To Close The Weekend...

This is Yalta, 4 days ago. Summer, wonderful Crimea weather and the band Kooraga just playing for people on the boulevard. 

They are from Sevastopol. Well, this is live, mind you... The kids are good. Like really good.
 

OPen Thread...

 ... busy. Go at it.

It Is An Admission...

 ... of what is now obvious to anyone with half-brain. It never was about American population, forget it. As NYT panics and laments:

The Democratic Party’s perennially nervous donor class descended into deep unease on Friday, as some of the wealthiest people in America commiserated over President Biden’s weak debate performance and puzzled over what, if anything, they could do to change the course of the race. There were discussions with political advisers about arcane rules under which Mr. Biden might be removed from the ticket against his will and replaced at or before the Democratic National Convention, according to a person familiar with the effort. In Silicon Valley, a group of megadonors, including Ron Conway and Laurene Powell Jobs, were calling, texting and emailing one another about a situation they described as a possible catastrophe. The donors wondered about whom in the Biden fold they could contact to reach Jill Biden, the first lady, who in turn could persuade her husband not to run, according to a person familiar with the conversations.

You see, these are people who know only one thing in their life--how to make money by selling useless shit to teenagers and call it "investing" (get a load of this "megadonor")--and they decide how to go about destroying the last vestiges of common sense in the US. As much as I cannot stand GOP which is utterly corrupt and is in AIPAC's pocket, the DNC is even worse. The US doesn't have good options. As Colonel Macgregor constantly states--the US is run by the donor class. He is right, should he stay away from Russia and Great Patriotic War of which has no clue--he certainly should have ran for the office. He may yet get to some high position in presumably Trump's Admin, but I don't see how anyone can address America's systemic crisis which cannot be resolved anymore by therapeutic means--a euphemism for voting. America's long standing and extremely well hidden for a while insecurities are surfacing now non-stop akin to inflatable life rafts from the sunk cruise liner.

Nima and Me...

 ... a couple of days ago. 

 

Mencken On Presidency.

Prophetic, really. 

 

Yet Another Reminder...

Recall what Russia said about sanctions and her trade in hydrocarbons--that if EU doesn't need Russia's gas, Russia will transfer refused volumes to Asia. Well, well, well... Bye, bye Europe, you wanted it. 

Supplies of Russian gas to China via the Far Eastern route will start in 2027, Gazprom CEO Aleksey Miller said on Friday, according to the company’s Telegram channel. The Far Eastern route will deliver supplies of Russian natural gas from the shelf off Sakhalin Island to China. Moscow and Beijing sealed an agreement for additional pipeline gas deliveries via the new route in February 2023. According to Miller, the Far Eastern route will have an annual capacity of 10 billion cubic meters (bcm) once fully operational. The project involves the construction of a cross-border section across the Ussuri River between the already operational Russian pipeline and the Chinese city of Hulin. “With the Power of Siberia and the Far Eastern route reaching full capacity, Russia will become the largest gas supplier to China,” Gazprom’s chief executive stated. Russia currently supplies gas to China via the Power of Siberia pipeline, a section of the so-called Eastern Route, under a bilateral 30-year agreement. Deliveries started in 2019, and the pipeline is expected to reach its full operational capacity of 38 bcm of natural gas annually next year, according to Miller.

But if that hasn't been enough. Get this:

Moscow and Beijing are also nearing a deal on the construction of a mega gas pipeline known as the Power of Siberia 2. It will transport up to 50 bcm of gas annually from the Yamal Region in northern Russia to China via Mongolia. Once all the pipelines are fully operational, the volume of Russian gas supplies to China could reach nearly 100 bcm annually.

So, EU can concentrate on buying American gas and continue building its "alternative" energy fantasy. Was (not) nice knowing you, Europe.

It Reminded Me...

 ... a song from 1983 from the legendary album Banana Islands (Bananovye Ostrova) by Chernavsky and his friends. 

A robotic assistant ‘employed’ at the Gumi City Council in South Korea ended its existence while at work, plunging into a stairwell, the administrative body announced on Wednesday. The incident at the council occurred last week; the robot had been seen “spinning in one place as if something was wrong” before falling two meters from the top of a staircase. “Parts of the robot have been collected and will be analyzed by the manufacturer,” an official with the city council told AFP.

The song I, Robot is precisely about this--Robot going mental and asking to turn him off.  

We finally reached the point of robots committing suicide. I wonder if this robot watched debates yesterday.

A Reminder...

While we are all busy with something, I post here a screenshot with machine translation of this:

Here is the link to the original. Many European (including the US) people are on the move to Russia. The issue of migration in favor of primarily white European Christian folks to Russia will be resolved soon, especially after Bastrykin's words, which Russians supported overwhelmingly. As I repeat ad nauseam--Russia IS the West.

Russian "Coast Guard"...

 ... or back to the future. There always was a misconception about Russian Coast Guard, which got this rebranding from Naval Units of Border Guards of KGB USSR after the collapse of the Soviet Union. No doubt, US Coast Guard and Russian Coast Guard always had a lot in common in terms of tasks, but there was a lot of difference too, especially in capability--Soviet/Russian Coast Guard was armed to the teeth being a recipient of the ships with Soviet Navy's pedigree. As a result huge number of Russian Coast Guard ships had full blown air-defense and ASW capabilities, carrying respective suites and weapon systems. Here is one of such examples:

This is the Coast Guard ship of 1st rank, project 11351 and as you can see yourself it carries not only artillery but full blown ASW suite, including torpedoes and even missile air-defense complex Osa. These ships have been retired since and it seemed that the trend on "de-militarization" of the Russian Coast Guard would continue until such news: famous Russian wharf Pella is developing now a Coast Guard ship on the... get this... project 22800 missile ship.
 

