Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Oleg Krivoshapov
[REGNUM] On the morning of December 7, a 14-year-old 8th grade student at Bryansk gymnasium No. 5 brought her father’s pump-action shotgun to school (apparently in a paper tube ). Alina, which was reportedly the student's name, entered the school without interference, because the metal detector frame at the entrance installed by one of the private security companies was not working.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Residents in the north of the Irkutsk region were warned about the onset of abnormal frosts - the temperature is predicted to drop to minus 50 degrees. Changes in the weather were reported to the Regional Emergency Situations Ministry.
“On December 7–11, severe frosts are expected with minimum air temperatures of minus 40, minus 45°, in the northern and Upper Lena regions up to minus 50°,” rescuers warned, warning against fires due to violations of safety rules when heating homes.
On December 8–12, abnormally cold weather is expected in Irkutsk. The average daily air temperature will drop 11–17 degrees below the climate norm.
As Regnum reported , New Year's Eve in Moscow will definitely be snowy, said Roman Vilfand, scientific director of the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia .
Now the height of snowdrifts in Moscow reaches 37 cm, and this is a record. The forecaster explained that such snowdrifts can melt if +10 °C is recorded in the capital for eight days in a row, and this does not happen at this time of year.
In the Omsk region, the abnormal temperature is expected to remain below the climate norm until the end of the week.
The thermometer will drop to minus 40 degrees on December 8. Abnormally low temperatures will be accompanied by snow, ice, strong winds and blizzards.
[JohnHelmer] The Diamond Crack-Up – Russia And The African States Defeat Us-Eu-Israeli Plan To Drive Russian Diamonds Out Of The Market
It has never happened before among the world’s diamond-producing and diamond-processing countries.
Meeting together last month in Zimbabwe in what is called the Kimberley Process (KP), the 57-member states refused to agree to the US and European Union (EU) attempt to exclude Russia, producer of half the diamonds in global trade. To camouflage the outcome of the fight, the KP delegates decided not to issue a communiqué. Without that, the rules of the meeting nullified all points of agreement which the Kimberley Process states had accepted during their two-day sessions.
This dramatic collapse of the Kimberley Process happened in Harare on November 10. The disagreement and deadlock came over a letter from the Kiev regime, backed by the US, the EU, Japan, and Canada (the G7 member states) to impose a full ban on the trade in Russian diamonds. The Ukrainian attempt was backed by intense pressure from the US State Department and by Jewish diamantaires in New York for the international diamond trade to accept the US Diamond Protocol, a scheme of registration, inspection, auditing, and certification enforced by US intelligence and Treasury agents, to prevent any Russian-mined diamond from entering the international diamond jewellery market.
Instead, what has happened is that the global diamond industry has been cracked in half by the sanctions war. The defeat of the so-called “western bloc” in Zimbabwe is big news in Africa and India. It has not been reported in the New York and London financial press.
Diamonds are now likely to follow oil, gas, coal, gold, and other commodities into parallel and competing global market operations. In the diamond war, however, the outcome is also going to backfire on the Israeli diamond industry and the traditional Jewish centres in Antwerp, Belgium, and New York City, which have combined to take sides against Russia. In time, they will be replaced by the Arabs, Indians, and perhaps the Chinese.
The Israelis don’t think so. They are calculating that in the short run they will gain from the recovery of diamond prices when the shortage of Russian supplies hits much harder than it has to date. A source in Antwerp reports “absolutely no backlash [against the Gaza war] here from any of the five main diamond communities including the Lebanese. The Israeli industry has been declining for many years anyway, especially manufacturing – it’s uncompetitive with the Indians — but also trading. There is no diamantaire sympathy with any Arab country (or Iran). I hope and believe business rises above the political nonsense.”
The Kimberley Process, first created in 2003 to stop “blood diamonds” from entering the market from the genocidal wars of western Africa, is about to be confronted by blood diamonds from Israel.
The story of the US attempt to start sanctions against Russian diamonds from the US and its allies began here when the Belgian government was resisting to save the multi-billion dollar Antwerp diamond business.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[LB] Chernihiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhya, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions were also attacked and shelled.
In the Khmelnytsky region at night during an air alert, the air defense forces shot down an attack UAV. There were no reports of casualties or damage to the infrastructure, according to the summary from OVA as of this morning.
There were four shellings (22 explosions) in the Chernihiv region during the day. The enemy used mortars, aviation, and attacked the Koryukiv and Novgorod-Siversky districts. In the border village of Novgorod-Siversk community, the Russians dropped an explosive device on a car, no people were injured.
In Sumy at night, the Russians carried out two shellings of border areas and settlements. Six explosions from mortars were recorded. Krasnopilsk (four explosions) and Seredino-Budsk (two explosions) communities were shelled. In advance - without consequences. Yesterday, during the day, the Russians carried out 24 shelling of the border territories and settlements of the Sumy region. 109 explosions were recorded. Yunakivsk, Khotynsk, Krasnopilsk, Bilopolsk, Velikopysarivsk, Esmansk, Znob-Novgorodsk, Novoslobidsk, Seredino-Budsk communities came under fire. In the Seredino-Budsk community, two civilians were injured as a result of shelling from rocket systems.
Also, five private houses, four apartment buildings, the premises of the hospital, the city council, the lyceum, an economic building, the premises of the luggage compartment and platform of the railway station, the premises of the hotel were damaged by shelling. Velikopysarov community: as a result of shelling (three explosions), three private houses were damaged.
In the Kherson region, the enemy fired 88 rounds (387 shells) during the day, of which 11 artillery shells (29 shells) hit Kherson. The Rashists targeted the districts of 29 settlements of the region; the territory and buildings of the pumping station in Beryslav district. At night, the enemy carried out an attack by a Shahed-136 UAV in the area of the village of Odradokamyanka. No casualties.
In Luhansk yesterday, the occupiers opened fire on Makiivka and Nevsky, realizing that civilians remained there. The enemy also shelled Bilogorivka - from mortars, artillery and aviation. Strikes from the sky were also inflicted on the Serebryan Forest. During the day, the enemy fired 154 shots (568 shells).
In Kharkiv, more than 21 settlements were hit by enemy artillery and mortar fire: Zemlianki, Krugle, Okhrimivka, Bochkove, Fikholivka, Ivanivka, Kislivka, Tabaivka, Krokhmalne, Berestovka. The enemy carried out airstrikes on Ivanivka, Synkivka, Pischany. As a result of shelling in the village of Podyly, two women aged 58 and 49 received shrapnel wounds. The latter refused hospitalization. A private house was damaged.
As a result of shelling in the city of Kupyansk, the facade of a two-story administrative building was damaged. There are no victims. In Kozachya Lopan, private houses burned down as a result of shelling. Probably, the three-story building of the former enterprise, the glazing of the station windows were also damaged. There are no casualties. At least four times, the occupiers attacked Kurylivka. There is damage to private houses, no injuries.
In Mykolayivska, forces and means of air defense destroyed three Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs at night. Yesterday morning and this night, enemy artillery shelling was recorded in the Ochakov water area. There are no casualties.
In Zaporizhzhia, there were 112 strikes on 22 settlements of the region, civilians were not injured. The enemy fired salvo missile systems and hit Robotyn with an aerial projectile, and also attacked Gulyaipole, Malinivka, Mala Tokmachka, Lugivske and Levadne with drones. 101 artillerymen arrived on the territory of Orikhov, Zaliznychny, Novoandriyivka, Charivny, Levadny, Poltavka, Malynyvka, Verkhnaya Tersa, Stepnohirsk, Kamianskyi, Lobkovo and other front-line towns and villages. Nine reports were received about the destruction of residential buildings and infrastructure facilities.
In Dnipropetrovsk twice yesterday, the aggressor hit Nikopol. Used a kamikaze drone and artillery. Damaged infrastructure facility. No dead or injured. In the Nikopol and Dnipro districts, our air defense forces worked out. At night it was restless in the Nikopol district. Racists hit the district center. Heavy artillery worked in the city. No victims.
In Donetskia , 10 settlements were under the fire of last-day mortars: Bagatyr, Chasiv Yar, Avdiyivka, Lastochkine, Semenivka, Nelipivka, Andriivka, Siversk, Severnye, Kurakhove. A residential building, two hangars, a railway track, an excavator, a transmission line, the administration building of LLC "Elektrostal", two power units of the Kurakhiv TPP, a heating network line were damaged. In Donetsk region in a day: four wounded.
