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This week has once again been dominated by the conflict in the Middle East as the murder of civilians in Gaza continues. Scott Ritter and other experts are claiming that Israel is losing its war against Hamas and Hezbollah while the West’s flotilla of the willing is hardly united in its attempts to prevent Houthi attacks on shipping. The Ukrainian battlefronts have not changed a great deal since last week though the Russians are definitely progressing slowly through the Ukrainian mud. The not so great Z is becoming more deluded by the day, or so it seems, while his rivalry with Zaluzhny has not resulted in the latter’s dismissal - as yet. Ukrainian mobilisation is on the minds of many in the Zelensky administration and there are disagreements as to how they should proceed with this. The funding issue is the other important talking point among Ukrainians as the US offers its protege some Christmas crumbs. Indeed, the year has not ended well for Ukraine as some in the administration, anxious about diminishing funding, are preparing for famine1.
Russian Matters
Conflict Could Last Five Years - Putin
A Japanese newspaper has published an article in which it is claimed that Putin told Xi Jinping in their Meeting of March 2023 that the conflict will last for at least five years (according to Pravda). On the other hand, Yevgeny Balitsky, the governor of Russia’s frontline Zaporozhye region believes that the Ukrainian army will no longer be a credible fighting force by the spring or summer of 2024.
General Valery Gerasimov’s Report On The Failed Ukrainian Offensive
On December 21st, Valery Gerasimov gave a report on the situation at the fronts including an analysis of the failure of Ukraine’s June 4th offensive. On all fronts since June 4th, he estimates that the Ukrainians have lost 160,000 killed and wounded - though I suspect this figure is too low. The offensive was not assisted by the fact that the Ukrainians revealed their intentions, he said. They also underestimated Russian strength and were not flexible enough in operations and planning when their initial plans began to fail. The Russians had anticipated the Ukrainian plans and built fortifications in key areas to thwart Ukrainian objectives. Gerasimov believes that the Ukrainians plans were too complicated and too ambitious. The Russians also frustrated the Ukrainian build up of forces by attacking rear area troop assembly points, command and control centres and workshops/storage facilities for military materiel. More than 100 of the 200 Stormshadow/Scalp missiles from Britain and France have been destroyed during these attacks, he said. During the offensive, Ukraine lost much of its strategic reserve and Gerasimov believes that this will take a long time to replace. You can read more here and here.
Gerasimov does not mention air superiority as a contributory factor in Ukraine’s failure (though this may be implicit in the remarks about attacking rear areas) but Zaluzhny mentioned it back in July, as I reported:
In a recent interview with the Washington Post, Valery Zaluzhny asked for F16 fighter jets as an essential component for any offensive along with more tanks, AFVs and artillery. Indeed, Zaluzhny said that he would require ‘air superiority’ in order to conduct a successful offensive.
I’d forgotten that. Zaluzhny is saying that the June 4th offensive (already started) cannot be won without air ‘superiority’ which the Ukrainians never had. He must have known this before he started the offensive which, if you remember, was delayed several times. Is it not possible that the delays were a consequence of military commanders thinking that it was not a good idea to pursue the offensive without air superiority?2 In January 2023, Zaluzhny said that he needed 300 tanks, 700 Infantry fighting vehicles and 500 howitzers to defeat this enemy - according to Reuters. He made no mention of air superiority at this point. But F-16s weren’t on the table back then: it wasn’t until May 2023 that Biden gave the go ahead for F-16s to be supplied - as reported by the BBC. But everyone knew that the jets wouldn’t be available for an offensive because pilots needed to be trained.
This issue is so important that it’s worth examining it for a moment longer. It seems to me that Zaluzhny may have been forced into an offensive he suspected would fail unless he had air superiority. Surely, the US’s military planners must have suspected that a ‘combined arms’ offensive, not benefiting from the existence of a superior ‘air arm’, was unlikely to succeed. Or maybe the US military planners are so incompetent (as Scott Ritter, Larry Johnson et al would argue) that they forced Zaluzhny into an attack that he believed would fail. And when it was failing, Zaluzhny asked for air superiority. I think this demonstrates the nature of the relationship between Ukraine’s military leadership and that of the US: i.e. master and servant. It also supports the view that many expert commentators have asserted: i.e. the offensive failed mainly due to the absence of air superiority. Of course, many experts apart form Gerasimov been explored reasons for the failure (including Simplicius).
