The Bulwark will stream tonight from Madison Square Garden.
https://open.substack.com/pub/thebulwark/p/join-us-tonight-from-madison-square?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=70k1h
Israeli strike cripples Iran's missile production, knocking out a key component of Iran's ballistic missile program. Recovery could take at least a year, Axios
Israel is also reported to have damaged UAV production in Iran.
The attacks on the air defenses caused “deep alarm” in Iran, The New York Times reported citing three unnamed Iranian officials — one from the country’s oil ministry — since it rendered defenseless Khuzestan Province’s Abadan oil refinery, Bandar Imam Khomeini petrochemical complex and an adjacent major port, as well as the Tange Bijar gas field in the Ilam Province.
Further information on this :
https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-said-alarmed-as-idf-cripples-its-missile-production-disables-key-air-defenses/
🇺🇦@ukraine_report 🇺🇦🔱
Is Russia building up to an invasion of Poland? What a mistake that would be.
"Poles have captured the Kursk region" - Russians are told on Russian TV.
"Polish AFU mercenaries occupied the houses of the residents of Sudzha, and those residents who stayed were hanged right under the bridge and shot."
Russian propagandists are switching to Poland?
Gerashchenko.
🇺🇦@ukraine_report 🇺🇦 Liz
On 24 October 1956, Soviet russia began “liberating” Hungary.
The Hungarian people sought freedom from Soviet oppression. Moscow claimed it was a “fascist revolution financed by the imperialist West.”
Inspired by anti-Soviet demonstrations in Poland on October 19, Hungary began protesting on October 23, tearing down an 8-meter-high, nearly 6-ton statue of Stalin on the edge of Budapest’s City Park. Only the boots remained.
Protests continued. On October 25, the Soviets and the secret police opened fire on roughly 6,000 peaceful demonstrators in Kossuth Square. The number of casualties is estimated to be close to 1,000.
But the protests persisted. The Hungarian government eventually had to concede. A new government was formed, and the prime minister ordered the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary. This meant independence.
The Soviet government didn’t want to lose Hungary and decided to crush the revolution by military force. On November 2, 12 new military divisions arrived in Hungary in addition to the existing 5. The rebellion was crushed.
In the next three years, about 400 people were executed for participating in the revolution, more than 21,668 were imprisoned, and 18,000 were deported.
Since 1957, the October events were taught as a “fascist counter-revolution,” and many Hungarians still believe this propaganda today.
Hungary only regained independence when the Soviet Empire collapsed.
~ Soviet Union = russian Federation = same narrative
@ukrainejournal
💔 The life of Serhii Ovsyanka was taken by a Russian bomb attack against the village of Yastrubshchyna in Sumy Oblast on October 8, 2024.
In the morning, the Russian army dropped four guided aerial bombs on the settlement. Serhii died on the way to the hospital. Later, his wife Yulia was found under the rubble of the house. The sons, who were raised by the couple, managed to be evacuated from the village earlier.
Serhiy Ovsyanka was 38. He was born in Sumy Oblast. He lived with his family in Yastrubshchyna. From time to time he went abroad for work. Later, he worked on a farm at "Yastrubshchanske" LLC.
"He and his wife were always there. Whenever I met them, they were always holding hands or under the arm. They were smiling, cheerful, friendly, very hardworking. They tried with all their might to give their children everything so that they would never need anything," she said. fellow villager Sofia Goncharova, who knew Serhiy and Yulia since childhood.
Serhiy Ovsyanka is survived by his parents, brother, two sons and other relatives.
Polish police report that a group linked to Russian intelligence sent packages containing explosives across Europe, the UK, and tested deliveries to the USA and Canada.
“The main targets were civilian sites, such as warehouses and large stores, using arson as the primary method. The group distributed disguised incendiary materials in courier packages across Europe, with a timed ignition mechanism during transport,” stated the Polish prosecutor’s office.
This is part of Russia's ongoing program recruiting saboteurs from European countries through social media with promises of cash or crypto currencies. The goal is to intimidate Western populations and undermine support for Ukraine.
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MILITARY & STRATEGIC:
RUSSIANS RISKY ATTACK COMES UNDONE
Sometimes it surprises me how small some of these important operations are in key areas. When you’ve spent literally months of your life researching and reading battles that involved tens of - hundreds of thousands of- even millions of men, three BTR-82’s and 28 Russian storm troopers seems like something of a let down.
Yet that’s what Russia sent hurtling towards Malya Lockna to drive out Ukrainian forces and recapture the important junction there. They hoped that it would then cut off Ukrainian forces north and northwest of the position.
Racing along the highway from their recently seized junction village - two of the BTR were wiped out before they managed the second of the 7km journey.
A single Ukrainian T-64 destroyed the last one by waiting in the road until it came in sight and blasted it.
The Russians had started their attack from Zelishnyak village, and then Ukrainian decided now was the time to counterattack.
Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade then deployed six troop carrying vehicles to launch an attack south of the village, destroying six Russian vehicles.
Russian forces preparing another attack were hit by artillery and drones as well as and their vehicles eliminated - many of the Russians had to crawl to safety in woodland.
