The ongoing incursion into or ‘invasion’ of Russian soil in Kursk has commanded much attention and prompted much analysis among commentators this week, including b at the MoA (21st August). What was first thought to have been some sort of raid turned out to have been an invasion of sorts since it aimed to retain Russian ground. However, this was not the Napoleon of 1812 or the Hitler of 1941: it was the Zelensky of 2024 and was a reflection of the man and his approach to war. The capture of ground that will continue to cost the Ukrainians dear was sought for a number of reasons but a desire to generate outstanding newspaper headlines such as Russia Invaded! was among them. Zelensky did not have a serious plan to capture vast swathes of Russian territory as Napoleon and Hitler did. But for many Russian people, Zelensky has become the latest in a long line of invaders and they have responded with the unity and determination that Alexander 1st asked of them more than 200 years ago (see below). The weakening of other sectors of front arising from this misadventure is already becoming evident as Pokrovsk, in particular, is on the verge of a very costly collapse.
In the Middle East, the Israelis continue to bomb civilians in Gaza, Hezbollah along with Hamas continue to fight back and the Houthis continue to damage ships in the Red Sea. There is no sign of a ceasefire in Gaza and no sign of an Iranian attack on Israel.
In the US, the madness that is electioneering continues as Cackling Kamala (now officially nominated) keeps a low profile minimising press exposure while Trump does his thing. It looks as though RFK Jnr will soon drop out of the race and back Trump whose apparent unconditional support for Israel does not inspire confidence. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators descended on the Democrat Convention in Chicago highlighting divisions in the party.
On this side of the pond, tensions continue in Bonkers Britain as Two Tier Keir’s popularity plummets even lower.
It’s been two years since philosopher Daria Dugina was assassinated - a victim of a Ukrainian car bomb attack that aimed to kill her father, Aleksander Dugin. It seems like only yesterday.
Alexander 1st - 1812 - As Napoleon Approaches.
Russian people! Brave descendants of brave Slavs! You have broken the teeth of lion and tigers that have attacked you more than once. Unite! With the cross in your hearts and weapons in your hands no human power can defeat you.
I’m not sure how many Russian people will recognise this quote but I think it does justice to the spirit of the Russian people now living in the wake of Kursk.
Putin captured this mood when he told a group of military student volunteers in Chechnya: ‘So long as we have men like you, we are absolutely and utterly invincible’.
Musk’s Gift to Kadyrov??
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has claimed that Elon Musk has gifted him a Tesla pick up truck (Cybertruck) to which Ramzan fitted a machine gun. He will be sending it to the SMO. Kadyrov has invited Musk to visit him - according to RT. However, Elon Musk has denied gifting the truck to Kadyrov - which spoils the story somewhat. But a new story could emerge, based on the question: ‘why did Kadyrov claim that Musk had gifted him this vehicle?’ OR - ‘Why did Musk deny that he had gifted Kadyrov the vehicle?’. One report suggests that Kadyrov could be engaged in a little trolling at Musk by mockingly ‘praising’ him for providing Ukrainians with Starlink from whom the Russians have captured ‘kits’. Now the Russian fighters are benefiting on the battlefronts through faster internet speeds, he said.
General Alaudinov - Kursk Battle Will End in Three Months
Major General Apti Alaudinov claims that the war in Kursk and the entire north-east military district will end in two-three months - or so he told a Chinese war correspondent.
Putin Visits Azerbaijan
This is the first time a Russian President has visited Azerbaijan and is a sign that Putin wants closer relations with President Aliyev and his country - according to RT. Azerbaijan is considering becoming a full member of the SCO and BRICS.
Russia Will Retaliate Against Polish Interference
Polish Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, has said that Poland is considering whether to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine. Oleg Tyapkin, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman has warned that the Russian response would be ‘adequate and specific’, according to Sputnik. It seems to me that Poland and many other Western countries should be considered as combatants in consequence of their current level of involvement. Maybe the Russians are ignoring this because they are trying to avoid escalation. I don’t think Poland is seriously considering such a dangerous move: this is all huffing and puffing imv.