In Odesa , Russian terrorists attacked the Izmail district with drones for almost two hours last night. Our air defense forces shot down the majority of "martyrs". The occupiers specifically attacked the port infrastructure of the Danube. The warehouse, elevator and trucks were damaged. The driver of one of the vans died. A fire broke out on the spot, which was promptly extinguished by the employees of the State Emergency Service.
A total of 91 combat clashes took place during the day. The Defense Forces repulsed the largest number of enemy attacks in the Avdiiv and Marin directions.
The FSB said in a statement that it had detained a Belarusian citizen in Omsk Region, on suspicion of blowing up two trains carrying oil products along the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) on November 29 and 30.
#2
-no people were injured.
-communities were shelled. In advance - without consequences
-two civilians were injured
-No casualties.
-no injuries.
-There are no casualties.
-civilians were not injured
-No dead or injured.
-No victims.
-four wounded.
-The driver of one of the vans died.
Reads like a CENTCOM release.
I'm beginning to see the cause of artillery shell shortages.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:38 Ukraine is eager to join the EU. The European Commission in its report recommended opening negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on accession to the EU if certain conditions are met, and granting candidate status to Georgia. This decision will be made at the December Leaders' Summit on December 14-15. The key obstacle is Budapest's position. Read more in the material Fight for the EU .
21:56 Russian troops fired at one of the Toretskugol mines, one worker was wounded, the Ministry of Energy reported. The equipment was significantly damaged and the mine's operations were stopped.
21:49 The latest request from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense for weapons includes the latest THAAD air defense systems, F-18 fighters and Apache helicopters. Read more in the article What Ukraine requested from the United States .
21:14 Zelensky said in an evening video message that he held a long meeting with the head of government Denis Shmyhal. We discussed cooperation with partners and donors, energy issues, and the government’s work on energy sustainability in Ukraine. “Thanks to the connection of our energy system with Europe, we have appropriate support from our neighbors,” the president noted.
The Ukrainian president also had a telephone conversation with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez - they discussed security issues and Ukraine's progress in completing the implementation of the recommendations of the European Commission on the eve of the European Council meeting. Meanwhile, Sanchez said that he also spoke with Orban today about progress towards Ukraine’s accession to the EU. The Hungarian Prime Minister, in turn, again emphasized that EU leaders “should refrain from discussing the issue of Ukraine’s accession to the EU during the December meeting of the European Council,” since there is supposedly no unity among member countries on this issue.
18:57 Ukraine will produce 155-mm caliber shells, but their production will begin no earlier than in two years, said Minister of Strategic Industry Alexander Kamyshin. According to him, there are already agreements with two leading American companies on joint production of 155-mm ammunition in Ukraine. “The implementation of these projects will take years,” the minister emphasized.
18:08 Due to Russian shelling, two power units of thermal power plants in the front-line zone stopped working, the Ministry of Energy reports. This afternoon, the enemy struck one of the thermal power plants in the front-line zone; equipment was seriously damaged as a result of artillery shelling.
17:39 Zelensky accepted the invitation of the newly elected President of Argentina Javier Miley and will attend his inauguration ceremony, local publication NT reports, citing sources. The President of Ukraine will arrive in Buenos Aires early in the morning on Sunday, December 10.
17:04 Representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Andrei Yusov believes that Russia this winter will not be able to attack the Ukrainian energy sector on a larger scale than last year, since its missile reserves are depleted. However, the threat of such attacks remains, he added: “We understand that the peak of the winter period, including the peak load on our energy system, is ahead. This is a serious challenge for the security and defense forces, our air and missile defense systems and means. Therefore, preparations continue.” .
16:25 This month Ukraine will receive all Vampire anti-drone systems ordered from the United States - we are talking about 14 units, the US Navy command reported. Along with this batch of Vampires will arrive the first APKWS missiles equipped with a proximity detonator.
16:07 The Pentagon plans to increase the production of 155-mm ammunition by 500% in the next two years, the cost of this is estimated at $1.5 billion, writes Bloomberg.
15:26 There are 28 thousand Ukrainian civilians in Russian captivity, said Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets. Of these, about 2,000 are citizens over 65 years of age. There are even cases when Ukrainians over 80-85 years old are captured for their pro-Ukrainian position. According to the Ombudsman, the Ukrainian authorities can neither check their condition nor give them medicine.
Lubinets also said that data on the deportation of more than 19,540 Ukrainian children has been officially confirmed. “If we return one child every day, then we need 55 years. And this is against the backdrop of the fact that the Russian Federation continues to deport more and more new groups of Ukrainian children every day,” he added.
15:14 Zelensky put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council on new sanctions against Russian citizens and companies. The list includes more than 180 individuals and the same number of legal entities.
15:10 The United States transferred technology for the production of FrankenSAM hybrid air defense systems to Ukraine, the White House said. This system makes it possible to combine modern surface-to-air missiles with Soviet-era launchers and radars that the Ukrainian Armed Forces already have. Parallel production of these systems in both Ukraine and the United States should speed up their deployment.
14:29 According to the Ukrainian Helsinki Union for Human Rights, up to 800 thousand Russian citizens have illegally arrived in Crimea since 2014, and about 100 thousand Ukrainians have left the peninsula.
13:58 Director of the Department of Europe and Central Asia of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Gui Tsunyu said that Putin makes decisions on Ukraine “based on the national interests” of Russia. “Sometimes European politicians tell us that we should talk to Russia, talk to President Putin about the withdrawal of troops. But this is a very independent nation,” the Chinese diplomat noted.
13:12 The Russian army attacked Tyaginka, Kherson region, four people were injured, the OVA reported.
13:05 A branch of the Russian “public organization” Another Ukraine , which was created by Medvedchuk after the exchange in the Russian Federation, was registered in Serbia, Radio Liberty reports. The head of the organization’s division was Dragan Stanojevic, a candidate for deputy of the Serbian parliament, who publicly supports Russian aggression.
12:44 Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed to strengthen cooperation in defense, according to a joint statement following Putin’s visit. Regarding the war in Ukraine, Russia expressed gratitude for the efforts of the Saudi Crown Prince, including "the release of a number of prisoners of different nationalities."
11:47 Aid to Ukraine has reached its minimum for the entire period of the war, reports the Kiel Institute of World Economics. Thus, from August to October 2023, the total cost of new packages is estimated at 2.11 billion euros - this is the lowest amount since January 2022. The newly allocated aid is almost 90% less than the same period in 2022. Of the 42 donors surveyed, only 20 have pledged new aid packages in the past three months, the lowest since the war began.
11:25 Following the results of the virtual summit, the G7 states announced their intentions to introduce restrictions on Russian diamonds by January 1, 2024. Restrictions are introduced on the import of non-industrial diamonds mined, processed or produced in Russia until January 1, 2024, and then further gradual restrictions on the import of Russian diamonds processed in third countries. The approximate start date of these restrictions is March 1, 2024.
By September 1, 2024, the G7 countries, which are the main importers of rough diamonds, will create a mechanism for the verification and certification of rough diamonds and will consult on this issue with producing countries and partners.
10:48 US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held a closed-door meeting at the Pentagon with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov. According to the Pentagon press service, the negotiations concerned Ukraine's strategic goals for the next year and the long-term vision of the future armed forces.
10:34 Ukraine has requested from the United States new types of weapons to repel Russian attacks, including, in particular, the modern THAAD air defense system, F-18 Hornet fighter jets, MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones, Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, Reuters reports citing documentation.
10:09 Republicans in the Senate blocked $66 billion in aid to Ukraine due to contradictions with immigration. Read more in the article Blocking aid to Ukraine in the United States: what's next .
09:27 The “DPR” continues to pass “sentences” on the captured defenders of Mariupol. The “Supreme Court of the DPR” sentenced three more Azov residents - Vladislav Chuzh, Bogdan Beznosko and Svyatoslav Zdorovenko. They were found “guilty” of allegedly “cruel treatment of the civilian population.”
09:02 Japan will allocate $4.5 billion for the restoration of Ukraine, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.
