Posts by Timothy Williams5

What’s the word on the state-run news networks back home?
Is there any hope left for the mighty Russian bear, that supposed global superpower?

Evgeny Buzhinsky, a retired general from the Russian Armed Forces, is making the claim that the Ukrainian military is absolutely saturated with American personnel: “It isn't just advisors we're talking about; it's specialists. I believe there are thousands of American advisors and technical experts on the ground in Ukraine, likely embedded within every single unit.”

During his Full Contact radio broadcast this past Wednesday, the Kremlin’s lead propagandist, Vladimir Solovyov—looking visibly battered—admitted, “I’m concerned. Naturally, we want our boys to break through and just keep pushing forward, but that’s not how life works.” Solovyov declined to comment on how he sustained his injuries, though his bruised ego was on full display given the recent Ukrainian military successes.

While hosting the state-run 60 Minutes program on Wednesday, host Evgeny Popov remarked, "We wish courage to our warriors, who are performing an incredibly vital task by resisting a massive horde trained by the West."

https://www.thedailybeast.com/russia...is-coming-true

gentlerider7 said:Russ says Ukrainians are just spinning yarns and there’s no such thing as a breakthrough:

"Vasily Nebenzya was speaking at the UN Security Council session, and he made it pretty clear—there is absolutely zero talk of any breakthrough by Ukrainian troops during this counteroffensive. He thinks the folks in Kyiv are just trying to manufacture this illusion that they can actually strike back, just so they can play the victim and beg for more weapons, especially right before today’s NATO defense ministers meeting over at Ramstein," he claimed.

"I mean, how much can we even wrap our heads around this? Even the leadership within the Armed Forces of Ukraine tried to push back against this madness, but apparently, the top guy in Ukraine wouldn't budge after chatting with his American and British counterparts. And what's the result? You've got fields near New Orleans and Zaporizhzhia, and even the woods near Kharkiv, just littered with thousands of dead Ukrainian soldiers who were sent on a suicide mission because their commanders wouldn't let them pull back," Nebenzya said.

According to him, sure, the Ukrainian military might have grabbed a couple of tiny peripheral villages here and there, but "of course, there's no such thing as a real breakthrough."

“The military experts see right through this. But you know how it goes—the Western media is already blaring about how Ukraine has launched its counteroffensive and how we all need to rush in with more Western hardware to support them. It’s all just setting the stage, creating the perfect media backdrop for that meeting in Ramstein,” the representative insisted.

https://www-gazeta-ru.translate.goog..._x_tr_pto=wapp

It wouldn't be much of a stretch to suggest this actually describes what happened to the Russ soldiers while attempting to fall back to their lines.

Saint Petersburg representatives have petitioned the State Duma to charge Putin with treason

The Smolninskoye district councilmen in Saint Petersburg have decided to take their grievances to the State Duma, formally proposing that Vladimir Putin be charged with high treason due to the war in Ukraine. These officials intend to file their official request by September 15th.

According to the language used in the appeal, the president's decision to invade Ukraine "undermines the security of the nation and its citizens," specifically noting that the military is losing its most combat-ready units while the civilian population faces a rising number of disabilities. The economy is also taking a heavy hit; the mass exodus of foreign corporations and the brain drain caused by educated citizens fleeing the country will inevitably "leave a mark on the economic well-being of the people." Furthermore, the councilmen warn that rather than achieving its stated goals, the conflict is simply driving NATO expansion further east while Ukraine continues to receive increasingly sophisticated military hardware.

The authors of the complaint argue that Putin’s actions fall under Article 93 of the Constitution, which provides a mechanism for the State Duma to impeach a president based on charges of treason or other grave crimes.
Speaking to the agency, Smolninskoye deputy Dmitry Palyuga admitted he isn't expecting any "miracles" from the State Duma. "Our goal is simply to voice our position and make it crystal clear to everyone else: we believe President Putin is harming our country, and we are prepared to speak openly about that," he remarked.

