Friday, June 30, 2023

It Is Friday...

 ... and I am pouring myself a bourbon because we all are at the precipice of something we never saw coming in this volume (of course, not the readers of this blog, wink, wink). Russian (and foreign) girls singing Shaman's I am Russian at the IT corporate meeting in fvcking Yekaterinburg--the "hot seat" of pro-Western "liberals". So, this is a documentation of failure by US NGO "scholars" , because these "cool" cats from IT industry are also... Russian nationalists and they sing it on the 23 of February party--the Day of the Soviet/Russian Army and Navy. 

Or here it is:

Well, you may understand what I am talking about when Joseph repeats my phrase (not my only) that Russia today is what the US was supposed to become. 

Yep, it is not Moscow--it is "The fantasy version of America". That also explains why Prigozhin and those behind him failed miserably. Go at it.

Talking Logistics... James' Quote))

James Kunstler on Biden's Family "business" and whistleblowers--James paints a really vivid picture:

This is excellent. Now, to logistics and military mythology. 

Numbers usually do not lie, when those are reliable numbers.

A Superb Piece by Michael Hudson.

America indeed destroyed a great empire.  

It has de-industrialized its own economy, and its idea of foreign investment is to carve out monopoly-rent seeking opportunities by concentrating technological monopolies and control of oil and grain trade in U.S. hands, as if this is economic efficiency, not rent-seeking. What has occurred is a change in consciousness. We are seeing the Global Majority trying to create an independent and peacefully negotiated choice as to just what kind of an international order they want. Their aim is not merely to create alternatives to the use of dollars, but an entire new set of institutional alternatives to the IMF and World Bank, the SWIFT bank clearing system, the International Criminal Court and the entire array of institutions that U.S. diplomats have hijacked from the United Nations.

The upshot will be civilizational in scope. We are seeing not the End of History but a fresh alternative to U.S.-centered neoliberal finance capitalism and its junk economics of privatization, class war against labor. The idea that money and credit should be privatized in the hands of a narrow financial class instead of being a public utility to finance economic needs and rising living standards is finally facing its reckoning.

Hudson, ever astute, points out what many in economics world of the West wanted to always ignore. 

In addition to having to subsidize domestic European gas to prevent widespread insolvency, a large proportion of German Leopard tanks, U.S. Patriot missiles and other NATO “wonder weapons” are being destroyed in combat against the Russian army. It has become clear that the U.S. strategy is not simply to “fight to the last Ukrainian,” but to fight to the last tank, missile and other weapon being deleted from NATO stocks. This depletion of NATO’s arms was expected to create a vast replacement market to enrich America’s military-industrial complex. Its NATO customers are being told to increase their military spending to 3 or even 4 percent of GDP. But the weak performance of U.S. and German arms on the Ukrainian battlefield may have crashed this dream, while Europe’s economies are sinking into depression. 

Exactly! And, in the end, in warfare the reputation of weapon systems matters and the US military-industrial complex has been finally exposed.

Alan Arkin R.I.P.

One of my most favorite actors of all time. Just an absolute perfection in delivery even in the shortest of episodes. 


He was a rarest breed with roots in old Hollywood when it was overflowing with talent and good stories. And while media recall his Little Miss Sunshine, for me personally he will always be Lieutenant Rozanov from The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming and in his incredible interaction with Amy Adams in a little but warm flick Sunshine Cleaning. Ah, what the hell, he could carry a whole movie, even shitty one, just by appearing in a couple of episodes--that's the sign of a true master. Like this:

He left us under our applause...

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Larry Gives An Excellent Account...

 ... of Prigozhin's spiteful mind and where his hatred for Shoigu and Gerasimov originated from. 

In the end, those killed by USAF died for Prigozhin ambition and greed. Likely not only his alone. Rumor has it that it was either Shoigu or Gerasimov who after the event conveyed the message to Prigozhin to the effect that he should abandon stupid efforts to become Napoleon (or similar in scale leader) and that people died because of his ego and greed. Read the whole thing at Larry's blog. In other words, in case of Prigozhin you can take a man out of prison, you can not take the prison out of man.

Thomas, James and Me.

 Today, live link. 


Coming Shortly.

 Mike, Ray, Larry and me. 

Enjoy.
 

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

No Shit, Pardon My French.

Ignorant BSers from The Economist report:

And as now Ria quotes The Economist (in Russian) the 404 GUR complains that "partners" tell VSU to "go ahead and fight with fury".  Oh boy, do I recognize neocons' signature move--make others die while they sit in their comfortable upscale restaurants and clubs and pretend to be military thinkers and strategists. None of them are and most would shit their pants just from the thought of being anywhere near operational zone. 

