Ukraine

[bradman]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-le ... 10698.html
At least half of Ukraine's thermal power capacity hit by Russian strikes - minister

KYIV (Reuters) - Russian air attacks have hit at least half of Ukraine's thermal generation capacity causing billions of dollars of damage since Oct. 10, though not all those power units have stopped working completely, Ukraine's energy minister said on Friday.

German Galushchenko told Reuters in an interview that Ukraine may need electricity imports to get through the winter after attacks that had struck 30-40% of power infrastructure and traders were already holding negotiations with suppliers.

Moscow stepped up its strikes last week using missiles and loitering munitions to target Kyiv and major infrastructure in what Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin said was payback for a Ukrainian attack on a bridge to annexed Crimea.

"It's quite a lot of capacity. I can tell you that it's... at least half of thermal generation capacity, even more," Galushchenko said, when asked about the scale of the damage.

He said he believed that Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine is nearing the eight-month mark, now planned to destroy the entire energy system, though he emphasised that the system was still functioning stably.

[bradman]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-russian-de ... 17464.html
U.S., Russian defence chiefs speak, call was needed to clear up misunderstandings -Moscow

(Reuters) -U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke for the first time since May on Friday and a top Russian diplomat said the call was needed to eliminate misunderstandings, TASS news agency reported.

The Pentagon declined to offer specifics beyond saying that Austin, who initiated the conversation, emphasized a need for lines of communication amid the war in Ukraine.

"Misunderstandings must be cleared up so that there are no accidents ... these are always important contacts, and it's important the Americans were the first to go for it," TASS quoted Vienna-based Russian diplomat Konstantin Gavrilov as telling Russian television.

i'm betting it had something to do with the rumor that Putin has one of Ukraine's largest dams rigged to blow.

[bradman]

It's CSM .....


https://www.yahoo.com/news/belarus-may- ... 10117.html
Belarus may be set for war with Ukraine. But at what cost to itself?

Eight months ago when Russia invaded Ukraine, one of its key fronts was launched from Belarus. Since then, Russia’s only major ally has remained on the sideline of the conflict between its two neighbors.

But now, Belarus appears to be edging toward directly joining in the war, under pressure from Moscow. And experts say that by doing so, it may ultimately be hastening its own absorption by Russia

.

Seems like this war footing thing is growing.

[bradman]

Putin's not the only one running low on ammo......


https://www.yahoo.com/news/weapons-shor ... 39320.html
Weapons shortages could mean hard calls for Ukraine's allies

WASHINGTON (AP) — Weapons shortages across Europe could force hard choices for Ukraine’s allies as they balance their support for Ukraine against the risk that Russia could target them next.

For months, the United States and other NATO members have sent billions of dollars worth of weapons and equipment into Ukraine to help it fight back against Russia. But for many of the smaller NATO countries, and even some of the larger ones, the war has strained already-depleted weapons stockpiles. Some allies sent all their reserve Soviet-era weaponry and are now waiting for U.S. replacements.

+

Other smaller nations, such as fellow Baltic state Lithuania, face the same challenges. But so do some larger NATO members, including Germany.

“Ukraine has led to a general shortage of supply because so many states have forgotten that conventional war is burning through your ammunition reserve. Just burning through it,” Dovilė Šakalienė, a member of Lithuania's Parliament, said in a phone interview. “In certain situations, even the word ‘excess’ is not applicable. In certain situations, we left ourselves with a bare minimum.”

Germany faces a similar situation, the ministry of defense said in an email to the AP. “Yes, the Bundeswehr’s stocks are limited. Just as it is the case in other European countries,” the ministry said.

[Drak]

Normalizing genocide. And Putin is an ally of the GOP.

Yaroslav Trofimov @yarotrof - Verified

Russia Today’s anchor in full Radio Mille Collines genocide mode: Ukrainian children saying Ukraine is occupied by Russia? Need to throw them into a fast river and drown them alive. Or, even better, put them into wooden houses, nail the doors and burn them alive.