08:51 At night, the Russians attacked the port infrastructure of the Danube region in the Izmail district of the Odessa region with attack drones, said Oleg Kiper, head of the OBA. As a result of the hit, a warehouse, an elevator and a truck were damaged, and the driver of one of the trucks was killed. A fire broke out on the spot, which was promptly extinguished by State Emergency Service employees.
08:36 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of December 7:
personnel - about 336,230 (+1120) people,
tanks - 5618 (+18),
armored combat vehicles - 10,482 (+26),
artillery systems - 8045 (+21),
MLRS - 919 (+0),
air defense systems - 605 (+0),
aircraft - 324 (+0),
helicopters - 324 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 6116 (+33),
cruise missiles - 1571 (+1),
ships/boats - 22 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 10,561 (+29),
special equipment - 1156 (+3).
08:19 Over the past 24 hours, 91 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In particular, the Defense Forces repelled 34 enemy attacks in the Avdeevsky direction (in areas east of Novobakhmutovka, Stepnoy, Avdeevka, Severny, Tonenky, Pervomaisky, Donetsk region) and 17 attacks in Maryinsky (in the Krasnohorivka, Maryinka and Novomikhailovka areas of the Donetsk region).
In addition, in the Kupyansk direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled attacks in the Sinkovka area of the Kharkov region; on Limansky - in the Ternov, Vesely, Razdolovka districts of the Donetsk region; on Bakhmutsky - in the Bogdanovka, Kleshcheevka and Andreevka districts of the Donetsk region; on Shakhtarsky - north of Novodonetsk, Donetsk region; on Zaporozhye - west of Verbovoy, Novoprokopovka and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region. At the same time, the Defense Forces continue assault operations south of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, and in the Kherson direction they hold their positions on the left bank of the Dnieper.
08:04 At night, air defense destroyed 15 of the 18 Shahed-type UAVs that Russia attacked from Cape Chauda (Crimea), the Air Force command reports. The main directions of attack are Khmelnitsky and Odessa regions.
07:48 Biden called the actions of Republicans in Congress, who threaten to stop supporting Ukraine if they do not achieve changes in border security policy with Mexico, blackmail. "This is political blackmail in its purest form. The stakes are too high and the consequences are too significant for political brinksmanship," the US president said.
07:21 The US State Department, together with Congress, plans to send an adviser to the Ministry of Strategic Industries to Ukraine. According to the White House press service, the adviser will be sent "to support and accelerate Ukraine's transition to interoperable military forces, combat corruption and attract foreign investment in critical sectors."
In addition, the United States has created an interdepartmental Ukraine Deal Team, which consists of representatives of the State Department, the ministries of defense and trade. The group will support partners seeking advice on potential agreements and export requirements for the Ukrainian defense industry.
05:57 The White House, following the results of the first day of the Ukrainian-American conference of defense industries, stated that the announced joint production of weapons for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will concern the sphere of air defense systems, repair and technical support and the production of critical ammunition.
04:25 In the US Senate, a bill on additional funding for military assistance to Ukraine was blocked from being put to a vote. The bill to help Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan did not receive enough votes to advance. The legislative initiative provided for the allocation of an aid package in the amount of $106 billion, of which $61 billion was intended for Ukraine.
The Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova said that the bill could soon be reintroduced to the US Senate, since the senators did not support ending the debate on the document. “What does this mean for Ukraine? At all meetings, senators assured us that today’s vote is not a vote against Ukraine,” Markarova noted.
According to the ambassador, diplomats continue to work actively and hope that even before Christmas, Congress will support an agreed package that will include defense, budgetary, humanitarian and energy assistance for Ukraine for 2024.
#1
Zelensky accepted the invitation of the newly elected President of Argentina Javier Miley and will attend his inauguration ceremony, local publication NT reports, citing sources. The President of Ukraine will arrive in Buenos Aires early in the morning on Sunday, December 10.
Will he be checking out property while he's there? Will he be traveling by U-boat?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
12/08/2023 11:47 Comments ||
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] In eight regions of Ukraine, law enforcement officers discovered a total of 104 torture chambers. Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin stated this at the international conference on human rights “Freedom or Fear,” Ukrinform reports.
“In all the territories liberated from the enemy, dungeons and places of illegal detention of people were discovered. These are 104 torture facilities in eight regions of Ukraine. The largest number of dungeons were discovered in the Kharkov region - 25, Zaporozhye - 18, Kherson - 11, Donetsk - 10. And also 19 - on the territory of the Russian Federation,” Kostin said.
The Prosecutor General said: his office has information that almost 90% of prisoners and detainees are subjected to torture or some form of violence - physical or psychological.
Kostin stressed that even the very detention of a civilian is already a war crime, and torture, ill-treatment and deprivation of a person’s access to justice are other separate war crimes, the perpetrators of which must be punished, and assured that Ukrainian law enforcement officers are recording these facts in open criminal cases productions
According to the Prosecutor General, torture in the Russian Federation is a planned state policy.
Earlier it was reported that 14 countries would help Ukraine identify war criminals. They agreed to allocate a special OSINT unit (Task Force to Support the Investigation of War Crimes Committed in Ukraine) to implement priority requests from Ukraine, other countries and the International Criminal Court. We are talking about Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Norway, Great Britain, and the USA.
We also wrote that the occupiers who raped women and tortured prisoners were identified.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Victoria Nikiforova
[RIA] “We were met with fanfare! ”, “ Guns, planes, a guard of honor! ”, “Putin was given a disgustingly luxurious reception in the Middle East” - the Russian President’s working visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia literally infuriated Western “partners”.
The truly royal reception of our delegation was in stark contrast to the way Western leaders were received in the Gulf. Joe Biden's spring trip was a complete fiasco - they barely wiped their feet on the old man. A separate disgrace was the visit of the German President to Qatar . They simply forgot to meet Walter Steinmeier, and he waited for half an hour on his plane until someone finally came for him.
This was immediately noted in Europe and they became worried - what about us? “Vladimir Putin was received in Saudi Arabia with special honors,” wrote French politician Florian Philippot . “<...> We must completely and quickly change course.”
It's not just a matter of decorum, of course. A guard of honor, Russian flags on the streets and in the skies, the Russian anthem performed by an orchestra, an artillery salute - the honoring of the Russian delegation became a symbol of farewell to a bygone era when the Gulf monarchies were the most loyal allies of the United States.
The entire long-term scam with the “petrodollar” was based on this connection. The monarchies sold oil to the States and their allies and received dollars for it. Part of it went to provide for the population. Some were invested by the elites in London mansions and New York apartments, football clubs and the education of their children at Eton.
The dependence was so strong that Washington could demand that its partners increase production, thereby collapsing oil prices, and thus ruin the Soviet Union. But a few years ago, the Gulf countries began to get off this needle. And it’s not Putin’s fault at all.
The first bell was the Great Recession of 2007-2008 in the United States.
Real estate fell in price, many companies went bankrupt, and the consequences of this crisis have not yet been fully overcome. Then the United States increased oil production, becoming the leading producer in the world and, accordingly, a competitor to the Gulf countries.
Coronavirus lockdowns inspired by Washington instantly sent oil prices plummeting to negative levels. Oil-producing countries saw that the Americans could juggle hydrocarbon prices as they wanted and were not at all going to take into account the interests of their allies.
Anti-Russian sanctions became an important signal. The elites of the monarchies noticed how tenuous their rights to London mansions, French hotels and sports clubs were. In an instant, all this wealth can be stolen, and there will be excuses: the West has never stopped lecturing the Gulf countries.
The latest failures of the United States on the foreign policy track have left no illusions at all. The conflict in Ukraine , intended as a powerful anti-Russian blitzkrieg, led Washington to a humiliating defeat. The conflict in Israel has shown that the United States first cannot protect its closest ally, and then cannot influence it to stop the extermination of the Palestinians.
Washington looks torn and exhausted. His mantra of “controlled chaos” no longer works. The United States really knows how to incite conflicts, but it is no longer capable of leading them to the desired outcome. It became clear that being friends with such a country is more dangerous than being at enmity.
For many years, the Gulf monarchies have tried to diversify risks. They developed their countries at a fantastic pace - in a matter of years, ultra-modern cities grew in the desert, leaving New York and London far behind . It is no longer Emiratis who are purchasing real estate in the United States, but American investors, with their pants up, rushing to buy apartments in Dubai's Burj Khalifa.
