REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Russia Invades Ukraine. Again

POSTED BY: CAPTAINCRUNCH
UPDATED: Wednesday, December 3, 2025 08:06
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 362974
PAGE 189 of 190

Monday, November 24, 2025 3:47 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.



Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Yanno, I hate to have to track down and debunk all of the bullshit being posted. If it's in the western press, just assume it's

THGR:
Like I've said many times now. The Russian's always try and pin their sins onto others. Everyone knows it.

www. youtube. com/watch?v=wHAD09-OvfY



Russia bans "Twitter"?
How far back did you have to go for that little gem??

Quote:

Originally posted by CAPTAINCRUNCH:

Quote:
Originally posted by THG:
Get ready, Signym will post she has a friend in Ukraine who signym will claim has seen what she is posting firsthand.



PROGRAM THGR4
WHEN X,Y = BACKED INTO A CORNER
RUN SUBROUTINE STRAWMAN

Quote:

T:



I get my frontline videos here:



Don't pay any attention to his political analyses and his predictions where Russian forces will go next .... he's almost always wrong. But frontline videos don't lie.

----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 6:08 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Why In The Hell Are Ukrainian Assault Troops Counterattacking In Pokrovsk?

There aren't enough Ukrainian reserves for a major counteroffensive.

Nov 24, 2025

https://www.trenchart.us/p/why-in-the-hell-are-ukrainian-assault

The ruins of Pokrovsk, a mining town with a pre-war population of 60,000 that has been the locus of the bloodiest fighting in eastern Ukraine for nearly a year, are now almost totally under Russian control.

Emphasis on almost. Against the odds, Ukrainian forces are still active in Pokrovsk. Especially one unit: the 425th Assault Regiment, which took up positions along the town’s northern outskirts in late October in order to cover the retreat of the last few survivors of the main Ukrainian garrison from the 68th Jaeger Brigade and the 155th Mechanized Brigade.

On at least half a dozen confirmed occasions since then, the elite assault regiment has counterattacked near or past the east-west railway that cuts through the center of Pokrovsk. The question is—why?

The Ukrainian general staff in Kyiv along with the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps, which oversees operations in and around Pokrovsk and adjacent Myrnohrad, have released nearly identical statements characterizing the battle for Pokrovsk as unsettled.

“The defense forces maintain defined borders in the northern part of Pokrovsk,” the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps stated Friday. “We also control positions south of the railway, which are important for further de-occupation. The enemy is trying to cross the railway to increase the occupation zone of the city, but these attempts are blocked by our military.”

That’s an incredible claim—and one that contradicts the consensus among independent observers and mappers. On Nov. 18, observer Thorkill concluded the Russian Center Group of Forces controlled “about 95% to 97%” of Pokrovsk.

The sliver of the town the Russians clearly don’t control is the one that observers and official sources agree on: the narrow strip along the northern outskirts where the 425th Assault Regiment and other elite units dug in starting in late October.

Those northern fighting positions serve an obvious purpose. They’re the left side of a half-mile-wide corridor through which the Ukrainian garrison in Myrnohrad, pre-war population 46,000, began what appears to be an orderly partial withdrawal from that town in recent weeks.

Most of Myrnohrad is still nominally under the control of Ukrainian troops, but probably not for long. The town is surrounded on three sides by a Russian force that outnumbers the local Ukrainian force at least five to one. All the supply lines into the town are under constant surveillance and attack by Russian drones.

Despite the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps’ disadvantageous position, “the Ukrainian side continues to present narratives in the media that the battle for Pokrovsk is still ongoing,” Thorkill wrote.

Note the phrasing of the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps’ recent official statement. The verbiage “further de-occupation” implies a Ukrainian counteroffensive is in the offing—one that could restore Ukrainian control in Pokrovsk.

Don’t believe it. Ukraine committed its last significant reserve force, the 1st Azov Corps, to contain and eliminate a Russian incursion north of Pokrovsk starting in August. If there were other significant reserves on the Ukrainian side, they’d be helping to stabilize the collapsing front line around Hulyaipole, an important logistics hub in Zaporizhzhia Oblast 60 miles southwest of Pokrovsk.

But Hulyaipole is teetering. A small number of fresh Ukrainian troops from the 225th Assault Regiment rushed the area two weeks ago—but not to fight. Instead, they reportedly took up positions behind the 102nd Territorial Brigade, the core of the local Ukrainian garrison, and opened fire on the territorials to prevent them from retreating without orders.

The odds of a Ukrainian counteroffensive in Pokrovsk are slim. And they’ll get a lot slimmer if, as reported, the Russian 76th Guards Air Assault Division is redeploying to the area to make good heavy Russian losses during the yearlong siege.

Despite their losses, the Russians still have reserves. The Ukrainians don’t. And that means whatever small actions the 425th Assault Regiment is taking in Pokrovsk are preludes to … nothing. The Ukrainian raiders may slow the full consolidation of Russian forces in Pokrovsk, but they almost certainly can’t prevent it.

Thanks for reading Trench Art! This post is public so feel free to share it.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 6:13 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Russia’s secret laser weapon plane wiped out in Ukrainian drone assault on Taganrog airbase (VIDEO, MAP)

The A-60, housing a Soviet-era space laser system, long immobile and hidden from the public eye, was hit during a night raid.

By Yuri Zoria
25/11/2025

https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/25/russias-secret-laser-weapon-pla
ne-wiped-out-in-ukrainian-drone-assault-on-taganrog-airbase-2
/

The Beriev plant is a key element of Russia’s military aviation industry and part of the state-owned United Aircraft Corporation under Rostec. The facility designs, manufactures, upgrades, and repairs amphibious aircraft and special-purpose aviation systems. It also services aircraft used by Russia’s naval aviation and long-range bomber forces. Its main testing base is the Taganrog-Yuzhny military airfield, which was one of the focal points of the 25 November attack.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 8:44 AM

THG

Keep it real please


Military Summary
Russian
https://rumble.com/MilitarySummary



Funny how comrade signym claims she is not a Russian propagandist, yet she gets all her talking points from Russians.

T


NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 12:11 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


November 25, 2025, 3:30 pm • by Luca Léry Moffat

According to a letter sent by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to member states on Nov. 17, Ukraine requires 83.4 billion euros in military support and 52.3 billion euros in macro-financial needs over 2026–2027 (24 months).
https://www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/17/17.11.2025_Lette
r-from-President-von-der-Leyen-to-EU-leaders_letter_optionspaper.pdf


The letter outlined three options for supporting Ukraine. A reparations loan is likely the most palatable for European countries, some of which face pressure on their finances.

Mudra said that Europe "has to use (the reparations loan)," calling it a key card in ending this war.

"If the EU approves a Reparation Loan based on international law (...) then Ukraine will have predictable, long-term financial and military sustainability," she said.

Roughly $300 billion of foreign reserves held by Russia's central bank were frozen by sanctions in the days following the full-scale invasion. The majority — 185 billion euros — is held in Belgium.

An estimated $524 billion is needed for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, according to the World Bank.

https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-rejects-using-russian-assets-as-ba
rgaining-chip-in-peace-talks
/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 12:36 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


It is payback time.

Ukraine to turn tables in “first symmetric winter” as its drones overwhelm Russian air defenses

Ukraine turns Russia’s tactics against Moscow.

By Olena Mukhina | Nov 25, 2025

https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/25/ukraine-to-turn-tables-in-first
-symmetric-winter-as-its-drones-overwhelm-russian-air-defenses
/

Russia is experiencing an air defense shortage due to Ukrainian strikes. Ukraine has managed to exhaust Russian protection systems to the point that they can no longer physically cope, says Yevhen Dykyi, former commander of a company in the Aidar Battalion, as per Radio NV.

Ukraine has expanded long-range drone strikes throughout 2025 to pressure Russia’s war economy, disrupt military logistics, and stretch its air defenses. The pace has grown as Ukraine boosts domestic drone production and targets sites tied to Russia’s defense and export sector.

At the same time, Dykyi believes Ukraine is facing an extremely difficult winter.

Russia’s first “symmetric” winter: “But this will be the first symmetric winter. And here we will see how they handle it with the same unbreakable resolve that we have been facing for four years,” he says.

