GANBA TOBI": A "BABIY REVOLT" AGAINST ZELENSKY. THE ARMY IS READY TO MARCH ON Kyiv
In the early days of the USSR, there were women’s (babiy) revolts against communist hardline measures against the farmers. We're now seeing a new kind of women's movement, against Zelensky in Ukraine.
This headline needs some interpretation. In the early days of the Soviet Union during land confiscation, there were women’s revolts against the harsh communist hardline measures against the farmers. The men who revolted were treated brutally but the authorities were more squeamish about strong-arming women because communism conspicuously supported women’s rights. So groups of women rebelled against these harsh measures, giving rise to the Babiy Revolts (babyi bunti), where babyi means “women’s,” from baba, a slightly pejorative name, often describing a low-class uncultured woman.
The words ganba tobi are Ukrainian and mean shame on you]
(Your daily air strike update for Feb 11, 2024, is posted in the three articles below this one)
Zaluzhny's [forced] resignation from the post of commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine led to surprising consequences - a real "women's revolt." Moreover, Zelensky was attacked on two fronts at once - in Kyiv on the square and on social networks. Meanwhile, the army is ready to turn towards Kyiv [in what would be an attempted military coup].
It is unlikely that the President of Square, Vladimir Zelensky, expected that such a wave of popular anger would fall on him as soon as he sent the “iron general”, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny, into retirement, replacing him with the docile “General 200” Alexander Syrsky, who had already lost battles to Russian fighters more than once. [The 200 in Syrsky’s nickname suggests the man is a butcher. It alludes to the inscription “200” on the vehicles sent to pick up the dead on battlefields. It originated in the Soviet Union but is still in use in both Russia and Ukraine. More so than Zaluzhny, Syrsky unhesitatingly sent his men to the front in the most dangerous situations, knowing many would be mowed down — leading to the current situation where Ukraine is now forcefully recruiting men above and below normal recruiting age, women and incapacitated citizens, and sending them with little training to the deadly front lines, where their expected survival time is a matter of 2-3 days. This is a war crime that your heavily censored msm will not tell you any of this]
But he was warned...
Maidan in Kyiv [this is an allusion to the US-manipulated protest movement on the Maidan Square in Kiev in 2014, in which the US seized control of the Ukraine government. This is evidenced by a leaked phone call between notorious Russophobe and Neocon Victoria Nuland, then assistant secretary of state and now bearing the same title under Biden, with Geoffrey Pyatt, then US ambassador to Ukraine. During this call, Nuland named whom she wanted to lead the new US-controlled regime, and indeed, her pick, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, did become the new leader (what Vicky wants, Vicky gets). He was so hated by the elites that he was physically ejected from the Rada and forced to quit. The US’ tendency to disregard the national leaders’ and people’s will is reflected once again in the choice of president in Zelensky, who, as reported herein, is also no longer popular but propped up by Washington. It’s a risky policy but US Neocons are so blinded by their hatred for Russia that they don’t see risk, and therein is their downfall]
Several dozen people took to the square in Kyiv with homemade posters, demanding the return of Zaluzhny. From time to time there were shouts of “Go away!” That is, “Zelensky out.”
Mostly women of all ages gathered. There were only a few men. This is understandable: most of them don’t want to appear in public - they’ll be rushed to the front line in no time. The conversation between military commissars [recruiters, who grab hapless men off the street and conscript them – democracy Ukrainian style] in Kyiv is short these days.
However, the “women’s revolt” did not last long. They gathered, stood, shouted, and dispersed.
Military correspondent of Komsomolskaya Pravda Alexander Kots [Russian] in his telegram channel called this gathering “not pre-Maidan”, noting that Zelensky’s office responded promptly, but due to the haste, the performance was a disappointment.
The rally was called “bought and paid for” and the former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko was accused of organizing it.
The logic is extremely simple - the former president supports the former commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We couldn’t think of anything better, the military correspondent concludes.