Can I suggest Mr. Sikorski, that if you are a trainer outside the ropes of a boxing arena and reach into the ring to punch your fighter’s opponent then you have become a participant in the contest. Therefore, you can expect the fighter you have just punched to trade a blow or two with you. To me, Sikorski’s position appears cowardly in a sense. It is definitely not brave to punch an opponent in the knowledge that he will not hit back. If Russia does retaliate, I have no idea whether an attack on Poland under such circumstances would lead to further escalation. But Putin has to tell Poland and the West that if Poland intervenes in this way, Russia will attack Polish (and NATO) territory.
Deluded Podolyak
Zelensky adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, ‘strongly believes’ that the capture of settlements in Kursk will force Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. In truth, the Kursk incursion has hardened the hearts of Putin and the Russian people who will be determined to evict the Ukrainians from their territory by force, not by talking. And who can blame them.
If this was poor old Ukraine attacking a predator which had tormented it, striking at its weak underbelly (i.e. defenceless civilians in Kursk) - then some would offer some sympathy. But reality is so, so different. In the years following the CIA led Maidan coup, Ukraine, militarily bloated by NATO, attacked those oblasts that did not want illegitimate rule from Kiev in which they, their language and their culture would be suppressed. So, the Militias of the DPR and the LPR fought off their oppressors for years before the Russians intervened militarily. The people in the DPR and the LPR are the good guys, not the Ukrainians. I’m summarising.
However, the situation has now changed fundamentally because the conflict is no longer between the breakaway oblasts and Ukraine: it is between Russia and NATO - at a military level - and between Russia (as part of the emerging MPWO) and the decaying Uni-Polar World Order. This latter can best be represented by the current decrepit ‘leader’ of the unfree world. Sleepy Joe represents both the decay and the decadence of the West. This corrupt, sleazy man who appears to take an unnatural interest in children’s hair, and ice cream: arrogant beyond his abilities and sadly deteriorating in his faculties - is - the decaying US Empire - personified.
EU Countries Refuse To Send Refugees Into a War Zone
Zelensky has been trying to persuade European countries to send back men of military age but they have refused to send refugees back into a war zone. For some countries this is a self-interested move since they have come to rely on Ukrainian labour.
Did Kursk ‘Invasion’ Derail Partial Ceasefire?
The Washington Post is claiming that prior to the Kursk incursion, Qatar was facilitating talks between Russia and Ukraine on a partial ceasefire that would have seen both sides refraining from attacks on energy infrastructure. If agreement had been reached on this, Ukraine may have made it through another winter. However, the Kursk incursion ended Russian interest in talks or so it is alleged. b from the MoA writes about this on 17th August. Maria Zakharova has denied that any such negotiations have taken place regarding strikes on infrastructure. I have to say that I find it hard to believe that the Russians would negotiate with Ukraine but it is possible that Zakharova was not in the loop or maybe she has been asked to deny the claims.
b from the MoA explored this issue in an article (19th August). It is possible, he says, that the UK became involved in the Kursk incursion without US approval (in order to lengthen the war) and that revelations about the Qatar talks were made by the US as a slap on the wrist to the UK and Ukraine. But I’m not convinced that the Qatar talks took place. The allegations/revelations of Ukrainian involvement in Nord Stream that came from the Germans may have been ordered by the US for the same reason. But b points out that it is not credible that the US did not know about the incursion - and I agree. If the UK were able to act independently of the US, this would say much about American leadership in this crisis or the crisis of American leadership. But I am convinced that the UK acted - as always - on US instructions. Of course, I could be wrong. Simplicius provides some detailed analysis here.
Sergei Lavrov has made it clear that: ‘After the invasion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine into the Kursk region, negotiations with Ukraine are excluded’.
Ukraine To Create Buffer Zone In Kursk
If you have failed miserably in all the objectives you claim to have been aiming at - and wish to avoid criticism and ridicule, all you need do is change your objectives. This is what the once great Z, wishing to be great again, has done. Forget about the Kursk NPP, forget about pulling Russian troops from the Donbass and so on: the real purpose of the costly Kursk offensive was to create a buffer zone - which is something Zelensky believes is a legitimate and achievable objective towards which he can reasonably ask the West for money and materiel. I wonder, does anyone believe him?
Z Criticises Britain
Zelensky has become very critical of Britain for refusing permission to use its Stormshadows to attack Russian territory - according to a Ukrainian source. It seems that sleepy Joe Biden hasn’t yet given his permission. RT reports on the matter here.
