless times almost all of us witnessed what we request = full disclosure - anticipated FOIA requests - VERSUS what we get. This includes requesting any data or serious work from civilian energy or satellite or any service provider corporations. Life experiences tell us, these corporations don't really care about the accuracy, proper dates stamps and quality of our requests in a lot of cases and same corporations only start to care, when 1. we complain, 2. We threaten to sue.

Then they start to actually care about giving us properly date stamped, technically accurate, engineer-technician-verified data.

Until that happens, this is just a regular civilian guy's report about what he requested versus what he got.
From (A) an actual war zone, (B) full with tactical military secrets, (C) Classified by involved countries and laws, in an information environment, where (D) secret service / NSA Five Eyes see everything, note everything, see through your cameras and even know your browser history..

 

[youlik]

Today, the leitmotif of my message will be Ukrainian corruption.
Back in Soviet times, there was a saying that when a hohol was born, Jew cried. In this case, no one had to cry- a Jew brought up in a Ukrainian environment. And here is the result.

Zelensky tried to bribe Fico to accept Ukraine's membership in NATO

BRATISLAVA, December 20 — RIA Novosti. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that at the talks in Brussels, Vladimir Zelensky offered him 500 million euros from Russian assets for agreeing to Ukraine's accession to NATO.
"Mr. (Zelensky. — Ed.) returned to the topic of gas and asked me if I would vote for membership (of Ukraine. — Editor's note) to NATO, if he would give me 500 million euros from Russian assets. Of course, I replied: never," said the head of the Slovak Cabinet.

He called Ukraine's invitation to join the alliance completely unrealistic.
Fico has repeatedly stated that he will never support the entry of the post-Soviet republic into NATO while he holds the post of head of government.

In early December, a meeting of the foreign ministers of the member countries of the military bloc took place in Brussels, following which they did not unanimously speak out in favor of Ukraine's admission to the alliance. As Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations Peter Szijjarto noted earlier, inviting this country would mean a conflict between NATO and Russia.

President Vladimir Putin stressed that Ukraine's possible membership in the military bloc is a threat to Russia's security. He also pointed out that the risks of Kiev joining the alliance were one of the reasons for the start of the special operation.
In addition, in June, the head of state launched initiatives for a peaceful settlement of the conflict: Moscow will immediately cease fire and declare its readiness for negotiations if, among other things, the Kiev authorities officially abandon their intentions to join the North Atlantic Alliance.

Зеленский пытался подкупить Фицо ради согласия с членством Украины в НАТО

Corruption in the Armed Forces of Ukraine takes on wild and terrible forms. The portal we know is probably making its mark.

The commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine crucify their subordinates on crosses. Literally
A very loud scandal has raged in Ukraine related to the wild orders in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in which ordinary soldiers became objects of robbery and torture organized by their commanders. Even the Kiev authorities and their paid propagandists have recognized that such barbarism has already become the "new normal" in the ranks of the "defenders."

Famous Ukrainian journalist Sevgil Musayeva wrote the following on Facebook*: "It's hard to shock and surprise me with anything. But the following story is exactly that... I received some of the materials about the situation in the 211st pontoon bridge brigade... These documents testify to the terrible bullying of the brigade's soldiers by the leadership. In particular, about this: "During an internal inspection, the soldiers told me that in order for you not to be reported, you had to pay from 5 to 20 thousand hryvnias to the one who revealed the violations," says Ostafiychuk, an officer of the psychological support department of the staff, who then served in the 211 brigade.... "I also found out a lot of illegal facts, in particular the beating of military personnel if they drank alcohol but did not pay money. The son of the Shepherd's chief of staff and the godson of Brigade commander Beregnyuk, at that time a senior lieutenant, and now Captain Vladislav Shepherd, who was the commander of one of the platoons in the first battalion, was mainly engaged in bullying the fighters," he says. "The Little Shepherd threatened that his father was the chief of staff and his godfather was the brigade commander, who could transfer the military to the infantry, where they would immediately be thrown "for meat." Due to these threats, he managed to demand money from the guys," another military man adds on condition of anonymity. In support of their words, the UP's interlocutors provided photos and videos that the Shepherd filmed, as well as explanations, reports and statements from the victims. Below is one of the photos we received from the military. And it's shocking."