Now about Mearsheimer, or, rather, why I do not read or listen to him, or why in general I am not interested in what he has to say. People brought again his platitudes up, and "analysis" at a discussion board today re: his, yet another, set of platitudes:

Second, which side is likely to win the war? Russia will ultimately win the war, although it will not decisively defeat Ukraine. In other words, it is not going to conquer all of Ukraine, which is necessary to achieve three of Moscow’s goals: overthrowing the regime, demilitarizing the country, and severing Kyiv’s security ties with the West. But it will end up annexing a large swath of Ukrainian territory, while turning Ukraine into a dysfunctional rump state. In other words, Russia will win an ugly victory.

Before I directly address these issues, three preliminary points are in order. For starters, I am attempting to predict the future, which is not easy to do, given that we live in an uncertain world. Thus, I am not arguing that I have the truth; in fact, some of my claims may be proved wrong. Furthermore, I am not saying what I would like to see happen. I am not rooting for one side or the other. I am simply telling you what I think will happen as the war moves forward. Finally, I am not justifying Russian behavior or the actions of any of the states involved in the conflict. I am just explaining their actions.

This paragraph alone demonstrates for anyone with serious military background (Mearsheimer is a graduate of USMA at West Point) a complete confusion which befell Mearsheimer, who passes in the US for "realist":

1. Defeat of the enemy and Victory are synonyms, and in REAL war, they are identical and mean "achieving POLITICAL goals of a war". If Mearsheimer, who is of a respectable age, still doesn't know it, he can start with Svechin's Strategy in order to avoid embarrassment...

2. ...when trying to predict the future having absolutely no tool kit when it comes to Russia and XXI century warfare. Mearsheimer doesn't have it and is the same product of American cultural and pseudo-academic milieu, whose views on warfare grew primarily based on entertainment industry and American exceptionalism. E.g. he has no grasp of the real size of Russian economy and, especially, of technological and production capability of Russian military-industrial complex. Neither have most US political "scientists" from Mearsheimer's environment.

3. He remains still THE American exceptionalist and is not well versed in the history of the XX century and, especially, its military history. It shines through his speaking and writing. Hence he always resorts to platitudes, which, once in a while make sense. But, as we all know, even the broken clock... 

This is why I don't give Mearsheimer any respect as a scholar. In matters of the combined West against Russia in the XXI century he is an amateur with a lot of AMERICAN "academic" credentials which automatically disqualify those people from passing any judgement on issues of XXI century geopolitics.  In the end, political "science" is a fraudulent academic field designed to give credence to opinions of people who, otherwise, are incapable of productive and meaningful intellectual labor. In general, as, sadly, the example of respected by me Colonel Macgregor shows, even the best and the brightest in the US have huge issues with learning the real history of WW II and America's path to greatness, however short-lived in historical terms, especially so of the Eastern Front which contributed decisively to America's post-WW II resurgence.

What A Bunch Of Losers...

At this stage the US is exhibiting its military impotence and the only tool left is to smear Russian military leaders who are in the league of their own and this is the league way beyond reach of any current US general. So, what's left? Of course, let's spread BS in a desperate attempt to remove people who are writing a book on modern warfare. 

WASHINGTON — A senior Russian general had advance knowledge of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plans to rebel against Russia’s military leadership, according to U.S. officials briefed on American intelligence on the matter, which has prompted questions about what support the mercenary leader had inside the top ranks. The officials said they are trying to learn if Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the former top Russian commander in Ukraine, helped plan Prigozhin’s actions last weekend, which posed the most dramatic threat to President Vladimir Putin in his 23 years in power. Surovikin is a respected military leader who helped shore up defenses across the battle lines after Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year, analysts say. He was replaced as the top commander in January but retained influence in running war operations and remains popular among the troops.

Sure, it takes a bunch of losers from NYT tabloid to spread BS which has been already flatly denied by Kremlin and was called... well,  BS (in Russian). But then again, Putin is desperate and is losing war in... Iraq according to POTUS, and the next thing you know Putin will lose the war in Afghanistan and, possibly, even likely, in Vietnam. US establishment now is a laughing stock around the world. 


Here is Joe, always extremely situationally aware, delivers his Sitrep.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

And About Air Defense... Again.

And why I hate fvcking TG platform--if you are not the part of it, you cannot see the video. Having said this. Russian Navy reports, with video which I cannot access, that:  

Корвет «Резкий» в ходе заводских ходовых испытаний в Японском море сбил средствами ПВО противокорабельную крылатую ракету «Москит»

 ▫️ Корвет «Резкий» уничтожил крылатую ракету, выпущенную с надводного корабля условного противника.

▫️ Роль неприятельского корабля выполнял ракетный катер «Р-20», который с дистанции свыше 90 км выполнил пуск противокорабельной крылатой ракеты «Москит» в район нахождения корвета.

▫️ В свою очередь, военнослужащие радиотехнической боевой части «Резкого» своевременно обнаружили пуск ракеты-мишени и взяли её на сопровождение, после чего расчёт зенитного ракетного комплекса «Редут» уничтожил сверхзвуковую цель на безопасном для корабля расстоянии. Синхронно с ЗРК огонь по цели вела 100-мм артиллерийская установка «А-190».

