Alexander Mercouris: Muliple signs that Zelensky knows he’s losing badly
Mercouris points out several desperate cries for help on the part of Zelensky, all of which have failed.
Zelensky asked Polish president Donald Tusk to allow Polish troops to fire missiles into Ukraine in the event of a Russian air attack that appeared to threaten Poland. FAIL
He asked the new UK PM Keir Starmer to give Ukraine permission to launch Storm Shadow strikes deep into Russia. Idiot Rishi Sunak had given his permission, but Putin had warned that should a Sorm Shadow strike inside Russia, Russia retained the right to strike British assets anywhere in the world (which could have led to a strike in the UK itself!) FAIL
Finally, Mr. Z tried to sweet talk Washington into allowing ATACMS to strike inside Russia. FAIL
The West is not quite ready to commit suicide.
Mr. Ze heard the Siren song from the West and believed all thirty some members of NATO would surely be more than capable of defeating Russia. Ignoring history’s lessons comes at a price, as Zelensky now knows.
Mercouris observes that Z’s desperate requests for the above-named risky favors indicate he knows he is losing badly and is running out of options.
Mercouris is confident that the new shipments of F-16s will not provide any strategic changes on the battlefield.
I would agree in that Russia has excellent air defenses that are shooting down the vast majority of missile attacks over Russia and its new territories, and further, the Russia-friendly informants all over Ukraine are providing the Russian forces with the coordinates of important Ukrainian military assets, enabling them to strike them from the air with missiles, drones and especially those formidable 3 tonne bombs. Russia also keeps hammering the Ukrainian runways with air strikes, making them practically unusable.
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Here’s your daily air strike update for July 12, 2024
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
July 12, 2024
Russian fighter jets hit the Ukrainian Armed Forces with unguided bombs weighing half a ton
The Russian armed forces dropped half a ton of FAB on Ukrainian troops
Russian fighter jets hit the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) with unguided bombs weighing half a ton - FAB-500s were dropped on Ukrainian troops. This was reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense, according to TASS.
According to the defense department, the strike was carried out in the zone of responsibility of the West group of forces and was directed against camouflaged accumulations of equipment and manpower.
Earlier it was reported that drone crews of the Airborne Forces of the Dnepr group destroyed more than ten Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicles on the right bank of the Dnieper in an hour.
The Ministry of Defense clarified that the accumulation of equipment in one of the settlements was discovered by the operator of the ZALA reconnaissance UAV.
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Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
12.07.2024
Dmitry Nevzorov
A monstrous explosion blew the Nazis of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to bits. SMO [special military operation] summary for the morning of July 12
FAB-3000 strike on a Ukrainian Armed Forces stronghold. Photo: frame from video
Special operation of the Russian Federation in Donbass and Ukraine
FAB-3000 strike on a Ukrainian Armed Forces stronghold.
In the Kharkov oblast, to destroy enemy defense centers and strongholds, the Russian Armed Forces use a reliable and battle-tested means - high-explosive aerial munition of various capacities. Recently, the heavy-duty FAB-3000 with a universal glide and correction module (UMPC) appeared in the arsenal of the Russian army. One hit from such a bomb can raze an enemy stronghold to the ground.
All strikes with such munitions are recorded by means of objective control, which confirm the destruction of the target. Footage of the arrival of a three-ton winged bomb at the control center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was posted on the Telegram channel “Iznanka”. An explosion of enormous power tore the building of the aircraft control center along with the personnel into pieces.
Buried in a bunker. The coordinates of the headquarters and generals of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were given by their subordinates
More details
They hit like in a shooting gallery, without missing a beat
On the right bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson oblast, the Ukrainian military has not felt safe for a long time. The Russian Armed Forces are destroying their positions day and night. For this purpose, all available weapons are used: artillery pieces, flamethrower systems, MLRS [multiple launch rocket systems] and unmanned attack drones. It was the UAVs that staged a real hunt for the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ vehicles the day before. According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, in just an hour, drone operators of the Dnepr group of troops destroyed more than a dozen vehicles for transporting Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel.
“The operator of the reconnaissance UAV ZALA discovered a concentration of Ukrainian army vehicles in the amounting to more than 10 units in one of the settlements on the right bank of the Dnieper. It was found that these cars are used by Ukrainian nationalists for military purposes at night. The information was passed on to the strike drone unit. FPV drone operators worked on targets for an hour. Objective control means confirmed the complete and successful destruction of enemy vehicles,” the military clarified.
