I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a peaceful, prosperous and happy new year. Many thanks for your support over the past eighteen months.
This last week of 2024 has been very similar to previous weeks in many respects. The Israelis continue their genocide in Gaza, they continue to break the ‘ceasefire’ in Lebanon and they continue to encroach into Syria. Meanwhile, HTS, which will not hold elections for four years, continues to execute opponents while minority groups such as Christians and Alawites continue to be targeted. Erdogan is getting himself into a pickle in northern Syria as he fights with US backed Kurdish forces. The US is bringing more troops and firepower into the arena. The Russian bases are staying put for now.
Hamas continues to destroy Zionist forces in Gaza while the Houthis (Ansa Allah) are making their presence felt in the Red Sea and in Israel itself. Several ‘hypersonic’ missiles have been seen breaching Israel’s ‘iron dome’ in Tel Aviv as millions of Israelis are sent scurrying to shelters once more.
The Europeans continue to squabble among themselves while Sleepy Joe is making last ditch efforts to provide more billions to Ukraine. Many Western leaders are still attempting to persuade Ukraine to mobilise 18 year old boys. Battlefield casualties have been much the same as recent weeks. After many weeks of fighting, the Russians have finally taken Kurakhovo and are also outflanking Pokrovsk to the west.
In his New Year’s address, Zelensky told his people that he ‘values the life of every Ukrainian’ - which was greeted with contempt by some. The Ukrainian National Anthem did not feature in its New Year celebrations, which is telling, while the Russians celebrated the capture or liberation of 3,367 square kilometres of Ukrainian soil during 2024.
A number of terrorist attacks have marked the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. Cars crashed into crowds in Magdeburg, Germany and in New Orleans while a Tesla Cybertruck was blown up outside of Trump Tower by a Ukrainian supporter who killed himself in the process. There have also been some mass shooting incidents around the world. People will ask whether these are pure coincidences or attempts by the ruling elites to terrorise populations in order to exert control over them. Following the attacks, Trump described his country as a ‘disaster’ caused by open borders and incompetent leadership everywhere - including the Democrats, the FBI and the DOJ.
It’s been yet another eventful week.
Putin - Selection From His New Year’s Statement
Everything will be fine, we will only move forward. We know for sure that the fate of Russia, the well-being of its citizens, has been, is and will be an absolute value for us. This is how our unity, our faith in ourselves and in our strength, in our capabilities, has been strengthened. We still have much to decide, but we can be rightly proud of what has already been done. This period was filled with many historically significant, large-scale events. We set big goals for ourselves and achieved them. We overcame trials more than once, because we were together.
He also praised those fighting the SMO - they are ‘true heroes’, he said. The bear cubs coming ‘home’ to their mother symbolises the idea of togetherness that Putin is attempting to articulate above. It could also be symbolic of the end of the war when the soldiers will return home.
Aktau Plane Crash - Putin Speaks with Aliyev
Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone to Azerbaijan leader Ilham Aliyev about the crash. The official statement read:
During the telephone conversation, Vladimir Putin expressed condolences over the tragic incident that occurred on December 25 with an Azerbaijani Airlines passenger plane en route from Baku to Grozny, which was subjected to external physical and technical impact in Russian airspace... The heads of State also stressed that the investigative process in this case will be conducted transparently, and the public will be regularly informed.
The plane had been diverted from Grozny due to Ukrainian drone attacks and eventually tried to land in Aktau, which is in Western Kazakhstan. 29 out of the 67 people on board survived the crash. It is possible that the crash occurred due to ‘outside interference’, including a mistake by Russian air defences. You can read more at Sputnik.
US Racist Bioweapons
This report, based on investigation from the Russian FSB (Security Service):
has blown the lid off allegations of Pentagon-backed bioresearch targeting Russian genetic vulnerabilities. Accusations of ethnically engineered pathogens—designed to infect Russians while leaving others unscathed - might sound like science fiction, but they represent the dystopian reality of modern hybrid warfare.
Assassinated General Igor Kirillov was instrumental in bringing this type of enterprise to public attention. After this expose, there is no moral ground left for the West to cling to and the Global South will take note.