He notes that drones systematically operating in Moscow Oblast are no coincidence.

“This is exactly what they do to us. We have managed to exhaust their air defenses to the point that they physically cannot cope,” Dykyi adds.

Kremlin equipment shortage intensifies the problem

While artillery shells were long supplied to Russia by North Korea, covering their deficit, though stocks are now nearly exhausted, surface-to-air missile systems are far more sophisticated.

“North Korean SAMs are not something Russia can rely on, and fall hasn’t even ended yet,” he stresses.

On the night of 23 November, drones attacked a thermal power plant in Shatura, near Moscow. The site is one of Russia’s oldest energy facilities. Drone strikes spark fire at Moscow Oblast power plant, one of Russia’s oldest energy facilities (VIDEO, MAP)
Explosion from a drone strike on Shatura Power Station, Moscow Oblast, Russia, 23 November 2025. Screenshot from video: Exilenova+

Three transformers catch fire at major facility as Ukraine expands long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.

https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/23/drone-strikes-spark-fire-at-mos
cow-oblast-power-plant
/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 4:08 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Kievs pinprick attacks on Russia aren't going to change the outcome of the war. The only thing that attacks on civilians is going to do is piss people off.

You'd need to devastate Russia's civilian infrastructure before you demoralize people, like Russia has done to Ukraine.

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 11:56 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Website glitch

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 11:57 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Website glitch

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 11:58 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Website glitch

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 11:58 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.



Quote:

SECOND:

Quote:

Outgunned Ukrainian Territorials Panicked And Ran. So An Elite Ukrainian Assault Battalion Reportedly Opened Fire On Them.

Did we just observe the first deployment of a Ukrainian blocking unit?

SIGNY
No.
This is just the first time you admitted it.
I've been hearing about blocking units for years.

THGRV
Who are you quoting comrade.



Pro-Ukrainian Military Summary Channel. Sometimes he calls them "anti- retreat forces“ sometimes “blocking forces". Since it's just scattershot references around Rabotyno, Krynky, Avdeeka, I think even as recent as Myrnograd, it's hard to go back and find them. Feel free to look yourself.


-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, November 26, 2025 10:33 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


A NATO ally staring down Russia is doubling down on HIMARS after Ukraine showed what they can do

Story by sbaker@insider.com (Sinéad Baker)

Nov 25, 2025

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/a-nato-ally-staring-down-russia-i
s-doubling-down-on-himars-after-ukraine-showed-what-they-can-do/ar-AA1R8wKU


• Estonia has an agreement with the US to get six more High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) units.

• It's growing its arsenal after receiving six earlier this year.

• Estonia said it needs more deep strike abilities, and Ukraine is proving the need.

A NATO ally sharing a border with Russia is doubling down on its buying of the US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) that has been a key part of Ukraine's fightback against Russia.

Estonia's defense ministry told Business Insider that it has an agreement with the US to acquire six additional HIMARS units. It's waiting on exact delivery dates from the US side.

"It is important for Estonia to have the ability to influence the enemy deep within its territory," the ministry said. To this end, it is necessary to increase Estonia's deep-strike capability with additional rocket launchers."

Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur originally told Breaking Defense that his country wants to buy six additional HIMARS, potentially more, and has been in contact with the maker, Lockheed Martin, but the company needs Pentagon approval for the sale.

The country is pursuing a deeper investment in the system after already receiving six HIMARS in April. The ministry said the earlier acquisitions were just the start of "developing our deep-strike capability."

Pevkur told Business Insider in March that Estonia considers HIMARS to be essential to its deep strike capability, having seen the impact this weapon has had in Ukraine.

The multiple rocket launcher arrived in Ukraine in June 2022, marking the first major Western weapon supplied to Kyiv after months of debate over whether sending such systems was worth the risk. There were concerns initially that supplying big-ticket weapons would be escalatory and might end up in Russian hands if the country fell.

Its arrival was a turning point and a big success for Ukraine. HIMARS were eventually followed by a string of other high-profile weapons like US-made Patriot air defense systems and F-16 fighter jets.

With the introduction of the HIMARS and Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS), Ukraine suddenly took away Russia's artillery advantage and showed it was able to hit Russian targets like ammunition depots and command and control centers that were previously out of reach. It also used them to hit Russian troops and aircraft.

Electronic warfare and jamming, along with the arrival of other advanced long-range strike systems, have reduced HIMARS' effectiveness and taken it out of the spotlight, aside from some tactical ballistic missile strikes. It has also suffered shortages of ammunition, limiting effectiveness.

The versatile weapon is still in use, though, and Ukraine is expecting to receive more. In October, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy identified HIMARS as a priority for his military.

NATO allies sharing a border with Russia want HIMARS

Estonia is among a number of European countries concerned about Russian aggression, and Pevkur said that Ukraine has demonstrated that deep strikes are necessary in a fight.

He said that Ukraine has shown that being capable of striking far behind the front lines, with Ukraine hitting Russian positions, weaponry, and stockpiles, and even oil facilities deep into Russia with long-range drones and missiles.

He said that deep-strike capabilities are an area where NATO allies "need to invest" and "need to have a lot more than what we have today." Pevkur emphasized that it's vital for NATO members to "learn from the challenges that Ukrainians have" — to understand what works and what doesn't for Ukraine and to see what Russia is doing so that their militaries are as prepared as possible.

He added that having HIMARS also sends a "deterrence message" to Russia.

Other Baltic countries, Latvia and Lithuania, which are also NATO members that border Russia, have also invested in HIMARS as well as a host of other defenses as they eye Russia warily.

Latvia has an agreement with the US for six systems, expected by 2027, and Lithuania is buying eight, with the first deliveries due this year.

The Baltic nations have been among the loudest voices within NATO calling for greater alliance spending and support of Ukraine.
Their defense budgets are among the highest in NATO as a proportion of their GDP, and the money so far has gone toward border defenses, air defenses, armored vehicles, and drones.

Pevkur told Business Insider that it was important for the West that countries on NATO's eastern edge, like the Baltic states, are well defended to deter Russia and to be able to stop it if needed. "The eastern flank is the front door of NATO, so we need to keep it closed," he said.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, November 26, 2025 10:34 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Satellite Images Locate Ukrainian Kids Abducted by Russia – Lab

By AFP | Nov 25, 2025

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/11/25/satellite-images-locate-ukra
inian-kids-abducted-by-russia-lab-a91238


Researchers at a Yale University lab in the United States are using satellite imagery to locate Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, and have uncovered 210 re-education and military camps housing some of them, the lab's director told AFP.

The Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) was tasked by the U.S. State Department in 2022 with assessing the number of children displaced by Russian authorities and the scope of the phenomenon, explained lab director Nathaniel Raymond during a visit to Stockholm for a seminar on the issue at Sweden's parliament on Monday.

Initially, Raymond thought the task seemed impossible.

"How do you find concealed kids protected by Russia's security services? In a kidnapping case where all we have is the internet and satellites?" he said.

The answer came after a gaffe by the Russians: local Russian officials posted selfies of themselves with some of the Ukrainian children.

"Local officials wanting to curry the favor of the Kremlin took over-the-shoulder selfies of them on the buses with the kids."

"The super funny part of the story" is that they forgot to deactivate the geolocation services on their phones.

"And so we extracted the latitude and longitude of the position of the officials when they were taking a selfie," he explained.

"And then we began to see in the photographs that we could identify the devices, including their Apple Watches. And then we started to dig," he said.

The information they got was shared with Ukrainian authorities.

Since then, by analyzing all other available information, including official photos published by Russian authorities, the HRL has uncovered the existence of 210 re-education and military camps across Russia, where some of the children are being held.

The lab estimates that a total of around 36,000 children have been abducted by Russia.

Russian authorities stopped publishing such information online after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant in 2023 against President Vladimir Putin for the "unlawful deportation" of thousands of Ukrainian children.


"They begin to try to clean up the crime scene. And they're moving the kids," he said.

The fate of these children should be a top priority in the current negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, Raymond stressed.

The HRL risks having to shut operations by the end of the year due to funding cuts announced by the Trump administration, and has therefore transferred all its data to Europol.