The photo shows a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine crucified on a cross, against which his tormentor, the commander, poses proudly. For a long time, Ukrainian propaganda has been laughing at the "Russian fake" that Ukrainian Armed Forces officers crucified a boy from Donbass on a cross. But now the Ukrainian media themselves are testifying that Ukrainian commanders are capable of crucifying not only other people's boys, but even their own subordinates.

Mariana Bezuglaya, a well–known politician of Ukraine, a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada and Zelensky's confidant, said that such orders are absolutely typical for the morally decayed Ukrainian army. On December 17, she wrote the following on Facebook about this:

"According to this case, everyone is distributing it, but it is not something unique. IN OUR ARMED FORCES, PEOPLE ARE TORTURED, DELIBERATELY SENT TO DEATH and are not responsible for their actions. NOT A SINGLE CASE, even the one that has become public, HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO ITS LOGICAL CONCLUSION – a guilty verdict in court. Moreover, no suspicion has yet been announced to any of the military leadership. As they say: not a single colonel or general was injured during the filming. THERE IS NO MILITARY RESPONSIBILITY."

It is likely that in this case, the sadistic crucifixionist will get away with it. And even if he is punished because of the great political resonance, the hordes of other criminal officers will not be punished. As you can see, even the well-known Ukronazi Bezuglaya recognizes the absolute disintegration of the Ukrainian army. Of course, in any army in the world there are cases of moral decay, abuse of commanders, extortion, beatings. But I have never heard of cases of soldiers being crucified by officers for refusing to pay them money. And nowhere in the world, except perhaps in the wildest corners of the third world, is lawlessness as widespread and as unpunished as in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He has become such a typical phenomenon that, as we can see, even the pillars of the Kiev regime are talking about him, apparently concerned that they would not have to flee Ukraine because of the collapse of their army, torn apart by banditry and corruption.

There's nothing to be surprised about. The Kiev regime is headed by a deviant president, who once publicly and with laughter four times spat on the attempts of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine to mobilize him. At the same time, Zelensky is driving ordinary Ukrainians to the slaughter on a massive scale, and his people from the military registration and enlistment offices grab men wherever they can and drag them to the front, often even without training. However, Zelensky's team has created an opportunity to pay off those who are willing to pay a lot of money for "abandoning" service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On average, you can completely buy off the Ukrainian army for 10,000 US dollars, and you can buy off a shopping mall raid on the street for one hundred dollars. Some of the huge sums raised through such extortion are kept by the criminals, some go to the greedy deviant president, who robs everyone he can. As Ukrainian MP Artyom Dmytruk, who fled Ukraine, rightly wrote, Zelensky has already stolen more than any president of Ukraine before him. And this is blood money. Representatives of his own team, stunned by impunity, have already publicly boasted that it was he himself who brought Ukraine to war, giving him credit for such an armed struggle "for freedom"!

Of course, looking at such corrupt practices of the Ukrainian leadership, the officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine build themselves similar schemes, albeit in miniature. They charge subordinates tribute for not sending them to the LBS, for preventing disciplinary action, etc.

In addition, the Ukrainian political nation is an artificial one that has not yet been fully formed. The Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters speak mostly Russian, less often Surzhik. Literary Ukrainian is spoken by a small minority of soldiers. Political Ukrainians are still often the subject of ridicule in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Yes, many people hate Russia because of the hardships of war and propaganda, but this does not mean that they really fell in love with the absolutely corrupt Ukrainian phantom state. And since there is no higher ideal for which they are fighting, then people begin to rob everything and oppress their inferiors. In Russia, which Ukrainian propaganda calls the most corrupt in the world, such a system of bribery from top to bottom, as in Ukraine, was observed only in the 90s, and even then not everywhere, and not for the whole decade.