I can remember, during the period just before the offensive began, that some Ukrainian sources were convinced the Russians would flee when faced with an attack. I wonder whether this overconfidence and underestimate of Russian resolve accounted for this monumental error by the Ukrainians and their Western backers? But the Russian and LPR/DPR forces had captured Mariupol, Lysychansk, Syeverodonetsk. Bakhmut and so on. So, I doubt that many Ukrainians believed that the Russians would flee - though according to accounts on Ukrainian Telegram Channels at least some believed they would.
Massive Increase in Russian War Production
According to a Russian Defence spokesman:
The defense-industrial system has made tremendous progress: compared to 2022, the production of barrel artillery ammunition, MLRS, and other types has increased by 50 times. The production of light armored vehicles has increased by 5.5 times, and tanks by almost 7 times.
Ukraine - Problems
Western Weapons Won’t Win the War
According to SBU Colonel Roman Kostenko:
ATACMS missiles cannot provide a breakthrough. Combat aircraft? They can only help us achieve parity. We are told that we will get modern F-16 aircraft, but F-16 are aircraft from the 1970s, and Russia has hundreds of 4++ generation fighters. I don’t understand who got the idea that we can defeat Russia with dozens of F-16s,” Kostenko said.
He also said that Ukraine must ensure that it does not lose more territory and he conceded that a Ukraine victory over Russia is ‘unlikely’.
Shell Shortage - is Growing
The Washington Post is carrying articles which feature Ukrainian testimony of shell shortages - again. One soldier, from the 128th Separate Mountain Brigade said:
The guys are tired, very tired. They are still motivated, but you cannot win the war only through motivation. The Ukrainian Armed Forces do not have enough artillery shells, which is why some units are even forced to cancel planned offensives. At the same time, on the Russian side they do not notice such a shortage. The ammunition shortage is adding to already palpable anxiety in Kiev as American and European aid is delayed and winter is not.
Some units are now firing as few as 10 shells a day, whereas they had been firing 50 or more - according to RT.
Ukraine Will Lose Cities Without US Aid
According to the Ukrainian Defence/Security official, Yegor Chernev: ‘We are losing some territory now, but if US aid is delayed, we will start losing cities’. Since some cities, such as Avdeevka, are already on the verge of collapse US aid will do very little to help.
Useless Abrams
Apparently, Ukrainian tankers do not like using Abrams tanks because it is necessary to get out of the vehicle in the middle of battle in order to clean the filters - which is probably a little risky.
Ukraine - Dumping Ground
According to Rybar:
A secret document has been made public, according to which the Kiev regime made a deal with major US companies to bury toxic chemical waste from US and European chemical, pharmaceutical and oil companies on the territory of Ukraine. On the American side, the deal was overseen by Alexander Soros, a son of the scandalous American billionaire.
Ukraine Birth Rate Lowest in World
The rate for 2023 was 0.7 per woman and this must be 3 times greater for the population to reproduce itself.
Ukraine Could Enter ‘Survival Mode’
Minister of Economy Sviridenko said that she is preparing the population for famine, pointing out that the West’s ‘non-extension of funding’ for the Ukraine project will lead the country’s economy into “survival” mode. She warned that some pensions and salaries may have to be delayed: which will affect 500,000 civil servants, 1.4 million education employees, and 10 million pensioners. What a mess Ukraine has become: it is so sad to witness. But the administration must take its share of the blame which lies largely with the West.
Mobilisation Matters
Mobilisation Bill - Ukraine
A new mobilisation bill was being prepared this week and it appears that Zelensky is attempting to avoid the negativity that comes with it by suggesting that Zaluznhy has asked for 500,000 new recruits - which Zaluzhny denies. According to legitimniy:
1. We know that the bill was created under the strict supervision of Ermak [therefore Zaluzhny was not involved].
2. The figure about the need to mobilize 500 thousand people is not his [i.e. Zaluzhny’s]. He never said this (Ze's invention).
3. The General Staff supports any mobilization that will provide the military with new soldiers. How the state machine will do this is up to Ze and his deputies to decide. That is, the mechanism of strict mobilization is the idea of the OP.
As part of the bill, the conscription age in Ukraine could be lowered from 27 to 25. Also, ‘basic military training courses of up to three months for those aged between 18 and 25 will also be introduced at all educational institutions in the country’ - according to RT.
Former PM Yulia Tymoshenko opposes the age reduction and suggests that instead the country should mobilise 50% of the police and security forces which number in the hundreds of thousands. These people already know how to fight, she absurdly claimed, not appreciating the difference between the training of police and frontline soldiers. In a country as unstable as Ukraine has become, it may not be wise to reduce its security forces. People could soon be in rebellious mood. Yulia described Zelensky’s bill as unconstitutional.
