Absolutely True And Sad...

 ... comment. It hits hard on so many levels. 

Bloomberg is so scared by the little girl that likes to live in Russia. Oh Florine! You became so dangerous for mr.Biden! Wish you big happiness in the new country!

Family of traditional Catholics finding refuge in Russia...

Those who do not know Russian, find the meaning of the word затискать in its good, positive connotation. No, it is not to cause pain or harm, its main meaning is to hug and kiss and hold near oneself someone who is so dear. It literally means to затискать in hugs of love. Russia fell in love with Florine. As did the Soviet Union with Samantha Smith whose disarming smile is imprinted still on so many people of my generation. Keep in mind, these are always American children for some reason. It is metaphysical, born out of something which only America and Russia possess. But now, the American girl in Russia and Russians falling in love with her... So natural...

Big Fluffy Words...

 ... or why Stoltenberg wouldn't be allowed to be a cook on Ohio or Borey-class boomers, nothing against critical role cooks play anywhere, not to mention the fact of them being a critical element of damage control and survivabilty teams on subs. Our cooks (surface fleet) have been also trained as reserve artillery guys. It is so cute when former PM of Norway with degree in "economics" talks about nuclear weapons. 

Per French, so far Airbus and 4 Triomphants keep them somewhat relevant. As conventional Armed Forces... LOL)))

Leaving Havana.

You see, no Cuban Missile Crisis 2.0, no super tensions, just friendly visit. 

 

The Phrase Of The Week...

 ... from James Kunstler. 

Why the European members of NATO wanted to go along with this nickel-plated clusterfuck is an abiding puzzle of history now, like who exactly bumped off JFK in 1963. Germany, the Euro club’s biggest economy, stood by listlessly while America blew up its supply of affordable natgas (the Nord Stream pipelines), which was an act of war by us against Germany. Apparently, Olaf Scholz went to our CIA station in Berlin for a haircut one day and came out with a lobotomy, staring blankly through the whole affair like a Hinterwälder steer on the killing floor. Meanwhile, goodbye industrial economy! Nice knowing you. Looks like it’s back to the fourteenth century, living on rough black bread, sleeping with the cattle under your house for heat in winter, fighting jihadis inside your town walls. . . .

Indeed, looking at modern Germany one begins to wonder what level of sheer idiocy have been those people brought to. Here is the fresh example--this is Germany's "opposition", mind you. 

The German government should stop providing social benefits to Ukrainians, senior MP Thorsten Frei said on Sunday. He argued that the move would incentivize Ukrainian men to return to their home country and join the army amid the conflict with Russia. Frei, the deputy head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the Bundestag, accused Ukrainians of fleeing to Germany in order to avoid mobilization at home. “While everything is at stake for Kiev in the face of the brutal Russian attack, many Ukrainians in this country who are able to defend [their homeland] are ducking out of it,” Frei told Funke Mediengruppe. “We should be honest: the benefits… to war refugees are providing completely wrong incentives.”

At this stage German way of thinking strikes one as that of the aliens from a wonderful movie Dark City in their quest to understand humans' soul. Obviously, due to their alien race not having one. But then again, show me a single German politician today who is not corrupt or with family blood which doesn't desire revenge on Russia. It is not surprising that it was former GDR's Leipzig which booed Rod Stewart and his pro-404 escapades, while Berlin was OK with it. It is, indeed, Dark City in Europe. I am not sure about XIV century in Germany, but it sure will be immediate post-WWII economic state (say early 1950s) for Germans with some toys like internet and smart phones added to ease the dawning realization of who and how brought this once thriving country to its knees.

Yegorov Of "Zvezda" Confirms...

 ... albeit using the older video of a surface launch, that Kazan officially carries 3M22 Zircon. Here is his report from Havana (in Russian), including some details which you will not find in Western media. The condition for both ships entering Havana was the absence of nuclear weapons on board. 

Even without nukes, combination of weapons on both ships is strategic in nature. Also, pay attention to US buoys (hundred +) spent in attempts to track Kazan. 

Another Zircon-Onyx-Kalibr-Otvet carrier Marshal Shaposhnikov together with RKR Varyag (this one, unlike sunk Moskva, is fully upgraded and digitized) was visiting Egypt. Well, will wait for Military Acceptance with more details of those visits.

Larry's Excellent Delivery...

 ... at SPIEF a few days ago. 

 

Ha, CNN Reports...

 ... actual news from Havana. Not the first half of the report, of course. But visit to Admiral Gorshkov is open for public. Upper deck only, of course.  

Obviously, no one is allowed on board of Kazan. As expected, the discussion board below the video is dominated by massive numbers of TSIPSO and simply genuine article Khohol and other Western fanboys, but the truth is--as I reiterated a number of times--it is what is in waters in the Eastern and Western seaboards which really matters. Couple of the US vessels with SURTASS are  hanging around the area waiting for any opportunity to get Kazan's acoustic signature, but Russians are keenly aware of the rules of the game and Kazan, naturally, will sail on the surface until she breaks off nosy SURTASS guys and a couple of Virginias or Seawolves doing lapses in the vicinity. Good Ol' submariners game. 

What many fanboys didn't notice of course is Academic Pashin...

Russian Navy's latest class of replenishment ships (oilers) of pr. 23130 with 2 completed, 2 building and 2 ships of this class planned. They are state-of-the-art and are designed and built precisely for the type of global affairs such as the visit of a detachment of Russian ships to Cuba. Each of the ships of this class is capable to carry more than 5,000 tons of fuel, plus other supplies. My memory, however, brings me back to this mighty supplier...

At 25,000 tons, she was a mighty fine ship. Well, times change and surface fleets are rethinking their footprint in the times of hypersonic weapons and 24/7 ISR.