Ukraine 2

[libertybele]

Dang right.  And just think how much the Ruskies have made of confiscated Uke grain, at present grain prices.

This year, the ruble is the strongest currency in the World.  Gee, how do you think that happened??  Let's see, Putin destroys Ukraine, wipes out most of their ability to export grain, but even with all the supposed sanctions against Russia, the ruble is strong. We're spending billions upon billion on the Ukraine as they continue to crumble.  Meanwhile our economy is being destroyed.

The big picture IMO is both Putin and Joe & Company are profiting.  Joe is able to continue to crush the U.S. economy while pushing for a fossil fuel free country which will completely wipe out our economy, creating the great "reset" all as planned. How much longer do you think that it's going to take before we see a recession or a depression, again shrinking the labor force.  We'll continue to see bare shelves and people aren't going to be able to afford to feed their families.

I watched a news broadcast interviewing a gentleman on SS who is now eating every other day in order to afford his meds!  Dead wrong that this is happening!!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ruble-currency-2022/


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

[Kamaji]

This year, the ruble is the strongest currency in the World.  Gee, how do you think that happened??  Let's see, Putin destroys Ukraine, wipes out most of their ability to export grain, but even with all the supposed sanctions against Russia, the ruble is strong. We're spending billions upon billion on the Ukraine as they continue to crumble.  Meanwhile our economy is being destroyed.

The big picture IMO is both Putin and Joe & Company are profiting.  Joe is able to continue to crush the U.S. economy while pushing for a fossil fuel free country which will completely wipe out our economy, creating the great "reset" all as planned. How much longer do you think that it's going to take before we see a recession or a depression, again shrinking the labor force.  We'll continue to see bare shelves and people aren't going to be able to afford to feed their families.

I watched a news broadcast interviewing a gentleman on SS who is now eating every other day in order to afford his meds!  Dead wrong that this is happening!!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ruble-currency-2022/


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

Capital controls will do that, at least for a while.

[Kamaji]

Ukraine's newest heroes: How brave Russian defectors have joined Kyiv's forces on the frontlines against Putin's regime to liberate their beloved country from his rule

By IAN BIRRELL FOR THE DAILY MAIL
15 June 2022

Like all his Ukrainian army comrades, Volodymyr Grotskov is fuelled by deeply-held patriotism as he risks his life on the bloodstained frontline of the brutal war against Russia.

The 48-year-old electrical engineer says he loves his country and sees the Kremlin as a destructive 'cancer' threatening the world's peace and security. 'It might sound pretentious but I'm fighting for freedom and democracy,' he insists.

Yet there is one big difference between Grotskov and all the other soldiers in his brigade who are sitting beside us, eating borscht and cleaning their guns while the thunder of artillery bombardment crashes around the battered Donbas frontline.

For this member of the Ukrainian military is Russian – and he is fighting to liberate his country from dictatorship as well as the preservation of his adopted nation.

'So what would happen if you were caught?' I asked this quietly-spoken soldier as we talked in his unit's temporary farmhouse base. 'Death would happen,' he replied with a laugh, admitting that many compatriots would see him as a traitor.

Yet he is among scores of Russians so infuriated by Vladimir Putin's barbarity and corruption that they have defected to Kyiv's side – including captured prisoners of war and even a senior official in one of Moscow's central financial institutions.

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10921045/Ukraines-newest-heroes-brave-Russian-defectors-joined-Kyivs-forces.html

[sneakypete]

I hope " Volodymyr Grotskov" isn't his actual name,or his  family will suffer.

[Hoodat]

We're spending billions upon billion on the Ukraine as they continue to crumble.

We are spending billions upon billions.  But not on Ukraine.

[Smokin Joe]

I hope " Volodymyr Grotskov" isn't his actual name,or his  family will suffer.

Russian Chieu hois?

[Kamaji]

Russian missile hits train carrying food for chef José Andrés’ Ukraine relief

By Evan Simko-Bednarski
June 15, 2022

A train carrying food on its way to supply celebrity chef José Andrés’ relief mission in Ukraine was struck by a missile Wednesday.

Andrés tweeted that a train carrying food bound for one of his community kitchens had been destroyed by a Russian missile somewhere in eastern Ukraine.