UK Trained Kursk Terrorists
British newspaper the Times has reported that Ukrainian soldiers were trained in Britain to assault high rise buildings in preparation for the Kursk attack - according to RT.
Kursk NPP Could Be Attacked
Russian intelligence services claim to have evidence that an attack on the Kursk Nuclear Plant is being planned. This is quite scary because such an attack could result in another Chernobyl. You can read more at RT. By way of reassurance, they say that the plant is well protected by air defence.
Alex Christoforou made an interesting observation in this connection when he criticised the IAEA for failing to see that ‘Ukraine is trying to cause a nuclear meltdown’. And that is a very real possibility - though I believe Russian air defences are up to it - cross fingers.
Dirty Bomb Coming?
On several occasions over the past two years, there has been talk of an Ukrainian ‘dirty bomb’ (i.e. a bomb containing nuclear material) and now the rumors have re-emerged. Marat Khairullin, has reported on stories from Ukrainian POWs who have claimed that a dirty bomb has been prepared and could be used to attack the Kursk or Zaporozhye NPPs but they could have been told to say this as part of psyops. You can read more at Sputnik.
Plots Thicken
Ukrainian Telegram Channel rezident is reporting that Rada Minister and former PM Petro Poroshenko is preparing a campaign against Zelensky and Yermak accusing them of betraying the country by opening the Kursk offensive thereby allowing the Russians to conquer the Donbass. Another Ukrainian source claims that Zelensky will deny that Kursk was his idea and blame it all on Syrsky. It is also claimed that Zelensky ordered the offensive to make sure that negotiations would not take place. In that sense, he has been successful.
Bezuglaya Still Chasing Syrsky
I reported some weeks ago that Rada deputy Mariana Bezuglaya (pictured) was being very critical of General Syrsky and it appears that the Kursk operation has given her the opportunity to dig the knife in a little deeper.
Our units are withdrawing from the parts of the DPR that are under the control of Kiev, leaving the entire front lines at the mercy of fate. Ammunition is not being delivered there and the Russians are passing through empty fortification. It seems as if we are giving Donetsk region away.
Toretsk and Pokrovsk will soon yield and it’s all Syrsky’s fault, she said. She is not alone in believing that the Donbass will fall once the Russians capture Pokrovsk. Some Ukrainians are not optimistic that Pokrovsk can hold out and reports of manpower/equipment shortages and refuseniks are multiplying.
The People Fight Back
Ivano-Frankovsk
The people of Ivano-Frankovsk (West of Kiev) are fighting back against mobilisation by blocking the road in front of a bus carrying ‘recruits’ to the Ukrainian Hades. You can see some brief footage here if you have Telegram.
Ternopil
In Ternopil, the TCC attempted to kidnap a man but local people intervened, saving the man from almost certain death/mutilation. You can see some footage here courtesy of legitimniy. The Ukrainians are saying that such incidents have become commonplace.
Kiev
On the 22nd August, Kiev residents blocked the streets and demanded that their men be returned from the front. You can see some footage here. Many troops have not been rotated in over a year. On the 23rd August, a Ukrainian soldier’s care was burned down. You can see footage here.
Ukraine Bans Canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church
This church is closely associated with the Russian Orthodox Church so the Ukrainian parliament voted to ban it by 322 votes to 265. Maria Zakharova said that this amounts to the beginning of the end for Christian Orthodoxy in Ukraine. According to one report, this law breaks articles 11, 24 and 35 of the constitution. You can read more detail here. The move has attracted criticism from many Christians - especially in Italy.
Tuberculosis in Ukrainian Army
A Ukrainian source has reported that TB is becoming a huge problem in the army, due in part to the practice of sending sick people to the front. The situation is expected to get worse in the autumn.
Ukraine Taking Hostages in Kursk
I have seen a number of reports of Ukrainian forces taking civilian hostages in Kursk region. You can see some footage here. The Ukrainians who filmed themselves taking hostages were later captured and subjected to re-education by Chechen troops as you can see here. Some hostages have been taken to Sumy, according to this report.
Ukraine Food Prices to Rise in Fall
A Ukrainian source has warned that food prices will rise considerably this autumn with bread rising by 40%. Some commodities will rise by 50%.
