Ukraine 3

[bilo]

No, not at all.  Those Russian-connected priests were acting as spies and agents provocateurs on Kirill's orders in Moscow, at the behest of Putin.  They got caught.  There is another Orthodox Church in Ukraine, which is loyal and a suitable alternative.

When churches become agents of the State this is what happens.

[sneakypete]

Gee, what's wrong with this picture??  Anyone still think that there just might be a slight possibility that the Ukraine gov't might be doing away with those that don't comply with their dictatorial rules and regulations and blaming those deaths on the Russians?

@libertybele

Gee,and to think those Russian Priests are so saintly!

You seem to have forgotten,or possibly have never known that the CMMF in charge of the Russian Holy Orthodox Church is a dedicated Communist.

I don't know if the same guy is still alive,but the one of charge back when Yeltsin  was running for President against the Commumist Party Candidate had the whole damn Moscow chruch fall out and march in support of the Communists.

I know this is going to make your head explode,but that doesn't make it any less true.

Organized religion is nothing less than a form of Communism.

[sneakypete]

Didn't he previously ban news stations and political parties, while jailing opposition leaders? And now the church. 

@mountaineer

The Orthodox Church in Ukraine,and every other Soviet satellite/former satellite nation is an arm of the Soviet Communist Party. "Priest" was actually a KGB career field not so long ago,and maybe even still is. They were all under the control of Moscow.

[sneakypete]

He's banning them because those churches are working for Putin's former KGB crony Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian orthodox Church.  It's a sensible wartime measure when the priests' loyalties are in doubt.

@Timber Rattler

There is no doubt as to where the loyalty of those priests' lays.

[libertybele]

@libertybele

Gee,and to think those Russian Priests are so saintly!

You seem to have forgotten,or possibly have never known that the CMMF in charge of the Russian Holy Orthodox Church is a dedicated Communist.

I don't know if the same guy is still alive,but the one of charge back when Yeltsin  was running for President against the Commumist Party Candidate had the whole damn Moscow chruch fall out and march in support of the Communists.

I know this is going to make your head explode,but that doesn't make it any less true.

Organized religion is nothing less than a form of Communism.

I wasn't even going to reply because I know that you don't believe in God. I am a baptized Roman Catholic and I have been confirmed as well in the Episcopal Catholic Church.  I don't agree with some of the teachings of the Church however I cannot ignore the blatant shortcomings as well of those that proclaim to be 'born again Christians'.

My faith has been shattered many times but I keep coming back to it.  In my heart I know that Jesus Christ died on the cross so that my sins can be forgiven. 

It should never be forgotten that there are those that have been persecuted for their belief in God; that is communism or just plain murder. 

No one forces me to read the Bible, no one forces me to believe in God and no one forces me to practice or reveal my faith.

@sneakypete I have a hunch that one day you will become a believer and that your heart will be opened.  I have prayed for you many times for just that reason.

I know that this may make your head explode, but nonetheless God is good.

[Hoodat]

[sneakypete]

I wasn't even going to reply because I know that you don't believe in God. I am a baptized Roman Catholic and I have been confirmed as well in the Episcopal Catholic Church.  I don't agree with some of the teachings of the Church however I cannot ignore the blatant shortcomings as well of those that proclaim to be 'born again Christians'.

My faith has been shattered many times but I keep coming back to it.  In my heart I know that Jesus Christ died on the cross so that my sins can be forgiven. 

It should never be forgotten that there are those that have been persecuted for their belief in God; that is communism or just plain murder. 

No one forces me to read the Bible, no one forces me to believe in God and no one forces me to practice or reveal my faith.

@sneakypete I have a hunch that one day you will become a believer and that your heart will be opened.  I have prayed for you many times for just that reason.

I know that this may make your head explode, but nonetheless God is good.

@libertybele

If that makes you happy,I am happy for you,but the places and conditions where you worship have NOTHIING in common with the Russian/Soviet Orthodox Church.