One train car was destroyed, he said, but the food in the rest of the train was salvageable. No one was hurt in the attack, Andrés said.

The food was part of World Central Kitchen, Andrés’ nonprofit dedicated to feeding victims of natural disasters. This is the organization’s first time operating in a war zone.

Thirty-four pallets of food were destroyed in the strike, WCK’s CEO Nate Mook said.

*  *  *

Source:  https://nypost.com/2022/06/15/russian-missile-hits-chef-jose-andres-ukraine-relief-food-train/

[Kamaji]

Two former US servicemen captured in Ukraine after ‘absolutely crazy’ mission: report

By Evan Simko-Bednarski
June 15, 2022

Two former US servicemen were captured last week in the fighting outside of Kharkiv, according to a report.

Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27 — both from Alabama — were taken prisoner during a fierce fight with Russian armor during the ongoing Ukrainian counterattacks in the nation’s northeast, the British newspaper the Telegraph reported.

The Americans were captured after their 10-man squad ran into a much larger Russian force in a village outside Kharkiv, the newspaper said, citing an unnamed source who fought with the pair in a regular Ukrainian military unit.

“We were out on a mission and the whole thing went absolutely crazy, with bad intel,” the source said. “We were told the town was clear when it turned out the Russians were already assaulting it.

“They came down the road with two T72 tanks and multiple BMP3s (armored personnel carriers) and about 100 infantry,” the source added.

*  *  *

Source:  https://nypost.com/2022/06/15/two-former-us-servicemen-reportedly-captured-in-ukraine/

[Kamaji]

French, German, Italian leaders arrive in Kyiv

By Associated Press
June 16, 2022

The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania arrived in Kyiv on Thursday in a show of collective European support for Ukraine as it tries to resist Russia’s invasion, marking the highest-profile visit to Ukraine’s capital since Russia invaded its neighbor.

The French president’s office said that President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Premier Mario Draghi had traveled to Kyiv together, and that Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will join them there.

After getting off the train in Kyiv, Macron said they would visit sites where attacks occurred.

“It is an important moment,” he said. “It is a message of European unity toward Ukrainians.”

Macron said they will speak with Ukrainian officials about “both the present and the future.”

German news agency dpa quoted Scholz as saying that the leaders are seeking to show solidarity but also their commitment to keeping up their financial and humanitarian help for Ukraine, and their supply of weapons.

He added that this support would continue “for as long as is necessary for Ukraine’s fight for independence,” dpa reported.

*  *  *

Source:  https://nypost.com/2022/06/16/french-german-italian-leaders-arrive-in-kyiv/

[mystery-ak]

Defense Secretary Announces $1 Billion More in Ukraine Military Aid, Says U.S. to Stay Focused ‘for as Long as It Takes’

Kristina Wong 16 Jun 2022

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced another $1 billion in military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, following the third meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a group of about 50 nations supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia.

“I’m especially pleased to be able to announce today that the United States will provide an additional $1 billion security assistance package for Ukraine,” Austin said at a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, where the members of the group met.

A portion of the $1 billion — $350 million — will come from the Pentagon’s existing stocks, and the remaining $650 million will come from the $40 billion that Congress passed for Ukraine security and humanitarian assistance last month.

Austin said the latest package of military aid includes guided multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) munitions, 18 more M777 howitzers and the tactical vehicles to tow them, and 36,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition. It also includes two additional Harpoon coastal defense systems and thousands of secure radios, night vision devices, thermal sights, and other optics.

Earlier this month, Biden authorized four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) with guided MLRS munitions, Javelin anti-tank missiles, helicopters, counter-battery radars, and ammunition.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/06/16/defense-secretary-announces-1-billion-more-in-ukraine-military-aid-says-u-s-to-stay-focused-for-as-long-as-it-takes/

[Elderberry]

Biden Dissatisfied With Blinken And Austin's Statements That Ukraine Should Defeat Russia

https://ukranews.com/en/news/863469-biden-dissatisfied-with-blinken-and-austin-s-statements-that-ukraine-should-defeat-russia-media

President of the United States Joe Biden does not approve of the statements of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the U.S. leadership wants Ukraine to win the war with Russia.

It is reported by NBC News, citing its own sources.