Ukraine’s Chemical Belt
I have been aware for some time of accusations that the Ukrainians are using chemical weapons in the Donbass and have reported on this issue here. Now, more evidence has come to light that the Ukrainians are systematically employing chemicals in the form of a tactical ‘belt’. According to Geopolitics Live:
The special chemical belt tactic rides roughshod over the Chemical Weapons Convention by detonating containers with hydrocyanic acid and ammonia along highways and at major transport junctions near a number of settlements in southeastern Ukraine, such as the city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People's Republic and Kupyansk in the Kharkov region.
They also note that:
The Kiev regime has repeatedly used banned Western-supplied agents against Russian forces in the Ukraine conflict zone. More than 400 cases of Kiev’s use of chemicals such as BZ, prussic acid, chlorine cyanide, and riot-control chemical agents have been recorded in Ukraine since 2022.
You can read more at Sputnik.
Christmas at the Front
Anthony Beevor’s description of German soldiers trying to celebrate Christmas in Stalingrad1 is one of the most poignant accounts of the conflict I have ever read. It demonstrated German humanity towards fellow soldiers who had become family. The Russians are probably having an easier time than those desperate Germans or their current Ukrainian opponents but it will not be comfortable for them.
The soldiers in the above photo are on rotation and having a break from the front. Here, soldiers from the Sever group are celebrating the New Year.
Prisoner Swap
In time for New Year’s Eve, 150 Ukrainian POWs were exchanged for 150 Russians as part of a ‘festive’ prisoner swap. It looks as if both sets of prisoners will be allowed to spend the Orthodox Christian holidays with their families - the best Christmas present they have ever had - I imagine.
Ukraine Running Out of Missiles - NYT
According to the New York Times, Ukraine is running out of long range missiles such as ATACMS and Stormshadows. In consequence, Russia is suffering fewer attacks. 500 ATACMS were supplied to Ukraine some time ago but only 50 remain. Ukraine ‘wasted’ many missiles on civilian targets. It is thought that the permission to use ATACMS was initially granted by the US back in May. The issue is a complex one which Alexander Mercouris explores very intelligently here.
Bezugla - Dialogue with a Soldier
According to a Ukrainian source:
To understand the mood in the Ukrainian army, you just need to read the squabble on social networks between MP Bezuhla (Ermak's pawn) and a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier. The soldier got tired of reading Bezuglaya's nonsense and wrote that he advises her to "find a man or a woman" so that she "doesn't do any more bullshit" and "doesn't pass laws with a slightly sick head." The soldier also wrote that he dreams of resigning from the Ukrainian Armed Forces (which he called a "horror circus"), returning to his wife and children, and then leaving Ukraine.
Bezugla responded thus:
In this dialogue between a man and a woman, everything is ‘wonderful’: sexism, self-confidence, PTSD and shifting responsibility.
This follows from Bezugla’s criticism of the army’s leadership which I referred to last week. Even though I don’t fully understand what’s going on here, I think it highlights the disunity that exists among Ukrainians. The source also referred to friction between the military and the Zelensky regime.
Ukraine Loses Nearly 600,000 in 2024
It is easy to say but a little more difficult to digest: based on Russian MoD figures the Ukrainians lost 595,000 casualties killed and wounded in 2024 which exceeds total losses during the first two years of the war. The MoD figures count only those casualties the Russians are fairly certain about: the true figures will be much higher. The highest weekly figure was 17,000 during w/e 1st November.
UN Report Damns Zelensky Regime
A recent report by the United Nations has condemned Ukraine’s administration for violating draft rights, such as ‘conscientious objection’. Those seeking to avoid the conflict on this basis have been subject to imprisonment and torture. Russian POWs are also being tortured and subjected to sexual violence, according to the report. The UN also complained that religious freedoms are being taken away from its citizens including the freedom to worship in the Russian Orthodox church.
On Zelensky and Yetis
The claim that North Korean soldiers are fighting in Kursk has been repeated often in the legacy media while Z himself attempts to reinforce the myth at every opportunity. Whereas the claim itself is a non-story because it is obviously false, the fact that it is being made repeatedly is a story in itself - so I thought I’d say something about it here, briefly.
In his latest engagement with fantasy, Zelensky claims that he has proof that many North Koreans have died in frontal attacks forced on them by the evil Russians. On this account, there is no friendship between the two nations: just domineering Putin forcing his will on poor Kim Jong Un and his soldiers. But Zelensky provides no proof. Just as no one has found the dead body of the Yeti (pictured) so no one has yet found the dead body of a north Korean soldier. At the time of writing, no photographic evidence has been produced that North Korean soldiers are operating in Ukraine or Kursk. It seems that if you don’t believe in the Yeti, you may find it difficult to justify a belief in North Korean soldiers fighting in Kursk.