The result was the seizure of some 2km of ground and Ukrainian forces right on the outskirts of Zelishnyak.
Further assaults using Bradley’s and Abram’s from the north, courtesy of the 47th Brigade squeezed the Russians back further.
The Bradley’s are fearsome when it comes to suppressing infantry in tree lines. The high speed fire of the 25mm gun means the enemy has no time to react and the shell penetrates deep through soil and wood trenches before exploding so nobody is willing to stick their head above the line to react. Most defending Russians are killed in situ. The M-1 Abrams rather than acting as an armoured fist, is used as a heavy assault weapon, destroying houses and buildings the Russians are trying to fire from and hide in.
This led to the recapture of a small village and another kilometre of ground.
Again I bring your attention to the scale of these operations. They’re intrinsically small scale and yet have potentially huge consequences.
With Russian resources you would expect them to be much larger operations with near certain chances to make it through, yet they risk feeble BTR-82’s that are notorious for their thin skins, in a mad dash where they hope speed will overcome resistance.
A handful of Ukrainian units undid the whole operation and reversed it.
I look at the Russians and think they’re not taking this seriously enough. If they were and they had the resources how is this not yet over? What are they waiting for?
Ukraine seems to be hanging on by its fingernails in northern Kursk and yet Russia seems to be playing to Ukrainian strengths. It’s like they haven’t learned anything in three years of war.
Meanwhile the Ukrainians seem to be waiting for the Russians next move which is almost too easy to predict and then react to it quickly and decisively- always the best way; stop it before it gets worse.
Russia has now extended its Kursk retake deadline from October 7 to 15, to 30, and now February 28 2025, ‘allowing for seasonal conditions’.
The Russians have nothing but their own incompetence to blame for this. Any quality commander with the resources given would have had this done by now. Instead they have dithered about, argued about what to do and allowed the Ukrainians to feed in some crack units, that are experienced and capable enough they don’t need vast amounts of equipment to run rings around amateur Russian officers and their stupid orders.
In any military analysis it has to be said the Russians stole the march on the Ukrainians, both in scale of the attack from the west and the location - it paid huge dividends. Then somewhere along the line they lost the plot.
I think this goes back to what I have described before as Russian ‘supply box ops ‘. “Here’s the package of equipment we think you need to get the job done”.
Once the box is empty you’re screwed because you can’t have any more, but the demands on what you are expected to achieve don’t change. That leads to high risk stupid attacks that fail and increases the demand on what supply you have left.
Now you have to wait until Moscow is convinced you deserve a second supply box.
The result is stalemate and it gets harder the second time to change things on the ground.
Kursk may - not because of Ukraine’s actions but because of Russian incompetence- become the very thing Ukraine actually needs it to be now - a drag on Russian forces at little cost to their own.
If they can hold on through winter it will become a stiffer challenge for the Russians.
The stupidity of the Russian command is mind boggling at times. They had this in the bag and screwed it up. Quick thinking Ukrainian tactics in defence resulted in fast withdrawals, avoiding any encirclement disasters. Russia seized almost half of the land lost. And now they’ve been stopped. And they seem utterly at a loss to find the material to carry on.
‘The Analyst’ MilStratOnX
Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦!
Ukrainian soldiers took a brief rest, but the calm didn't last long as they heard unfamiliar sounds nearby. Sensing someone was close, they called out, "Are you one of ours?" In response, they heard a confused Russian "Huh?". The situation became clear immediately, and a close-quarters firefight ensued, ending with a Russian soldier receiving a "lead gift" in the back. The encounter took place in Luhansk Oblast, underscoring the unpredictable and intense nature of combat in the region. @ukrainejournal
russia's "Cryptocurrency Queen" Cheated Investors Out of $22 Million and Gave the Money to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, - New York Post / Crimean Wind
russian crypto blogger Valeria Fedyakina, known as the "queen of cryptocurrencies" and "Bitmama," has been accused of defrauding investors of more than $22 million, which investigators believe she sent to Ukrainian troops.
Fedyakina posed as a cryptocurrency expert on social media and convinced victims to transfer money to accounts in Dubai, promising bonuses for conversion. Detained in September 2023, she is awaiting trial and could face up to 10 years in prison. The defense denies the charges and claims that the blogger supports the russian Armed Forces, the article says.
@ukrainejournal
Concerns Grow Over Potential Biological Weapons Production Near Moscow
According to The Washington Post, Russia may resume producing biological weapons that pose significant risks to humanity near Moscow. Satellite images reveal unusual activity at a closed facility northeast of the city, showing construction equipment renovating the old laboratory and laying the foundations for ten new buildings.
This construction at Sergiy Posad-6 is under the watchful eye of American intelligence and bioweapons experts due to rising concerns about Moscow's intentions.
I am a Democrat who supports Ukraine in their battle against The Russian Z fascist invaders.
I am a 73 year old Covid hermit who
lives on 10 acres in a sparsely populated area of the Ozarks. I heat with wood that is leftover by the lumber industry. When cutting oak for lumber only the trunk is used.
The largest town is population 2992. The county is 13k people scattered over 713 square miles.