Ukraine Terrorist Attacks (those that target civilians)
16th/17th August
On August 16th the Galaktika shopping centre in Donetsk City (pictured) was set ablaze killing two and injuring 11. You can see some footage here. This is equivalent to bombing Tesco or Walmart - imagine that. A hospital was also hit in Donetsk. Another drone was launched at the Zaporozhye NPP but this one fell short of its target.
17th/18th August
A man and a woman were killed by shelling overnight in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk.
18th/19th August
Four ‘aircraft type’ UAVs were shot down over Kursk and Belgorod while another was destroyed over Oryol. In the DPR, a pregnant woman was killed by shelling while waiting for a bus. Elsewhere in the DPR, ten civilians, including two teenage girls and grandmother of 80, were injured by shelling.
19th/20th August
In Belgorod overnight four civilians were injured by shelling.
20th/21st August
In one of the largest Ukrainian attacks seen so far, a total of 45 drones were shot down overnight. Ten drones headed for Moscow were shot down by local air defences. Twelve more drones were shot down over Bryansk, a missile was destroyed over Rostov and several more aerial targets were destroyed over Belgorod Region where 6 civilians were injured. In the DPR, 10 civilians were injured by shelling and drone ‘drops’.
21st/22nd August
Overnight, a total of 13 drones attacked Marinovka airfield in Volgograd causing a fire, according to the Military Chronicle. Many villages in Belgorod were attacked causing damage to houses, cars and gas supplies but injuring only 4 civilians. A total of 28 UAVs were destroyed over Russian territory in Voronezh, Rostov and Bryansk. In the latter, border incursions by small groups of Ukrainian fighters were repelled. In the DPR, two civilians were killed and another injured by shelling. According to this report, Putin has said that the Ukrainians attacked the Zaporozhye NPP overnight.
22nd/23rd August
Shelling and drone attacks continue in Belgorod where one civilian was injured at Shebekino. In the DPR, ten civilians were injured by shelling, some seriously.
The Sea War
16th/17th August
The Crimean Bridge was attacked with 12 ATACMS missiles last night. According to the Russian MoD, all missiles were shot down. Pravda provides a brief report here.
17th/18th August
Overnight, Russian defences destroyed 5 unmanned boats in the Black Sea.
22nd/23rd August
Overnight, a ferry boat was sunk by a Neptune anti-ship missiles in the port of Kavkaz (Caucasus). It is reported that 30 tons of fuel in railway tanks is burning. You can read more detail here or at Sputnik. The fate of 15 crew members is uncertain.
The Air War (Map)
Russian Missile/Drone Attacks
16th/17th August
On the 16th August, air alerts were sounded in Kiev, Kivgorad, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkov, Cherkasy and Chernygov.
17th/18th August
Overnight, Geraniums and Iskanders attacked Kiev. I should say that the Russians have been successful in destroying patriot systems recently including one in Dnepropetrovsk. They also destroyed a M270 MLRS in Sumy.
18th/19th August
Overnight, Russian UAVs attacked Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, Nikolaev, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Sumy regions. South Front has a report here.
19th/20th August
According to the Two Majors:
During the night, the enemy's rear regions were hit with a combined strike by a Geranium UAV and rocket weapons. Explosions were reported in Kiev, Sumy, Ternopil and Khmelnitsky regions, in Pavlograd in Dnepropetrovsk region and in the AFU-occupied part of the DPR (Pokrovsk).
A fuel depot in Ternopil was hit overnight causing chlorine levels to rise tenfold. Civilians have been told to keep windows shut and stay indoors.
A brigade command post and weapons depot was destroyed overnight in Glukhov, Sumy. Many Ukrainian/Western officers involved in the Kursk incursion were killed.
20th/21st August
Overnight Ukrainian forces collecting in Sumy came under attack along with Mirgorod airfield in Poltava. According to the Two Majors:
The Geran UAVs hit enemy targets at night in Kiev, Chernigov, IvanoFrankovsk, Khmelnitsky, Poltava and Cherkassy regions. Missile weapons were used in Sumy region.
According to Slavyangrad, this latest drone attack lasted 12 hours. In addition, ballistic missiles attacked Sumy, Shostka, Mirnograd and Korakhovo.
21st/22nd August
Overnight, Geraniums attacked Kiev, Cherkassy, Poltava, Nikolaev and Odessa.