‘Digital Child Trafficking’
By Charlie Hancock
Aug. 8, 2025
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/08/08/digital-child-trafficking-lu
hansk-officials-launch-child-adoption-database-a90134


Mariupol Children Undergo Pro-Russian Indoctrination at St. Petersburg ‘Wellness Camps’
By Angelina Trefilova
June 30, 2025
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/06/30/mariupol-children-undergo-pr
o-russian-indoctrination-at-st-petersburg-wellness-camps-a89602


The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, November 26, 2025 11:05 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Ukraine denies encirclement of troops on southern front amid heavy Russian assaults

By Jared Goyette | November 26, 2025 3:38 pm

https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-war-latest-update-2025-11-26/

Ukrainian officials are pushing back against Russian claims and social media rumors that Ukrainian troops near Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia Oblast are encircled: front-line units remain supplied, and medical evacuation routes continue to function despite heavy fighting, the Southern Defense Forces said in a statement on Nov. 26.

The command accused Moscow of exaggerating its “so-called successes” and magnifying problems in Ukraine’s ranks to sow panic.

The fighting remains heavy. Over the past day, Russian forces carried out more than 30 assaults, over 500 artillery strikes using more than 2,100 rounds, about a dozen airstrikes, 250 drone drops and nearly 2,000 kamikaze drone attacks in the Huliaipole sector, according to the statement. Ukrainian units are “holding the defense,” maintaining communications and logistics, the command added.

The update comes as Russian forces continue to press the front in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where Ukrainian troops have pulled back from some positions amid intense fighting.

In a previous Kyiv Independent analysis of the Zaporizhzhia front on Nov. 12, we reported that, according to figures published by the highly trusted Ukrainian mapping and analytical organization Deep State, 69% of all Russian territorial gains in October were made in the area around Huliaipole and in eastern Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, even though the area saw only 16% of Russia’s total assault operations, based on General Staff data.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, November 26, 2025 12:41 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


It only bothers Second when something bad happens to any kid that isn't a US Born citizen.

When that happens, because it's always due to Democrats or Democrat policy, it's A-Okay.

--------------------------------------------------

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, November 26, 2025 6:05 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Quote:

Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
It only bothers Second when something bad happens to any kid that isn't a US Born citizen.

When that happens, because it's always due to Democrats or Democrat policy, it's A-Okay.

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

When a Trumptard dies (drug overdose, suicide, drunken one-car-crash, etc.), they go to heaven because Trump is their Lord and Savior, higher in the heavenly hierarchy than Jesus Christ. So what is wrong with that, 6ixStringJoker? Heaven not good enough for dead Trumptards? I know from long experience that America is better when a Trumptard goes away forever.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, November 26, 2025 10:23 PM

THG

Keep it real please


Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Quote:

SECOND:

Quote:

Outgunned Ukrainian Territorials Panicked And Ran. So An Elite Ukrainian Assault Battalion Reportedly Opened Fire On Them.

Did we just observe the first deployment of a Ukrainian blocking unit?

SIGNY
No.
This is just the first time you admitted it.
I've been hearing about blocking units for years.

THGRV
Who are you quoting comrade.



Pro-Ukrainian Military Summary Channel. Sometimes he calls them "anti- retreat forces“ sometimes “blocking forces". Since it's just scattershot references around Rabotyno, Krynky, Avdeeka, I think even as recent as Myrnograd, it's hard to go back and find them. Feel free to look yourself.




For example, Dima reports Ukraine’s daily casualties as claimed by the Russian Ministry of Defense



Russian propaganda comrade.

T


RUSSIA IMPLODES AS ECONOMY CRUMBLES, RUSSIA REJECTS PEACE DEAL!



NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, November 26, 2025 10:26 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


This time it's really for realz!

You know what they say, Theodore.

1,000th time is the charm!



--------------------------------------------------

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, November 26, 2025 10:27 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Quote:

Originally posted by second:
Quote:

Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
It only bothers Second when something bad happens to any kid that isn't a US Born citizen.

When that happens, because it's always due to Democrats or Democrat policy, it's A-Okay.

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

When a Trumptard dies (drug overdose, suicide, drunken one-car-crash, etc.), they go to heaven because Trump is their Lord and Savior, higher in the heavenly hierarchy than Jesus Christ. So what is wrong with that, 6ixStringJoker? Heaven not good enough for dead Trumptards? I know from long experience that America is better when a Trumptard goes away forever.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two



Yanno... You really are an extremely pleasant person to be around.

I bet you get that a lot.



--------------------------------------------------

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, November 26, 2025 11:42 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.




Quote:



THGR:
RUSSIA IMPLODES AS ECONOMY CRUMBLES, RUSSIA REJECTS PEACE DEAL!




How many years have you been posting something like that?
Haven't you clued in yet?

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, November 27, 2025 5:54 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Quote:

Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:

Yanno... You really are an extremely pleasant person to be around.

I bet you get that a lot.



--------------------------------------------------

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

6ixStringJoker, you really are a piece of shit, just like Trump. America has had to live with that ugly fact about conniving people like you and Trump, both of whom don't work, since the time slave-owners, again, avoiders of work, tried to take control of America with legal attempts such as Dred Scott v. Sandford. A follow-up military effort to take control left a million people dead. However, most of the richest slave-owners survived and reimposed a different kind of slavery, a system we are still living with, pretending like it is normal for capitalism when it is not done this way in any other rich country in the world, only in poor and middle-level countries.

Held portions of the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional
https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/60us393

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, November 27, 2025 5:54 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Russia doesn’t need to storm Myrnohrad — just wait for a sunny day

Fog is all that’s keeping open the sole road into Myrnohrad for Ukrainian troops.

By David Axe | Nov 27, 2025

https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/27/road-into-myrnohrad/

Given the extreme fragility of the Ukrainians' positions in Myrnohrad, French analyst Clément Molin explained that he and other observers "struggle to understand Syrskyi's strategy." The Ukrainian commander-in-chief has come under fire for "holding onto lost cities and losing men for nothing at a time of infantry shortage," Molin wrote.

It's inevitable that the Russian Center Group of Forces will capture Myrnohrad, likely soon. There are too many weaknesses in Ukrainian defenses. Too many variables that, if they even briefly favor the Russians, could sever the Ukrainians' sole supply line into the town.

The question isn't whether Myrnohard will fall. It's how many Ukrainian troops may be trapped in the town when it falls.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, November 27, 2025 5:58 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Trump’s Ukraine plan isn’t just evil. It’s worse: incompetent.

Russia wrote the peace plan. Trump’s envoy coached the Kremlin. And nobody in charge understands what they’re negotiating. Stephen Blank on a foreign policy process in freefall.

By Stephen Blank | Nov 27, 2025

https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/27/amateur-hour-at-the-white-house/

The Trump administration accepted a 28-point "peace plan" for Ukraine that Russia itself had written—then defended it as an American proposal. When the uproar forced revisions, leaked recordings revealed the president's personal envoy had been coaching Kremlin officials on how to manipulate Trump.

This is not hardball diplomacy. This is a broken policy process producing outcomes that echo Munich 1938.

Russia writes America's peace plan

In the aftermath of the Anchorage summit, as Moscow now admits, the Russian government wrote a 28-point peace plan that it submitted to Trump's personal ambassador, Steven Witkoff. This document was then translated into English, but betrays its Russian origin. It was then leaked to the public, provoking an uproar in Congress, among European governments, and Ukraine.

This uproar was justified because this document is egregiously one-sided for Russia's benefit and in many ways resembles the Munich Accords of 1938.

Although this reaction forced Secretary of State Rubio to renegotiate this plan with Ukraine and European allies, leading to a new, more equitable, and pro-Ukrainian 19-point plan, its initial acceptance as a peace plan reflects a slipshod, unprofessional, and ignorant approach to negotiating with Russia.

The Munich parallels

Like Munich, the original accord was negotiated over the heads of Ukraine and Europe and then presented as an ultimatum to Ukraine.

Like Munich, the original accord gives Russia Donbas territories it has not conquered, formally recognizes it and Crimea as Russian territory, and allows Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. It limits Ukraine's army to 600,000, sets ridiculous limits on the weapons it can have or receive from the West, and bars Ukraine from NATO.

