Russia's unjustifiable war of aggression in Ukraine

[catcha]

LOL, have a look at what Russians are doing

SWEDEN

Russian TV channel: Right defend Russian descendants on Gotland​

UPPDATERAD I GÅR 13:51 PUBLICERAD 2022-06-13

Sweden and NATO practice on Gotland. Photo: Karl Melander / TT

Russia has the right to defend Russian descendants on Gotland. Such claims are spread on a Russian television site.
"It's like the history view is starting to run on steroids," says Carolina Vendil Pallin at the Total Defense Research Institute.

2022.06.14 at 13.50: The article has been clarified.

On the Russian, state-controlled TV channel REN TV's site there is an opinion article with the heading: "Russian citizens / subordinates join NATO", something like Gotland's Allehanda has previously told us about.

The article on the TV site has also been disseminated and published on other Russian websites.

Article author Yurij Gorodnenko on REN TV - which often likes various topics on the channel's site - writes about the Swedish upgrading of Gotland: “It aims to secure the Euro-Atlantic security in the Baltic Sea. At the same time, Western media refers to Russia being able to claim the island in the Baltic Sea. The most interesting thing is that Moscow would really have reasons for such claims."

Later in the article it is described that Russian descendants of Gotland have been there since the Russian invasion of the island in 1808 - and that Russian law provides room to "defend former citizens of the Russian Empire".

"It's like the history view is starting to run on steroids," says Russia expert Carolina Vendil Pallin. Photo: FOI
Carolina Vendil Pallin, Russia expert and research leader at the Total Defense Research Institute, does not think that the article should be taken too seriously.

- It's a strange way of arguing. But on the other hand, we have Vladimir Putin who has been sitting at the best broadcast time and pointed out that since there were once slaves in the Gulf of Finland, you have the right to take back the story. It's like the history view is starting to run on steroids, she says.

What do you think it depends on?

- I think you can see it as part of trying to build this patriotic yr that existed after the annexation of Crimea. It's just that this time the war of attacks has not been as successful, says Carolina Vendil Pallin and continues:

- Putin refers to the story he interprets it. There are no independent media that are not labeled as foreign agents in Russia and everyone marches in the same direction and at the same rate.

Can the purpose of the article be to create a picture that Gotland belongs to Russia?

- No, there are no sensible claims in this.

Footnote: The word "poddanyj", which is stated in the title of the Russian article, is an age-old word meaning citizen, subject or subordinate.

Clarification: In the article, information about who wrote the Russian text was added, as well as that it is an opinion text.

source

my edit: "poddanyj" nowadays has one meaning: a servant or subject rather. citizen would be: "graždanin" - not even close I find it funny they put it that way as "poddany" is really old Slavic word having same meaning in all Slavic languages AFAIK, can be spelled slightly different and thats it.

 

[catcha]

Some sources are claiming that Scholtz personally blocked taking over the German Gazprom to freeze the assets of Russia.
Then on the other hand (which I personally find funny) the Germans are getting the very same treatment as all their Eastern neighbors got in last decades - playing with the gas to blackmail and force the actions making Kremlin happy. My, oh my. I wonder if Germany will ever learn that Russia will ALWAYS use this for their advantage and the only method is to cancel all supply from that bandit country. I have a feeling that Scholtz et consortes wanted to share a magic wand of "who-is-good-will-get-the-fuel-who-is-bad-will-get-a-fuck"

Yesterday Russian reduced the flow of the resource through the NS to 60% and today to 40%.

Olaf with his SDP buddies right now:

Berlin accuses Moscow of playing gas games as pipeline flows fall​

Outages at two major suppliers are squeezing the bloc and imperiling energy security.