Ukrainian Missile/Drone Attacks
17th/18th August
An oil depot in Rostov was set alight overnight. A special ‘fire fighting’ train was used to extinguish the fire. The fire was still burning on the 19th August, as you can see here.
22nd/23rd August
Overnight, Marinovka airfield in Volgograd was attacked casing damage to hangars and other infrastructure.
The Ground War
Russian MoD Reports
w/e August 2nd 13,570 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 444
w/e August 9th 13,925 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 748
w/e 16th August 14,560 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 809 (record high)
w/e 23rd August 16,155 (record high) Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 738
Kursk - Up to 23rd August - 5137 servicemen (killed and wounded), 69 tanks, 27 infantry fighting vehicles, 55 armored personnel carriers, 350 armored combat vehicles, 158 vehicles, 34 artillery pieces, five anti-aircraft missile systems, eleven multiple launch rocket system launchers, including three HIMARS MLRS and one MLRS, six electronic warfare stations, four units of engineering equipment, including two engineering obstacle clearing vehicles and one UR-77 mine clearing unit.
The Fronts
Kursk
This week, Ukrainian soldiers in Nazi helmets filmed themselves mocking and threatening an elderly man in Kursk, according to Slavyangrad but he will have the last laugh: the ‘second Kursk offensive’ is not going well for these latter day fascists. You can see footage of the incident here. The 74 year old’s daughter claimed that he is still being held hostage according to RT.
On the 18th August, Slavyangrad reported that the Ukrainians are beginning to stretch their lines in Kursk due to a shortage of personnel. It appears that Ukrainian mobile groups are slowly being eliminated by Russian forces, according to Tass but Ukrainian reinforcements will soon arrive.
So, it is too early to say that the offensive has no chance of being resurrected. Brian Berletic provides a brief history/summary of the Kursk incursion here (First 12 mins is most appropriate) from which I have produced the following summary. If you already know all this, please ignore it.
To summarise: The Ukrainians launched an attack on the Kursk Oblast which eventually involved 12,000 men and many machines. It appears that the Kursk NPP was the objective though some say that the Ukrainians also hoped that the Russians would be forced to withdraw troops from the Donbass where their own forces are collapsing. This did not happen.
The Ukrainians may also have been attempting to show the West that they still have some fight left in them so that they can secure more funding. The initial headlines may have been ecstatic - ‘Ukraine invades Russia’ and ‘Russian forces flee’ - so the Ukrainians managed a media victory at least. It is true that Ukraine invaded an inch of a country that is a mile long (not literally) but was not prepared to go further. So it appeared that the ‘incursion’ amounted to a raid rather than an invasion. However, the initial hopium euphoria did not last because the Ukrainians started to meet resistance stronger than the few border guards and civilians they had previously encountered. Then things got really bloody as the Ukrainians started to to take casualties and lose equipment. In other words, they bowed to the Russian strategy of attrition.
The war of maneuver they were engaged in made it appear that they had secured much more Russian territory than they had because they were recorded in areas from which they quickly withdrew. But the situation has now changed as the Ukrainians have become too exhausted and restricted by Russian activity that they are finding it difficult to launch raids. So they are digging in - waiting for support.
Strategically, the Ukrainian position has become perilous because the extension to the front lines they have created benefits Russia which has more forces. If Ukraine suffers anywhere on the front lines due to a shortage of troops, they will have no one to blame but themselves.
And they are suffering in places such as Toretsk and Pokrovsk where the Russians are on the verge of breaking through the Ukrainian defences.
This was the situation - roughly - up to the 19th August.
Then on the 20th August, the Military Chronicle reported that nearly 3 full and fresh brigades have arrived at the Sudhza area. This is the second stage of the offensive (involving a total of 20-30,000 troops) which Zelensky has insisted on in spite of the enormous losses incurred thus far (and against military advice - or so it is claimed). The Ukrainians will not advance deep into Russian territory (which would expose their supply lines) but will attempt to expand eastwards and westwards. But the Russians will not be too bothered if the Ukrainians take more villages - and they will continue their strategic policy of attrition: i.e. giving up land to save lives and drawing Ukrainian forces into logistically perilous situations before pulverising them. They will also pulverise the sources of re-supply and reinforcement back to Sumy.