Video at link

https://twitter.com/yarotrof/status/1584094376334016512

Another translation

Julia Davis @JuliaDavisNews - Verified

Meanwhile on Russia's state-funded RT, director of broadcasting Anton Krasovsky suggests drowning or burning Ukrainian children, makes hideous comments about the rapes by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, says Ukraine should not exist and Ukrainians who resist Russia should be shot.

https://twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/stat ... 8145685504

[bradman]

That's why the phone calls......

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukrai ... 0a449f308c

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia’s defense chief alleged Sunday that Ukraine was preparing a “provocation” involving a radioactive device, a stark claim that was strongly rejected by U.S., British and Ukrainian officials amid soaring tensions as Moscow struggles to stem Ukrainian advances in the south.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the allegations in phone calls with his counterparts from the United States, Britain, France and Turkey.

Russia’s defense ministry said Shoigu voiced concern about “possible Ukrainian provocations involving a ‘dirty bomb,’” a device that uses explosives to scatter radioactive waste. It doesn’t have the devastating effect of a nuclear explosion, but could expose broad areas to radioactive contamination.

Russian authorities repeatedly have made allegations that Ukraine could detonate a dirty bomb in a false flag attack and blame it on Moscow. Ukrainian authorities, in turn, have accused the Kremlin of hatching such a plan.

+

The mention of the dirty bomb threat in Shoigu’s calls seemed to indicate the threat of such an attack has risen to an unprecedented level.

The French Ministry of the Armed Forces said Shoigu told his counterpart, Sebastien Lecornu, that the situation in Ukraine was rapidly worsening and “trending towards uncontrollable escalation.”

[ProfX]

There don't seem to be any more RT defenders around anymore. Good.

Russian TV presenter says sorry but faces probe for call to drown Ukrainian children
https://news.yahoo.com/russian-tv-prese ... 29019.html

(Reuters) - A Russian TV presenter apologised on Monday for calling for Ukrainian children to be drowned, as Russia's state Investigative Committee said it was probing his remarks.

In a show last week on state-controlled broadcaster RT, presenter Anton Krasovsky said Ukrainian children who saw Russians as occupiers under the Soviet Union should have been "thrown straight into a river with a strong current" and drowned.

Ukraine said on Sunday that RT was an inciter of genocide and should be banned worldwide. Margarita Simonyan, the channel's editor-in-chief, said she had suspended Krasovsky because of his "disgusting" comments, adding that no one at RT shared his views.

[snip]

State television, heavily controlled by the Kremlin, has been a vocal cheerleader of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, often calling on President Vladimir Putin to take an even more aggressive approach to the war. But Krasovsky's comments appeared to have crossed a line for the authorities.

The Investigative Committee, which handles serious crimes, said it had been asked to look into his "sharp statements" and had ordered a report.

Krasovsky is a pro-war commentator on Russian television who has been sanctioned by the European Union. In last week's show, he also talked about shoving children into huts and burning them, and joked about the rape of Ukrainian women.

[snip][end]

What a nice feller ...

[Drak]

That's why the phone calls......

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukrai ... 0a449f308c

+

In other words, Russia is planning on using a nuke.

[bradman]

In other words, Russia is planning on using a nuke.

i dunno. That the communication lines have been reestablished with Russia is quite concerning. It kinda makes the Cuban Missile crisis small in comparison.


It seems it started with this.....

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/is ... 022-10-21/
Factbox: Is the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine about to be blown?

Oct 21 (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of planning to blow up the Kakhovka hydro-electric dam on the Dnipro River, a step that would unleash a devastating flood across a large area of southern Ukraine.

What is the Kakhovka dam, is it about to be blown and what impact would that have?

Russia says Ukraine is planning an attack on the dam, Ukraine is saying Russia's going to blow the dam.

Something doesn't make sense. If the Russians blow that dam they lose Crimea's water supply. (It's why Elon mentioned Crimea water rights in his tweet. And...........When the dam was under Ukrainian control they did shut down the water supply to Crimea.)

