The Greatest

This post was originally published on this site I am the greatest .
These four words echo the very heart of narcissistic behavior patterns .
One man made those four words quite famous back in February , 1964 .
Cassius Clay , aka Muhammad Ali , made this statement both prophetically before , and poignantly after , his fight with Sonny Liston .
When Ali said it , it was arrogant but entertaining .
It was entertaining because he did have a point .
He just might have been the greatest of all time .
He certainly seemed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after that important fight with Liston .
But these days , Donald Trump is saying it , too .
When Donald Trump says the very same thing in almost the very same way , it doesn ’ t come off quite as well .
It seems arrogant , that ’ s for sure .
But it is anything but entertaining , unless you happen to be one of his slave-like sycophantic followers .
To the rest of the world it seems tragically unentertaining .
It seems arrogant and disgusting , precisely because he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Perhaps only by elevation to his present position of power , he may have a point that he is the greatest narcissist of his era , perhaps even the greatest of all time .
Yes , in this respect if no other , he rivals the likes of Emperor Nero , Henry VIII , Napoleon , Alexander the Great , and yes , Adolf Hitler .
But unfortunately for DJT , unlike those others , he lives in a democratically influenced constitutional republic , and the next election approacheth .
And it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an only-marginally-controlled pandemic , one over which he could have exercised far better control .
He must therefore share the blame for its destruction of both the lives of many people and the economy , of which he has been so arrogantly proud .
In 1964 , Sonny Liston was one of the most powerful and dangerous opponents in the heavy-weight ring .
Almost no one gave the young Clay a sporting chance against “ The Bear ” .
But in the first of a series of contests that would go on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man who adopted the name , Ali , trounced his opponent convincingly , making a serious statement to back up his claim of being the greatest .
Now , just over a half century later , here we are listening to the likes of Donald Trump making similar claims of being “ The Greatest ” .
But unfortunately for The Donald , he couldn ’ t float like a butterfly , even figuratively , if his life depended on it .
While many in his disastrous administration have felt the “ sting ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems ludicrously out of place .
And that sting is typically administered by proxy , by others in the administration so The Donald doesn ’ t have to actually get his own hands dirty in the process .
He delegates the actuality , but loves precious little more than giving voice to the words , “ You ’ re Fired !
” Those are the words this man made famous .
Ali owns “ The Greatest ” .
Trump owns “ You ’ re Fired !
” The difference could not be more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of great size .
Both represent a power trip and the personality that requires such support .
With “ The Greatest ” , Ali had a point and the Donald does not .
With “ You ’ re Fired , ” Trump has something Ali apparently never had : the illusion of control and domination over everyone else , everywhere .
Ali had that in the ring , but he knew the difference between that domain and the reality existing outside the ring .
Trump knows no such dichotomy between his immediate sphere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality that exists outside of it .
Unfortunately for The Donald , his time of great influence is drawing to a close .
Unfortunately for the rest of us , narcissists seldom relinquish positions of power without contesting that surrender .
They sometimes resort to violence .
In the barely literate words of The Donald , we could be in for a “ very , very ” rough ride in the coming months .
Remembering some other words spoken by this man , President Obama was surely going to start a war to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump knows embarrassingly little about the office he holds , but he does know that war-time presidents have a trump card , if you will .
He would dearly like to be re-elected in November .
He and the Republicans are counting on Russian interference , voter suppression , and rabid support from the radical right .
What better time could there be to launch a war effort to bolster support from the rest of the voters ?
Something has to be done to distract from the embarrassing results of this pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention from the disastrously inept response to it by this administration .
What better time could there possibly be for the distraction of a war effort ?
The Middle East is rife with wars .
There are continuing wars in Afghanistan , Yemen , and Syria .
But to make a big enough splash , to gain sufficient attention to retain the White House , Trump is going to have to start a brand new conflict .
He certainly wouldn ’ t want to start a war with Kim .
Lord knows , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is always Iran .
Good old Iran .
Trouble is , they would fight back .
A lot .
And the U.S. has many valuable interests in the region that could quickly become targets .
The real question is how dangerously unhinged is Trump .
Is he unhinged enough to start a war that could bring devastation and losses to multiple Middle East nations as well as our own interests in the region ?
Is “ The Greatest ” dangerous enough to get us into a conflict–yet another conflict–with no good resolution @ @