Overall, the Ukrainians have gained nothing from the incursion (i.e. other than creating a bubble that soon burst) and have lost very much. Many elite forces, including Azov Nazis, Poles, Brits and Americans have been lost along with precious equipment (See Russian MoD reports above for details) and the initial morale boost has evaporated (losses here are twice that suffered in other Directions)1. According to a Ukrainian source, Ukrainian commanders on the eastern front are openly criticising the decision to launch the Kursk offensive thereby depriving them of men and materiel, which, they claim, would have enabled them to hold out against the Russians in Pokrovsk and Toretsk. The Russians, on the other hand, will be pleased that this has accelerated Ukraine’s collapse and the Russian troops will take great pleasure in evicting the ‘invaders’. Some Ukrainians have been surrendering but not in significant numbers.
General Apti Alaudinov, commanding in this Direction, has said that it will take up to three months to dislodge the Ukrainian forces. Some believe that Russia may attempt to capture Sumy to cut off the Ukrainian forces rather than hit them head on. Who knows!
It is a little uncertain how this will play out politically, with some commentators suggesting that negotiations will not happen and that Russia may find it necessary to conquer the whole of Ukraine. I think Colonel McGregor and Richard Steven Hack are among these, while others, such as Andrei Martyanov doubt that Russia wants Western Ukraine.
Russian intelligence services have claimed that the US, the UK and Poland were heavily involved for many months in planning and then executing the terrorist attacks on Kursk - according to Sputnik.
There is some speculation that the Russians had known this attack was coming but allowed it to go ahead because it suited their purposes. Pepe Escobar talks about it here (23 mins). The Russians have set up three new defence groups - i.e. Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk with responsibilities for protecting each oblast from drone and other forms of attack. The defence groups will operate, not as military groups, but as counter-terrorist groups which will treat the Ukrainian/Western attackers as terrorists: they will not be obliged to take prisoners and the attackers will face prison sentences rather than prisoner exchanges. Those who have plundered churches and sold icons will be among them.
Here’s the latest report by the Two Majors for the morning of the 26th August:
fierce fighting is continuing over the village of Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, the RFAF repelled two attacks. In addition, the enemy is increasing its efforts to seize the village of MalayaLoknya. There is fighting in the area of RusskayaKonopelka, Martynovka, RusskoyePorechnoye, MalayaLoknya, Korenevo, Aleksandrovka, Krasnooktyabrskoye and Komarovka.
Kharkov
On the 26th August, according to the Two Majors:
fighting continues in the town of Volchansk, where the AFU attempted a counterattack in the area of multi-storey buildings. On the Liptsy direction, the AFU twice attacked the village of Glubokoye, supported by 2 tanks, 4 BTR-4Es and a helicopter. The ‘North’ group reports that an Mi-8 helicopter was shot down.
Kupyansk
There have been few reports of movement in the Kupyansk Direction for a while but on the 17th August, the Russians captured the village of Peschanoye and moved towards the village of Kolesnikovka which is south of Kupyansk and only 7kms from the river Oskol. The left (east) bank of the Oskol is one of the objectives of Russian groups in this Direction.
Toretsk
On August 17th, the Russians entered the city of Toretsk, according to Slavyangrad. By the 19th August, the city of New York had been cleared and the Russians entered Nelepovka. New York will become Novgorodskoye.
Pokrovsk
On the 19th August, it was reported that the Russians had reached the E50 highway to the east of Pokrovsk taking control of several villages along the way. Irina Vereshchuk, deputy PM has called on civilians to evacuate Pokrovsk, Mirnograd and Selidovo because the front line is approaching them.
When the Russians capture Pokrovsk, they will have access to the M30 highway which is the main route from Donetsk to Kiev and runs through Dnepropetrovsk and Pavlograd. Control of this highway will severely impede Ukrainian logistics.
This report makes it clear that many Ukrainians believe the Kursk incursion is causing a disaster in the Donbass:
we are witnessing the continuing collapse of the Ukrainian defense and the advance of Russian troops in DoRTnbass…Thus, after the capture of Pokrovsk, the Russian troops will have an opening to bypass all Ukrainian fortifications on the territory of the Donetsk region.
The Ukrainian command is blaming ‘unmotivated conscripts’ for the collapse in this Direction, according to RT.
