[Breitbart] The Ukrainian military has announced that it has suspended controversial transvestite spokesperson Sarah Ashton-Cirillo for allegedly making unapproved statements on social media, however, there have been no updates from the Ukrainians, or the Biden administration on the fate of an American citizen journalist currently imprisoned in Ukraine.
Following a row sparked by inquiries initiated by Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH), as reported by Breitbart News, the Command of the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) announced on Wednesday that Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, an American transvestite, has been suspended from the role of spokesperson.
On social media, the TDF said: "The statements of (Junior Seargant) Ashton-Cirillo in recent days were not approved by the command of the TDF or the command of the AFU. When conducting military operations against the aggressor, the defense forces of Ukraine strictly observe the norms of international humanitarian law.
"The command of the TDF will conduct an official investigation into the circumstances of these statements. Appropriate decisions would be taken. Sergeant Sarah Ashton-Cirillo will be suspended immediately pending the investigation."
Following the announcement, a source close to President Volodymyr Zelensky told Breitbart News that Ashton-Cirillo had been appointed to the role without the approval of the president and confirmed the suspension.
It is unclear as to the exact statements Ashton-Cirillo was suspended for. However, as Breitbart News reported, Republican Senator J.D. Vance wrote this week to top Biden administration officials demanding information on the American citizen after Ashton-Cirillo posted a video on social media declaring that Ukraine was planning to "hunt down" alleged Russian propagandists.
Following the publication of the contents of the letter by Breitbart, Ashton-Cirillo took to social media again, this time claiming that people who supposedly espouse narratives perceived as being pro-Russian were not entitled to be called journalists, and therefore were undeserving of free speech protections and should be tried as war criminals.
As Breitbart News reported on Tuesday, the U.S. State Department confirmed that the American government is aware that a citizen journalist, known as Gonzalo Lira, is currently in prison in Ukraine. Lira has reportedly been accused by the Ukrainians of having "had a criminal intent aimed at the manufacture, distribution materials containing justification, recognition as legitimate, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which began in 2014, as well as justification, recognition as legitimate of the temporary occupation of part of Ukraine territory."
Ashton-Cirillo has publicly admitted to being involved in the prosecution of Lira, who is a dual citizen of the United States and Chile. Last week, the transvestite spokesperson claimed to have met with Lira while giving testimony in the case, claiming that the YouTuber is in good mental and physical health. Lira has previously claimed to have been tortured and extorted while in prison after being arrested initially in May.
Following an attempt by Lira to escape the country and seek asylum in Hungary in July after being released on bail, Ashton-Cirillo declared in a video that Lira was a "criminal" and that an "innocent man" would not seek asylum. Lira is reportedly facing between five and eight years in prison, which he claims would represent a death sentence.
In comments provided to Breitbart News, Senator J.D. Vance remarked on Ashton-Cirillo’s suspension: "No American dollar should flow to someone threatening violence against people for exercising their free speech rights. So I’m glad Ukraine parted ways with this spokesman.
"The fact that Ukraine had such a spokesman to begin with suggests a military too focused on propaganda toward liberals and neoconservatives. I’m sick of the fake tough talk and social media videos.
"I’d like to know whether Ukraine thinks it’s any closer to victory today than a year ago. We know the answer. And it’s why we should he pushing for peace instead of more war."
Former Trump administration Deputy Director of National Intelligence Cliff Sims told Breitbart: "JD’s election to the senate was the most consequential of the last cycle and this shows exactly why: He’s taking a stand on issues that are otherwise being totally ignored, often even by members of his own party, and getting results."
A representative of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' territorial defense forces, American transvestite Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, was removed from her post after public threats against Russian journalists. The command of the Ukrainian army announced this on September 20 on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
It is clarified that the command of the Ukrainian Defense Forces will conduct an internal investigation and take appropriate decisions based on its results. Sergeant Ashton-Cirillo has been suspended from duty pending an investigation.
It is indicated that the statements of the transvestite were not approved by the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Earlier, IA Regnum reported that, as the representative of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defense forces, transvestite Ashton-Cirillo said she did not threaten to kill Russian journalists.
American journalist and transvestite Ashton-Cirillo in early August became one of the official speakers of the Ukrainian territorial defense forces. On September 8, she published a video in which she repeated the rhetoric of the Third Reich and said that “Russians are not people,” and also threatened representatives of the Russian media. She later stated that she had been misunderstood and was joking.
Commenting on Ashton-Cirillo’s statements, official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, in turn, said that Russia would send a statement from a representative of the Ukrainian territorial defense forces to all international organizations and NGOs .
The head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, ordered to check Ashton-Cirillo’s statement threatening Russian journalists. After verification, the words of the defense speaker will be given a legal assessment.
[Gateway] One of the criticisms of the U.S. funding of the war in Ukraine is that it appears to be a money laundering operation.
Jesse Watters addressed this issue during a recent episode of his show, pointing out that the folks at the Clinton Foundation are already licking their chops about the prospect of rebuilding Ukraine.
Senator J.D. Vance predicts that in several years, we will learn that people got rich because of this.
Transcript via Real Clear Politics:
Why Shelf-Stable Beef Will Be an Extremely Valuable Commodity in the Near Future
JESSE WATTERS: Please don’t hunt me down, Sarah, I didn’t do anything wrong.
So Senator, when you see this new news about the Clinton Global Initiative Ukraine Action Network, and we’ve got Airbnb, you know, we’ve got famous Hollywood actors now involved, and the World Bank is kind of laundering American taxpayers through the Clintons into Ukraine, it could be a noble cause, yes, but it also seems a little suspicious, considering what the Clintons had been known for their entire career. Do you agree?
SEN. J.D. VANCE: Oh, I certainly agree, Jesse. I really guess that five years from now, we’re going to find out that between the Clintons and a number of American private equity firms and other hyper-global corporations that, you’re going to find a lot of people have gotten rich from this,. And it’s really sad and it is really despicable because of course, the Ukrainians didn’t invite the war on themselves.
I have disagreements with their leadership but not with the people. But you can almost see the elites of Washington and New York City salivating over acquiring more power and more money for themselves on the backs of the Ukrainian war effort. Anybody who doesn’t see this for what it is, I think, is blind to the reality. It’s one of the reasons why, Jesse, we have to start asking tough questions about how long is this going to go on.
To your point, are we going to let the entire country be destroyed? half of it has already been destroyed.
Are we going to encourage American investors and American politicians to get rich and powerful in Ukraine?
Watch the video below. Vance enters at the 7:24 mark:
[Aljazeera] Poland will no longer supply weapons to Ukraine, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was reported as saying, amid growing tension between Warsaw and Kyiv in a dispute over grain exports.
Poland has been among Ukraine’s staunchest supporters since the Russian invasion last year and is one of Kyiv’s primary weapons suppliers. Poland also hosts about one million Ukrainian refugees.
But Morawiecki appeared to signal on Wednesday that relations were about to change radically.
"We are no longer transferring weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming Poland with more modern weapons," the prime minister said on Wednesday, speaking in response to a question from a reporter on whether Warsaw would continue to support Kyiv with weapons despite the dispute over grain exports.
The official social media account of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland later shared a local news organisation’s post containing Morawiecki’s comments on ending arms supplies to Ukraine.
#3
"We are no longer transferring weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming Poland with more modern weapons
Meaning, 'We gave them all our old stuff, but we will save the new stuff for ourselves."
Posted by: Bobby ||
09/21/2023 8:04 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Whelp, Phoenix Arizona seems to want to get into the arms trade with Ukraine, selling them firearms confiscated by police actions, so there is that sweet sweet Fast and Furious pipeline.
#5
Meaning, 'We gave them all our old stuff, but we will save the new stuff for ourselves."
Exactly. They got rid of all their old Soviet era shit on the cheap and need the few they have left to fill in gaps until the rest of the K-2s and Abrams arrive. They still support Ukraine with some aid because they want them to kill as many Russians as possible before Poland might need to start.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[LB] Poltava, Chernihiv, Sumy, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, Donetsk were also attacked.
At night, the Russians struck the Poltava region , the oil refinery in Kremenchuk was hit, which caused a fire. All relevant services are on site. The work of the plant is temporarily suspended. There is no information about the victims, says the summary from OVA as of this morning.
In the Chernihiv region, there were 13 shellings (128 explosions) per day. The enemy fired mortars, artillery, and grenade launchers. The communities of Novgorod-Siverskyi and Chernihivskyi districts are under fire. No information was received about losses among the local population or damage to civil infrastructure. The data is being verified.