Zelensky performs like a children’s party magician hiding the coin behind his fingers. Only the very naive would believe this fantasy in the absence of proof.
Ukraine Terrorist Attacks (those that target civilians)
During 2024, Belgorod suffered 25 civilian deaths (including children) and 100 injured/traumatised. The above memorial and the service held beside it commemorated the victims.
27th/28th December
56 drones were shot down at night over Bryansk and Voronezh. Another 17 were destroyed/disabled over Rostov. In Belgorod region overnight, two civilians were injured by drone attack in Palatovo and another two in Borisovka. Near the village of Morom, a drone hit a moving vehicle injuring the driver. A Bus, a school, an agricultural enterprise and a number of dwellings were also attacked causing some damage but no further casualties. In the DPR, drone drops killed one and injured two.
28th/29th December
Overnight, Ukrainian drones attacked Rostov, Voronezh and Crimea regions. They also set a vegetable warehouse alight in Krasnador region.
29th/30th December
Overnight, a drone injured a man and damaged a car in Belgorod region while five people were injured by drone drops in the DPR.
30th/31st December
According to the War Chronicle:
During the night, air defense systems on duty shot down 68 enemy drones over the territory of Russia. 26 over the Bryansk region, 11 over the Krasnodar Territory, 10-15 over the Smolensk region (including attacks on the fuel and lubricants depot in the Yartsevo district) and neighboring regions.
Rostov, Kaluga, Tver and Orlov also suffered drone attacks while one man was injured by missile strikes in Kursk. Three civilians were injured by unexploded ordnance in Gorlovka and another in Donetsk City.
31st December/1st January
Belgorod region suffered shelling overnight which injured one man in Shebekino. On the morning of the 1st January, one UAV was destroyed over Bryansk. In Kherson region, a hospital was attacked killing a health official and injuring a doctor.
1st/2nd January
According to the War Chronicle, there was an:
Evening attack by UAVs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Russia. 19 UAVs were shot down over the Rostov, Belgorod, Kursk and Voronezh regions.
Bryansk and Taganrog also suffered drone attacks. Two civilians were injured by drone drop while driving a car along the motorway in Belgorod while five were injured by shelling in the DPR. It seems that the Ukrainians can still strike at the DPR even though Kurakhovo has fallen. Tula and Oryol regions also suffered drone attacks. Finally, Ivanovskoye in Kursk was attacked causing damage but no casualties.
2nd/3rd January
According to Rybar:
Overnight, 4 enemy UAVs were destroyed in the Rostov Region in the Kamensk and Ust-Donetsk districts. Earlier in the evening, three UAVs were shot down in the Millerovo and Tarasovsky districts, and two more drones were destroyed near Taganrog. 10 drones were shot down over the Bryansk Region. 4 UAVs were shot down in the sky over the Oryol Region. A missile and a drone were reported shot down over the Kursk Region.
Belgorod also suffered attacks which injured one civilian.
The Sea War
30th/31st December
17 drones were shot down/disabled over the Crimea at night, including BECs2 near Sevastopol. The attack lasted more than 3 hours, according to the Majors and included 8 unmanned sea boats which were destroyed. I have seen no reports of damage or casualties.
The Air War (Map)
Russian Missile/Drone Attacks
28th/29th December
Overnight, the Russians attacked Odessa and Nikolaev regions.
30th/31st December
Overnight, Russian missiles attacked Kiev, Kremenchuk and Pavlograd. According to Ukrainian estimates the Russians launched 21 missiles overnight:
6 Iskander-M /KN -23 ballistic missiles from the Voronezh region;
▪️1 X-47M2 "Dagger" aeroballistic missile from a MiG-31K fighter from the airspace of the Tula region.
▪️6 guided aircraft missiles X-69 from tactical aircraft from the airspace of the Belgorod region;
▪️8 X-22 cruise missiles from Tu-22M3 aircraft from the airspace of the Tula region.