A magnificent tourism industry arose out of nothing - by the way, Russians became important clients here. Economic relations have diversified - Putin noted an increase in mutual trade turnover with both the UAE and Saudi Arabia. OPEC+ worked stably , controlling pricing on the global oil market. How the local middle class has grown by leaps and bounds - and it is traditionally very hostile towards American atheists and has an excellent attitude towards Putin, and all this must be taken into account by the rulers.
Like all economically successful countries in the world, the Gulf monarchies are interested in stable, sustainable development. It is not surprising that both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have decided to join BRICS - their membership in the organization will begin in 2024, and President Putin congratulated their leaders on this.
But they don’t want Americans in the region anymore; they only cause problems. Their indulgence in massacres in the Gaza Strip outrages not only Muslims, but generally all decent people in the world. Their demands to increase oil production in order to bring down prices and create problems for Russia look stupid and pathetic; the Gulf countries ignore them. Their promises of “protection” from Iran are worthless - they have proven that they cannot even protect Israel.
Not surprisingly, Saudi Arabia and Iran reconciled this spring, agreeing to resume diplomatic relations brokered by Chinese leader Xi Jinping . Oh, how indignant they were in Washington back then - if only their favorite instrument of “divide and conquer” had broken down.
Putin discussed with the oil kings the situation on the hydrocarbon market, possibilities for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, prospects in the energy sector, and interaction within the BRICS framework. Today he will meet with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi - his country is also about to become a member of BRICS.
Building a multipolar world is a complex and delicate task; it requires the ability to negotiate, overcome ancient contradictions, and build new systems of “checks and balances.” But the alternative is peace in the American way, that is, chaos, rivers of blood, a war of all against all. Vladimir Putin has proven that the leading powers of our time are not interested in chaos. This is what unites the vast majority of the peoples of the planet - and makes Russia one of the natural leaders of the new world order.
#2
Unless you live on land your family has owned (is that even possible?) since the stone age, you are technically a "colonial."
It's a pretty much meaningless label.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/08/2023 7:16 Comments ||
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#3
^ yes, but it is working. Most astute political hot button attack. "Kemi Seba said the only way to end the domination of the Western world is through “convergent struggles” that can unite Africans, Muslims, Latin Americans, and others who have “suffered the sting of colonialism.”
Article Linked To Is Available Only Via VPN.
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces jointly with helicopters and artillery repelled five attacks of assault groups of the AFU 41st Mechanised and 57th Motorised Infantry Brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Lake Liman.
The enemy's losses amounted to up to 75 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, four armoured personnel carriers, two pickup trucks, one German-made Panzerhaubitze self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made M198 howitzer, and one 122mm D-30 gun.
In Krasny Liman direction, the Tsentr Group of Forces' units jointly with artillery repelled two attacks launched by the 24th Mechanised Brigade and 44th Separate Rifle Battalion of the AFU close to Dzerzhinsk and Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Up to 280 Ukrainian troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles were neutralised. Two U.S.-made M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery systems were hit during counter-battery warfare.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled two attacks launched by assault groups of the 67th Mechanised Brigade (AFU) near Kleshcheyevka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy has lost up to 175 Ukrainian personnel, as well as three armoured fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles during the day. In the course of counterbattery warfare, one U.S.-made M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system, two Akatsiya self-propelled artillery systems, one 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, one 122mm D-30 howitzer, and one U.S-made M119 gun were hit.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by ground-attack aircraft, helicopters, and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 23rd Mechanised, 58th Motorised Infantry, and 128th Territorial Defence Brigades near Sladkoye, Nikolskoye, and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy losses were up to 160 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one U.S.-made M777 artillery system.
In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery struck clusters of manpower of the AFU 33th Mechanised Brigade near Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).
The enemy's losses amounted to 60 troops, two motor vehicles, as well as two Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems.
In Kherson direction, Russian troops, artillery fire, and air strikes defeated the enemy near Chervony Mayak (Kherson region). The enemy's losses in manpower amounted to up to 65 troops killed and wounded. In addition, two motor vehicles and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system were hit.
Operational-Tactical and Army Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Groups of Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation hit command and observation posts of the AFU 67th Mechanised, 100th Territorial Defence, and 12th Special Forces Brigades near Serebryanka (Donetsk People's Republic), as well as ammunition and armament depots, manpower, and military hardware in 121 areas.
Air defence units shot down one Ukrainian Su-25 aircraft near Vesyolaya Gora (Donetsk People's Republic). Moreover, one HIMARS MLRS projectile and one HARM anti-radiation missile manufactured in the USA were intercepted.
In addition, 27 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down close to Verkhnekamenka, Mankovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Gorlovka and Soledar (Donetsk People's Republic).
In total, 550 airplanes and 257 helicopters, 9,568 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 air defence missile systems, 13,870 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,188 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,268 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 16,011 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:55 Official summary of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC from 00:00 12/07/2023 to 00:00 12/08/2023
Over the past 24 hours Representative office reported about 19 facts of firing by the Ukrainian Federal Unitary Forces.
Information has been received about the death of a child – a boy born in 2010. in the Central City district of Gorlovka.
Two civilians were injured of varying degrees of severity in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk.
Six residential buildings were damaged in the Petrovsky and Kuibyshevsky districts of Donetsk, the Central City, Nikitovsky districts of Gorlovka, as well as one civil infrastructure facility.
The areas of three settlements of the Republic were under enemy fire: Gorlovka (Tsentralno-Gorodskoy, Nikitovsky districts), Yasinovatsky district, the capital city of Donetsk (Kuibyshevsky, Kirovsky, Petrovsky districts).
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy carried out 12 attacks from MLRS, 155mm artillery, and attack UAVs.
At Gorlivske there were 6 artillery attacks from MLRS, 155mm and 152mm artillery.
On Yasinovatsky there was one artillery attack from 155mm artillery.
A total of 82 units of various ammunition were fired.
A previous 39 artillery attacks were recorded from the VFU side per day.
21:00 In the Krivoy Rog defense brigade report about high losses due to problems with the material and technical base
The personnel of the 129th Territorial Defense Brigade complain about the lack of evacuation means, fuel and spare parts for vehicles, blaming the brigade command.
19:25 Mobile groups of air defense units cover tankers in the South Donetsk direction
Anti-aircraft gunners of the Vostok group of forces effectively counteract enemy reconnaissance and strike drones using Verba MANPADS and fire weapons on MTLB. But the main problem on the line of combat contact is the stealth reconnaissance drones. To combat them, fighters use Pars-NU anti-drone rifles.
“At the moment, this is the most relevant weapon,” says the commander of an anti-aircraft missile platoon with the call sign “Decan.” – The gun is very easy to use, anyone can use it. You run out, catch the target, and the most important thing is to escort it to the place of forced landing.” The anti-drone gun creates radio interference, the operator loses contact with the drone, resulting in loss of control.
The main task of mobile groups is to cover armored vehicles on the march and in positions. Therefore, air defense crews are always somewhere nearby and reliably control the sky above our soldiers.
19:14 They report about a missile attack on the Mirgorod airfield (Poltava region).
Apparently, Kh-59 cruise missiles flew at the facility. Ukrainian monitoring channels write that at least two powerful explosions were heard.
Let us recall that Su-27 aircraft of the 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were based (and probably still are based) at this airfield.
18:27 Ukrainian troops shelled the Nikitovsky district of Gorlovka, firing 4 rounds of 155mm caliber - representative office of the JCCC DPR.
17:30 Group of troops “Dnepr” in the Kherson direction struck the place of preparation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for crossing the Dnieper on the right bank with FAB 500 with UPMK.
16:20 “Russian hawks” again “deprived the eyes” of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Calculation of UAV 33 SMEs of the Russian Armed Forces “Russian Hawks”, using a drone of the “Sudoplatov” project (Judgment Day),disabledanother video surveillance camera of Ukrainian nationalists in the vicinity of the village. Novomikhailovka.
15:48 Ukrainian militants fired 20 rockets from the MLRS at the Petrovsky and Kirovsky districts of Donetsk - representative of the DPR JCCC.