In Dnipropetrovsk at night and in the morning again under the attack of rashists - Nikopol district. The aggressor fired at the district center, Chervonogrigorivska, Myrivska and Marganetska communities. Five private houses, two cars and power lines were damaged. The consequences of the attacks are being clarified. Previously, people are whole. Defenders of the sky from PvK "East" shot down two enemy UAVs over the region. Yesterday, during the day, the enemy attacked Nikopol twice. In the evening, an explosion rang out in the Novopavlivska community of Synelnykiv district. Damage data is being verified. There are no injured or dead. Also yesterday afternoon, one UAV was shot down in the sky over the region.
In Sumy , at night and in the morning, the enemy carried out three shellings of the border. 10 explosions were recorded - from mortars and artillery. Svesk and Krasnopilsk communities came under fire. No consequences. Yesterday, during the day, the Russians carried out 32 shelling of the border. 202 explosions were recorded. Khotinsk, Krasnopilsk, Myropilsk, Seredino-Budsk, Velikopysarivsk, Bilopolsk, Yunakivsk, Esmansk communities came under fire. Sredino-Budsk community: shelling was carried out from AGS (six explosions), artillery (five explosions) and mortars (19 explosions). As a result of the shelling, two local residents were injured. Four homes were damaged.
In Luhansk yesterday, the Rashists opened artillery fire on Nevsky, 25 explosions occurred on the territory of the village. The enemy also used FAB-500 aerial bombs twice. An 85-year-old woman died. Her homestead is destroyed. The enemy also launched air and artillery strikes on Bilogorivka. During the day, the enemy fired 144 rounds (536 shells).
Kupyansk and Ivanovka were hit by airstrikes in Kharkiv . More than 10 settlements came under fire from enemy artillery and mortars: Krasne Pershe, Lyman Pershiy, Synkivka, Kotlyarivka, Krokhmalne, Berestov, Ambarne, Stroivka, Topoli. Also yesterday, the enemy struck Kupyansk with a guided aerial bomb. Recorded hit on the Oskil River crossing. The bridge was destroyed and three passenger cars were destroyed. Four men and two women died. Yesterday, the enemy shelled Odnorobivka with mortars. There was no information about casualties and damage. In total, six people died in the region per day.
In Zaporizhzhia, during the past 24 hours, Russian military personnel have struck 128 strikes on 24 towns and villages. 105 artillery shells fell on the territory of the front-line settlements, in particular, Gulyaipol, Zaliznychny, Charivny, Levadny, Olhivskyi, Biloghirya, Poltavka, Lobkovy, Pyatikhatok, Pavlivka, and Kamianskyi. The enemy carried out five attacks from Novodarivka, Levadny and Stepovoye salvo missile systems, 12 UAV attacks on Kanivskyi, Orikhov, Novodarivka, Malynivka, Stepnohirsk, Stepovoi and Maly Shcherbak, and also carried out six airstrikes on Orikhov, Robotyno and Malya Tokmachka. As a result of an enemy kamikaze drone attack on Stepnohorsk, men aged 32 and 42 were injured.
In Donetsk last day, 12 settlements were under the fire of Rashists: Avdiyivka, Sloviansk, Toretsk, Chasiv Yar, Kurdyumivka, Bagatyr, Bogoyavlenka, Dibrova, Novoselivka Persha, Orlivka, Petropavlivka, Shakhtarske. 20 residential buildings, six farm buildings, a kindergarten, a lyceum educational building, a lyceum dormitory, two power lines, two schools, a cultural center, three civilian cars, a paramedic station, and two garages were damaged. In one day, five people were injured in the region.
In Khersonskaduring the day, the enemy fired 118 rounds (589 shells), including seven rounds (23 shells) on Kherson. As a result of shelling yesterday morning, a fire broke out at the regional psychiatric hospital in the village of Stepanivka. Firefighters promptly extinguished the fire. Civilians were not injured. Also in Stepanivka, 60 private houses and two 4-story buildings were damaged as a result of the strikes. The occupiers continue to terrorize Kherson. Yesterday, another attack took the lives of a 49-year-old police sergeant and a 57-year-old man. A 33-year-old man was injured and was hospitalized. the army of the Russian Federation took aim at a trolleybus with passengers.
Also, as a result of the hit, a warehouse building caught fire. Yesterday, Russian artillery shelled one of Kherson's higher education institutions. Three Kherson ships were damaged by an enemy strike. They are provided with medical assistance. The attack of the Rashists on Tyaginka: due to the impact of a guided aerial bomb, the building of the former warehouse was damaged, the windows of the hospital, the village club and the houses of local residents were broken. People were not injured. In total, two people were killed and four others were injured during the day due to Russian aggression.
We will remind you that yesterday the Russian Federation attacked Ukraine with 31 attack UAVs of the "Shahed-136/131" type , of which 28 were destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses. The civilian population of the city of Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, suffered from a cynical rocket attack. Unfortunately, as a result of such terrorist actions by the Kremlin, there are dead and injured among the civilian population. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 20:53 Washington plans to announce tomorrow a new aid package for Ukraine worth $325 million, but without ATACMS, Reuters writes, citing sources. The package is expected to include a second batch of 155mm cluster munitions, Avenger short-range air defense systems, TOW and AT4 anti-tank systems, HIMARS missiles, Javelin anti-tank missiles and other equipment. The package is still being finalized and may change.
20:27 Blinken said that Ukraine shows “intolerance for corruption” and the United States controls the funds spent. The US Secretary of State also commented on the dismissal of the leadership of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense: “Whether they were all fired because of corruption is an open question. I think that in some cases there are other reasons. But for us, for me, the fact that Zelensky is taking decisive acting wherever he sees something is proof that they take it seriously."
20:01 The Russians hit Toretsk, Donetsk region and its environs with a 240-mm active-reactive mine of the Tulip system. As a result of the attack, the city itself and the village of Severny were damaged, the prosecutor's office reported. Two people died in Toretsk, two more in Severny.
19:55 At a meeting of the UN Security Council, Zelensky named two steps to stop hostilities in Ukraine: the complete withdrawal of all Russian troops, military formations, mercenaries and quasi-military forces from the territory of Ukraine within the 1991 borders, as well as the full return to Ukraine of effective control over the state border.
19:12 Zelensky at a meeting of the UN Security Council called for reforming the United Nations, especially in terms of the use of the veto: “A veto in the hands of an aggressor is what has driven the UN into a dead end. Whoever you are, the existing UN system still makes you smaller than the right of veto, which only a few have and is used by one - Russia - to the detriment of all other members of the UN... Subject to the presence of two-thirds of the votes, which will reflect the freedom of nations from Asia, and from Africa, and from Europe, and from the Americas, and from the Pacific region - the global qualified majority - the veto must actually be overcome, and such a resolution of the General Assembly must be binding on all member states."
Zelensky called for expanding the number of permanent members of the Security Council and introducing preventive sanctions: “The UN Security Council must be fully accountable to the nations of the world. The African Union must be here permanently. Asia deserves wider permanent representation. Germany deserves a place among the permanent members of the Security Council. Latin America must be represented here - constantly. And the states of the Pacific Ocean."
In addition, according to the president, it is necessary to expand participation and access to the work of the Security Council and its subsidiary bodies for all members of the General Assembly who are not recognized as aggressors. “And at the same time, any participation of any state member of the Security Council must be suspended for the time when such a state, in violation of the UN Charter, commits aggression against another nation,” Zelensky emphasized.
18:25 822 Ukrainian nuclear workers are now working at the occupied Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. The occupiers are not allowing another 2,083 workers into the station, said Energoatom President Petr Kotin. According to him, Ukrainian plant personnel are still being detained and tortured to force them to cooperate with Rosatom.
18:22 North Korea has been supplying Russia with 152-mm shells and Katyusha-type missiles for about a year, The Economist writes.
18:17 Zelensky will take part in open debates of the UN Security Council. Thus, for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian president will be with the Russian delegation in the same space - on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Radio Liberty reports.
17:49 During Zelensky’s visit to the White House on September 21, Biden will announce a “significant” aid package for Ukraine, Voice of America reports.
17:46 On the morning of September 20, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the command post of the Russian Black Sea Fleet near Verkhnesadovoy near Sevastopol , reported the Department of Strategic Communications of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (StratCom).
17:37 All relevant departments in the United States approved the provision of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, Foreign Policy writes, citing a source in Congress. According to him, “if it doesn’t happen, it’s because President Biden himself said no.”