Although the EU is buying more Russian gas than planned, deliveries are falling | Sean Gallup/Getty Images

BY AMERICA HERNANDEZ
June 15, 2022 5:59 pm

The German government on Wednesday said Russia was playing politics with its gas deliveries as shipments via the undersea Nord Stream pipeline fell sharply.
“I have the impression that what happened … is a political decision and not a technically justifiable decision,” German Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck said.
Gazprom announced a drop in gas flows from 167 million cubic meters per day through the Russia-to-Germany pipeline to no more than 67 million cubic meters beginning Thursday, blaming the need to stop the operation of two compressors. It said the necessary parts are stuck in sanctions limbo at a maintenance facility in Canada.

That's adding to the EU's gas problems following a fire and explosion at Freeport LNG, a key Texas company responsible for much of the seaborne liquefied natural gas (LNG) sailing to Europe so far this year.

“It’s a double whammy to the European gas market,” said Tom Marzec-Manser, head of gas analytics at ICIS. “The combination of the two and the uncertainty that both provide means deliveries into the summer won’t be as high as initially expected ... which obviously has repercussions on the availability of gas into the winter.”
Despite those drops in deliveries, the EU is still falling short in its effort to slash Russian gas imports. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised to cut Russian gas from last year’s 155 billion cubic meters (bcm) to about 51 bcm this year, but that pledge is already out of reach.
As of Tuesday, EU countries have already imported 51 bcm via pipeline from Russia, according to the Bruegel think tank in Brussels, which compiles weekly data from European gas grid operators. Ben McWilliams, a research analyst at Bruegel, said that tally didn’t include seaborne Russian LNG, which would add roughly 10 percent to the total.

“Achieving a total reduction equal to two-thirds requires ending all Russian imports tomorrow," McWilliams said.
The Commission did not respond to a request for comment on how its plans to rely on more American LNG this winter would be affected.

Ties that bind​

Although the EU is buying more Russian gas than planned, deliveries are falling.
Gazprom has already ended shipments to Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, the Netherlands and Denmark as well as some supplies to Germany under a contract with Shell Energy Europe after companies refused Moscow's demand to pay in rubles.
There's little faith that the Kremlin won't play politics with its remaining customers.
Gazprom argues that “the untimely return of gas compressor units from repair by Siemens (Germany)” is the reason for the drop in flow through Nord Stream.
Siemens, for its part, said via email that the repair in question can only be carried out at a facility in Montreal — and that Canadian sanctions on exports to Russia are preventing the return of the unit. “Against this background we have informed the Canadian and German governments and are working on a viable solution,” a Siemens spokesperson said via email.

Habeck isn't buying the explanation from the Russian gas export monopoly.
"The current reports clearly show that the Russian side's justification is simply a pretext. It is obviously a strategy to unsettle and drive up prices," he said, adding that Berlin and Brussels have established that "the maintenance of these facilities is not under sanctions. I have also personally confirmed this to Siemens. We are in discussion with the Canadians about the extent to which, according to Canadian legal standards, the sanctions allow that.”
Italy, the second-largest European buyer of Russian gas after Germany, is also feeling the pinch.
“Eni confirms that Gazprom has communicated a limited reduction in gas supplies for today, amounting to approximately 15 percent,” a spokesperson for the Italian company said Wednesday.

The disruptions caused spot gas prices on the EU benchmark TTF hub to surge above €120 per megawatt-hour on Wednesday after weeks hovering in the mid-80s.
The extended outage at the Texas Freeport plant — which has supplied 10 percent of Europe's imported LNG so far this year — means any plans to ramp up imports of American gas are on hold.

The Freeport outage represents “20 LNG cargoes per month off the global supply,” which will push up prices in Europe and Asia, said Fred Hutchinson, president of the U.S. LNG industry association.

Brussels is actively courting alternate suppliers. On Wednesday von der Leyen signed a deal with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo to pipe gas to Israel, where it would be liquefied and delivered via ship to the EU.
Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson will also visit Azerbaijan in July to discuss more gas deliveries through the Trans Adriatic Pipeline landing in Greece and Italy, and continue outreach to Canada, Qatar and Algeria, she told the European Parliament’s energy committee this week.