[libertybele]

@libertybele

If that makes you happy,I am happy for you,but the places and conditions where you worship have NOTHIING in common with the Russian/Soviet Orthodox Church.

Gottcha.

[Kamaji]

Two Russian nuclear bombers 'are damaged in suspected Ukrainian drone strike on airbase'

By WILL STEWART and CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE
5 December 2022

A Russian airbase where a major attack was being prepared against Ukraine has been hit by a suspected drone attack that damaged two long-range bombers.

The Engels-2 airbase, near the city of Saratov, was hit by an explosion in the early hours of Monday that left two Tu-95 bombers - which have been used to carry out airstrikes on Ukraine's infrastructure - damaged.

Another explosion hit a Russian military base near the city of Ryazan, killing three and wounding five after a fuel truck detonated.

Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the blasts but is widely thought to be behind dozens of similar strikes on bases and supply depots on Russia's western border.

It comes just days after an inferno broke out at an oil depot in the Russian border region of Bryansk in an attack thought to have been orchestrated by Kyiv. A similar oil depot blaze broke out in November in the settlement of Stalnoi Kon'.

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11502793/Russian-bombers-damaged-suspected-Ukrainian-drone-strike-Engels-2-airbase.html


Video captures Russian bombers exploding in Ukrainian drone strike

By Yaron Steinbuch
December 5, 2022

*  *  *

Source:  https://nypost.com/2022/12/05/video-captures-ukrainian-drone-hitting-russian-bombers/

[sneakypete]

Maybe THE "sickest" thing I have ever heard of in my entire life is the Neo-Soviet Politburo allowing a man that is  obiviously power-mad as well as insane,carry of a pointless war they are obviously losing.

The Neo Soviet Union is already as military weak as a kitten,and can't even defeat a 4th rate power like Ukraine unless they go nuclear,and that would end with the total destruction of Russia. After all,if they will nuke Ukraine,what would stop them from nuking the rest of Europe?

Or even the US?

What are they going to do when the Chinese invade northern Russia in order to get all the riches under ground there,as well as give them more space to put their people to POSSIBLY prevent a Chinese revolution.

Maybe ask the Chinese to "Pretty Please don't be mean to us!"?

Can ANYBODY find ANY possible justification for Putin continuing the losing war he started?

Or for the Politburo to not back him against a brick war while facing a firing squad for being responsible for the collapse of the Soviet Union?

Can you even begin to imagine the panic that will/would cause amongst the Neo-Soviet elites? SOB's have never had an actual job in their freaking lives. They are all appointees,and the appointments are based on which family they came from.

If you think the Dim Party is inbred,you ain't seen nothing yet. Take a look at the Russian "leadership".

[Elderberry]

Defense of Ukraine
@DefenceU

Morning Pikachu Dance. Winter has never been an obstacle to a good mood.
🎥 by Operative #UAarmy
Ukraine government organization

https://twitter.com/i/status/1599644738189070337

[Elderberry]

Ukrainian Drones Hit 2 Bases Deep in Russia

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/12/05/world/russia-ukraine-war-news

Here’s what we know:

•   The brazen attacks escalated the war. Hours later, Ukraine said that Moscow had launched a new barrage of airstrikes.

•   Ukrainian drones attack military bases hundreds of miles inside Russia, escalating the war.

•   Russia fires a barrage of missiles across Ukraine.

•   When the air raid sirens ring out, residents of Kyiv head underground.

•   Putin inspects a bridge linking Russia and Crimea, two months after an explosion partially destroyed it.

•   A woman is shot and killed trying to cross into Ukrainian-held territory in Kherson.

•   An E.U. embargo of Russian oil and the G7’s price cap take effect.

•   Ukraine will auction a yacht seized from a Putin ally.

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine executed its most brazen attack into Russian territory in the nine-month-old war on Monday, targeting two military bases hundreds of miles inside the country, using unpiloted drones, according to the Russian Defense Ministry and a senior Ukrainian official.

The drones were launched from Ukrainian territory, and at least one of the strikes was made with the help of special forces close to the base who helped guide the drones to the target, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to convey sensitive information.