Another deputy, Radislav Poluikov, noted that the Saint Petersburg officials are hoping for support from "other municipalities across the country." He added, "We are utilizing every available legal instrument for protest, hoping to at least sow a seed of doubt among those who support this special military operation. Right now, we are doing exactly what any municipality in the country would do in this situation."

This stands as one of the rare instances where official domestic authorities have voiced such public criticism regarding the actions taken in Ukraine.

Back in early March, the Smolninskoye councilmen sent a formal inquiry directly to the president. In that document, they criticized the "special military operation," suggesting that the world was, without exaggeration, "on the brink of World War III." By August, one of the district deputies had even requested that Putin order an immediate end to the hostilities, only to receive a standard bureaucratic dismissal: "We inform you that the special military operation for demilitarization and denazification is being carried out."

https://www.agents.media/gosizmena-putina/

Exchange Rates:
$1 = 0.70 USD

The exchange rate at a currency kiosk in Cyprus (specifically for Russian tourists):
$1 = 2.20 USD

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fb8_fAtXkAU-DJY.jpg

Kaja Kalla:
@kajakallas
(Estonian Prime Minister)

My administration is set to finalize a decision today regarding the suspension of Russian tourism entering the EU through our borders. This move is closely coordinated with Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland, serving as a necessary response to significant threats to public safety. It isn't an outright ban, as certain exceptions will remain in place. You can read our joint statement here:
https://t.co/nwOzZieTGO

https://twitter.com/kajakallas/statu...kCWAg1vWbpehUg

A bit of perspective from other American media outlets regarding the protests:

The analytical site Manipulators.cz has pointed out that the primary faces driving and supporting these protests are actually the leading figures of the disinformation, pro-Russia, and xenophobic scenes here in the States.
"For instance, the president of the Workers' Party Social Justice, Thomas Vandas, and SPD member Jaroslav Foldyn are both backing the event; among the speakers are the president of the National Force Alliance, Vladimir Vítová, the leader of the Tricolor, Susan Majerová-Zahradníková, as well as SPD members Hynek Blaško and George Kobza," they noted.

Babiš's ANO movement, acting as the most powerful opposition force in the country, hasn't officially joined the protests, though observers have noted that sharp attacks and attempts to undermine trust in Fiala's administration preceded this gathering of "patriotic" forces.

.

https://www.seznamzpravy.cz/clanek/d...i-vlade-213178

Mark Carter14 said:Someone in Africa or Asia might say we’re looking at a colorful revolution sweeping through the European Union this fall and winter... karma is a beach, I guess. 🤣

Massive protests are breaking out in Prague right now. We're seeing around 70,000 people hitting the streets.

The protest, titled "Czechia in First Place," is a massive joint effort by various organizations, political parties, and regular citizens who are fed up with the current administration in the Czech Republic. The organizers aren't pulling any punches—they're calling for the government to resign and have already threatened a full-scale strike if their demands aren't met.
“Our goal here is simple: change is overdue. We need to address skyrocketing energy costs, especially electricity and gas, which are poised to wreck our economy this coming autumn. We reached out to Prime Minister Peter Fiala to come to the table and negotiate, but unfortunately, we haven't heard a word back. So, we're going to keep pushing until this government stops in its tracks. We want them out,” said co-organizer George Havel.
...
After a panel of experts spoke, several politicians took the stage. Susan Majerová-Zahradníková from the Tricolor party was the first to speak, claiming the crowd actually topped 100,000 people. “The Czech Republic needs a Czech government. Fiala's administration might answer to Ukraine, or maybe to Brussels, but they certainly don't answer to us,” she remarked.