Masking didn't help
In the zone of responsibility of the West group of forces, the crews of Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers attacked carefully camouflaged Ukrainian Armed Forces targets, sites with military equipment and personnel locations, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.
“The strike was carried out by OFAB-500 unguided aerial bombs with UMPC, which allows for precise strikes from a safe distance from the line of combat contact,” military experts said.
“It’s not a crack anymore.” The Russian Armed Forces broke through one of the key defense centers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
More details
The night in Ukraine was hot and bright again
From late evening until early morning, Russian Geran-2 attack drones took deadly turns over Ukraine. Ukrainian air defense systems only managed to record movements from all directions of the world. Attempts to shoot down the Gerans at high altitude yielded nothing. The drones calmly escaped the fire and continued to circle in the sky, forcing air raid sirens to turn on in one after another oblast of Ukraine. And then, at about three o'clock in the morning, the first explosions thundered.
2:27 — Cherkasy
2:37 — Zhytomyr
3:06 — Vinnitsa
3:12 — Kyiv and Chernigov
3:30 — Starokonstantinov [this town in the Khmenlnitsky oblast is the site of a very busy military airfield that is a very frequent target of Russian air strikes. The Russians suspect it will be used to launch attacks by F-16s on Russia. If I recall correctly, this airfield gets hit around once a week.]
5:25 — Kyiv
Following the night in Ukraine, the day promises to be very hot.
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Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
The enemy is preparing the largest battle, F-16s have targeted the Kursk, Belgorod oblasts and Donbass, the Russians are ripe for the main blow - unofficial reports
ILYA GOLOVNEV
THE ENEMY IS PREPARING THE LARGEST-SCALE BATTLE, F-16 HAVE TAKEN THE KURSK, BELGOROD OBLASTS AND DONBASS AS TARGETs, THE RUSSIANS ARE PREPARED "FOR THE MAIN STRIKE" - UNOFFICIAL REPORTS
While the Ukrainian Armed Forces are being defeated on the battlefield and suffering gigantic losses, Russian children are dying from Ukrainian drones—people’s discontent is growing. There is an active transfer of F-16 fighters to Ukraine, NATO aviation is hiding from Russian satellites. The draft age will be lowered: everything for conflict. We studied in detail the official reports of the Ministry of Defense and did not see any separately highlighted information. Therefore, we offer unofficial reports and news from the fronts of the special military operation. Our military officers and commanders helped in its preparation.
Every day the situation in the Chasov Yar area is heating up. The enemy is amassing forces and plans to prevent Russian assault units from breaking through the Kanal microdistrict.
At the same time, extremely heavy fighting is taking place on the flanks. The machine guns keep talking, and FPV drones fly straight into the dugouts, leveling them to the ground. Moreover, kamikazes are actively working on both sides. And yet, with sweat and blood, our guys are pushing through the enemy’s defenses.
The enemy has some kind of unhealthy fixation with flags. Expending five FPVs to shoot down the paratroopers’ flag is no problem, and it doesn’t matter that the house at 20 Dubrovsky Street burned down along with the crew. But the flag was knocked down
- reports a fighter from this direction with the call sign “Dark”.
OUR FIGHTERS BURNED A UKRAINIAN MTLB [light-armored multipurpose tractor] IN THE CHASOV YAR AREA. SCREEN FROM TG CHANNEL "GENERAL STAFF PORTFOLIO"
In such a situation, it is difficult for Ukrainian soldiers to maintain fortitude. The losses are not just big, they are huge. Torn bodies filled the streets. The psychological state of the enemy against the backdrop of our advance is depressing. And well, this is good for us now.
Now the Ukrainian Armed Forces are faced with the question of where and when the main blow will be delivered. Our command is leading the game, pulling forces to the Channel and aligning the flanks. The assault on Chasov Yar itself is a difficult task for which our units will be prepared. No one will drive soldiers to slaughter, even though the Kiev TsIPSO [Center for Information and Psychological Operations of Ukraine] foreshadowed that the task of taking the city was by May 9,
- notes the TG channel "Archangel of Special Forces".
Extermination of Russian children [The targeting of civilians is a feature of the Ukronazis. Like the US-backed Zionazis of Israel, they target mostly innocent people. Yet when a stray Ukrainian air defense missile hits a civilian the Ukrainian press and regime immediately accuse the Russians of being genocidal maniacs, which they most definitely are not – though the lying US media immediately copy-paste all the false Ukrainian allegations]
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army, using the Baba Yaga UAV, attacked a playground] with children in Shebekino. Five were injured, two in serious condition. Such reports only cause anger.
