TheOldGuy @TheOldGuy@qoto.org

Eerie renaissance - again and again

"...the Ministry of Public Education and Propaganda is responsible for all tasks of spiritual influence on the nation, for agitation in favor of the state, for influencing the domestic and foreign public."
(From Hitler's decree on the creation of the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda)

"We do not seek the truth, but the effect."
(Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda)

“Someone will call this propaganda. But this is propaganda of the interests of your country, even if it is an aggressive imposition. Objective information does not exist.”
(Olga Skabeeva, leading propagandist in Putin's Copycat Reich)

The Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda exercised control over virtually every form of expression—radio, theatre, cinema, the fine arts, the press, churches, and schools.
The control of the schools began in March 1933 with the issuing of the first educational decree, which held that “German culture must be treated thoroughly.”

@freerussia_report

Prigozhin’s empire is suffering financial collapse. His companies are losing government contracts. - MO

Companies of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s empire are rapidly losing money after the murder of 'Putin's chef', as follows from their financial statements for 2023.

Almost all Prigozhin companies went into minus. His main brainchild, Concord Management and Consulting LLC, lost 54 million rubles (parent of the Concord company, which includes public catering enterprises, construction companies and the media). The Concord companies also went into red, losing almost 60 million.

The total loss of the companies of his son Pavel, exceeded 1 billion rubles. He owns 4 firms, the 3 for construction of apartments and residential complexes in the Lakhta area alone sum loss of 1.1 billion rubles.

The companies that fed the army are losing too. In 2022 their total profit was 4.7 billion, end of 2023 it fell to 1.4 billion. In 2024, they risk going bankrupt: the Ministry of Defeat refused their services.

A well-earned end. US militant kidnapped as a spy and killed by his dear brothers.

"Russell Bentley, aka Texas, a real American, really from Texas, died in Donetsk. He fought there for ours. He collaborated with our Sputnik," wrote chief propagandists tits-up Simonyan of course without mentioning that he was abducted by Z-soldiers, who accused him for espionage, and obviously killed him. His wife Lyudmila was informed that a DNA test confirmed a match with Russell.

According to the report of Important Stories, the deputy head of the National Guard in the so-called "DPR", Alexander Khodakovsky, called first for the guilty military to be punished for the murder of Bentley, ""We are very careful to protect our army from any discredit. So thoroughly, even to the point of sterility, completely forgetting such a concept as constructive criticism, which is supposed to make the world a better place. <... > It seems to me that our efforts on ourselves, and sometimes our bargaining with our conscience, should be rewarded with exemplary punishment for those who killed Russell Bentley. The military department must show that it is able not only to remind of responsibility for discrediting, but also to put things in order in its economy," but then deleted his post. On orders, I assume...Nonetheless the repost was preserved on the channel of the Vostok battalion.

@freerussia_report

The video was over 100 MB. No way to bring it here.

"Successful" Assault by the Russians, Donetsk region. The enemy deployed T-72B and T-62MV tanks - United24

The Ukrainian unit "Shadow" shared footage of another "successful" Russian assault on Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk region. The enemy deployed T-72B and T-62MV tanks to storm the settlement. They were accompanied by infantry on MT-LB armored personnel carriers. The vehicles were modified by adding open landing compartments.

Advancing behind the tanks, the APCs moved towards the Ukrainian positions but they encountered resistance as Ukrainian military units opened heavy artillery fire on the enemy convoy. The Russian occupiers quickly changed the course when the shelling intensified, resulting in some MT-LB armored personnel carriers colliding with each other while retreating. Ukrainian forces targeted the Russian tanks and APCs throughout the skirmish, compelling the Russian infantry to withdraw from the battlefield rapidly.

However, some occupiers tried to dig holes under the damaged armored vehicles and take up positions there.

