Explanation From ...

 ... the highest level professional. 

The head of the State Duma's Defense Committee, Andrey Kartapolov, ruled out strikes on the Verkhovna Rada and Volodymyr Zelensky's office. In an interview with the "Parliamentary Gazette", he stated that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the president's office are not "decision-making centers" that could be targeted in strikes. "Deputies do not control the troops and do not determine where and when to launch strikes. The same can be said about the office of the President of Ukraine. We all understand that Zelensky doesn't appear there. He sits in a bunker, and in his office there are two guards and five cleaners. Does it make sense to spend expensive ammunition on, in effect, an empty place?", said Kartapolov, commenting on suggestions that the targets of Russian strikes could include a complex of government buildings in the center of Kyiv.

Kartapolov explained that "in this case, decision-making centers refer to the deepened and protected command posts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, their branches, units, possibly other security structures, including state administration structures". According to him, such facilities are not located in the center of Kyiv, but are hidden and fortified structures. Kartapolov also did not rule out attacks on bridges across the Dnieper, but noted that they were designed by Soviet engineers and built by Soviet builders from Soviet materials with the expectation that they could withstand hundreds of strikes. Therefore, their destruction would require a large number of powerful ammunition. According to him, such strikes will become possible when Russian heavy aerial bombs can reach strategically important crossings.

Answering the question of whether Volodymyr Zelensky himself could be a target of a strike, the deputy replied that this is determined by "only one person - our Supreme Commander-in-Chief". Therefore, on this issue, he would prefer "not to engage in speculation". 

So, make you own conclusion but read attentively what Kartapolov says. 

Here Is Colonel-General ...

... Andrei Kartapolov. Unlike NATO (US) generals he won serious campaigns and look at his CV. Joe Kent, that's for you.  So, being the chair of the Duma's Defense Committee he made this statement yesterday (in Russian), the gist is below video. 

Kartapolov's main point: we can now assume that Iran deliberately manipulated Israel and US' intelligence circuits into the belief that once the political top of Iran was removed the "uprising" will follow. The aim? To lure both into Iran and settle the issue once and for all. 

It was and is my point for decades now that the US can not "do" strategy, be that military or grand (that is of national level) one, it simply has no capability because of the negative selection of military-political-intel "elites", aka "morons with Ph.Ds". Now that we observe USAF planes falling down from the skies (you know, slightly damaged due to "incidents") and that increasingly looks like an Air Defense trap by Iran, it is not only reasonable but warranted to remind you a wonderful quote from Dune's conclusion:

Plans within plans, within plans ... And do not forget--Forms Must Be Obeyed. 

Will Russia Strike?

Yes, she will.

F-16 fighter jets and any airfields they are based at will be legitimate targets for the Russian military if they participate in combat missions against Moscow’s forces, the chairman of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee, Andrey Kartapolov, has warned. The comments come as Kiev prepares to receive the first delivery of US-made fighter jets from its Western backers, after Ukrainian pilots were trained to fly them. In a statement to RIA Novosti published on Monday, Kartapolov clarified that if the F-16s “are not used for their intended purpose” or are simply held in storage at foreign airbases with the intent to transfer them to Ukraine, where they will be equipped, maintained, and flown from Ukrainian airfields, then Russia would have no claims against its “former partners” and would not target them.However, if the jets take off from foreign bases and carry out sorties and strikes against Russian forces, both the fighter planes and the airfields they are stationed at will be “legitimate targets,” according to Kartapolov. 

For those who have questions about how such planes will be identified--it is rather easy. One word--Kontainer over-the-horizon radar. 

Range--3,000 kilometers, covers all of Europe. Sees and tracks aircraft on runways in Netherlands and Turkey, as an example.