The new version caps Ukraine's army at 800,000, its present number, and leaves it to Ukraine and its interlocutors to negotiate territorial issues.

And again, like Munich, the original document imposes Muscovite restrictions and demands: an election within 100 days, an end to so-called Nazi propaganda (i.e., Ukrainian nationalist and pro-independence speech), and granting legal status to the Russian language and Russian Orthodox Church—hallowed instruments of Russification and empire.

Once again, the ignorance of US officials on these points manifested itself.

Rubio's forced reversal

Once the negative reaction came in from the G20, Europe, and Congress, Secretary of State Rubio told Senators that this was a leaked Russian draft wish list, not a US proposal.

The White House immediately pressured him to reverse course, forcing him to claim this was a US draft—an assertion that was promptly reasserted by President Trump, thus advertising his own incompetence, ignorance of the issues, and one-sided sympathy with Putin's position.

This whole affair highlights divisions in the White House and a broken policy process. Worse yet, and besides undermining confidence in Rubio, Trump, and US foreign policy generally, this document unilaterally destroys the sanctions regime that is crippling Russia's economy.

The sanctions giveaway

Specifically, the original plan states that "The United States will enter into a long-term economic cooperation agreement for mutual development in the areas of energy, natural resources, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, data centers, rare earth metal extraction projects in the Arctic, and other mutually beneficial corporate opportunities."

This clause reintegrates Russia into the global economy without mentioning restitution, reparations, or the return of kidnapped children.

Furthermore, since Russia has played this game in the 1920s and after 1991—offering its resources to the West only for investors to be disappointed—this point amounts to selling the same horse thrice. Fortunately, the new version omits this and other efforts to entice the administration into accepting Russia's goals.

The revised plan and Moscow's predictable rejection

While the new plan negotiated by Washington, major European powers, and Ukraine is much better and its original text is exhaustively reported in the world press, it still faces many hurdles.

First, it must obtain Moscow's assent since many elements here are unacceptable to Moscow. The new draft leaves territorial issues to be negotiated between Ukraine and Moscow, along with Washington.

Perhaps most offensive to Russia, the new draft openly discusses US-backed security guarantees for Ukraine that "mirror" Article V guarantees—i.e., guarantees resembling NATO membership. These guarantees evidently allow for the stationing of NATO members' forces in Ukraine, backed up by US aerial assets stationed in Poland, should Russia attack again.

Trump Putin peace plan protests appeasement

Moreover, according to President Zelensky's Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak, "the new draft would make US security guarantees 'legally binding' and not contingent on Ukraine formally abandoning its constitutional commitment to eventually join NATO."

It also stipulates relief from sanctions on condition of an end to hostilities and jettisons the earlier draft's language about Russo-American economic ties. It revises the original draft to confirm Ukraine's future membership in the EU and reserves the contentious issue of NATO membership exclusively for Kyiv and Brussels.

All these points, along with revisions concerning alleged Nazi (i.e., pro-independence and Western) propaganda and the insidious role of the Russian Orthodox Church—which is an arm of the FSB—will also disappoint if not confound Putin.

Indeed, pending the formal submission of the new plan to Moscow, Russia's initial reactions are already negative.

Putin has stated that the original draft, authored by Russia, could serve as the basis for negotiation. But Russian spokesmen predictably complain that the revised version "doesn't fit us at all" or that it diverges from what was supposedly agreed to at the summit in Anchorage.

This is surprising, for it seemed that nothing was agreed to at Anchorage—another sign of unprofessional diplomacy.

Thus, Moscow remains wedded to the destruction of an independent Ukraine as its objective, believes it can win the war, and will not negotiate any terms offering it less than the fundamental revision of the post-Cold War settlement.

Therefore, we should expect Russia's obdurate opposition to the new draft and ongoing pre-negotiation efforts to modify it to its taste. That conforms to its habitual tactic of trying to make the document serving as the basis of negotiation a pro-Russian paper once formal discussions begin.

Obviously, failure to garner Russian assent means continued hostilities, and even if Russia agrees, given past practice in many wars of one or both sides fighting while talking, there is no guarantee of a genuinely supervised ceasefire in place.

Trump's disqualifying negotiators

In this context, President Trump's designation of negotiators to Kyiv and Moscow represents a warning signal. His emissary to Kyiv, Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, is the college roommate of Vice-President Vance, the leader of the anti-European faction in the Administration.

On 21 November, when the Russian draft emerged and the White House insisted that it had authored this plan, Driscoll told European ambassadors and Western officials, "We are not negotiating details"—according to a senior European official in the meeting at the Kyiv residence of US chargé d'affaires Julie Davis. A top European official described the tone of the meeting as "nauseating."

Driscoll further said that "The US Armed Forces love Ukraine and stand behind Ukraine, but it is the honest US military assessment that Ukraine is in a very bad position and now is the best time for peace."

Witkoff: coaching the Kremlin on how to play Trump

However disturbing this is, sending Witkoff—who has long since proven himself to be utterly uncomprehending of Moscow's tactics, objectives, and games—is even worse. This is especially true now that his 14 October conversation with Putin's representative Yuri Ushakov, and another conversation between Ushakov and Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, has been leaked.

In these calls, Witkoff said he believed the land concessions were necessary while advising Ushakov to congratulate Trump and frame discussions more optimistically.

"Now, me to you, I know what it's going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere," Witkoff told Ushakov during the five-minute conversation. "But I'm saying instead of talking like that, let's talk more hopefully because I think we're going to get to a deal here."

Witkoff also offered tactical guidance on how Putin should raise the subject with Trump, including suggestions about scheduling a Trump-Putin telephone conversation before Volodymyr Zelensky's White House visit later that week. Compounding this disaster, Trump brushed aside this scandal as standard diplomatic practice—another untruth that has now triggered another uproar in Congress because this is another shocking example of ignorance and incompetence.

Obviously, the policy and personal divisions impeding a competent policy process have not been addressed, as this episode shows.

Systemic ignorance

Unfortunately, this ignorance and incompetence pervade the Administration. In earlier conversations with Hungarian President Viktor Orbán, Trump was persuaded by his argument that Hungary needed an exemption from sanctions on Russian oil and gas, as Hungary is landlocked and has no alternative but to continue buying it.

The Czech Republic is also landlocked. It joined the sanctions without demur.

Neither is there a genuine policy process regarding Europe or Ukraine. As of June 2025, due to layoffs at the National Security Council, nobody there was working on Europe, according to a former high-ranking Pentagon official in communication with the author.
The one silver lining

Thus, it is amateur hour at the White House as Ukraine approaches its most fateful hour.

Perhaps the only redeeming feature of this fiasco is that Trump's incompetence has forced Europe to stand up. This fact, coupled with Ukraine's determination, may yet integrate Ukraine with Europe and vice versa in their mutual defense of both Europe and democracy.

Alya Shandra is the editor-in-chief at Euromaidan Press. Before joining Euromaidan Press, she participated in environmental research and education projects. Alya can be contacted at alya.shandra (a) gmail.com, on twitter @AlyaShandra., or FB

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, November 27, 2025 8:12 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


German officials have expressed expectations that Russia would be ready to attack NATO in 2029. But a series of espionage incidents, sabotage and incursions into Europe's airspace suggest that it may be preparing for an attack sooner.

Analysts also believe that a possible truce in Ukraine could free up time and resources for Russia to prepare for action against NATO members in Europe.

Thursday, 27 November 2025, 12:45 — Iryna Kutelieva

https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/eng/news/2025/11/27/7225826/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, November 27, 2025 9:49 AM

THG

Keep it real please


Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Quote:



THGR:
RUSSIA IMPLODES AS ECONOMY CRUMBLES, RUSSIA REJECTS PEACE DEAL!




How many years have you been posting something like that?
Haven't you clued in yet?






What the fuck is wrong with you. Russia had 110 million people living there and is ruled by a dictator. Things take time. Russia is fucked and is, and has been, going down. Especially this year. This is year 3 that they’ve been fully engaged in a war that was supposed to last 3 weeks. The Russian military has been decimated. Stalingrad has been blockaded except by sea. How long do you think they can last. They are already sending in cigarettes by ballon because there is no other way to get them in.