31st December/1st January
On New Years Eve, the airfield at Vasilkov (near Kiev) was attacked with 6 ballistic missiles and 3 Kinzhals destroying underground bunkers and causing up to 300 casualties. There are many dead. Kiev also came under attack as you can see here. RT carries this report. According to Sputnik, many airfields were attacked along with energy facilities and a factory producing unmanned boats. During the Geranium attack on Kiev, drone debris downed by air defences landed on the roof of the National Bank, setting it alight.
The Ground War
Russian MoD Reports (excludes Kursk)
w/e 13th December 12,090 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 370
w/e 20th December 13,250 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 519
w/e 27th December 12,910 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 487
w/e 3rd January 12, 455 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 516
Kursk
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to more than 47,265 troops, 263 tanks, 204 infantry fighting vehicles, 146 armoured personnel carriers, 1,393 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,321 motor vehicles, 340 artillery guns, 42 MLRS launchers, including 11 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 14 anti-aircraft missile launchers, seven transport-loading vehicles.
Daily casualties in Kursk vary between 150 and 250.
The Fronts
There are a few gaps this week because I haven’t seen reports or maps for some Directions - apologies for that.
Front Line Cats
Kursk
On January 3rd, according to the Majors:
In Kursk Region, the 'North Troops Grouping' continues to wage stubborn battles in the forest belts of the Sudzhansky district, as well as in the vicinity of Leonidovo, Kurilovka and NikolayevoDaryino. The enemy does not intend to retreat, carries out counterattacks and transfers reinforcements to the area.
Kharkov
On January 2nd, according to the Russian MoD:
In Kharkov direction, the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of a motorised infantry brigade of the AFU and two territorial defence brigades near Liptsy, Sosnovka, Pokalyanoye, and Vilcha (Kharkov region).
Kupyansk
On January 1st 2025, the War Chronicle provided this report:
…by the end of the year, the Russian army controls the corridor to the Oskol River in one of the convenient places for its crossing along the Peschanoe-Kolesnikovka line. To the north of Kupyansk, Sinkovka was finally taken, and from this area there is pressure on the city itself. At the same time, a balcony of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the center of Kupyansk Uzlovy was formed. It should be noted that this is the first significant success in this direction since the fall of 2022.
On the 3rd January the Majors reported on Ukrainian activity to the west of Kupyansk:
50 km west of the Kupiansk and Krasnoliman directions, the enemy is beginning to prepare a circular defense of Izyum and Balakliya in the Kharkiv region. Apparently, the enemy has taken into account the tactics of the Russian Armed Forces to deprive the enemy garrisons in cities of their logistics routes and plans to contain our advance in the urban areas of these districts in the future.
Toretsk
On the 2nd January, according to Slavyangrad, Krymskoe, a fortified village on the flank of Toretsk, succumbed to the Russian attacks. Since it will be difficult to defend the city, it is thought that the Ukrainians will soon leave.
Toretsk Detail c/o Marat Khairullin
Pokrovsk
On January 2nd, according to the War Chronicle:
Pokrovsk. Southwest of Pokrovsk, Russian assault groups have advanced significantly along the Uspenovka line to the village of Novoaleksandrovka. Just yesterday there were reports of battles for Novovasylivka and now there is such a breakthrough. Our landing force was landed in the village. Pay attention to the distance - 16 km west of Pokrovsk.
Pokrovsk Detail - c/o Marat Khairullin
Kurakhovo
On December 31st, Kurakhovo came under full control of the Russian army, according to the War Chronicle. This will be especially pleasing to the citizens of Donetsk who have taken the brunt of Ukrainian terrorist attacks since 2014. Since I have been reporting on the conflict, Donetsk has usually suffered more civilian casualties than any other region. But now that the Ukrainians have been pushed out of Kurakhovo they can no longer lob artillery shells and drones into Donetsk. However, there is no guarantee that Donetsk won’t suffer attacks from elsewhere: we shall see.
By the end of the week, the Russians were attacking towards Petropavlovka and moving west of Uspenovka while the Ukrainians were withdrawing from the industrial sector of Kurakhovo.
Kurakhovo Detail c/o Marat Khairullin
Zaporozhye
After a period of quiet, the Zaporozhye front has come to life east of Orekhiv, 5 kms from Mala Tokmachka.
Kherson
On January 2nd, according to the Russian MoD:
The Dnepr Group of Forces hit manpower and hardware of one mechanised brigade and two territorial defence brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Novokamenka (Dnepropetrovsk region), Stepnoye, Antonovka (Kherson region) and Kherson.