The Finance Minister, S. Marchenko, warned that the country may find it difficult to finance the mobilisation: ‘we have exhausted our internal funding’, he said. Since the American citizens are opting out, the poor Europeans could end up with the mobilisation costs of a war they know the Ukrainians cannot win.
Footballers Called Up
25 footballers from Kiev club Obolon have been called up for military service which seems ridiculous since it will be difficult for the club to survive without players. And football is good for morale. They won’t win the league this year.
Roadblocks to Aid Mobilization
The Ukrainians are setting up roadblocks all over Ukraine so they can hand out mobilisation papers to their eager combatants. The roadblocks will be set up in all cities with effect from 28th December.
40 Millions Ukrainians Must Fight
In an effort to rival Zelensky in the administration’s flirtations with delusion, Vitaliy Kim, governor of Nikolaev, has called for 40 millions Ukrainians to fight rather than the 500,000 proposed by the latest bill. ‘The more we mobilize, the faster Putin will surrender’, he suggested. I think this imbecile is more out of touch with reality than Zelensky is. Dear Mr. Kim do you not realise that Russia has a population of around 150 million while there are only 20 millions left in Ukraine, very few of whom want to fight.
Nokia Could Save Your Life In Ukraine
Old Nokia phones like this one are being sold like hotcakes in Ukraine because they don’t have internet connectivity so can’t receive a summons telling you to report for duty.
Ze and Za
Zelensky - Losing It?
Is he losing touch with reality, I wonder. He has come out with some bizarre statements of late but his latest claims are even more deluded than they usually are. Ukraine’s defence industry is developing, he claimed, so that one day it will be one of NATO’s strongest members. Whether he really believes this or not is uncertain: it could be for public consumption only. Zelensky has also talked about a new Ukrainian ‘sky shield’ which is getting stronger every month and could make Ukraine a leading world light in air defence. He also talked about his diplomatic plans to secure NATO membership next year. Another deluded Zelensky statement from some time ago and took the form of his ‘peace plan’ received criticism from Sergei Lavrov. which wants to take back Crimea and the four liberated oblasts. Lavrov described the plan’s objective of taking back Crimea and the four breakaway oblasts as ‘a call for Genocide’ since people in these oblasts would resist Ukrainian efforts to subdue them - according to RT. It is being reported that the not so great Z has purchased a house that Hitler bought Joseph Goebbels for his 39th birthday. Such people are Z’s heroes. Hitler also suffered with delusions towrds the end.
Zaluzhny Upbeat.
I have found some of Zaluzhny’s statements a little puzzling over the past months though I can’t be certain that he made these statements. In a recent press interview, Zaluzhny appeared upbeat (some would say deluded) about Ukraine’s military prospects in 2024, anticipating that Ukraine’s Western allies will continue to provide the military materiel they need. He was also confident that Ukraine will be able to produce more materiel of its own in the coming year when, he promised, Ukraine will act more efficiently and lose fewer men.
I just wonder how sincere Zaluzhny is being here. Perhaps he is being optimistic for the sake of public morale; he can hardly say that Ukraine will lose in 2024. I suspect, though don’t know, that he is aware of Ukraine’s dire position and that it will lose this conflict. Only someone as deluded as Z could think otherwise.
US Paper Says Negotiations With Russia Going On Behind Closed Doors
The New York Times claims that Putin is using back channels to signal a desire for a ceasefire and negotiations. Well - if you believe that I have a bridge to sell you (as George Galloway and Alexander Mercouris are wont to say). The Russians are denying this bit of wishful thinking. Mercouris provides some analysis here (16 mins).
Egyptian Journalist Found Dead
According to Slavyangrad:
Egyptian journalist Mohammed Al-Alawi, known for his exposure of the purchase by Olga Kiyashko, the mother-in-law of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, of a luxury villa in the Egyptian resort of El Gouna, met a terrible end in Hurghada. His lifeless body was discovered near El Hadaba Road under mysterious circumstances.
His body had been beaten badly before death. Some suspect the involvement of Zelensky’s henchmen.
Ukraine Terrorist Attacks (i.e. attacks that target civilians). (Map)
Last week I said that as Ukraine takes to the defensive it will be seeking to remain in the eye of the world’s public through attacks that will be visible to the press - such as assaults on Russian territory and other highly visible targets. This week, attacks on the Border areas have intensified.
