TheOldGuy @TheOldGuy@qoto.org
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.
Joined Dec 2022
🇩🇪 Two Russian saboteurs have been arrested in Bavaria
Der Spiegel writes that they are 39-year-old Dieter S. and 37-year-old Alexander J. The former fought for the "DPR" in 2013-2016, and since 2023 has had contacts with Russian special services regarding sabotage operations in Germany. The second is allegedly a Russian intelligence agent.
They were spying on the US military base in Grafenwöhr, where Ukrainian soldiers are trained, including training on Abrams tanks, and planned bombings and arson attacks on military transportation routes. The attacks were aimed at disrupting support for Ukraine.
🪐 Subscribe to Live: Ukraine
Republican Party member Marjorie Taylor Greene has proposed a series of strange amendments to the Ukraine support bill
▫️One of them requires that any member of the House of Representatives who voted in favor of the Ukraine aid bill be required to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces;
▫️Another Greene's amendment is that Ukraine must "close all its biolabs" and provide all data on such "research;"
▫️Other amendments call for a report to prove that Christian churches in Ukraine can operate without government interference and that no funds can be used or spent "until the government of Ukraine holds free and fair elections";
The amendments are unlikely to gain support among Greene's colleagues because they are too extraordinary.
It is noteworthy that Greene's systematic anti-Ukrainian actions are also being criticized by her fellow party members. The day before, the Republican Fox News published a column titled "Marjorie Taylor Greene is an idiot. She is trying to wreck the GOP."
🪐 Subscribe to Live: Ukraine
🇧🇪🇨🇿 Belgium and the Czech Republic are urging for new sanctions against Russia following attempts to interfere in EU elections.
The leaders of both countries highlighted that the recent revelations suggest the Russian regime is attempting to influence the upcoming European elections and bolster the pro-Russian narrative in the new European Parliament.
They expressed their determination to address the issue of Russian influence during EU leaders' meetings, stating, "We cannot allow Russia to escape accountability for such a blatant attack on our democratic institutions and principles."
@EveryUkraineWarVideo Subscribe
THE UKRAINIANS AIR DEFENCES ARE IN DIRE STRAIGHTS
Finally after months of pushing and warning NATO, an emergency meeting is to take place on replenishing Ukrainian air defences. Not only are additional launchers needed, the most important aspect is missile for the existing ones, which are now pretty much gone.
Germany has agreed to supply another Patriot battery and missiles but it’s the NASAMS missiles and the PAC2/3 missiles for Patriot that are needed most.
The real issue is that production is nowhere near where it needs to be to match use. And it’s not going to be scraping the minimum even by next year.
The only way around this is to backfill stocks from new production and those nations with missiles need to supply them now. There is intense resistance to doing this as getting replacements is taking so long, and Ukrainian burn rates are higher than even this can sustain in the mid term.
The danger point comes when all the missiles are supplied, Ukraine uses them and nobody has more than a handful left, new production will just end up in Ukraine for use.
Those countries who supplied their missiles are then afraid they will have nothing to fire if needed and neither, eventually, will Ukraine.
Only higher production will solve the problem. The US has quite a sizeable arsenal, but they too are concerned about stripping their defences around the world - especially in the Middle East and Pacific, Alaska and Hawaii/Guam which are vital in the event of war with China.
Everything that can help resolve this is tied up in the recently published House Ukraine aid bill. That allocates $25 billion to replenish US weapons stocks sent to Ukraine and $61 billion in allocation aid.
Only this aid stands any chance of rectifying the situation. Yet while it’s couched in loan-style language it’s comprehensive enough the President has said he will sign it if it is passed (if it gets through the senate). With the Speaker now seriously under threat by Moscow Margery Traitor Greene, she has the backing of a second. It will require Democrats to vote for it (which they will) and a handful of Republicans who can be found to still have a conscience.
Then it has to go to the senate where it needs 60 out of 100 to pass. If it passes without amendments then it will be signed and activated. However if the Senate amends it, it has to go back to the House for another approval vote. By which time a battle for the speakership may hold it up.
