TheOldGuy @TheOldGuy@qoto.org
I am a Democrat who supports Ukraine in their battle against The Russian 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 2993. The county is 13k people scattered over 713 square miles.
Joined Dec 2022
The Financial Times has reported that the Russian Navy has been trained to strike European targets with nuclear-tipped missiles in the event of a conflict with NATO, according to classified documents obtained by the publication. These documents, which were drawn up between 2008 and 2014 and provided by Western sources, detail Russia's plans for a potential conflict with the West, extending far beyond its immediate NATO borders.
The documents outline potential targets as far as the west coast of France and Barrow-in-Furness in Great Britain, highlighting Russia's preparations for a series of devastating strikes on Western Europe. The Russian Navy has retained the capability to deploy nuclear weapons on surface ships, a factor that experts believe could significantly increase the risk of escalation or accidents.
According to the documents, Russia has emphasized the advantages of using nuclear strikes early in a conflict and underscores the navy's "high maneuverability" to launch "sudden and preemptive strikes" as well as "massive missile strikes... from multiple directions." The materials also note that nuclear weapons are intended to be used "in combination with other means of destruction" to achieve Russia's strategic goals.
Analysts who reviewed the documents indicated that they align with NATO's assessment of the threat posed by long-range missile strikes from the Russian fleet and the likelihood that Russia would resort to nuclear weapons early in a conflict.
The German IRIS-T air defense systems have proven to be 100% effective in Ukraine, according to military historian Andriy Haruk, who wrote about this in a blog for "Militarnyy."
Since their deployment in October 2022, the IRIS-T systems have been actively defending Ukraine's airspace. Haruk highlighted the exceptional performance of these systems, citing the manufacturer, Diehl Defense. From October 2022 to June 2024, the IRIS-T systems successfully intercepted more than 240 targets, achieving a remarkable 100% hit rate—every missile fired reached its intended target.
From "The Analyst"
KURSK UPDATE
The ‘why’ of the operation is still a major issue for many. Nobody really understands why the Ukrainians are doing this and why they have allocated valuable forces from hard pushed frontline areas to this operation.
This is why I don’t believe it can be as simple as it looks and when you look at the map look at the SW extension.
If they have started an operation at Kolotilivka - and we’ve seen very limited video and little has been reported other than something happened, and Ukrainian forces stormed the border crossing, this arm is the point that could marry up with an operation spreading from the new entry point.
Opsec is tighter than anything I’ve ever seen in this war. Way better than it was in 2023.
Russians are treating this in entirely the wrong way. Putin’s ruling that this is a CTO is frankly absurd, giving the whole thing to the FSB to run only ensures callous behaviour, not competence. Shoigu must be delighted he’s not Defence Minster right now.
Other aspects are the re-emergence of Belorussian assistance - they have been dead quiet and deliberately so. Trying to keep their heads down and out of it. Until Putin demands extra equipment and that they hand over as much as they can as fast as they can to help block the Kursk advance. Of course Lukashenko jumped as soon as he was prodded into action.
There is talk of Ukraine creating a ‘buffer zone’, setting up military administration and offering evacuation safe corridors for those who want it. They’ve made it clear this is not a long term land grab, just a strategic necessity.
I still believe it has more to it. At this point I’d be very disappointed if it doesn’t. Because if this is all it is, its long term value is dubious. It has to be more, to be worth all this effort.
💔 The youngest defender of the 3rd OShBr, a 19-year-old soldier from Lviv Oblast, Yuliya Boyanovska, died at the front.
The senior shooter-operator lay down for Ukraine near the village of Grekivka in the Luhansk region.
🕯 Eternal memory of the defender!
Defense forces of Ukraine hit four military airfields of the Russian occupiers at once , - General Staff
On the night of August 14, units of the Air Force and Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, together with the Security Service of Ukraine and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, attacked four airfields in the Voronezh, Kursk, and Nizhnygorod regions of the Russian Federation.
In particular, the military airfields "Khalino", "Savasleyka", "Borysoglebsk" and "Baltimore" were affected.
Army aviation, Su-34 fighter-bombers, Su-35 fighters and other military aircraft of the enemy are based on these airfields.
The main objects of damage were warehouses of fuel and lubricant materials and aviation means of damage.
The results of the attack are being clarified.
Russia sends 447 goats to North Korea after Kim Jong Un sucks up to Putin - Politico
Goats for guns? Kadyrov must be so jealous!
After a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June at which the international pariahs discussed mutual cooperation, Moscow has delivered a gift to Pyongyang. Russia sent, drumroll, 447 goats to the North Korean city of Rason, the Russian agriculture safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said in a press release.
The goats, which were exported from Russia’s Leningrad region, represent a first batch of farm animals that Russia intends to deliver to North Korea.
The goats will provide dairy products to local children to relieve North Korea’s food shortages, mainly caused by government-related policies, with the situation getting worse during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Human Rights Watch, 10.7 million out of 25.9 million people in North Korea are malnourished, and 18 percent of children have impaired growth and development due to chronic malnutrition.
@andrewdessler I stay well out of the danger zone. On Heat warning days I am in air conditioning before Noon. Stay in until around 6PM
I am a Democrat who supports Ukraine in their battle against The Russian 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 2993. The county is 13k people scattered over 713 square miles.
Joined Dec 2022
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