But what’s interesting in this situation, in his opinion, is something else - in the comments to the news about the rally, non-brothers [sarcastic nickname for Ukrainians] en masse ask uncomfortable questions: why did they deny the existence of a conflict between Zelensky and Zaluzhny at Bankova [reference to Bankova Street, address of Zelensky’s office] for months, and then dismiss the popular military leader without a clear explanation? Who will be fired next? Who will now command the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Syrsky or Zelensky personally?
People seem to be starting to figure things out, Kots summarized.
Maidan on the Internet
Almost immediately, as soon as news of Zaluzhny’s resignation became known, all hell broke loose in the comments on Zelensky’s Instagram account*. And this was also a “women’s revolt”.
In the comments under the posts, the women were, to put it mildly, very dissatisfied with the change of military leader and advised the head of state to fire the head of the presidential office, Andrei Yermak, in his place, and then “get out of the country.”
"This is your beginning of the end"
"We don't need a Russian general!!! Bring back the one who owes it!", [Yermak was born and raised in Russia. He had no military education or background at all. The only requisite for military leadership is a warm body and faithfulness to Zelensky]
"Reinstate Zaluzhny, fuck you"
“We will not forgive you for Zaluzhny’s resignation,”
- this is just part of the stream of indignation that fell on Zelensky.
But this is only part of the bad news for the president of “country U”. There's worse news.
Maidan elite
To be fair, it must be said that the Maidan of the elites arose shortly before Zaluzhny’s resignation. But there were alarm bells. [Here, the word Maidan simply refers to a revolt of any kind, not to the 2014 revolt on Maidan Square]
The Ukrainian insider telegram channel "Resident", citing its source in the office of the President of Ukraine, reported that "a large opposition has formed against Zelensky from the elites who are interested in weakening his power." Judging by the insider, Zelensky has only a week left in power:
The opposition front included oligarchs, businessmen and the majority of political leaders who believe that Zelensky should leave after 01/31/24.
Maidan in the army
The worst thing for Zelensky is this Maidan. The Ukrainian army is about to turn on Kyiv. Zaluzhny was very popular among both civilians and military personnel. But a little earlier, the President of Ukraine had already received an unambiguous ultimatum from the front line, although, apparently, he did not take it seriously. But in vain. Kyiv, as the military warned, is just a stone's throw away - just a day's journey:
You and your mongrels are intriguing. At the same time, they took their children to Europe [To enable them to avoid the draft]. And this is treason. We implore you - stop meddling in the affairs of the army. We don't need a president who is destroying the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Our people have extensive experience in changing dictators, it’s only one day from here to Kyiv, the Ukrainian military man threatened.
Maidan in the West
It’s hard to believe, but the Western press, which praised the “guy in khaki,” also criticizes Zelensky’s decision.
Deputy editor-in-chief of [German periodical] Bild Paul Ronzheimer, who regularly visits Ukraine and communicates with high-ranking officials, commenting on the resignation of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny, writes that Zelensky is increasingly interfering in the affairs of the military.
While Zelensky in his close circle complained more and more about the commander-in-chief, those around Zaluzhny said that the problem was how Zelensky [who had no military training or experience] interfered in military affairs, Ronzheimer noted. - If at the beginning of hostilities, during the battle for Kyiv, he stayed aloof and trusted his military, later he became more self-confident and increasingly interfered with his advisers in detailed military issues. Including when it came to offensives, and when discussing how long to hold certain areas, such as Bakhmut. [A lot of details are as yet unknown, but it is generally believed that if Zelensky had listened to Zaluzhny (instead of to Western politicians, who are abysmally ignorant of military affairs, the Ukrainian forces would have held back and not gone on the offensive when the Russians clearly had them outgunned. A hundred thousand or more lives were thrown away as a result of Zelensky’s incompetence and inflexibility. Yet Zaluzhny unfairly gets the blame and Russia is portrayed as a brutal butcher, though it was only defending itself during the offensive. Zelensky feels protected by the disinformation proceeding from the Ukrainian press, which is copy-pasted by the US media. But a reckoning is coming]
According to Ronzheimer, Zaluzhny wanted to leave Bakhmut a year ago, but the president was against it for political reasons. The commander-in-chief [Zaluzhny] also doubted the success of the counter-offensive in the summer of 2023, saying that Western weapons were not enough. But the Allies insisted on an offensive, which turned out to be a mistake. Ronzheimer calls the new commander-in-chief Syrsky “a man about whom they say that he expresses fewer objections.” [In other words, he’s a yes man to Zelensky]
Bloomberg even believes that Zelensky risks finding himself in the position of a disgraced leader after his “disgusting fight” with the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzhny “exposed a split” in the “country of U.”