Translation: Corvette "Rezky" during factory sea trials in the Sea of Japan shot down an anti-ship cruise missile "Moskit" by means of air defense ▫️ Corvette "Rezky" destroyed a cruise missile fired from a mock enemy surface ship. ▫️ The role of the enemy ship was played by the R-20 missile boat, which, from a distance of over 90 km, launched the Moskit anti-ship cruise missile in the area where the corvette was located. ▫️ In turn, the servicemen of the radio-technical combat unit "Rezkyi" timely detected the launch of the target missile and took it for escort, after which the crew of the "Redut" anti-aircraft missile system destroyed the supersonic target at a safe distance for the ship. Synchronously with the air defense system, a 100-mm A-190 artillery mount fired at the target.

Pay attention to what is underlined. For those who do not know what P-270 Moskit (SS-N-22 Sunburn) is I have you know that this shaitan weapon is still a huge menace capable of reaching M=3 and conducting a violent anti-air defense maneuvers at the terminal and thus being extremely difficult to shoot down. Not for corvettes with a very impressive Zaslon Radar Complex and Redut Air Defense missile complex. Here is Rezkyi:

And here is this Moskit:

It is still a very potent weapon despite being more than 30 years old. And, of course, Redut's ground version is known to you as S-350 Vityaz which is the only complex in the world which operates completely autonomously, without crew inputs, and detects, tracks and shoots down targets--it continues to do so in SMO. And here are some (fairly reliable) news re: first hull of pr. 20380 Stereguschiy.

Early 2024 the ship pulls into the repair and a complete overhaul which will see it with everything new, including Redut and 3C14 VLS with 3M22 Zircon and Otvet ASW missile being its main weapons. Well, do not forget new battle management system and other "delicacies" such as new radar and comms. The refit is planned to be completed in 2025. So, here is some military porn for ya.

Know Your Weight Category...

... I am about Macron. The guy is still deluded about the place and role of France in the larger geopolitical scheme of things. Well, he has got a reminder from Republic of South Africa. 

ПРЕТОРИЯ, 22 июня. /ТАСС/. Южно-Африканская Республика принимает ключевые решения, связанные с саммитом БРИКС (Бразилия, Россия, Индия, Китай, ЮАР), в тесной координации со всеми странами объединения. Это касается и вопроса о желании президента Франции Эмманюэля Макрона участвовать в его работе. Об этом ТАСС сообщили в четверг в МИД ЮАР.

"Согласно правилам БРИКС, организующая саммит страна-председатель разрабатывает повестку дня и формат встречи на высоком уровне, - отметил собеседник агентства. - Председатель также приглашает на поля саммита лидеров государств, не входящих в БРИКС, для проведения более широких заседаний по региональным или иным вопросам. Однако все главные форматы на полях саммита подлежат согласованию с другими странами - членами БРИКС, и ЮАР будет следовать традиции объединения. Этот подход будет использоваться и в случае, если лидеры государств, не входящих в БРИКС, высказывают в частном порядке пожелания прибыть [на саммит] и участвовать в мероприятиях саммита объединения в августе в Йоханнесбурге".

Translation: PRETORIA, 22 June. /TASS/. The Republic of South Africa takes key decisions related to the BRICS summit (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), in close coordination with all countries of the association. This also applies to the question of the desire of French President Emmanuel Macron to participate in its work. This was reported to TASS on Thursday by the South African Foreign Ministry. "According to the rules of the BRICS, the chair country that organizes the summit develops the agenda and format of the high-level meeting," the source said. "The chairman also invites non-BRICS leaders to the summit to hold broader meetings on regional or other issues However, all main formats on the sidelines of the summit are subject to agreement with other BRICS countries, and South Africa will follow the tradition of association.This approach will also be used if non-BRICS leaders privately express their wishes to come [to the summit ] and participate in the unification summit events in August in Johannesburg."

Oh boy, that's gotta hurt. Not that Macron has the sense of honor and decency, but still. And he should have gotten the message by now:

French President Emmanuel Macron’s attendance at a meeting of BRICS leaders would be “inappropriate,” considering his government’s stance against Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said. Paris confirmed this week that Macron is seeking an invitation to the bloc’s summit in South Africa in August. Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Ryabkov explained that Russia’s opposition to Macron’s potential appearance was based on France’s efforts to isolate Moscow and its support for NATO’s goal of inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Russia in the Ukraine conflict. “We are not hiding this position and have informed our South African colleagues about it,” Ryabkov said, as cited by Interfax. “We expect our point of view to be fully taken into account.”

In diplomatic language what SAR stated means: go fuck yourself. Pretty clear, really. Let's recall Tolstoy's definitions:

Pfuel was one of those hopelessly and immutably self-confident men, self-confident to the point of martyrdom as only Germans are, because only Germans are self-confident on the basis of an abstract notion—science, that is, the supposed knowledge of absolute truth. A Frenchman is self-assured because he regards himself personally, both in mind and body, as irresistibly attractive to men and women. An Englishman is self-assured, as being a citizen of the best-organized state in the world, and therefore as an Englishman always knows what he should do and knows that all he does as an Englishman is undoubtedly correct. An Italian is self-assured because he is excitable and easily forgets himself and other people. A Russian is self-assured just because he knows nothing and does not want to know anything, since he does not believe that anything can be known. The German’s self-assurance is worst of all, stronger and more repulsive than any other, because he imagines that he knows the truth—science—which he himself has invented but which is for him the absolute truth. 