According to a senior U.S. official, Biden considered that Austin and Blinken went too far in their statements regarding the armed confrontation between Russia and Ukraine.

The U.S. President is concerned that these statements could create unrealistic expectations and increase the risk of U.S. involvement in a direct military conflict with Russia.

More at link.

[bilo]

Defense Secretary Announces $1 Billion More in Ukraine Military Aid, Says U.S. to Stay Focused ‘for as Long as It Takes’

Kristina Wong 16 Jun 2022

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced another $1 billion in military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, following the third meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a group of about 50 nations supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia.

“I’m especially pleased to be able to announce today that the United States will provide an additional $1 billion security assistance package for Ukraine,” Austin said at a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, where the members of the group met.

A portion of the $1 billion — $350 million — will come from the Pentagon’s existing stocks, and the remaining $650 million will come from the $40 billion that Congress passed for Ukraine security and humanitarian assistance last month.

Austin said the latest package of military aid includes guided multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) munitions, 18 more M777 howitzers and the tactical vehicles to tow them, and 36,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition. It also includes two additional Harpoon coastal defense systems and thousands of secure radios, night vision devices, thermal sights, and other optics.

Earlier this month, Biden authorized four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) with guided MLRS munitions, Javelin anti-tank missiles, helicopters, counter-battery radars, and ammunition.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/06/16/defense-secretary-announces-1-billion-more-in-ukraine-military-aid-says-u-s-to-stay-focused-for-as-long-as-it-takes/

If they actually follow through  and send this aid ASAP it can turn the war in Ukraine's favor.

[bilo]

Biden Dissatisfied With Blinken And Austin's Statements That Ukraine Should Defeat Russia

https://ukranews.com/en/news/863469-biden-dissatisfied-with-blinken-and-austin-s-statements-that-ukraine-should-defeat-russia-media

The only way the USA gets directly involved is if Biden orders it. I don't see anyone supporting that.

[Hoodat]

The U.S. President is concerned that these statements could create unrealistic expectations

Joe Biden is a complete fool, demonstrating to the world why he has never made a correct foreign policy decision in over half a century.  From the very beginning, he has already made up his mind that Russia will win, and every decision he has made since then has handicapped Ukraine's ability to defeat the invaders.

[Hoodat]

If they actually follow through  and send this aid ASAP it can turn the war in Ukraine's favor.

If they had sent this in February like they claimed, there would be a lot less Russian troops alive, and a lot more Ukrainian civilians alive.

[bilo]

Joe Biden is a complete fool, demonstrating to the world why he has never made a correct foreign policy decision in over half a century.  From the very beginning, he has already made up his mind that Russia will win, and every decision he has made since then has handicapped Ukraine's ability to defeat the invaders.

It sure explains a lot!

[bilo]

If they had sent this in February like they claimed, there would be a lot less Russian troops alive, and a lot more Ukrainian civilians alive.

 

The Ukrainians have proven themselves more than capable. Give them the tools and they will push the Orcs back to their borders.

[Hoodat]

Ukrainian dreams of retaking Kherson hinge on Western weapons

Conor Humphries  |  June 15, 2022  |  2:32 PM EDT

MYKOLAIV, Ukraine, June 15 (Reuters) - For the Ukrainian soldiers fighting to retake ground in the wheat fields and empty villages northwest of the city of Kherson, the liberation of one of Ukraine's most strategically important Black Sea cities feels tantalisingly close.

"We could be in Kherson in 15 minutes!" said Sergiy, a Ukrainian army officer in trenches along the deserted motorway between the city of Mykolaiv and Kherson. Part of the dugout was plastered with children's pictures promising "Glory to Ukraine!"

"The south is ready, we're just waiting for the hardware… just waiting for the command," he said, declining to give his surname as he was not authorised to speak to reporters.

But military analysts said that a serious attempt to take the final 30-or-so kilometres of Black Sea steppe as part of a major counteroffensive will be difficult without a huge injection of arms and personnel.

"There is no chance of this happening very soon," Kyiv-based analyst Oleg Zhdanov said. "Taking a city like Kherson, a major regional city, is only possible by rearming."

The Western weapons currently arriving, he said, are "a drop in the ocean."  .  .  .

