LOL And The "Change Of Plans".

So, we get the "clue" now about the leaks which are most likely deliberate and the largest "clue" is CNN "report". 

Highly classified Pentagon documents leaked online in recent weeks have provided a rare window into how the US spies on allies and foes alike, deeply rattling US officials, who fear the revelations could jeopardize sensitive sources and compromise important foreign relationships. Some of the documents, which US officials say are authentic, expose the extent of US eavesdropping on key allies, including South Korea, Israel and Ukraine. Others reveal the degree to which the US has penetrated the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Russian mercenary organization Wagner Group, largely through intercepted communications and human sources, which could now be cut off or put in danger. Still others divulge key weaknesses in Ukrainian weaponry, air defense, and battalion sizes and readiness at a critical point in the war, as Ukrainian forces gear up to launch a counteroffensive against the Russians – and just as the US and Ukraine have begun to develop a more mutually trusting relationship over intelligence-sharing. Ukraine has already altered some of its military plans because of the leak, a source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN. 

There you have it. Two possibilities:

1. Pathetic attempt at trying to confuse Russia before some moves along the front, aka "counter-offensive"--a euphemism for the slaughter of the remaining forces of VSU;

2. A likely preparation of the "exit" for Biden Admin who is now "informed" that once this "counter-offensive" starts it may end for 404 somewhere west of Kiev. 

Yes, Washington needs the way out, because all of its plans re: Russia failed miserably and the US (and NATO as a whole) never had a chance to defeat Russia militarily--different leagues. 

Yet, some clowns in the US, namely the collection of ignorant propagandists from The Jamestown Foundation for some reason decided that they know things about Arctic. Hint: they don't. Nor do they understand modern geopolitics starting from their big honcho General Breedlove to the collection of the experts who wouldn't know shit from shinola. But still, in the desperate attempt to allay their severe butthurt they state this))

In a development with enormous consequences both for international trade and for Moscow’s control of its far-flung regions across the country’s northern third—places not linked to the center by roads or railways—the Russian Federation is rapidly losing its historical dominance over the Northern Sea Route to China and Turkey. Indeed, these two countries are now building icebreakers at record rates, as the Kremlin has had to delay, or even cancel, its plans for new Russian icebreakers due to budgetary shortfalls arising from President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine, corruption and other problems in the Russian shipbuilding industry. Additionally, the industry is hampered by the competing demands of Russian admirals who want a new aircraft carrier rather than icebreakers and security officials who are more concerned with ensuring Moscow’s links to locations across the Russian North than with keeping the Northern Sea Route (NSR) open (Topwar.ru, November 20, 2020; Window on Eurasia, May 30, 2021). This development has caught many observers off guard, as they assumed that changes in climate, something that has reduced ice coverage in the Arctic, has reduced the importance of icebreakers as the key element of control for the NSR. But that assumption rests on a misconception about the nature of climate change.  

For starters--anyone who references such a fanboys' dumpster as Topwar should be immediately disqualified from expressing opinion on any technological matter, let alone Arctic. But, since Russia is "rapidly losing its historical dominance", one should simply ask the question to the authors of this drivel if they have a clue on what it takes to build this:

Russia has three of them already and as the United States Navy--a much more competent organization, unlike the collection of political "scientists" in The Jamestown Foundation--notes:

The nuclear-powered icebreakers Arktika and Sibir—the first two in a class of five—are fully operational and were accepted into Russia’s Rosatomflot fleet in late 2021 and early 2022. Both are escorting commercial cargo vessels in winter sea ice along the Northern Sea Route (NSR)—Russia’s National Arctic Waterway. These new icebreakers, the world’s largest and most powerful, each have two RITM-200 light-water reactors that produce pressurized water and steam for a turboelectric generating plant. The steam turbines drive two turbogenerators that produce electricity for three electric motors; the motors drive three shafts and four-bladed propellers. The system produces 80,000 maximum shaft horsepower, the most power on board any icebreaker, and the Arktika can break 9 feet of level sea ice at a continuous 1.5 to 2 knot speed, as reported by her designers. Few sea ice features will slow or stop this ship from continuous forward motion with such high available power and a large displacement of 33,530 deadweight tons. Also notable are the 569-foot length and 112-foot beam, which creates a wide track astern for ships under ice escort.

Now, can you imagine explaining to these morons what RITM-200 let alone RITM-400 are? I know, I know. So, if you don't have nuclear ice-breakers, especially the ones which will provide commercially viable speed of 12 knots in the ice of up to 3 meters thick--forget about commercial use of Arctic. Neither China nor, let alone, Turkey, are even in the same league with Russia. Especially against this vessel, which is being built at Zvezda:

And then, of course, there is this teeny-weeny "issue" of this pesky Russian Northern Fleet which operates things like this:

 

But I am sure that Turkey and China will catch up, right? After all, it is so easy, especially developing high altitude and polar navigation, those nuclear reactors... ah, wait... for some reason Russians build nuclear power stations both in Turkey and in China... ah, never mind, wink, wink;) This is you Monday primer.