This last video I posted points out the Russian railroad is 58 billion dollars in debt. They don’t have any money to keep it going. The railway workers are told they must work even though they aren’t going to get paid. You can do that in a dictatorship but not forever. There is no money to pay the military. In a dictatorship you can make the army continue to fight, but not forever.

Meanwhile, Russia’s electric grid is now being taken out in a big way. I already pointed out the problem when people in Russia don’t have electricity, especially in winter. Ukraine has Europe helping them out with that. Who does Russia have?

Russia is imploding. I think winter will finish it. Soon enough, you will be forced to acknowledge your beloved Russia will suffer for generations to come because Putin has no soul.

I only hope America survives Trump.



T


NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 7:52 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Kasparov at Washington security forum: NATO doesn’t exist, it’s fake. Ukraine is only country doing what Alliance was built for

Ukraine is dying every minute, fulfilling NATO’s destiny, he said. Still, it’s not a member of the Alliance.

By Olena Mukhina | Nov 27, 2025

https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/27/kasparov-at-washington-security
-forum-nato-doesnt-exist-its-fake-ukraine-is-only-country-doing-what-alliance-was-built-for
/

Ukraine is literally doing NATO's job, and is the only country in the world that is fulfilling the Alliance's destiny. NATO was designed to deter no other war than with Russia. However, Kyiv is still not invited to the Alliance, says Garry Kasparov, a Russian political activist and world chess champion, in his passionate speech at the Halifax Security Forum held in Washington.

The West owes to Ukraine "everything." But instead, the proposals are "let's sacrifice them."

"NATO was built to fight only one war, not Afghanistan, not Syria, one war: to save free Europe from Russian aggression. Ukraine is the only country that is fighting this war, and we're still discussing should include them or not," he claimed.

Kasparov said that NATO is not strong and effectively "doesn't exist," adding that it's fake and only a four-letter word. And it's not about "how many weapons you have," but "I'm willing to fight and die."

"Oh, it’s nice that you have a Canadian-led brigade in Latvia. Will they shoot if the Russians cross the border? We know the answer. It will take ages to negotiate," he continued.

Kasparov said that if not for Ukraine standing in front of Russian tanks, they would already be in Poland.

"Four years Ukraine is fighting for the whole of Europe. The only reason you are still sitting here celebrating (NATO) is because Ukraine is dying every minute. It's a massive sacrifice," he stressed.

Only thanks to Ukraine is Russia not fulfilling Putin’s dream of restoring the Russian empire, Kasparov explained.

However, if Kyiv is forced to accept a US-proposed deal, which has been dubbed a "Munich-style agreement," then it is clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin "will realize that dream."

"And then, you guys are next. But you are not willing to fight," Kasparov underlined.

"Show Trump the middle finger"

He also appealed to the US senators to take action against the deal, which demands that Ukraine abandon its NATO membership aspirations, lose Donbas, and forgive Russia for 190,000 war crimes.

"As a Russian, I also feel guilty—that’s why I cannot simply tell him, 'Show Trump the middle finger.' But how many senators are here? Are you going to tell Donald Trump he cannot do that?" he asked.

Putin, Xi Jinping are celebrating

Kasparov says that the US-proposed deal isn't even worth serious discussion, as Trump’s business partner made it to enrich his family and sell Ukraine.

"How can we seriously discuss Ukraine giving up fortifications that are saving Europe?" he said, mentioning a series of Ukraine's protection structures located in the east of the country, which have been holding the Russians from the complete occupation of the region for 11 years.

These obstacles and digouts would be taken if Russia takes Donbas.

He said the West has every advantage, in terms of military, political, and economic power, but it is still losing the war with Russia.

According to him, Chinese Xi Jinping and other pro-Russian leaders, "are celebrating."

"Russia has North Koreans, Cubans, Africans. They have volunteers. And we are still talking about escalation," he added.

-----------------

Garry Kasparov delivers a powerful message regarding Russia and the war in Ukraine during his appearance at the Halifax International Security Forum. This analysis explores Kasparov's stark warnings to Western leaders about Vladimir Putin's regime and the future of European security. Jonathan MS Pearce from ATP Geopolitics breaks down the key takeaways from the former world chess champion and political activist's speech, examining the strategic implications for NATO and the ongoing support for Ukraine's defence.



The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 9:32 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.



Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:


THGR:
RUSSIA IMPLODES AS ECONOMY CRUMBLES, RUSSIA REJECTS PEACE DEAL


How many years have you been posting something like that?
Haven't you clued in yet?

THGR:
What the fuck is wrong with you.


Where's the question mark?

Quote:

Russia had 110 [130] million people living there and is ruled by a dictator.

Are "dictators" elected? Because Putin has been elected, term after term, in secret, multiparty ballot, as is their legislature. IDK where you get your "facts" from. Probably from your ass.

Quote:

Things take time.
As does attrition warfare.

Quote:

Russia is fucked and is, and has been, going down. Especially this year.
The IMF doesn't think so.

Quote:

This is year 3 that they’ve been fully engaged in a war that was supposed to last 3 weeks.
Who said? Not Russia. More stupid "facts" from bullshit sources like your ass.

Quote:

The Russian military has been decimated.


No....
Quote:

Three Years Into the Ukraine War, Russia’s Army Is Stronger Than Ever

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/three-years-into-the-ukraine-wa
r-russias-army-is-stronger-than-ever


Quote:

Stalingrad [sic] has been blockaded except by sea.
There's no such place in Russia. WTF are you posting about?

Quote:

How long do you think they can last.
No question mark again? They usually follow questions, yanno.
They can last longer than we can.

Quote:

They are already sending in cigarettes by ballon because there is no other way to get them in.
Must be tough getting stuff in to a place that doesn't exist!

Quote:

This last video I posted points out the Russian railroad is 58 billion dollars in debt. They don’t have any money to keep it going. The railway workers are told they must work even though they aren’t going to get paid.
Oh for heaven's sake! Not even The Moscow Times says that, and they catastrophize everything about Russia! https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/11/25/russia-eyes-rescue-plan-for-
debt-laden-rail-monopoly-a91239
It says workers might get two unpaid furlough days per month.
Jeez! Get a grip!

Quote:

You can do that in a dictatorship but not forever.
Yes, you can. But since Russia is not a dictatorship, they're not doing that.

Quote:

There is no money to pay the military. In a dictatorship you can make the army continue to fight, but not forever.
a) This is one region, Yakutia, in Russia's far east, not all of Russia and b) according to even western press, only signing bonuses were suspended, not ongoing payments. Bonuses will resume soon.
Again, you just LOVE to believe your bullshit sources, don't you?

Quote:

Meanwhile, Russia’s electric grid is now being taken out in a big way.
No, UKRAINE'S electric grid is being taken out in a big way.
You have no idea of scale, do you? It would take years, literally, of drone and missile strikes all across Russia to "take out" Russia's grid. All you've shown me is that small sections of some towns have been taken out of service for a few hours for maintenance.
From that, you create mountains from molehills.

Quote:

Russia is imploding. I think winter will finish it.
THIS winter?

Quote:

Soon enough, you will be forced to acknowledge your beloved Russia will suffer for generations to come because Putin has no soul.
Uh huh.
How will we know if Russia has "imploded", THGR? Change in government?
Or will you just bring endless froth and bullshit to the table as "evidence"? Bc that seems to be the only thing you're capable of, and gonna tell you right now, that's not gonna be enough.

Furthermore, I'll tell you where this ridiculous catastrophizing is coming from that's got you so mind-fucked. It's the "peace plan" Kellogg (treasonously) leaked and the phone conversations that our CIA (treasonously) leaked that's got the EU blowing a gasket, pushing all the media buttons and pulling all the NGO levers to spread the narrative RUSSIA'S ON THE ROPES! JUST STEAL RUSSIA'S FROZEN ASSETS! UKRAINE CAN KEEP BLEEDING FOR A FEW MORE MONTHS! TRUMP RUSSIA COLLUSION!

Not a word about Ukraine's military, economic, and demographic collapse.

Nothing about Ukraine's rampant corruption and money laundering.

Quote:

Zelensky's Closest, Most-Powerful Aide Resigns After Office Raided By Anti-Corruption Agents


Not a whisper about Russia's frontline success.