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-dreams-retaking-kherson-hinge-western-weapons-2022-06-15/

[sneakypete]

If they actually follow through  and send this aid ASAP it can turn the war in Ukraine's favor.

@bilo

Whoever populates the cabal that gives Slow Joe his marching orders will make sure the budget is approved,and then take bids from both sides to determine if they are delivered in time to make a difference.

If Ukraine can come up with enough "under the table cash",they will get them.

If Russia comes up with more under the table cash,Ukraine doesn't get them because there will be one delay after another until Ukraine is in Neo-Soviet hands.

The movers and shakers in the House and the Senate are pimping us out to the highest bidders.

[bilo]

@bilo

Whoever populates the cabal that gives Slow Joe his marching orders will make sure the budget is approved,and then take bids from both sides to determine if they are delivered in time to make a difference.

If Ukraine can come up with enough "under the table cash",they will get them.

If Russia comes up with more under the table cash,Ukraine doesn't get them because there will be one delay after another until Ukraine is in Neo-Soviet hands.

The movers and shakers in the House and the Senate are pimping us out to the highest bidders.

I'm not quite as cynical as you. I still believe there are some people left who want the best for the USA. It's as clear as anything that if Russia can be defeated in Ukraine it will divert a bigger war.

[Kamaji]

Ukrainian farmers poison Russian troops with cherries: mayor

By Snejana Farberov
June 16, 2022

Ukrainians in territories occupied by Russian forces are said to be using all means at their disposal to sabotage the invaders, including by poisoning cherries, a local official said Thursday.

Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, revealed during a television broadcast that subversive Ukrainian farmers were able to take occupiers out of commission with the help of contaminated stone fruit.

Fedorov said Russian soldiers had stolen a crop of sweet cherries from local farmers, reportedly to export it to Crimea for profit, unaware that the fruits had been sprayed with chemicals, Ukrainian News reported.

“Our farmers have prepared another gift for the [Russian fascists] – freshly treated sweet cherries, which caused a mass disease among the [Russians] who stole it from the farmers.

*  *  *

Source:  https://nypost.com/2022/06/16/ukrainian-farmers-poison-russian-troops-with-cherries/

[mountaineer]

Biden Dissatisfied With Blinken And Austin's Statements That Ukraine Should Defeat Russia

Biden told Austin, Blinken to tone down remarks supporting Ukraine: report
by Ellen Mitchell - 06/16/22 9:04 AM ET

President Biden told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in April to tone down their rhetoric in supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia, NBC News reported Thursday.

The pushback reportedly came after the Pentagon chief said the Biden administration wanted Ukraine to win the war against the Kremlin and that the U.S. wanted a weakened Russia that could not launch another attack. Blinken then publicly aligned himself with Austin’s comments, sparking a flurry of news reports.  ... The Hill

[Hoodat]

Biden told Austin, Blinken to tone down remarks supporting Ukraine: report
by Ellen Mitchell - 06/16/22 9:04 AM ET

President Biden told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in April to tone down their rhetoric in supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia, NBC News reported Thursday.

The pushback reportedly came after the Pentagon chief said the Biden administration wanted Ukraine to win the war against the Kremlin and that the U.S. wanted a weakened Russia that could not launch another attack.

So basically, Biden still believes Russia will win.  Yet at the same time, he has set aside $40 billion for their use to rebuild what will become Greater Russia.

[Elderberry]

Russian boat reportedly sunk while bringing supplies to Black Sea island made famous by Ukrainian guards

https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2022-06-17/ukraine-says-it-sunk-another-russian-ship-6373113.html

A Russian military tugboat carrying a surface-to-air missile launcher to Snake Island in the Black Sea sank after two Ukrainian missiles struck it, Kyiv announced Friday.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet tugboat Spasatel Vasily Bekh was part of an effort in recent weeks to resupply the contested, strategic island about 70 miles south of Odesa with personnel, weapons and ammunition, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in a separate Friday morning tweet.

Open source intelligence analysts said the sinking would be significant because of the boat’s value in resupplying Snake Island.

H.I. Sutton, a military open source intelligence analyst, said the pedestrian label of tugboats belied their importance as valid military targets.

More at link.

[Hoodat]

Former Russian FSB Officer Now Fights For Ukraine