This post was originally published on this site
Call it the new American isolationism, writes William J. Astore. Only this time the country — while pumped up with pride in its “exceptional” military — is isolated from the harrowing and horrific costs of war itself.
Fighting Invisible Perpetual Wars
By William J. Astore
TomDispatch
In his message to the troops prior to the July 4th weekend, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin offered high praise indeed. “We have the greatest fighting force in human history,” he tweeted, connecting that claim to the U.S. having patriots of all colors, creeds and backgrounds “who bravely volunteer to defend our country and our values.”
As a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel from a working-class background who volunteered to serve more than four decades ago, who am I to argue with Austin? Shouldn’t I just bask in the glow of his praise for today’s troops, reflecting on my own honorable service near the end of what now must be thought of as the First Cold War?
Yet I confess to having doubts. I’ve heard it all before. The hype. The hyperbole. I still remember how, soon after the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush boasted that this country had “the greatest force for human liberation the world has ever known.” I also remember how, in a pep talk given to U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2010, President Barack Obama declared them “the finest fighting force that the world has ever known.”
And yet, 15 years ago at TomDispatch, I was already wondering when Americans had first become so proud of, and insistent upon, declaring our military the world’s absolute best, a force beyond compare, and what that meant for a republic that once had viewed large standing armies and constant warfare as anathemas to freedom.
In retrospect, the answer is all too straightforward: we need something to boast about, don’t we? In the once-upon-a-time “exceptional nation,” what else is there to praise to the skies or consider our pride and joy these days except our heroes?
After all, this country can no longer boast of having anything like the world’s best educational outcomes, or healthcare system, or the most advanced and safest infrastructure, or the best democratic politics, so we better damn well be able to boast about having “the greatest fighting force” ever.
Leaving that boast aside, Americans could certainly brag about one thing their country has beyond compare: the most expensive military around and possibly ever. No country even comes close to the U.S. commitment of funds to wars, weapons (including nuclear ones at the Department of Energy), and global dominance. Indeed, the Pentagon’s budget for “defense” in 2023 exceeds that of the next 10 countries (mostly allies!) combined.
And from all of this, it seems to me, two questions arise: Are Americans truly getting what they pay so dearly for — the bestest, finest, most exceptional military ever? And even if we are, should a self-proclaimed democracy really want such a thing?
The answer to both those questions is, of course, no. After all, America hasn’t won a war in a convincing fashion since 1945. If this country keeps losing wars routinely and often enough catastrophically, as it has in places like Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, how can we honestly say that we possess the world’s greatest fighting force? And if we nevertheless persist in such a boast, doesn’t that echo the rhetoric of militaristic empires of the past? (Remember when we used to think that only unhinged dictators like Adolf Hitler boasted of having peerless warriors in a megalomaniacal pursuit of global domination?)
Actually, I do believe the United States has the most exceptional military, just not in the way its boosters and cheerleaders like Austin, Bush, and Obama claimed. How is the U.S. military truly “exceptional”? Let me count the ways.
The Pentagon as a Budgetary Black Hole
In so many ways, the U.S. military is indeed exceptional. Let’s begin with its budget. At this very moment, Congress is debating a colossal “defense” budget of $886 billion for FY2024 (and all the debate is about issues that have little to do with the military).
That defense spending bill, you may recall, was “only” $740 billion when President Joe Biden took office three years ago. In 2021, Biden withdrew U.S. forces from the disastrous war in Afghanistan, theoretically saving the taxpayer nearly $50 billion a year. Yet, in place of any sort of peace dividend, American taxpayers simply got an even higher bill as the Pentagon budget continued to soar.
Recall that, in his four years in office, Donald Trump increased military spending by 20 percent. Biden is now poised to achieve a similar 20percent increase in just three years in office. And that increase largely doesn’t even include the cost of supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia — so far, somewhere between $120 billion and $200 billion and still rising.
Colossal budgets for weapons and war enjoy broad bipartisan support in Washington. It’s almost as if there were a military-industrial-congressional complex at work here! Where, in fact, did I ever hear a president warning us about that? Oh, perhaps I’m thinking of a certain farewell address by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1961.
In all seriousness, there’s now a huge pentagonal-shaped black hole on the Potomac that’s devouring more than half of the federal discretionary budget annually. Even when Congress and the Pentagon allegedly try to enforce fiscal discipline, if not austerity elsewhere, the crushing gravitational pull of that hole just continues to suck in more money. Bet on that continuing as the Pentagon issues ever more warnings about a new cold war with China and Russia.
Given its money-sucking nature, perhaps you won’t be surprised to learn that the Pentagon is remarkably exceptional when it comes to failing fiscal audits — five of them in a row (the fifth failure being a “teachable moment,” according to its chief financial officer) — as its budget only continued to soar. Whether you’re talking about lost wars or failed audits, the Pentagon is eternally rewarded for its failures. Try running a “Mom and Pop” store on that basis and see how long you last.
Speaking of all those failed wars, perhaps you won’t be surprised to learn that they haven’t come cheaply. According to the Costs of War Project at Brown University, roughly 937,000 people have died since 9/11/2001 thanks to direct violence in this country’s “Global War on Terror” in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere. And the deaths of another 3.6 to 3.7 million people may be indirectly attributable to those same post-9/11 conflicts. The financial cost to the American taxpayer has been roughly $8 trillion and rising even as the U.S. military continues its counterterror preparations and activities in 85 countries.
No other nation in the world sees its military as (to borrow from a short-lived Navy slogan) “a global force for good.” No other nation divides the whole world into military commands like AFRICOM for Africa and CENTCOM for the Middle East and parts of Central and South Asia, headed up by four-star generals and admirals. No other nation has a network of 750 foreign bases scattered across the globe. No other nation strives for full-spectrum dominance through “all-domain operations,” meaning not only the control of traditional “domains” of combat — the land, sea, and air — but also of space and cyberspace. While other countries are focused mainly on national defense (or regional aggressions of one sort or another), the U.S. military strives for total global and spatial dominance. Truly exceptional!
Strangely, in this never-ending, unbounded pursuit of dominance, results simply don’t matter. The Afghan War? Bungled, botched, and lost. The Iraq War? Built on lies and lost. Libya? We came, we saw, Libya’s leader (and so many innocents) died. Yet no one at the Pentagon was punished for any of those failures. In fact, to this day, it remains an accountability-free zone, exempt from meaningful oversight. If you’re a “modern major general,” why not pursue wars when you know you’ll never be punished for losing them?
Indeed, the few “exceptions” within the military-industrial-congressional complex who stood up for accountability, people of principle like Daniel Hale, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden, were imprisoned or exiled.
In fact, the U.S. government has even conspired to imprison a foreign publisher and transparency activist, Julian Assange, who published the truth about the American war on terror, by using a World War I-era espionage clause that only applies to American citizens.
And the record is even grimmer than that. In our post-9/11 years at war, as President Barack Obama admitted, “We tortured some folks” — and the only person punished for that was another whistleblower, John Kiriakou, who did his best to bring those war crimes to our attention.
And speaking of war crimes, isn’t it “exceptional” that the U.S. military plans to spend upwards of $2 trillion in the coming decades on a new generation of genocidal nuclear weapons?
Those include new stealth bombers and new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for the Air Force, as well as new nuclear-missile-firing submarines for the Navy. Worse yet, the U.S. continues to reserve the right to use nuclear weapons first, presumably in the name of protecting life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And of course, despite the countries — nine! — that now possess nukes, the U.S. remains the only one to have used them in wartime, in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Finally, it turns out that the military is even immune from Supreme Court decisions! When SCOTUS recently overturned affirmative action for college admission, it carved out an exception for the military academies. Schools like West Point and Annapolis can still consider the race of their applicants, presumably to promote unit cohesion through proportional representation of minorities within the officer ranks, but our society at large apparently does not require racial equity for its cohesion.
Making Its Wars & Their Ugliness Disappear
Here’s one of my favorite lines from the movie “The Usual Suspects”: “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist.”
The greatest trick the U.S. military ever pulled was essentially convincing us that its wars never existed. As Norman Solomon notes in his revealing book, War Made Invisible, the military-industrial-congressional complex has excelled at camouflaging the atrocious realities of war, rendering them almost entirely invisible to the American people. Call it the new American isolationism, only this time the country is isolated from the harrowing and horrific costs of war itself.
The U.S. is a nation perpetually at war, yet most Americans live their lives with little or no perception of this. There is no longer a military draft. There are no war bond drives. You aren’t asked to make direct and personal sacrifices. You aren’t even asked to pay attention, let alone pay (except for those nearly trillion-dollar-a-year budgets and interest payments on a ballooning national debt, of course).
[Related: PATRICK LAWRENCE: The Dialectic of the Draft]
You certainly aren’t asked for your permission for this country to fight its wars, as the Constitution demands. As President George W. Bush suggested after the 9/11 attacks, go visit Disneyworld! Enjoy life! Let America’s “best and brightest” handle the brutality, the degradation, and the ugliness of war, bright minds like former Vice President Dick (“So?”) Cheney and former Secretary of Defense Donald (“I don’t do quagmires”) Rumsfeld.
Did you hear something about the U.S. military being in Syria? In Somalia? Did you hear about the U.S. military supporting the Saudis in a brutal war of repression in Yemen? Did you notice how the country’s military interventions around the world kill, wound and displace so many people of color, so much so that observers speak of the systemic racism of America’s wars? Is it truly progress that a more diverse military in terms of “color, creed, and background,” to use Secretary of Defense Austin’s words, has killed and is killing so many non-white peoples around the globe?
Praising the all-female-crewed flyover at the last Super Bowl or painting rainbow flags of inclusivity (or even blue and yellow flags for Ukraine) on cluster munitions won’t soften the blows or quiet the screams. As one reader of my blog Bracing Viewsso aptly put it: “The diversity the war parties [Democrats and Republicans] will not tolerate is diversity of thought.”
Of course, the U.S. military isn’t solely to blame here. Senior officers will claim their duty is not to make policy at all but to salute smartly as the president and Congress order them about.
The reality, however, is different. The military is, in fact, at the core of America’s shadow government with enormous influence over policymaking. It’s not merely an instrument of power; it is power — and exceptionally powerful at that. And that form of power simply isn’t conducive to liberty and freedom, whether inside America’s borders or beyond them.
Wait! What am I saying? Stop thinking about all that! America is, after all, the exceptional nation and its military, a band of freedom fighters. In Iraq, where war and sanctions killed untold numbers of Iraqi children in the 1990s, the sacrifice was “worth it,” as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright once reassured Americans on 60 Minutes.
Even when government actions kill children, lots of children, it’s for the greater good. If this troubles you, go to Disney and take your kids with you. You don’t like Disney? Then, hark back to that old marching song of World War I and “pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag, and smile, smile, smile.” Remember, America’s troops are freedom-delivering heroes and your job is to smile and support them without question.
Have I made my point? I hope so. And yes, the U.S. military is indeed exceptional and being so, being No. 1 (or claiming you are anyway) means never having to say you’re sorry, no matter how many innocents you kill or maim, how many lives you disrupt and destroy, how many lies you tell.
I must admit, though, that, despite the endless celebration of our military’s exceptionalism and “greatness,” a fragment of scripture from my Catholic upbringing haunts me still: Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
William J. Astore, a retired lieutenant colonel (USAF) and professor of history, is a TomDispatch regular and a senior fellow at the Eisenhower Media Network (EMN), an organization of critical veteran military and national security professionals. His personal blog is “Bracing Views.”
This article is from TomDispatch.
The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.