The Economic War
Poverty Plummets in Russia
According to a report by Rosstat:
By the end of 2022, only 4.4% of Russians struggled to afford basic necessities, down sharply from 6.3% in 2020. Unemployment followed the same trajectory, dropping from 5.8% to 3.9% over the same period.
Meanwhile in San Diego California:
Homelessness increased by a record 18% in the US between January 2023 and January 2024.
The US is Bankrupt - Zakharova
Maria Zakharova is asking why a bankrupt country which will never pay off its $36 trillions debt; I mean $37 trillion debt - sorry now it’s $38 trillion debt - can dictate to others:
A country that needs to solve its internal problems, internal American problems, should not dictate its destructive will to others. Nor should it impose its experience, which is mostly unsuccessful, on other countries as the only possible one.
Hungary Robbed
The EU is depriving Viktor Orban’s Hungary of over a billion Euros, ostensibly as part of a ‘rule-of-law’ enforcement but in reality this is a punishment for not toeing the party line on Russia. This is financial coercion, in other words. You can read more here.
World Politics
All Western politicians are the same, they’ll promise anything to get elected but can’t change their own mendacious and disingenuous nature.
The Moral Bankruptcy of the West
The following is taken from a brief article by John Mearsheimer:
On 19 December 2024, Human Rights Watch issued a 179-page report detailing Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
On 5 December 2024, Amnesty International issued a 296-page report detailing Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
On 21 November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
On 26 January 2024, the International Court of Justice found that a plausible case can be made that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Given the West’s presumed commitment to human rights and especially to preventing genocide, one would have expected countries like the United States, Britain, and Germany, to have stopped the Israeli genocide in its tracks.
Instead, the governments in those three countries, especially the United States, have supported Israel’s unimaginable behavior in Gaza at every turn. Indeed, those three countries are complicit in this genocide.
On Israel and Collateral Damage
The New York Times has written an article excusing what they call ‘collateral damage’ by Israel, including at least 50,000 civilian deaths in Gaza. For anyone who has been watching the Gaza conflict closely this is obscene nonsense which is an insult to those who have been martyred. These deaths were intended along with the destruction of things that sustain social existence in Gaza such as hospitals, homes, mosques and so on. If actions in war are intended the notion of collateral damage doesn’t apply. However, I have long believed that ‘collateral damage’ as an excuse for civilian deaths does not work at a logical level.
Suppose a military unit kills 10,000 people in order to get at one combatant (which is in keeping with Zionist rules of conflict), would it be legitimate to claim that 9,999 of these were unintended deaths. If not, where does one draw the line between permissible and non-permissible civilian deaths in such cases. Unfortunately, there is no where a line can be drawn: any attempts to do so would be arbitrary. But the point that is usually missed is that intention with regard to any military action must relate to the anticipated consequences of the action. Where it is known that many innocents will die if a certain action is taken then these deaths must be considered to be intended. It does not follow that one can intend some consequences of an act but not intend others. If the action itself is intended then it follows that all consequences of the act are also intended. The excuse that it is sad that some people had to die in order to eliminate a dangerous opponent simply does not work. When those who support the ‘collateral damage’ thesis talk about consequences of an action they did not intend (such as civilian deaths), they are really talking about consequences they did not wish.
I think the notion of collateral damage is simply an excuse that attempts to legitimise civilian deaths in conflicts that cannot be legitimised logically. If a murderer kills 100 people in order to kill only one, the judge and jury would obviously charge the killer with 100 murders. A plea that 99 of these deaths were not intended - even though they were foreseen as necessary in order to kill the intended victim - would fall on deaf ears. I see no reason why the same principle should not apply to civilians in military conflicts.
Western ‘Truth’
Protests
Amsterdam
Over the weekend on the streets of Amsterdam, people demonstrated for peace and cooperation with Russia.
Valencia - Spain
80,000 people protested against their government’s inept and inadequate response to Hurricane Dana. More than 200 people drowned while Chairman of the Government, Carlo Mazo enjoyed lunch at a restaurant - the protesters complained.
Georgia
In a pathetic protest against the new Georgian President pro-European Georgians held up ‘red cards’ to indicate their desire that Mikheil Kavelashvili (‘a hardline critic of the West’) should leave office. I have been to many demos in my time but I’ve never seen anything so inane. The so called ‘hardline critic of the West’ would be more appropriately described as someone who is in favour of Georgian sovereignty. Kavelashvili played soccer for Manchester City - hence the red cards.