15:27 Brief information summary on the Left Bank of the Dnieper from Dnepro_Rub:
“Over the past 24 hours, while trying to cross the river, 19 enemy boats were destroyed. The enemy did not take any active actions, but conducted reconnaissance from drones. Conducts harassing fire from mortars, often working with drops from copters and FPV drones. He's trying to crush us with electronic warfare. The ANT-PQ-50 counterbattery warfare radar was destroyed in the Sergeevka area. Artillery and VKS FABs with UMPC are working on enemy positions.
14:27 The main thing from the Russian Ministry of Defense report:
In the Kupyansk direction, five Ukrainian attacks were repelled, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 75 people, two tanks, four armored personnel carriers.
On Krasnolimansky - two attacks were repulsed, the enemy lost up to 280 people and two infantry fighting vehicles.
In the Donetsk direction, two attacks were repelled, and in the South Donetsk direction, strikes were made against clusters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The total Ukrainian losses in these two directions are up to 335 people.
In the Zaporozhye and Kherson directions, the total losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces amounted to 125 people.
A Ukrainian Su-25 was shot down near Veselaya Gora in the DPR, and 27 drones were destroyed in one day.
14:10 Near the village of Veseloe, the 51st Motorized Rile Regiment of our division advanced two km forward.
At Kleshcheevka, the 119th Motorized Rifle Regiment approached the opornik at a height; if we take Kleshcheevka, it’s completely ours and the road to Chasovy Yar is under control.
13:37 The situation in the Kupyansky direction on December 7 – analysis from Multi_XAM
As a result of a rocket and artillery strike, the crossing over Oskol from Osinovo to Kupyansk-Uzlovaya was destroyed, which the enemy tried several times to restore. Having pulled up long-range artillery reserves to the area west of Kupyansk - to the forest area between Blagodatovka and Sobolevka, the Ukrainian Armed Forces for two days conducted barrage fire on the front edge of the units of the Russian Armed Forces advancing near Sinkovka and Petropavlovka.
In the Nechvolodovka area, at a distance from the potential range of our artillery, the enemy deployed M142 HIMARS MLRS systems (up to two units - they worked in places where our equipment and electronic warfare equipment accumulated in the Vilshan area).
Of the existing crossings in Kupyansk, where a maximum of SUVs can travel, only a small one remains in the area of ??the destroyed railway bridge. But its capacity is clearly insufficient to fully supply the group on the left bank. This is not the first day that the enemy here has experienced interruptions in the supply of ammunition, especially mines and artillery rounds.
13:34 Zaporozhyefront, eastern flank:
The enemy is trying to move forward, suppressing his actions is associated with constantly identifying him on the ground and at temporary deployment points. Drops, mortars and artillery work are ongoing.
In buildings, the enemy takes refuge in the remains of buildings, and in fields - in dugouts.
13:07 Consequences of the artillery attack of the Budennovsky district of Donetsk -video.
12:20 Statement of Head of the press center of the "South" group:
Units of the Yuzhnaya group of troops, with the support of aviation and artillery fire, successfully repelled an attack by assault groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the positions of our troops in the area of the village of Belogorovka, destroying up to ten military personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
During the counter-battery fight, a 122mm self-propelled artillery mount 2S1 “Gvozdika” was destroyed in the Zvanovka area. Artillery also hit the positions of a DShK heavy machine gun and an enemy AGS grenade launcher crew in the areas of Pisetsky and Vyemka.
In the Soledaro-Artemovsk direction, units of the group, with the support of artillery and heavy flamethrower systems, defeated enemy personnel and equipment in the areas of Bogdanovka, Kleshcheevka, Andreevka, Kurdyumovka.
The enemy in this direction lost up to 270 troops killed and wounded, two 120mm mortars, two 155mm American-made M777 guns and two Polish-made “Crab” 155mm self-propelled artillery mounts.
In addition, artillery struck two temporary deployment points of the 23rd Special Forces Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the village of Krasnoye, and eight enemy dugouts were also destroyed.
Air defense systems shot down unmanned aerial vehicles in the areas of the settlements of Topolevka, Shipilovka, Belogorovka, Verkhnekamenka, Spornoe, Soledar, Artyomovsk of the Donetsk People's Republic.
11:35 Consequences of the night artillery attack of the village of the Kochegarka mine (Central City district of Gorlovka) by the Ukrainian Armed Forces -photo.
10:44 Situation on the Rabotino-Verbovoye section at 10.30:
Early in the morning the enemy attacked our positions at Rabotino. However, he was discovered in a timely manner and came under heavy fire. As a result of the battle, the Ukrainian Armed Forces infantry retreated.
North of Verbovoy, after repelling another attack by Ukrainian Armed Forces attack aircraft, Russian fighters launched a counterattack. During the successful offensive, the Russian Armed Forces captured several enemy strongholds.
According to incoming information, the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zaporozhye direction have gone on the defensive and are preparing fortifications in the vicinity of the city of Orekhov. Some of the enemy's offensive reserves have been moved to other directions of the Northern Military District.
10:25 Statement of Head of the press center of the Center group:
In the Serebryansky forest area, the actions of a unit of a motorized rifle regiment, supported by artillery fire, defeated the assault group of the 5th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine.
The group's aviation carried out strikes on the concentration of enemy manpower and firepower in the Chervonay Dibrova area. During the counter-battery fight, about 40 artillery crews of Ukrainian troops were exposed and suppressed.
The total enemy losses in this direction amounted to up to 290 military personnel, two armored fighting vehicles, five vehicles, a Palladin self-propelled gun and two Czech-made Dana self-propelled guns.
10:05 Reports are coming in that Russian assault troops have cleared half of the “super fortification” of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at height 215 north of Kleshcheevka.
09:30 The criminal Kiev regime continues to fire at the civilian infrastructure of settlements on the left bank of the Kherson region, yesterday during the day the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired from cannon artillery:
-- n.p. Kazachi Lagery five rounds;
-- n.p. Dnepryan two rounds;
-- n.p. Krynki 31 rounds;
-- n.p. Alyosha 11 rounds;
-- n.p. Staraya Zburevka two rounds;
-- n.p. Novaya Mayachka two rounds;
-- n.p. Korsunka three rounds.
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the village. Novaya Kakhovka, n.p. Kakhovka, n.p. Proletarka, n.p. Peschanivka, n.p. Korsunka, n.p. Aleshki, n.p. Dnepryany, n.p. Krynki, n.p. Golaya Pristan, firing a total of 36 rounds from cannon artillery.
Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being determined.
09:25 The situation in the Zaporozhye direction in the Verbovoy area is reported by the Front Bird:
“In the morning, the enemy tried to organize a counterattack with up to a platoon. We fought back. The artillery covered the dry land with several calibers at once. Now we are developing the attack.”
08:14 Frontline report for the morning:
In the Kherson-Crimean direction, Ukrainian marines continued offensive operations in the Krynok area and are strengthening their positions in the village itself in engineering terms. We can say that they will try to hold this bridgehead at any cost. And it is possible that in the near future they will try to land on the left bank of the Dnieper in other areas controlled by the Russian Armed Forces.
In the Zaporozhye direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces again attacked west of the village of Rabotino. No success. From Novofedorovka, similar actions were already carried out by Russian troops. With the same result.
On the Donetsk Front, the Russian Armed Forces, with the support of long-range weapons, carried out an offensive in Marinka, near Pervomaisky, Severny (a settlement west of Avdievka) and in the industrial zone southeast of the city. Fierce oncoming battles for Stepnoe (not to be confused with the settlements of the same name in the Zaporozhye and Ugledar directions). The Russian Armed Forces are seeking to expand the zone of control near Novokalinov. Missile strike by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Donetsk.
In the Bakhmut direction, Russian units, supported by artillery, attacked at Andreevka, northwest of Kleshcheevka and from Khromovoe. In the Bogdanovka area there are oncoming battles.
In the Lugansk direction, the Russian Armed Forces attacked at Ternov, Petropavlovka and Sin'kovka. LBS has not changed significantly. But in the last of the two listed areas, Ukrainian troops have serious problems holding positions. Reinforcements are being deployed.
