By Now I Am Not ...

 ... surprised that it came down to this: 

The Pentagon has reportedly hired conservative military veterans with large social media followings to unspecified government positions. The Washington Post reported late Sunday that the Pentagon hired two conservative commentators—Rob Maness, a retired Air Force colonel with more than 135,000 X followers, and Kurt Schlichter, a retired Army colonel with 620,000 X followers—to work in Anthony Tata, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. The reports raise questions about transparency and Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's intentions in office. The former Fox News co-host has made efforts to influence the public's perception of the Pentagon, including hiring right-wing press corps to cover the government department while ostracizing other news outlets, leading to lawsuits.

As much as WaPo is a CIA dumpster, I can totally believe this--when one doesn't know how to fight a war (Pentagon doesn't) what's left is to BS people into believing that Hegseth is the second coming of Friedrich the Great. Or Zhukov. But he is not. 

Meanwhile, Banderols are "having an impact" on Odessa, among many other cities in 404, right this moment. 

The shelves of 404 grocery stores are getting emptied by panic rush  demand and catastrophic disruption of supply chains. 

I want to stress again, what I said at Daniel Davis' show today--morons in D.C. as always didn't understand what kind of people they decided to fuck with. Unsurprising for a system which has no Russia's experts and is amateur in matters of war. Anglo-Saxon world was given a chance in WW II to survive and correct itself. It learned absolutely nothing. Not surprising. 

It Is Already ...

... happening and the only issue are purely operational and even tactical details. Russia will destroy Western support for Kiev’s war machine – Lavrov: 

The minister said Moscow would not resort to the same tactics, but warned that its response would become increasingly severe. “We will not sink to their level. Instead, we will adopt much harsher methods to destroy everything that enables the West to fuel Kiev’s war machine. We are already doing this, and they are already moaning.” he said. The minister also reiterated that Ukrainian and Western proposals to freeze the conflict along the current front line are unacceptable. He argued that doing so under present conditions would amount to betraying both the Soviet victory over the Axis powers in World War II and the broader history of Russian statehood.

Russia doesn't do terrorism, West does. Some elaboration on semantics is due, though. "Kiev's war machine" is NOT Kiev's, in general it is NATO's "machine" which has been severely damaged during SMO and now that Odessa and Nikolaev are isolated--the work continues to make the Black Sea a Russian lake--the choking of the railroad network is also in progress. The bridge in Mayaky is now being pummeled for three nights in a row and it will be destroyed. 

Here it is in a larger scheme of things. 

So, Odessa is going to be strangled. Here are some visuals from Kiev's, a capital no less, a grocery store. 

This all is the result of what Russia is doing in terms of final strangulation of West's beloved Nazis and at some point, which in near, Russians will repeat an old English saying to Irish--we hate you for what you made us do to you. 

Lavrov also reiterated the warning, saying the Russian Navy could begin “focusing on the ships serving countries which have made pillaging and piracy their official policy.” In case of French or British, or Dutch commercial traffic which Russian Navy will choke off in the Pacific, this saying will not be used--Russians hate the West simply because of what it is. But yes, they can really make Europe miserable and then, maybe, send couple of Il-76s with humanitarian aid. Just to show that Russia "cares" if you know what I mean. 

Odessa, Air "Defense".

Turks are witnessing how Air "Defense" by 404 (supplied by NATO) is really good at hitting own civilians and other own infrastructure. 

Naturally, they will blame it on Russia, not on shitty NATO air defense complexes and crappy combat teams manning those. 

Air "Defense" Context))

I used a short clip of it today, here is a contextual, longer version of the event, which explains what Russian Forces are doing, how "good" (sarcasm) is 404 AD around Odessa. Specifically how any connection with Romania is being dealt with. Zatoka and Mayaki are now under constant strikes. 

And here is the work of 404 air defense. 

I guess the famous meme from brilliant French-British comedy La Grande Vadrouille is in order))

Odessa Today.

 Lovely fireworks with very low efficiency of Ukie AD. 

And then one of (many) arrivals this night. Namely more than 10.  

Something big has been hit. 

So, here it is. A reminder of what the "leakers" are, and that Russia can ensure as many as she needs. 

About Odessa...