22nd December
The village of Terebrino in Belgorod was attacked today causing damage to power lines and cutting the electric supply to several villages. But there were no casualties. According to the Two Majors:
The enemy yesterday attacked the Zaporozhye, Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga and Moscow regions with UAVs. The use of UAVs with jet engines is noted
In Donetsk city, 7 civilians were injured by shelling.
23rd December
According to Rybar:
Since early morning, Ukrainian forces have been relentlessly shelling settlements in the Donetsk agglomeration. The districts of Kuibyshevsky, Petrovsky, Kyivsky, and Kirovsky in Donetsk, as well as the cities of Gorlovka, Makiivka, and Yasinovataya, have all come under enemy fire. As of now, we are aware of five individuals who have been injured due to explosives dropped from an AFU drone on a market in the Kirovsky district of the capital. Additionally, two civilians have been injured in Gorlovka and Yasinovataya. The shelling shows no signs of stopping, and reports of further damage are still coming in.
The village of Alekseevka in Kursk was also attacked with more than 40 shells which damaged houses, power lines and killed one civilian. Villages in Belgorod also came under fire and some houses were damaged. Fortunately, no one was injured.
24th December
Villages in Bryansk were attacked today with a total of 30 shells. One civilian was injured, electricity supplies were interrupted and an outbuilding damaged.
25th December
According to the Two Majors:
In the frontline regions civilians are being shelled by the enemy. Yesterday the Nazis struck Pologi in the Zaporozhye region twice, wounding three civilians. The AFU hit Tokmak twice yesterday with HIMARS, our air defence system worked. In the Bryansk region, the village of Zernovo in Suzemsky district came under fire, one civilian was wounded….On the civilians of the DPR the enemy fired 139 shells, 5 civilians were wounded. Gorlovka, Donetsk, the Yasinovatsky district and Makeyevka are under fire.
Kaluga and Moscow also came under attack from drones but they caused no damage or casualties. However, seven people were injured by shelling in Belgorod. Meanwhile one person was killed by shelling in Kursk. There has been an uptick of attacks on Donetsk during the past week causing 68 casualties including two deaths in total. During the same period, around 400 projectiles have been launched into Kherson villages causing one death and injuries to four civilians.
26th December
Belgorod came under attack from Ukrainian artillery and two civilians were killed in the DPR by shelling while another three were injured.
27th December
According to the Two Majors:
Over the Rostov region at night, an enemy UAV was shot down. The main AFU strikes in the Belgorod region fell on the Grayvoron urban district. In the Bryansk region, the village of Kurkovichi in the Starodubsky municipal district was shelled. In the evening it was reported about the work of air defence in Yeysk, Krasnodar region, the local operational headquarters reported that it was a drill. On the civilians of the DPR the enemy fired 199 ammunition over the day, two civilians in Donetsk were wounded.
28th December
According to the Two Majors:
An enemy attack was repelled in airspace in the southern direction (Crimea and Kherson region). Up to 23 UAVs were destroyed and suppressed, and two enemy missiles were reported shot down. In the Belgorod region, the AFU's strikes continue unabated. The enemy is using artillery and mortars, as well as kamikaze drones. In Donetsk (DPR), two civilians were wounded, the enemy fired 174 rounds of ammunition at civilian targets.
Bryansk also came under heavy artillery fire on this day.
29th December
According to the Two Majors, villages in Belgorod were shelled and a Kamikaze drone wounded a civilian in Mokraya Orlovka. Kursk was also shelled causing damage to power lines and residential buildings. Late in the day, an aeroplane-type drone was shot down. Meanwhile Bryansk came under attack from 15 shells, one of which injured a woman. The DPR suffered assault by 235 shells which wounded three civilians in Donetsk and Gorlovka.
The Air War (Map)
Russian Missile/Drone Attacks
22nd/23rd Overnight
Geraniums attacked Odessa overnight, according to Slavyangrad. Zhytomyr also came under fire from Geraniums along with Starokonstantinov airfield in Khmelnitsky (according to a Ukrainian source). Cherkasy and Kherson were also attacked.
24th/25th December Overnight
Geraniums are flying over Odessa, Dnipro and Starokonstantinov airfield in Khmelnitsky, according to Slavyangrad.
25th/26th December Overnight
Geraniums attacked Odessa and Krivoy Rog overnight while Starokonstantinov airfield in Khmelnitsky was attacked yet again. Poltava was also attacked.