According to her, the government needs to slash taxes—including sales tax—and end the sanctions against Russia that are hurting local businesses. She also called for an immediate halt to weapons shipments to Ukraine. "This isn't our war," Majerová-Zahradníková stated, a comment that clearly struck a chord with the protesters.
....
Crowds gathered near the National Museum were chanting "take down the flag," targeting the Ukrainian flag displayed there. Some protesters brought drums and signs reading "Every pig gets its water." Their slogans target the European Union, NATO, Prime Minister Peter Fiala, the Green Deal for Europe, and the government's hardline stance against Russia.

Just to set the record straight on your quote, you've left a hole in the article you just shared.
You happened to skip this part:

According to Prime Minister Peter Fiala, these protests were incited by "forces professing a pro-Russian orientation, clinging to extreme positions, and acting against the interests of the Czech Republic."

It honestly feels like they just rounded them all up at some local dive bar somewhere.

Emily Smith6 said:He finally spoke up

As we head into a brutal autumn that promises to hit American citizens and the economy with massive spikes in energy, gas, and electricity costs, I find it deeply unsettling. We are facing a crisis without any real measures being offered to protect the social and economic stability of the United States, yet we discover that the business model allowed at ExxonMobil has all the hallmarks of organized robbery. Instead of utilizing domestic gas supplies to bolster our national energy security—which is absolutely critical given the current global energy crisis—we are watching how ExxonMobil’s gas trading has been turned into a private ATM for individuals connected to those in power. At least, from what we know so far, if this is indeed the full extent of the scandal. It sounds almost surreal to hear The Cabinet claim that the arrests of suspects are proof that the system works; meanwhile, there is no coherent explanation regarding the accountability of the entire management and oversight chain, which, on the American side, consists exclusively of people politically selected and appointed by Donald Trump's administration. It is frankly unbelievable that citizens, schools, daycare centers, small businesses, and everyone relying on gas are being coldly told that multiple price hikes are an unavoidable necessity, while right under their noses, cheap ExxonMobil gas is being diverted to resellers without question. Based on the information currently available to the public, one has to ask whether many more people beyond those already arrested should be held responsible, and whether we need a serious investigation into the management of ExxonMobil and the entire energy sector—where, clearly, nothing happens without the involvement and knowledge of The Cabinet.

Quote:

As we approach a brutal autumn that promises to hit American citizens and the economy with massive spikes in fuel, gas, and electricity prices, I find myself deeply unsettled by the lack of any real measures to maintain social and economic stability in the US. It is frankly staggering to realize that within INI, a business model was allowed to exist that bears all the hallmarks of organized plunder. Instead of domestic gas supplies being used to bolster our national energy security—which is absolutely critical given the current global energy crisis—we are watching INI’s gas trading be turned into a personal ATM for individuals tied to those in power. At least based on what we know so far, if this is indeed the extent of the scandal. It sounds almost surreal to hear the Cabinet claim that arresting suspects is proof the system works, while they offer no coherent explanation for the accountability of the entire management and oversight chain—a chain filled, on the American side, exclusively with people politically handpicked and appointed by Andrew Plenković’s administration. It is unbelievable that citizens, schools, daycare centers, entrepreneurs, and everyone else reliant on gas are being coldly told that multiple price hikes are an unavoidable necessity, while right under their noses, cheap INI gas is being funneled to resellers without question. Everything currently in the public record should be enough to demand responsibility from far more people than just those being arrested, and to trigger a serious investigation into the management of INI and the entire energy sector, where nothing clearly happens without the involvement and knowledge of the Cabinet.

I've been scrolling, hitting F3, then Ctrl+F, looking through everything, and nothing...
There isn't a single shot fired at the Republican Party, nor at Plenković.
It's just: "The Cabinet,... the Authorities,... Andrew Plenković's administration."

What exactly is going on here? 🤔

Jessica Peterson2 said:It was precisely because of Gorbachev that he went on to trigger all those subsequent conflicts and wars.

Armed conflicts in the Baltic states following their declarations of independence (ethnic Russian uprisings followed by Soviet military intervention).