Now, when you begin to look at capabilities of this thing--it is anything but classic Coast Guard in Western tradition but a full blown corvette with a nasty punch.

Габаритная длина корабля будет около 67 метров, ширина около 12 метров и осадка около 3 метров. Полное водоизмещение около 650 тонн. Он сможет развивать скорость больше 30 узлов и проводить в море около 30 суток. Экипаж составит 40 человек. Из ракетно-артиллерийское вооружения предполагается к установке зенитно-ракетный комплекс «Ресурс» 3К96-3Е, артиллерийская установка АК-176 или «Буревестник», две артиллерийских установки АК-306, два пулемета 6П59 калибром 12,7 мм, два ручных гранатомета ДП-64 и комплекс постановки пассивных помех КТ-216.  Радиотехнический комплекс корабля предположительно будет состоять из боевой информационно-управляющей системы «Кремень», корабельного радиолокационного комплекс «Позитив 1.2», системы управления огнем «Багира» 3.2, система государственного опознавания Изделие 67Р, корабельного комплекса радиоэлектронного подавления МП-405-19, интегрированного мостиковой системы «Мостик-22800» и системы обеспечения безопасного применения оружия «Блокировка-22800».

Translation: The overall length of the ship will be about 67 meters, width about 12 meters and draft about 3 meters. Total displacement is about 650 tons. It will be able to reach speeds of more than 30 knots and spend about 30 days at sea. The crew will be 40 people. Among the missile and artillery weapons, it is planned to install the Resurs 3K96-3E anti-aircraft missile system, an AK-176 or Burevestnik artillery mount, two AK-306 artillery mounts, two 6P59 machine guns with a caliber of 12.7 mm, two DP- hand grenade launchers 64 and the KT-216 passive jamming complex. The ship's radio-technical complex will presumably consist of the Kremen combat information and control system, the Positiv 1.2 shipborne radar complex, the Bagira 3.2 fire control system, the Izdeliye 67R state identification system, the MP-405-19 shipborne electronic suppression complex, an integrated bridge the Mostik-22800 system and the Blokirovka-22800 system for ensuring the safe use of weapons.

 

For now they call it a "patrol ship" which will "assist" Coast Guard, but something tells me that realities of the world today are such that Russian Coast Guard will get its missile air-defense capabilities back and the presence of "Resurs" AD complex is an impressive capability for such relatively small ships. Well, will see where it all goes, but as I said, the worst nightmare for Russian Coast Guard, which didn't like to be missile AD ships, including being operationally included into the AD "package" for naval bases together with regular naval ships, thus getting additional duty, may come true)). Too bad, at least these ships do not have ASW capability--we did in our time)). Next thing you know they will stick Kalbrs on you and if the Coast Guard duties haven't been enough, welcome to surface strike "package". Hey, life today is such that you better have your guns (and missiles) ready especially at Western theaters of operation such as Baltic and Black Sea borders and littoral.    

I Am With Larry...

 ... 100% here. For starters:

If you’re looking for a post on the Biden/Trump debate, sorry to disappoint. I watched a few minutes and, to put it bluntly, it is a horror show for Democrats backing Biden. The expressions on his face remind me of a small child lost in a busy shopping mall. Panic and bewilderment peek out at you from his vacant eyes. I don’t care how many tubes of lipstick the Dems breakout to try to pretty up this pig, it will not work and is likely to accelerate calls for Joe to step down. We will see.

It is essentially a shit-show and senior citizen abuse. In the end, Joe is nothing more than barely moving carcass of a man, and even being a very bad man does not exonerate those people who run Joe from not offering him a serious senior care and letting him live last days of his pathetic life in peace. 

And then this:

He, and his curators from the West are genocidal maniacs who understood that the gig is up. Suddenly, these pieces of shit want "negotiations". Well, the conditions are known and they are with the expiration date which is nearing, after that more horror will be visited upon Kiev regime and his NATO handlers. US desperately needs "regrouping" in a futile attempt to somehow match Russia in what many in Washington see as a decades-long war. They have issues with basic math and Russia's industrial machine cannot be stopped now and is firing on all cylinders.

Ah, Yes! Good Ol' And Tried...

 ... self-medication from the times of victorious Wehrmacht and SS which many is US military still hold in high regard. Maybe because they don't know what winning wars is? Just a wild guess but...

Russia Sends Waves of Troops to the Front in a Brutal Style of Fighting. More than 1,000 Russian soldiers in Ukraine were killed or wounded on average each day in May, according to NATO and Western military officials.

That's how coping looks like. I want to stress again, that Pentagon in general is a sour grapes territory of losers who sense that this is above their professional competencies. So, what's left? Yes, waves of those Red Army peasants prodded from the behind by NKVD troops who overwhelmed artsy Germans in waves--a favorite shtick of Colonel Macgregor who learned all those fairy tales from... yes, Germans. Obviously, math is not a strong forte of "NATO and Western military officials" because the whole system of officer training in the West is a joke. It does not allow for a development of the main capability of the officer which is having a developed mental instrumentation for space-time awareness of the battle space. This comes from not only massive curriculum in STEM but in appropriate study of tactics, operations and military history. They don't teach real military history in NATO military academies--they teach propaganda based on strategic fairy tales. 