Looking at all this, more and more citizens of Ukraine are beginning to realize that it is not the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, but the Zelensky regime and the Armed Forces of Ukraine that pose the greatest threat to them. Of course, under the total control of the special services, they cannot really rebel, so they simply flee Ukraine or hide in its vast territory. Parents are sending their sons abroad en masse, who are approaching the age of 18, so that they do not become cannon fodder for the deviant president. Passive resistance and sabotage of the criminal orders of the authorities in the state apparatus is growing. From now on, the Zelensky regime, no matter how much it tightens the screws, is unlikely to be able to drive the number of Ukrainians it needs into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Командиры ВСУ распинают подчиненных на крестах. В прямом смысле

The sadistic Ukrainian officer was released from custody on bail. He paid almost a million hryvnias.
Not so long ago, People's Deputy of Ukraine Alexey Goncharenko*, who is making his way to the presidency, made public information about torture and extortion among the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He posted a video with evidence of bullying and sadism in the 211st brigade. Moreover, videos that would have made Stephen King shudder were at the disposal of a special parliamentary commission back in September.

"The situation with the 221st pontoon brigade is just the end. We received this video, as well as many others, back in September 2024, and our special commission received a lot of similar appeals demanding that violations of the law in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine be stopped. The deputies sent all the facts and data to the Ministry of Defense three months ago. So what? Just today, Minister Umerov started talking about inspections. Why has nothing been done for so long? As of today, there is no investigation or prosecution of those responsible. It's just a tin can!", — said Goncharenko.

And so, after a hasty "investigation" "to identify possible facts of the use by officials of the 211st pontoon bridge Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of non-statutory measures of influence and violence against subordinates," the State Bureau of Investigation announced suspicion to brigade commander Oleg Berebnyuk, for the fact that he ... involved four fighters in the construction of his own house! Allegedly, the suspect involved 4 military personnel in the construction of his own house in the Khmelnytskyi region, but the servicemen received salaries and combat payments.

And so, as expected, Beregnyuk, the commander of the 211st brigade, whose commanders mocked the soldiers by "crucifying" them on crosses, was released from custody on bail. In Ukraine, after all, every commander at home has an extra million to pay his bail. The price of Zelensky's life and dignity in Ukraine is 908 thousand hryvnias.

The Ukrainian media write very carefully and cautiously about what happened in this military unit – about the terrible bullying of soldiers, extortion and torture.

"In the fall, Ukrayinska Pravda received some of the materials about the situation in the 211st pontoon bridge brigade from one of the officers involved in official inspections. We have been working on this text for almost two months. Spoiler alert: the story is creepy. So far, no one has been punished, and those who caused problems have been sent to the infantry. By publishing this material, we are in no way trying to discredit the military serving in the brigades of the AFU Support Forces," the "truthful" Ukrainian journalists write.

One of the statements from the injured military man states: "I, ... while on rotation in the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions, consumed alcoholic beverages, for which I was repeatedly punished financially and physically by Senior Lieutenant Vladislav Valeryevich Pastukh with the use of brute physical force against me, I was also tied to a wooden cross and physically bullied...". According to one of the officers, after this story, which became known and caused a great resonance within the brigade, Lieutenant Shepherd was transferred to another unit.

The officers and sergeants of the brigade claim that no criminal proceedings have been opened by either the Prosecutor's Office or the State Bureau of Investigation due to bullying of the military.

Украинского офицера-садиста выпустили из-под ареста под залог. Он заплатил почти миллион гривен

Spoiler: Russian spelling

Сегодня лейтмотивом моего сообщения будет украинская коррупция.
Еще во времена СССР ходила следующая поговорка- когда родился хохол, еврей заплакал. В данном случае никому плакать не пришлось- еврей воспитанный в хохлятской среде. И вот результат.
Дикие и жуткие формы принимает коррупция в ВСУ. Известный нам портал видимо накладывает свой отпечаток.

