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
"Milwaukee is a terrible place" says Donnie.
https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/senile-donald-trump-just-stepped-in-it-3/56580/
The Kremlin's confusing explanations why NATO might or might not be a reason to start a war. It just depends...
Putinistan did not unleash a war with Finland and Sweden because of joining NATO, since it does not have "territorial problems" with these countries, might follow from the statements of the Kremlin's press parrot Peskov.
Let's see his interview:
Speaking about the reasons for the invasion of Ukraine, Peskov claimed that Moscow had to take such a step, fearing that NATO would approach the russian borders.
When the correspondent pointed out that after the start of the war, Finland and Sweden also joined the military bloc, Peskow immediately retorted: "This is completely different! It is true, but there is a completely different situation."
Then he "explained" that after russia's annexation of Crimea, a territorial dispute arose. "We have no territorial issues or problems with either Finland or Sweden. We do not have a point of tension, we do not have any confrontational reasons with these countries."
BUT
At the same time, he stated that "sooner or later" the military infrastructure will "climb into the territory" of Finland and Sweden. "They are now very cautious about this. It (the expansion of NATO's military infrastructure to the territory of Sweden and Finland – TMT) will lead to consequences for their own security, because this creeping NATO to the east did not add security to the countries of Eastern Europe. Rather, on the contrary," he concluded.
Self-made NATO threat
Putin, announcing the start of the war, claimed that one of the goals of the invasion was allegedly to counter the approach of the "NATO military machine" to russia's borders. However, only his aggression forced two countries bordering russia to join the defense bloc. Finland and Sweden joined the alliance, with the result the length of the NATO border doubled, and the NATO armed forces were replenished with one of the most combat-ready armies in Europe. In addition, Poland, NATO member since 1999, felt threatened enough to ask the US to deploy nuclear weapons on its territory, and also signed a contract for the purchase of US missile defense and air defense systems for $ 15 billion.
Yes, problem/No problem with NATO
After Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO, first came the usual threats, but when is was clear that blackmail didn't work, Putin changed the tune to "Russia does not have such problems" with these countries "that it has with Ukraine." "We have no territorial issues and disputes, nothing that could worry us. If they want, they are welcome."
Contrary to the Kremlin's claims that "Russia started the war fearing NATO expansion," the allegedly "encroaching" West repeatedly stated before the full-scale invasion that it did not plan to accept Ukraine into the alliance. In particular, just a month before the start of hostilities, even ruZZian state-owned media published that.
Bottom line:
Putin stared the war because he was convinced that
1) NATO and western unity was weak enough to break it up,
2) that his efforts to seize full control of Ukraine by other means had failed,
and 3) that installing a pro-russian puppet regime in Kyiv like he had in BelaruZ would be safe and easy.
His aim was to expand russia’s power by regaining its former Soviet influence sphere, eradicate Ukraine’s statehood, and destroy NATO, goals he still pursues.
Read (once again) all reasons why an real end to the current russian war on Ukraine requires forcing Putin to accept defeat, why there is no path to real peace other than helping Ukraine inflict an unequivocal military defeat on russia and then helping to rebuild Ukraine into a military and society strong and resilient enough that no future russian leader sees an opportunity like the ones Putin misperceived in 2014 and 2022.
@freerussia_report
@Ukraine_Report
Krasnoyarsk journalist sentenced to three years of forced labor for "using violence" against a military officer who attacked her
A court in Krasnoyarsk sentenced Evgenia Shelkovnikova, a journalist with the local newspaper NGS24, to three years of forced labor under the article on the use of violence against a representative of the authorities. The editor-in-chief of the publication, Kadria Katsina, called the verdict obstruction of journalistic activities.
The conflict that served as the reason for the initiation of a criminal case occurred on September 22, 2022, the day after the announcement of mobilization in Russia. The NGS24 film crew was filming a report in the lobby of the military registration and enlistment office of the Sovetsky and Central districts, when a man in camouflage came into the hall and demanded that Shelkovnikova go with him behind the turnstile, then dragged her away, hit her several times, knocked her phone to the floor, and then called others for help.