Laurenz Gehrke and Ben Lefebvre contributed reporting.

edit: I forgot about the source! https://www.politico.eu/article/ber...es-pipeline-flow-fall-ukraine-war-lng-energy/

 

[catcha]

Just came out!

U.S. and NATO allies send more military aid to Ukraine to counter Russia. (Published 2022)

After announcing a major new wave of long-range weaponry for Ukraine, Western leaders will turn their sights toward other potential threats to NATO from Russia and China.

www.nytimes.com

Biden promises another $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine.​

By Steven Erlanger, Michael D. Shear, Eric Schmitt and David E. Sanger

• June 15, 2022Updated 1:45 p.m. ET

President Biden on Wednesday said the United States will deliver another $1 billion worth of military equipment to Ukraine, including weapons to defend the country’s coast, additional artillery, and more ammunition for the rocket systems to defend against Russian aggression in the eastern part of the country.
Mr. Biden said in a statement that he informed President Volodymyr Zelensky of the new weapons during a 40-minute call Wednesday morning.
“The bravery, resilience, and determination of the Ukrainian people continues to inspire the world,” Mr. Biden said in the statement. “And the United States, together with our allies and partners, will not waver in our commitment to the Ukrainian people as they fight for their freedom.”

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, at a meeting in Brussels with other Western officials from NATO countries, said that the U.S. aid would include sophisticated weaponry like guided rocket launcher systems and 18 more long-range M777 howitzers. Ukrainian officials have emphasized that they need far-reaching weapons to counter some of Russia’s advantages in battle in the eastern Donbas region.

“These are key investments in Ukraine’s long-range fire capabilities,” Mr. Austin said in Brussels, saying the weapons would be “crucial to Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russia’s assault in the Donbas.”

Mr. Austin said that other countries would also make new commitments. He said Germany would offer three long-range artillery rocket systems with ammunition, as the United Kingdom has also done. Slovakia is promising helicopters and ammunition, and Canada, Poland and the Netherlands promised more artillery.
The White House also announced that Mr. Biden approved an additional $225 million to provide Ukrainians with drinking water, medical supplies, food, shelter and other humanitarian assistance.
“We can’t afford to let up, and we can’t lose steam,” Mr. Austin told a meeting in Brussels of nearly 50 countries known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. He praised the flow of tanks, missiles and artillery provided to Ukraine so far, but said it was not enough, adding, “The stakes are too high.”

Ukraine is struggling to hold off a Russian onslaught in the east, with Moscow’s forces on the verge of capturing the strategic city of Sievierodonetsk. Kyiv has voiced frustration that many of the heavy weapons promised by its Western allies have not arrived, as Russia uses its superior artillery to seize control of more of the eastern Donbas region.

The comments came as administration officials say they are increasingly looking at options for how to handle a sustained conflict — and whether a cease-fire, or a formal armistice similar to the one reached in Korea 70 years ago, would help or hurt the Ukrainian cause.
Their analysis, officials say, has been fairly pessimistic. They fear that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia might use a cessation of hostilities to rebuild his military, and perhaps seek another opportunity to take all of Ukraine, his objective when the war began on Feb. 24.
For now, officials say, they are preparing for long-term support of the Ukrainian government, and more supply of weapons. But officials are clearly concerned that both American public interest in the conflict and European unity may wane. They are looking for ways to reinvigorate that interest, including inviting Mr. Zelensky to attend the NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June.
“Russia is using its long-range fires to try to overwhelm Ukrainian positions,” added Mr. Austin, a retired four-star Army general. “So we must intensify our shared commitment to Ukraine self-defense, and we must push ourselves even harder to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself.”

 

[Barry K O Bama]

Just came out!