 

[Adobe]

CIA station in Kiev targeted in recent Russian attack, military expert reveals​

"MOSCOW, December 21. /TASS/. Among other targets, the Russian military hit a CIA station in Kiev, Alexander Stepanov, program director at the Political Sciences Academy, told TASS."

"Available reports indicate that, apart from energy facilities, military components of NATO’s intelligence proxies were struck, including a base of special group `Alpha’ of the SBU (Ukraine’s Security Service - TASS) and a CIA station at Holiday Inn," he specified."

CIA station in Kiev targeted in recent Russian attack, military expert reveals

According to Alexander Stepanov, strikes are systematic efforts to gradually wipe out the military capabilities of Ukraine

tass.com

 

[Ca.]

Dmitry Trenin: What Ukraine should look like after Russia’s victory

What Ukraine should look like after Russia’s victory will mark the beginning of a stable and secure future for both nations – Dmitry Trenin

www.rt.com

The coming post-conflict process will mark the beginning of a stable and secure future for both nations
There’s a timeless rule: in peace, prepare for war; in war, think about peace. As the conflict in Ukraine nears its inevitable conclusion – a Russia victory – our thoughts must turn toward the future and to the shape of the peace that follows.

To paraphrase Stalin: The Banderites [followers of the WW2 Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera] come and go, but the Ukrainian people remain.

The Future Map of Ukraine

Ukraine, as it existed on December 31, 1991, is gone. Crimea, Donbass, and two other regions have already returned to Russia through referendums. More will likely follow – perhaps Odessa, Nikolayev, Kharkov, or Dnepropetrovsk. But not all of them. We will take only what can be integrated and defended. Expansion must be strategic, not emotional.

Kiev’s remaining territories will stay outside Russia’s borders. What kind of Ukraine will emerge there? Answering this question is critical, not just for Ukraine’s future, but for Russia’s security.

A Russian Mission of Liberation

In civilizational, cultural, and historical terms, Ukraine – or most of it – belongs to the Russian world. Today, however, it’s held hostage by anti-Russian forces backed by the West. These forces use Russian people against Russia, fighting with persistence, cunning, and brutality – despite catastrophic losses.

Moscow’s historic mission does not end with the liberation of Donbass and Novorossiya. We must free all of Ukraine from the neo-Nazi Bandera regime and its foreign sponsors. This is not imperial conquest, but national security.

Ukraine belongs first and foremost to those living there – but Russia is inseparably linked to these people and their land. After the war, we must help our neighbors rebuild Ukraine: first pacified, then peaceful, eventually a partner, and ultimately an ally.

Russia has proven its ability to turn military adversaries into allies. Look at Chechnya, now a bastion of stability in the North Caucasus. Consider Russia’s post-war partnership with Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance, or how East Germany became a Soviet ally after World War II.

Post-War Scenarios

Experts in Russia have outlined various visions for post-war Ukraine.

Full Integration: Russia could take all of Ukraine, including Lviv, up to NATO’s borders. This would mean a second reunification – the end of Ukrainian statehood. But keeping such a vast territory, fully integrating it and paying for its reconstruction, would be a colossal burden.

Pro-Western Ukraine: The worst-case scenario is a bitter, revanchist Ukraine with slightly reduced borders – a virulently anti-Russian state controlled by the West. Its sole purpose would be to provoke and attack Russia when the time is right. This possibility must be prevented at all costs.

Failed State: A fragmented Ukraine, abandoned by the West and dependent on Russia, might descend into chaos – a kind of anarchist “Gulyaypole” ruled by criminal gangs and militias. Russia could try manipulating these forces, but Western meddling would persist. This unstable scenario is undesirable.

Divided Ukraine: The most realistic and advantageous outcome would be a divided Ukraine. Anti-Russian forces could be pushed into the western regions under NATO protection, possibly splitting the country into a “Free Ukraine” controlled by Poland, Hungary, and Romania, and a new Ukraine. Let the West console itself with this Cold War-style buffer state.