This is the state of affairs as it stands. Meanwhile Ukraine keeps getting hit and people die. This is Trump’s legacy even when he isn’t president.
Slava 🇺🇦 Ukraine!
@EveryUkraineWarVideo Subscribe
According to ex-NATO general Bühler, who reports on Ukraine multiple times per week through German MDR, Russia is currently pushing with some success especially in the center of Eastern Ukraine, because Russia sees a window of opportunity due to the stop of aid from US and the still missing artillery ammunition delivery from Europe through the Czech initiative. An additional factor is that Ukraine is short on long-range air defense missiles. However, also Russia knows that this window is going to close soon with the Czech initiative, so they're really desperately pushing at the moment.
https://t.me/EveryUkraineWarVideo Subscribe
Moscow is preparing a provocation against Ukraine, allegedly related to the illegal circulation of Western weapons in Africa
With the aim of discrediting Ukraine and its partners, accusing Western allies of uncontrolled arms circulation with the participation of Ukraine, and emphasizing the fact that allegedly elite Ukrainian special forces are participating in hostilities in Africa at a time when Russia is waging a genocidal war in Ukraine itself, the Kremlin will try accuse Ukrainian special forces of allegedly using weapons of foreign origin during hostilities in the Republic of Sudan.
To do this, Russian propagandists plan to publish, in particular, in the Libyan media, commissioned publications and fabricated pictures of "trophy" weapons of American origin, previously captured by mercenaries of the so-called "Wagner" PvK during the war in Ukraine.
GUR emphasizes that Ukraine continues to act exclusively within the framework of international law and the UN Charter, with respect for the sovereignty of all countries and has nothing to do with illegal arms trafficking.
https://t.me/EveryUkraineWarVideo Subscribe
Institute for the Study of War’s (ISW) Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 16, 2024 (A few highlights)
• Zelensky stressed the problems Ukraine faces due to the shortages in air defense systems and artillery.
• Russian forces in eastern Ukraine utilize smaller groups for assaults and are plagued by morale issues; however, the Ukrainian material shortage means these attacks are unlikely to culminate in the near future.
• Ukraine’s SBU successfully targeted a Russian Nebo-U long-range radar station in Bryansk Oblast.
• The Kremlin continues to exert a centralized authority over Ramzan Kadyrov’s “Akhmat” Spetsnaz forces via the Russian MoD.
Zelensky stressed the problems Ukraine faces in defending against Russian air and ground assaults due to the shortages in air defense systems and artillery.
In an interview with PBS News Hour, Zelensky mentioned that Ukrainian forces were only able to destroy the first seven out of eleven Russian missiles launched against the Trypilska Thermal Power Plant (TPP) on April 11th. The plant was subsequently destroyed due to this ammunition shortage involving air-defense systems.
Furthermore, Zelensky mentioned that Ukrainian forces are at the short end of the stick with an artillery disadvantage of 1-to-10. Because of this artillery shortage, the Ukrainians have gradually lost some territory. As ISW critically mentions, “Russia and Ukraine are engaged in a constant air domain offense-defense innovation-adaptation race, in which Russia continues to adjust the timing, scale, composition, and targets of its strike packages to attempt to penetrate Ukraine’ air defense umbrella.”
Basically, the Russians are trying to launch air attacks in an eccentric fashion to confuse and exploit Ukraine’s air defenses. The delay in US aid for air defenses is helping these attacks become more successful.
Russian forces in eastern Ukraine utilize smaller groups for assaults and are plagued by morale issues; however, the Ukrainian material shortage means these attacks are unlikely to culminate in the near future.
Colonel Ruslan Muzychuk, spokesperson of the Ukrainian National Guard, recently stated that in eastern Ukraine, the Russians have opted to use small groups split into two detachments. The detachments are reinforced with armored vehicles to assist in ground attacks.
Furthermore, the Russians have been relying more on small, unprotected vehicles (the Chinese golf carts, for example) to rapidly approach Ukrainian positions with the hope of setting ideal conditions for subsequent Russian infantry groups to assault and secure the positions.