Pretty clear, isn't it?

Monday, June 26, 2023

A Pure Unrefined Military Porn.

There is nothing like this in NATO, period. No, some may have similarities in function but Tor-M2 proved itself an absolute monster of short range AD. Not that others, like S1 Pantsir, did worse. They also performed brilliantly. But here is the combat work of two Tor-M2 systems. 

Another thing about Tors is that they can launch while moving and, as you may have guessed it, they are fully netcentric. Plus, IRIS-T and NASAMS performed in VSU primarily as useless targets for Russia's stand-off weapons thus providing dismal, in fact embarrassing, combat record. This also doesn't mean that VSU doesn't have a leaker here and there--once in a while they get some Storm Shadow hitting children's campground, or HIMARS hitting some bridge, sometimes, very seldom, they score a hit on Russian military. But primarily most of them (90-95% at least) are getting shot down. Tors play a huge role in this combat score

So, what's the future for Tors? It is bright, as it is for Buk-M3 and S1 Pantsir--they provided an outstanding shield for Russian forces on and around battlefield, not to mention an immense data which already allows to introduce even more deadly and advanced upgrades. I talk about short to medium range systems. And then there are those monsters such as S-350, S-300s, S-400 and S-500--that is a whole other story of Soviet Union/Russia pursuing non-stop for more than 70 years a complete domination of the air-defense field. The combat performance of Russian Air Defense has been outstanding, to put it mildly and there is very little doubt that the integrated system will continue to evolve and improve with some systems we haven't seen yet going on-line and completely overthrowing NATO air and space operations concepts and making them completely obsolete. This we can already observe today, in real time. 

In the end, even technology savvy people from USAF have to admit:

The need to address all-domain authorities has emerged as a common theme during recent Tier 1 exercises, US Air Force wargames, and experiments. Joint all-domain command and control’s lateral connectivity, where every sensor is connected to every shooter, begs the issue of command and control: Who makes the decision to shoot? When, where, and with what? Today’s C2 construct puts each service component and domain into its own silo where they work in parallel as deconflicted by the Joint combatant or Joint Force commander. Yet this current C2 construct is seen as antiquated and too slow for the anticipated speed, range, and multidomain nature of a future great-power conflict. In an era where all services and domains are connected and speed is a priority, the question becomes, Who gets to command and control all-domain fires? The answer to this question has huge implications for air component Airmen. 

I have news for the author of this piece, USAF Colonel (ret.) Thomas Cantrell--the US has no speed, range nor multidomain experience and only now begins to see what it is when looks at 404 and SMO. In other words--remove Douhet writings and Doolittle experiences into the museum where they belong because modern battlefield "of a future great-power conflict" will look nothing like what they teach in NATO war colleges, and combined NATO will lose advantage in numbers of air power in the first 48-72 hours of such a conflict.  This is not a theorem, it is an axiom now. What will be the situation in Washington when NATO loses 40-50 F-35s and 3-4 E3 Sentry in the first 24 hours? Exactly... Is S-600 coming?

My Talking Head...

 ... today. 

Enjoy if you will.
 

Why Karaganov Wrote This...

... shit? 

Sergey Karaganov: By using its nuclear weapons, Russia could save humanity from a global catastrophe. A tough but necessary decision would likely force the West to back off, enabling an earlier end to the Ukraine crisis and preventing it from expanding to other states 

I want to immediately point out that most people who reacted to Karaganov's amateurish BS, be that "Colonel" Trenin, Fyodor Lukyanov, other Valdai boys, who continue to discuss mental excrement by shyster from geopolitics, have absolute zero knowledge about nuclear weapons, system of command and control of nuclear deterrent, technological issues related to use of nuclear weapons. None, it is down right risible when colonel with philological degree or a "thinker" with degree in "journalism" begin to wax "strategic" on things they have no clue about. Like this "profound" conclusion by the guy who wouldn't know the difference between shit and shinola.

Sergey Karaganov’s article, arguing that “the use of nuclear weapons could save humanity from global catastrophe” has provoked a strong reaction. This was probably the author’s intention.

Karaganov, like Lukyanov, knows nothing about ANY weapons, let alone nuclear ones, and none of them are qualified to utter anything on the issue of warfare, be that pro or contra, because they are fucking amateurs with degrees and skills donkeys can obtain after a few years of taming. 

Karaganov's piece and the "discussion" by media amateurs at this moment is in direct contradiction to yesterday's Sergei Lavrov's de facto statement of principles of Russian nuclear doctrine and rejection of US and 404 speculation on... what Karaganov calls for...