 ... May 2, 2014. There is a good material in Ria on that grim anniversary (in Russian, use Google translate). What is correctly noted, for many Russians this was the event which changed everything. Later those events will be "explained" by the onset of the war in Ukraine. So, keep in mind, while SMO started in February of 2022, the conflict was ongoing for the last 10 years. It is then when I completely lost any "brotherly" feelings. Why I do not consider, as many still try (for Putin it is obvious, he has to project moderation and historical wisdom) to convince that Ukrainians and Russians are "brothers"--ethnically, yes, culturally, no--them to be largely not brotherly at all, bar people from what historically was Malorossiya, is long to explain. New generations of Ukies are people radically different from Russians and it is not just the matter of propaganda. Long story short--it is a debilitating envy and complex of inferiority which is in the foundation of Ukrainian nation. I am on record--Ukrainian nation DID happen. It is a real nation, which only now is getting the whiff of its own demise.

On May 2, 2014 if anyone had any doubts they have been dispelled by the events in Odessa. The rest are details, however horrifying, of the first major war crime of Kiev regime and its curators against Russian civilians. I just want to say--the records are well kept and updated in Russia. To understand how 404 and majority of her people have been brought down to this pathetic state, one has to look into the roots of not just banderite fascism, but read the pathetic attempt on scholarship  by former Ukie President Leonid Kuchma, Ukraine is Not Russia, to understand a sheer delusion of 404 about own existence. 

Now, about this Dugin guy. Here is he with you know the guy is:

This is Dugin's MO, hassle, and due to his very limited intellect, he uses demagoguery as his main tool. Here he "debunks" late Stephen Hawking, because you know...

This is the guy who will have difficulty taking first derivative from a polynomial function, but here he is--"debunking" Hawking and astrophysics. Life is easy when your father was general of GRU. Some continue to buy this BS.

A Monday Primer.

Andrei Raevsky posted the transcript of Nebenzya's speech at the UNSC today. It is about dirty bomb and Russia calling everybody on this hugely important issue. Nebenzya opens with this:

First I want to express my bewilderment. We do not quite understand which added value other than a time extension of today’s meeting, carries the inclusion in the list of the speakers representatives of Slovakia, Poland, Germany and Greece. We’re not having a debate today, we are conducting a briefing. These countries’ position we already know very well. It could be nicely summed up by a [single] representative of the European Union. Nothing, but a desire to be featured on national TV screens, can we see in that. In the future, Mr. Chairman, we would like to ask you to be more careful when compiling the list of the speakers for the UN meetings on this subject.

Read the whole thing at Saker's blog. It is extremely important.  

As you may expect, the stalwart of American faux-diplomacy, Mr. Blinken continues to dismiss Russia's warnings about dirty bomb as transparently false allegations. One would expect such a reaction from people "populating" Biden's (and Obama's) Administration, because any allegations about integrity and professional competence of American "diplomats" are transparently false, hence the US being both non-agreement capable and, de facto, ungovernable, increasingly so with Midterms approaching. But then again, and I touch on this subject periodically, they don't teach Moliere and they do not attend either ballet or dramatic interpretations of his immortal comedy Le Bourgeois gentilhomme in D.C. because it hits too close to home with its message that you cannot buy class, especially in current US "diplomacy". Blinken should have concentrated on practicing law in NYC and should have never tried to become Mr. Jourdain. 

The desperation before Midterms is palpable in the US and for people who say that I "interpreted" Hu Jintao's exit from XX Congress was wrong--it is fine with me, I constantly stress that I am no Sinologist and if Comrade Hu was simply having a bout of dementia, it is fine with me. What I know for sure is not wrong is the fact of a massive purge of the top political and economic echelon of China of Komsomolets (Youth League) faction in CCP which was a radically pro-Western (pro-American) fifth column. For the most part it is over now and Xi solidified his power with far reaching strategic ramifications. Mr. Hu, however, was a direct offspring of the Chinese Komsomol. So, the whole event was emblematic, no matter how one views it. Ramifications are simple though, China now openly admits the possibility of the military solution around Taiwan and that means a serious geopolitical split for the US which is already now out of resources. 