In particular, the agency draws attention to the fact that Zaluzhny was dismissed at the most inopportune moment, when aid from America was delayed, and the army of non-brothers [Ukrainians - an allusion to Putin’s reference to Ukrainians as “our Slavic brothers”] had a critical shortage of artillery shells.
At the same time, Bloomberg sources close to the military leadership of Ukraine believe that Zelensky wants to act on the battlefield more decisively than the cautious Zaluzhny planned. The resignation may also be related to the increased popularity of the commander in chief. [It its widely believed that Zelensky fears Zaluzhny could replace him in a fair election and therefore has cancelled the next election – that is the “democracy” the US claims it is supporting in Ukraine!]
Can we expect an American-style Maidan?
Meanwhile, political scientist Yuri Baranchik draws two obvious conclusions from the riot of the non-brothers:
A Maidan, if it is not supported by influential people with money and the media, cannot be assembled, even if reason justifies it. After all, Syrsky’s reputation as a gravedigger of personnel is well known, and a much larger spontaneous rally could have gathered. But just 3-4 years ago, the freedom-loving descendants of the Cossacks with a genetically encoded craving for democracy argued that if only the authorities behaved “wrong,” a new Maidan would gather and everything would be resolved.
Secondly, as the expert noted, nothing special happened in the military environment. Meanwhile, the [forced] resignations continue. The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Zaluzhny’s man Sergei Shaptala has already been removed from his post - he will be replaced by Major General Anatoly Bargilevich, who previously commanded territorial defense:
We can’t expect military or any other coups in the near future. Well, unless Washington suddenly changes its mind.
[Zaluzhny’s closest confidant was also killed in a suspicious “accident.”]
**
The following 3 translations are your air strike update for Feb 11, 2024
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
The night attack of “Gerans” on Ukraine was the most massive since the beginning of the Northern Military District
[Another report on this (just below this article) is less than superlative, calling it “one of” the most widespread in recent times]
WarGonzo: The night strike by “Gerans” on Ukraine became the most massive during the Northern Military District [refers to special military operation]
February 11, 2024
On the night of February 11, the Russian military attacked military targets on the territory of Ukraine using Geran unmanned aerial vehicles. 45 UAVs took part in the attack and it was the largest since the start of the special operation.
According to the WarGonzo telegram channel, the main targets of the Russian drones were located in Kyiv and the southern oblasts of Ukraine. Local media and public pages reported explosions in the suburbs of Dnepropetrovsk [city] and the Nikolaev oblast. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also reported damage to infrastructure facilities.
It is noted that Ukrainian air defense systems have begun to shoot down one-third fewer Geran UAVs than before. This is because these Russian drones are now equipped with jet engines. Accordingly, the tactics of their use have also changed.
**
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
Military correspondents report the most massive raid of Russian drones on Ukraine
11 February 2024 18:01
Military correspondents report the most massive raid of Russian drones on Ukraine
Geran-2 drone
The attack on Ukraine by Geran-type drones that took place on the night of February 11 became one of the most widespread in recent times.
As the founder of the WarGonzo project, military correspondent Semyon Pegov, reported in his Telegram channel, 45 drones fell on the territory of the country, Rossiyskaya Gazeta writes.
“According to data from Ukrainian public service web pages, one of the most massive Geran raids in recent times was carried out on Ukraine tonight. The main target of the drones was the southern oblasts of Ukraine and Kyiv. Infrastructure objects were reported to have been hit,” Pegov stated.