therussophileorg--2020-05-01--Russia Is Making High-Budget, High Quality Christian Cartoons – Imagine If Disney Were Christian – S

Russia Is Making High-Budget, High Quality Christian Cartoons – Imagine If Disney Were Christian – Soon With English Subtitles

This post was originally published on this site Imagine what Disney would be like , if it were Christian .
@ @ @ @ @ children ’ s movies with well written narratives and stunning animation , recounting the stories @ @ @ @ @ children about real men and women who had strong faith in Christ , and who @ @ @ @ @ greatest weapon against evil .

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In old Russia, nearly 1000 years ago, Saints Peter & Fevronia set an enduring example of Christian devotion — both to God and to each other. While Peter bravely conquered dangerous foes, his bride Fevronia was skilled in medicine, healing her patients with herbs and prayer. This new movie tells a story inspired by their lives . . .
Update: Watch one of these excellent films here: WATCH FREE: Wonderful, High Quality, High Budget Christian Cartoon from Russia with English Captions (Peter and Fevronia)
Imagine what Disney would be like, if it were Christian . . . giving us uplifting children’s movies with well written narratives and stunning animation, recounting the stories of true heroes — teaching children about real men and women who had strong faith in Christ, and who considered prayer to be the greatest weapon against evil.
We don’t have to imagine anymore. The massive modern revival of Christian faith in Russia is transforming the culture there, bringing positive influence to the film industry. Inspired by the lives of Saints Peter & Fevronia, they have written a modern tale of bravery, faith, and love.
This first movie trailer has just been released with English subtitles:
In this film, Prince Peter valiantly fights dragons, and his beloved Fevronia uses herbs and prayer to heal him from sickness. Multiple times, the main characters are found in churches, and they pray to the Lord for deliverance from the great trials and troubles that come their way.
This beautiful film came to Russian theaters in 2017. And now in 2020, Russian Faith is releasing this wonderful movie with English subtitles! This film is not historical — many things were added to the story, making it into a dramatic motion picture. Some parts of the story were inspired by the lives of Peter & Fevronia, but this particular movie is only loosely based on historical accounts. Nevertheless, it is an uplifting film that does justice to the traditional values of patience, honesty, love, marriage, bravery, mercy, prayer, and a deep faith in Christ.
Want to see more Christian films with English subtitles? Read the following article — it explains how we do it, and how you can help: Christian Films from Russia – with English Subtitles
Watch Russian-Faith.com for the full Peter & Fevronia movie to be released with English subtitles very soon, this May . . .
See also:


Syria news/Current

28 Apr .
“ Dozens killed in truck bomb attack at Afrin market ” – [ https : //www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-52454134 BBC @ @ @ @ @ //sana.sy/en/ ?
p=190708 SANA ] .
Turkey blames YPG .
SANA does not assign blame @

