Apti Alautdinov...

 ... explains some realities of this whole Kursk NATO FUBAR. 

Last figure I saw was 14, 200--a full blown US division with three BCT (Brigade Combat Teams) gone. I stress, Russians are extremely conservative in their VSU losses count. Now we have a cauldron forming, and Sumy and surroundings are without electricity and newly arriving reserves of VSU are being pulverized even before they reach the border. 

And then, there is a rather interesting article about fates of the United States by Russian thinker (he has a graduate degree in Physics, if anybody wonders) Timofei Sergeitsev with a shocking title: Russia Will Have To Take Away US Nuclear Weapons. One may debate merits of this piece, but Sergeitsev, paradoxically, makes an interesting case of WHY the US Armed Forces will not save the US, unlike it happened with Russia in 2000. Remarkably, very similar idea was floated by Colonel Larry Wilkerson (you can find this video of his on You Tube). 

Военные — те, кто воюет и умирает на поле боя, а не просто числится военнослужащим в мирное время — единственная каста, которая может править. Такова древняя традиция, но такова и современная ситуация, поскольку власть требует неограниченной ответственности, когда в залог отдается жизнь, а не уставный капитал. США — общество, где власть узурпировали торговцы. А они в принципе избегают ответственности, даже ограниченной, стремятся к перенесению максимума рисков, убытков и издержек на других. В СССР власть в ХХ веке присвоили священнослужители безбожной религии — веры в коммунизм. Этот перекос политической системы привел ее к разрушению. Перекос политической системы США также ведет их внутренний кризис к точке невозврата. Военное сообщество США развращено притоком внешних ресурсов, логикой грабежа. Строить государство — систему воспроизводства власти с опорой на внутренний, собственный ресурс — оно не готово. Два века торговое сообщество США покупало услуги собственных военных, фактически сделав из них наемников. Но на это внутреннее наемничество остается все меньше средств. А также наемники не имеют и не могут иметь политической квалификации.

Translation: The military — those who fight and die on the battlefield, and are not simply listed as military personnel in peacetime — are the only caste that can rule. This is an ancient tradition, but this is also the modern situation, since power requires unlimited responsibility, when life is pledged as collateral, not authorized capital. The United States is a society where traders have usurped power. And they, in principle, avoid responsibility, even limited, and strive to transfer the maximum risks, losses, and costs to others. In the USSR, power in the twentieth century was appropriated by the clergy of a godless religion — the faith in communism. This imbalance of the political system led to its destruction. The imbalance of the US political system is also leading its internal crisis to the point of no return. The US military community is corrupted by the influx of external resources, the logic of robbery. It is not ready to build a state — a system for reproducing power based on internal, its own resource. For two centuries, the US trading community bought the services of its own military, essentially turning them into mercenaries. But there are fewer and fewer resources left for this internal mercenary activity. And mercenaries do not have and cannot have political qualifications.

The fact that this piece was published by Ria is telling. I meanwhile simply beg--get me into this "what could have been" for a day. Let me marvel and rest.

I need a full-length movie about this world;)) Amazing.

It Also Reinforces...

 ... my extremely low opinion of the US, forget about UK chihuahuas, operation planning capabilities. Russians, however, view this NATO catastrophe in Kursk not so much as Cavoli's Plan as much as London's plan with some US "input". Whatever the case is, it doesn't matter now. 

It is my contention--NATO simply has no grasp of modern large scale combined arms operations. The numbers of VSU's losses in Kursk are appalling. It is a slaughter.

Well, Well, Well...

 ... as was stressed, including by me, about Kursk "incursion". 

Заместители губернатора Курской области привлечены в качестве свидетелей по делу о срыве сроков строительства оборонных сооружений на границе с Украиной. Местная прокуратура обратилась в суд, так как защитные линии, которые должны были появиться в регионе еще 1 августа, до сих пор не построены. Согласно информации Mash, дело отправили на новое рассмотрение в Курск после срыва сроков госконтракта, вероятно, из-за действий подрядчика. Не исключено, что чиновники в дальнейшем могут стать подозреваемыми по этому делу. В администрации области отказались комментировать ситуацию, ссылаясь на закрытый статус дела. Судебные разбирательства начались еще в апреле, когда Управление капстроительства потребовало 2 млрд 112 млн рублей с местной Корпорации развития, с которой были заключены шесть госконтрактов на постройку сооружений, но сроки сдачи были нарушены. Не исключено, что чиновники в дальнейшем из свидетелей станут подозреваемыми.