Chasov Yar
By the end of the week, fighting continued near Grigorovka and in Zhovtnevy district of Chasov Yar. The Russians have also achieved success at Krasnoye and Kleshcheyevka.
Uhledar-Konstantinovka
Fighting continues near Konstantinovka and close to the Uhledar Motorway.
The Economic War
Has Germany Run out of Ukraine Funding?
According to this report from a German newspaper, its Finance Minister has said that funding to Ukraine has become exhausted: the 4 billions Euro funding planned for next year has already been spent, he claims, and due to budget constraints no new funding will be made available. According to Zero Hedge, this decision may have been influenced by the story of Ukraine’s involvement in the Nord Stream attack. Maybe it suited some Germans to believe this fantasy so they no longer felt obliged to help Ukraine. Some politicians in Germany, including ‘lefty’ Sahra Wagenknecht, want to ask Ukraine for compensation - according to Alex Christoforou. However, Olaf Scholtz and Annalena Baerbock are denying that Ukraine funding has run out. This highlights big divisions in Germany with regard to Ukraine. Ex MEP Dr. Gunnar Beck (AfD) has suggested that the German government would prefer to trash the economy than slash funding to Ukraine. You can read more at Sputnik. It will be interesting to see how this develops.
German Manufacturers On The Move
According to Bloomberg, 4 in 10 German manufacturers plan to move due to exorbitant energy costs. 37% of German industry is either considering moving or limiting output.
Dutch Government Pressed to Review Ties With Ukraine
The possibility that the Ukrainians trashed the Nord Stream is prompting some Dutch politicians to question their government’s continuing support for the Zelensky regime - according to RT. Members of the ‘right wing’ ‘Party for Freedom’ (PVV) including leader Geert Wilders (pictured) have pressed the government to explain what it will do if Germany finds the Ukrainians guilty. The PVV has long been sceptical about aiding Ukraine instead of focusing on its own defence.
World Politics
Protests at Democrat Convention
Thousands gathered outside the Democrat Convention in Chicago to protest against Washington support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza. They breached the DNC perimeter fence and linked arms as the police approached - according to Zero Hedge. Kamala Harris was heckled when she arrived at the conference.
![Demonstrators clash with police near the Israeli consulate during the Democratic National Convention on August 20, 2024 [Frank Franklin II/AP]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!T-N6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F812b808d-9799-455c-bdf7-c4c086ec0ad8_768x512.jpeg "Demonstrators clash with police near the Israeli consulate during the Democratic National Convention on August 20, 2024 [Frank Franklin II/AP]")
Bonkers Britain
Tensions Continue
A pro-Palestine demonstration in Bournemouth this week was met by a counter protest by English Patriots highlighting the tensions between the two groups. You can watch some footage here. The Socialist Workers’ Party said that anti-racists have outnumbered ‘fascists’ at many demos around the country over the weekend. So the SWP have gone one stage further than Starmer by calling these people ‘fascists’ rather than ‘right wing’.
It’s as if the SWP believes that we have been transported back in time to 1920s Weimar Germany where communists fought viciously with fascists on the streets. There does not appear to have been any effort to build bridges between the two groups and simply calling ordinary people ‘fascists’ is not only inaccurate, it is counter-productive. Carrying banners with slogans such as Smash, fascism and racism by any means necessary is intimidatory. I wonder, were the children at the ‘nationalist’ demos fascist? What about the old ladies in wheelchairs - were they closet Nazis? This is all nonsense, of course and the SWP is as much a part of the problem as Starmer is. The term ‘fascist’ is one of the most overused and misused terms in the English language. In modern usage - especially by the so called ‘left’ - it no longer describes a political ideology but has been reduced to the status of a derogatory term: a mere insult.
A nation that suffered at the hands of the Nazis and made huge sacrifices in order to defeat them will not take kindly to being compared with those they fought against - or being told that they will be smashed by any means necessary. If speech is sometimes considered to incite violence is this not a case in point?
Insulting Women = Terrorism
UK MP Yvette Cooper believes that extreme misogyny should, in future, be treated as terrorism. Manifestations of this on line should be punished, she demands. Even comments that women find insulting should be punished. Orwell UK has arrived folks! But what about misandry Yvette? Are those guilty of this to be labeled terrorists? I have known a few misandrists in my time, but the ultimate misandrist is Valerie Solanas with her Scum Manifesto which advocates the murder of all men. She also tried to kill Andy Warhol btw.