And after all, residents of the border oblasts are now constantly complaining about the lack of adequate protection for their homes and lives. And if a Baba Yaga drone flies unhindered to Shebekino, it means that enemy positions, even after the Kharkov offensive, are still close. People's tension is growing.
Military correspondent Alexey Zhivov notes that there are no sane solutions for the resettlement of the civilian population. The most banal way out: simply wipe off the face of the earth everything that surrounds the Baba Yaga launch point within a radius of a couple of kilometers. An unusual solution: purchase and deploy dome electronic warfare systems over border cities. This has so far been done only in Donetsk by the local FSB.
At the same time, millions of square meters of human settlements were built throughout Russia, all defense enterprises and research institutes in all major cities were built up. Demand is significantly lower than supply, and a lot of housing is empty. What is the problem of making a strong-willed decision and resettling residents of the border territories of the same Belgorod oblast into this new housing for the duration of hostilities? Zhivov asks a fair question.
The city, where about 40 thousand people lived before the Northern Military District, is now in the position of Gorlovka in the DPR. From Shebekino to the line of combat contact 8 km. The city is in the affected area of both artillery and FPV drone crews.
Preparing for the offensive
Against this background, an operational game began in the airspace over Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria to covertly transport F-16 fighters for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. TG channel Condottiero draws attention to this:
Air groups of these aircraft with various markings indicating they belong to the Air Forces of Romania, Germany, Denmark and other NATO countries began to appear more and more often. They take turns turning the transponders off and on. There are frequent takeoffs and landings, simulating training at different times of the day. Trying to hide from our satellites.
"Resident", citing sources in the President's Office, writes that the F-16s were provided by the West for the expected Ukrainian counter-offensive. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine prepared two operations: in the oblasts of Severodonetsk and Melitopol. Zelensky must agree on one of them so that the Ukrainian army will launch a military campaign in the fall before the US elections and help Joe Biden justify the costs of the Ukrainian conflict.
THE WEST CONFIRMS THAT THE ENEMY WILL HAVE F-16S ALREADY THIS SUMMER.
In general, military experts name the near rear in the Belgorod, Rostov and Kursk oblasts, the Crimean Bridge and the military infrastructure of Crimea, the LPR and DPR, as well as airfields in the Krasnodar Territory as priority targets for the enemy.
Military sorties in full gear with refueling at jump airfields are planned for the late autumn and winter of 2024. As part of the signed agreement between Warsaw and Kiev, the Polish Air Force plans to control F-16 flights when they enter Ukraine from Poland to a depth of 50 km on both sides of the border. However, there is one very big caveat.
All missions and plans are tracked. With any visible progress of these plans at the deployment hubs, aviation will arrive on schedule. Nothing will be ready for them even by autumn. Romania is in for a nasty surprise. Operation "Count Dracula" will not seem enough
— the author of the Win/Win TG channel points out.
By the way, another interesting point concerning the new “counter-offensive”. Ukrainian sources claim that Kiev will lower the mobilization age to 20 years in the fall. They say that the potential for recruiting the population over 27 years of age into the army has practically been exhausted, and there are no motivated citizens left at all. At the same time, those who are taken straight from the street often still have a number of health problems. And in order to reduce the tension in society from the “innovation”, the authorities will declare that persons under 25 years of age will serve only in rear areas. But who in their right mind would believe these fairy tales?
In addition, Legitimny reports that NATO has appointed a high representative in Kiev to coordinate with the Ukrainian authorities the future offensive. In fact, he will control the Office of the President. Apparently, the alliance is afraid that Zelensky may succumb to emotions and begin to make irrational decisions.
Everyone is intensively preparing for the future battle. It will be the largest in the history of the conflict, added "Legitimate".
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There’s no WAR in Palestine. It’s a GENOCIDE!
Casualties
38,345 + killed* and at least 88,295 wounded in the Gaza Strip. Among the dead, 28,428 have been fully identified. These include 7,779 children, 5466 women, and 2418 elderly people as of May 1. In addition, around 10,000 more are estimated to be under the rubble.*
…
‘Revealer of Inconvenient Truths’ – Julian Assange’s Impact on Palestine
June 27, 2024 Articles, Features
Excerpts
What we came to learn from the leaked documents was a confirmation that Israel was pursuing the strategy outlined in 2006 by Dov Weisglass, a senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister at the time Ehud Olmert, who talked of putting the “Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger.”