Patrick Armstrong gives a good review of the newest book on REAL history:

The central theme and, no doubt, a complete surprise to most of its readers, will be that the the conventional story has got it exactly backwards: Stalin was not Hitler’s co-conspirator. He understood four things: 1) the previous good Moscow-Berlin relations were gone forever, 2) Hitler was a threat to all around him, 3) Hitler would break any agreement as soon as he could, 4) the only response was an agreement of Germany’s neighbours to block him. “Collective security” they called it: only together could Hitler be stopped; individual agreements just encouraged him to push somewhere else. This volume retails, meeting by meeting, the efforts of Soviet diplomats to get their interlocutors to grasp this and to construct an anti-Hitler resistance arrangement. They were not unsuccessful: important people in France, Britain (even the anti-Bolshevik Winston Churchill who met the Soviet Ambassador often), Romania and Czechoslovakia agreed with Stalin’s appreciation of the situation but they could never quite push their governments over the finish line.   

So, consider ramifications. They are severe for the West.

Meanwhile In 404...

 ... as you can see yourself, here is a man in Krivoi Rog who just really wants to get to the front to fight for 404 but evil guards do not allow him... ah, wait...

Rumor has it today that a few VSU battalions simply refused to deploy to the line of contact. If it's true I don't know, but New York is about to fall. No, not American New York, that one has already fallen, but New York near Toretsk. Always name your cities and towns wisely, otherwise you  may end up living in...

After Years Of Ridicule, The Village Of ‘Fucking’ Changes Its Name — To ‘Fugging’

In the end, you can always name your town about to be captured by Russians Detroit or, as the last resort, Gary, Indiana. In the end, American New York still has some nice places left, for now. Meanwhile, get the pop-corn and get ready for tonight's Presidential Debates, which, most likely, will accelerate the fall of once great country. 

In UK, meanwhile, the tribune is given to this creep and it is MO of most British so called "journos" who support all kinds of terrorist acts in Russia.

A former Russian State Duma MP has claimed that he will pressure NATO leaders to assassinate members of President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and overthrow the Russian government, The Times reported on Wednesday. The British newspaper spoke to Ilya Ponomarev, a self-styled representative of the “Russian resistance.” He outlined his plan to submit a document during the 75th NATO summit in Washington next month that justifies the use of force against those close to Putin. Ponomarev, who lives in exile and claims that some serving Russian MPs are part of his movement, told The Times that the term ‘combatant’ should cover “government officials who organize or finance the war [with Ukraine], businessmen who produce arms, propaganda warmongers.” The targeted assassination of such people on Russian soil would then be legal, he argued.

Well, UK will support anyone who would try to kill Russians. So, nothing new here. 

Generally Speaking...

 ... Danes are ready to receive protein from bugs and mosquitos. 

Denmark is set to impose a new tax on farmers over greenhouse gases produced by their livestock, Taxation Minister Jeppe Bruus has announced. The toll on cow, pig, and sheep emissions will be implemented starting in 2030, according to the minister. The new tax is expected to greatly contribute to the country’s goal of reducing emissions by 70% from 1990 levels by the end of the decade, as well as ultimately attaining carbon neutrality, Bruus explained. “We will take a big step closer in becoming climate neutral in 2045,” the minister stated, praising the measure as a way for Denmark to become “the first country in the world to introduce a real CO2 tax on agriculture.”

I think Danes deserve to be the leaders in consuming all kinds of shit, after all, this is their minister. They also deserve to die out as a nation of utter cucks.

Generally speaking, no normal woman who is not utterly ugly will sleep with this thing, but, I guess, Europeans do not care about it. You think America is not it? Well, enjoy Fat Beach Day...

Today's Debate;))

And when you thought that SNL sunk completely--give them the credit where the credit is due.

No, this was hilarious, especially for those people who know who Mike Judge is...

And?

How about learning about real war and economy? So, 404's mobilization potential is reduced to 22 months of combat as it stays now--it may change really abruptly, once you begin to calculate forces. Now, seeing Western Europeans rushing to fight those nasty Russkies...

NATO countries in Europe are reportedly facing a shortage of military personnel and would have difficulty mobilizing a significant number of troops in case of a conflict, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. According to the outlet’s analysts, Western European members of the US-led military bloc are said to have 1.9 million troops “on paper.” In reality, however, they would face challenges deploying more than 300,000 people – and even this would require months of preparation. Former NATO Assistant Secretary-General Camilla Grand explained that the bloc’s members have never had to consider mass deployment of their forces and that European defense planning has for many years been limited to matters such as supplying “300 special forces for Afghanistan.” “That’s created gaps,” Grand said, adding that the bloc has seen “a shrinking in forces all over the continent year after year.”

The unanswered question, however, remains--why would Russians want this shithole which Europe becomes on their balance? To feed these emasculated creeps? Why? Reality was never a commodity in the West and, from what I gather, Russians do not care about combined West anymore. The arithmetic is really simple, as I explained today--404 has about 1.1 million of reserves left (most likely much less), with an average of 50,000 VSU troops erased from the Order of Battle monthly--count yourself the "depth" of the mobilization potential, granted Europeans do not want to die for AIPAC. 300,000? Really--do they even teach them basic math in West's military "academies"? I don't think so. 

Body-bags...

 ... is not the subject Biden Admin wants to deal with before elections. 404 mobilization numbers are terrifying to Washington--somebody, as always, was too optimistic. 

As per Anti-hypersonic defense. You know what? It is becoming a circus.

Open Thread...

Go at it.

I Can Even Tell You What...

 ... has been discussed "not for the record". 