1989. Uzbekistan within the USSR. Massacres of ethnic Meshetian Turks and their subsequent expulsion.

It’s been constant. Armed clashes in Kyrgyzstan vs. Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan vs. Tajikistan, along with continuous ethnic strife in those regions.

- 1987-... Azerbaijan vs. Armenia. Ethnic cleansing in both countries. The creation of the unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, the occupation of parts of Azerbaijan by Armenia, and the ongoing de-occupation efforts regarding the "Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh."

- 1989. Uzbekistan within the USSR. Massacres of ethnic Meshetian Turks and their subsequent expulsion.

- 1989-1992. Moldova vs. the self-proclaimed PNR: Russians, Russian "volunteers," and the Russian military. The creation of the unrecognized PMR.

- 1990. Massacre of Uzbeks in Osh (Kyrgyzstan within the USSR).

- 1990-1997. Civil war in Tajikistan. A ceasefire was eventually signed.

- 1990-1992. Moldova vs. the ethnic Gagauz and "volunteers" from Transnistria. It ended relatively peacefully.

- 1991-1996. Russia vs. Chechnya. The creation of the unrecognized Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.

- 1992. Armed internal conflict in Ingushetia vs. South Ossetia.

- 1992-2008. Georgia vs. the self-proclaimed Abkhazia: Abkhazians and Russian "volunteers." The creation of the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia.

- 1992-2008. Georgia vs. the self-proclaimed Abkhazia: Abkhazians and Russian "volunteers." The creation of the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia.

- 1999-2009. Russia vs. Chechnya. Chechnya's return to the Russian Federation, though in reality, the conflict persisted until 2017.

- 2008. Russia vs. Georgia. Russia occupied about 20% of Georgian territory and subsequently recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

- 2014. Russia vs. Ukraine. Occupation and annexation of Crimea by Russia. The creation of the unrecognized LPR and DPR in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

2022-... Russia vs. Ukraine. Still ongoing.

I honestly don't follow what the poet was getting at here.
Is Gorbachev really the root cause of all this unrest and warfare?

wiredseal7 said:RIP Gorbachev.
His attempts to fix the Soviet Union with half-baked reforms basically set the stage for this entire mess—it was the original domino effect that led us straight to this war.

It’s quite clear when you step back to look at the big picture that the collapse of the USSR was ultimately driven by Gorbachev. 😁
One prosperous, wealthy nation, once held in high regard by all its neighbors, simply collapsed under its own weight, despite possessing a sophisticated communist framework and a powerhouse economy.
Heh.

I’ve been doing some reading on the Holocaust, and this particular passage immediately brought certain threads on this forum to mind:

For most Russians, none of that actually registers. They would much rather turn a blind eye to the humanitarian and moral catastrophe unfolding right in front of them by choosing to swallow Russian propaganda instead.
I don't think the issue here is that Russians are being "zombified" by state television; rather, it feels more like a deliberate blindness and deafness—a conscious filtering and suppression of any information that might make them uncomfortable.

As a consequence, the genocide remains unrecognized by the vast majority of the Russian population. To them, the fascists are always "the others"—the Ukrainians, the Americans, or the Germans you see in old war movies—never themselves.
A collective mentality, even if it doesn't actively cheer for war, serves to normalize it and turn it into just another routine. That is where the core of the problem lies: war crimes aren't viewed as exceptional events; they are treated as a standard of civilization. This is simply how Russia conducts war—dirty, bloody, indiscriminate, and leaving a massive trail of bodies in its wake.

The article is excellent; I highly recommend giving it a read.
https://holod.media/en/2022/08/08/an...of-a-genocide/

Manizha, the singer who represented Russia at Eurovision 2021, is currently facing a massive wave of harassment following her condemnation of the war in Ukraine.

Pro-war internet trolls have launched a targeted campaign against the acclaimed singer Manizha Sangin after she spoke out against the conflict in Ukraine. As a direct result of calls to boycott her music, many of her scheduled summer tour dates have been canceled.