Johnny Rotten, thank you for translating it. Moreover, the whole thing comes across as pure provocation in the moment when country just went through a dangerous period. I am on record--it is time to remove all kinds of political "scientists", journos and other "soft degrees" BSers from serious geopolitical debate and power balance politics because none of them is qualified to pass any judgement on a critical component on power balance--they simply have NO education for that, period. BTW, where is Margarita Simonyan who spends so much time on all kinds of TV shows by the same ignoramuses as she is--last few days she simply evaporated from the TV screens and social media. I wonder why? 

And now who doubted (I will name names) two days ago:

US backs coup attempts whenever it can benefit – Lavrov

FSB is looking into this matter, but Vladimir Putin stated this clearly an hour ago:

Wagner is kaput. The rest is history. Those who will decide to join Prigozhin (for now) in Belarus will live their remaining (not very long) lives in fear. When their end comes, they will know why and by who.

Sunday, June 25, 2023

I Stole It From Femi...

 ... on a lighter note.  Recall the immortal:"I am Spartacus, I am Spartacus, I am Spartacus..." from Kubrick's masterpiece. Well, evidently some in Africa took I am Putin thing literally and started to work on the issue))

LOL)) Who knows how many Putins are spread around the world. And how can this be?

Use as the open thread.

Saturday, June 24, 2023

Thank You...

 ... guys for providing even more evidence of why many went completely bananas in the West and inside Russia, if you know what I mean, wink, wink. 

Or this:
Yet another batch of the "best" tanks in the world having a bad day in Russia. So, make your own conclusions. Where are the Challengers Russian pilots of Ka-52s and Mi-28s are asking, as do Khrizantemas' crews and other people operating Kornet ATGMs or 152-mm Russian artillery operating Krasnopol munitions. And British government has no answers--they know how to kill defenseless civilians, how to do false flags, how to use chemical weapons, how to support child rapists and how to kill poor cats--that, they know how to do--fighting real war? Forget it, nobody in Sandhurst knows it. So, the news is--they keep Challengers in deep rear. Well, Perfidious Albion seems to be a correct definition. Churchill wanted to bomb Russians into the radioactive dust, you know--Operation Unthinkable.

Crosstalk...

... as I already stated, I have been busy last few days. 

My Talking Head.

I want to stress, we don't know the full story (yet), but heads will roll in MoD among those who "supported" Wagner. 

Moreover, this is a good start for purging some remaining crap from political elite. The key in all that is Bakhmut.

As Was Expected...

 ... the dawning of reality is in progress for the criminal and his group of accomplices that the game is up. 

Wagner returns to its camps near Bakhmut and Soledar and the procedures of disarming and dismantling start from there. Naturally, all camps will be blocked by military. After that FSB and Investigative Committee will start work. Prigozhin, most likely, will try to escape to 404 where his contacts, both GUR and MI6, are but I doubt anyone will let him. Now, what was the last straw for Prigozhin? Simple--MoD refused to extend contract with Wagner. And as I stated not for once--the real history of Bakhmut is not what you read in shitty TG channels and most media. 

Now, people call me, and I just did 1.5 hour podcast with Vera, Marat and Vladimir, but it is on VK only, sadly. A lot have been said there, including about some, very few, people in MoD who will be forced to do some splainin'. Was there a plan on the part of 404 GUR and Bitidh? Yes, most likely, but they thought--they really did, that is how amateur they are--that "counteroffensive" will succeed and once the front line is breached, Wagner will start mutiny. Well, as you all know the "counteroffensive" turned into a slaughter of VSU and NATO personnel and equipment, and the noose around Wagner and Prigozhin started to tighten and that is what we've got.  In any case, the response of Russian society was unequivocal support of President and condemnation of traitors, who now will deal with severe consequences.

Putin Verbatim:

In English:

Main reason for treason? "Prigozhin's unrestrained ambition." I am sure there will be many questions for Alekseev.  


Friday, June 23, 2023

So, Prigozhin Decided To Go For It.

Wagner took control of government buildings in Rostov-On-Don and Prigozhin himself materialized in the Staff of Southern Military District and demands now Shoigu and Gerasimov (in Russian). So, it is a Kornilov Mutiny, of sorts, and now a lot becomes clear about Prigozhin and Wagner. This is getting serious and those people from Wagner who participate in this are now official traitors. I also want to point out Ostashko's description of General Alexeev. 

7 Hours ago I quipped that he, likely, failed. The reason he failed is because he obviously didn't seriously psychologically profile Prigozhin, especially considering Prigozhin's outright criminal background as a thief and a robber, with two trips to prison for various violent crimes, and this is an extremely important indicator of character, which, as we saw today reared its ugly head of a sheer narcissist and, highly likely, asset. Whose asset, we are yet to learn. I guess Lieutenant General Alexeev has some splainin' to do. And the signs have been there all the time. I guess this was expected having a criminal (gopnik, really) heading some private army which obtained the access to heavy weaponry and now took command of a major Russian city of a key strategic importance and stabbed Russian Armed Forces in the back. This thing was planned by Prigozhin. This is a major failure of some people in MoD and especially among those who have been directly involved in Wagner's activity and contract's signing. In hindsight--this was coming. 