This post was originally published on this site
14 Mar. Assad visits Moscow to meet Putin; gives interview to Soloviev (Rus.; abridged Eng.). That was followed by MoD’s meeting.
6 Feb. Major earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Russia offered assistance to Syria and, among others, to Turkey and sent rescue teams to both countries.
Some 20 IS prisoners escaped jail in Rajo, near Turkish border (text).
White Helmets, baby, action (video)
28 Jan. It is said, including Western media, that Israel carried out a drone attack at a weapons factory in Isfahan in central Iran. There are conflicting claims on attack effectiveness, with Iranian photos (1, 2) showing light damage to the net protecting the roof. According to Iranian and referring to them sources, earthquake in Khoy and an accidental fire at an oil purification plant in Azarshahr allow Western media to spread disinformation.
2022
15 Sep. As the war in Ukraine rages on, Iran is to join Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
SANA: “Syrian Ambassador in Beijing: relations between Syria and China are deeply-rooted”
12 Jul. As the war in Ukraine rages on, Putin is to visit Tehran, for meetings on Syria.
26 Jun. Russian source: US-trained group of militants were preparing terrorist attacks against peaceful targets. They first attacked a civilian bus on Jun. 20 (below). “SAA reconnaissance units found the terrorists and handed over their coordinates to the Russian Air Force”, which delivered a precision strike. “the US must stop encouraging crises where others seek to build PEACE. The occupiers must leave Syria!” (article starts with a reference to WSJ, 17 Jun., below, and aims to tell “what is really happening”).
20 Jun. SANA: Eleven SAA army personnel and two civilians were killed, and three other army personnel were injured in a terrorist attack that targeted a civilian bus on the Raqqa-Homs highway.
17 Jun. WSJ: Russian Escalations in Syria Risk Direct Conflict With U.S., Military Officials Warn (paywalled; free Russian summary). “Russia carried out airstrikes at the al-Tanf garrison Wednesday, where U.S. troops have a train-and-advise mission with local fighters”.
18 Mar. Syrian president Assad pays surprise visit to the UAE.
22 Feb. SANA: “Syria … supports Russia’s recognition of the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics”
19 Feb. SANA: “Backed by the army checkpoint in the area, citizens of Tal Dahab confronted a military convoy for the US occupation and expelled it”
20 Jan. In the evening, IS sleeping cells attacked the Al-Sinaa prison in Hasek, where 5,000 members of the group were kept, about a thousand of whom were foreign fighters. A number of prisoners escaped, creating security fears. Details, some follow-up: 1 (robo-translation), 2, 3 , 4.
28 Dec. “The Israeli Air Force attacked the port near the Syrian city of Latakia, near which the Khmeimim air force base of the Russian Aerospace Forces is located, according to the State Television of Syria”. (There is a deconfliction agreement and Russian air defense does not engage IDF). The attack targeted the container port. The Syrian air defense forces did not engage in combat with Israeli F-16 fighters, which attacked the port, as at that time a Russian Aerospace Forces plane was landing at the Hmeimim airfield in the vicinity of this city,..according to the deputy head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation.
13 Dec. Washington Post claims that June 8 Israeli airstrikes near Damascus and Homs were targeting a restarted Syrian chemical weapons program, “according to four current and former U.S. and Western intelligence officials”. Apparently, intel suggested Syria was importing a sarin precursor. A March 2020 airstrike was said to be, “directly tied to Syria’s successful procurement the previous year of a large quantity of tricalcium phosphate..” Which can be used to treat calcium deficiency. Claims of Sarin precursor importation were made in 2018, involving isopropyl alcohol also known as rubbing alcohol.
6 Dec. Israel carries out airstrike on the Syrian port of Latakia. Jersulem Post:A military source told SANA that Israeli aircraft fired several missiles from the direction of the Mediterranean towards the container yard at the commercial port in Latakia. A number of shipping containers caught on fire due to the airstrike and no casualties were caused, according to SANA. More sources compiled by NiqNaq
22 Nov. The Totalitarian Media Regime in the US reaches a new height in censorship. Aaron Maté publishes a new article on the OPCW falsification of the April 7, 2018 alleged chemical attack and massacre in Douma. The same day YouTube cancels and censors the Jimmy Dore Show in the middle of a live stream with Aaron Maté. (It is unknown if the two event are in any way related.)
11 Nov. It is said that Russian S-300 are seen at Al-Tabka airfield in Raqqa province (vacated by US forces in 2019).
10 Nov. Article reports on ‘brotherly’ visit of UAE FM to Damascus to meet Asad; claims that in 2020 Asad was offered money and paid a part, to launch an attack in Idlib, said to be prevented by Russia. (source of claim uncertain).
1-4 Nov. There appears to be an on-going flare-up between Turkey’s backed and Russia’s backed belligerents. It appears that Russia’s airforce is committed, while non-Russia’s forces are on the ground.
25 Oct. Iran’s IRGC capture the Vietnamese flagged tanker SOTHYS in the Arabian Sea. (full video) According to Iranians, the tanker was carrying Iranian crude oil transferred to the ship by Americans, after they had captured another tanker carrying Iranian oil in the Gulf of Oman. No details of this alleged previous incident or the ships involved are known.
3 Oct. 3500 years old piece of written music, said to be the oldest known, was unearthed in ancient Syrian city of Ugarit. Said to challenge Pythagoras priority (the latter probably about consonance and dissonance.
17 Sep. Semion Pegov writes about economic hardship in Syria, and its effects, including perception of Russia, and Asad.
14 Sep. “The Russian army avenged the military deaths in Syria.”
10 Sep. Rojava reports an attack on allied to Turkey forces in Al-Bab (1, 2).
9 Sep. As a result of the explosion of an IED on the route of a Kamaz-5350 truck in Homs province, Lieut. Col. Alexei Shneider was killed. He was 45 years old.
26 Aug. ISIS suicide bomber kills 13 US troops at Kabul airport. US respond by opening fire and may have killed a large part of the 150 Afghan victims, including 30 Taliban fighters.
15 Aug. Afghan president Ghani Claims resigns and flies to Tajikistan, declaring that from now on, the Taliban will be responsible for the “honour, wealth and preservation” of Afghanistan’s people. Panic at the Kabul international airport as NATO collaborators attempt to get a seat in the evacuation airplanes. The US sends 6000 troops to check boarding passes. (archive) This will not be a repeat of 1975, says President Biden.
14 Aug. Very brief white plume of smoke, like a weapon firing, seen on a mountain slope on the video of the crash of Russian BE-200 plane in Turkey, on just a few frames at around 33s. The plane by that time started firefighting water drop but is hidden from view by the mountain. A round floating plume or object is seen in the air after the crash. It is understood that 5 Russian and 3 Turkish persons on board are all killed in the crash. Official version of crash causes are not known so far.
29 Jul. “Syria, Iran to enhance joint economic cooperation.”
22 Jul. TASS: Buk-M2E systems intercept four missiles fired by Israeli fighter jets in Homs province. (However, reports that all missiles were shot down is disputed).