26th/27th December Overnight
Krivoy Rog was attacked by Geraniums overnight along with Odessa, Starokonstantinov airfield and Dneporopetrovsk. The logistic hub of Pavlograd also came under massive Geranium attack.
27th/28th December Overnight
Modified Geraniums have attacked Krivoy Yog and Zaporozhye overnight.
28th/29th December
According to the Two Majors:
Night strikes on the enemy's rear were of a massive nature today. "The Geraniums operated in the Chernigov, Kiev, Nikolayev, Kirovograd and Odessa regions. Particularly strong UAV strikes hit the Odessa region. It was reported that a new modification of this series of attack drones, made of improved materials and with jet engines, was used. In Lvov, Cherkassy and Kharkov explosions sounded in the morning, missiles were launched from 18 TU-22M3 and TU-95ms aircraft. Together with decoys were used X-22. Ground-based missile weapons also worked.
The Russian MoD described the attack as follows:
the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted 50 group strikes and one massive strike with high-precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on the military industrial facilities, military airfield infrastructure, arsenals, storage sites for artillery ammunition, uncrewed surface vehicles, weapons and military hardware, as well as enemy POL bases.
But the Russians did not concentrate on the electricity system as they have done in the past. I think they are determined to destroy the Ukrainian air forces so that they can no longer launch long range Stormshadows from their SU-24s. Dima, from the Military Summary Channel is calling this one of the largest air attacks yet launched by the Russians.
Ukrainian Drone/Missile Attacks
On the 26th December, the port of Feodosiya in Crimea was attacked causing some damage to buildings but there are no reports of casualties.
It looks as if a ship in harbour (later identified as the landing ship Novocherkassk) was set on fire, according to Slavyangrad. Dima reports on it here. This was a great optics win for the Ukrainians.
The Ground War
Russian MoD Casualty Reports
w/e 8th December: 4940 Casualties killed and wounded; equipment losses 242 (includes 21 boats)
w/e 15th December: 4330 Casualties killed and wounded; equipment losses 213 (including 17 boats).
w/e 22nd December: 4690 Casualties killed and wounded; equipment losses 341 (includes 24 boats).
w/e 29th December 4685 Casualties killed and wounded; equipment losses 310 (includes 17 boats).
The Fronts
Marinka
Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, officially announced the capture of Marinka on Christmas day, according to the Two Majors. This means that Ukrainian artillery has had to move west making it more difficult for them to target Donetsk city. The capture places the Russians in a stronger position where their artillery can attack the Ukrainians more easily while weakening the Ukrainian defensive position. Fighting in Marinka had been going on for nine years.
Kreminna-Liman
In the Liman direction, Russian troops are continuing their operation to eliminate the Ukrainian bridgehead along the right bank of the Zherebets River. According to Rybar:
Units of the Russian Armed Forces have managed to advance in the forest belt towards Terny and Yampolovka, expanding the control zone to a width of two kilometers and a depth of about one kilometer. Fighting also continues on the eastern edge of the Laptev Yar.
However the Ukrainians continue to counter-attack in spite of heavy losses.
Siversk
The Russians are continuing to attack towards Siversk in the north but progress has been slow.
Bakhmut/Soledar
In the Soledar direction, the Russian Armed Forces are gradually retaking previously lost positions at Bakhmut and are also attempting to secure operational space for a future assault on Chasov Yar.
Avdiivka-Donetsk
According to the Military Chronicle:
The enemy was driven out of the fortified north of Stepovoe, which covered his left flank. Units of the 47th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 26th Separate Rifle Brigade retreated to the Berdychi area Battalion. The road on the way to Ocheretino is covered by up to 10 battalions of the enemy, including special forces, ours are trying to break through the defenses enemy, but so far without significant advances.
Some say that the city cannot last much longer and may have to be evacuated within months or even weeks.
Kupiansk
According to the Military Chronicle:
The local Ukrainian authorities are again panicking and warning of the possible evacuation of Kupyansk. The Armed Forces of Ukraine in this direction are close to exhausting their reserves.
Kherson - Krynki
According to the Military Chronicle, the Ukrainians are reinforcing Krynki and the surrounding villages on a daily basis while suffering heavy casualties. The Russian artillery is attacking them relentlessly.
Robotino - Zaporizhzhe
The Economic War
Green Madness
According to Slavyangrad, 50 mineral fertilizer plants have shut down in Europe recently following governments’ pressure to reduce carbon emissions. The production of fertilizer involves lots of these, apparently. But Europe will need to buy fertilizer from somewhere in order to grow crops - so what’s the point? Crops can grow without mineral fertilizer but the yield will be much reduced. The UK shut down the mines partly due to carbon emissions but is then forced to import coal - so what’s the point? Woke morality involves giving the appearance of performing a good act without actually doing anything good at all. Virtue signaling is like this, the Ukraine flag on my Facebook page is like this, Russophobia is like this and so on and on.