In 2012 it was later revealed that in 2008 a calorie estimation chart was drawn up in order to deprive Palestinians in Gaza of food, but not to the point of absolute starvation. According to the Wikileaks released cables, this was part of a strategy to make life unbearable and slowly cause a decline in the economy of Gaza, but maintain a situation which would contain a massive explosion of the situation.
[Naturally, none of this is legal. It is part of a despicable ethnic cleansing operation that has been ongoing since 1948. It relies entirely on US government financial and military support. Without a vast number of so-called “Christian” Zionists infesting the Evangelical church, none of this would be possible because a normal populace would question this support and rebel, just as young American university students are doing. It is chilling to realize that Christianity has been hijacked and perverted to such an extent that American religion now is one of the mainstays of an atrocity crime syndicate! For years, particularly since 9/11, we have been taught that Islam is a grave danger to US security, when in fact, it is Zionism that has undermined US prestige and garnered for us the well-deserved reputation of genocidal maniacs and child killers. It seems unlikely that we will ever recover the reputation of a moral well-intentioned and trusted nation.]
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Will a Trump presidency finish the expulsion of the Palestinians?
I would wonder how the resistance fronts would react. What will the Houthis, Hezbollah, Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, the Assad-loyal militants, and Iran, do?
Will Israel survive its own aggression?
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Translation from Arabic with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
حاطم ٢ وطوفان ١: لا مستحيل عند اليمن (alkhanadeq.org.lb)
Friday, June 28, 2024 04:15
Hatem 2 and Flood 1: Nothing is impossible for Yemen
Hatem-2 missile
Months after the start of the support front for the Palestinian resistance, the Yemeni armed forces are proving once again that they possess the determination and will, which enables them to overcome the impossible militarily, and this is recognized by their enemies before their allies, that is, the United States of America.
Two weapons were recently revealed that the Yemeni forces were able to manufacture locally, namely the “Hatem-2” hypersonic missile and the “Toofan-1” drone boat. This is what many countries with huge financial capabilities have been unable to achieve, while Yemen has been able to do so and is the one who has achieved this goal. He has been trapped for years now.
These weapons and other capabilities complicated the confrontation against America, Israel, and their allies, to a level they did not expect. This was stated by American soldiers and military officers on the "60 Minutes" television program, where they said that Yemeni forces can carry out their attacks "at any time and in any place." They enumerated the methods of attacks, some of which are carried out through swarms of various drones, using anti-ship ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. The American military added that this reality requires them to provide a "thick defense layer" with crews working 24/7.
One of the American officers considered that the Yemeni forces were the first entity in the history of the world to use anti-ship ballistic missiles. Confirming that this missile will change the rules of the game, because between the time of its launch and the time of its impact, they will have about two minutes to respond. Then he revealed that the Yemenis are using weapons that are more advanced, sophisticated and deadly than before, allowing them about 9 to 15 seconds to decide whether to drop these weapons or not, and it is likely that the American officer was referring to the “Hatem-2” hypersonic missile.
What are the most prominent specifications of the Hatem-2 missile?
_A hypersonic missile - its speed is more than 5 times the speed of sound - powered by solid fuel, and was manufactured by the Yemeni Military Industrialization Organization.
_ It has an intelligent guidance and control system and the ability to maneuver, and it has several generations with different ranges.
_ It is characterized by the ability to hit targets accurately and over long ranges.
_ It was revealed for the first time after it targeted the Israeli ship (MSC SARAH V) in the Arabian Sea, and the Yemeni armed forces confirmed that this missile entered service after successful trial operations.
_ Its entry into the line of operations will have major effects, especially in bypassing missile interception and air defense systems.
What are the most prominent features of the Tufan boat-1?
_ It is controlled remotely, has tremendous combat capabilities, and is a qualitative addition to enhancing the capabilities of the Yemeni naval forces.
_It can carry between 150 kg and 1.5 tons of explosives, so it causes a large explosion that causes severe damage to enemy ships, which leads to water entering them directly.
_It has a speed of up to 35 nautical miles per hour, which allows it to reach its targets with great speed and precision. It is also characterized by its high maneuverability, which makes monitoring and intercepting it very difficult.
_It is used in particular to target nearby marine targets, whether fixed or moving. It can also be used in other combat missions, such as attacking warships, naval installations and bases.