The above link did have an interesting Rumor.....

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that Russia had mined the dam and was preparing to blow it, a step he compared to the use of weapons of mass destruction.

"I informed the Europeans today, during the meeting of the European Council, about the next terrorist attack, which Russia is preparing for at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant," he said. "Destroying the dam would mean a large-scale disaster."

Blowing the dam, he said, would also destroy the water supply to Crimea and thus show that Russia had accepted that it could not hold onto the peninsula.

Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-installed deputy head of the annexed Kherson region, said Kyiv's allegations that Russia had mined the dam were false.

One thing is for certain. With the rumors of a dirty bomb, this thing is escalating. How'd one Russian official say it? "Uncontrollable warfare"? We just might get to see whether or not Russia really is a paper tiger.

[Drak]

You can’t trust anything Russia says. They’re the bad guys. They’re the invaders. They constantly project. They can just pack it up and walk away but we know they’re planning something bad for several weeks now.

[bradman]

You can’t trust anything Russia says. They’re the bad guys. They’re the invaders. They constantly project. They can just pack it up and walk away but we know they’re planning something bad for several weeks now.

True. Besides maybe Gorby and Yeltsin, it's been like that for a century or more.

[ZoWie]

I suspect that they're transitioning to the old Russian scorched earth doctrine. "If we can't have Ukraine, then nobody can." Something like that. They're just taking out everything that makes the place habitable. I wonder if they remember that if they bomb the reactors, the Moscow area will get most of the fallout.

Americans are, as always, poorly informed about this war. Europeans get it, which is why they have tanked their own economies to help Ukraine fight it. It's really a pan-European war being fought in Ukraine. For them, it's WWIII already.

There's a video making the rounds that is pretty much proven to be the real thing. It shows a ride-along by a news crew in a NATO AWACS intelligence gathering flight with an international crew. These aircraft have been up since just before the war started. The ADSBx web site used to show them over Poland pretty much 24/7, but the aircraft have since turned off that system and use only the secure military one.

The video comes as close as OPSEC permits to showing Ukraine forces being directly informed in real time with intelligence gathered by NATO. Some folders in a few shots look like the ones on Donald Trump's floor, though in this case presumably only those with a need to know open them. Some of the crew are American.

We are in this war.

[Toonces]

In other words, Russia is planning on using a nuke.

They like to make those threats but I still think it is highly unlikely for nuclear weapons to be used. There is a possibility but Putin knows what it would mean for Russia. They'd lose what remaining allies they have and they cannot afford to do that not without economic calamity.

An escalation would bring a war that Russia would certainly lose, and I don't think there is the stomach for that in leadership. Putin is definitely a war criminal and very dangerous but he's not "insane".

I do think he does want a confrontation with NATO but nuclear weapons would escalate it beyond the skirmishes and "moral victory" that he'd claim in taking on NATO. He wants to redraw borders, not hasten the end of Russia.

[bradman]

They like to make those threats but I still think it is highly unlikely for nuclear weapons to be used. There is a possibility but Putin knows what it would mean for Russia. They'd lose what remaining allies they have and they cannot afford to do that not without economic calamity.

An escalation would bring a war that Russia would certainly lose, and I don't think there is the stomach for that in leadership. Putin is definitely a war criminal and very dangerous but he's not "insane".

I do think he does want a confrontation with NATO but nuclear weapons would escalate it beyond the skirmishes and "moral victory" that he'd claim in taking on NATO. He wants to redraw borders, not hasten the end of Russia.

Wish i shared the same optimism.

To me Putin shares the same screwed up grand mythology of empire as Hitler had. i can see Putin pulling the same thing Hitler did. If there was going to be no Hitler, no German empire, well, then, to people like that, it would be best if the whole population perish with the fantasy of said empire.

[bradman]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-liberal-de ... 31506.html
U.S. liberal Democrats urge Biden to seek negotiated Ukraine settlement

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thirty liberal U.S. congressional Democrats urged President Joe Biden on Monday to shift his strategy for the Russia-Ukraine war by pursuing a negotiated settlement along with his current provision of military and economic support to Kyiv.