 

So, there will be no difficulty in tracking which plane and how it flies. Meanwhile, Russian company Fores already announced the bonus of R 15 million for the first shot down F-16 (in Russian). Meanwhile VSU and their "supporters" from BBC and the rest of British media sewer continue to achieve "successes" by pulling out of their asses all kind of BS for the consumption by the brainwashed public. Here is actual Air Defense professional debunks fake from "destruction" of S-400 in Mospino (in Russian). And against the background of losses of towns and villages every day by VSU it is no surprise that VSU and their curators in the West desperately need some "good news". So, why not to imagine them.

Another Issue Of My Talking head.

I do talk about NDIA report and how it factors into the current situation. 

In related news, I was of a better opinion of Anatol Lieven, but, evidently, the more I read what he writes recently, the more I understand why Ph.D in political "science" or even history is not a viable education today. Lieven writes a lot, as of lately, but he surely lacks understanding what modern Russia is. This is not to say that Russia is invulnerable, but Lieven is merely a manifestation of inevitable overstretch of political "sciences" in a face of an extremely complex, technologically and scientifically, world. Yes, they reached the limits of their always exaggerated "expertise" long time ago.

A war in Ukraine would be a catastrophe for the Ukrainian people, and it would also be extremely bad for Europe and the world economy, including the U.S. economy. To respond to Russian invasion by backing a guerrilla war in Ukraine would create a permanent armed conflict in Europe, unending suffering for ordinary Ukrainians and a real threat of Russian attacks on any NATO state that supported the guerrillas. Far better to use the threat of sanctions to prevent war happening in the first place, and not throw away this valuable weapon in advance.

He doesn't understand the nature of a guerilla war in Ukraine nor does he understand that "ordinary Ukrainians" got exactly what they wanted. How about he looks at the US in this case, which chose POTUSes for the last five election cycles. Economically, meanwhile, he also doesn't understand "sanctions", especially when applied to such country as Russia. But then again, Western "Russia Studies" field always had issues with scales and proportions. Let them believe in sanctions. 

Unlike Lieven, Colonel General Kartapolov is a properly educated man with an immense experience in life and practical geopolitics and warfare, but it is difficult to explain to Western political "scientist" what Russian Academy of General Staff is, but here is Kartapolov today (in Russian) explaining what is going on:

Lieven should seek council of people like that, not a bunch of boys from Valdai. I doubt, however, that he will get it even if he reads it.

Paul Craig Roberts' Broadside.

And this is a broadside I entirely agree with. In his latest PCR writes: 

As an old cold warrior as a member of the anti-Soviet Committee on the Present Danger and as a member of a secret presidential committee that helped Reagan end the Cold War, I can tell you that I am astonished that Washington has not heard what the Russians have, in all frankness, told them. If the Committee on the Present Danger had heard the Russians say this in the 1980s, we would have told President Reagan to acknowledge their concern and reduce the tension. Today the situation is so different that to an experienced cold warrior such as myself it is extremely scary. But the idiots in Washington, who face a far more powerful Russia armed with weapons that Washington can only dream about, have no fear. Washington, the collection of the most stupid and arrogant people in the world, is exposing human life to untold risk on the sole basis of Washington’s belief in its own omnipotence.

As many people, me included, are on record--the danger is not America's strength but its weakness which many in D.C. refuse to acknowledge due to hubris and sheer incompetence. As if echoing PCR's sentiment, yesterday Vladimir Solovyov spoke to State Duma's Chair of Committee on Defense, colonel-general Andrey Kartopolov, his biography speaks for itself.  Sadly, this important conversation is only in Russian. It is about possible war between Russia and NATO. 

Kartapolov is of extremely low opinion on European NATO members' military capabilities and is of somewhat better one on the US Armed Forces, but you can easily recognize that he tries to hide his real attitude behind the wall of a politeness. He also speaks in conclusion about the meaning of 3M22 Zircon and what it brings to the table. If anyone can translate or CC this conversation that would be greatly appreciated. This is not some "political" general speaking--the guy commanded Russia's ground forces in Syria at the height of combat operations there. I thought it was important to let you know about this conversation too.