That brings us to the issue of 101st in Romania. I think the United States has been put on notice by Russia that Syria and Ukraine are not the same game. Unlike illegal occupation of parts of Syria by the US, Odessa is historically Russian city and in WW II Red Army, first defending it from Axis in 1941 and then liberating in in 1944  shed so much blood--it is beyond experiences of the American military. If, as some observes speculate, 101st is ordered to repeat Al-Tanf thingy with further "de-conflicting" scenario while maintaining some kind of "exclusion zone" in and around Odessa--they need to understand that 101st will be annihilated. I am sure this was conveyed by Shoigu to Mr. Austin and by Gerasimov to Mr. Milley. Unlike Blinkens or Sullivans of Biden's cabinet, no matter what one says about Milley--he is still a military professional and he has a grasp of such things. I repeat again--I can imagine what is being talked about when Gerasimov and Milley speak. I cannot imagine Lavrov communicating with this schlimazel Blinken without Lavrov chain-smoking because he has to talk to an amateur. Mr. Jourdain, that is. 

Per this.

Moscow and Tehran have struck a deal that will see the Islamic Republic selling 40 domestically produced gas turbines to Russia, Reza Noushadi, the CEO of Iranian Gas Engineering and Development Company, told the Iranian oil ministry’s news agency Shana on Sunday. According to Noushadi, Iran is currently capable of independently producing “85% of … the equipment needed in the gas industry.” This capability allowed it to sign the contract with Moscow, he added. The CEO did not reveal when exactly the deal was struck and when the turbines are to arrive in Russia. Russian officials have so far not commented on Noushadi’s statements. The development comes as the sanctions policies of the US and its allies have hit industry ties between Russia and its Western equipment suppliers. Earlier this year, state energy giant Gazprom had to gradually reduce gas deliveries to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline due to technical problems related to servicing turbines.

Is it possible? Sure. Iran was in the oil and gas business since the start, so this part of Iranian industries surely has some competencies in extraction and processing and it is purely non-military peaceful technologies. We just need to wait for confirmation from Russia on that and on the nomenclature of such turbines, if the deal was, indeed, struck. As per Russia military industries, as usual Western intel failed miserably.  

Russia is about to greatly enhance its military arsenal, the country’s former president, Dmitry Medvedev, said on Monday, adding that output of tanks, high-precision missiles, drones, and artillery pieces is growing “multifold.” He made the statement after inspecting the production lines of Russia’s leading arms manufacturer, the Uralvagonzavod tank plant. Medvedev, who is currently the deputy head of the Russian Security Council, posted a video on Telegram showing him touring the production halls of the plant together with a delegation of government officials. The video also featured dozens of modern T-72B3 and T-90M battle tanks under construction at the facility, including ones that appeared to be in the final assembly stage. The official said he has repeatedly seen claims by Western analysts “that Russia will soon run out of military equipment and weapons.”

I see these claims all the time and my only suggestion to those who make those claims in the West is to throw away their useless degrees in social and political "sciences" and pseudo-economics, communications and "international relations" and get to some serious schools to study industries, technology, math and, maybe, try to get to some War Colleges, especially Army and Naval--that may help. Other than that, as I am on record for years--the West's crisis is systemic and that means it cannot be fixed without changing the system itself. I don't have the recipe for fixing it, I just know that this is the end. Enjoy your Monday.

Not Again, Please.

Yes, Ukrainian "offensive" has succeeded because it achieved its main objective--it created informational noise, especially in the environment of "military experts", such as you can take a look at Dima from Military Summary at Gonzalo's Round-table three weeks ago. This is a definition of an amateur spewing sophomoric military BS with conviction. You know how I hate all those so called SitReps' forecasts, because I clearly understand my huge limitations in knowing what respective staffs know on the ground, let alone what people in General Staff know, but allow me, this time:

Russian forces have taken out hundreds of Ukrainian troops and dozens of tanks and armored military vehicles after repelling an ill-fated offensive in the south of the country, the Defense Ministry claimed on Tuesday. A statement added that officials believe the failerd operation was mounted at the personal order of President Vladimir Zelensky. “The effective actions by the Russian forces destroyed 48 tanks, 46 infantry fighting vehicles, 37 other armored combat vehicles, eight pickups with heavy machine guns and more than 1,200 Ukrainian servicemen in one day,” they outlined. The Ministry added that Kiev sustained these losses during a botched offensive whose directions led to Nikolaev, Krivoy Rog, and other cities in southern Ukraine. The ministry went on to say that Moscow’s forces routed the units of the 128th Ukrainian Mountain Assault Brigade, which had been redeployed from western Ukraine to take part in the operation. “Five service members from this brigade laid down their arms and gave in,” the ministry added.