DANGEROUS DEVELOPMENTS IN KHARKIV

I have often said how ridiculous and short term, attacking Russia over the lengthy uncontested land border in Kharkiv oblast has been. I don’t care what the excuse is, it’s been a bad strategy and done without consistency. These border incursions by supposedly free Russian forces, were inevitably going to draw a Russian reaction. The very reason Ukraine did it was the very reason they should not have, not when you are dealing with an autocratic regime.
If you embarrass or humiliate an autocrat enough, a response inevitably comes. They cannot ignore what amounts to little more than an embarrassing military distraction. It simply can’t go unanswered. You might get away with it once. Twice is pushing it. Three times and you’re going to regret it.
That time has come. Fed up with the incursions the Russians have significantly strengthened the border and begun a long range artillery and missile offensive against Kharkiv. It’s become clear to the Ukrainians they have to strengthen their defences and post more troops into the area - right at the time they can afford to do this least. They don’t have the men or artillery to reinforce this sector.
The Russians however have started to ramp up a dramatic increase in their forces.
Extensive networks of Muron-M surveillance towers have appeared. EW systems and counter battery radar, troop concentrations and all the signs of a potential attack being prepared are everywhere.
So much so, that yesterday the panicked Ukrainians decided to take the initiative with an extensive drone and artillery raid against logistics and intelligence gathering areas over the border. What they destroyed - multiple trucks, intel gathering equipment and preparations for stockpiles and assembly areas in one small sector of the front, should be enough to worry anyone.
Now let’s be clear that it could be just a ploy by the Russians to draw off Ukrainian forces, but I don’t think so.
In the last couple of days Russian recon drones have been active and Lancet FPV attack drones successfully hit Ukrainian Russian built Orugan MLRS preparing to defend Kharkiv. The intensity of their operation is growing.
The Russians see a window of opportunity and they’re going to do something before the long delayed US aid starts to arrive. Their window is short. They don’t have to commit vast resources to attack Kharkiv, just enough to engage substantial Ukrainian forces that Ukraine can ill afford to transfer from other areas. That weakens the areas they really want to take such as Chasiv Yar and it gives them a greater chance of breaking the front around Kupiansk- a long held objective.
These stupid raids over the Russian border achieved nothing but draw attention to both sides having a weak spot when only one has the resources to actually exploit it for real gain. The Russians won’t take or try to take Kharkiv, but they are vicious and destructive. If you think the signalling for this attack hasn’t been there you’d be mistaken. For weeks Russian propaganda has been talking of levelling Kharkiv, erasing it from the surface of the earth both as punishment for resisting and as a cultural and educational centre of a people they don’t consider even exist. Solovyev has been talking repeatedly about it and it’s often discussed on other shows. Nothing like that gets talked about unless the government wants it talked about. This type of signalling - to reinforce a decision that’s already been made, is how Russian propaganda works. They prepare their own people - many of whom will have strong links with a city often considered the most Russian in Ukraine, to accept what they plan to do. Destruction is their aim. Destruction and distraction. Sadly it’s looking more and more likely that what was a dead zone and an almost mutually unspoken agreement to leave this front alone, has been broken. Ukraine has itself to blame and that’s the hardest part of all. They should never have allowed those raids to draw attention to an area they were just as incapable of defending as the Russians were. I pray I am wrong here, I really do. But all the indicators for weeks suggest otherwise. I suspect this may even have been part of the briefing given to House leadership that convinced them to rush the aid package through.
Even if the Russians are creating an elaborate ruse, Ukraine has no choice but to upgrade its defences and draw off valuable manpower and material because they can’t be sure.
Such is war.

Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦!

@EveryUkraineWarVideo Subscribe

Trump trys and so does Fox. They are both outmatched by the State of New York and City of Manhattan.
https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/the-big-trump-trial-jury-scare/55611/

Russian reactions to tge votes in US Congress:

◾️Peskov:

- on seizing Russian assets: "If it's really about confiscating our assets, the USA will answer for that. Moscow will take measures in accordance with our interests, no time limits."
- on aid to Ukraine: "the decision will make the USA even richer and will make Ukraine still poorer, more Ukrainians will die."

◾️ Medvedev wished civil war on the United States:
"It was the voting of joyful US bastards:
a) to continue the civil war of the separated people of our once united country;
b) to increase the number of victims of this war as much as possible.

We will, of course, win, despite the $61 billion of bloody dollars that will mostly go down the throat of their insatiable military production complex. Power and Truth are with us.

But considering the rusophobic decision that took place I can't help but wish the USA with all sincerity to dive into a new civil war themselves as quickly as possible. Which, I hope, will be very different from the war between North and South in the 19th century and will be waged using aircraft, tanks, artillery, MLRS, all types of missiles and other weapons. And which will finally lead to the inglorious collapse of the vile evil empire of the 21st century - the United States of America."

@EveryUkraineWarVideo SubscribeRussian reactions to tge votes in US Congress:

◾️Peskov:

- on seizing Russian assets: "If it's really about confiscating our assets, the USA will answer for that. Moscow will take measures in accordance with our interests, no time limits."
- on aid to Ukraine: "the decision will make the USA even richer and will make Ukraine still poorer, more Ukrainians will die."

◾️ Medvedev wished civil war on the United States:
"It was the voting of joyful US bastards:
a) to continue the civil war of the separated people of our once united country;
b) to increase the number of victims of this war as much as possible.