16:58 The Russian army has intensified airstrikes on coastal communities in the Kherson region, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin. Since the beginning of this day alone, the Russians have dropped at least nine guided bombs on populated areas in the region. Tyaginka, Nikolaevka and Otradokamenka came under fire.
16:24 Ukraine may receive “a certain number” of Mirage 2000D fighter-attack aircraft from France, Intelligence Online writes. According to the publication, a delegation of commanders of the Ukrainian Air Force headquarters went to France to agree on the details of the future agreement. In particular, Ukraine is interested in a specialized assault version of the Mirage 2000D. France has probably already begun training Ukrainian pilots, the publication notes. The exercises will take place over several months at four bases: Nancy-Auch, Mont-de-Morsan, Wellis and Romorantin-Lantenay.
16:20 The German Spinner machine for the production of Russian ammunition is right now moving from Turkey to the Russian Federation, reports the Trap Aggressor project of the StateWatch analytical center.
15:59 Russia is now conducting reconnaissance of the state of the energy infrastructure of Ukraine, said the representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate Andrey Yusov. According to him, the largest missile attack of the Russian Federation on Ukraine was with 120 missiles simultaneously, but so far the enemy does not have reserves for such an intensity and number of attacks. However, this does not mean that new Russian attacks will be less dangerous and destructive, so Ukraine is preparing for new attacks on the energy sector.
15:54 The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, said that he will visit the Zaporozhye NPP by the end of the year.
15:23 Spain will transfer to Ukraine a new package of military assistance, which will include, in particular, armored personnel carriers, launchers for anti-aircraft equipment, anti-aircraft missiles, military trucks, ambulances and inflatable boats, the country's Ministry of Defense reported.
14:52 GUR representative Andrey Yusov called today’s explosions in Crimea “planned work”: “Planned work is underway by the Ukrainian Security and Defense Forces on the military facilities of the occupiers in the temporarily occupied territories, including in the Ukrainian Crimea. Very soon the details will be made public by the General Staff.” .
He added that in recent days there has been a lot of news from Crimea: “This is all within the framework of one set of events. All these events are effective, believe me.” According to Yusov, at this stage the goal of the measures is to weaken the Russian Federation, since Crimea is still used by it as a logistics hub, in particular for the transfer of forces and equipment to other sectors of the front. “In order to destroy this logistics hub, certain operations are applied and implemented at sea, on land, and in the air. To be continued,” Yusov noted.
14:08 The death toll in Kupyansk, Kharkov region, as a result of a missile attack on September 19 increased to eight - the bodies of two more local residents were found. Two of the dead were volunteers who evacuated people, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. The Russians launched a strike with a Grom-E1 missile, law enforcement officers are investigating all the circumstances of the crime.
13:23 Zelensky will visit Canada this week for the first time since the start of the war, CBC reports, citing sources. According to the channel, during the visit the Ukrainian president will speak before parliament in Ottawa and then go to Toronto.
13:19 Crimean publics report explosions in the Inkerman area, as well as near the Belbek and Kacha airfields. Local residents say that they had previously seen a plane and rockets in the sky. “Governor” of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev said that as a result of the “operation of air defense systems,” downed drones allegedly fell in Verkhnesadovoy and Kutch, and there was also a “small grass fire” in Verkhnesadovoy. In Kutch, a drone fell on the territory of vineyards, and the grass there is also allegedly “on fire.” And in the area of the Sevastopol Bay, according to Razvozhaev, “standard means of aerosol camouflage” are used.
12:29 "People's satellite" ICEYE, which volunteers handed over to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine exactly a year ago, on September 20, 2022, played a very important role in the attack on Sevastopol Bay on September 13, 2023, when the Russian landing ship Minsk and the submarine Rostov were destroyed -on-Don, intelligence reported. This is just one example of how the capabilities of the “people’s satellite” make it possible to daily receive intelligence data critical for combat operations and burn tons of enemy equipment, the Main Intelligence Directorate added.
12:12 Against the backdrop of trade disagreements between Poland and Ukraine, relations between the two countries have suffered a serious crack. Ukrainian refugees were the first to fall out of favor with Warsaw, and the next step could be Poland blocking Ukraine’s entry into the European Union. Read more in the material A Portion of Troubles .
11:57 "Unknown saboteurs" blew up two planes and a helicopter in the Moscow region at the Chkalovsky airfield, reports the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. According to intelligence data, a group of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation is investigating sabotage, as a result of which two planes and one helicopter were significantly damaged on September 18. Government aircraft, so-called “doomsday planes” and reconnaissance aircraft are based at the airfield.
Unknown persons planted explosives at the airfield and blew up AN-148 and IL-20 aircraft (both belonging to the 354th Special Purpose Aviation Regiment), as well as an MI-28N helicopter, which had previously been actively involved in shooting down attack drones over the Moscow region. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate, the damage to the aircraft will not allow us to count on their speedy recovery. The tail section of the helicopter was damaged by the explosion; another AN-148, which was parked next to the others, received minor damage.
11:45 The “authorities” of occupied Crimea stated that the “nationalized” apartment of the Zelensky family in Livadia was valued at 24 million rubles, and it will be put up for “auction.”
11:13 At an oil depot in Sochi, where there was a strong fire at night, fragments of a drone were found, Russian media report.
10:27 Zelensky said in an interview with CNN that Ukraine and the United States have reached the “finish line” on the issue of supplying ATACMS long-range missiles to Kiev. The President assured that these missiles will not be used on Russian territory.
09:56 A fire occurred at an oil depot in Sochi at night. Russian public pages write that it was caused by a drone attack. According to preliminary data, a kamikaze drone crashed into a tank with diesel fuel.
09:33 British intelligence believes that the liberation of Kleshcheevka and Andreevka brought the Ukrainian Armed Forces closer to one of the main supply routes to Bakhmut from the south - road T 05-13. However, Russia continues to hold the railway track that runs along the embankment between Kleshcheevka and T 05-13, creating an obstacle that is easily defended. Intelligence also suggests that the recent redeployment of Russian airborne forces from Bakhmut to southern Ukraine has weakened the Russian defense around Bakhmut.
08:57 As a result of an enemy kamikaze drone strike on Stepnogorsk, Zaporozhye region, two people were injured, said the head of the OVA, Yuriy Malashko.
08:35 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of September 20:
personnel - about 273,980 (+520) people,
tanks - 4635 (+7),
armored combat vehicles - 8868 (+17),
artillery systems - 6096 (+34),
MLRS - 779 (+1),
air defense systems - 526 (+0),
aircraft - 315 (+0),
helicopters - 316 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 4821 (+37),
cruise missiles - 1479 (+0),
ships/boats - 20 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 8633 (+32),
special equipment - 906 (+3).
08:28 During the night, air defenses destroyed 17 of approximately 24 Shahed attack drones , the Air Force Command reported. The UAVs were launched by several groups from the south-eastern and northern directions, their exact number is being clarified. The drones were destroyed along the route within the Sumy, Poltava, Kirovograd and Dnepropetrovsk regions.
07:56 Over the past 24 hours, 24 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In the Bakhmut direction, the Defense Forces repelled enemy attacks in the Yagodnoye and Andreevka areas of the Donetsk region and continue to attack in the area south of Bakhmut. In the Maryinsky direction, the enemy unsuccessfully tried to advance in the Maryinka area; in the Avdeevsky and Shakhtarsky directions, the defense forces are holding the defense on occupied lines.
In the Zaporozhye direction, the enemy unsuccessfully tried to attack in the areas of Malaya Tokmachka, Rabotino and Novodanilovka of the Zaporozhye region. In the Melitopol direction, the Defense Forces continue their offensive.
07:39 At night, the Russians attacked the Poltava region with drones; an oil refinery in Kremenchug was hit. A fire broke out and the plant's operations were temporarily suspended. No people were injured, said the head of the OVA, Dmitry Lunin.
05:55 Zelensky called on Trump to publicly present his peace plan to end the war in Ukraine. At the same time, the Ukrainian president emphasized the importance of red lines and warned that Ukraine will not consider any peace plan that provides for the abandonment of its territories. “So if the idea is to take away part of our territory and give it to Putin, then this is not a formula for peace,” Zelensky said after his speech at the UN General Assembly.
02:18 Zelensky held a number of bilateral meetings in New York. In particular, he met with the leaders of the Republic of South Africa, Kenya, Israel, as well as the head of the European Council and the UN Secretary General.