No acknowledgement that Britain is jailing people for "hate speech" i.e. opposition to official policies. Nothing about EU canceling national elections that would have brought opposition parties to power, or national governments like Germany on the brink of outlawing their most popular party.

And nobody dare say anything about the EU's ACTUAL economic decline.

----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 9:50 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:

THGR:
Quote:

Russia had 110 [130] million people living there and is ruled by a dictator.
Are "dictators" elected? Because Putin has been elected, term after term, in secret, multiparty ballot, as is their legislature. IDK where you get your "facts" from. Probably from your ass.

Elections in Russia do not prevent international bodies and experts from widely considering Vladimir Putin a dictator or an autocratic leader.

The electoral process is generally viewed as a sham or a "re-anointment" designed to give an illusion of democratic legitimacy while all genuine opposition is systematically eliminated or marginalized.

Why the Elections Are Not Seen as Democratic

• Lack of genuine opposition: The only clear opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, died in prison, and other potential rivals, like Boris Nadezhdin in the 2024 election, were barred from running by Russian authorities.

• Constitutional changes: Putin orchestrated changes to the Russian Constitution, including a 2020 “referendum," that reset his previous presidential terms to zero, allowing him to run again and potentially stay in power until at least 2036.

• Control of information: State-controlled television and media dominate the information landscape, allowing for massive propaganda and disinformation campaigns, while independent media and critical voices face harsh censorship and legal penalties.

• Systematic repression and rigging: The electoral process itself is marked by allegations of widespread vote rigging, forced voting, and a general lack of independent monitoring and transparency.

• Concentration of power: Putin has consolidated all legislative, executive, and judicial powers within his circle, effectively neutralizing any independent checks and balances that would exist in a functional democracy.

In essence, while the technical process of voting occurs, the necessary conditions for a free and fair election—such as a level playing field, independent media, and the genuine possibility of a change in leadership—are absent in Russia.

While a small number of absolute monarchies do not hold elections at all, many modern dictatorships and authoritarian regimes stage "sham elections" as a tool to project strength, demoralize opposition, and seek external validation, making elections and dictatorships not mutually exclusive.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Do+elections+mean+Putin+is+not+a+dicta
tor


The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 10:38 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.



Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:

THGR:
Russia had 110 [130] million people living there and is ruled by a dictator.]
...

SIGNY: Are "dictators" elected? Because Putin has been elected, term after term, in secret, multiparty ballot, as is their legislature. IDK where you get your "facts" from. Probably from your ass.

SECOND:
Elections in Russia do not prevent "international bodies" and "experts" from ...

Uh huh.

Quote:

... widely considering Vladimir Putin a dictator or an autocratic leader.


So, which is it?

Quote:

The electoral process is generally viewed
By who? Russians have been pretty happy with Putin so far.

Quote:

as a sham or a "re-anointment" designed to give an illusion of democratic legitimacy while all genuine opposition is systematically eliminated or marginalized.


This sounds very much like the USA, where genuine opposition is shot, hoaxes are fabricated by our spook agencies and spread by complicit media, and legislators are bought and paid for.

Quote:

Why the Elections Are Not Seen as Democratic

• Lack of genuine opposition: The only clear opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, died in prison, and other potential rivals, like Boris Nadezhdin in the 2024 election, were barred from running by Russian authorities.

Navalny never got enough votes in mayoral election to win, and not enough signatures to even run.
But if you want to talk about non-democratic, how about the unelected EU, which annulled an election in Romania and interfered with many more?

Quote:

• Constitutional changes: Putin
Not Putin. The 450-member legislature of Russia read the changes ... there were many, it wasn't just about Putin.
Quote:

orchestrated changes to the Russian Constitution, including a 2020 “referendum,"
Yes, an actual, vote
Quote:

that reset his previous presidential terms to zero, allowing him to run again and potentially stay in power until at least 2036.

• Control of information: State-controlled television and media dominate the information landscape, allowing for massive propaganda and disinformation campaigns, while independent media and critical voices face harsh censorship and legal penalties.

As opposed to, say, Britain, which jails people for mere opposition to policy?

Quote:

•Systematic repression and rigging: The electoral process itself is marked by allegations
You know what allegations are, don't you? Accusations without evidence.

Blah blah blah ...

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 10:49 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


An example of EU "democracy"

Quote:

Poland Resists EU Court Order To Recognize Same-Sex Marriage



"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 10:57 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Quote:

Why the Elections Are Not Seen as Democratic

• Lack of genuine opposition: The only clear opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, died in prison, and other potential rivals, like Boris Nadezhdin in the 2024 election, were barred from running by Russian authorities.

Navalny never got enough votes in mayoral election to win, and not enough signatures to even run.

Previous Poisoning: In 2020, Navalny was poisoned with a Soviet-era Novichok nerve agent. After recovering in Germany, he returned to Russia in 2021 and was immediately arrested, serving multiple sentences on charges widely considered politically motivated. His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, claimed in September 2025 that new laboratory tests conducted abroad on samples from his body confirmed he was poisoned in prison.

While the exact circumstances of Alexei Navalny's death are unclear and he died in a Russian prison, many international leaders, his allies, and critics of the Russian government hold President Vladimir Putin and his government directly responsible for his death. US intelligence agencies have concluded that Putin likely did not directly order the killing but that his government bears responsibility, as Navalny was effectively given a death sentence by being imprisoned.

Arguments for Putin's responsibility

• Harsh imprisonment: Navalny was sent to a remote and brutal prison colony in the Arctic, where he was subjected to harsh conditions and solitary confinement, which many believe amounted to a death sentence.

• Previous poisoning attempt: Navalny was poisoned with the nerve agent Noyichok in 2020, an attack that many attribute to the Russian state.

• Sabotaged prisoner swap: Navalny's allies claim he was killed to prevent a prisoner swap that would have involved a Russian agent imprisoned in Germany.

• Widespread blame: Many world leaders, as well as Russian opposition figures, have publicly blamed Putin's government for Navalny's death.

Counterarguments or alternative theories

• No direct order: According to the Wall Street Journal and NBC News, US intelligence agencies believe that Putin probably did not directly order Navalny's death when it occurred.

• Unclear circumstances: The Russian authorities have not provided a clear and fully transparent account of Navalny's death, and many questions remain unanswered.

https://www.google.com/search?q=did+putin+kill+Navalny

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 3:10 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Russian forces storm Ukraine's Pokrovsk nonstop and suffer heavy losses

By Kateryna Danishevska | Fri, November 28, 2025 - 15:06

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/putin-signals-potential-peace-summit-i
n-budapest-1764333762.html


Russian forces are concentrated mainly in the southern part of Pokrovsk, while small groups are present across the entire urban area. The enemy is storming the Defense Forces' positions around the clock and is taking heavy losses, according to a comment by Serhii Okishev, spokesperson for the 7th Rapid Response Corps of Ukraine's Air Assault Forces.

According to Okishev, Ukrainian forces are actively working to eliminate Russian troops. Small enemy groups attempting to infiltrate the city and concentrate there are quickly detected and neutralized.

"Search-and-strike groups detect the enemy and destroy them on the spot. Aerial reconnaissance also operates around the clock, identifying these groups," he said.

Regarding the situation in Pokrovsk, Okishev stated that Russian forces are storming Ukrainian positions around the clock. At the same time, they are suffering enormous losses: at least several dozen Russian troops are eliminated every day.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed that over the past week, Ukrainian defenders have been actively eliminating Russian forces in Pokrovsk. As of now, more than one-third of the city has been completely cleared of Russian troops, he said.

The 7th Rapid Response Corps of the Air Assault Forces reported that Ukrainian troops in Pokrovsk continue to repel Russian attempts to advance deeper into the city. Numerous ambushes are being set up in the gray zone, and raid and search operations are underway.

Due to enormous manpower losses, Russian commanders have been forced to begin sending reserve forces to storm Pokrovsk. The Ukrainian Armed Forces, for their part, not only have achieved successes but have also organized protective corridors to Myrnohrad to deliver everything the defenders need and evacuate the wounded.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 3:10 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


How many more years of war Russia's economy can withstand: Expert forecast

By Daryna Vialko | Fri, November 28, 2025 - 18:25

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/how-many-more-years-of-war-russia-s-ec
onomy-1764346313.html


The Russian economy will be able to finance the war against Ukraine at its current level of intensity for two more years, provided that China continues supporting it by purchasing its oil, according to the former presidential economic adviser Oleh Ustenko.