Poor Germans
I wonder whether the poor Germans realised, when they placed their Ukrainian flags on their Facebook pages, that they had pledged themselves to pay extra taxes in order keep Ukraine afloat. But this is what may happen in Germany according to Monica Schnitzer of the government’s Economic Council. ‘Special events, require special measures’, she said.
US Bans Russian Seafood
Russian Crab, Pollock, Salmon and Cod have all been banned by the US with effect from the 22nd December, according to Tass.
Record Bankruptcies in West
Bankruptcies in Western countries have risen by 30% in the period Sept 2022 to Sept 2023 - no surprise there.
Bloomberg Warns US About Confiscating Russian Assets
The confiscation of already frozen Russian assets has been a matter of contention for some time because it could undermine faith in a dollar currency that is already under threat. The EU/Euro faces a similar dilemma after freezing Russian assets. Other countries, which will be aware of any such a confiscation may become concerned that: ‘If America does this to Russia today….tomorrow it can do this to anyone’ as Yale Economics Professor Robert Shiller has opined. Therefore, many countries will not want to deal in the dollar causing the currency’s influence to decline.
World Politics
Americans Want a Ceasefire In Ukraine
According to a recent poll, 70% of US citizens want a ceasefire in Ukraine while only 10% are opposed. You can see the whole poll here.
US ‘Democracy’ Falling Apart
Following the Democrat’s Bill to take Donald Trump off the ballot in Colorado, Republicans have retaliated by introducing a bill that would take Biden off the ballot in Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania. Many US citizens have been predicting a civil war in the US for years with some convinced that there will be a division between Republican and Democrat states. Very few trust the ballot box anymore. But hopefully, Biden will not get past the primaries. Anyway, a ‘ballot blocking’, ‘tit for tat’ fight is developing between Democrat and Republican states and if it continues the main contenders in the Presidential contest could be blocked from all ballots! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that happened! US ‘democracy’ would be shown to be the sham that it is.
‘Serbia Against Violence’ Gets Violent
Supporters of the ridiculously named ‘Serbia Against Violence’ (pro-Western) party having lost the elections by a fair margin have taken to the streets, destroying property and kicking policemen as they lay on the ground. They will doubtless rename themselves the ‘Serbia for violence’ party. This was no doubt an attempted coup but it looks as though it has failed. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić summed the situation up as follows:
Tonight, there was an attempt to take over state institutions by force. We don't know how the Prosecution will qualify it. 35 thugs were arrested. We will ask many foreigners why they were silent about it. A foreign service informed us about it. We did not laugh at it. The police were waiting. and withstood fierce attacks. Tactically, you acted very well
Maria Zakharova was in no doubt that the West’s grubby fingerprints are all over this, according to Tass.
Arestovich - Ukraine and Russia should Unite
Arestovich is calling for Russia and Ukraine to unite against the West. He wants both countries to draft a lawsuit against Europe and the US. Interesting bit of political posturing there. He has obviously seen the writing on the wall.
That’s it for another week and the last of this year. Let’s hope 2024 will be a better year for all of us in this rapidly changing world. Many thanks for your views, subscription, likes and comments.
Correction: Last week I provided a Cosmic Christmas tree which I said was two and a half light years from earth: it is actually two and a half thousand light years away. Thanks to a subscriber for pointing this out.
Non subscribers can view Updates on Telegram: https://t.me/UWUupdate.
See: ‘Ukraine could enter survival mode’.
The delay could have been a result of an incapacitated Zaluzhny.
Thank you for your work, which saves me a lot ot of reading time. For a long time it is clear that Ukraine is losing, but it seems that it takes a long time, until the war ends. I hope and pray that it will end soon.
Another excellent recap of the situation. Better than Simplicius spending half his recent posts arguing over whether the Russian landing ship was actually destroyed or not. Not to mention his continuing to insist the war will drag on for two more years.
"if it continues the main contenders in the Presidential contest could be blocked from all ballots! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that happened! US ‘democracy’ would be shown to be the sham that it is."
Yup. As we anarchists say, "Don't vote. It only encourages them." And "if voting could change the system, it would be illegal." Looks like they what they really want is the latter with all the "ballot blocking".