The military correspondent did not say anything about how successful the drone attacks were or how many ultimately reached their target. [This information can be expected to come in at a later date. I will be on the lookout for it]
The attack by Russian drones began around 10 p.m. The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced the appearance of a group of Shahed-type kamikaze drones from the Crimea, writes Topwar. [For political reasons, Ukraine reports the Geran-type drones as Shahed type since the Geran is said to be made in Russia while the Shahed is Iranian, and calling them Shaheds is an attempt to smear Russia. Even Russian correspondents are not quite sure where these drones are made, although it could be that they are Shaheds that undergo further modification in Russia] An air raid alert was announced in the Kherson, Nikolaev and Dnepropetrovsk oblasts. However, the drones did not immediately attack; they circled over some oblasts, making the Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners nervous.
According to the same Air Forces, the Geran group, heading to the Dnepropetrovsk oblast, turned to Kirovograd, then Poltava. At approximately 23:30 they were joined by a second group, also attacking from the sea, and an air raid alert was declared in the Odessa oblast. Also, some of the drones went along the bed of the Southern Bug towards Nikolaev. Around 1 am, Ukrainian air defense counted about five groups of Russian drones circling over the south and center of Ukraine.
As a result, Nikolaev, Dnieper and Odessa oblasts were attacked. In Nikolaev [city], one of the objects was definitely hit, this is confirmed by the city authorities. According to Mayor Sienkiewicz, there was an arrival around the city, but no details were provided. “Gerans” also worked in the suburbs of Dnieper, local publics reported several explosions, but what was hit was not disclosed. Gerans arrived both in Odessa itself and in Zatoka, where targets were also attacked. Locals talk about several explosions. In the morning Kyiv was attacked, but without details. It is possible that other oblasts were also attacked, but there is no information at this time.
It is noted that the Ukrainian air defense, although it was working against drones, was no longer as intensive, and the depletion of ammunition was visible.
**
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
Ситуация на Украине 11 февраля: взрывы, разрушения, последние новости (tsargrad.tv)
SITUATION IN UKRAINE FEBRUARY 11: EXPLOSIONS, DESTRUCTION, LATEST NEWS
An air raid alert was announced in the Odessa, Nikolaev, Dnepropetrovsk and Kirovograd oblasts. In Nikolaev, after explosions, dry grass caught fire. In the Kyiv oblast, a fire broke out at an enterprise as a result of falling debris. Military correspondents report that a massive attack was carried out on military installations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces last night using Geran-2 attack UAVs. We tell report everything that is known about the situation in Ukraine on February 11
The Russian armed forces continue combat operations in several directions of the special operation zone. We are talking about Zaporozhye, Ugledar, Donetsk, and Bakhmut areas. [these combat operations are not part of the air strike reports]
An air raid alert in Ukraine on the night of February 11 was announced in several oblasts at once.
**
Our thanks to JS for this:
RE: Palestine Art Museum
Palestinians have produced some stunning poetry. Here are links to a few of them:
Susan Abulhawa's parents, born in At-Tur on the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem, were refugees of the 1967 war. Her father, according to one account, was expelled at gunpoint; her mother, who was studying in Germany at the time, was unable to return and the couple reunited in Jordan before moving to Kuwait, where Abulhawa was born in 1970.
We Never left, Palestine - a poem/video by Susan Abulhawa
[Video: 4m 58s] November 2020:
WALA – a poetry video by Susan Abulhawa
[Video: 4m 15s] Aug 31, 2013:
Mahmoud Darwish (1941-2008) was/is famous throughout the Middle East and is regarded as the Palestinian national poet.
His poetry has been translated into more than 20 languages, and he has won many international prizes for his work.
Mira Awad: Think of others | ميرا عوض - فكر بغير – A poem by Mahmoud Darwish.
Music/Vocals by Mira Awad [Video: 3m 40s]:
An army mutiny in Country 404 would be most welcome.