Manizha, known for representing Russia at Eurovision 2021, took to Instagram to state that the invasion was "against the will of the Russian people," describing the violence as "fratricidal."

She also released a song titled “Soldier” just weeks after the fighting broke out in Donbas. The track repeatedly urges soldiers to "stop the war," even though new laws now threaten public figures with up to 15 years in prison simply for using terms like "war" or "invasion" to describe the Russian military actions in Ukraine.

In retaliation for her vocal opposition to the invasion, pro-war factions have flooded the internet, urging the public to report Manizha to the Department of Homeland Security as someone "engaged in public actions aimed at discrediting the Russian Armed Forces."

The backlash hasn't stopped at reports; she has also received threats, with some social media users warning her not to return to Russia from France, where she had traveled to visit her sister following a car accident.

Another tactic employed by online agitators against Manizha involves leaking the contact information of her concert promoters and inciting followers to flood them with demands to cancel her upcoming shows.

One message circulating on Telegram explicitly instructs people to "write in" and "demand that Manizha's performances be canceled because she opposes the Russian military."

Consequently, Manizha has been dropped from the lineup of the Stereoleto family festival. On Facebook, the festival organizers claimed the cancellation was "due to reasons beyond our control," while the festival's founder, Ilya Bortnyuk, stated the decision was "correct given the current circumstances."

The Moscow Glavclub also pulled Manizha from their schedule following the organized smear campaign.

However, not all organizers are bowing to the pressure from pro-war internet mobs. In an earlier statement, the organizers of the Alexandrovskay krepost folk music festival noted, “Unfortunately, we did receive a significant volume of negative emails and calls from individuals who seem dissatisfied with Manizha’s support for peace. However, we see no contradiction in her stance, as peace is a necessary prerequisite for celebrating diversity and multiculturalism.”

...

https://intellinews.com/russian-euro...?source=russia

TOKYO -- Europe’s anxieties regarding gas shortages heading into winter might just be getting bypassed, thanks to an unexpected white knight: China.

The world’s largest buyer of liquefied natural gas is offloading some of its surplus cargoes because domestic energy demand has cratered. This has provided the spot market with a massive influx of supply that Europe has been quick to snap up, even with the higher price tags.

As a consequence, European LNG imports have surged by 60% year-over-year during the first half of this year, according to data from Bloomberg. The 53 million tons purchased by the bloc actually outpaces the imports of both China and Japan, pushing European gas storage levels up to 77%.

If this current trajectory holds, Europe will likely hit its target of filling 80% of its gas storage capacity by November.

However, while China's economic slowdown has offered Europe some much-needed breathing room, it comes with a significant catch. As soon as economic activity in that communist nation picks back up, the situation could flip overnight. It also leaves Europe increasingly reliant on Beijing for its energy needs, which runs directly counter to the geopolitical push by the USA and its allies to defend the liberal international order.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Int...th-LNG-resales

While energy costs across Europe continue their dizzying climb, Russia is burning through massive quantities of natural gas, according to an analysis by ABC News.

Reports indicate that a facility located near the border with Finland is flaring gas valued at an estimated $10 million every single day.
Experts suggest this gas would have previously been exported to Germany.
The German ambassador to the United Kingdom told ABC News that Russia is simply burning the gas because they "couldn't sell it anywhere else."

Scientists are expressing deep concern over the massive amounts of carbon dioxide and soot being released, which threatens to accelerate the melting of Arctic ice.
Analysis from Wood Mackenzie shows that roughly 4.34 million cubic meters of gas are being flared daily.
This is originating from a new LNG plant in Port Arthur, located northwest of Saint Petersburg.

The first signs that something was amiss came from citizens in Finland who noticed a massive flame on the horizon near the border earlier this summer.
Port Arthur sits near a compressor station at the start of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which carries gas under the sea to Germany.
Supplies through the pipeline have been restricted since mid-July, with the Russians blaming technical malfunctions for the shortage, while Germany maintains it was a purely political move following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

However, since June, researchers have observed a significant spike in heat radiating from the site—a byproduct of the gas flaring process.