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Russia’s defense minister — the first such conversation in 15 months. Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced the call in a briefing Tuesday, saying Austin initiated the discussion. “The secretary emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine,” Ryder said. Russia has blamed the U.S. for an attack on Crimea — a Ukrainian peninsula Moscow seized in 2014 — in which Ukraine used ATACMS missiles supplied by America. Still considered Ukrainian territory under international law, Crimea is an exception to a U.S. policy that bans Ukraine from shooting long-range weapons into Russia. This week the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy for a scolding over the attack, which killed at least four and left more than 150 injured.

And no, it is also not about "military contractors" or "boots on the ground"--there is more to it. And that is about what is going on on the battlefield in former 404.

About Global Hawk...

 ... which was allegedly "shot down" by Russia. No, nobody shot down anything, but this rumor has originated in Russian TG channels belonging, and you have guessed it already, to all types of BSers aka military "bloggers". Highly likely this BS came from notorious Fighterbomber who sells BS and air force porn to fanboys. That's the type of lowlifes who wouldn't miss any opportunity to make a buck (or Ruble) on emotional high or low, depending on POV, such as cluster munitions attack on Sevastopol's beach. Considering the level of Western so called military bloggers who think that scanning Russian TG channels somehow is OSINT--they are largely in no way better than their Russian counterparts. So, the recycle of BS not only continues, but amplifies. 

Per Russian response to the US. Russians are professionals and will continue to do what they do with the remnants of VSU, such as today's statistics: 

Which terrifies Washington and every single Pentagon "warrior", plus--G(R)U and SVR most likely know the identities of American servicemen who operated ATACMs. They better run, because now they are classified as terrorists, who they are, and they will be hunted down and eliminated. Their best bet will be to return to the US and stay here for the rest of their lives, preferably after plastic surgery and live under the conditions of witness protection program or something similar. For those emotionally unstable and prone to knee jerk reaction, I can only repeat--Russia here is in for demolition of Pax Americana and it proceeds as planned, and even better. Hence hysterical rhetoric from the West and resorting to pure terrorism. US military bluff has been called. Like Al Bundy from Married With Children whose brightest achievement was his four touchdowns in the high school football game, the US still grasps at the last straw of its unimpeded turkey shoot in Gulf in 1991 against pathetic enemy. 

What is happening now is a big league and the US ain't in it militarily, bar its nuclear deterrent. And once this became clear to everyone but the "strategists" in Washington, we have the situation which we all observe now. Terrorism will continue--this is the only "capability" Washington (and London) have. Well, these losers too:

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday reassured NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that Paris is determined to “unequivocally” help Ukraine “in the long term.” Stoltenberg was visiting the French capital in preparation for the NATO summit in Washington next month. According to the military bloc’s chief, more support to Ukraine is NATO’s “most urgent task.”

Declining, disintegrating and militarily impotent nations capable only, at best, of pinpricks of terrorism and pathos-ridden grandiose statements. That's what West has become. Meanwhile:

During an interview with Chinese media ahead of Li’s visit to Malaysia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim declared his intention to apply to the bloc after it doubled in size this year by luring Global South nations — partly by offering access to financing but also by providing a political venue independent of Washington’s influence. Thailand — a US treaty ally — last month announced its own bid to join BRICS, named after members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The bloc “represents a south-south cooperative framework which Thailand has long desired to be a part of,” Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa told reporters last week.

You see, this is the result of Russia standing up to and beating the crap out of the combined West. So, yeah, let's shoot down some Global Hawk to satisfy "emotions" of immature people.

Yeah, That Didn't Age Well.

I mentioned today in my video Sy Hersh's "info" of allegedly US and Russia having some contact behind the stage. Well...

Российская сторона не ведет ни с кем каких-либо «подпольных переговоров» по теме конфликта на Украине, заявил министр иностранных дел России Сергей Лавров на пресс-конференции по итогам встречи с белорусским коллегой Сергеем Алейником. Лавров подчеркнул, что Запад отказывается организовывать переговоры на справедливой основе, передает ТАСС. Переговоры также невозможны, поскольку президент Украины Владимир Зеленский запретил руководству страны вести диалог с Москвой, добавил министр. Ранее американский журналист и лауреат Пулитцеровской премии Сеймур Херш заявил, что Москва и Вашингтон якобы провели приватные переговоры по урегулированию украинского конфликта.

Translation: The Russian side is not conducting any “underground negotiations” with anyone on the topic of the conflict in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference following a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Sergei Aleynik. Lavrov stressed that the West refuses to organize negotiations on a fair basis, TASS reports. Negotiations are also impossible, since Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has forbidden the country’s leadership to conduct a dialogue with Moscow, the minister added. Earlier, American journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Seymour Hersh said that Moscow and Washington allegedly held private negotiations to resolve the Ukrainian conflict.

There you go. Plus, there is nobody in the West's political top to talk to.

Weakness and Wickedness...

 ... they create terrorism. 

 

Live On DDGeopolitics...

 ... in like 5 minutes. 

 

Larry Provides A Good Summary...

In his latest on cluster munitions on Sevastopol's beaches. 

Imagine the reaction in the United States if Russia detonated cluster munitions over Miami Beach, killing and wounding more than one hundred, including children. The American people would demand a strong response. Well, that is exactly what is happening now in Russia:

The intended target, most likely, was Belbek air field which part of the aviation of the Black Sera Fleet is based on. The part of package of one of the shot ATACAMS still managed to dispense and that's what have created the killing field with 5 people killed and 125 wounded, many children among them. ATACMS is American system and flight data was entered by the US personnel. US doesn't allow khokhol nowhere near US systems (ATACMS, Patriot PAC3, NASAMS et al) operating in 404. 