"Given the destruction created by this war for Ukraine and the world, as well as the risk of catastrophic escalation, we also believe it is in the interests of Ukraine, the United States, and the world to avoid a prolonged conflict," the 30 Democratic members of the House of Representatives said in a letter to Biden.

"For this reason, we urge you to pair the military and

economic support the United States has provided to Ukraine with a proactive diplomatic push, redoubling efforts to seek a realistic framework for a ceasefire," the Democrats' letter said.

[ProfX]

I just wish there was a negotiating partner on the other side acting in good faith.

Putin seems to think negotiations mean "I get everything I want, or you get bombed into the stone age."

It's for the Ukrainian people to decide. I think they could accept terms where they delay (not end) joining NATO, and some kind of autonomy/access agreement for Crimea, and limited autonomy for the Donetsk etc. regions. But, it's their decision.

No, Russia can't just have it all.

Ironically, he's sped up a lot of neighboring nations' decisions to enter NATO.

[bradman]

oh ya. Who didn't see that coming.......


https://www.yahoo.com/news/rift-among-d ... 39801.html
The Guardian
Rift among Democrats after letter urges Biden to hold talks to end Ukraine war

In the letter, sent to the White House on Monday and first reported by the Washington Post, the progressive Democrats call on Biden to make “vigorous diplomatic efforts” towards a “negotiated settlement and ceasefire”. They highlight the global hunger and poverty that could ensue from Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine as well as “elevated gas and food prices at home”, concluding that America’s top priority should be to seek “a rapid end to the conflict”.

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the letter was the proposal that Biden should explore “incentives to end hostilities, including some form of sanctions relief” for Russia.

The letter provoked fierce pushback from several Democratic lawmakers – including one of its own signatories – and elicited a frosty White House response. It was interpreted as the first sign of friction over Ukraine within the Democratic party, which has until now stood firm behind Biden’s unconditional backing of Kyiv in its battle to defend and retrieve its sovereign territory from Moscow.

+

The blowback from Democrats was so intense that within hours of the letter being dispatched its lead signatory, the chair of the congressional Progressive Caucus Pramila Jayapal, was forced to issue a “clarification”.

+

After the initial eruption of criticism, some of the progressive signatories defended their action. Ro Khanna of California, who pointed out that he had voted for each of the aid packages to Ukraine, said: “Our nation should never silence or shout down debate.”

+

Supporters of the letter said that it reflected a desire to end the war through diplomacy – an aspiration which Biden himself has championed. He was explicit about that goal in a speech he made in Delaware in June.

Biden said: “It appears to me that, at some point along the line, there’s going to have to be a negotiated settlement here. And what that entails, I don’t know.”

Talk about crummy timing. What were they thinking releasing it now. Let the “clarification” (shoe shuffle) begin......

“Let me be clear: we are united as Democrats in our unequivocal commitment to supporting Ukraine in their fight for their democracy and freedom in the face of the illegal and outrageous Russian invasion, and nothing in the letter advocates for a change in that support,” she said.

[ZoWie]

"Thinking" and "Democratic Party" should probably never appear in the same sentence, unless there's a "What were they thinking?" question.

While the Republicans carefully and methodically take over the processes by which humans communicate with one another, using every tool that science and commerce can provide, Democrats tend to vent more than think. Holding up signs in front of the headquarters of huge right wing media conglomerates is not going to solve the problem of unbalanced news coverage.

Biden has actually done a masterful job by raising the stakes for Russia much higher than the Republicans ever would have, while avoiding the appearance of a direct military confrontation a la JFK in Cuba.

Were the GOP still in the White House, they might have threatened to cancel their next lunch with Putin, if that.

If Biden was a Republican president, the pundits would be fighting over TV time to express their praise.

[bradman]

"Thinking"> i'm not a member of any organized political party. i'm a Democrat.

