So, It Is Reported ...

 ... that the high level Russian official who was supposed to be assassinated by GUR (in reality MI6/CIA) ... well, read yourself. 

MOSCOW, Nov 18 - RIA Novosti. A sabotage group, acting in Moscow on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services, was preparing an assassination attempt on the life of the Secretary of the Russia's Security Council Sergei Shoigu at the Troekurovskoye cemetery, the newspaper Moskovsky  Komsomolets" claims. 

(Organized by Kyiv. — Ed. Ed.) sabotage group <... > was preparing an assassination attempt on the secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery Sergei Shoigu", the newspaper said in a statement.

So, somebody in ... not in Kiev (those there already know or sense what's coming to them) but in London and D.C. despite Naryshkin's characterization lacks proper understanding, being fed incessant propaganda and lacking grasp of the proceedings, so to speak, of what, should that terrorist act have succeeded, would follow. I do not want to get into the details of this, but the names of who in the West is behind these types of "operations" are well known. 

Ah, wait--look at this: 

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has joined the advisory board of Ukraine’s leading defense company, renowned for its long-range drones capable of striking targets deep inside Russia, as a corruption investigation continues. In an effort to enhance its international reputation, Fire Point is establishing a new factory in Denmark and bringing prominent industry figures on board. It also aims to expand its operations to produce battle-tested cruise missiles, with plans to more than double its current capacity. However, public scrutiny remains intense during an ongoing corruption investigation. Fire Point’s executives insist they have nothing to hide and are operating under strict martial law protocols, even commissioning an independent audit to appease investigators. Critics, however, question the company’s opaque origins and the monopoly of its contracts with the Defense Ministry, and point to alleged links to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ’s notorious associate Tymur Mindich, who is implicated in a major corruption scandal.

Hm, Mike Pompeo--a fanatical Zionist and a product of the USMA at West Point at the time when it started going down hill academically. We all saw the "products" of that generation of graduates (1980s on) elsewhere. So, Pompeo, who is a lawyer and a former CIA Director doesn't understand the point I make non-stop--drones are but a part of the RUK/ROK and in terms of any actual impact on the military-industrial capacity of Russia have negligible effect if any because of the subject which is "taught" in the US military establishment based on fairy tales from Kiev, I am talking about Air Defense, of course. In other words, NATO as a whole has neither resources nor expertise (both military and industrial-scientific) to produce weapons which affect military outcomes on only levels which matter--strategic-operational. So, as was stated not for once, the only weapon they have is terrorism, which is the weapon of the weak. 

If only they all knew that the overwhelming majority of extermination of Nazi army in 404 is done by Russian barrel and rocket artillery and stand-off weaponry. But you cannot stick camera to each 152-mm round or Iskander, so the UAVs take the stage. 

They Wanted It ...

... I am not even sure that this is fresh, but that's around Kharkov. 

Hey, CIA (and MI6) also celebrated the fall of Assad. Why don't they send their wives and daughters to visit there, I am sure Russians at Khmeimim will be surprised at the gates ... But then again, there is no atrocity these guys will not commit as long as their precious universe is untouched. 

404 Mobilization...

 ... or as it is known as mogilization (mogila being a grave), because most "mobilized" know that meeting Russian Army is one way ticket to the... grave. 

But never mind, these two big "intel" honchos of CIA and MI6 surely know what war is, right? Right? Nah, they don't, both are whiteboard "theoreticians" in whatever--look at the background of this guy--and merely run what amounts to propaganda outlets. But this is the human material they want to take the war to ordinary Russians with. Judging by the "performance" of  Anglo-American "troops" in Kursk they are good primarily for torturing POWs, civilians and raping women. Staying power? Not so much. So, that is why they need "mogilization". The problem for them is that 404's human resource is nearing its end.

And They Huff, And They Puff...

Larry posted yesterday a very good description of CIA in relation to modern Russia and what load of malarkey all those "reputable" spooks provide on Putin and Russians:

U.S. policymakers, when it comes to Russia, are an ignorant lot with little appreciation for history. They are blinded by ideology and tend to view present day Russia through the expired constructs of the Cold War. Putin and Russia are inept. They are bumbling. They are backward. Etc.,etc. etc.