Istanbul
On New Year’s Day, nearly half a million people demonstrated against Israel’s military actions in Gaza and elsewhere. Erdogan’s son was at the rally claiming that Turkiye is the only country that has stopped trading with Israel - yet Alastair Crooke believes that Turkiye is still providing oil to Israel.
London
500 health workers marched in London on the 28th December to protest against Israel’s destruction of the last hospital in Gaza.
Zelensky Versus Fico
If this were a physical contest we all know who would win but the conflict between the two is at the ‘optics’ level. To summarise: 1. Z will turn off the gas to Slovakia (and Europe) on Jan 1st. The current deal ends on this date and Zelensky will not be seeking to renew. 2. In retaliation, Fico threatens to withdraw support to Z’s electricity grid when it needs to be supplemented. 3. Zelensky throws a hissy fit:
It seems that Putin instructed Fico to open a second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of Slovakia's own interests. This explains Fitzo's [sic] threats to cut off emergency supplies of electricity to Ukraine in the winter amid Russian strikes on our power plants and distribution network.
Th lesson to be learned is that you can’t have your cake and eat it. If you want to damage Russia by blocking supplies to Europe, you cannot also have the support of countries such as Serbia who are affected by this and on whom you rely to keep Ukrainian people warm.
Zelensky Turns Off The Tap
According to this report, Russian gas stopped flowing through Ukraine at 8 am on the morning of January 1st 2025. Russia will still provide LNG to Europe and pipeline gas through Turkstream. It would be surprising indeed if Zelensky actually made this decision, which favours the US. Maria Zakharova highlighted the obvious at Sputnik:
The responsibility for the termination of Russian gas supplies lies entirely with the United States, the puppet regime in Kiev and the authorities of the European states, which sacrificed the well-being of their citizens for the sake of supporting the American economy financially.
Moldovans may also be cold this winter because they can’t afford to pay Gasprom for their supplies.
Slovakia Offers to Host Talks
PM Robert Fizo has offered to host peace talks on Ukraine in a move that has apparently gained the approval of Vladimir Putin himself. It may have been discussed at their recent meeting. According to the Islander:
Slovakia’s gesture of hosting peace talks is a rare breath of pragmatism in a European landscape largely dominated by Washington’s script. Prime Minister Fico’s overture not only signals growing discontent with NATO’s hardline policies but also exposes the widening cracks in Western solidarity over Ukraine. The choice of Slovakia once firmly within the EU and NATO fold but now asserting its independence, sends a subtle yet clear message: Europe cannot continue to sacrifice its economy and stability for a war that serves primarily American interests.
This has probably prompted another hissy fit by the once great Z.
More Anti-Russian Lies
I first became acquainted with blatant anti-Russian lies as part of the Skripal Novichok ‘poisoning’ case in the UK back in 2018. Teresa May’s Tory Government accused the Russians of poisoning an ex-Russian military officer who had ‘gone over to the other side’. This was supposed to have happened near Salisbury. We were told that there was absolutely no doubt that ‘the Russians did it’ yet not an ounce of evidence was provided. To his credit, George Galloway, recently returned to parliament as MP for the Workers’ Party of Britain, exposed the claims as nonsense. And they were nonsensical. This was not the first time Russia had been tried and convicted without evidence and its wasn’t the last.
This week, Finnish authorities detained the Eagle S, a UAE-owned vessel carrying Russian oil, on suspicion that it had damaged undersea power and internet cables between Finland and Estonia. No evidence has been presented, and it would be surprising if we ever see any. Annalena Baerbock has claimed publicly that it has been ‘proven that Russia is deliberately damaging submarine cables’ but provided no proof. Western leaders have managed to get away with such lies because the people to whom they are fed have been told that the Russians are bad, that the Russians want to kill us all and that Putin is the new Hitler. You know what I mean.
NATO has recently announced that it will have a stronger presence in the Baltic Sea due to ‘security concerns’ such as those highlighted by the Fins. But what’s really happening is that Western leaders are using Maritime law (and their interpretation of it) as a political tool. This is blatantly obvious to anyone who has been paying attention: the West wants to impede Russian travel in the Baltic under a pretext that underwater infrastructure must be protected. The irony will not be lost on those who believe that the Nord Streams were trashed by the US and Sleepy Joe Biden. The fox has been placed in charge of the henhouse. You can read more at the Two Majors.