08:05 “Lancets” destroy two radars and a mobile communications station for militants
Crews of reconnaissance drones identified an ST-68 radar belonging to the enemy on the right bank of the Dnieper. She was moving along the highway in the rear area of the Ukrainian formations. To destroy it, the command of one of the airborne formations from the Dnepr group of troops decided to use the Lancet loitering munition.
The launch was carried out by one of the crews of the “winged infantry” unmanned aircraft. Professionally and competently controlling the Lancet, the UAV operator disabled the enemy radar with a direct hit.
Subsequently, airborne reconnaissance officers discovered a P-18 radar at a combat position and a mobile communications station for the militants. They were also disabled by a direct hit from the Lancet loitering munition.
08:01 Summary on the morning of December 7, 2023:
At night, “Geraniums” were especially active in the port cities of Kiliya, Izmail, and Reni in the Odessa region. Our drones also worked on targets in the Bolgrad district of the region; previously there was information about the use of this area to shelter delivered weapons and equipment, as well as to accommodate mercenaries. It was reported that the enemy had detected “Geraniums” at the Starokonstantinov airfield in the Khmelnitsky region.
In the Kherson direction, the difficult situation remains at Krynoki. Despite the heavy fire from our artillery and aviation, the enemy is making attempts to expand the zone of control near the village, pinning down the forces of our group. There remains the possibility of enemy landings in other areas of the Kherson direction.
On the Zaporozhye Front, several attacking groups of enemy infantry at Rabotino and Verbovoy were destroyed. Mutual artillery artillery attack is underway, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces are using cluster munitions.
Fighting continues in the Avdeevsky direction; the Russian Armed Forces have the initiative at the coke plant. In the south, our troops have entrenched themselves in the industrial zone, and positional battles are taking place. Information is being received about the transfer of more and more units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the “Avdeevsky Sack”.
North-west of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) there are battles in the area of the Khromovo-Berkhovskoe reservoir - the Valyanovsky Nursery garden center. There are reports of increased fighting north of Soledar.
In the Kupyansky direction in Sin'kovka, the Russian Armed Forces are pushing through the enemy’s defenses, forcing the Ukrainian Armed Forces to prepare a new line of defense outside the populated area.
In the Bryansk region, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled a village. Suzemka. Daily attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the border areas of the Belgorod region continue: yesterday, arrivals were recorded in the village. Kozinka, Grayvoronsky district and in the village. Vyazovoe, Krasnoyaruzhsky district. Yesterday, the Nazis launched massive attacks on the civilian population of the DPR, incl. using HIMARS MLRS.
A woman was killed, 18 civilians were injured, incl. child born 2021 The Ukrainian Armed Forces struck again at the Budenovsky market in Donetsk, 13 Emergency Situations Ministry employees were injured, and two were killed.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Mikhail Zakharov
[REGNUM] A few days apart, two messages arrived related to the same topic - the fate of citizens of the former Soviet republics who voluntarily participated in the defense of Russia in the Northern Military District. The first message is alarming, the second is encouraging.
The first case is the trial in Kazakhstan of a 34-year-old participant in the battles for Artyomovsk, Kazakh citizen Alexei Shompolov . On November 29, one of the district courts of Karaganda sentenced a veteran of the Russian special operation to 6 years and 8 months in prison.
The former fighter was charged with the article “Mercenarism” - according to the Kazakh investigation, Shompolov participated in the battles for Artyomovsk as part of the assault units of the private military company (PMC) “Wagner”. During heavy fighting, he was wounded, discharged, and then returned to his homeland, where he was detained by the police.
“FOR UNDERMINING THE INTEGRITY OF UKRAINE”
The wording used by the justice of the country, which is our partner in the CSTO and the Eurasian Economic Union, is curious.
From the point of view of the Kazakh court, Shompolov’s actions as part of the PMC were aimed “at undermining the constitutional order and violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine.” Therefore, a “mercenary” falls under the relevant article of the Kazakh Criminal Code.
The court's verdict on a real sentence for Shompolov has already entered into force - moreover, payments from PMCs, obtained, according to Kazakh law enforcement officers, by criminal means, were confiscated.
As is known from the words of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev , Russia and Kazakhstan today indicate “a mutual desire to expand political, economic, investment, cultural and humanitarian ties.” Let us note that Shompolov, convicted for participation in the SVO, is the living embodiment of these connections: he was born in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Russian, but a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
But in some respects, Astana clearly has a very specific attitude towards Moscow's policies and actions.
In April of this year, the National Security Committee (NSC) of Kazakhstan reported on the investigation of ten criminal cases regarding the participation of citizens of the country in the conflict in Ukraine - however, the KNS did not provide details about their defendants, including on whose side they are fighting.
However, in the same month, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Aibek Smadiyarov, warned the Kazakh student Margulan Bekenov , who joined Wagner, that a real prison sentence awaits him in his homeland.
“This is criminally prosecuted here in Kazakhstan,” Smadiyarov said then, speaking about participation in PMCs. But, as it turns out, you can be persecuted for supporting the SVO in the republic without joining the ranks of the “Wagners.”
Thus, Kazakh parliament member Azamat Abildaev was deprived of his mandate only for statements in support of a special military operation, and was also expelled from the ranks of the Ak Zhol party, allegedly because of their contradiction to party and parliamentary ethics.
The law is harsh, but it is the law; for Kazakhstan and its law enforcement officers, citizens of the country who take part in the SVO are criminals, Roman Yuneman , a Russian public figure who has lived in Kazakhstan for a long time, emphasizes in a conversation with IA Regnum .
It is worth mentioning that Kazakh citizen Zhasulan Duisembin is fighting on the side of the Kiev regime , which raises the question: will this character receive the same sentence and confiscation of his earnings in Ukraine if he decides to return to his homeland?
It seems that the problem as a whole is much deeper and wider than it might seem at first glance.
But first, we must mention the second, this time encouraging message about the fate of the foreign volunteer.
HAPPY OUTCOME IN MANUAL MODE
The other day it became known that the sad fate of Alexei Shompolov was narrowly avoided by a native of Uzbekistan, Alexander Babkov , who also faced criminal liability there.
Previously, Babkov went to the Northern Military District as a volunteer, participated in heavy battles for Soledar and Artyomovsk, received the state award “For Courage” and a number of other medals: “Bakhmut Meat Grinder”, “For the Capture of Bakhmut”.
However, despite his military merits, he had difficulties obtaining Russian citizenship, as well as obtaining a combat veteran’s certificate and official employment. In addition, his temporary registration expires in January 2024, which could lead to his deportation to Uzbekistan.
“It turns out that I am a member of the SVO, I have awards, but there is no help. A veteran's certificate is issued only to citizens of the Russian Federation. They won’t hire me without documents. I work part-time as a loader, but, of course, that’s not the job. I didn’t know where else to turn, so I turned to the “Not One on One” project. I will continue to try to obtain citizenship,” Babkov said in an interview with RT .
Today, the issue of the legal status of a veteran of the Northern Military District has been taken under control by the head of the Main Directorate for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Valentina Kazakova.
As official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Irina Volk assured , “my colleagues will try to process everything as quickly as possible. Alexander can be sure of this.”
The only question that remains is why the problem of a fighter who fought for our country was solved virtually manually, while by presidential decree he was supposed to receive Russian citizenship under simplified conditions.
Let us note that Tashkent also warned that citizens of the country who decided to take part in the SVO, according to Article 154 of the Criminal Code of the Republic “Mercenarism”, would face imprisonment for up to ten years. And there were precedents: a month ago, the Yukorichirchik court sentenced Ildar Khairulin, a resident of the Tashkent region, to five years in prison for military actions in 2014–2015 on the side of the DPR.
It should be clarified that the Armed Forces of Ukraine also had at least one citizen of Uzbekistan as a foreign mercenary. And in the country, despite the declared neutrality , there are citizens who support the Kiev regime not only in word, but also in deed. Therefore, we should be especially attentive to the fate of the people of Uzbekistan who participated in the battles for the interests of our country in Ukraine.
“BY THE VERY FACT OF PERFORMING COMBAT MISSIONS”
Some work in terms of protecting foreign volunteers is already underway, noted military expert Anatoly Matviychuk in a commentary to IA Regnum .
“I know that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in particular diplomats in the CIS countries, carried out explanatory work and sent out letters asking them not to consider volunteers from the CSTO countries and the CIS countries participating in hostilities in Donbass as mercenaries,” says the expert.