The strikes signaled a new willingness by Kyiv to take the fight to bases in the heart of Russia, raising the stakes in the war, and demonstrated for the first time Ukraine’s ability to attack at such long distances. Shortly after the attacks on the bases, Russia sent a barrage of missiles streaking toward Ukrainian cities.

The Kremlin said that the weapons launched by Ukraine were Soviet-era jet drones and were aimed at bases in Ryazan and Engels, about 300 miles from the Ukrainian border. It said that its forces had intercepted the drones, and that “the fall and explosion of the wreckage” had “slightly damaged” two planes, killing three servicemen and wounding four others.

More at link.

[Elderberry]

Ukraine Shot Russia In The Heart: Emergency Call from Kremlin!

ANKA Daily News

The amount of conflict that has been building between Russia and Ukraine has reached its zenith. Explosions have started taking place at an extremely frequent rate. An unusual plot was devised by the Ukrainian army, and it came dangerously close to entrapping Russia. The question now is, what exactly did the Ukrainian army want to do? Which region seen an increase in the severity of the conflicts?

In order to have a conversation on this, let's review the maps and brush up on our prior knowledge. The Russian army was halted before it could reach Kiev after making significant progress in the operations that were launched from the east of Ukraine. The Russian army was only successful in occupying four districts in Ukraine during their invasion.

After this stage, the Russian army, which had taken Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaphorizhia, and Kherson, entered a nightmarish phase of the conflict. During the counter operations that the Ukrainian army initiated, it conducted raids in a variety of different places. The majority of the Russian tanks that were transported to Ukraine were eliminated by drones operated by the Ukrainian military. The destruction of Russian ammo storage facilities. Because of this, the Russian army was unable to continue the ground campaign because none of the necessary equipment could be used.

At this juncture, the army of Ukraine started formulating a significant strategy. The Russian military is successfully causing significant damage thanks to the plan that was executed today. The big plan that Ukraine has formulated is well received by military specialists.

First, the Ukrainian army was successful in retaking the territory that Russia had taken in the Kherson region. This region was the largest regional capital that Russia conquered while they were in control of it. After the city of Kherson was freed, Ukraine gained the upper hand in terms of psychological dominance. Because Russia endured its gravest setback in this conflict and won nothing.

Throughout this procedure, Zelensky adhered to an incredibly excellent policy. The astute and audacious statements made by Zelensky from the very beginning of the war had an effect on the direction that the fight would take. When this conflict is done, there will be dozens of publications written by political scientists about how successful Zelensky's policies were!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvUKSx4w6g0

[Elderberry]

Only Russia’s decisive loss on the battlefield will end the Ukraine war

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/only-russias-decisive-loss-on-the-battlefield-will-end-the-ukraine-war/

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is a global crisis. Putin could not let Ukraine chart its own political path or accept an independent Ukrainian identity. The invasion thus is not only about one country attacking another. It is about undermining the post–World War II liberal global order in favour of one in which great powers hold imperial spheres of influence. This war, the largest in Europe since World War II, has also resulted in a worldwide economic slowdown that is unlikely to abate. The war is far from over.

Yes, Ukrainian forces have major successes in recent months, including the counteroffensive around Kharkiv and Russia’s forced withdrawal from the city of Kherson. Russia’s military overall has performed worse in the war than Western military analysts had anticipated. Some analysts also underestimated Ukrainians and their will to fight. But Ukraine has also suffered heavy losses. According to the latest US estimates, approximately 100,000 Russian and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured since the start of Russia’s invasion.

More to the point, Ukraine remains reliant on Western military and economic aid, the bulk of which comes from the United States. Ukraine cannot sustain itself without this aid, and Putin knows that. He remains committed to a war-of-attrition strategy and the long game of breaking Western unity on Ukraine, and to years of fighting with his neighbour. Last month, Putin signed a decree to establish a centralised electronic database of information related to Russian citizens’ military registration that is set to open on 1 April 2024. This example shows that he is thinking in years, not months. Conversely, while there’s evidence that Ukraine’s Western allies are reaching a point of fatigue regarding their own military stocks and what they are willing to transfer, they have not energised their industrial bases to offset this reality. Putin is also aware of this fact.