Dmitry Orlov wrote a brilliant piece on:

"War and Punishment" is not just a great novel by a great Russian author Tolstoyevsky; it is also Russia's foreign policy. Suppose you ignite a war on Russia's border with the hopes of destroying Russia — and lose it. What do you suppose will happen to you next? Peace? No, you will be punished. Your punishment, for didactic purposes, could be separated into five categories: financial, economic, political, social and cultural:

He elaborates well on what War and Punishment (a combination of War and Peace and Crime and Punishment) are, so if you don't have Dmitry's Boosty subscription--get it.  

Open Thread...

 ... go at it.

It Is Saturday...

 ... so some dead Russian Korean guy sings one of the two immortal songs he wrote. I think it fits with today's agenda. I don't like Tsoi or Kino but I always admit--this is one of the greatest songs written in Russian rock music. 

Look at these dudes;))) 

Yes, both Kim and Vladimir know what it all means.

Open Thread...

 ... but before you go at it. Here is a reminder why the West cannot beat Russia in war--this kid from 10 years ago has more veterans of real wars in his bloodline than any super-duper US "veteran" or any US general or admiral, who never defended his family or land. Zero... 

Go at it...

Patrick Armstrong...

 ... reminds us all. 

On this day, 18 June, in 1935, the Anglo-German Naval Agreement was signed. The two sides agreed that the German Navy’s total tonnage would be fixed at 35% of the Royal Navy’s tonnage. Not, when you think about it, a very intelligent agreement from London’s perspective. One of the causes of the First World War had been British concerns about the size of the German Navy and yet where did they think this one-third-as-big navy would be based? Obviously in the North Sea; the British, with their world-wide empire, would have most of their ships elsewhere, In short, London was agreeing that the Germans could have near-parity in the waters closest to it. But worse. The agreement was the first violation by a great power of the Versailles conditions and had been done without consultation with any of Britain’s allies. It was the first, and therefore legitimating, agreement made by a great power with Hitler’s Germany.

Read the whole thing--you will understand why they cry so loud about Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. You will also be "surprised" that the SS ass-hole who was met with standing ovation in Canadian Parliament--you know, Hunka guy--is accused of killing 500 people among them Russians, Poles and Jews (in Russian). I think the guy should get tenure in either West Point or Sandhurst, before he dies. He surely has skills in "war".

22 June 1941...

 ... today is the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow. 22 June 1941--Axis forces invaded Soviet Union. As Churchill said that day in his broadcast to British peoples:

At 4 o'clock this morning Hitler attacked and invaded Russia. All his usual formalities of perfidy were observed with scrupulous technique. A non-aggression treaty had been solemnly signed and was in force between the two countries. No complaint had been made by Germany of its non-fulfillment. Under its cloak of false confidence the German armies drew up in immense strength along a line which stretched from the White Sea to the Black Sea and their air fleets and armoured divisions slowly and methodically took up their stations. Then, suddenly, without declaration of war, without even an ultimatum, the German bombs rained down from the sky upon the Russian cities; the German troops violated the Russian frontiers and an hour later the German Ambassador, who till the night before was lavishing his assurances of friendship, almost of alliance, upon the Russians, called upon the Russian Foreign Minister to tell him that a state of war existed between Germany and Russia.    ...

All we know at present is that the Russian people are defending their native soil and that their leaders have called upon them to resist to the utmost. Hitler is a monster of wickedness, insatiable in his lust for blood and plunder. Not content with having all Europe under his heel or else terrorized into various forms of abject submission, he must now carry his work of butchery and desolation among the vast multitudes of Russia and of Asia. The terrible military machine which we and the rest of the civilized world so foolishly, so supinely, so insensately allowed the Nazi gangsters to build up year by year from almost nothing-this machine cannot stand idle, lest it rust or fall to pieces. It must be in continual motion, grinding up human lives and trampling down the homes and the rights of hundreds of millions of men. ...

The Nazi regime is indistinguishable from the worst features of Communism. It is devoid of all theme and principle except appetite and racial domination. It excels in all forms of human wickedness, in the efficiency of its cruelty and ferocious aggression. No one has been a more consistent opponent of Communism than I have for the last twenty-five years. I will unsay no words that I've spoken about it. But all this fades away before the spectacle which is now unfolding. The past, with its crimes, its follies and its tragedies, flashes away. I see the Russian soldiers standing on the threshold of their native land, guarding the fields which their fathers have tilled from time immemorial. I see them guarding their homes; their mothers and wives pray, ah yes, for there are times when all pray for the safety of their loved ones, for the return of the breadwinner, of the champion, of their protectors. ... Let us learn the lessons already taught by such cruel experience. The Russian danger is therefore our danger and the danger of the United States just as the cause of any Russian fighting for his hearth and home is the cause of free men and free peoples in every quarter of the globe.

Sadly,  this was fast forgotten in 1945... This is the announcement of Levitan to Soviet people.

What happened after that... Churchill was right: But all this fades away before the spectacle which is now unfolding(c) The greatest war in human history unfolded and what happened on the Eastern Front resonates even today both in crushing globalist world order and denazifying the combined West.

Hm, Because...

 ... Habeck is an idiot? That will be my wild guess. 

German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, who is also the country’s minister for economic affairs and climate action, has reportedly failed to secure a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during his three-day trip to China, amid economic disputes and fears of a trade war. Habeck landed in Beijing on Friday, where he hoped to meet Li Qiang before traveling on to Shanghai on Saturday – but was informed that the appointment was “not possible in the morning before departure,” Die Welt reported, adding that Habeck has “no idea” why the meeting was canceled. Instead, the German official will meet “a whole series of cabinet colleagues,” so his day is “full enough,” according to the publication.