Let me explain... again! Here is a definition from Russian Combat Manual (Field Manual) of Offensive. Combat Manual describes offensive, in this case, for platoon size formation :

179. Наступление проводится в целях разгрома противостоящего противника, овладения назначенным объектом и создания условий для ведения последующих действий. Оно заключается в поражении противника всеми имеющимися средствами, решительной атаке, стремительном продвижении войск в глубину его боевого порядка, уничтожении и пленении живой силы, захвате вооружения, техники и различных объектов. Под разгромом понимается нанесение противнику  такого ущерба, при котором он теряет способность к сопротивлению. Личный состав взвода (отделения, танка), используя результаты огневого поражения противника, должен вести наступление с полным напряжением сил, непрерывно днем и ночью, в любую погоду и в тесном взаимодействии с другими подразделениями разгромить противостоящего противника.

180. В зависимости от обстановки и поставленных задач наступление может вестись на обороняющегося, наступающего или отходящего противника. В зависимости от готовности обороны противника и степени его огневого поражения наступление взвода (отделения, танка) на обороняющегося противника осуществляется с выдвижением из глубины или из положения непосредственного соприкосновения с ним.

Transaltion:  179. An offensive is carried out with the aim of defeating the opposing enemy, capturing the designated object and creating conditions for subsequent actions. It consists in defeating the enemy with all available means, a decisive attack, the rapid advance of troops into the depths of his battle formation, the destruction and capture of manpower, the capture of weapons, equipment and various objects. Defeat is understood as the infliction of such damage on the enemy, in which he loses the ability to resist. The personnel of a platoon (squad, tank), using the results of the fire engagement of the enemy, must conduct an offensive with full effort, continuously day and night, in any weather and in close cooperation with other subunits, defeat the opposing enemy. 180. Depending on the situation and the assigned tasks, an offensive may be carried out against a defending, advancing or retreating enemy. Depending on the readiness of the enemy's defense and the degree of his fire damage, the attack of a platoon (squad, tank) on the defending enemy is carried out from the depth or from a position of direct contact with him.

You may reasonably point out that the definition of offensive by no means contradicts Kiev regime's claims. True in form, not in substance. And here is how professionals view this whole situation:

1. Offensives differ--dramatically. By their aims (scope) and that is why we have strategic offensive operations and tactical ones, where you have formations the size of company-battalion ATTACKING.

2. Here comes this OTHER thing. What is attack. Attack, actually, is a maneuver designed for fastest closing of the distance between us and the enemy (its formations or lines of defense) and here it matters greatly.  

Here is this crucial difference, judging by what this Ukie "offensive" has accomplished we can say that VSU ATTACKED--they surely tried to close the distance fast between them and Russian forces. But did they achieve ANY aims of the offensive? Recall definition of the offensive above which describes the essence. Right, I quote Combat Manual, again: It consists in defeating the enemy with all available means, a decisive attack, the rapid advance of troops into the depths of his battle formation, the destruction and capture of manpower, the capture of weapons, equipment and various objects. Do you see any of that achieved? See the news from RT, quoiting Russian MoD. Now take a look at Larry's explanations:

Ukraine only managed to capture Sukhoy Stavok, a small village with no strategic importance. The Ukrainian operation, however, proved very costly to Ukraine, which lost more than 1200 soldiers and almost 50 tanks. The tanks and tank crews are not easily nor quickly replaced. This does not even qualify as a Pyrrhic victory. The Russians still hold the territory.  

Yes, VSU ATTACKED and got destroyed. Here is another American real professional.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have no opportunity for an offensive in the Kherson region. This was told by Lieutenant Colonel of the US Army Daniel Davis on Fox News. The Russian military has been moving inexorably forward over the past time, maintaining its presence everywhere. The command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in turn, talked for months about the offensive in the south, but it did not go beyond words. The Armed Forces of Ukraine simply do not have infantry, ammunition and equipment for offensive operations. Yesterday afternoon, Kiev's forces tried to attack in the Kherson region, but naturally rolled back due to heavy losses and lack of forces.

That's Colonel Douglas MacGregor quoting Daniel Davis. Pay attention how the terminology is used. Now, as people on the ground report (in Russian), the number of attackers of VSU is estimated to be around 12,000, which is roughly a division, but rather two brigades' forces and here, as people from Kherson report is the essence of which I warned for months. 