5, 11 Jul. Attacks on American targets in the Al-Omar oil field in Deir ez-Zor province are reported 1, 2, 3
Attacks mapped, 5-11 Jul, Syria &Iraq.
28 Jun. Biden bombs Iraqi forces in Iraq and Syria.
Apparently in response, “U.S. Forces in Syria were attacked by multiple rockets. There are no injuries and damage is being assessed” –1, 2, 3. Satellite image of a US base in the Al Omar oil field, Deir ez-Zor province, after Iranian proxy missile strikes.
26 Jun. It is said that MQ-9 Reaper armed with Mark 82 GPS -guided bomb appeared in an area of SAA and RU AF operation against the rebels; Russian sources alleges that rebels are aided by information collected, and that there were no US strikes in the area for quite awhile (report with photo/visuals)
11 Jun. Report: In the Jebel al-Zawiya area, a precise Russian airstrike killed the HTS official representative Abu Khalid Shami, the head of the HTS media wing Abu Musab Homsi, the head of the internal security service of the Muataz al-Nasser group and a group of militants accompanying them. The attack was inflicted on their moving car, when the leaders visited one of the group’s checkpoints. Information was obtained using the latest technical means of reconnaissance, which are being tested in Syria.
After the airstrike: ” In the southern part of the Idlib de-escalation zone, Russian reconnaissance drones recorded large units of militants and heavy weapons of the Turkish Armed Forces to conduct provocations in the Serakib area.”
9 Jun. As a result of the explosion of an armored vehicle in the Syrian province of Haseke, one Russian soldier was killed, three more were wounded.
27 May. Assad wins 4th term in office (VoA, TASS).
26 May. Presidential elections in Syria (photo 1 , 2). 5 western countries object.
25 May. Three Russian long-range Tu 22M3 bombers landed in Khmeimim airbase, after landing strip was extended. Such planes can carry X22 or X32 anti-ship cruise missiles.
20 May. Gaza ceasefire appears to be in sight, mediated by Egypt.
12 May. Erdogan and Putin discussed recent Israeli-Palestinian flare-up events (readouts differ).
23 Apr. Unidentified drone sets fire to a tanker while it is offloading the Iranian tanker Adrian Darya-1 outside the oil terminal in Baniyas in Syria.
22 Apr. It is said that a surface to air missile entered Negev desert area in Israel, apparently not far from Dimona reactor; Patriot missile defense was activated but said to fail to intercept. Counter strikes on Syrian positions (claimed to have Iranian presence) near Damascus, including unit that fired missile, is reported.
8 Mar. Report: Assad and his wife tested positive after PCR test for COVID-19. Will quarantine for up to 2-3 weeks.
5 Mar. Syrian forces fire ballistic Tochka U missiles and destroy a fuel smuggling and transporting “market” in the south of Jarabulus, a Syrian town controlled by Turkey and pro-Turkey groups. Videos, reports The White Helmets get a photo op.
25 Feb. President Biden authorizes an airstrike on border post facilities in Al Bukamal, killing an unclear number of members of PMU factions. According to Lavrov, Russian military was warned some “4 or 5 minutes” prior to the strike, seen as insufficient. Lavrov stated that “The United States is in Syria illegally, in violation of all norms of international law, including the Security Council resolutions on a settlement” in Syria.
Abu Muhammad al Jolani with Martin Smith
31 Jan. US journalists Martin Smith interviews Jabhat Al-Nusra leader Abu Muhammad al Jolani in Idlib.
22 Jan. Recent Israeli airstrikes on Syria’s Hama have claimed the lives of an entire family, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on January 22. (Southfront)
21 Jan 2021. US Convoy of some 40 vehicles entered the Hasaka area from Iraq, on the 1st full day of Biden presidency, according to SANA.
25 Nov. Israeli airforce dropped leaflets in southern Syria warning not to collaborate with Hezbollah.
18 Nov. Israel strikes Iranian, Syrian targets in Syria.
16 Nov. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem dies at the age of 79.
9 Nov. “Text of the statement by Putin, Pashinyan and Aliyev to end the war in Karabakh has been published”
It is reported that a new ceasefire agreement is reached on Nagornyi Karabach, which apparently includes withdrawal of Armenian forces, Azerbaijan keeping recently captured territory including Shusha city, and a Russian peacekeeping force.
Azerbaijan forces shot down with MANPADS Russian MI-24 helicopter over Armenia near the border with Azerbaijan “by mistake”.
4 Nov. The US DoJ shuts down and seizes the domain name of the pro-Trump, pro-Syria news and opinion web site American Herald Tribune.
23 Oct. With Russia not explicitly backing either side in Nagornyi Karabakh, Trump is “aiming to help Armenia” (and Bellingcat, too).
It is reported that Russian air force performed strikes on illegal oil installations in Turkish zone of responsibility near Jarablus, Syria
17 Oct. Another major flare-up in Azerbaijan-Armenia violence, with rocket strikes on population centers, Azerbaijan claim of a strike on Armenian S-300 site, etc. Followed by announcement of a ceasefire (of uncertain duration).
10 Oct. It is said (sources) that fighters from Syrian pro-Turkish Hamza division (Wikipedia; logo) or Sultan Murad division are fighting in Nagornyi Karabakh on Azerbaijani side.
4 Oct. Russian sources report on a Syrian program which pays $100 to $300 for providing information “about HTS objects in Idlib”, and for some reason publish details on several identified targets. (Confusingly, report itself talks about training camps for mercenaries prepared for Karabach).
3 Oct. “Today’s Armenian is not a wanderer on the Deir ez-Zor [Syria] road” – Pashinyan’s appeal to the Armenian people.
2 Oct. Joint appeal by Russia, USA, France to Azerbaijan and Armenia to stop warfare and start diplomacy is backed by Armenia but de-facto rejected by Erdogan who supports Azerbaijan actions. On the ground, Azerbaijan fired on Karabakh capital city Stepanaert and a bridge connecting Armenia and Karabakh. Russia stays neutral, so far. Some talk of possible involvement of Iran (who may be on Armenian side, in continuation of an old rivalry in the Caucuses)
29 Sep. Guardian: Syrian rebel fighters prepare to deploy to Azerbaijan in sign of Turkey’s ambition. On 28 Sep., Armenia reported another major attack by Azerbaijan and claimed Azerbaijan losses of 22 tanks, 10 other armored vehicles and 370 soldiers “liquidated”. Other reports include larger totals of vehicles destroyed, and 26 killed in additional Armenian losses.
27 Sep. A serious escalation of Nagornyi Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is said that Turkey-backed militants are recruited to participate on Azerbaijan side in Afrin, Syria, and possibly diverted from Libya (1, 2). Pro-Armenian sources and media sources in Greece claim that Turkish F-16 planes are taking part from Azerbaijan airbases, 1, 2 (unconfirmed), while some Greek sources say that Turkey-made Bayraktar drones armed with MAM-L missiles participate in bombing (1, 2).
22 Sep. Andre Vltchek is found dead in Istanbul. Cause unknown, he was there on holiday with his wife and had recently been ill. His most recent article – The time has come for the West to sit down, shut up and listen to the rest of the world
20 Sep. Russian MoD warned that HTS militants in Idlib assisted by White Helmets are preparing provocations with toxic substances.
It is said that on 9, 15, and 20 Sep. Russian air force performed strikes on militants’ camps in Idlib, “correcting mistakes and ineffectiveness” by Turkey (published 29 Sep.)