U.S. and NATO allies send more military aid to Ukraine to counter Russia. (Published 2022)

After announcing a major new wave of long-range weaponry for Ukraine, Western leaders will turn their sights toward other potential threats to NATO from Russia and China.

www.nytimes.com

Biden promises another $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine.​

By Steven Erlanger, Michael D. Shear, Eric Schmitt and David E. Sanger

• June 15, 2022Updated 1:45 p.m. ET

President Biden on Wednesday said the United States will deliver another $1 billion worth of military equipment to Ukraine, including weapons to defend the country’s coast, additional artillery, and more ammunition for the rocket systems to defend against Russian aggression in the eastern part of the country.
Mr. Biden said in a statement that he informed President Volodymyr Zelensky of the new weapons during a 40-minute call Wednesday morning.
“The bravery, resilience, and determination of the Ukrainian people continues to inspire the world,” Mr. Biden said in the statement. “And the United States, together with our allies and partners, will not waver in our commitment to the Ukrainian people as they fight for their freedom.”

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, at a meeting in Brussels with other Western officials from NATO countries, said that the U.S. aid would include sophisticated weaponry like guided rocket launcher systems and 18 more long-range M777 howitzers. Ukrainian officials have emphasized that they need far-reaching weapons to counter some of Russia’s advantages in battle in the eastern Donbas region.

“These are key investments in Ukraine’s long-range fire capabilities,” Mr. Austin said in Brussels, saying the weapons would be “crucial to Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russia’s assault in the Donbas.”

Mr. Austin said that other countries would also make new commitments. He said Germany would offer three long-range artillery rocket systems with ammunition, as the United Kingdom has also done. Slovakia is promising helicopters and ammunition, and Canada, Poland and the Netherlands promised more artillery.
The White House also announced that Mr. Biden approved an additional $225 million to provide Ukrainians with drinking water, medical supplies, food, shelter and other humanitarian assistance.
“We can’t afford to let up, and we can’t lose steam,” Mr. Austin told a meeting in Brussels of nearly 50 countries known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. He praised the flow of tanks, missiles and artillery provided to Ukraine so far, but said it was not enough, adding, “The stakes are too high.”

Ukraine is struggling to hold off a Russian onslaught in the east, with Moscow’s forces on the verge of capturing the strategic city of Sievierodonetsk. Kyiv has voiced frustration that many of the heavy weapons promised by its Western allies have not arrived, as Russia uses its superior artillery to seize control of more of the eastern Donbas region.

The comments came as administration officials say they are increasingly looking at options for how to handle a sustained conflict — and whether a cease-fire, or a formal armistice similar to the one reached in Korea 70 years ago, would help or hurt the Ukrainian cause.
Their analysis, officials say, has been fairly pessimistic. They fear that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia might use a cessation of hostilities to rebuild his military, and perhaps seek another opportunity to take all of Ukraine, his objective when the war began on Feb. 24.
For now, officials say, they are preparing for long-term support of the Ukrainian government, and more supply of weapons. But officials are clearly concerned that both American public interest in the conflict and European unity may wane. They are looking for ways to reinvigorate that interest, including inviting Mr. Zelensky to attend the NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June.
“Russia is using its long-range fires to try to overwhelm Ukrainian positions,” added Mr. Austin, a retired four-star Army general. “So we must intensify our shared commitment to Ukraine self-defense, and we must push ourselves even harder to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself.”

Peter the Great isn't going to like this


Will probably need a few more botox injections


I was surprised that Ukraine released the figures confirming unsustainable casualty levels - this had a severe impact on morale

Not it's clear that they had to rachet up the pressure on the Ramstein Alliance


Thank god, its worked.

The French Appeasement Monkey is at it again.

Calling for a 'peace' deal

Yeah, Macron, Budapest and Minsk worked pretty well


A French Idiot - must have a holiday home in Vichy.

Don't bow to Nuclear Blackmail again - defeat Russia and Putin is toast

His successor will be guided by instincts of self preservation and won't do anything as reckless as the special op.