Danes Fear Russian Hybrid Attack
Danish PM, Mette Frederiksen is trying to frighten the Danish people into believing that Russia could launch a ‘hybrid attack’ or a ‘cyber attack’. They are not expecting a physical attack at this point yet they are asking the people to stock up with food and medicines. The Swedes have already received a booklet entitled: ‘In case of crisis or war’ while funeral homes in Gothenburg are scouting for 40,000 square metres of land to accommodate 30,000 dead in a land war. Unlike the Grim Swedes, the Russians are building bunkers to protect their people rather than preparing to bury them. Equally Grim, the authorities in Finland have created a web site entitled: ‘Preparing for incidents and crises’. They have also warned that Russia is preparing an attack on Finland and its neighbours.
After the lies they were told about Covid, lockdowns, ‘vaccines’ and masks I am hopeful that the people won’t be taken in this time. This is just like The Truman Show on a national scale: ‘Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid’. Putin has labelled any threat to NATO countries from Russia as ‘nonsense’ - which, of course, it is. When will they learn that making friends with the bear is far less frightening than poking it. You can read more at RT.
I should say that these Grimm fairy tales are not necessarily believed by those who tell them. The Western ruling classes know that their people will have to suffer due to their mismanagement and will be easier to control if they can be frightened. I can sense another pandemic on the way.
Wise Westerners
Tino Chrupalla - AfD
In his New Year’s address, Tino Chrupalla, the co-chair of the opposition Alternative for Germany (AfD), stated that the AfD will repair and reopen the Nord Stream pipelines. Elon Musk has publicly expressed support for AfD which opens him up to accusations of electoral interference surely.
The emerging Multi-Polar World
Nine new nations will join BRICS as official partners on January 1st 2025.
InfoDefence - Author’s Thoughts on BRICS
For centuries, human society has been built on the principle of exploiter-exploited, both within a single state and between countries. Slavery, colonialism and other dark legacies of the past stretch their bony hand into the 21st century. The embodiment of these vestiges is the collective West, which, as it did several hundred years ago, adheres to the principle of divide and rule. If human societies support the outdated policies of the collective West against the backdrop of an intensifying arms race, the world will be destroyed for the foreseeable future. With the advent of BRICS, we have the prospect of peaceful coexistence and development among nations. Not friendship against someone, but multipolar communication and respect for all states. I would like to believe that BRICS and similar unions will put an end to the shameful legacy of human passions and shortcomings, and modern man will enter the era of civilized communication.
I would also like to believe the final sentence.
Civilisations Die From Suicide
According to Zero Hedge, there are 16 signs that Western Civilisation is committing suicide. These include a high and increasing suicide rate, low birth rate, the rejection of the traditional family unit, increased abortion rates, increased tolerance of crimes such as murder, failure of justice systems to protect populations, sexual immorality running rampant, decline in religious practices and the closure of churches. You can read more detail here.
BRICS Will Reform WTO
Financial analyst, Paul Goncharoff, has told Sputnik that BRICS will seek to ‘reboot’ the World Trade Organisation:
I feel it is essential to bring the multipolarity and ethics of the trade systems envisioned by BRICS into the WTO as part of its reboot and re-structuring.
This is in keeping with the reformist (rather than revolutionary) ethos of BRICS - one brick at a time.
I’m not going to provide an end of year statement or anything like that but if you would like an expert summary of the past year on the battlefronts you could do no better than looking at b’s contribution on the MoA (New Years’ Day) and Alexander Mercouris provides a military and political summary here (1.33 hrs.) But there are many more good summaries out there.
Many thanks for you views, subscriptions, likes, shares, restacks, comments and follows. Best wishes for the New Year - Rob
Non subscribers can view Updates on Telegram: https://t.me/UWUupdate.
@DrCampbell8640
Stalingrad by Anthony Beevor
Experimental missiles.
Thank you for your work.
Israel's actions remind me of the worst of the German Nazi's in places like Oradour-sur-Glane. Those WW2 atrocities we rightly condemn, but when the Israel's do worse, not a whisper is heard from the supposed Western guardians of high moral standards.
Rob, Thank You for providing thorough coverage of the Ukraine war, and informed overviews of matters elsewhere. Have a Happy and Healthy 2025!