US bioweapons program

* [ http : //dilyana.bg/us-diplomats-involved-in-trafficking-of-human-blood-and-pathogens-for-secret-military-program/ US diplomats involved in trafficking of human blood and pathogens for secret military program ] @ @ @ @ @ 12 , 2018 * [ http : //dilyana.bg/us-diplomats-involved-in-trafficking-of-human-blood-and-pathogens-for-secret-military-program/ US diplomats involved in trafficking of human @ @ @ @ @ military program ] – Dilyana Gaytandzhieva , September 12 , 2018

This post was originally published on this site
* [https://apnews.com/1744306a8f8be1ac25b1dcc7ccfec919 Fort Detrick Spokesman Says Soviet Report On AIDS Is Ridiculous] – ”AP”, April 1, 1987
* [https://apnews.com/1744306a8f8be1ac25b1dcc7ccfec919 Fort Detrick Spokesman Says Soviet Report On AIDS Is Ridiculous] – ”AP”, April 1, 1987
* [https://rense.com/general45/cant.htm The Man-Made Origin of AIDS: Are Human and Viral Experiments Responsible For Unleashing The HIV Holocaust?] – Alan Cantwell, Jr, c. 2003 ([http://www.africaspeaks.com/articles/2005/0903.html mirror])


Totalitarian Media Regime

* [ https : //www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/anti-vax-facebook-twitter-instagram-vaccines-measles-mmr-a8841666.html Anti-Vaccine Posts On Facebook , Instagram And Twitter Could Be Banned Under New UK Laws ] – ” The Independent ” , March 27 , 2019 * [ https : //www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/anti-vax-facebook-twitter-instagram-vaccines-measles-mmr-a8841666.html Anti-Vaccine Posts On Facebook , Instagram And Twitter Could Be Banned Under New UK Laws ] – ” The Independent ” , March 27 , 2019 * : ” ” The EU has pressured tech giants like Facebook , Twitter , Google and Microsoft to stop the spread of fake news about COVID-19.
” ” ( on soundtrack ) * : ” ” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Twitter , Google and Microsoft to stop the spread of fake news about COVID-19.
” ” ( on soundtrack ) * [ https : //www.rt.com/op-ed/484797-facebook-twitter-covid-social-media/ We can not allow Facebook and Twitter to use Covid-19 to launch their own coup d ’ état ] – ” RT ” , April 2 , 2020 * : ” The Task Force works within the existing budget for EU Strategic Communication .
In addition , the Task Force was granted €1.1 million in 2018 for its work to address Russia ’ s disinformation .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million .
From January 2019 , the budget is being directed to ensure professional media monitoring , disinformation analysis and data analysis .
* : ” The Task Force works within the existing budget for EU Strategic Communication .
In addition , the Task Force was granted €1.1 million in 2018 for its work to address Russia ’ s disinformation .
In 2019 , the budget increases to €3 million .
From January 2019 , the budget is being directed to ensure professional media monitoring , disinformation analysis and data analysis .

This post was originally published on this site
(One intermediate revision by the same user not shown)
Line 392: Line 392:
* [https://www.theamericanconservative.com/an-injunction-preserves-the-first-amendment-on-social-media-for-now/ An Injunction Preserves the First Amendment on Social Media—For Now] – Peter Van Buren, ”American Conservative”, July 17, 2023 * [https://www.theamericanconservative.com/an-injunction-preserves-the-first-amendment-on-social-media-for-now/ An Injunction Preserves the First Amendment on Social Media—For Now] – Peter Van Buren, ”American Conservative”, July 17, 2023
* [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/07/18/nigel-farage-coutts-bank-account-closed-align-with-values/ Coutts closed Nigel Farage’s account because he didn’t ‘align with their values’] – ”The Telegraph”, July 19, 2023 * [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/07/18/nigel-farage-coutts-bank-account-closed-align-with-values/ Coutts closed Nigel Farage’s account because he didn’t ‘align with their values’] – ”The Telegraph”, July 19, 2023
+ * [https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-bowed-to-white-house-pressure-removed-covid-posts-2df436b7 Facebook Bowed to White House Pressure, Removed Covid Posts] – ”Wall Street Journal”, July 28, 2023 ([https://archive.is/P5t3c archive])
+ * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SdxHHRU_UA Freedom of speech] – Dr. John Campbell, July 28, 2023 (video)
+
====Seymour Hersh’s Russian handler ==== ====Seymour Hersh’s Russian handler ====


Ukraine news/Current

2 May .
Reports , photos , videos on the 6-th anniversary of [ [ Talk : Odessa_Trade_Union_massacre|Odessa massacre ] ] : Rusvesna [ https : //rusvesna.su/news/1588414037 ( Rus ) . ]
, [ https : //translate.google.com/translate ?
hl= & sl=ru & tl=en & u=https % 3A % 2F % 2Frusvesna.su % 2Fnews % 2F1588414037 ( robo-Eng . )
] ; Strana.ua [ https : //strana.ua/news/264901-hodovshchina-2-maja-v-odesse-reaktsija-sotssetej.html ( Rus ) . ]
29 Apr .
Opolchenie : ” Yesterday , during the day , Ukrainian forces fired not intensively upon : Trudovskaya minepit settlement ( RPG , large caliber machine guns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arms ) , Gagarin minepit settlement ( RPG , large caliber machine guns , small arms ) , Yasnoe ( 82 mm , small arms ) .
At night , there was not intense , sporadic small arms fire at : Volvo Center , Promka ( industrial zone ) , north of Gorlovka , Sahanka .
29 Apr .
Opolchenie : ” Yesterday , during the day , Ukrainian forces fired not intensively upon : Trudovskaya minepit settlement ( RPG , large caliber machine guns ) , Aleksandrovka ( RPG , small arms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , large caliber machine guns , small arms ) , Yasnoe ( 82 mm , small arms ) .
At night , there was not intense , sporadic small arms fire at : Volvo Center , Promka ( industrial zone ) , north of Gorlovka , Sahanka .