Chinese are going to talk only to those who have real power. That's not Germany. Plus, the publication in Russian media from German tabloid Bunte about Habeck's "background" of his grandfather being obersturmfuhrer of SA in the Third Reich, while his great granddad was part of the closest circle of Joseph Goebbels (in Russian) may have something to do with it. Once you consider the fact that the father of von Der Leyen is known, being a judge, for exonerating concentration camp guard who killed quite a few people--one gets the idea what kind of "soul searching" these people did--it perverted them in human and political terms completely by removing any reference to distinction between good and evil, change in rhetoric doesn't matter. But when you are a slave... fill in the blanks yourself. In conclusion--German "elites" hate Russia, so does a significant part of population in what used to be West Germany.

SitRep...

 ... today. 

 

The State Of The Affairs...

 ... in the world today as expressed by David Lynch in his masterpiece. 

I have to admit, prescient in Herbert's book and Lynch's fantastic imagining of it. Reminds you of anything today?

Nima and Me...

 ... yesterday.

 

Garland, Scott And Yours Truly...

 ...like 5 minutes ago))

In Related News...

 ... about 404. 

In a June 16 interview with the news channel of Ukraine’s army, Armiya TV, an Azov commander admitted to his unit being used to prevent other Ukrainian units from retreating.  Dmitry Kukharchuk, the commander of the Second Battalion of Ukraine’s Third Assault Brigade, the current iteration of the neo-Nazi-linked unit, recounts a moment in 2022 when his unit was positioned behind a unit of Ukraine’s territorial defense forces (TRO) to prevent its retreat:

We [Azov] were motivational troops then. We then helped the 110th brigade of the TRO. I can't say anything bad about them, because for a TRO they fought quite well, but, again, as a TRO they had to be motivated. And then my detachment—I was then the commander of a detachment of 500 men—was evenly distributed along a 25-kilometer line….

“Motivational troops” appears to be a euphemism for a “blocking detachment” (also known as “barrier troops”), a unit positioned behind the frontline to prevent retreat. It appears that Azov’s “motivation” existed as an implicit threat, preventing the TRO soldiers from falling back.

In related news--the water is wet, the fire is hot and concrete is painful when you fall on it from 20 feet height. They have been shooting VSU cannon fodder in the backs since day one. And, in fact, it was also part of the training provided by the NATO "instructors" who due to them sucking at real war are very good at shooting at the backs of retreating troops. Public executions in a front of the units have been also a normal affair in VSU since day one. But give The American Conservative a credit, after 30 months of SMO they finally noticed. Does Estonian own this publication, if you know what I mean? Since we are at TAC. 

Reaganism is the same type of mental illness as is exceptionalism, so Doug Bandow continues to live in the illusionary world that if you somehow define "victory" you may get some sort of favorable result: 

The allies should lay the groundwork for negotiations today, when Ukraine’s position is strongest. It is still possible to preserve that nation’s independence and sovereignty, while accepting military restrictions and territorial losses. How much would depend on talks. Washington and Brussels should discuss possible economic and security arrangements with Moscow. For example, Ukraine could be nonaligned militarily—with Russia assured that it would not face a hostile state allied with America on its border—but still free to form economic and political ties with Europe. If Russia makes peace, it could be free to reengage economically and politically with the West. The allies could offer the return of frozen funds and property to Moscow and individual Russians. 

What Bandow doesn't understand is that Putin's "offer" was peremptory and that the West far from having a strategy--it is an unknown thing in Washington--missed completely, as is ALWAYS the case in the US--in fact, I think they teach that in USMA at West Point and in War Colleges--the nature of the conflict. Few people who do grasp this nature, they usually do not go far in Washington. So, wishful thinking is not a strategy and for Bandow, if he still didn't understand the issue--Russia is at war with combined West and she will not stop now until Western hegemony is over.

For People Who Still Recall...

 ... this so called "strategist". Remember?

Russia should revise its nuclear doctrine and lower its nuclear threshold in order to deter the West from pursuing reckless policies, says former foreign policy adviser to the deputy head of the Russian Presidential Administration, Sergey Karaganov. The political scientist, who is the honorary chair of the presidium of Russia’s Council on Foreign and Defense policy (SVOP), has in the past repeatedly brought up the issue of nuclear weapons, in a number of articles, and has suggested that Russia should consider the possibility of carrying out preemptive nuclear strikes against targets in Europe at some point. Karaganov’s controversial suggestions have landed him in hot water, as SVOP members even issued a joint letter this summer “unequivocally condemning” his reasoning and calling it “irresponsible” to assume a nuclear conflict could be limited without spiraling into a global nuclear war, costing millions of lives.

It is easy when you have no viable education and is privileged boy from Soviet/Russian Moscow Beau Monde who wouldn't know the difference between operational and strategic. So, spewing BS is the only skill these types have. But, finally, Vladimir Vladimirovich put all this pseudo-military amateurish crap to rest. Today, to the whole world. 

"Превентивный удар нам пока не нужен, потому что в ответно-встречном ударе противник будет гарантированно уничтожен", - пояснил российский лидер, комментируя возможность обновления ядерной доктрины.  

Translation:  We don’t need a preventive strike yet, because in a retaliatory (head-on response strike) strike the enemy will be guaranteed to be destroyed,” the Russian leader explained, commenting on the possibility of updating the nuclear doctrine.