Translation: Deputy Governors of Kursk Oblast have been called in as witnesses in a case on the failure to meet deadlines for the construction of defense structures on the border with Ukraine. The local prosecutor's office went to court because the defense lines, which were supposed to appear in the region on August 1, have still not been built. According to Mash, the case was sent back to Kursk for a new trial after the deadlines for the state contract were missed, probably due to the actions of the contractor. It is possible that the officials may later become suspects in this case. The regional administration declined to comment on the situation, citing the closed status of the case. The trial began back in April, when the Capital Construction Department demanded 2 billion 112 million rubles from the local Development Corporation, which had signed six state contracts for the construction of structures, but the deadlines were violated. It is possible that the officials will later become suspects instead of witnesses.

That completely explains a coarse reaction of Russia's Defense Minister Belousov to platitudes from temporary Governor of Kursk Smirnov at the first meeting in the immediate wake of Kursk incursion and the transfer of the whole operation completely to the Defense Ministry. MoD knew by then how Kursk administration "used" a huge sum of money given to them to build the line. For those who do not understand the law, until the KTO or special military regime are announced in the area, it is up to local administration to provide what is needed--such as construction of the defense line--in their constituencies. Well, now we know how. Many will end up as suspects and will be charged with all kinds of financial and other "non-financial" crimes. FSB, I am sure also has some questions to ask, including within own ranks as goes for the CO of the Border Guards detachment, who, obviously, completely misunderstood what he was dealing with when he was transferred to Kursk (from Middle Asian assignment) shortly before the incursion. This in no way diminishes a heroic response from Border Guards who DID blunt the initial thrust of VSU and, as it was so many times in Border Guards history, completely threw NATO plan off the rails.

Larry Wilkerson's Valuable Insight...

 ... on Judge Nap's show. On culpability. Which only buttresses my constant point that neither Pentagon, let alone CIA, nor, let alone kindergarten in London know what real operations are and act on an amateurish template of Operational Manuals written for fighting people who cannot shoot back. 

Now, today Russian MoD provided the "score" for Kursk. 

"Всего за время боевых действий на Курском направлении противник потерял более 5800 военнослужащих, 72 танка, 31 боевую машину пехоты, 58 бронетранспортеров, 383 боевых бронированных машины, 177 автомобилей, 37 артиллерийских орудий", - говорится в сообщении ведомства. Кроме того, ВСУ потеряли пять установок зенитных ракетных комплексов, 11 пусковых установок реактивных систем залпового огня, в том числе три РСЗО HIMARS и одну MLRS, девять станций радиоэлектронной борьбы, РЛС контрбатарейной борьбы, РЛС противовоздушной обороны, пять единиц инженерной техники, в том числе две инженерные машины разграждения и одну установку разминирования УР-77. "Операция по уничтожению формирований ВСУ продолжается", - добавили в МО РФ.

Translation: "In total, during the military actions in the Kursk direction, the enemy lost more than 5,800 servicemen, 72 tanks, 31 infantry fighting vehicles, 58 armored personnel carriers, 383 armored combat vehicles, 177 cars, 37 artillery pieces," the ministry said in a statement. In addition, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost five anti-aircraft missile systems, 11 multiple launch rocket system launchers, including three HIMARS and one MLRS, nine electronic warfare stations, a counter-battery radar, an air defense radar, five units of engineering equipment, including two engineering vehicles and one UR-77 mine clearing unit. "The operation to destroy the Ukrainian Armed Forces formations continues," the Russian Ministry of Defense added.

Basically, a division has been wiped off the order of battle for VSU and Russian Army gladly continues to wipe out other reserves which are being thrown into this meat-grinder. As I stress all the time--the numbers of VSU losses are very conservative to put it mildly. E.g. double strike on VSU facility and concentration on VSU troops in Slavyansk today. Nobody would even count their 200s and 300s and they will not be included by Russian MoD into statistics. 

That's the template thinking.

Another One Bites The Dust...

 ... RUK (Recon-Strike Complex) at work couple of days ago at Kherson axis. 

Three M-270 (with ATACMS or HIMARS) and a lovely secondary detonation of ammo storage. Mr. Iskander is getting now its longer--much-much longer (1000 ++ km) version, just in case. 