But what is ‘extreme misogyny’ anyway. Does this mean that if I think (and feel) that I really, really hate women - does this make me a terrorist? Of course it doesn’t. No one should be punished for what they think and/or feel. Thought crime is no crime in my view.
Oxford Concise: terrorist = a person who uses or favours violent and intimidating methods of coercing a government or community.
Oxford On Line: terrorism = the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.
These may be a little inconvenient so no doubt the definitions will need to be changed.
Nord Streams
Russian official Oleg Tyapkin, has said that a claim has been filed against Germany insisting that it fulfils its international obligations to fight against terrorism. Germany has identified a Ukrainian man as the main suspect but no effort has been made to establish the identity of the ‘order givers’, he said. The Russians are concerned that the case could be closed before this is done - according to Sputnik. Russia has made repeated requests for information established by the investigation but this has been refused. Alice Weidel (pictured) of Germany’s AfD Party has insisted that Ukraine should compensate Germany for the attack. I should remind everyone that this pipeline belongs to Russia. I don’t find Germany’s ‘Ukraine did it’ narrative convincing btw.
Ukraine is a Terrorist Country - According to Niger
Ukraine has been assisting terrorists in Africa, according to protesters in Niger. West African nations of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have written a letter to UN Security Council, demanding condemnation and taking action regarding "Ukraine’s support of international terrorism in the Sahel region’’. You can see some footage here.
Sabotage Bulgaria?
On August 15th, a number of warehouses in Sofia, thought to house war materiel destined for Ukraine, have been burned down. You can see some footage here.
Sabotage - Romania?
Overnight on the 19th/20th August, a major fire broke out at warehouses in the Romanian city of Brasov. It is thought that war materiel destined for Ukraine was being stored there. You can see some footage here.
Sabotage - Poland?
Two lorries containing bullet proof vests, helmets and ammunition were burned down near the village of Muravitsa in Poland.
The emerging Multi-Polar World Order
Voice of Global South Summit - Delhi
This is the third such summit to discuss ending Western hegemony and was attended by 100 countries from the global South.
That’s it for another eventful week. Many thanks for you views, subscriptions, shares, likes and comments. Best wishes - Rob
Thanks for the shout out. I've been saying since April, 2022, that Russia will take all of Ukraine. There may or may not be "negotiations" - Ambassador Freeman said yesterday that wars usually end with negotiations, not "unconditional surrender" - but the end result will be the same: a Russian Military District in western Ukraine opposite those Aegis Ashore installations in Poland and Romania. Russia may allow "Ukraine" to still "exist" with a fig leaf government of some sort, but that's not relevant to the necessary outcome for Russia's security which is that Russia has its air defenses as close to NATO as possible to intercept NATO missiles in boost phase rather than terminal phase over Moscow.
As an aside, I'm surprised Martyanov hasn't figured this out. But he knows western Ukrainians hate Russia, so he hates western Ukrainians and that colors his judgement. In reality, dealing with western Ukrainians won't be any harder than dealing with Chechens after the second Chechen war. Insurgencies are no longer possible in the "Drone Age" unless you are deep underground like Hamas, Hezbollah and the rest of the Axis of Resistance.
Speaking of which, everyone should watch that brilliantly produced 4 minute Hezbollah video of their Imad 4 redoubt buried deep in the mountains. Miles long tunnels with huge trucks loaded with missiles.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1824360691144278357
Im not convinced Russia will move beyond the four oblasts that have seceded from Ukraine. Putin seems at pains to act within the ambit of international law notwithstanding the strategic issues Russia would encounter crossing the Dneiper. To move to the west creates various issues and smirks of a colonial project the perception of which I think he is keen to avoid: The global south are watching. Plus, i think Russia's historic enemies still dream of the old Polish Lithuania commonwealth and would be at pains to get directly involved and inveigle Nato. Worrying times in the UK with the arrest of the journalist under the Terrorism Act. I suspect that the subjective media reporting of the ongoing conflicts, in part, is reflective of the consequences for balanced reporting. It seems we are supporting various protagonists on the pretext of upholding democracy at the same time as our own democracy is completely undermined by the same governments. No doubt Germans will now face new blanket repressive legislation, for the public good, after the recent attack.