"For 24 months, they will be able to function this way (with China's support - ed.)," says Oleh Ustenko.

If the status quo changes and China begins reducing purchases of Russian oil, this timeframe could shrink to 12 months, though even in that case, Russia's economy will not collapse, Ustenko added.

There are already signs that Beijing will cut purchases of Russian oil transported by sea. China will continue receiving Russian oil via pipelines, Ustenko notes, but a reduction in seaborne supplies will deprive Russia of at least 10 billion dollars a year.

According to Ustenko, Russia understands that under current conditions, in roughly two years it will no longer have the same capacity for offensive operations. This is why Moscow is trying to achieve as much as possible during this period and will likely increase its level of aggression.

Russia's economy continues to lose ground amid its protracted war against Ukraine and international sanctions. Key sectors are in decline, and the banking system is preparing for possible state support to avoid collapse.

In early September, Sberbank CEO German Gref admitted that Russia's economic growth had effectively stalled in the second quarter of 2025.

On 24 November, Reuters reported that Russia’s oil and gas revenues for November may drop by roughly 35% compared to the same month last year.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 3:30 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


The Change From Biden To Trump Has Been Devastating For Ukraine

And Why it is Important for the Direction of US Foreign Policy

By Phillips P. OBrien | Nov 28, 2025

https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/the-change-from-biden-to-trump-
has


I was certainly no fan of the Biden Administration’s policies towards Ukraine—and did not keep my criticisms private. One of my most read stories in The Atlantic was about shortcomings in the Biden Administration’s policies towards the Russo-Ukraine War. That being said, there is such a massive gulf between how the Biden Administration approached the war (a little unsure and scared but on the side of Ukraine and supportive of its European allies) and how the Trump administration has approached the war (protecting Putin and putting pressure on Ukraine to weaken itself materially while moving away from Europe), that sometimes people lose perspective of the difference.

Biden Was Better For Ukraine In Every Way

The 28 Points that the Trump administration recently drew up with its partners in the Kremlin and then tried to foist on Ukraine have reinforced the stark nature of that difference in a way that I do not think people have fully understood. We are discussing this plan as a possibility, but if it had been proposed during the Biden Administration, it would have been considered a crime against US interests.

In the plan, the Trump Administration made the USA much more pro-Putin and anti-Ukraine in every area of strategic importance, in such a way that the Trump administration is threatening the long-term existence of Ukraine as a sovereign state. To show the difference, I thought it would be worthwhile to contrast some of the 28 points with the equivalent positions of the Biden Administration.

To confirm that I have understood the Biden Administration’s positions, I did get confirmation from someone with very close links to the Biden NSC

Trump’s 28 Points

Let's start with Trump’s 28 points. Here are some examples of where the US is now under his leadership. All of these steps impose massive sovereignty restrictions on Ukraine, in essence making it a poor and vulnerable outcast in Europe as a whole.

The NATO Clauses

3. Russia will not invade neighbouring countries, and Nato will not expand further.

7. Ukraine will enshrine in its Constitution that it will not join Nato, and Nato will adopt a provision stating that Ukraine will not be admitted at any time in the future.

8. Nato will not deploy its troops in Ukraine.

So here we have three clauses, all of which are directed to cripple Ukrainian relations with NATO in the future. NATO has to promise not to expand or admit Ukraine, but, in case that was not clear enough, Ukraine has to have a constitutional amendment stating that it cannot join NATO. And to make things even more absurd, NATO has to promise never to deploy any NATO forces in Ukraine. In other words, the USA is now dictating Ukraine’s future relations with the most important alliance in Europe, and trying to control that relationship even after Trump leaves office.

Loss of Military Sovereignty:

6. The size of Ukraine’s Armed Forces will be limited to 600,000 personnel.

The key thing here is not the 600,000 limit, its the fact that Ukraine will be forced to limit its military by outside powers and treaties. This is not NATO saying no Ukraine, it is Ukraine accepting an inferior position among European states. No other European state has such a limit placed on its military. And once such a limit is in place, Ukraine will become Russia’s inferior.

The Loss of Territory

21. Territorial arrangements:

a. Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk will be recognized de facto as Russian, including by the United States.

b. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia will be frozen along current front lines.

c. Russia renounces claims to any other territories it controls beyond these five regions.

d. Ukrainian troops will withdraw from the part of Donetsk region they currently control; this zone becomes a demilitarized neutral buffer internationally recognized as Russian Federation territory. Russian forces will not enter the demilitarized zone.

This means that the US is going to recognize Russian conquest (validating it) and it seems that European states might be expected to do so as well. This is the end of the European system as we have known it since 1945 and is actually a direct repudiation of the principles of the UN.

It also means that the US is willing to try and force Ukraine to withdraw from territory it now controls (the Donetsk demilitarized zone) while making that territory legally part of Russia as well. This really is turning the world upside down,

The Russia Punished/Rewarded Clauses

13. Russia will be reintegrated into the global economy:

a. Sanctions relief will be discussed and agreed on individually and gradually.

b. The US will sign a long-term economic cooperation agreement with Russia covering energy, resources, infrastructure, AI, data centres, Arctic rare-earth mining, and other corporate opportunities.

c. Russia will be invited to return to the G8.

14. Frozen Russian assets:

a. $100bn will be invested in US-led reconstruction projects in Ukraine.

b. The US will receive 50% of the profits from these projects.

c. Europe will add another $100bn for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

d. European frozen assets will be unfrozen.

e. Remaining Russian assets will be invested in a special US–Russia investment instrument for joint projects aimed at strengthening mutual interests and long-term stability.

26. All parties to the conflict will receive full amnesty for wartime actions and agree not to file claims or pursue grievances.

These are extraordinary clauses. Basically, Russia is to receive no meaningful punishment for the invasion, and all of its war criminals are not only to receive amnesty but are to be freed from worry of affected parties pursuing grievances. As for the money, it establishes a new reality in which the US can get back to work with Russia as soon as possible. The Trump administration can, if it so wishes (and it almost certainly will) end all sanctions if it wants, asap.

It would be like the invasion never happened.

The Biden Administration’s Position

The Biden Administration had completely different stances on all of these issues and was far more supportive of Ukraine and tougher on Russia across the board. Here was where they stood.

The NATO Debate

The Biden Administration was very clear that Ukraine had the sovereign right to join NATO and that membership was the expected end-state—the words often used were Ukraine “will be” a NATO member. There was certainly some debate about how long such a membership process would take, and the Biden Administration was split between those who supported very fast membership and those who wanted to wait a longer time. I’ve been told that significant figures like Secretary of State Blinken supported the fast membership option, while others, such as those in the Pentagon, were opposed.

Its also worth noting that the longer the war went on, the more the Biden Administration seemed to coalesce in favor of faster Ukrainian membership of NATO (I’ve been told that Jake Sullivan became more supportive in 2024).

So the Biden Administration overall supported the principle of Ukrainian membership of NATO throughout. Some people even supported fast membership, and there was never an idea of limiting Ukrainian sovereignty on this issue.

Loss of Military Sovereignty.

This will be quick. At no time and in no way did the Biden Administration contemplate restrictions on the size and capability of Ukraine’s military.

The Loss of Territory

Again, pretty short. The Biden Administration was never going to pressure Ukraine to give up territory, and it was not going to recognize the Russian seizure of Ukrainian territory (unless perhaps the Ukrainian government asked them to do so).

The Russian Punishment Clauses

The Biden Administration took a completely different position on these issues from Trump (thus, I have taken out the word “rewarded”). There were no goodies for Russia on offer. The Biden Administration supported full accountability for all Russian war criminals, no general amnesties, and was clear that what Russia was doing was a war crime.