Update: Vladimir Putin will shortly address nation.

About Air Defense...

... this is not real air defense. I mean SHORAD. You can see yourself the result of encounter of this US Army main short air defense system with some Russian drones. 

As you already may have surmised--no real AD, no survival of the ground detail against enemy's aviation, both fixed wing and rotary. here is a demonstration. This what it looks like when one fights with the army with excellent ISR.

Well, Now It Could Be Stated Openly...

 ... that Prigozhin is not only a criminal, but, highly likely, the asset of Ukie-NATO axis. A lot of things point out to that, including "rumors" (in reality, reliable information) of Prigozhin and some Wagner people providing information on positions of Russian Army to VSU. Per Wagner: I am on record--they are good storm group but as a serious force they are nothing without Russian Armed Forces. The media BS about them, as well as grossly exaggerated stories about Bakhmut have been designed primarily for the consumption of fanboys who masturbate on tactical minutiae. Me and my friends discussed it for months in the media e.g. PolitWera et al. So, this is over for Prigozhin and, eventually, for Wagner. As FSB reports:

МОСКВА, 24 июня. /ТАСС/. Заявления и действия основателя ЧВК "Вагнер" Евгения Пригожина фактически являются призывами к началу вооруженного гражданского конфликта, заявили в субботу в центре общественных связей ФСБ России. "Заявления и действия Пригожина фактически являются призывами к началу вооруженного гражданского конфликта на территории РФ и являются ударом в спину российским военнослужащим, воюющим с профашистскими украинскими силами", - сообщили там. В ведомстве также отметили, что распространенные заявления об ударах МО РФ по ЧВК "Вагнер" не соответствуют действительности и являются провокацией. "Вся распространяемая в социальных сетях информация от имени Пригожина о якобы нанесенных Минобороны РФ ракетно-бомбовых ударах по тыловым частям ЧВК "Вагнер" не соответствует действительности и является информационной провокацией", - сказали в центре общественных связей ФСБ.

Translation: MOSCOW, 24 June. /TASS/. The statements and actions of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner PMC, are in fact calls for the start of an armed civil conflict, the Russian FSB public relations center said on Saturday. “Prigozhin’s statements and actions are in fact calls for the start of an armed civil conflict on the territory of the Russian Federation and are a stab in the back of Russian servicemen fighting pro-fascist Ukrainian forces,” they said. The department also noted that the widespread statements about the strikes of the Russian Defense Ministry on PMC "Wagner" are not true and are a provocation. "All the information disseminated on social networks on behalf of Prigozhin about the missile and bomb attacks allegedly inflicted by the Russian Defense Ministry on the rear units of the Wagner PMC is untrue and is an informational provocation," the FSB public relations center said.

And now, ask yourself a question WHY Prigozhin was promoted and elevated almost to the status of Napoleon both by Russian and Western media? And you will find many answers to many questions. He should hang together with his accomplices, but most likely will get 20 years, if not killed before. He is a cook and not of Steven Seagal's variety from Under Siege.

LOL)))

 ... just for the record--this guy wouldn't be allowed to command the platoon in Russian Armed Forces. I am talking about Petraeus, of course. I don't know if this guy has been to Russia in between his periods of screwing ugly women, but he should really see a psychiatrist because he lives in alternative universe. His visit to Moscow or Sr. Petersburg can create a serious cognitive dissonance, especially if he visits places of military history and significance.

The fact that this guy (a loser in military terms) "earned" his 4 stars and even ran CIA for a while is a testament to a complete collapse of meritocracy in the US and this is a deadly illness which doesn't have a fast cure. 

Now, about Prigozhin, I can only reference today's piece by my friend Marat Khairullin who explains why Prigozhin is hysterical--it is related to his political ambitions--and that appropriate people and orgs in Russia closely monitor situation and that Prigozhin's fate is largely sealed. He feels it, but being a cook and "businessman" he thinks that going full Girkin will help him--he is very very wrong. But this sense also explains his increasingly hysterical behavior.

In related news, today, June 23 (some sources say June 24), 1812 the invasion of Russia by Napoleon's Grande Armee has started. How appropriate. Napoleon, Hitler, NATO...   

Why Scott's Article Is Importnat...