More at link.

[240B]

Ukrainian Drones Hit 2 Bases Deep in Russia

That's all good and good, but until Ukraine strikes Moscow nothing will change.
"Moscow On Fire" is becoming far and wide including in Russia, this is happening.

[Hoodat]

Why Ukraine will never lose Bakhmut:

[Elderberry]

Kyiv Claims Russia Used Banned Chemical Weapon

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-banned-chemical-weapon/32161182.html

The Ukrainian Navy has accused Russia of using a banned chemical weapon against Ukrainian troops in eastern Ukraine. In a post on Facebook on December 4, the navy asserted Russia had dropped chloropicrin grenades from drones, but that Ukrainian troops had used chemical defenses "to protect themselves from the strong irritant effect" of the prohibited substance. The chemical -- which was developed as a poison gas during World War I -- was reportedly dispersed using K-51 aerosol grenades. The reports could not be verified, and there was no immediate reaction from Moscow.

[Elderberry]

Ukraine Hits Airbase 600 Kilometers Inside Russia

https://www.battleswarmblog.com/?p=53487

Ukraine has been so successful at hitting Russian infrastructure with HIMARS that it’s no longer news when they hit something 100 kilometers behind Russia’s lines.
But when they hit something 600 kilometers away, that’s news.

Several people have been killed in explosions at two Russian military airfields, according to reports.

A fuel tanker exploded killing three and injuring six in an airfield near the city Ryazan, south-east of Moscow, Russian state media is reporting.

Another two people are reported to have been hurt in an explosion at an airfield in the Saratov region.

It is not known what caused the blasts. Both areas are hundreds of kilometres from the Ukrainian border.

Long-range Russian strategic bombers are believed to be based at the Engels airbase in the Saratov region.

Reportedly two Tu-95 bombers were hit.

He suggests that the attack may have been carried out by a new Ukrainian drone with a reported range of 1,000 kilometers. Whatever it was presumably cost a whole lot less than a strategic bomber.

Ukraine’s ever-increasing range puts a whole lot of Russian infrastructure (military and otherwise) under potential threat. Perhaps Putin should take that into consideration before ordering the next round of attacks on Ukrainian power plants…

[Elderberry]

U.S. Altered Himars Rocket Launchers to Keep Ukraine From Firing Missiles Into Russia

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-altered-himars-rocket-launchers-to-keep-ukraine-from-firing-missiles-into-russia-11670214338?mod=djemalertNEWS

Experts debate whether long-range missiles for Ukraine would deter Putin or widen war

WASHINGTON—The U.S. secretly modified the advanced Himars rocket launchers it gave Ukraine so they can’t be used to fire long-range missiles into Russia, U.S. officials said, a precaution the Biden administration says is necessary to reduce the risk of a wider war with Moscow.

The U.S. since June has supplied Ukrainian forces with 20 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers, or Himars, and a large inventory of satellite-guided rockets with a range of almost 50 miles. Those rockets, known as the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, or GMLRS, have been used to strike Russian ammunition depots, logistics supplies and command centers on Ukrainian territory.

But the Himars launchers have a unique feature intended to prevent them from becoming even more potent battlefield systems. U.S. officials say the Pentagon has modified the launchers so they can’t fire long-range missiles, including the U.S.’s Army Tactical Missile System rockets, or ATACMS, which have a range of nearly 200 miles.

The previously undisclosed modifications show the lengths the Biden administration has gone to balance its support for Ukraine’s forces against the risk of escalation with Moscow. They also reflect apprehensions among administration officials that their Ukrainian partner might stop keeping its promise not to strike Russian territory with U.S.-provided weapons.

More at link.