The coalition Biden put together is nothing short of amazing. It's one of the reasons this can't really be compared to Hitler. Hitler took the Sudetenland, Poland, and France. What little could be done about it skedaddled via Dunkirk. Putin was stopped at Kiev. It now looks like he may lose his land bridge. (the new defensive line the Wagner group is digging, as far as i can tell, is miles from Crimea.) Which opens up the Crimea question. So, ya, unlike Hitler, Putin has been paying a heavy price for his special little operation. All because of Uncle Joe.

Scorched earth> It's one source i take with a grain of salt......

https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukraines-arm ... 24170.html
Ukrayinska Pravda
Ukraines Armed Forces predict what "difficult decisions" Russian commander Surovikin has prepared for Kherson Oblast

"Given the lack of humanity and observance of international conventions by the so-called ‘world’s second army’, as well as the pathological lying by all Kremlin politicians and propagandists, the enemy may make ‘difficult decisions’.

It is highly likely that during the retreat, the enemy, in addition to mass evacuation, may resort to a series of terrorist attacks involving blowing up residential areas, turning the temporarily occupied territory into scorched earth and causing critical damage to the infrastructure of Ukraine’s retaken territories.

Taking into account the Russian Federation’s latest fake news about a so-called ‘dirty bomb’, it also cannot be ruled out that the occupiers may organise explosions at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with the aim of finally putting it out of action and provoking a local man-made disaster, with Ukraine being accused of doing this."

Given Putin's assault on the civilian infrastructure inside Ukraine, i wouldn't put it past him.

[Libertas]

"Thinking" and "Democratic Party" should probably never appear in the same sentence, unless there's a "What were they thinking?" question.

While the Republicans carefully and methodically take over the processes by which humans communicate with one another, using every tool that science and commerce can provide, Democrats tend to vent more than think. Holding up signs in front of the headquarters of huge right wing media conglomerates is not going to solve the problem of unbalanced news coverage.

Biden has actually done a masterful job by raising the stakes for Russia much higher than the Republicans ever would have, while avoiding the appearance of a direct military confrontation a la JFK in Cuba.

Were the GOP still in the White House, they might have threatened to cancel their next lunch with Putin, if that.

If Biden was a Republican president, the pundits would be fighting over TV time to express their praise.

Not "thinking and Democratic Party", MESSAGING and D party yes. But we think pretty good, as you know.

[ZoWie]

Then put more thought into getting the message out. It can't be any harder than 13 scraggly disorganized little colonies fighting their way out of the British Empire and uniting in a one of the world's major nations.

[bradman]

Thunder Runs. Who knew?

i check up on the guy every once in a while. No complaints so far,...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2-5It_PJv0
Thunder Runs: Analyzing Ukraine's Devastating New Tactic
2.8M views 2 weeks ago

A new form of Blitzkrieg.

[bradman]

Hmmm......


https://www.yahoo.com/news/saudis-tell- ... 23076.html
Saudis tell US that Iran is prepping attack on kingdom

WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence with American officials that suggests Iran could be preparing for an imminent attack on the kingdom, three U.S. officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The heightened concerns about a potential attack on Saudi Arabia as the Biden administration is criticizing Tehran for its crackdown on widespread protests and condemning it for sending hundreds of drones — as well as technical support — to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine.

“We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis,” the National Security Council said in a statement. “We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region.”

One of the officials who confirmed the intelligence sharing described it as a credible threat of an attack “soon or within 48 hours.” No U.S. embassy or consulate in the region has issued alerts or guidance to Americans in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in the Middle East based on the intelligence. The officials were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

[Bludogdem]

Hmmm......


https://www.yahoo.com/news/saudis-tell- ... 23076.html
Saudis tell US that Iran is prepping attack on kingdom

Wonder if Israel would team up the Saudi’s.

[bradman]

Wonder if Israel would team up the Saudi’s.

As it's been explained to me in the past, it's complicated.

After MBS pulled his last little oil stunt i'm wondering why we should give a shit. Maybe Putin will lend them a hand.