This post was originally published on this site
21 Jun. 3 DPR soldiers are killed by Ukrainian mortar attack despite all ceasefires. One more is killed when SPG-9 was fired on ambulance vehicle collecting bodies, despite additional “silence regime” agreed. Five more are wounded. Anniversary of Nazi attack on USSR is June 22.
11 Jun. Five LPR soldiers, members of “Prizrak” battalion, are killed near Golubovskoe when Ukrainian RSG group ambushed their checkpoint. It is said that a foreign sniper rifle was used in the attack.
3 Jun. UNSC ‘Arria-Formula’ meeting on the circumstances of Maidan and its aftereffects in Donbass, video: Eng, Rus. Tsarev talk, text, [ Rus.] Presenters are former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov, former Rada MP Oleg Tsarev (more here) and Vladimir Oleynik, British reporter Dean O’Brien and French journalist Anne-Laure Bonnel (who uses French diplomatic and military sources). MSM ignores, West castigates. US and UK did not show up at all, saying that some of the participants are under their sanctions. France and Ireland repeated well-known cliches with no interaction with presented testimonies.
Donbass (Vimeo , OK) – documentary film by Anne-Laure Bonnel.
“First line of the Northern Stream 2 is completed“.
Ukrainian officials used Giuliani to sow disinformation.
28 May. US prosecutors investigate if Ukraine criminally interfered in the 2020 US presidential elections by spreading disinformation.
Belarus may suspend shipments of A95 petrol to Ukraine (apparently to do with repairs at oil processing plant). It also introduced targeted sanctions on Ukrainian imports, after Ukraine cut air traffic with Belarus. (According to opolchenie, a lot of Ukrainian tank fuel is coming from Russia and Belarus).
27 May. According to Ukrainian data presented to OSCE, 38 of its soldiers are killed and 115 wounded since additional ceasefire measures were introduced in July, 2020
24 May. Belarus expels all Latvian diplomats, for insult to Belarus flag in Riga where hockey championship is taking place. (Latvia expels Belarus diplomats in turn).
23 May. NEXTA founder/editor Roman Protasevich was arrested in Belarus after Ryanair plane Athens-Vilnius landed in Minsk after the captain was informed of a fake bomb threat issued in the name of Hamas. (RFE/RL version here). This seem to follow footsteps of Ukraine forcing return of Belavia plane on Oct. 22, 2016, to detain anti-Maidan blogger, citizen of Armenia (later released). It is also suggested (see eg here) that Russian PMC arrests in Belarus were originally planned in the form of forcing their flight from Minsk to land in Ukraine (this version was reported by Butusov of tsensor.net).
19 May. DPR: In the past day, Ukraine violated ceasefire 5 times, fired 50 munitions above 12.7 mm. DPR soldier was killed on May 18. (Opolchenie report says a soldier was killed in the evening of May 17; unclear whether this is the same event).
11 May. DPR: one soldier is killed and 2 wounded by Ukrainian shelling.
It is said that official suspicion notes on treason and embezzlement charges are issued to MP Medvedchuk and Kozak; SBU is trying to conduct a search at Medvedchuk home and “serve him with a detention request.” Medvedchuk response is that this is politically motivated persecution, and that he will remain in Ukraine and fight the charges. (Earlier, 2 Feb. 2021, main opposition media resources aligned with his party were banned to broadcast).
9 May. As a result of Ukrainian shelling of Trudovskaya minepit settlement, Tomskaya st., 10, a civilian man is killed, Puchkin Anatoly Nazarovich, born 12.10.1939
Victory day parade in Donetsk.
Tatyana Montyan carries Zelenskii’s grandfather photo at “Immortal regiment” walk in Donetsk. “Let at least his grandfather takes a walk with “Immortal regiment” while his grandson arranges witches sabbath of SS Galitchina in the center of Kiev”. Semyon Zelensky, born in 1924, was called up for military service in 1942. During the Great Patriotic War, he served as the commander of a mortar platoon, and then the commander of a rifle company of the 174th regiment of the 57th Guards rifle division. He was awarded the Order of the Red Star.
7 May. Three DPR soldiers are killed by Ukrainian shelling. According to DPR, they returned fire and say that 2 Ukrainian soldiers are killed and one wounded as a result.
6 May. UNSC Arria Formula: Drivers of conflict in Ukraine (Eng, Rus, Russian representative comments after the event).
5 May. DPR reports Ukrainian mortar shelling of Gorlovka and Veseloe in northern Donetsk; DPR returned fire near Veseloe. Ukrainian 122mm artillery shelling of Staromikhailovka, western Donetsk, is also reported.
LPR report: Ukrainian forces tried to attack, one LPR soldier is killed in a fight.
DPR and LPR blame Ukraine for provocations during US Sec. State visit.
4 May. DPR soldier is killed by Ukrainian sniper near Kominternovo.
Victims of the 2014 massacre remembered at the Odessa Trade Union Building
2 May. Marks the 7th anniversary of the Odessa Trade Union massacre. Arria formula UNSC informal meeting to hear testimonies of survivors is announced by representative of Russia.
1 May. Opolchenie: In the Sakhanka area, Ukrainian forces fired at a civilian tractor plowing a field. The tractor driver was not injured.
Gorlovka: elderly couple are both wounded by a landmine explosion with traumatic foot amputation while grazing their livestock
Opolchenie lists 9 soldiers and 1 civilian killed in DPR in April.
23 Apr. There are many reports of continued Ukrainian shelling. Residents’ made video here, “The Trudovskye (settlement) woke up feeling that they were being bombed.” Next day: “You can check your watches by Ukrainian shelling”
22 Apr. The 2021 Donbass Crisis may be over. Russia withdraws troops from the border after president Putin’s speech.
At least 3 NATO military-transport planes arrived to Ukraine in the past 3 days, at least 6 from 2 to 12 April –interfax.ua
Putin responded to Zelenskii’s invitation to meet in Donbass, inviting Zelenskii to discuss bilateral ties in Moscow , and saying that matters concerning LPR and DPR need to be discussed with LPR and DPR first. In addition, Kozak offered to have a Normany 4 (ie Germany , France, Russia, Ukraine) +LPR and DPR meeting in Donbass. The latter was rejected by Ukraine, as Ukraine will not talk to LPR and DPR (either in error or through pressure). Ukrainian official Reznikov threw a fit about LPR and DPR names used at all, portraying it as de-facto recognition. (It is well known what are the actual positions). Same official: “During the war, the president cannot go to the capital and meet with a person who is a representative of the aggressor country. It seems to me that this is a bit strange proposal” (it is well known that no war is declared between Ukraine and Russia; is this about the war with Donbass?).
21-22 Apr. OSCE SMM: 52 Ukrainian tanks “beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites” (and 11 for L/DPR).
21 Apr. Two DPR soldiers are killed by Ukrainian shelling.
US Senate bill has 300 mln$ per year in new military assitance to Ukraine, a program to encourage foreign donations of excess military equipment, and priority in gaining US excess military equipment.
Russia’s Federal Assembly waiting for Putin ‘s speech
21 Apr. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual address to Russia’s Federal Assembly. It was speculated that Putin will announce changes to Russia’s Ukraine policy, pending approval of an emergency session of the Federation Council to be held on April 23rd (although some, including patriotic opposition figures, were sceptical). In the end, the speech was mostly on domestic issues, such as post-covid support for families and businesses, and various domestic projects and initiatives. While there were some foreign policy items, such as coups being unacceptable, changes in the posture were rather subtle, and desire to not burn the bridges was empasised, while warning was given not to cross (not specified) red lines. It ended with briefly reporting on increased readiness of the armed forces.
17 Apr. Russian FSB said that a Ukrainian consul in St. Petersburg “was caught red-handed” receiving classified informatiom from law enforcement databases. In unrelated developments of diplomacy, US Ambassador was “advised” to travel to USA for consultations in the process of counter-sanctions announcment, and Lavrov said this to further the diplomacy. (All that does not sound too enchanting).
Lukashenko makes comments on planned assassination of him and his family. Belarus earlier released videos of conversations of alleged conspirators and footage of arrests made.
14 Apr. Claims appeared about plans to create US/NATO bases in Ukraine; it is further claimed that summit proposal may have to do with diverting attention and winning time for those plans. Factual basis is unclear. Meanwhile, Prague was proposed as venue; with above caution, seemed like a good one. (Before the diplomatic row, that is).
13 Apr. Russian DM Shoigu: US troops are being deployed from mainland North America across the Atlantic to Europe. There is a movement of troops in Europe to the Russian borders. The main forces are concentrated in the Black Sea and the Baltic region. “In total, 40 thousand servicemen and 15 thousand units of weapons and military equipment, including strategic aviation, will be concentrated near our territory.” …In the past 3 weeks, Russia deployed to its western borders two armies and three formations of the Airborne Forces, “for checks of the combat readiness”. It is planned to complete the checks in the next 2 weeeks.
5 Apr. At least 3 Hercules planes arrived from the West to Ukraine. (Blogger Donetskii. Flightbox: 06-6161, MC136 / RCH136, landed 7h 38m ago, Kiev (KBP / UKBB)- Ramstein (RMS / ETAR), Monday, April 5 2021, 03:05 EEST Departed). One similar plane arrived to Kiev earlier, and another to Lvov.
DPR reports a brief firefight on Apr. 4 with Ukrainian RSG group near Shumy. A body of Ukrainian soldier Igor Baitalo , 1995 DoB is found on a minefiled; Ukrainian side did not collect the body or announced the loss; DPR asks to do so.
“Ukraine will look for another city instead of Minsk for negotiations on Donbass.”
4 Apr. According to Kravchuk, Ukraine will not participate in the negotiations of the contact group unless the Donetsk People’s Republic excludes from its delegation a public expert, journalist Maya Pirogova, who was convicted in absentia by a Ukrainian court for her activities in the structures of the DPR. (Unclear what are her crimes, apart from working with DPR; charge of “terrorism” is reported).
LPR spokesman: according to the information we received, on the banks of the Seversky Donets River in the area of Nikolayevka settlement a civilian was wounded by an unknown explosive device dropped by militants of the 80th brigade (UAF) using a UAV (drone). As a result, he received multiple shrapnel wounds of moderate severity and was taken to a hospital, where he was provided with qualified medical care.
3 Apr. DPR: Ukrainian drone attack killed a child, 2016 DoB, in Alexanrovskoe settlement; a woman is wounded in the same attack. Katia Katina report, with the boy’s photo and video interview of his grandmother.
Ukrainian activist and lawyer Tatiana Montan is present at boy’s funeral, and confirms that his death is not a fake. Relatives say on the video that explosive device was dropped by Ukrainian drone. They also say that story about ailing grandfather having some IED is fake. There are photos from the site. Impact imprint on cement, round small holes on a water bucket, broken glass seen. Relatives said that OSCE did not visit. Relatives said boy lost leg(s) and arm(s), and was killed soon after exiting the house to play in the yard. Another report, linked by Katina, shows more detailed photos; presents an opinion that device flew from above as there is 360 degree spread of fragments, and as the only viable alternative to drone offers a version that Ukrainian or pro-Ukrainian persons fired a mortar at the house of strongly pro-Russian family. The house is apparently some 15 km from the separation line, according to other pro -LDPR reporting.