... in illustrating a delusion NATO planners exercise. As was stated ad nauseam--your software is good only as the information, or data sets, you feed it. If it is Garbage In, Garbage Out is inevitable. As Scott points out about Bundeswehr's KORA:

When one examines the structure of a KORA-based simulation, it becomes clear that the system is completely dependent upon the various inputs which define the simulation as a whole. Every aspect of the simulation is derived from the parameters programmed by those responsible for overseeing the training. While one would hope that the training overseers would conduct the simulation with a modicum of professional integrity, unless both the NATO trainers and their Ukrainian students were infused with Lemming-like suicidal qualities, there had to be significant modification and alteration of critical data points to generate an outcome capable of motivating the Ukrainian forces to agree to the attack. ...The Orekhov axis of advance was designed to exploit a seam between the 291st and 70th Motorized Rifle Regiments of the Russian 42nd Motorized Rifle Division. The “behavior agents” programmed by the NATO trainers appeared to treat the Russians – especially those from the 70th Regiment – as poorly trained, poorly led, poorly equipped, and poorly motivated troops. In short, NATO trainers compensated for the inability of Ukraine to assemble forces capable of performing even the most basic of suppression tasks by predicting the inevitable collapse of the will on the part of the Russian soldiers to resist.

I am on record--NATO militaries operate based on propaganda, top-bottom. Rare islands of tactical and operational competence are isolated and have no influence on the parade of military illiteracy, shoddy intelligence and a complete lack of understanding modern warfare on part of NATO. Many of those Western "military experts" derive their conclusions often based on computer simulations and war-gaming which often operates in GIGO mode--Garbage In-Garbage Out. Moreover, as was stated not for once, many Russian front-line officers and NCOs speak about recognition of NATO training of VSU units but immediately state that it is subpar. No surprise here--one cannot learn anything of value from Gulf Wars or from losing in Afghanistan and elsewhere insofar as the combined arms operations of scale go. SMO is gigantic in its scale and is beyond NATO experiences. 

This is not the first time, already in early 1990s computer simulation of the war in US Naval War College delivered an astonishing result when "predicted" that Soviet Navy's MAIN strike force of pr. 949A Oscar-II SSGNs will manage only ONE successful launch of its P-700 Granit ASMs at US naval asset, while giving much more credence to Soviet.. torpedo only subs. Evidently the idea that M=2 supersonic, 500 kilometer range salvo of missiles with reliable targeting provided by MKRC Legenda was so alien to US naval strategists that they couldn't recognize the coming of new technological paradigm in naval warfare, until late Captain Wayne Hughes declared, brilliantly, the arrival of it in 2000--40 years after Russians deployed first serious anti-shipping missiles. By that time it was too late for the US Navy which is faced with overwhelming power of missile salvos which it cannot reliably defend against. 

Bad basic education, starting from Western public schools, especially in STEM, shoddy academic level in military educational institutions, a complete myth-based curricula in tactics, operations, weak STEM backgrounds, historical illiteracy and hidden, suppressed complex of inferiority--these are the traits of modern NATO "planners" and military leaders who are utterly unqualified to fight at the modern battlefield. So, no surprise then that they live in a virtual world of primitive Rooskies, badly trained, badly educated, with low morale. We saw it all paraded for the whole world to see in the last two weeks of VSU "counteroffensive" which turned into the slaughter of VSU personnel and NATO equipment. They still cannot wrap their brains around this simple idea that they are in the lower league. 

Speaking of which:

German energy prices have skyrocketed over the past year, leading several companies to consider relocating to cheaper locations. Siegfried Russwurm, the head of the German Industry Federation (BDI), stated that the energy situation is bad enough for companies to seriously consider relocating their operations. Russwurm explained “A lot of family-owned companies... have very operational plans to relocate” due to the plethora of obstacles they are facing in Germany.  While a lot of Germany-headquartered businesses are seeing success on a global scale, many are finding it difficult to operate within Germany. The slow and complex German bureaucracy has further exacerbated the challenges. This week, Economy Minister Robert Habeck discussed the issue of companies looking to relocate. Habeck stated: “In my view, Germany is an attractive location for both new and existing companies… Of course, materials industries are under pressure as a result of higher energy prices, but there are political decisions to be made.” 

This is just the start. It will accelerate dramatically in coming months.  "Germany is an attractive location"? Really? What is he smoking? But then again, for uneducated and uncultured hacks who infest modern Western political and military "elites"--war is peace, black is white and vice-versa, and Rooskies are backward people. In related news, I doubt most Western cadets of military officer schools in NATO countries will survive programs of Russian military academies with their grueling engineering and tactical-operational training. In related news, Germany is not welcome in Russia anymore.

And as it was 82 years ago, German Panzers are burning again in the fields of Russia.

Thursday, June 22, 2023

When Math Is An Issue...

 ... and a serious one, I would say. Dmytro Kuleba went into the imaginary numbers not of mathematical nature, not understanding that actual imaginary units when squared produce a negative value. Speaking of which:

I agree, Abrams IS a much more complex design and with its nearly 70 tons, the necessity to be fueled every 2 miles and shining in IR  like the Christmas tree decorated in lights--it is a very desirable target for Russian anti-tank crews. Generally speaking the only thing which is left for NATO (US, really) is to supply ATACMS, Abrams and F15, 16 or 35 and see those too go up in flames in industrial quantities. 

Also, judging by the fact that out of 60,000 of a strategic reserve in the last two weeks around 40,000 ended up KIAs, MIAs or wounded, and now even Kiev goes into full mobilization mode, well... you have to admit--there are issues not just with VSU top brass, but, as Ria notes...