 

[Swanforthelough]

Peter the Great isn't going to like this


Will probably need a few more botox injections


I was surprised that Ukraine released the figures confirming unsustainable casualty levels - this had a severe impact on morale

Not it's clear that they had to rachet up the pressure on the Ramstein Alliance


Thank god, its worked.

The French Appeasement Monkey is at it again.

Calling for a 'peace' deal

Yeah, Macron, Budapest and Minsk worked pretty well


A French Idiot - must have a holiday home in Vichy.

Don't bow to Nuclear Blackmail again - defeat Russia and Putin is toast

His successor will be guided by instincts of self preservation and won't do anything as reckless as the special op.

They will need a lot more than what was announced by the Yanks but looks like more agreements will be signed off in the coming days.interesting that Ukranians have used very little of the western artillery so far and have been using up the Soviet era equipment.I would guess the learning curve and eyes on later battles are behind it.

The Russian ploy of concentrating everything on Severodonetsk is having consequences elsewhere in Izyum and more importantly Kherson where they are moving slowly with some success. The Ukranians could be in a position soon to cut off the fresh water supply to Crimea unless the Russians can reroute the third battalion that was sent to Severodonetsk to finish the job.

 

[an liathroid beag]

Russia’s combat force in the Donbas is highly likely operating in increasingly ad hoc and severely undermanned groupings, the UK ministry of defence has said in its latest report.

All of the main bridges over the Siverskyy Donets River, which link the contested town of Sieverodonetsk and Ukrainian-held territory, have now highly likely been destroyed.
Ukraine has probably managed to withdraw a large proportion of its combat troops, who were originally holding the town. The situation continues to be extremely difficult for the Ukrainian forces and civilians remaining east of the river.
With the bridges highly likely destroyed, Russia will now likely need to either conduct a contested river crossing or advance on its currently stalled flanks to turn tactical gain into operational advantage.
Russia’s combat force in the Donbas is highly likely operating in increasingly ad hoc and severely undermanned groupings.
As claimed by the Ukrainian authorities, some Russian Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs) - typically established at around 600 to 800 personnel - have been able to muster as few as 30 soldiers.
For both sides fighting in contested towns, front line combat is likely increasingly devolving to small groups of troops typically operating on foot.
Some of Russia’s strengths, such as its advantage in numbers of tanks, become less relevant in this environment. This is likely contributing to its continued slow rate of advance.”

 

[Swanforthelough]

Russia’s combat force in the Donbas is highly likely operating in increasingly ad hoc and severely undermanned groupings, the UK ministry of defence has said in its latest report.

The fundamental failures of the Russian military have not changed despite their so called success in the Donbas, would not call being unable to take Severdonetsk in a timely manner a success. For them to move beyond Severdonetsk is a big gamble as Ukraine mans the high ground.

 

[Barry K O Bama]

Very significant visit to Kiev today, by Scholz, Macron & Dragi

These 3 guys have not performed so far

Glad to see Macron taken to see the war crimes in Irpin, let's hear if he still thinks Russia must not be humiliated ?

Let's see 'em walk the walk now

 

[Handy Run]

With global inflation, Ukraine's grain being fucked, export bans and lots of very important growing areas across the globe getting fucked by weather, it is absolutely vital that Vlad is pounded into dust ASAP.

Failure to do so will result in even higher inflation coupled with anither flooding of Europe with migrants/refugees.

 

[Barry K O Bama]

With global inflation, Ukraine's grain being fucked, export bans and lots of very important growing areas across the globe getting fucked by weather, it is absolutely vital that Vlad is pounded into dust ASAP.

Failure to do so will result in even higher inflation coupled with anither flooding of Europe with migrants/refugees.

Yes

And you wonder what has prompted these 3 Useful Idiots to do now what they should have done 2 months ago

Their appeasement, procrastination and downright ineptitude has caused much loss of life in Ukraine and is likely to cause far more in Middle East and Africa

Saw 'em on TV. Looked like 3 errant schoolboys up before the head master