Meanwhile, the new Ukraine – stripped of ultra-nationalist elements – could emerge, free from toxic ideologies. This Ukraine would be smaller but stable, economically integrated with Russia, and politically neutral. It makes sense to offer such a prospect to the Ukrainians and explain to them how advantageous it is for them.

A New Ukrainian Identity

The new Ukraine would be more genuinely Ukrainian than its Soviet predecessor. Joseph Stalin made a mistake by attaching the former Polish provinces of Galicia and Volyn and infecting the state with the virus of nationalism. Ukrainian culture could flourish without foreign interference, while its economy would be integrated into the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union. Kiev would be cleansed of the corrupt elites that infested it after the Western-backed 2014 Maidan coup.

This Ukraine would inherit the best of its historical legacy: Kievan Rus’, the Zaporozhian Cossacks, and the cultural achievements of its Soviet past. It would be proud of its contributions to the Russian Empire, the USSR, and to shared East Slavic civilization.

In today’s world, true sovereignty for Ukraine, as for other post-Soviet states, is possible only through close cooperation with Russia. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church would remain the spiritual anchor of the new state.

Preparing for the Future

We don’t need to wait for the war’s end to begin this work. Many patriotic Ukrainians already live in Russia, ready to rebuild their homeland. We must identify war criminals and incorrigible Russophobes, but also recruit patriots, officers, entrepreneurs, and cultural leaders willing to help rebuild Ukraine with Russian support.

We must also expose the West’s cynical treatment of Ukraine: We must expose the West’s cynical use of Ukraine: a disposable pawn, its resources plundered by Western corporations, its culture crushed under the weight of foreign mass consumerism and radical ideology. Ukrainians must see that their future lies not in a hostile, exploitative West but in partnership with Russia.

A War for Russia’s Future

This is not just about Ukraine. Victory means defeating the West’s campaign to weaken Russia. It means ending the Banderite regime and securing our nation’s future.

For Ukrainians, Russia’s victory will mark their liberation from a corrupt, foreign-imposed regime. For Russians, it will ensure stability, security, and strength for generations to come.

Victory Day must be a day of liberation – for all of us.

Moscow has confidence in its weapons and their ability to ensure national security, Ryabkov told
TASS: https://vk.cc/cGhBtd

Ukrainian drones strike residential buildings deep inside Russia – officials (VIDEO)

Several Ukrainian attack drones hit high-rises in the Russian city of Kazan, setting fire to the buildings, authorities say

www.rt.com

Up to three kamikaze drones have struck a number of residential high-rises in the Russian city of Kazan, local officials reported on Saturday morning. Several news outlets have published what appear to be video clips shot by eyewitnesses, which depict the moment of the attack and its aftermath.

Earlier on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said on its own Telegram channel that its air defenses had shot down one “Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle over the Republic of Tatarstan,” of which Kazan is the capital. The statement was later cited by the city administration.

In a separate message later in the day, military officials reported that the “Kiev regime” had deployed three waves of fixed-wing drones, targeting Kazan’s civilian infrastructure. According to the ministry, Russian air defenses shot down three of the incoming UAVs, and that three more were downed with the help of electronic warfare systems.

Since the start of Russia’s special military operation in February 2022, Kiev’s drones have on multiple occasions been intercepted over Moscow and various regions of the country. Only some of these UAVs have reached their targets.

Most such cases have happened in relative proximity to the border between the two countries. Kazan, however, is situated some 1,379 kilometers (857 miles) away from Ukraine.

Russia’s Federal Agency for Air Transport (Rosaviatsiya) announced that it had imposed temporary restrictions at Kazan airport.

Local authorities reported that the Saturday morning attack resulted in no casualties. Soon after the drones struck the apartment buildings, the residents were safely evacuated. Minnikhanov’s press office has stated that accommodation for the evacuees has already been arranged.