However, the interlocutor of IA Regnum notes , it is unlikely that all the recipients of these letters will meet the interests of Moscow. Therefore, many citizens who came to help us at the call of their hearts and consciences may still be subject to criminal prosecution under the laws of those countries where participation in the North Military District is regarded as mercenary activity.
Effective influence on the leadership of these states now seems extremely unlikely, says military instructor, publicist, and native of Almaty Svyatoslav Golikov . “I do not observe any official initiatives regarding the protection of the rights of our volunteers in the near abroad from the Russian side,” Regnum Golikov shared his opinion with the news agency . He believes that the anti-Russian course of those countries does not change, and, “moreover, after the start of the Northeast Military District, the situation will only deteriorate.”
Yes, for the countries of the former USSR and local law enforcement officers, their citizens who take part in the SVO are criminals, such is the official attitude there. “This is a very sensitive issue, but these are the political realities in most of the former Soviet republics; the attitude towards our volunteers has recently changed positively only in Belarus,” the expert adds.
Experts interviewed by Regnum news agency believe that people who fought in the Northern Military District and have proven their right to be citizens of Russia should be quickly granted citizenship - as was done in relation to Babkov.
Particular attention should be paid to the speed and efficiency of the procedure for granting citizenship to people who fought for Russia - the examples of Shompolov and Babkov show that the indifference and passivity of government bodies can result in big troubles for our soldiers.
“Especially against the backdrop of the fact that, meanwhile, Russian citizenship is being massively received by residents of the Central Asian republics, who often view Russia as a “food supply,” but in no way as a Motherland for which they are ready to fight ,” notes Golikov.
In his opinion, it is absolutely necessary to clearly and unambiguously formalize the right of volunteers with foreign citizenship to obtain Russian citizenship in the most simplified and expedited manner “based on the very fact of performing combat or service missions, both directly during the Northern Military District, and more broadly, starting with the 2014 militia "
ANONYMOUS LEGIONNAIRES
All SVO participants from countries where they are persecuted for their beliefs need to think about asylum in the Russian Federation, and they should exclude trips abroad, Nikolai Kostikin, an expert at the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis , told IA Regnum . It must be borne in mind that in some countries not only volunteers, but also members of their families are persecuted, the interlocutor notes.
Considering that the legislation of almost all CIS countries is aimed against the participation of citizens of these countries in hostilities on the side of Russia, special measures are needed to protect volunteers.
“For example, in France, the foreign legion practiced concealing or even changing the identity of a legionnaire. Perhaps this practice should be applied here too,” adds Kostikin.
There is also little doubt about the need to take measures to rescue people who are legally entitled to a Russian passport.
In addition, it is necessary to understand the question of why the citizen of Kazakhstan Shompolov and the citizen of Uzbekistan Babkov did not receive Russian citizenship in their time under a simplified procedure. Perhaps this was due to their own reluctance, but there could also be problems at the legal level, and in the worst case, the elementary reluctance of those in charge to understand the problem.
There are those who want to defend Russia in various parts of the world, and their number is not as small as it might seem, IA Regnum’s interlocutors emphasize. They support us in difficult times for the country, and Russia must show that it does not abandon its own - and this must be not only words, but also actions.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Denis Davydov
[REGNUM] “There will be no elections,” but Ukrainian sociological firms are measuring the potential results of possible participants. And they show that the political prospects for Zelensky’s party are pretty bad. Just like with the presidential ones.
If the current head of state and commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny had entered the second round , the results would have been almost the same: Zelensky - 42%, Zaluzhny - 40%. And if parliamentary elections were to take place in the near future, the first place in them would be taken by the hypothetical “Zaluzhny’s Party,” which was “measured” for the first time.
The also conditional “Zelensky Bloc” takes second place - 26.7%, third is the party of another former comedian, and now one of the largest volunteers, Sergei Pritula “August 24” - 7.6%. Also, the five percent barrier is overcome by another non-existent Azov Party* (5.8%) and two real ones - the ruling Servant of the People (5.5%) and Eurosolidarity of ex-President Petro Poroshenko - 5.4%. The rest do not reach 3%.
Thus, if you add up the votes of the Servant of the People and Zelensky’s party, you get 32.2%, which is still less than that of the Zaluzhny party. This is, perhaps, the main thing that the possible customers of the sociological study wanted to find out.
In a broad sense, an analysis of this situation is necessary to understand the essence of the changes that Ukrainian society is looking forward to (which did not receive the promised victory ) and in which direction these changes can lead it.
PARTIES THAT DON'T EXIST
First of all, about where the “hypothetical parties” come from.
As the head of the very “Rating” group, to which the mentioned study belongs, once explained, sociologists do not have to have an order. They carefully keep their nose to the wind and analyze the market: who may have political prospects. And since ideological parties have long disappeared in Ukraine and only parties of the leadership type remain, standing on the main person, the task looks quite simple.
However, there are also customers who are looking for new opportunities and investing in new brands. In the case of Zaluzhny, these are “Western partners” who suggested that, according to Regnum news agency sources in Kiev, he should go into politics a year ago. Then the general refused, but further developments and the conflict with the Office of the President led to the fact that almost everyone was already considering him seriously as a potential competitor to Zelensky.
However, as our interlocutors say, a tongue-tied military man may not be able to achieve an independent career. Therefore, negotiations are underway with him about joining Poroshenko’s party, which in some sense will be more convenient. And it will leave Peter himself a chance to compete for power. Now he promotes himself as a nostalgic image, almost like Trump: “When I was there, there was no such a mess.” However, then the number of votes that an EU party can get automatically falls.
Showman Sergei Pritula, who deftly steals money from fundraisers, created his party literally on the eve of the “events,” in early February 2022. “August 24” is Ukraine’s Independence Day, and apart from this joyful name, absolutely nothing is known about the intentions and program of Pritula’s project Nothing. And he himself has moderated his political ambitions.
“He was greatly squandered after the story with “New Time” (since December last year - New Voice. - Ed.) They released the next issue of the magazine dedicated to those who are “bringing victory closer”, and Pritula was in the foreground, and Zelensky and Zaluzhny are somewhere behind. Everyone was very outraged by this, and after that incident Pritula calmed down and is not talking about politics yet,” Kiev analyst D.tells IA Regnum.
The cover of the magazine was redone, however, he notes, this was not a mistake: the publication, like a number of other media assets, belongs to a major businessman of Czech origin, Tomas Fiala.
It is he who is behind the creation of a political project for participation in parliamentary and, perhaps, presidential elections. And Fiala’s investment partner, among others, is the fund of American financier George Soros, Soros Fund Management. So the organization of Pritula, who, as we assume, if he enters the elections, will work under the brand of a “party of volunteers,” is obviously a technical project to maintain the presence of Soros in the Ukrainian system of power.
Strange at first glance, the “Zelensky Bloc” is also a technical move.
His “mono-majority” from Servant of the People has long lost the trust of the voter (already in January 2022 the figures fluctuated around 17%), and if you go to a parliamentary campaign, it is more convenient to work with the president’s personal rating, converting it into votes for the party . Accordingly, the “Azov Party”* is a test of how the faded brand will fare, whether voters remember it and how they will react to a party of refined heroes with stern faces.
Now a logical question arises: what is the difference between all these political projects, if all this is an “outbreak from the right”, where everyone stands for the same thing?
CHOICE WITHOUT CHOICE
The interest of the Americans in rebooting the system of power and replacing the lost Zelensky and his political force with something more manageable was discussed in sufficient detail by IA Regnum . By and large, the difference here is that the same thing can be done in different ways. Surprisingly, this also coincides with the mood in Ukrainian society.
As D. explains, women have finally become the main driver of politics in the country, already acting as the main voter in all elections. In their minds, Zaluzhny looks like a bigger party of the world than Zelensky.
“In the popular conversations that I hear, Zelya does not spare the soldier, he needs some kind of borders of 1991, and he takes care of them. Because he understands what the front and war are. Zaluzhny also seems to be forced to waste people, but he does it with caution, and Zelensky is always ready for another Bakhmut,” says our interlocutor.