Oleh Kalashnikov, press officer for the Ukrainian 26th Artillery Brigade, stated publicly the Russians in the Bakhmut area seem to have opted for these smaller group attacks because Ukrainian drones immediately detect battalion-sized ground attacks and thwart them well.
At most, the Russians are using company-sized attacks. Kalashnikov also mentioned that Russian troops in this sector are experiencing chronic morale problems and use barrier troops to prevent troops from retreating. These morale problems would be ideal to exploit, but with the shortages in artillery that Ukraine faces, ISW predicts these Russian attacks are unlikely to culminate in the near future.
Ukraine’s SBU successfully targeted a Russian Nebo-U long-range radar station in Bryansk Oblast.
Per SBU sources, this particular Nebo-U station allowed Russian forces to survey up to 700 kilometers into Ukrainian airspace. Furthermore, the system was capable of detecting Ukrainian weapons and supporting Russian bombers to target concentrations of Ukrainian troops. Previously, the SBU successfully destroyed another Nebo-U station in Belgorod Oblast.
The Kremlin continues to exert a centralized authority over Ramzan Kadyrov’s “Akhmat” Spetsnaz forces via the Russian MoD.
(1/2)Vladimir Putin signed a decree on April 16 appointing Commander of the Akhmat Spetsnaz - Apty Alaudinov - as the Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for Military-Political Work at the Russian MoD. This part of the Russian MoD is involved in ensuring Russian forces follow closely to Russia’s political ideology. This move is noteworthy due to not only it falls on the 15th year anniversary of the Kremlin declaring victory in Chechnya but also since it follows Kadyrov’s recent announcement that 3,000 former Wagner Group members would join the Akhmat Spetsnaz.
The ISW notes two probable reasons for this move by Putin. First, he is probably trying to establish safeguards to ensure Chechen leadership remains loyal to the Kremlin since Kadyrov’s forces continue to grow. Second, it might be a way to continue formalizing these atypical units under the MoD. In other words, ensure these forces remain loyal and reigned in under Putin’s control.
(2/2)
@EveryUkraineWarVideo Subscribe
Doctors in Lviv recently performed a complex operation on a child from Northern Ireland for the first time. The patient, a 4-year-old girl, suffered from severe seizures that threatened her life and hindered her development. Pediatric neurosurgeons at the largest Center for Neurosurgery and Surgical Treatment of Epilepsy in Western Ukraine, based at St. Nicholas Children's Hospital, removed part of her brain hemisphere to address the problem.
The girl's family traveled 3,000 kilometers to seek the help of these specialists. Despite the challenging nature of the surgery, which lasted 7 hours, the operation was successful. The child is now seizure-free, which means her development will no longer be delayed.
😳🇵🇱A Russian agent was detained on the territory of Poland, whilst preparing for an assassination attempt on the President of Ukraine
The Polish citizen worked closely with Russia's military intelligence (better known as the GRU).
Among the main tasks were the collection and transfer to the aggressor country of information about the security of the Rzeszów-Jasionka airport on the territory of Poland.
This data was supposed to help Russian special services plan an assassination attempt on Zelensky during his stay in this country.
The detainee is in custody.
The agent was identified and detained thanks to the successful actions of Ukrainian special services and Polish law enforcement officers.
The Polish prosecutor's office has already charged the agent for being willing to act for the benefit of a foreign special service.
On Thursday, April 18, at the request of the Polish prosecutor's office, the District Court of Warsaw imposed a preventive measure on the perpetrator - detention.
Investigations are ongoing. The investigation is conducted by the Internal Security Agency under the supervision of the National Prosecutor's Office of Poland
From "The Analyst":
TU-160 BOMBER FACTORY BADLY DAMAGED
Ukraine managed to hit and severely damage the building that produces the Tu-160 Strategic Bomber, at Kazan. The Tu-160 was restarted in 2018 after years of zero production. So far only one has been delivered but more are coming.
The existing fleet was also being overhauled and refitted with modern avionics.