Simple as that, and that validates what I started to state the moment announcements of the possibility of changes to Russian nuclear doctrine started to circulate--the changes will be primarily of the technical (and technological) nature and will involve the imposition on the US of the technological development in the delivery and anti-missile systems where the US is radically falling behind and the gap only grows. In SMO--Russia will continue to annihilate mobilization potential of NATO, and continue to kill 404 cannon fodder.

But, Of Course...

 ... I was mistaken, damn it--no "breakthroughs" from North Korean "scientists". It will be done (already?) in the open. 

Since the West claims it has the right to arm Ukraine with impunity, Russia reserves the same right and might send long-range precision weapons to the DPRK and other countries, President Vladimir Putin has said. Putin spoke with reporters in Hanoi following his meetings with the leadership of Vietnam on Thursday. One of the questions related to his previous suggestion of sending missiles to adversaries of the West, in response to the US and its allies greenlighting Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia. ”We do not rule out supplying weapons to other countries, including the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” Putin said. “Let the West think where they might end up.”

West, a euphemism for the US primarily, doesn't think--enough to take a look at a boy Jake Sullivan whose "national security" background is in running Hillary's campaign and... well, that's about it, or at the present crop of Pentagon generals and one gets the idea about "intellectual level" of these people. But for those who really want to get the idea--draw two circles--one 800 km radius (P-800 Onyx) and another 2,500 km (Iskander with cruise missiles)--with the center somewhere in North Korea  and what you get is the full coverage of the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan and well into the South China Sea. With that North Korea begins to cover the whole theater of operation of the US Navy (its bases in Japan included) and we all understand what it all means. Yes, it is a dramatic shift in the balance of power in South-East Asia. 

You see, in real strategy--not in election cycle "strategy" nowadays it is all about ranges and accuracy. Russia was patient with the West for a long time. And this is just North Korea, who knows what Iran will decide to do and with what, if you know what I mean, wink, wink. 

Per changes in Nuclear Doctrine, as I already stated--it is about more and better weapon systems beyond stated "sufficiency", especially in hypersonic delivery systems to completely discredit any remnants of NATO anti-missile defense and push it into debilitating expensive arms race which it already lost. Keep in mind--with dedollarization reaching now an incredible speed and the USD de facto losing its reserve currency status, the US simply has no resources to sustain this race both economically and scientifically. I am sure more free-falling nuclear bombs scared Russians, right? Nah, I am screwing with you. But the US "rethinking" its nuclear posture gave Russia an excuse to break all shackles of pretense and free itself for showing a bunch of globalist cowards that the real game begins. The greatest of those shackles was Russian belief till 2022 that you still can reason with the West. You cannot. Washington and its euro-poodles understand only the cold hard barrel of the gun at their temple.  

P.S. Russia and North Korea have a direct railway link and a lot could be delivered by trains.

You Know You Are In Trouble...

 ... when this kind of news begins to make headlines around the world. 

Several high-profile candidates have turned down the chance to become Boeing's (NYSE:BA) CEO, including GE Aerospace (GE) CEO Larry Culp, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, complicating the company's search for a new leader to succeed Dave Calhoun, who has said he plans to spend by year-end. Two other potential CEO candidates, Boeing (BA) COO Stephanie Pope and Spirit Aerosystems (SPR) CEO Pat Shanahan, face complications on their path to the top job, while Boeing director and current Carrier Global (CARR) CEO David Gitlin also declined to become a candidate, according to the report.

That tells you something. It is, indeed, criminal and atrocious what has been done to once great commercial aerospace company, that what once would have been considered a stellar position, a position to be proud of and heralding one's engineering and managerial achievement, has become toxic and nobody wants to take it. Even considering immense financial and other corporate rewards.  

Sadly, Boeing's problems do not stop just with the search for a new CEO:

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft was set to mark its crowning achievement this month: Ferrying two NASA astronauts on a round trip to the International Space Station, proving the long-delayed and over-budget capsule is up for the task. Starliner is halfway to that goal. But the two veteran astronauts piloting this test flight are now in a tentative position — extending their stay aboard the space station for a second time while engineers on the ground scramble to learn more about issues that plagued the first leg of their journey. 

Obviously, Starliner is a brand new capsule, but, boy, evidently the leaks are serious and under these circumstances it is right decision to keep astronauts on ISS for now. Do we see Soyuz in the nearest future if issues will not be resolved? One cannot exclude such a situation. For the most part astronauts and cosmonauts are a friendly bunch, with the exception of Senator Mark Kelly whose badmouthing Russians is a sign of his inferiority complex, and they do come to help each-other if need be. So, let's keep fingers crossed. Will Musk enter the equation? I cannot even conceive what these two astronauts feel now, especially if they will be cleared to fly Starliner back to Earth. But Boeing is a reflection of the overall state of the United States today.

Gravity Bombs!?

 No, really--is this a comedy or what? 

 

Surprisingly Fast...

 ... but here it is!

В Петербурге 18 июня на воду спустили восстановленный после пожара корвет «Проворный». Это событие стало важным как для «Северной верфи», которая занималась строительством корвета, так и для Военно-морского флота России, ведь новый корабль в будущем войдет в его состав. - Мы спустили на воду первый серийный корабль нового поколения - корвет «Проворный» проекта 20385. Головной корабль, корвет «Гремящий», был ранее принят в состав ВМФ и сейчас достойно несет службу на Тихоокеанском флоте, - сказал главнокомандующий Военно-морского флота России Александр Моисеев в ходе церемонии спуска на воду.