Text taken from Russian ministry of defense website (available only through a VPN
[EngMilRu] Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (20 September 2023)
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Donetsk direction, the Yug Group of Forces, supported by aviation and artillery, repelled five attacks by assault groups of the 3rd Assault Brigade, the 53rd and 110th Mechanised Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces close to Kleshcheyevka, Veseloye, and Khimik (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy's losses were up to 175 Ukrainian troops, one tank, one armoured fighting vehicle, and three pick-up trucks.
In counterbattery warfare, the Russian troops hit one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, one Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system, and one 122mm D-30 howitzer.
In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by helicopters, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems repelled three attacks by the AFU 71st Jaeger Brigade close to Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region).
Also, a cluster of manpower and hardware of the 116th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU near the locality of Charivnoye (Zaporozhye region) was hit by fire.
Up to 35 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles were eliminated.
In counterbattery warfare, the Russian troops hit one U.S.-made M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer, one 152mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, two 122mm D-30 and one 152mm D-20 howitzers.
In Krasny Liman direction, well-coordinated actions of the Tsentr Group of Forces, strikes by Army Aviation and artillery fire repelled two attacks by assault groups of the 63rd and 67th Mechanised Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic).
Also, close to Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic) and the Serebryansky forestry, the Russian troops inflicted fire damage on clusters of manpower and hardware of the 63rd Mechanised Brigade, the 12th Special Forces Brigade, and the 5th Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard.
Up to 70 Ukrainian servicemen were killed and wounded, two armoured fighting vehicles, two pick-up trucks, and 122mm D-30 howitzers were neutralised.
In South Donetsk direction, the Vostok Group of Forces, in cooperation with aviation and artillery repelled one attack of an assault detachment of the AFU 110th Territorial Defence Brigade in the direction of Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region).
Air strikes and artillery fire defeated manpower and hardware of the 79th Air Assault and 72nd Mechanised Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces close to Novomikhail'ovka and Vladimirovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
In addition, the activities of a sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' 38th Naval Infantry Brigade were suppressed near the village of Novodonetskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy's losses for the day totalled up to 135 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, two pick-up trucks, and one Msta-B howitzer.
In Kupyansk direction, aviation and artillery of the Zapad Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of the 14th, 32nd Mechanised, and 25th Air Assault Brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Zagoruikovka, Ivanovka (Khar'kov region), Rozovka and Berestovoye (Lugansk People's Republic).
Over 65 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, and one U.S.-made M1097 Avenger anti-aircraft missile system were neutralised.
In counter-battery warfare, the Russian troops hit one M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer, two U.S.-made M777 artillery systems, and one 152mm D-20 howitzer.
An ammunition depot of the AFU 120th Territorial Defence Brigade has been obliterated close to Gatishche (Kharkov region).
In Kherson direction, four sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the AFU special operations forces close to Kazatskoye (Kherson region) and the islands of Alyoshkinsky and Pereyaslavskyi.
The enemy's losses were over 60 Ukrainian servicemen, one armoured fighting vehicle, and four motor vehicles.
Also, two U.S.-made M777 artillery systems and one 122mm D-30 howitzer were hit during counter-battery warfare.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 126 areas during the day.
In addition, the command and observation post of a battalion of the 72nd Mechanised Brigade (AFU) near Ugledar (Donetsk People's Republic) and the temporary deployment area of the 35th Naval Infantry Brigade (AFU) near Petropavlovka (Donetsk People's Republic) were hit.
Fighter jets of the Russian Aerospace Forces intercepted one Su-24m bomber of the Ukrainian Air Force close to Novovladimirovka (Nikolayev region).
A Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet has been hit by a drone strike at the Dolgintsevo airfield (Dnepropetrovsk region).
Air defence and electronic warfare systems and small arms fire intercepted four Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles and five HIMARS and Smerch MLRS projectiles.
Moreover, 42 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were downed close to Nagornoye, Gorlovka, Mikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Belogorovka, Karamzinovka, Volcheyarovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Novogorovka, Novoye, and Mirnoye (Zaporozhye region), Podstepnoye, and Kazachi Lagery (Kherson region).
In total, 475 airplanes and 249 helicopters, 6,945 unmanned aerial vehicles, 438 air defence missile systems, 12,009 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,152 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,462 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 13,262 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:56 Official summary of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC from 00:00 09/20/2023 to 00:00 09/21/2023
Over the past 24 hours Representative officereportedabout 26 facts of firing by the Ukrainian Federal Unitary Forces.
Information has been received about the death of a civilian, a woman, in the Kirovsky district of Donetsk.
Five civilians were injured of varying degrees of severity in the Kirovsky, Budennovsky and Kievsky districts of Donetsk.
Eight residential buildings were damaged in the Kievsky, Kirovsky, Budennovsky and Petrovsky districts of Donetsk, the Nikitovsky district of Gorlovka, as well as six civil infrastructure facilities.
The areas of three settlements of the Republic were under enemy fire: Gorlovka (Kalininsky, Nikitovsky districts), the capital city of Donetsk (Budennovsky, Kuibyshevsky, Kirovsky, Kievsky, Petrovsky districts), Makeevka (Chervonogvardeysky district).
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy carried out 10 attacks from AGM-88 HARM and 155mm artillery.
At Gorlovka there were 16 artillery attacks from MLRS, 152mm and 155mm artillery, incl. with a cassette warhead.
T total of 103 units of various ammunition were produced.
A previous33 artillery attacks were recorded from the VFU per day.
21:55 Deputy commander of the reconnaissance unit told about combat work in the Zaporozhye direction
He has been in the NWO zone for a year now and has seen a lot. I have to work often. “Every day is out, every day is combat work,” he says.
The scout recalled how he carried out the task of suppressing an enemy AGS crew. After the job was successfully completed, their position was exposed and artillery attack began. Before leaving, experienced reconnaissance officers identified where the fire was coming from and passed on the coordinates to their own. The target was destroyed.
21:25 Airborne reconnaissance officers raided a Ukrainian opornik with the support of a BMP-2 and knocked out the Ukrainian Armed Forces from it -video.
20:50 Among the Armed Forces of Ukrainechoice: die in a trench or surrender
Artillerymen of the Central Military District use propaganda rounds against Ukrainian positions
Krasnolimansk direction
Special propaganda rounds for 122mm D-30 guns are ammunition in which, instead of striking elements and explosives, rolls of propaganda leaflets are loaded. Each leaflet contains calls to the Armed Forces of Ukraine to voluntarily lay down their arms and surrender, which will subsequently save their lives and prevent senseless bloodshed in further battles.
To clear enemy territory, the ammunition fuze timers are set to operate at different times depending on the distance to the target. After a shell explodes, leaflets are scattered over a large area.
20:10 Intense fighting is taking place in Rabotino. crests have a lot of KIAs. Let's continue to destroy Ukrainians.
19:32 In Kleshcheevka, call sign Kazan from 1307, a hero alone stormed for two days, two houses where the Ukrainians settled and destroyed them.
19:05 A lancet from special forces in the Ugledar direction hit a Ukrainian howitzer -video.
18:25 Battles near Kleshcheevka: 4th Brigade destroys the enemy
Drones and artillery of the 4th Brigade of the Southern Group of Forces cover the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants on the southern flank of Artemovsk -video.
17:50 The 122mm D-30 crew of the 6th Army in the Kupyansk direction destroyed the Avenger air defense system -video.
17:30 Arrival of the Lancet at the next Ukrainian M777 –video.
16:55 Telegram channel “Fisherman“ combined attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Crimea:
A few hours ago, Ukrainian formations launched another missile strike on Crimea. Eleven Su-24M bombers took off from the Starokonstantinov airfield, five of which were carriers of Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles.
Having flown to the border of the Odessa and Nikolaev regions, the groups of aircraft split up: nine remained in approximately the same area, and a couple went south to Ochakov. Eight Storm Shadows were launched around 1200 hrs in Crimea.
At the same time, reconnaissance groups of the Bears PMC noted that two Su-24Ms, passing at a low altitude of about 40 meters above the water, launched from the Black Sea. And before this, Ukrainian planes fired three AGM-160 MALD decoy missiles to mislead air defense systems.
Crews of the Pantsir-S1 air defense missile system of the 31st Air Force and Air Defense Division shot down five cruise missiles over Cape Tarkhankut and the Belbek airfield. Three Storm Shadows fell in the Verkhnesadovoye area - the target was likely a former military facility near the village.
A few hours before the attack, a reconnaissance drone of an unidentified type took off from Kherson, which, rounding Cape Tarkhankut, occupied a patrol area west of Kachi and directed aircraft. It is highly likely that he was shot down by air defense systems.