Численность наступавших оценивается примерно в 12 тыс., что критически мало для развития успеха. Второго эшелона и резервов, в том числе техники, в этом районе у ВСУ пока нет, и это идёт вразрез с заявлениями руководства Украины о «миллионе мобилизованных» для «освобождения юга страны». По сути, украинские военные достигли только одного — продвинулись на 7 км в юго-восточном направлении на отрезке между посёлками Андреевка и Лозово и оказались заблокированы на степном ландшафте в районе н. п. Сухой Ставок. Воспользовавшись повышенным вниманием ВС РФ к этому н. п., Киев попытался ликвидировать Архангельский плацдарм (расположен рядом с посёлком городского типа Архангельское, в 45 км на северо-восток от Сухого Ставка), чтобы исключить потенциальную возможность его использования для нанесения ударов системами «Ураган» по опорным пунктам ВСУ на ближних подступах к Кривому Рогу. Эта задумка ВСУ также потерпела фиаско. Активные контрбатарейные и противотанковые действия со стороны российских подразделений, а также авиационные удары Су-25СМ не только обеспечили сохранение контроля над плацдармом, но и позволили пошатнуть обороноспособность ряда украинских укрепов.

Translation:  The number of attackers is estimated at about 12 thousand, which is critically not enough for the development of success. The Armed Forces of Ukraine do not yet have a second echelon and reserves, including equipment, in this area, and this runs counter to the statements of the Ukrainian leadership about "a million mobilized" for the "liberation of the south of the country." In fact, the Ukrainian military achieved only one thing - they advanced 7 km in a southeasterly direction on the segment between the villages of Andreevka and Lozovo and found themselves blocked on the steppe landscape in the area of ​​village Sukhoi Stavok. Taking advantage of the increased attention of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to this village. Kyiv tried to eliminate the Arkhangelsk bridgehead (located near the urban-type settlement of Arkhangelskoye, 45 km northeast of Sukhoi Stavok) in order to exclude the potential possibility of its use for strikes by the Uragan systems against the strongholds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the near approaches to Krivoy Rog. This idea of ​​the Armed Forces of Ukraine also failed. Active counter-battery and anti-tank actions by Russian units, as well as Su-25SM air strikes, not only ensured control over the bridgehead, but also made it possible to undermine the defense capability of a number of Ukrainian fortifications.

Now recall what I said--VSU CANNOT conduct successful offensive operations in the area against such forces as Russia has. As Russian military professional (who I respect, actually) Alexey Leonkov tells today (in Russian)--yep, with Russian ISR complex and firepower you just cannot conceal anything and you are going to annihilated, as is the case. But the most telling sign of a VSU's catastrophe in the steppes near Kherson is this piece of news:

МОСКВА, 29 августа/ Радио Sputnik. Для разрешения украинского конфликта необходимо вести переговоры и искать компромиссы, заявил в интервью итальянской газете Corriere della Sera мэр Одессы Геннадий Труханов.   

Translation: MOSCOW, August 29/ Radio Sputnik. To resolve the Ukrainian conflict, it is necessary to negotiate and seek compromises, Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov said in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

No shit, genius. Where have you been before and why such a flexibility all of a sudden? And here is the issue: while VSU desperate and catastrophic attack around Kherson may have been an attempt at feint for possible attack in Kharkov area (good luck with that), it is clear that Odessa and establishment of the land bridge to Transdnistria is the final objective of Russia's operations in the South of what used to be Ukraine. In the end, Dmitry Medvedev described 1.5 scenarios in which Kiev has to unconditionally surrender under any scenario. Simple as that. But I am sure that in coming weeks all these military "analysts" such as Podolyakas, Dimas and other professional monetising shysters both in Russia and in the West will continue to tell us about what amounts to a tactical episode which is a good fodder for media circus. Here is my take on this "offensive".

In The News.

Russia is not asking. 