По мнению западных экспертов, одна из главных причин катастрофы "контрнаступа" — стремительная деградация высшего военного руководства Украины, которое за время СВО трансформировалось из системы реального боевого управления и планирования фактически в бэк-офис штаб-квартиры НАТО. Наблюдатели отмечают полную безынициативность и тотальную зависимость от приказов из ставки НАТО, в результате чего ВСУ показали неспособность к ведению успешных масштабных наступательных действий с привлечением разнородных сил в условиях активного огневого противодействия ВС России. 

Translation: According to Western experts, one of the main reasons for the catastrophe of the “counterattack” is the rapid degradation of the top military leadership of Ukraine, which during the time of the NMD was transformed from a system of real combat control and planning into, in fact, the back office of NATO headquarters. Observers note complete lack of initiative and total dependence on orders from NATO Headquarters, as a result of which the Armed Forces of Ukraine have shown an inability to conduct successful large-scale offensive operations involving diverse forces in the face of active fire opposition from the Russian Armed Forces.

What do you expect--people who lost all their wars (in reality high intensity police actions) to be good at combined arms (aka multi-domain) operations of scale? In related news, Russian Navy gleefully rubs its hands for a number of very serious reasons, one of them is this:

Admiral Golovko is finishing state trials and will be transferred to fleet shortly. It is the third ship in series of pr. 22350--fully Russian-made in terms of propulsion and it has 3M22 Zircon as its main weapon. Five more are in different stages of readiness at shipyards, after that the series of pr. 22350M starts. So, is Kharkov next? People in the know think so. And always remember i^2 is still -1.

Piero, His Beautiful Wife And Me Discussing...

 ... what we usually discuss, plus my book. 

As you can see, I have been busy last few days.
 

June 22.

And my talking head. 

Enjoy, if you will.
 

Open Thread.

 Go at it.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Cannot Get Any More Blunt...

... than this from Lavrov.  

Blunt and almost nonchalant. All this while Putin speaking to graduates of military academies described the future:

Putin also stressed hypersonic weapons and Russia's Navy Commander Admiral Evmenov stated that newest weapons will begin to be deployed not "soon, but immediately". Pretty self-evident, really. Naturally VSU complaint about German tanks, Germans told them to shove it (in Russian). Things are getting curioser and curioser.   

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Generally Speaking...

... the music by Ovchinnikov and the whole Natasha's ball from Bondarchuk's immortal War and Peace are unrivaled even today and are even incorporated into a number of versions of Russian national anthem. Of course, who can forget this. 


Generally speaking, all those assholes who try to stick into this immortal sequence by Bondarchuk (not his gift-less son, of course) Leonard Cohen's or even Shostakovitch's Waltz--NO. It will always remain Ovchinnikov's waltz. But I have been on this issue before, but Russians, evidently are not getting the message from State Department and European Commission, continue to stick to this heterosexual heresy and decide that military men of high culture and beautiful women, somehow, get together just fine. 

Some foreign comments are attached just to give some introspective. Of course, Evegnii Doga's waltz adds to a drama, but the best comment in Russian is this:

Это то что мы должны защитить от запада

Translation: this is what we have to protect from the West. 

But if that hasn't been enough, here we have this thing happening in Sevastopol. 

Yes, Big Sevastopol officers' ball. Good God, how dare they not to invite all those trannies, LGBTQ+ and whatever the next big thing is. How "backward" the whole idea is of a military man defending his wife and family in the way of arms is alien to them. They cannot take it in Washington, London and Kiev--everything they know in their lives is ugly, non-presentable, their women (and men) are whores not even capable to graduate to high level escorts, and the only thing they can do is hate, their "scholars" and "strategists" are a dime a dozen and they cannot even grasp what is happening around them. 

This ball took place in 2021, I am positive it will revive itself after the conclusion of SMO, and the life will just move on, it usually does. Normal people naturally gravitate to beautiful things. For the rest--there is always a pinnacle of the American "democracy".  

Yep, there are many who will vote for this again. Let them enjoy...

Just Wanted To Remind You...

... most normal people live by history, except for NYC "intellectual" elite and Western journos. People distill things into art. E.g. Soviet schoolchildren have this picture literally burned into their minds. 

This is from Soviet history text book--Milos Obilic kills Turkish Sultan. This is Kosovo Polje battle which happened in 1389. Those things are beyond comprehension of most American "scholars" and for them understanding why Russians still sing about this thing, while having even bigger things in Stalingrad and Kursk is beyond their grasp. Yet, here it is...
As I already stated many times, NO US servicemen ever faced his families killed, raped or enslaved due to warfare. This is beyond comprehension of every single US "scholar" who ever lived as is true for every "service person". That is why they will never understand why Russians sing this at Kipelov's XX celebration. 

Same goes to British guys. Truth is, what would they do when their wives and children are subjected to this. Not that they teach this in War Colleges.