This attack demonstrates a slight change in cruise missile tactics. Previously, such massive raids were carried out at night or early in the morning, but not during the day. And the flight of bombers at extremely low altitude is something that Ukrainian crews have been practicing for many months, trying to exploit gaps in air defense detection systems.
15:55 Footage destruction of base of forces of the 35th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Vugledar
According to the location of the concentration of manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the settlement established by intelligence. Pavlovka suffered a missile strike.
A precise missile hit destroyed the militants and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the temporary deployment point. The command and observation post of the battalion of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Ugledar area was also hit.
15:30 Fighting in the forests of Kreminnaya differ from the generally accepted view of what is happening near Bakhmut or Zaporozhye.
Dense vegetation and tall, densely standing coniferous trees led to the location of the trenches of the opposing sides hundreds, and sometimes tens of meters from each other.
Battles for individual fortified points usually consist of a series of tank movements, which treat Ukrainian positions with direct fire, and then, if the fire was successful, attack aircraft occupying an abandoned or broken position rush into battle.
The rest of the fighters become unwitting witnesses and listeners of such attacks, as in this case. Our fighter observes the operation of a tank, at which the enemy is directing artillery fire and forcing him to retreat.
15:00 Artyomovskoe direction:
Counterattacks by our fighters in Kleshcheevka continue.
Enemy resources report that our Army is using all types of weapons to regain positions and the village.
The fierce battle continues. There are already successes.
14:15 Working off by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Zaporozhye during their attempted counterattack.
13:20 Another cruel joke from Go Pro for the VSUshnik, it turned out to film not a combat feat for victory, but arrival in their trench from the first person.
12:45 Fighting underKremennoy: units of group “O” defeat the Ukrainian Armed Forces
On the Tor ledge, our fighters had several clashes with the enemy. There was an exchange of artillery strikes. The enemy is actively using cluster munitions.
In Serebryansky forest, a group of militants from the 67th Infantry Brigade was hit by artillery. The enemy suffered losses in wounded and killed. In addition, the militants tried to carry out a fire attack on our positions from a tank, but ran over a mine. The car is destroyed.
12:20 Colossal work is done by our guys, whoarein Kleschi and in other directions. No matter what, they do their job.
11:42 The northern part of Kleshcheevka is behind us. We are working further.
11:22 Ukrainian formations fired at several settlements in the border areas of the Belgorod region.
Masychevo, Mokraya Orl'ovka, Antonovka and Golovchino were under fire from the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In the latter, according to the regional governor, several households were damaged, but there were no casualties. There is no official information on other settlements yet.
10:55 RF Armed Forcescounterattackpositions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kleshcheevka, there is some success. It's already hard for the enemy.
10:25 Situation at the Rabotino-Verbovoye line from “Diary of a Paratrooper”:
Yesterday, the enemy attacked the command posts of the Russian Armed Forces and went on the offensive under the cover of artillery, howitzers and MLRS, and the enemy also used a large number of Western armored vehicles.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine sent their main forces from Novoprokopovka in the direction of Verbovoy, since the breakthrough of the flank at Rabotino was stopped by a counterattack of the Russian Armed Forces.
During the offensive, the enemy tried to break through to the paratroopers' positions in small assault groups.
The advancing enemy forces were met with heavy fire from artillery, mortars and anti-tank systems.
Yesterday, paratroopers destroyed about seven pieces of equipment in this area, including tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.
Separately, we would like to note that the preparation of the enemy’s combat force is significantly lower. Most likely, the urgent replenishment of the ranks of manpower from less experienced fighters is having an effect.
The attack was repulsed, local battles are underway.
10:00 APU attack west of Verbovoy and are suffering losses.
The destruction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces continues.
09:23 Official summary Representative offices of the DPR in the JCCC from 00:00 09/19/2023 to 00:00 09/20/2023
Over the past 24 hours, the Representative Office reported 33 incidents of firing by the Ukrainian Federal Unitary Forces.
Information has been received about the death of a civilian, a man, in the Kievsky district of Donetsk.
Five civilians were injured of varying degrees of severity in the Petrovsky and Kievsky districts of Donetsk and Staromikhailovka.
A total of 17 residential buildings were damaged in the Kievsky, Kirovsky, Kuibyshevsky and Petrovsky districts of Donetsk, Yelenovka, as well as two civil infrastructure facilities.
Districts of seven settlements of the Republic were under enemy fire: Gorlovka (Nikitovsky district), Zaitsevo, Golmovsky, the capital city of Donetsk (Kuibyshevsky, Kirovsky, Kievsky, Petrovsky districts), Makeevka (Chervonogvardeisky and Kirovsky districts).
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy carried out 29 attacks from 155mm artillery, incl. with a cluster warhead, an attack UAV.
At Gorlovka there were four artillery attacks from 152mm and 155mm artillery.
A total of 90 units of various ammunition were produced.
In the previous day, 31 artillery attacks were recorded from the AFU.
09:22 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:
-- in the village of Novaya Kakhovka 12 rounds;
-- 10 rounds hit Cairo;
-- n.p. Peschanivka 10 rounds;
-- n.p. Krynki 19 rounds;
-- n.p. Kazachi Lagery nine rounds;
-- n.p. Alyosha seven rounds;
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the settlement of Novaya Kakhovka, settlement. Kakhovka, Golaya Pristan, Dnepryany, Korsunka. Kardashinka village firing a total of 35 rounds from cannon artillery.
Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being clarified.
08:20 Summary on morning of September 20, 2023
UAVs "Geran" hit targets in the Sumy, Kharkov and Chernihiv regions this night. Strikes were carried out on a military facility in Kherson within 24 hours. Military pilots report the use of the new Kh-BD cruise missile with a range of 6,500 km against targets in Kupyansk and the bridge over the Dnieper in Dnepropetrovsk. They report the destruction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' crossing across the river. Oskol in the Kupyansky direction.
At the Verbovoe-Rabotino line of the Zaporozhye Front, the enemy again went on the attack: Seven units of its military equipment were knocked out, up to a company of enemy personnel were killed and wounded. The Russian Armed Forces used heavy flamethrower systems. From the ground they write about the low training of the new attacking wave, which may indicate the introduction of poorly trained reserves of the Ukrainian Armed Forces into battle.
In the Kherson region - the activity of our forces and enemy forces on the islands. The Ukrainian Armed Forces fired at the village. Cairo, nine civilians injured, one killed (84 years old).
From the Vremevsky direction they report the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the outskirts of Staromayorsky, the abandonment of which by the Russian Army was presented by enemy propaganda as a significant achievement and a sign of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s imminent access to the Sea of Azov (90 km away and several lines of defense). Strikes were carried out against concentrations of enemy manpower at a distance from the LBS.
South of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) near Andreevka, the Russian Armed Forces control the railway, despite enemy statements. In Kleshcheevka, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to gain a foothold in small groups under heavy fire from our artillery. Heavy fighting is underway, the enemy is drawing up reserves.
In the Kupyansk direction, the Russian Armed Forces resumed attacks in the Sinkovka area after the destruction of the enemy crossing.
Within 24 hours, enemy UAVs were shot down over the Belgorod and Oryol regions. In the Bryansk region, a village was shelled. Suzemka, an aircraft-type drone was shot down near the village. In Adler, near Sochi airport, a kerosene tank caught fire for unknown reasons.
Enemy missiles were destroyed yesterday over Melitopol in the Zaporozhye region; Molochansk Ukrainian Armed Forces launched four missiles from the HIMARS MLRS. In the DPR, one civilian was killed and five were wounded as a result of artillery attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
08:07 Frontline summary for the morning of 09.20.2023
In the Zaporozhye direction, with the support of artillery of the Russian Armed Forces, they counterattacked the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the southern outskirts of the village of Rabotino. Thus, the attempts of the Ukrainian army to advance to Novoprokopovka were stopped. The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to attack Verbovoye. Fighting on the western outskirts. Ukrainian artillery is working powerfully. The Russian Armed Forces fired at the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Malaya Tokmachka. They themselves are under attack in Kopany, Tokmak, Il'chenkovo and Novopokrovka.
On the Donetsk front, traditional assault actions of Russian troops in Mar'inka. No success. The positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the cities of Krasnohorivka and Avdievka are under attack. Russian ones are in Donetsk and Gorlovka.
In the Bakhmut direction, the Russian Armed Forces counterattacked at Andreevka and Kleshcheevka. No promotion. artillery attack of Ukrainian units in Belaya Gora, Ivanovsky and Bogdanovka. Russian ones - in Ozaryanovka, Kurdyumovka, Bakhmut, Berkhovka and Yakovlevka.