Peskov comments, KP, Kommersant.
Russia opens a criminal investigation.
UN and JCCC officials visit Vladik’s family home. Grandmother says that officials recorded information but did not provide an assessment. She says she wants to receive expert opinion as she is hurt by theories, and there were no weapons and ‘no war’ at their home.
2 Apr. LPR reports Ukrainian shelling (mortars, grenade launchers), resulting in a firefight. One LPR soldier is killed. According to LPR sources, Ukrainian military planes arrived to Chuguev , Kharkov region, and a helicopter is deployed towards the separation line.
In Zaitsevo, near Gorlovka, two residential homes are reported on fire (video report), minutes after the area came under Ukrainian fire from a heavy machine gun “Utes”.
1 Apr. DPR announces its first ever draft (“200 men will join the corps”).
US, Canada, UK Defense Attaché met with Ukrainian Min. of defense Taran, deputy. Min. defense Petrenko, Polishchuk, commander of the combined forces lieutenant general. Naev and col. Budanov.
Ukrainian MoD and some Western MSM reports claim US and NATO backing for Ukraine.
“Readout of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley’s Phone Call with Ukraine’s Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Ruslan Khomchak”
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba
Western MSN: “U.S. military’s European Command raised its watch level from possible crisis to potential imminent crisis — the highest level — in response to the deployment of the additional Russian troops” (noted, this reports on watchcon level, not defcon or redcon).
After many reports providing photo-visual evidence of additional Ukrainian heavy armor deployments, reports appear on additional Russian troops deployment to the Crimea and to the Ukrainian border.
26 Mar. Ukraine claims that 4 of its soldiers are killed and two wounded in Shumy settlment, blamed on pro-Russian/LDPR forces (noted, full circumstances are unclear, report is disputed, in particular by commenters suspecting landmine explosion; I could not find relevant material in OSCE reports on 27 or 29 March where it would be xpected; people are killed on a regular basis, on both sides, and reports of similar-sized casualties by LDPR forces do not result in war promotions).
24 Mar. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signs Decree No. 117/2021, essentially declaring war on Russia
23 Mar. DPR: two soldiers are killed by Ukrainain shelling near Donetsk airport
22 Mar. DPR: A civilian is killed in Alexandrovka by Ukrainian sniper shot.
20 Mar. Commentary describes “Kravchuk plan”, said to be de-facto capitulation of the republics with no special status and Ukraine taking control of the border before the elections. It is said that Ukraine tries to obtain Germany and France backing of the plan, with military moves towards separation line to drive home the message. Moscow does not agree to the plan and indicates that it will raise the stakes and will support the republics if Ukraine attacks. With all this, situation is dangerous and may escalate out of control.
Blogger Donetskii commentary reminds that Ukraine used tensions to supress opposition figures in Ukraine (Medvedchuk and others), and to move its forces into the conflict zone, no matter what will happen with diplomacy. He asserts that all those back and forth escalations and ceasefires do not resolve the conflict and do not serve interests of the people (while he does not want a full blown war, either).
18 Mar. Daily, numerous reports on Ukrainian shelling (mortars, AGS, small arms, occasional artillery) . Resumed despite “stricter measures” around February, with no end in site, and with many reports on heavy arms moved towards the separation line.
17 Mar. Opolchenie: one soldier is killed today, under Gorlovka.
13 Mar. There is increasing speculation about a planned Ukrainian attack on Donbass; in particular stream of reports of heavy weapons (including heavy artillery and air defense) moved in daytime to the front line, open-sourced report of 8 Bayraktar drones in Ukrainian possesion, etc.
12 Mar. DPR soldier is killed by Ukrainian shelling.
10 Mar. DPR. One DPR soldier is killed, another is wounded by Ukrainian fire. DPR said it returned fire.
It is noted that pro-Ukrainian bots spread on social media fake messages claiming that Russian military teams entered L/DPR.
5 Mar. DPR. Three DPR soldiers are killed and one wounded by Ukrainian sniper shots to the head. One of those killed is Varnavskii Roman. In the absence of international response, DPR forces returned fire. Ukrainian losses are reported.
3 Mar. DPR police officer Voina V.I. is killed by Ukrainian sniper when his group responded to a call saying that a group of children was seen in the grey zone between Ukraiian and DPR forces.
26 Feb. Ukrainian forces fired eighteeen 82-mm mortar shells on Donetsk state plant of chemical products and the adjacent territory; a DPR soldier was killed by shelling.
25 Feb. LPR soldier is heavily wounded by Ukrainian sniper fire near Nizhnee Lozovoe
Heavy shelling of northwestern Donetsk is reported, Yelenovka was shelled earlier.
Heavy weapons shelling of Gorlovka is reported.
23 Feb. DPR. Ukrainian shelling in multiple areas is reported, at least 4 residential houses damaged
22 Feb. A civilian man is wounded by Ukrainian fire in Alexanrdovka, west of Donetsk
21 Feb. Zaitsevo in Gorlovka shelled once again, a direct hit on empty residential house.
20 Feb. At least six opolchenie soldier (Gorbachev Vladimir, Shepetki Evgenii, Alekseev Valery, Petrenko Sergey, Syrovatsky Dmitry, Pyatak Vladimir) killed by Ukrainian mortar shelling near Gorlovka, and 3 wounded, (two, by the official report) shortly after Ukrainian leadership authorised local commanders to open fire without higher-ups approval. Unconfirmed reports claim that more were killed. War correspondent Kotenok: “On situation in Gorlovka. Our losses: 5-200, 3-300, a dugout (blindazh) was smashed. Fire corrected from the drone. From 2 am to 5 am it (Ukrainian fire) flew here.” Another oplochenie/Strelkov unconfirmed report claims that losses of the “3 battalion of the 3 brigade is from 2 to 11 killed; either reconnaissance and sabotage group or murder” (Bezler on 21 Feb: 20 killed; that figure is denied by Evgenii Skripnik “Prapor” who tells about 7 killed and scores wounded, after a rescue group arrived and better account made); and that “at minepit Glubokaia, 7 -200 and 4 -300” (see also 1, 2); it is unclear whether reports are accurate and whether it has intersection with Kotenok report (who is a well-established war reporter). Opolchenie and official DPR sources say that DPR responded and “supressed enemy fire”; it is claimed that 11 Ukrainian soldiers were killed.
DPR later acknowledged that 7 DPR soldiers were killed and 6 wounded on that day near Gorlovka.
OSCE drone is reported in L/DPR airspace.
20 Feb is Ukrainian “day of memory of the heavenly hundred”
17 Feb. Ukrainian mortar and BMP-1 guns fire is reported south of Donetsk, 21 mortar shells fired. More Ukrainian shelling is later reported, 20 AGS grenades and 20 BMP-2 gun shots fired on Abakumov minepit area near Donetsk,and two mortar shells fired on Luganskoe village.
DPR head Denis Pushilin and Leonid Kracvchuk, former Ukrainian president and head of Ukrainian delegation at the contact group, appeared together and had some exchange on a Russian TV show. That may be the first such direct contact ever, at least in public (but little was agreed on…)
15 feb. Attempted assasination attempt on DPR commander Sergei Popov, call name “Dlinnyi”. An explosive devices was planted in his vehicle and exploded when he was taking his daughter to a school. Both survived, with commander receiving multiple wounds to his legs, and daughter shell-shocked.
11 Feb. Opolchenie reports arrival of Ukrainian troops and heavy armor in areas near separation line, discuss concerns on prospects of a large scale Ukrainian attack.
6 Feb. DPR: “For the first time since the commencement of the Complex of Additional Measures (July 27, 2020), Ukrainian militants launched an artillery strike from 122-mm artillery, shelling residential areas of Staromikhaylovka settlement in the Donetsk direction, firing 12 shells. Against this background, we reserve the right to provide an adequate response to the actions of Ukrainian punishers to protect the population from Ukrainian terror. “
2 Feb. Ukrainian president Zelenskii signed a decree blocking three Ukrainian opposition TV channels NewsOne, Zik, 112 from broadcasting, financial transactions, cultural exchanges, transfer of intellectual rights and technology. Prior to this, US indicated “robust U.S. economic and military assistance to Ukraine“, and support on “preventing disinformation” after the decree was signed.
29 Jan. Margarita Simonian in Donetsk: “Mother Russia, take Donbass home” (5:14,2:07). Peskov: Donbass joining Russia is not on the Kremlin’s agenda. (Commenters: split on meaning).
23 Jan. DPR soldier is killed near Staromikhailovka by a munition dropped by Ukrainian drone.
22 Jan. One DPR soldier is killed and another wounded by Ukrainian shelling
Highlights from the past
30 Apr. U.S. Confirms Delivery Of Javelin Antitank Missiles To Ukraine
Poroshenko announced end of ATO and start of ‘joint operation of armed forces’, which is aimed at ‘defending territorial integrity’ and will only end ‘when the last piece of Ukrainian land is liberated, including Crimea’, which is somehow supposed to happen by ‘political-diplomatic means’.
Videos
More videos on talk page
Photos
Recent history in a nutshell in those photos to the right:
Poroshenko, Kiska – EU entry at Uzhgorod
Ukrainian AF killed and wounded in ‘ATO’, Maidan, Kiev
Aftermaths of Ukrainian shelling of the village Zheltoe (Yellow), LPR, 29 Nov. 2016 lug-info.
Sources
Note on sources. At present, pro -Ukrainian and pro-Russian sources more often than not offer opposing claims on events, and a choice needs to be made. Currently factual part of reporting by pro-Russian sources appear more accurate, complete, and closer to truth, out of the two available alternatives. It is also less known, as the other side has greater support by the Western mass media. For that reason, a lot of reporting here is based on Russian sources. It is not done for the sake of supporting any pre-determined narrative. If and when Ukrainian sources appear more accurate, they will be used without a reservation.
Some Ukrainian source reporting is very good, for example Tatyana Montyan numerous videos, some of them translated, are spot-on and at times appear closer to reality than any pro-this or that narratives. However the bulk of Ukrainian media is unreliable, and often just unbelievable, not passing cross checks (e.g. as was illustrated numerous times by well-read on both sides Ukrainian journalist Anatoly Sharii); or else, is filled with hate and may cheer more people harmed or killed (any of such sort, from any side, is totally unsupported here).
OSCE
Official Ukrainian sources
Ukrainian media
DPR and LPR
Minsk Agreements
Safety zone (no heavy weapons) agreed at Normandy format meeting in Minsk, 12.02.2015. Black: current front line; red-19 September line. At the bottom it says: source: the web site of the President of Russia