READ MORE: Five dead after Ukrainian strikes using US-made HIMARS – Russian governor

According to regional authorities, a total of eight UAVs exploded over Kazan, with six of those impacting residential areas. In light of the attack, some schools have been evacuated as well, with students taking cover in basements.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1870527807291543898

RT
Moment ATM was blown up in St. Petersburg The suspect has already been detained.
Police say that the woman could have been pressured by scammers

https://twitter.com/x/status/1870469580830945339

Due to huge losses and a critical shortage of people, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ordered the deployment of air defense specialists to the infantry, - The Guardian

Due to a critical shortage of people, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are recruiting old people, alcoholics and the incapacitated:
"The exhausted and worn-out army is increasingly made up of older men."

Zelensky has resisted calls from the Biden administration to lower the mobilization age to 18, which has soured relations between Kiev and Washington in recent months.

The White House is irritated that Kiev often demanded more weapons, but could not mobilize the necessary replenishment of the army.
"The people we are receiving now are not like those who were there at the beginning of the war," said a soldier from the 114th TRO brigade.

"We recently received 90 people, but only 24 of them were ready to go to positions. The rest were old, sick or alcoholics. A month ago they were walking around Kiev or the Dnepropetrovsk, and now they are in a trench and can barely hold their weapons. Poorly trained and poorly equipped," he said.

The shortage of frontline forces has become so acute that the General Staff has ordered already depleted air defence units to "allocate more men to the frontline as infantry", two air defence sources told the Guardian.

"These people knew how to manage air defense, some of them were trained in the West and had good skills, now they are being sent to the front to fight, for which they have no training," the source said, adding that this reduces the effectiveness of Ukrainian air defense.

Former Air Defense spokesman Yuriy Ignat and MP Maryana Bezugla also stated that the air defense forces are being transferred to infantry units.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1870520504060199060

 

[fifty_five]

So I'm not sure where to put this. Is this the right thread? Over the last few days I have been surrounded by Russians and I thought it'd be interesting to share some observations. No, I have not been to Russia, instead, I have visited Thailand, Phuket. I would say Russians make up the majority of western tourists here now. The hotel I'm staying in is mostly Russian and I visited another which was again Russian. On the streets, mostly Russian. A lot of russian digital nomads around too - young people who live here and work digitally.

Ignore the headline linking this to the war - intention is to show that the island is satured by Russians now.

Half a million Russians arrived in Phuket in six months. Now, there is growing resentment

On the holiday island of Phuket, an influx of Russians buying property and setting up their own businesses is driving up prices and driving a wedge between the new residents and Thai locals.

www.abc.net.au

So what has been my key observation? First of all, they come in all shapes and sizes - fat, thin and everything in between. There is some ethnic diversity, some that look Chinese but are russian - someone said Kazakhs perhaps? The thing though that surprised me is they aren't different from western Europeans, they like to have a good time. Drink, party etc etc. They are very proud - I couldn't help but think of Americans. . You know that feeling you get when you run into a bunch of Americans and they are being loud and dominating the space? Yup, that exact feeling. At some point I was thinking to myself - what would I prefer, a world ruled by Americans or Russians? My answer was neither .

I got a death stare from one earlier in a fancy resort which we were visiting for the day. Clearly it dawned on them that some amongst the huge crowd were clearly not Russian - walking past this lady, I got one of those cold Siberian death stares. I tried a smile perhaps in the hope this would portray that just because I wasn't Russian didn't mean I was an alien but alas, that death stare was unbreakable - felt like something out of Siberia.

So this is a direct report from a local taxi driver. We got on a taxi from one end of the island to the other - about one hour trip. The taxi guy was quite chatty and could speak English well enough for us to be able to communicate. In amongst the discussion was what he thought of tourists from different countries. I specifically asked him about Russians and he proceeded to start complaining. These are his words, not mine, he said they were rude and complained about some russian tourists being stingy on the fare like they agree a fee at the beginning of the ride and then at the end they knock off a percentage which results in an argument. Anyways, my impression is the Thai locals may not have a favourable view.

In any case, it's interesting being surrounded by so many Russians - just being an observer out here.

Have a good trip. Hope for you to see more than a resort view of Thailand