In the Lugansk direction, the Russian Armed Forces, with the support of artillery, advanced near Novoegorovka, establishing control over part of the operationally important heights in this area. They also resumed offensive operations at Petropavlovka and Sin'kovka. No progress here. Under fire from the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Belogorovka, Novosadovo, Shiykovka, Kopanki, Berestovo and Kupyansk.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Victor Vasiliev
[REGNUM] Almost no one doubts that Azerbaijan will now take all of Karabakh. Even in Armenia itself. How did this happen? These are the fruits of the strategy that was chosen in Baku at the suggestion of very smart “foreign advisers” more than a year ago.
The strategy of general buying (“pouring money”) of the largest media outlets and bloggers was adjusted in favor of more complex tools and thoughtful goal setting.
What is this strategy?
Firstly, these are constant and successful information provocations directed against Armenia, from the work of banal bot farms to much deeper and more effective cases. Almost like the Ukrainian TsIPsO, but more subtle.
These operations were carried out both in Azerbaijan and Turkey itself, and in neighboring states - in Russia and throughout the post-Soviet space. And what is most interesting is in Armenia itself.
One of the private goals of such work was and remains to reduce the information and reputational influence of the leaders of the Armenian diaspora in Russia, both within Russia itself and in Armenia. Over the past two years, the Russian diaspora of Armenians has largely lost both the opportunity to influence events in Armenia (attempts to form a united opposition to Nikol Pashinyan were completely failed), and has lost many lobbying opportunities in dialogue with the top political leadership of Russia.
The Azerbaijani information lobby also effectively plays on anti-Armenian sentiments within Russia. Unlike the Second Karabakh War (2020), none of the Russian media heavyweights or military correspondents support the Armenian side today.
Another goal of Baku’s information work was to subtly impose the idea that Nagorno-Karabakh would sooner or later be lost to the Armenians.
This was realized as a regular escalation of passions (provocations, threats, etc.) around the part of Karabakh that remained Armenian, and as a consequence, the onset of “fatigue” from this topic among the Armenian community.
The carrot method (not just the stick) was also implemented: at all levels (not only informational) scenarios for economically beneficial coexistence of Yerevan with Ankara and Baku were proposed and voiced in the event of the resolution of all territorial disputes and the release of the blockade of Armenia.
Secondly, Baku’s new strategy is characterized by constant “probing the red lines.”
There are constant armed provocations along the entire line of contact between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In the absence of an equivalent response, the Azerbaijani side allows itself more every time. There is a significant outflow of population from the Syunik, Vayots Dzor and Gegharkunik regions bordering Azerbaijan (we are generally silent about Stepanakert). In fact, the territory is being depopulated.
And here we clearly register for ourselves another conclusion regarding the current conflict - the matter will not be limited to Karabakh. But more on that later.
The third and most striking direction of Baku’s new strategy was the case of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh. It was carried out over 10 months by Azerbaijani “ecologists” who blocked the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting the Armenian enclave in Nagorno-Karabakh with the rest of Armenia.
Of course, this strategy has a significant number of directions, and not all of them are related to the current aggravation and “counterterrorist operation” of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. If only because, I repeat, among its goals is not only the complete return of Nagorno-Karabakh, but also other territorial claims against Armenia.
Considering that the Russian peacekeeping contingent has formal obligations to ensure the security of the population in the disputed territories, Russia automatically becomes a target when implementing this strategy.
Additionally, there is a “Ukrainian factor” that cannot be ignored.
We are talking about the complete solidarity of Ukrainian and Azerbaijani nationalists with the beginning of the Northern Military District. This is also manifested at the official level by official Kiev’s full support for all actions of Baku. The participation of Azerbaijani volunteers on the Ukrainian side in the armed confrontation against Russia is a fact that takes place and is still poorly understood.
And here we come to one of the main questions. Who is behind this strategy? Who is pushing Baku to escalate in the South Caucasus?
The obvious answer is Türkiye, but it is only partly true. The real author of this game in the Caucasus, like centuries ago, are the British. They are the ones who contribute to the consulting and technological support of this strategy. They are also the authors of its main parts.
And unlike Azerbaijan, they have one goal - to counteract Russia in the region (and not only here, but along the entire perimeter of the borders - from the Baltic states and Ukraine to Central Asia).
Fortunately, they have all the necessary tools - historical experience, a qualified team and modern technologies. One of the markers of the British trace is the policy of the leading British media (BBC, Financial Times, and others) in covering the situation in the region, obvious anti-Russian rhetoric, which contrasts even with the American media.
It is quite possible that the UK and the US have different goals in the region, based on the special influence of the Armenian lobby in the States.
The goal of Azerbaijan, unlike the British, is not directly directed against Russia and is more variable - the creation of the Turan corridor through Armenia. Dreams of pan-Turkic unity, once implanted by the same British intelligence services in Turkey in the 70s with the aim of confronting the USSR, are now gaining a second wind.
Typically, the ideas of the “Great Turan” are most popular in the post-Soviet space (Azerbaijan, certain countries of Central Asia) within Russia itself (Tatarstan and especially among the Crimean Tatars), but not in Turkey. Everyone knows that Recep Erdogan implements in his foreign policy primarily the neo-Ottoman vector and the ideas of pan-Islamism, demonstratively trying not to offend the interests of Russia.
The process of creating an extraterritorial corridor through Armenia controlled by the Turkish side has several scenarios. Including the absorption of a number of regions of Armenia itself and a possible armed confrontation with Iran.
The political foundations for the implementation of this scenario have been laid by Baku diplomacy for a long time. We are talking about persistent negotiations on the return of Azerbaijanis who lived on the territory of the Armenian SSR (we are talking about hundreds of thousands of citizens).
If Pashinyan remains in power, then this scenario will be realized in the medium term (2-3 years).
The success of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces today and the implementation of future expansionist scenarios of Baku affects the interests of Russia, and not only in this region. It turns out that a state whose territory has not received official international recognition and on whose territory there are Russian peacekeepers can and should be returned with the help of military force.
Before our eyes, an entire conglomerate of unrecognized territories, relatively successfully established thanks to the efforts of Moscow since the 2000s, is collapsing. First of all, we are talking about Abkhazia and Transnistria. Few people know, but Nagorno-Karabakh and these unrecognized / partially recognized entities have agreements on mutual recognition of sovereignty. And, for example, a resident of Tiraspol has the formal right to visa-free visits to Stepanakert using a passport of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. And so on. The situation also casts a shadow on South Ossetia and the newly annexed territories.
The implementation of this scenario creates far-reaching negative consequences in both foreign and domestic political spheres.
1. The risk of hostilities spreading to the territory of Armenia, after which a fork will form - either the collapse of the CSTO, or a major war in the Caucasus (with the participation of Turkey and Iran at a minimum).
2. The growth of passionarity among the Turkic peoples: both Azerbaijani and other diasporas, and indigenous peoples in the national republics of the Russian Federation. Both will result in a significant increase in the number of interethnic conflicts.
At the same time, we find ourselves in a situation where any intervention by Moscow in the current conflict in order to defend its purely geopolitical interests could result in catastrophic consequences. The only workable option in this fork is to strengthen the alliance with a strong regional player, which is Iran.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Maria Makusheva
[REGNUM] As recent polls show, the number of supporters of the version that the plane crash in which Yevgeny Prigozhin died was staged, and Prigozhin is actually alive, not only does not decrease over time, but even grows. Continued on Page 49
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, responded to rumors about his illness on September 20 and named the reason for his visit to the Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow. He said that his uncle Magomed Kadyrov was being treated in the hospital .
“During my work trip to Moscow, at the first opportunity I visited the Central Clinical Hospital, where I found him in a good mood. Even in a hospital bed, he behaves well and does not miss the opportunity to give orders to members of our large family,” the head of Chechnya wrote on the Telegram channel.
Commenting on reports about his own health, he stated that he was alive and well and did not understand the hype around this topic, even if it were true.
“Although this has its advantage - now the audience knows which media and which persons openly lie to their readers,” the message says.
As Regnum reported on September 17, Telegram channels actively spread rumors about Kadyrov’s serious illness and unconfirmed information about his alleged death. After this, the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin does not have information about the state of health of the head of Chechnya.
Kadyrov himself later published a video from the walk and advised everyone who cannot distinguish truth from lies to follow his example and take a walk in the fresh air to put their thoughts in order.