[Kamaji]

'I'm Russian, I kill my countrymen... but they're criminals': Soldiers who defected from Putin's military say they joined Ukraine after witnessing atrocities...and have each killed as many as 18 of their former comrades

By MAILONLINE REPORTER
6 December 2022

Russian soldiers who defected from Vladimir Putin's military have said they decided to fight for Ukraine after witnessing atrocities committed by their former comrades. One soldier, who goes by the call-sign 'Caesar,' said he has shot and killed at least 18 Russian soldiers on the battlefield since joining Ukraine's foreign legion.

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/galleries/article-11508249/Defected-soldiers-Putins-army-say-kill-former-comrades.html

[Elderberry]

Ukraine leader defiant as drone strikes hit Russia again

https://www.wvnews.com/ukraine-leader-defiant-as-drone-strikes-hit-russia-again/article_c52bbd60-75cd-11ed-8ddb-3f4ac8106622.html

KYIV, Ukraine — Drones struck inside Russia’s border with Ukraine on Tuesday in the second day of attacks exposing the vulnerability of some of Moscow’s most important military sites, experts said.

Ukrainian officials did not formally confirm carrying out drone strikes inside Russia, and they have maintained ambiguity over previous high-profile attacks.

But Britain’s Defense Ministry said Russia was likely to consider the attacks on Russian bases more than 300 miles from the border with Ukraine as “some of the most strategically significant failures of force protection since its invasion of Ukraine.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian authorities will “take the necessary measures” to enhance protection of key facilities. Russian bloggers who generally maintain contacts with officials in their country’s military criticized the lack of defensive measures.

A fire broke out at an airport in Russia’s southern Kursk region that borders Ukraine after a drone hit the facility, the region’s governor said Tuesday. In a second incident, an industrial plant 50 miles from the Ukrainian border was also targeted by drones, which missed a fuel depot at the site, Russian independent media reported.

“They will have less aviation equipment after being damaged due to these mysterious explosions,” said Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. “This is undoubtedly excellent news because if one or two aircraft fail, then in the future, some more aircraft may fail in some way. This reduces their capabilities.”

Moscow blamed Kyiv for unprecedented attacks on two air bases deep inside Russia a day earlier. The attacks on the Engels base in the Saratov region on the Volga River and the Dyagilevo base in the Ryazan region in western Russia were some of the most audacious inside Russia during the war.

In the aftermath, Russian troops carried out another wave of missile strikes on Ukrainian territory that struck homes and buildings and killed civilians, compounding damage done to power and other infrastructure over weeks of attacks.

More at link.

[Hoodat]

U.S. Altered Himars Rocket Launchers to Keep Ukraine From Firing Missiles Into Russia

US altered HIMARS rocket launchers to extend length of war.

[Timber Rattler]

US altered HIMARS rocket launchers to extend length of war.

Exactly.  It's a stupid calculation, the same kind of "limited war" thinking that Lyndon Johnson engaged in during the Vietnam War.

[catfish1957]

Exactly.  It's a stupid calculation, the same kind of "limited war" thinking that Lyndon Johnson engaged in during the Vietnam War.

Ike had it right in 1961,  when he stated that the  Military-Industrial Complex would be rife with abuse of power.  Vietnam, WOT, Ukraine.....

It seems it never ends. 

[Kamaji]

Russia builds up defences inside its OWN borders as UK intelligence says Vladimir Putin's clueless generals mistakenly fear Ukraine's fightback will be so successful they could INVADE

By DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 04:39 EST, 7 December 2022

Russian soldiers are digging defences inside their own country in the mistaken belief that Ukraine could launch an invasion of its own, military intelligence.

In a sign of how badly its own brutal invasion is going, Vladimir Putin's humiliated forces are 'extending defensive positions' along the border with north eastern Ukraine and 'deep inside' the Belgorod region.

The Ministry of Defence said that Putin's generals could be acting to boost patriotic feeling at home - where the war is very unpopular - by inventing an invasion threat.

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11511483/Russia-builds-defences-amid-false-fears-Ukraine-launch-revenge-invasion.html