Read Larry's excellent piece which frames extremely well other news which many military "analysts" types got excited over. But, in my opinion, this is a good news in a bizarre sense which confirm the assertion of many, yours truly included, from the start of the SMO that most of Russian ground forces are held in reserve precisely for this kind of contingencies:

The US Army's 101st Airborne Division would not hesitate to enter Ukraine should a conflict break out between Russia and NATO, CBS News reported on Friday citing the unit’s military commanders. The elite division is currently conducting war games in Romania, close to the country’s border with the war-torn state. The unit's commanders told CBS that they would be prepared to cross into Ukraine if the fighting escalates – without elaborating what that would entail – or if NATO were to come under attack. They highlighted that their current deployment in Europe, the first since WWII, is “to defend NATO territory.” "We're ready to defend every inch of NATO soil”, Deputy Commander Brigadier General John Lubas told the news network.

It is a classic Western militaries' huffing and puffing and performing a Haka, against the backdrop of a dismal record of war for NATO and the US, who managed to lose everything in every single war they fought in the last 30 years against small nations. So, there are a few points of note:

1. NATO will NOT come under attack if it stays where it belongs--within NATO countries. "Escalation in the fighting" is a deliberately opaque term, because even the level of fighting happening right now in former Ukraine is beyond tactical, operational and strategic experiences of the US Army. The operational "acumen" of Pentagon's and British planners and commanders will be studied for decades in serious military academies on how not to fight a real war. But then again--a shining example of Zap Brannigan and his approach to overwhelming enemies by wave after wave of cannon fodder seems to be the guiding light in training NATO's military leaders.   

2. The deployment of 4,700 US paratroopers to Romania is risible even against the realities of a single operational direction of SMO theater, which sees currently about the same weekly number of casualties (KIAs, MIAs and wounded) of VSU and no American officer or soldier ever faced such combat realities in their life. Nor did US Army ever face the level of attrition VSU faces today. It is simply outside of America's military experience. What will be the duration of combat stability--that is the ability to perform combat tasks while sustaining attrition--of the 101st under present fire impact conditions one can only speculate, but I would say at best--two-three weeks.

3. But then, of course, comes this other issue which Brigadier General John Lubas misunderstands--the only way 101st can "enter" Ukraine is under the condition of an all out war of NATO against Russia, which will require even in conventional (non-nuclear, that is) framework something between 500,000 to 700,000 NATO ground troops for the first "wave"--an impossible task for NATO and the US, unless NATO goes into full draft and I am sure American public will meet this news with enthusiasm and resolve. This, BTW, is the thinking of Mr. Petraeus, who never won shit in his life, yet somehow became a general. He thinks about "multinational" force now--I am sure his stellar experiences in Afghanistan will also be studied (already are) around the world on how not to fight COIN, forget real combined arms operations of scale of which he has only vague understanding. 

4. Lastly, but not "leastly"--I reiterate this my point for years, ad nauseam--no US service, including USAF ever fought anything like this in the life of several generations of American servicemen, top-bottom, from a regular grunt to CJCS. Period. And, of course, nobody in NATO (primarily US) armed forces has any concept of seeing their homeland devastated and losing their loved ones to attacks, famine, cold, illnesses and other things which real war brings on a massive scale. The US NEVER in its history, including in WW II, fought the enemy which could easily strike at strategic and operational depths with ease, and can deny NATO most of its ISR assets. So, as long as the US military only huffs and puffs--it is OK, but it has to be stated, Ukraine and VSU demonstrated perfectly a real worth (very low) of the NATO "standard", with NATO excelling only in PR and shelling civilians and this is without main Russian forces even engaging, so far. 

So, what was that all about yesterday, then? 

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has had rare direct contact with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the Russian military reported on Friday. According to the short readout, the two top officials “discussed issues of international security, including the situation in Ukraine” over the phone. The last phone call between Shoigu and Austin was reported in May, with both sides giving away few details about it. It was the first direct conversation between the officials since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in late February.

My speculation would be that Austin called Shoigu to inform him that arrival of 101st's Brigade Combat Team to Romania was only for training and not the part of the assembling forces for some nefarious purposes. This, plus some other "business" re: 404. No matter how one may detest Austin or Milley, it is good that both Russian and US militaries talk. Meanwhile, the head of parliament of Crimea, Vladimir Konstantinov, suggested to four 404 regions: Nikolaev, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkov to get ready for referendums (in Russian). This is the first "batch", the second one, as Konstantinov asserted, are Sumy, Poltava and Chernigov oblasts. Indeed, who knows what is this all about, right? I am also waiting for appearance of the excellent discussion between Peter Lavelle and George Szamuely about American paleoconservative so called "realism" and why these people and their views are becoming increasingly irrelevant. I know many of those, not just Pat Buchanan, but as I said--history is not strong forte of US politics.