The site is also responsible for the build of the Tu-22M3 (NATO called it the Tu-26 Backfire originally, the original NATO designated Tu-22 was the Blinder). Both of these carry the missiles that have been devastating Ukrainian energy production.
There is no other facility in Russia capable of production of such aircraft. The attack seems to have gone through the roof - just a standard large hanger type of construct with no special features. It would almost certainly have fallen through and damaged a production area and likely took a new aircraft or two out with it.
The fact that Ukraine can reach these places and bring the war so deep into Russia seems to shock the locals who witnessed the daytime attack.
Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦!
"We are aware that many countries possess substantial inventories of PATRIOT systems, albeit possibly reluctant to directly supply them. However, we are prepared to purchase these systems and deliver them to Ukraine as we have the necessary funds. This is of paramount importance," stated Acting Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, as reported by The Guardian.
"The urgency to provide Ukraine with surface-to-air missiles cannot be overstated. I am committed to making renewed efforts to persuade countries in possession of PATRIOT systems to transfer them to Kyiv. Ukraine requires all available air defenses, and they urgently need missile capabilities. We must ensure that this happens," Rutte emphasized.
Rutte further mentioned that, in collaboration with current NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, they have urged allies to delve deeper into their reserves and allocate air defense systems for Kyiv.
When Trump talks voter fraud, his followers stay home because, "what's the use".
https://open.substack.com/pub/robertreich/p/the-trump-voter-fraud-paradox?r=70k1h&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Climate inaction is costing 38 trillion annually.
And it's going to go up. https://open.substack.com/pub/rebekahjones/p/38-trillion-annually-lost-in-economic?r=70k1h&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Biden leading in polls
https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/and-there-it-is/55554/
🇺🇸 Johnson called the provision of lethal aid to Ukraine "critically important".
Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, said that now is a "critical time on the world stage."
"I think that providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. It's the thing that should be done," he said.
At the same time, according to Johnson, it is better to "send bullets to Ukraine than American men." He noted that he believes in the possibility of Russia attacking NATO countries, in particular, the Balkans or Poland.
🇺🇦@ukraine_report 🇺🇦🔱
Reflecting on History: Ukraine now Utilizes an Ancient Method to Disrupt Russian Logistics
The Russians are facing a new threat behind the front line: tire-popping metal obstacles called caltrops dropped by drones.
It is an ingenious new use of a very old weapon, which is causing problems for Russia’s already overstretched last-mile supply chain by halting vehicles so they can be hit by bomber drones.
Ukrainian drones are strewing the roads with four-pointed metal weapons designed so that whichever way they fall, one point is always upwards.
The name caltrop comes from the Latin for ‘heel trapper;’ the Romans also called them murex ferreus or ‘jagged iron,’ but they go back even further. Caltrops can be dated at least to 313 BC when Alexander the Great’s army used them against Persian cavalry.
In the 20th century the caltrop made a comeback for attacking rubber tires. During WWII American O.S.S. mass produced caltrops and distributed them to European resistance fighters.
Simpler and more reliable than explosives, they could be scattered on roads to stop German vehicles, either as harassment or as a prelude to an ambush.
Drones which can deliver payloads with precision are an obvious match for caltrops. A Chinese company showing off a new caltrop-dropping drone at a military expo in 2019.
While the Ukrainians went through a flurry of caltrop-making in 2022, these were larger versions which were mainly emplaced by hand. They have not been seen much until recently pictures emerged on social media.
One Russian blogger complained: “The enemy keeps coming up with new nasty things. Not only do they drop mines from the drones, but they literally cover dangerous sections of frontline roads with spikes. "
“For safety reasons we have to literally ‘fly through’ these areas and our vehicles.… drive at the maximum possible speed. And imagine what happens to a car when two (or more) wheels are immediately punctured by its spikes.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2024/04/12/ukraine-teams-ancient-and-modern-weapons-to-stop-russian-trucks/?sh=1065b91d3938
@ukrainejournal
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.
Joined Dec 2022
TheOldGuy's choices:
