Daniel Davis...

... really had it. Thanks to Civ Adrian who noted this video. You can almost sense the desperation of Lt. Colonel when he speaks about it. Some purely humanitarian part in him also shines through. It is unconscionable on part of the US establishment to continue to exercise illusions on the issue of SMO. There are some who still do, and the reason they do is because they have no real grasp of anything which happens beyond their illiterate and ignorant echo chamber in Washington. 

Speaking of this Russia's surge capacity. What many people still do not get, it is the fact that Russia expands while continuing all OTHER programs which are not related to SMO and they include expansion of the Black Sea Fleet with three new pr. 22800 Karakurt, additional one will go to Baltic Fleet (in Russian). In terms of new UAVs... well, SMO birthed a monster of combat and recon UAVs, and loitering munitions, producer in Russia. So, there is a lot to talk about in this respect, but it seems that two chihuahuas, France and UK, you know, still want to remain slightly pregnant. 

Sending NATO soldiers to fight the Russian army in Ukraine would be too dangerous, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Friday. He made his comments as European leaders have reignited the debate on whether the US-led alliance should consider a more direct involvement in the conflict.   Speaking to Sky News on Friday, Cameron said that the UK must continue to deliver weapons to Kiev and focus on replenishing own stocks “as a national priority.” “But I wouldn’t have NATO soldiers in the country because I think that could be a dangerous escalation,” the prime minister added. “We’ve trained –  I think – almost 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers.” The foreign secretary’s statement came after French President Emmanauel Macron once again refused to rule out a potential deployment of NATO soldiers in Ukraine. “We mustn’t rule anything out because our objective is that Russia must never be able to win in Ukraine,” he told the Economist in an interview published this week. Macron argued that the question of NATO boots on the ground could arise “if the Russians were to break through the front lines” and if Kiev would request help. 

Of course it would be dangerous to those UK and French troops because they will be annihilated and UK and France will do nothing about it because they are, well, chihuahuas. Once kicked by the Russian boot they will run squealing to their master, who himself is circling the drain. So, what's left for UK is to do the only thing they know--to live vicariously through their Ukie cannon fodder and try to attack Crimea, especially on May 9th. What will Russia do? 

Any Western-backed Ukrainian attack against Russia’s Crimean Bridge or Crimea itself will be met with a powerful revenge strike from Moscow, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. The warning follows a recent post by Ukraine’s envoy to the UN, Sergey Kislitsa, which had a threatening tone, implying that the bridge connecting the Russian peninsula to the Krasnodar Region will not be standing by the end of the year. According to Zakharova, Kiev is openly preparing for a new attack on the Crimean Bridge, with the support of the West. She told a press briefing on Friday that, on the eve of May 9, Russia’s annual Great Victory Day commemorating the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, “the Kiev regime and its Western masters are hatching plans for new terrorist attacks on Russian territory.”I would like to again warn Washington, London, Brussels, that any aggressive actions against Crimea are not only doomed to failure, but will also be met with a retaliatory blow,” the diplomat said.

Well, locations of British and French advisers are known, as is of General Aguto's people and Kinzhal nowadays is carried not just by MiG-31K but by SU-34s. Zircon is fired, likely, from Bastion complex launchers, maybe frigates. One will have about three minutes to run. But don't trust me, UK's deputy permanent representative at UNSC James Kariuki was unequivocal: 

James Kariuki, the United Kingdom's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said during a U.N. Security Council meeting in New York on Monday that Moscow's military had been "set back 18 years" after nearly two years of war. Kariuki condemned Russia for obtaining weapons and equipment from countries like North Korea and Iran while dismissing Russia's claim of "protecting the rights of Russian-speakers in Ukraine." "Russian military modernization has been set back 18 years," Kariuki said. "Now Russia's defense industry strips down fridges for parts...And for what? To lose more than half of the land it seized since February 2022 and a fifth of its Black Sea Fleet?" "This war benefits no one, not Russians, and certainly not Ukrainians," he added. "The only threat to any civilian in Ukraine continues to come from Russia."

Why eighteen, why not seventeen or twenty four? But then again, who am I to question British "diplomacy" and its intellect and diligence in following facts. Nah, I am screwing with you--those vaunted British "elite" educational institutions produce today only imbeciles. 

Remember him? That's British "elite".

Standard Target...

 ... albeit the Crimean Bridge was closed for 45 minutes to make sure civilian drivers are safe. After 45 minutes normal operation resumed. 

Украинские военные ночью нанесли ракетный удар по Крыму, используя ракеты ATACMS, российская система ПВО успешно отразила атаку, сообщил глава комиссии по вопросам суверенитета Общественной палаты России Владимир Рогов. В своем Telegram-канале он указал, что украинские боевики применили несколько баллистических ракет ATACMS для удара по Крыму – перед атакой на полуострове была объявлена тревога, перекрыт Крымский мост. Российская система ПВО отработала над Джанкоем и Симферополем, отразив все ракеты ВСУ.

Translation: The Ukrainian military launched a missile attack on Crimea at night using ATACMS missiles; the Russian air defense system successfully repelled the attack, said Vladimir Rogov, head of the commission on sovereignty of the Public Chamber of Russia. In his Telegram channel, he indicated that Ukrainian militants used several ATACMS ballistic missiles to attack Crimea - before the attack, an alarm was declared on the peninsula and the Crimean bridge was blocked. The Russian air defense system worked over Dzhankoy and Simferopol, repelling all Ukrainian Armed Forces missiles.

I will reiterate (how many times now, LOL) ATACMS is a standard target for Russian AD. It doesn't mean that they cannot get some lucky shot, of course it may happen, but there is NOT a single NATO weapon system, bar nuclear weapons, which can make any operational, forget about strategic difference for Russia. None, do not exist. But yes, three important events for Russians are coming and the only thing they can dream about is to spoil those events. That's impotent rage. Not in Kiev, in Washington and London. ATACMS have been in 404 for months now. Not much success... 

Russian "Sturgis"...

One of the great American influences. Bike Show in... no, not Sturgis but in Crimea near Sevastopol and it is not that young running in its second decade. 

It is much less oriented towards "sexual" theme but it is still heavy on heavy metal and some fireworks with patriotism and is done each year by Night Wolves bike "club" (wink, wink) and even Vladimir Putin once attended. It is a huge event and it is genuinely international. Tomorrow (Today) Kipelov will be delivering some real Russian hard'n'heavy. Crimea (near Balaclava) is amazing this time of the year and the Black Sea water is amazing for swimming.

Go To 0.25 Of Normal Speed.

On Youtube for this clip from Russian MoD. Can you see the missile? I don't, no matter how I played with it:

In accordance to  Russian MoD Kalibr missile covered 250 kilometers in 137 seconds before hitting the target in the Crimean Peninsula. This is Mach=5.5 land attack missile. Are we yet again in "Revelation Mode"? Let's wait and see, but this Zvezda article (in Russian) has this funny phrase: Initially, when missile accelerates, supersonic fighters which follow it are practically equal (meaning following) with it (c). And then, and then... I guess this was THE message. Make your own conclusions. Many people already did.