In the same way, Poroshenko, who at one time came to power on the slogans of peace and ending the ATO “ not in months, but in hours ,” looks like a reminder of more prosperous times. After all, he had the famous “shake hand” (in a released recording of a conversation with Putin), and under the current leader, laws have been passed prohibiting any negotiations.
In addition, if the “military party” cannot have any economic program by definition, the “gunpowder robots” can draw up some kind of development plan, present managers with experience, and this is its big advantage.
It is no coincidence that Peter was not allowed to leave the country and hold meetings with the leaders of European countries. Zelensky has long been deprived of the opportunity to talk about something other than “give money and weapons.”
Thus, the direction of policy in terms of hostility towards Russia, cultural stereotypes and nation-building seems to be common, but the temperature of the conventional pot is lower. The Greens have already boiled it over high heat, and this is enough for someone else to be considered the opposition.
“Figures dating back to mid-November show that confidence in the president has fallen to +32%, less than half that of the still-respected General Zaluzhny (+70%). Ukrainian intelligence officer Kirill Budanov (+45%) also has the best ratings of the president. The same poll shows that Zelensky risks losing the presidential election if he ever clashes with his commander in chief,” notes The Economist, which has its own sociology, in another article.
Of course, in the most general sense, the choice presented is without choice. And according to the head of the Derzhava party banned in Ukraine, Dmitry Vasilets , without the participation of the real opposition, any voting within Ukraine is meaningless.
“Whoever participates in them, the result will be the same. Ukraine will remain under the control of the West and hostile towards Russia, the political regime will remain under manual control, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces will remain under NATO proxy troops. This is not a competition between the country’s projects, where citizens choose the best option, but the same rearrangement of beds in a brothel,” he said in a commentary for IA Regnum.
According to Vasilets, currently banned opposition parties are working to create an association that could conduct political work, at least from the outside. In any case, he believes, this will create at least some kind of alternative, and most importantly, it will show the whole world that the right to represent the Ukrainian people does not belong only to Zelensky or Zaluzhny.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The presidential elections of the Russian Federation will take place on March 17, 2024. The corresponding resolution was adopted by the Federation Council on December 7.
“Schedule the presidential elections of the Russian Federation for March 17, 2024. This resolution comes into force on the day of its official publication,” the text of the resolution says.
On December 8, at a meeting of the Central Election Commission, a draft resolution on three-day voting in the presidential elections (March 15–17) will be considered, said the head of the Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova , noting that she is in favor of this form of voting, since it expands the electoral opportunities of citizens.
ELECTIONS AS A GUARANTOR OF THE STRENGTHENING OF RUSSIA
A well-conducted presidential election will guarantee the strengthening of Russia, Pamfilova said. She thanked the members of the Federation Council for adopting the resolution calling the elections and for providing the necessary legislative framework.
The Russian electoral system has a powerful reserve of strength in order to organize and conduct elections exactly as the people demand and expect, Pamfilova also said.
START OF THE CAMPAIGN
The adoption of a resolution on the date of presidential elections is the start of the election campaign, noted in turn Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko . The results of these elections will determine whether Russia will be able to successfully respond to new challenges, and the future vector of the country’s development will also depend on their results, the Federation Council speaker added.
President Vladimir Putin has not yet made any statements about participating in the presidential elections in 2024; it is necessary to be patient on this issue, the Russian leader’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters on December 7, answering a corresponding question .
NEW REGIONS AND FOREIGN SITES
The question of whether elections will be held in new regions of the country will be decided before December 12 after consultations with law enforcement agencies, Pamfilova said. A similar procedure was in effect during the preparation for the Unified Voting Day 2023, she recalled.
Presidential elections in new regions of Russia will be held within the time frame established by law and decisions of election commissions, suggested the first deputy head of the United Russia faction in the State Duma, Dmitry Vyatkin , in a conversation with journalists . Previous votes have shown that it is quite possible to provide the necessary security measures, he said.
As for voting in presidential elections abroad, especially in countries where the work of Russian diplomatic missions is obstructed, this issue will be discussed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pamfilova noted. In any case, remote electronic voting will not be used at such polling stations, she noted.
WESTERN PROVOCATIONS
The West is going to disrupt the Russian presidential elections in 2024, Pamfilova noted in September 2023. Centers located in Poland and the Baltic countries were also involved in illegal activities, she said. The Central Election Commission is already preparing for the presidential elections, it is expected that the turnout will be high and the commission will do everything to ensure that the elections of the head of state are held with dignity, Pamfilova added.
For the first time, Russian presidential elections will be held in such a “toxic” geopolitical environment, Pamfilova noted on December 7. Biased foreign organizations will certainly try to discredit these elections, and the state’s task is to prevent provocations and mistakes during their conduct, Matvienko said in turn.
Russia’s foreign policy opponents will certainly try to interfere in the conduct of the elections, noted Dmitry Egorchenkov, director of the Institute of Strategic Studies and Forecasts of the RUDN University, in a conversation with IA Regnum . We should expect attempts at information pressure, promoting socially significant topics from migrants to ethno-confessional stability, the expert believes. Russia understands well what the challenges will be and is ready to deal with them, Egorchenkov added.
More from Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
In totalitarian Russia, elections will be held during the war. And in a democratic Ukraine, elections will not take place during a war. Be careful not to get confused.
Regarding the results, no intrigue is expected. Putin will gain 70-75% (if there are no hellish force majeures like last year’s collapse of the front near Balakleya or economic shocks), 2nd place Zyuganov with the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, for 3-4 place there is a deep struggle.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Mikhail Popov said that a powerful storm in the Black Sea at the end of November could have scattered the anchor mines that Kiev militants had installed. This poses a danger to civilian ships, which are being undermined one after another. Popov told KP.RU about this.
“The storm tore the nets of booms and, most likely, scattered the minefields laid by the Ukrainian military ,” said Mikhail Popov, adding that during the SVO, several foreign ships, including Ukrainian ones, were blown up by mines.
Military experts from Russia, Georgia, and Turkey agreed that this “horned death” in the Black Sea region could only come from the direction of Ukraine.
According to Mikhail Popov, the United States and Ukraine are silent about the fact that their actions have turned the Black Sea basin into an extremely dangerous region for shipping for many years.
“This, of course, will have a negative impact on the economy of all the Black Sea states,” concluded the Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
As reported by IA Regnum , the strongest storm that hit the Crimean peninsula may repeat itself several more times before the end of the 21st century, since as a result of climate change, dangerous weather phenomena are being observed more and more often. This forecast was made on November 29 by climatologist Alexey Kokorin.
Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers were blown up by their own mines when they entered an unmarked minefield near the town of Kremennaya. Three of the group that arrived at the Krasnolimansk direction on rotation received mine-explosive injuries of varying severity. When one of them died, the others abandoned him not far from the explosion site.
[SOFX] The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) today disclosed its latest commitment to Ukraine’s defense, marking the Biden Administration’s fifty-second tranche of military aid since August 2021. This new assistance package, valued at up to $175 million, is designed to bolster Ukraine’s capacities in countering the ongoing Russian aggression.
This latest tranche draws on previously authorized assistance under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), utilizing the remaining resources from prior fiscal years. The package features a range of military capabilities, highlighting the U.S.’s sustained effort to support Ukraine in its battle for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Key components of the package include air defense missiles (AIM-9M and AIM-7), ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and a variety of artillery rounds (155mm and 105mm). Also included are High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs), Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles, and anti-armor systems like Javelin and AT-4. The assistance extends to over 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition, vehicles for towing and hauling equipment, demolitions munitions, and critical national infrastructure protection equipment, alongside necessary spare parts and maintenance tools.
This support from the United States, in concert with around 50 other Allies and partners, has been pivotal in aiding Ukraine to reclaim over 50% of its territory initially seized by Russia. The U.S. leadership plays a central role in maintaining the global coalition backing Ukraine’s defense efforts, contributing significantly to Ukraine’s ability to safeguard its civilians and infrastructure from Russia’s attacks.
The U.S. government emphasizes the strategic importance of this aid, framing it as a vital investment in national security. This assistance not only helps prevent a broader regional conflict and deters potential aggressions but also bolsters the U.S. defense industrial base, creating skilled job opportunities domestically. The U.S. administration is urging Congress to promptly pass the President’s national security supplemental request to ensure the continuity of support for Ukraine.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