#3
Further reports are 2 planes and a helicopter at Chkalovsky. One of the planes was an elint platform, and the Mi-28 heli was refered to as an air-to-air platform. Which makes it a likely drone hunter.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/21/2023 14:25 Comments ||
Top||
[RT] - Poland will no longer provide arms to the Ukrainian military, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said, adding that Warsaw would instead shift focus to its own security. The decision follows a diplomatic row over Ukrainian grain imports, which were banned in Poland after flooding local markets.
Morawiecki told reporters on Wednesday that the government would halt the weapons shipments, highlighting a growing rift between the two neighbors after more than a year of heavy support from Warsaw.
"We are no longer transferring weapons to Ukraine, because we are now arming Poland with more modern weapons," Morawiecki said. He later warned that additional trade bans could be imposed on Kiev, given that the "Ukrainian authorities do not understand the degree to which Poland’s farming industry has been destabilized" by foreign imports. Once USA decides to abandon Ukraine, Poles expect the funds to be redirected to them?
The Poles are accustomed to being under-supported — that’s why they’re determined to become the best-armed state in Europe.
Posted by: Grom the Reflective ||
09/21/2023 03:32 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[13 views]
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#1
Poles looking to take their share of territory from the Ukrainian rump state after it collapses.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
09/21/2023 12:22 Comments ||
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#2
They dont try to hide it. All the WhitePapers I've read, Volhynia gets returned to Poland post war.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Victoria Nikiforova
[RIA] The Russian army will reach the Vistula in a week, liberating all of left-bank Poland. She will not encounter any resistance. The Polish army will try to gain a foothold on the right bank of the Vistula, on the bridgeheads Grudziadz - Torun - Bydgoszcz and Otwock - Garwolin - Ryki. They can stay there for no more than two weeks. Further, it is unclear whether the troops of NATO allies will still arrive to help the Poles, or whether the Russians will have to accept Warsaw, Lublin and other provinces on the list into Russia.
This is not a fantasy scenario, this is a very specific, and top-secret plan for the defense of Poland from a sudden Russian invasion.
Surprisingly, it was not leaked by the hypothetical Edward Snowden, nor was it obtained by our invisible front fighter. The Poles did everything themselves. The secret plan was personally declassified and leaked to the public by the Minister of Defense of the Polish People's Republic, Mariusz Blaszczak.
It’s a rather unusual move on the part of the Minister of Defense to release secret documents that were compiled together with NATO allies into public view. It is possible, of course, that Blaszczak is taking an example from his British colleague Ben Wallace , who innocently told the pranksters Vovan and Lexus that in Britain they were running out of ATGMs in warehouses. A policy of complete openness, sort of.
However, in reality this is what the election struggle looks like in Poland. Parliamentary elections will take place there on October 15. Mariusz Blaszczak belongs to the ruling party PiS (Law and Justice). The main rival of the Pisovites in the elections is Donald Tusk’s Civic Platform party.
When Tusk was prime minister in 2011, Polish strategists developed a powerful plan for the defense of their homeland, which boiled down to quickly withdrawing immediately, then imitating defense for another two weeks, and then - in case their NATO allies did not support them If they harness themselves, they will go home.
Now Blaszczak has declassified this plan and posted its first page on video with the caption: “Attention! In the event of war, the Tusk government was going to surrender half the country!” This is, like, a national traitor, don’t vote for him, citizens.
It must be understood that half the country that, according to this version, Tusk wanted to merge is Eastern Poland, the home of far-right nationalists, the original electorate of PiS. And Tusk with his “platform” represents the other half of the country, led by Warsaw . In the minds of the population of Eastern Poland, these are depraved, decadent liberals who champion gay pride parades and LGBT people. Accordingly, in the view of the Civic Platform electorate, the east of the country is populated by unwashed, backward conservatives, who, given the opportunity, could easily be surrendered.
So from a political technology point of view, the stuffing was a success: Blaszczak deftly pressed on all the pain points of both his own and the enemy electorate. However, is it permissible for the Minister of Defense to leak secret plans, even if they are no longer relevant?
The European publication Politico notes outrage among Polish generals at this election move. “The publication of such a document <...> proves that we are capable of anything, that we can give away the most important secrets of Poland and NATO,” journalists quote retired general Waldemar Skrzypczak.
The Minister of Defense under Tusk and the husband of the famous American propagandist Anne Applebaum, Radoslav Sikorski, called the publication of the document scandalous. He also noted that the country has few fortified points and listing them in the plan could have intelligence value for Russia. It’s also unclear why such things should be voiced publicly - well, okay, he’s probably in the heat of the election campaign.
Even in peacetime, such a scandal would look ugly. But today Poland is one of Washington’s main proxies in the Ukrainian theater of military operations. From there supplies come, mercenaries arrive, weapons are supplied and streams of Russophobic propaganda flow.
The country, which is not rich, to put it mildly, has increased its defense spending to 3.9 percent of GDP (despite only two percent being required of much wealthier NATO members) and is trying to double its 120,000-strong army to 250,000. For such sacrifices, the Polish establishment convinced the population that they were the tip of the spear of NATO and the most important vassal of the United States on the European continent.
There was active trade in the “Russian threat” for this purpose. Even more NATO bases, even more purchases of American weapons. The Polish establishment did its best to push the Americans to start a world war against Russia.
And then suddenly there is such an affront - the main NATO activist is leaking military-strategic secrets. Moreover, the essence of Poland’s plan turns out to be to actually surrender half the country. What happens - today the Polish leadership is doing its best to provoke Russia, sparing no effort, igniting a world war, posing as the main outpost of Europe on the path of the Russian barbarians, but at the slightest sign of a real threat, it plans to simply retreat and wait for help from its alliance allies?
All this somehow bears a bad resemblance to Poland’s provocative policy on the eve of World War II. The same aggression, overheated nationalism, attempts to get involved in Ukraine and Belarus and at the same time a masterly ability to almost present oneself as a victim of aggression and demand reparations. Oh, it’s not for nothing that Winston Churchill once spoke about the “hyena of Europe”.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Ol'eysa Orlenko
[REGNUM] On September 19, the ministries for European affairs of France and Germany officially received a report previously ordered by these departments on the prospects for enlargement of the European Union. This news is widely discussed by the French media, trying to somewhat primitively show a united Europe as a bulwark of the forces of good against the forces of evil.
At the same time, some statements by experts and politicians quoted by journalists demonstrate cynicism and an excellent understanding of the situation. A shocking contrast for the slightly more attentive reader.
For Vladimir Zelensky , who spends most of his time traveling abroad, it is extremely important to become a president who realizes the dream of the leaders of post-Soviet Ukraine - joining the EU. Hence his insistent demands for European politicians to open the arms of a “single European family” as payment for the implementation of the Eastern policy of Western countries.
The EU's response is twofold.
On the one hand, he demonstrates full support for the “democratic” Ukrainian regime. On the other hand, assurances of the inevitability of integration are accompanied by long discussions of the complexities of the process.
The text of the expert report, commissioned by the heads of the departments for European affairs of France and Germany, Laurence Boone and Anna Luhrmann , sets the intrigue with its very title: “Swimming on the high seas.” The situation when the shores are not visible, the horizon merges with the surface of the water, and you have to walk using instruments, was not chosen for comparison by chance.
Twelve French and German political scientists - the authors of this report - clearly stated that "by 2030, the borders of Europe will expand."
This opinion fits well within the framework of Emmanuel Macron’s speech in Bratislava at the GLOBSEC security forum on May 31, 2023. The head of the Council of Europe, Charles Michel, spoke about the same thing this summer. The inevitability of this process is due, according to the report, to “Russian aggression.”
At the same time, the text speaks of the need to take into account the mistakes of the past and remember the experience, in particular, of the admission of Poland to the European Union. Then hasty integration led to insufficient elaboration of issues related to the observance of human rights in this country. As a result, experts say the human rights sector in Poland continues to deteriorate.
This means that new countries will need to be accepted on different terms.
The issue of criteria for admission to the EU and the readiness of certain countries for this has been discussed for a long time.
You can remember Turkey, whose candidacy was accepted back in 1999, and a positive solution has not yet been found. However, the EU's dilemma now is that five recognized (North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia) Balkan countries and one unrecognized one (Kosovo) are awaiting accession. And now Ukraine and Moldova are actively knocking on the door of a united Europe, as well as Georgia, which, according to its President Salome Zurabishvili, already proved its readiness in 2008.
At the same time, the pro-European population of the countries awaiting their turn holds rather critical views on European politics. They consider the EU integration process not fast, but, on the contrary, too slow.