As it turned out later, Shelkovnikova was attacked by military commissar Viktor Nechiporenko. He wrote a statement in which he accused the journalist of assault, presenting an abrasion on the temple as evidence. The military commissar also said that he did not knock the phone out of Shelkovnikova's hands and that she herself threw it on the floor. The journalist presented to the court the results of the examination, which recorded her bruises received during the fight with Nechiporenko, but the court of course ignored these materials.
Source
@freerussia_report
Ukraine gave Russia a little taste of ATACMS.
https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-used-atacms-to-hit-russia-air-defenses-crimea-reports-2024-6
With the third Patriot, Germany is giving to Ukraine one third of what it has.
The news of battles won and victories being gained in Vovchansk will come as a huge relief to all of Ukraine and demonstrates that in the right conditions with the necessary equipment, Ukraine can win, not just here, but the war in general.
Outstanding staff work from commanders and tactical leaders alike has made this possible, along with determined and experienced frontline troops, aviators, drone operators and artillerists.
Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦!
From "The Analyst":
VOVCHANSK: VICTORY & SURRENDER
Ukraine has continued its offensive into the city, forcing Russians to retreat from over half the areas they still hold in the western sector - indeed making the remaking streets almost untenable, and taking back a large slice of the city along the west-east axis.
This follows on from the first ever raid by Ukrainian aircraft into Russia itself, resulting in the destruction of an ammo depot - and causing widespread civilian panic - along with the army command HQ building at another site. It was this move that was the final straw that forced the Russians to order the redeployment of air defences from Crimea. Even that hasn’t gone to plan, with ATACMS destroying at least three S-300 and an S-400 system before they could depart, incinerating them all.
In Vovchansk itself the Russians have been almost entirely driven out of the city, with Ukraine now holding about 93% of it, a huge shift in the space of a week.
Several pockets of Russians have been cut off with many surrendering or expected to do so. Those that don’t will inevitably die.
It’s uncertain the Russians even know what is going on. They made feeble attempts to attack the central Ukrainian position - leaving themselves wide open to being captured or killed. Indoctrination seems to work better on some than others and it has the feeling of attacks being launched in the vein of death or glory - death being the general result. Nobody is gaining any glory.
Ukrainian gains to the northeast of the city show them crossing the Vovcha river to the north bank, apparently using a German supplied Beaver bridge layer. FPV drones tried to attack it but don’t seem to have been successful, presumably because the Ukrainians knew it was a target and provided countermeasures.
The Russians seem to be trying their best to resist the Ukrainian advances with air strikes and glide bombs, but they just don’t have the ground forces to make them stick, it has become almost a fighting retreat. In warfare like this you either have the men on the ground or you don’t - no amount of air power is going to make them advance if there isn’t enough of it on the frontline with the right equipment and support.
The one thing the Russians have done is successfully eradicate so many buildings that the city is a total ruin. It leaves few places for either them or the Ukrainians to fortify and make use of for defence.
The Ukrainians have, unusually, a very good numerical advantage in men, around 3:1, and they persist in smashing the rear areas and logistics of the Russian forces - which is proving incredibly significant.
The Russians are holding on to fewer and fewer areas and surrendering in sizeable numbers when resistance is pointless.
Ukrainian forces continue there attacks - and this is virtually the only area of the entire front that is currently very active. Almost nothing at all has changed anywhere else and fighting is pretty static.
Let’s remember this is now mid-June, the longest day is just 8 days away, the weather in the front has been warm and dry and the Russians are doing very little if anything because they just don’t have the resources.
Meanwhile American aid and European artillery shells seem to have arrived in sufficient quantity to redress the balance along the whole front.
I do wonder if Ukraine is preparing some kind of offensive somewhere - maybe for later in the year - largely because it would be such a big surprise, but I doubt it. They have recruited more men in the past month than in the past six with the change to mobilisation laws, so after six weeks of basic training they will start to feed into operational units and provide gradual relief and rest to experienced and long serving troops, while boosting numbers overall. That alone will stabilise much of the weaker spots on the frontlines.
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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