We will, of course, win, despite the $61 billion of bloody dollars that will mostly go down the throat of their insatiable military production complex. Power and Truth are with us.

But considering the rusophobic decision that took place I can't help but wish the USA with all sincerity to dive into a new civil war themselves as quickly as possible. Which, I hope, will be very different from the war between North and South in the 19th century and will be waged using aircraft, tanks, artillery, MLRS, all types of missiles and other weapons. And which will finally lead to the inglorious collapse of the vile evil empire of the 21st century - the United States of America."

@EveryUkraineWarVideo Subscribe

Soldiers are also up at first light
https://t.me/Ukraine_Report/21433

Soldiers are busy at night
https://t.me/Ukraine_Report/21434

https://t.me/Ukraine_Report/21435

Joyce Vance
https://open.substack.com/pub/joycevance/p/courted?r=70k1h&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

The week in stupid
https://open.substack.com/pub/jefftiedrich/p/this-week-in-stupid-april-20-edition?r=70k1h&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Brief Update :

🔹ISW analysts predict that Ukraine will probably be in a much better operational position by June 2024.

🔹The US Senate will consider the bill on aid to Ukraine voted by the House of Representatives on April 23.

🔹According to the NYT, the first tranche of weapons from the United States may be in Ukraine in a few days after the signing of the law.

🔹US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will go to China to discuss cooperation between the Russian Federation and Beijing.
The US expresses serious concern about Beijing's support for Russia.

🔹The United States is considering the possibility of sending new military advisers to Kyiv, Politico reports.

🇺🇦@ukraine_report 🇺🇦🔱 Liz

🇺🇸🇺🇦The passage of the new aid bill to Ukraine will directly benefit at least 71 American cities across the U.S.

Providing additional aid to Ukraine would also facilitate the replenishment of U.S. stockpiles with weapons that have been continuously sent to Ukraine over the past two years.

Washington is Ukraine's largest provider of weapons and military equipment. The U.S. has sent Ukraine over $44 billion in defense aid since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

President Biden also issued a statement after the vote, emphasizing that the passage of the foreign aid package sends "a clear message about the power of American leadership on the world stage."

"It comes at a moment of grave urgency, with Israel facing unprecedented attacks from Iran and Ukraine under continued bombardment from Russia," said Biden.

I urge the Senate to quickly send this package to my desk so that I can sign it into law, and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs."

The approval of the U.S. aid package comes at a critical time for Ukraine, marked by the increasingly deteriorating situation on the front lines, where Russia has recently made gains.

The delay in the U.S. defense aid for Ukraine contributed to the loss of the key front-line city of Avdiivka, due to a lack of necessary ammunition.

On a more positive note :
The legislation now proceeds to the Democratic-majority Senate, which already passed a similar measure more than two months ago.

U.S. leaders from Democratic President Joe Biden to top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell had been urging embattled Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring it up for a vote.

🇺🇦@ukraine_report 🇺🇦🔱 Liz

Several powerful explosions rang out in Sevastopol in the morning, blocking the Crimean Bridge for ~2 hours.

The occupying authorities announced the repulsion of an anti-ship missile "attack" on one of the ships of the Russian Federation in Sevastopol.

In the bay, according to local media, yesterday there were a Project 775 landing ship and another ship.

The occupying authorities also alleged, that they had successfully completed the anti-aircraft defense without any damage or casualties.

🇺🇦@ukraine_report 🇺🇦🔱 Liz

REST IN HELL

As a result of the destruction of a Russian Ka-27 helicopter over Crimea on April 10, four crew members were killed.

Among them are crew commander Aziz Shayakhmetov , air gunner Alexander Solovey , flight technician Ivan Stepin and navigator Nikita Tokarchuk .

Shayakhmetov Aziz Irshatovich, born in 1996, is a native of the city of Syzran, Samara region of the Russian Federation.

None of these pilots can fire missiles at Ukrainian Civilians again.

🇺🇦@ukraine_report 🇺🇦🔱 Liz

https://kyivindependent.com/ukraines-obsolete-s-200-missile-systems-reportedly-back-on-track-to-hit-russian-targets/

Who was Pavlo Petrychenko, the prominent activist recently killed in combat?

In his battle for Ukraine, Pavlo Petrychenko used not only weapons but also his voice. A renowned Kyiv activist, he fought for the prosecution of corrupt Ukrainian officials, demanding justice for his fellow activists.

On April 15, just a day before his 32nd birthday, he was killed in combat in Donetsk Oblast.

Photo courtesy of Prytula Foundation / Viktor Zalevskiy

Good morning Resisters.

Goodnight Resisters everywhere