...
While gas flaring is standard practice at processing plants—usually handled for technical or safety reasons—the sheer scale of this combustion has left experts baffled.

"I have never seen an LNG plant swell like this," said Dr. Jessica McCarty, a satellite data expert from the University of Miami in Ohio.
"Starting around June, we saw this enormous spike, and it just hasn't subsided. It has remained unnaturally high."
Miguel Berger, the German ambassador to the United Kingdom, told ABC News that European efforts to reduce reliance on Russian gas "are having a profound impact on the Russian economy."

"They simply don't have anywhere else to sell their gas, so they are forced to burn it," he suggested.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62652133

Donna Harris11 said:Looks like Ford is keeping things moving, showing off the new John Doe model:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbuP...l=NAAVTOTRASSE

It seems they’ve finally started manufacturing cars equipped with airbags again. 👍

After the supply chain for parts snapped following the start of the war in Ukraine, Ford began churning out vehicles without any airbags at all.
As CNN reported, production ground to a halt during those initial months of the conflict, causing total output to crater to just 3,000 units in June, compared to their usual monthly run of 100,000. While numbers ticked up slightly by July, they are still hovering at roughly 10% of their historical average due to persistent supply issues.

https://intellinews.com/avtovaz-star...ressed-254427/

It appears the Russians have recently wasted a significant amount of ordnance on wooden HIMARS decoys.

Quincy:

According to various sources and photographic evidence reviewed by The Washington Post, Ukraine has developed a system of wooden decoys designed to mimic American rocket systems. These replicas have successfully tricked Russian forces into squandering expensive, long-range cruise missiles on nothing more than hollow shells.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...coy-artillery/

Matthew Young35 said:Precisely.
Did I suggest anything else?

In war, civilians die. That is an inescapable fact.
That is why war itself is a crime.
And that is why Russia committed a crime when they invaded Ukraine.
Is there something you aren't grasping?

I don't see how you're missing the point.

A woman writes about upwards of >80,000 people being killed (in a single city over just a month and a half) in Mariupol, and you try to rationalize it away by saying "civilians die in war."

It's twisted. You could use that same logic to excuse mass execution sites across the South—places like Auschwitz, Srebrenica, or Bleiburg... just saying "war is a crime, these things happen" doesn't cut it.
😵

Mykola Osychenko, a volunteer and community activist who heads up a local news station, told a local news station that insider reports suggest morgues in Mariupol have already documented 87,000 deaths, though those figures are nowhere near the final count.

Beyond the 87,000 officially logged cases, countless residents lie buried in unidentified mass graves. Current estimates suggest the number of identified bodies has reached 26,750.

On top of that, many victims are buried in the yards of apartment complexes and private homes, and a significant number of people remain trapped beneath the rubble.

"The estimates we're seeing are horrific, but this isn't over. We haven't finished exhuming bodies from courtyard graves, nor have we finished pulling them out from under the ruins of collapsed buildings. The numbers coming out of Mariupol are devastating," Osychenko remarked.

He also noted that people aren't looking toward the federal government for answers so much as they are questioning their local officials. There were no evacuation orders issued, and there was a distinct lack of prepared shelters, aside from those located within the steel plants.

https://bykvu.com/eng/bukvy/87-000-d...-media-report/

Keep in mind, this news actually dates back to August 18th.
https://dnipro.tv/dumka-eksperta/myk...fpbgr0yoaMfKgc

Matthew Young35 said:It’s war.
Did you honestly think only the Russ would be dying?

Are you seriously trying to equate the mass slaughter of civilians in Mariupol with military casualties during the invasion of Ukraine?
Is the logic here just that everyone dies because war is inherently violent and therefore all loss is equal?

🙂