Moscow is not asking for the lifting of sanctions, but urges Western states to fix the problems they have created on the global food market, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday. “We are not asking for the removal of sanctions – those are problems that deserve to be dealt with separately. We will simply develop our economy now by counting on reliable partners and not on those who have once again proved their total incapacity… As far as food is concerned, our Western colleagues... should remove the obstacles they themselves have created,” the diplomat said after talks with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, in Egypt. He noted that Moscow would not have agreed to Friday’s deal unblocking Ukraine’s grain exports if the issue of freeing up Russian exports had not been resolved. Moscow is now counting on the UN to stick to its promise and assist in removing restrictions holding back Russian grain shipments.

In fact, by analogy with RUSI's rather grossly delayed (by many years) report The Return of Industrial Warfare, it is about freaking time one compiled a similar report but titled The Return of Real Economy. Ah, wait, I already did, wink, wink. In real life all those stocks' "values", "capitalization" indices, or GDP fake numbers mean jack shit. Only the ability to produce and properly distribute tangible products ranging from energy, to food, to machines, to essential services matter in order to sustain societies and allow for development and social cohesion. The combined West suddenly, however late, begins to learn about those very simple and self-evident things. 

Per Gonzalo Lira's yesterday hypothesis that Zelensky's day may be numbered. 

Gonzalo is generally correct--assassinating Zelensky is one of the scenarios which was considered from the very start and the longer the SMO goes, the higher is the probability of such scenario being acted upon by the US. This, at this stage, however, makes no difference whatsoever for Russia because judging by the latest statements from the very political top of Russia, especially today's statement by Lavrov in Egypt:

КАИР, 24 июл — РИА Новости. Россия обязательно поможет украинцам избавиться от антинародного и антиисторического режима, заявил министр иностранных дел Сергей Лавров на встрече с постоянными представителями стран — членов Лиги арабских государств (ЛАГ)."Нам жаль украинский народ, который заслуживает гораздо лучшего. Нам жаль украинскую историю, которая рушится на глазах, и нам жаль тех, которые поддались государственной пропаганде киевского режима, и тех, кто его поддерживает", — отметил он.

Translation: CAIRO, July 24 - RIA Novosti. Russia will definitely help Ukrainians get rid of the anti-people and anti-historical regime, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a meeting with permanent representatives of the member countries of the League of Arab States (LAS). "We pity the Ukrainian people, who deserve much better. We pity Ukrainian history, which is collapsing before our eyes, and we feel sorry for those who succumbed to the state propaganda of the Kyiv regime, and those who support it," he said.

 

Cannot get any clearer than that and it means only one thing--Russia is ready to take most of Ukraine on her balance and remake her, with the exception of areas which are historically Russian and are or will be incorporated back to Russia, into normal, docile and neutral state, fully dependent on Russia economically and in defense terms. My personal opinion is that the Western Ukraine will be given to Poland, Hungary and Romania, after proper arrangements. Russia's economic and military weight allow to accomplish this for sure. Washington and London, however, miscalculated yet again because circumstances changed dramatically since March of 2022. As Putin said: "You ain't seen nothing yet". And Gonzalo is absolutely spot on--Washington now is desperate to extricate itself from the Ukrainian catastrophe before the whole thing collapses and even spin-doctors will not be able to hide the global scale of the US military-political humiliation, which will make Afghanistan look like a child's play. And it is coming, it is almost here.

 

Per strike on Odessa port. Bernhard did a very good short write up on the matter. As you know Black Sea Fleet launched a salvo of 3M14 Kalibrs (which Russia should have ran out of in March, wink, wink):

The Russian Ministry of Defense has confirmed striking targets in the major Ukrainian port of Odessa on Saturday, revealing that its missiles hit military infrastructure and arms stockpiles. “In the seaport of Odessa, on the territory of a shipyard, a docked Ukrainian warship and a warehouse of Harpoon anti-ship missiles, supplied by the US to the Kiev regime, have been destroyed by sea-based high-precision long-range missiles,” the ministry said on Sunday. The attack also crippled a repair facility where vessels of the Ukrainian navy have been fixed, it added. The strike on the target in Odessa, which is a major trade hub in the southwest of Ukraine, came a day after the signing of a UN-brokered deal to unblock grain exports from Ukrainian ports.

But, as I said, read Bernhard's write up on the matter and why there is very little protestation even in the US on this matter. Moreover, I am smiling when reading news of Russian and Turkish navies (in Russian) operating together while escorting grain carriers from Odessa, with Black Sea Fleet also being responsible for de-mining of the area. What a crazy time we are living in, who would have thought)). Here is your primer for Sunday.