Now, I understand that Glenn Diesen worries (rightly so) about possible NATO-Russia clash--the burning ferry with loaded oil at Port Kavkaz does look impressive. But as I stress non-stop--in the end it is COFM (Correlation of Forces and Means) and posture which dictates approach to any kind of war. NATO has neither, trying to hide behind the backs of VSU. NATO simply doesn't have enough of anything. In other words--NATO cannot assemble and predeploy required force to even have a chance against Russia. At least some people in Pentagon understand it. Pathos-ridden rhetoric from West's "elites" (a euphemism for BS) is just that. NATO is effectively de-militarized now. The required FORCE is not there for NATO, period! The best division-size force packed with US and other "volunteers" has been wiped off the face of the earth in ten days in Kursk. 

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Friday that U.S. officials have been in near-daily contact with Ukrainian counterparts and have made no recent changes to guidance on how U.S. weapons can be used in the Kursk offensive. “They are allowed to use U.S. provided material to defend themselves against Russian aggression. And, as you know, the president allowed them to use U.S. munitions across that border to deal with imminent threats,” Kirby told reporters in Washington. Kirby added that it's unclear how successful Ukraine's operation in Kursk will be over the long term. Russian officials on Friday reported some success in turning back Ukrainian forces in some areas of the Kursk region.

Oh, it is very clear, Mr. "Admiral" Kirby, very clear. 

While Inevitable Unfolds...

... for 404 and NATO, Nikolai Patrushev visits Borei A-class boomer Emperor Alexander the Third. She is for now at the North, but it is a Pacific Fleet SSBN. 

Next in line, this time for Northern Fleet, is Prince Pozharsky, which should be commissioned this year. 

I want to stress, Russia's strategic missile submarines production is impressive, to put it mildly and is increasing the gap with the US not just in state-of-the-art platforms but with latest versions of Bulava SLBMs capable of delivering of hypersonic gliding blocks. This is a generational loss, against the background of the delays of both Sentinel ICBM and Columbia-class SSBN. Hence the leak from uber "classified" (LOL) nuclear weapons guidance form the White House. 

Biden Approved Secret Nuclear Strategy Refocusing on Chinese Threat. In a classified document approved in March, the president ordered U.S. forces to prepare for possible coordinated nuclear confrontations with Russia, China and North Korea.

It is a classic approach to "do something", which is nothing but PR and simulation of meaningful activity, when initial conditions are clear and no matter what one does they cannot change anymore. Here is GAO giving some heads up:

All six offensive hypersonic weapon efforts GAO identified have placed a high priority on delivering quickly, with all intending to deliver a “minimum viable product”—one with the initial capabilities needed for users to recognize value. Four of the efforts, however, are not soliciting user feedback to determine what capabilities to include in their minimum viable product, a leading practice for product development identified by GAO in July 2023. In addition, four efforts have not adopted leading practices for using digital engineering tools, another leading practice for product development. These tools include virtual representations of physical products. Employing modern digital engineering tools and directly soliciting user feedback both have the potential to speed up the design process, reduce costs, and develop a more usable product. While DOD has identified and analyzed cost risks, the cost of these weapons is difficult to estimate. This is in part due to DOD's limited experience developing and fielding hypersonic weapons. For example, the Navy's estimate for Conventional Prompt Strike—among the most mature cost estimates available—compensates for the lack of quality historical data by relying heavily on the views of subject matter experts. Expert views are best used sparingly, as they can be prone to bias, unless estimators analyze and account for that bias. Addressing this and other issues in accordance with GAO leading practices for cost estimates could provide Navy decision-makers a more accurate estimate.

As I already stated--you cannot buy technical expertise based on technological and engineering culture which is utterly alien to the United States and its weaponry. Absolutely the same goes for operational and strategic experiences of Russia, which are also beyond reach now. It is all about "limited experiences". If that hasn't been enough, the shit accumulates on ISS:

Notably, NASA's Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich obliquely referenced this during his most recent press availability on July 25. Stich was asked whether NASA would certify Starliner for operational missions if the vehicle returned to Earth autonomously but ultimately safely. "There are a lot of good reasons to complete this mission and bring Butch and Suni home on Starliner," he said. "Starliner was designed as a spacecraft to have the crew in the cockpit. The crew is integral to the spacecraft."