According to the founder of the Serbian NGO Center for European Policy (CEP), Milena Mihailovic, Europe has demonstrated “ frivolity and inaction in integration policy.” In her opinion, this has led to the current President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, moving away from the European community and moving closer to Russia.
The publication Le Monde, which quotes Mikhailovich, and a number of other media write about the naivety of European leaders, whose “eyes were opened” after the start of the SVO. And also the positive results of Eastern European countries admitted to the European Union.
But at the same time, they cite the opinion of French diplomat Pierre Mirel, who called Ukraine “a monster that will need to be swallowed,” meaning the resources that this country will draw from the EU by becoming part of it. According to Mirel, the European system was based on the belief in the victory of democracy and the market economy, which would do its job in the countries joining the EU. To think so, Mirel believes, was a mistake.
The Franco-German report presented to the ministers contains a proposal for a way out of the difficult situation.
It lies in transforming the European Union in accordance with new realities. In the future Europe there must be different categories of members.
The most important will be the “inner circle” of countries and politicians who make decisions and have access to information.
The second will include the European Union itself and lower levels of its officials.
The third will include associate members, and the fourth will include the European Community.
In other words, we see the consolidation of the idea of a “Europe of two speeds”, when some countries, developed and strong, can decide the fate of others, undeveloped and weak.
The same point of view is shared by French diplomat and former French representative to the OSCE Maxime Lefebvre.
According to him, the backbone of the European Union is France and Germany. His future depends on their decisions. It is not advisable to involve other countries in the discussion of serious issues, since they are all too different and will certainly begin to argue with each other.
At the same time, Europe, according to the diplomat, has limits to its independence, because it cannot exist outside the NATO framework. After all, only the United States can provide the EU with a guarantee of nuclear safety, says Lefefre, mentioning, however, that, yes, France also has nuclear weapons.
But he considers the presence of American soldiers in Europe a guarantee that Russia will not attack it. Therefore, he concludes, true independence is less important to the European Union now, but commitment to the “Western world” is needed.
So, everything is very clear.
Caste system, vassal allegiance to NATO and the USA. And also the contractual nature of a number of values, when in the name of achieving political goals one can, for example, consider one or another regime to be democratic, human rights to be conditionally observed, standards to be achieved, and fascism to be non-existent.
As Macron said at a meeting with ambassadors on August 28, 2023: “ I can safely say that now in Europe with 27 members it is difficult to do anything on important issues. With 32 or 35 members it will be more difficult to remain moral.”
Poland has stopped supplying weapons to Ukraine because it is actively arming itself, Prime Minister of the Republic Mateusz Morawiecki said on the Polsat TV channel.
“We are no longer transferring any weapons to Ukraine based on the fact that we ourselves are now arming ourselves with the most modern weapons. If you don’t want to defend yourself, you must have something to defend yourself with. We recognize this principle. And that’s why we have made increased orders,” he explained. As Reverend Johnson would say: "Son, you're on your own."
Polish authorities have repeatedly emphasized that the republic ranks third in military supplies to Ukraine after the United States and Great Britain. At the end of July, it was reported that Warsaw provided assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces worth three billion euros.
In April last year, Poland announced the transfer of equipment and weapons worth 1.5 billion euros to the Kyiv regime. Over the year, this amount has increased by one billion, while assistance worth 500 million has been provided over the past three to four months. As part of this assistance, Ukraine received tanks and other armored vehicles, fighter aircraft and drones, cannon and rocket artillery, air defense systems, small arms, as well as a variety of ammunition for various purposes and calibers.
Recently, Polish-Ukrainian relations have become significantly more complicated due to Warsaw's embargo on grain supplies from the former Soviet republic.
The day before, Vladimir Zelensky , speaking at the UN General Assembly, said that some of Kiev’s friends in Europe refused to buy Ukrainian grain, allegedly playing along with Russia in this way. After this, Ukrainian Ambassador Vasily Zvarych was summoned to the Polish Foreign Ministry, where a strong protest was expressed to him.
In turn, Andrzej Duda said that Ukraine behaves like a drowning man who clings to everything and threatens to drown those who are trying to help him.
On September 15, the European Commission decided not to extend restrictions on the import of four types of Ukrainian agricultural products into several EU border countries , but obliged the Kiev authorities to introduce export control measures. After this, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland announced the extension of this ban unilaterally. Ukraine, for its part, filed a complaint with the WTO.
In response, Bratislava, Budapest and Warsaw announced that they would boycott meetings of the coordination platform on Ukrainian grain in Brussels.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Stanislav Stremidlovsky
[REGNUM] Something strange began to happen on the Polish-Ukrainian track. Warsaw’s decision to impose an embargo on the import of Ukrainian grain to Poland could not decisively spoil relations between the two capitals interested in confronting Russia. However, this is exactly what happened, judging by official statements.
“Polsat News journalist Magda Sakowska reported that the President of Ukraine took to heart the decision of the Polish authorities to extend the embargo on Ukrainian grain ,” reports the Polish portal Wirtualna Polska. - He's furious. Ukrainians, when asked about a meeting between Presidents Zelensky and Duda ( Polish President Andrzej Duda - Author’s note) , answer: we have never confirmed such a meeting,” she wrote on social networks.
A dispute between two best friends spilled into public space, and this happened at the UN podium.
Speaking in New York, the Ukrainian president said that “ we are working hard to preserve land grain export routes. And it's troubling how some in Europe, some of our friends in Europe, are playing out solidarity in political theater by making a grain thriller. It may seem that they are playing their part, but in fact they are helping to prepare the way for the Moscow actor ."
These words were taken to heart in Poland.
Polish government spokesman Piotr Müller expressed hope that Zelensky's words were addressed to someone else.
“The name of our country was not mentioned there, so I would not like to perceive them that way,” he said in an interview with radio station RMF24. “From the very beginning of the conflict caused by Russia, we have behaved in such a way as to preserve the security of Europe, Ukraine, and also Poland.”
However, the head of the Bureau of International Policy under the President of Poland, Marcin Przydacz, spoke more openly.
It should be said that from an image point of view, his boss suffered the most.
Duda was positioned as the main supporter of Ukraine; after the statement by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki about the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain, the Polish president made statements about preparing a meeting with Zelensky. It was cancelled.
“I heard Zelensky’s statement, I can only say that these words are amazing, but at the same time unfair,” Przydacz said.
He noted that the Ukrainian government is hitting the hands that help it. According to him, the steps that Ukraine is taking are “ of course unfair to Poland and surprising for many.”
In turn, Polish President Andrzej Duda compared Ukraine to a drowning man, “who can be pulled into the depths.”
“Do we need to act in such a way as to protect ourselves from being harmed by a drowning person? Of course, we must act in such a way as to protect ourselves from being harmed by a drowning person, because if a drowning person does harm and drowns us, then he will not receive help. Therefore, we must look after our interests, and we will do so effectively and decisively ,” he said.
According to Przydacz, the Ukrainian side must remember that transit works in two directions - on the one hand, “ we open up the possibility of transit, we transit grain from Ukraine to Polish ports and beyond, but most goods, including those most needed today Ukraine, those that reach it go through the territory of Poland. Poland is a transit country for Ukraine. The Kiev authorities must remember this .”
Warsaw thus reminds Kyiv that its supplies depend on Poland.
But the Kiev regime is also beginning to consider alternative options for the development of events.
In an interview with the American television channel CNN, the Ukrainian president called on Donald Trump to reveal his plan to achieve peace in Ukraine in 24 hours.
“I don’t understand what the details of his idea are, why he won’t share them and what he’s waiting for. The US elections are still over a year away. If he has interesting ideas, he could share them,” Zelensky said.
This suggests that the Ukrainian leader is no longer placing a clear bet on the democratic administration of Joe Biden. And it looks like Warsaw is starting to consider options. One of the meetings in New York was Duda’s negotiations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Commenting on it, Member of the European Parliament from PiS Ryszard Czarnecki noted that “Turkey is one of the few countries that can talk with both Ukraine and Russia.”
Thus, Warsaw can begin to prepare the ground for communication with Moscow, using the Turkish platform for this. But it is obvious that there is no opportunity to discuss a new geopolitical configuration in our region on the basis of the principles of territorial security of Ukraine declared by the Kyiv regime.
Depriving Ukraine of sea beaches is becoming a clear goal today. Apparently, Poland is coming to the conclusion that the “cutting off” of the neighboring country is becoming a fact in the future. Therefore, Polish politicians are changing their tone when talking about Ukraine. Therefore, they no longer defend it so unconditionally, using the grain deal as an excuse.
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Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
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