Translation: In St. Petersburg, on June 18, the corvette “Provorny”, restored after a fire, was launched. This event became important both for Severnaya Verf, which was building the corvette, and for the Russian Navy, because the new ship will be part of it in the future. “We launched the first production ship of the new generation - the corvette “Provorny” of project 20385. The lead ship, the corvette “Gremyashchy”, was previously accepted into the Navy and is now serving with dignity in the Pacific Fleet,” said Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Alexander Moiseev during the launching ceremony.

This is 3M22 Zircon carrier, mind you. 

Good as new and with a salvo capable to sink CBG.

The Hell You Say...

 ... this cannot be. Nah, I am screwing with you, of course. 

PARIS — Hypersonic weapons are likely still decades away from fielding, and the requisite research is best carried out collaboratively among Western nations, according to Kerstin Huber, executive officer for applied vehicle technology at NATO’s Science and Technology Organization. “I would think it needs another 20 years,” Huber told Defense News on the sidelines of a round table discussion on the technology at the Eurosatory defense show in Paris.

And how could this be, for years we have been told that any minute now those things will be developed and deployed. Ah, here it is:

Shielding hypersonic missiles’ sensitive electronics, understanding how various materials behave and predicting aerodynamics at temperatures as high as 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,649 degrees Celsius) will require extensive flight testing, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office said in a 2023 report, adding that test failures in recent years have delayed progress.

No shit, geniuses, pardon my French. How about "going back to school" and trying to develop supersonic missile, such as P-800 Onyx or, for that matter, Mach=4.2 Kh-32, both of which have been used to a devastating effect in SMO? How about getting those precious datasets, telemetry, develop materials, develop extremely high impulse fuels such as decilin, ability to control missile et al. Recall, two plus years ago I warned: 

The "catch up" is in quotation marks deliberately, because as Knutov (and many other serious specialists in the filed, not least the President of Russia himself) note for years--the lag of 5-7 years which will be permanent (why, is a separate issue) will constantly mean not only better and generation ahead weapons, but systems of countering of appearing US weapons as a systems of previous generations. 

Boy, was I overly optimistic. So, 20 years, eh. Hey, I merely report the news here. Remember 2018 and all those Western "experts" who spoke about those boutique weapons? And then suddenly the term hypersonic became so popular in the West. Well, as they say in Caucasus--no matter how many times you repeat the word baklava it will not get any sweeter in your mouth.

Karen Makes Great Points...

 ... at Judge's about West's "children".

 

Two Things...

 ... in re. this news:

Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a two-day state visit to North Korea, where he will meet with the country’s leadership for talks on economic, security, and international issues. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally greeted Putin at the Pyongyang airport, for the Russian president's first visit since 2000. The trip, which kicked off on Tuesday, will involve a “very busy agenda,” according to Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, who noted that the two sides intend to sign several agreements. The Russian president has already authorized the signing of a landmark Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement with North Korea. Ushakov also said Putin and Kim were expected to hold lengthy face-to-face talks to discuss “the most important, the most sensitive issues.” The visit will be largely focused on the international agenda.

The result will highly likely be:

1. A dramatic improvement of North Korea's economic development;

2. North Korea suddenly being able to "develop" state-of-the-are A2/AD capabilities based on North Korea's scientists "breakthroughs" in developing long range supersonic anti-shipping missiles and ISR. Damn, those North Korean scientists. 

Ah, yes, there is a third point--it is all on the border with South Korea which houses some US military bases. Nothing that intermediate range missiles with excellent targeting cannot rectify.

"Why We Fight"...

 ... remember this series of propaganda WW II movies? It has been revealed now why. This is Zaporozhye today (pay attention--empty streets) and a recruiting office. I wonder what this emblem reminds me of, cannot put a finger on it exactly... ah, wait... 

How appropriate--Stars and Stripes and good ol' Nazi crest together (granted with Trident instead of Swastika)...

Hey, remember Patton? After all he was right when he concluded that the United States was "fighting the wrong enemy".

Meanwhile...

 ... why not take interview with some... French general. In related news--hypersonic weapons are hard, like really-really hard. PR, on the other hand, is easy. 

Problems with the launcher and launch sequence of the new Long Range Hypersonic Weapon System will keep the U.S. Army from fielding its first LRHW battery until fiscal 2025, a government watchdog said Monday. The service aims to fix the problems and test the missile and launcher together no later than the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. Even a successful launch might not be the end of the Army’s worries. Service officials told the GAO that problems with missile performance in flight testing could further delay the program. They expect to have the eight missiles required for a battery ready within 11 months after a fielding decision is made, according to the GAO. 

Didn't I warn about it like... two years ago? Let me translate this for you: "Problems with the launcher and launch sequence." (c) No, the problems are not with that, this all is utter BS. The problem is with gliding body, its inability to sustain hypersonic flight and, finally, inability to control it because this is the key to REAL hypersonic weapons. Now, this cretin from Defense One--a collection of butthurt US military amateurs tries to compensate:

U.S. officials have described an “arms race” against China for hypersonics development, a field that Russia also invests in. In 2023, Ukraine shot down six Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, although experts noted that they were not the maneuverable type of missile typically referred to under the umbrella term of “hypersonics.” In February, Russia attacked Ukraine with the Zircon hypersonic missile for the first time. 

Yes, in fact--404 shot down all Zircon and Kinzhal missiles, because, you know, Patriot PAC3 is the best thing in universe like... ever. In general, most of Western military academies, let alone some shitty courses in "Security Studies" and other "Strategy" crap should simply be dissolved due to professional incompetence and their staffs moved to fiction writing departments in liberal arts colleges. To Sam Skove who penned this crap--he should take basic military courses from people who actually know how to fight real wars and maybe take intro courses in math and physics. But I feel his pain... tough to be a loser.