Port concerns

The International Space Station has two docking ports for crew vehicles, and these must accommodate both Crew Dragon and Starliner. At present, one of these ports is occupied by the Crew-8 spacecraft, which is due to return to Earth fairly soon. The other port is occupied by Starliner. One source at Johnson Space Center said the concern is that NASA cannot afford to "brick" one of its two crew docking ports. For this reason, if NASA decides to return Starliner autonomously, it must be certain the undocking software update will work.

This is becoming ridiculous. Wait until they will tell us (it is already known) that undocking may create problems and the damn thing can damage the port, in the best case scenario, in the worst... well, let's not go there. 

Meanwhile, somebody begins to suspect something. 

It is called Operational Art, that even a setback could be turned into operational-strategic success.

VSU "Offensive"...

 ... unfolds as planned by the Russian Army and copious amount of BS NATO media try to spread contradict the overall, and tactical, pictures of a slaughter of the best 404 (and NATO) reserves. Here is another US wundrwaffe joins its "colleagues" in the technological hell--courtesy of Russian RUK (Recon Strike Complex) with Mr. Iskander visiting this unlucky HIMARS. 

The slaughter of VSU continues and Russian Army is now forced to deal with piles of decomposing bodies of VSU it needs to collect all over forests. 

Meanwhile, the number of POWs also grows--here is a whole platoon of VSU surrenders. They had enough.

 

Social media are overflowing with videos of a catastrophe for VSU and its terrorist raid whose main target was... well terrorism against civilians. Only a complete imbecile could think about achieving their three main objectives such as capture of Kursk NPP, Kursk proper and even trying for "regime change". Well, that's what one gets for "bringing army to NATO standards", considering the fact that not a single NATO commander knows what it is to maneuver, let alone advance against Russian Army and they don't teach that at USMA at West Point nor in any Command and General Staff College(s). Hence, correct, the threat of dirty bomb, for those people who still think that dirty bomb is a NUCLEAR--it is not. It is this:

It is NOT a nuclear device, its main purpose is to create contaminated area--bad as it is, it is NOT a nuclear bomb. But yes, this shows utter desperation on part of the US.  So, my suggestion to all of you--stick to professionals in their assessments. You know who those people are. Follow Apti Alautdinov's TG Channel. Carry on.

In Related News...

 ... water is wet, fire is hot and concrete is hard. Duh!

Ukraine’s Western backers do not object to Kiev’s large-scale incursion into Russian territory, Politico reported on Friday, citing officials. Ukraine launched an attack on Kursk Region on Tuesday in what is its largest assault on Russian territory since the outbreak of the conflict. The Russian Defense Ministry estimated at the time that the Ukrainian offensive force consisted of up to 1,000 soldiers and dozens of armored vehicles, including some supplied by the West. On Friday, however, Forbes claimed that the attack involved “at least three brigades,” each with up to 2,000 troops, including some of the best-equipped units in the Ukrainian army. Politico reported that some of Ukraine’s Western backers that had previously voiced concerns about escalation in the conflict gave a “greenish” light to the attack, adding that there “there is no sign” that they “are putting pressure on Kiev to ease off.”

I repeat ad nauseam--Pentagon and the combined West who had their asses handed to them in every single war they unleashed in the XX and XXI centuries live vicariously through their best proxy they ever had. Many people try to ignore this factor, but I stress it all the time--David Eisenhower, to his credit, describes the factor of professional envy of Western Allies of the Red Army on a number of occasions in his classic book on his famous Grandfather. Same is here--military impotence and spite drive many things in Washington, especially against the ongoing collapse of the American military pseudo-history--a collection of confabulated military stories to buttress American founding myth of the "greatest country there ever was". So, seeing all this circling the drain hurts, undoubtedly. So, what's left--convulsions of a rowdy psychiatric ward patient, who is restrained by orderlies and is taken to the padded room, who in desperation from inability to do anything bad to a doctor spits in his direction. 

Russians, meanwhile, do as they usually do--go through proper motions and annihilate whatever is left of those two hapless VSU brigades which are running around in small groups of scared shitless survivors. Hence the Counter-Terrorism Regime in Kursk Oblast, not the Military Regime---there is a huge difference. I elaborated enough on this issue in my yesterday's video. But main conclusion is--NATO (headed by the US) should go to the military grammar school and learn what modern warfare is against Russian military machine and stop pretending that they are in the same league. They never were, fighting primarily for PR effects, a doomed "strategy", if you can call it such, but that's the only thing they can do...