When it came to seized Russian assets, the Biden Administration became increasingly hard line between 2022 and 2025. In 2024, the White House came out and specifically applauded the idea that seized Russian assets could be used to help rebuild Ukraine. Not long before he left office, for instance, President Biden said that all Russian assets they could get their hands on should be seized, full stop. Again its hard to imagine a greater contrast to what Trump has proposed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Biden Administration wanted to help Ukraine, to punish Russia, to see Ukraine eventually in NATO, and to treat Ukraine as an independent and sovereign state in control of its own destiny. It was an entirely different approach from the Trump administration.

And the US change is not only important for Ukraine and Russia, but it is also important in the world. What the Trump administration has now done, regardless of what has happened with these points in the last few days, is transform the USA into a defender and supporter of dictators over democratic states. It is pushing a democracy to cede territory, millions of people, and sovereign rights to appease a dictator. It is also bending over to please that dictator by calling for the protection of war criminals who have committed mass crimes against a democracy.

If it can do it to Ukraine, the Trump administration (and that means the USA) can do it to anyone else.

Even critics of the Biden Administration, such as myself, need to acknowledge the massive gulf between how Biden and Trump are treating Ukraine. Once again, it's why those who claim to support Trump and Ukraine are doing no such thing.

Thanks for reading Phillips’s Newsletter! This post is public, so feel free to share it.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 4:12 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Peace Through Bungling

By its own efforts, despite the bungles and cowardice of its friends, Ukraine may have at least bought a chance for the freedom it is due.

By Eliot A. Cohen | November 27, 2025, 6 AM ET

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/11/peace-bungle-trump-ukraine/6
85086
/

There are two ways to interpret the Trump administration’s latest peace initiative in Ukraine. It may merely be, as some claim, the latest expression of its greed and stupidity, its urge to betray Ukraine, and its authoritarian lust for intimacy with the autocrat of Russia. Or it might be something altogether more complicated.

Unquestionably, this is a corrupt administration, in which the offspring of the principals carve out multibillion-dollar deals in real estate and cryptocurrency while the president slathers gold leaf on anything made of stone or wood and indulges in various side hustles of his own. Unquestionably, too, Donald Trump dislikes Volodymyr Zelensky, retains a sneaking respect for Vladimir Putin as a fellow tough guy, and thinks Russia is gradually grinding the life out of Ukraine. But that is far from the full story.

For those who care about Ukraine, it is the main focus of their thoughts. Not so for Trump, who presides over a coalition showing increasing cracks as various factions—tech bros, small-government fanatics, Jew-haters, anti-vaccine quacks, Christian nationalists, xenophobes, isolationists, anti-immigration monomaniacs, covert normie Republicans, and garden-variety populists—have begun to pick fights with one another and even, cautiously, with the White House. The courts have thwarted Trump’s pursuit of vengeance against his enemies, and worse may lie ahead if the Supreme Court strikes down his tariff policies.

Prices have been rising, and Trump’s approval rating has been declining—and in an admittedly limited set of off-year elections, his party was crushed. He is contemplating the approach of 2026, which will bring his 80th birthday and the midterm elections, and he may see his party surrender control of the House. Beyond that, the creeping enfeeblement of a lame-duck administration awaits. Meanwhile, he may be coming to the realization that he has boxed himself into either a humiliating climbdown from confrontation with Venezuela or a much more problematic war of which the American people, and even a docile Congress, would disapprove.

Is it any wonder that a Russia-Ukraine deal is attractive to a man who is musing uneasily about his own mortality and who has, like most unpopular presidents, taken refuge in travel abroad and foreign triumphs? Ending the Gaza war was a success, but this would be considerably bigger.

Moreover, the outlines of a reasonable cessation of hostilities are there. From Ukraine’s perspective, it will be a much worse deal than was possible in the first two years of the war. The timidity of the Biden administration in arming Ukraine and the incapacity of a self-disarmed Europe have cost Ukraine its best opportunity to reclaim by force most of its invaded territory. The unwillingness of the United States and Europe alike to wage serious economic war, by confiscating Russian sovereign assets and clamping down on Russia’s oil exports (which, to its credit, the Trump administration has done more on than its predecessor) has so far prevented Russia from feeling truly dire economic consequences.

A plausible cease-fire would freeze territorial control more or less along current lines, with provisions for Ukraine’s economic reconstruction, the repatriation of its citizens from occupied lands, entry into the European Union, and long-term military support from the West, including at least a rotational NATO military presence. Above all, it would need to include recognition by all parties of Ukraine’s sovereignty and right to choose its own destiny.

The time may well be ripe for such a deal. Russia, particularly in its dealings with the Trump administration, has been brilliant in concealing its own weaknesses, which include an oil industry squeezed by sanctions and Ukrainian missile and drone strikes, the consequences of losing millions of men to battlefield death and injury or to emigration, the distortion of an economy crippled by war production, and the fallout of mortgaging its future to a predatory China. But those weaknesses exist.

The problem is the American bunglers who are trying to make the deal. The worst of the lot is the real-estate guy Steve Witkoff, who has sweetly expressed his confidence in Putin’s candor; who pals around with Kirill Dmitriev, a Moscow hood in financier’s fancy clothing; and whose latest escapade includes giving candid advice to his Russian interlocutors on how to manipulate his own president. Amateur diplomats have been known to succeed, but this one is a disaster: He is ill-informed, credulous, and utterly unfamiliar with the history and character of those he deals with.

But the pathologies of the administration go far deeper. There is no foreign-policy process to speak of: no dull hammering-out of positions and action plans in stuffy conference rooms, no agreed-upon statements of conclusions, no use of trusted diplomats to bring on board allies and relevant neutrals. A sensible process, for example, would have had a single negotiator shuttling back and forth between Moscow and Kyiv and a common American position agreed upon before the latest initiative. That did not happen.

Rather, shortly after the initial U.S. 28-point plan was leaked, Senators Angus King and Mike Rounds reported to the press that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told them that it represented the Russian, not the American, position. Rubio later denied that. Trump erupted on Truth Social, “UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS, AND EUROPE CONTINUES TO BUY OIL FROM RUSSIA. THE USA CONTINUES TO SELL MASSIVE $AMOUNTS OF WEAPONS TO NATO, FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UKRAINE,” a combination of falsehoods and half- or quarter-truths. European states, which had not been consulted, balked and proposed their own 24-point peace plan. The secretary of state flew to Kyiv. Witkoff flew to Abu Dhabi. The secretary of the Army (a new participant in this game) flew to Kyiv. An ultimatum to Ukraine with a hard deadline of a deal by Thanksgiving evaporated. It was political comic opera.

The Trump administration has a fatal proclivity for forgetting that other actors in the world have agency—in this case, the much-disparaged Europeans, whose own security is at stake and who (admittedly after Trump’s prodding) are doing much more for their own and Ukraine’s defense than is often realized. And because the stakes for Ukraine are literally survival, Ukrainians have not folded in the past and will not here.

Putin may simply refuse the basic deal on offer. But even if he accepts it, more perils await. Promises of nonaggression from Putin’s Russia, a regime built on revanchism and lies, are meaningless. So, too, in this administration, are U.S. guarantees. Russia’s reentry into international institutions and the lifting of sanctions will strengthen it, and the lure of Trumpian self-enrichment and Vancian isolationism will diminish such American commitment to Ukraine as currently exists. Should Russia violate commitments such as to freedom of navigation of the Dnipro River from Ukraine to the Black Sea, one may reasonably doubt whether a Trump administration would bring down the hammer.

Still, if even a Ukraine severed from the Donbas and Crimea—in theory, only temporarily; in reality, probably permanently—can maintain its sovereignty, consolidate its democratic institutions, be assured of entry into the EU, acquire the arms it needs to defend itself bolstered by the intermittent presence of Western armies and air forces, it has a chance. It deserved so much better. But its own efforts, despite the bungles and cowardice of its friends, have at least bought it a chance for the freedom it is due. As for the Trump administration, it may crow or throw tantrums or stalk off in a huff. But it is also just barely conceivable that it may bring an end—in all likelihood, alas, a temporary one—to Europe’s most hideous and unjust war since 1945.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 4:18 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Fog Blinded Ukraine's Drones. So The Pilots Homed In On The Russians' Radio Chatter.

Signals intelligence can pinpoint Russian vehicles for the drones to attack.

Nov 28, 2025

https://www.trenchart.us/p/fog-blinded-ukraines-drones-so-the

Ukraine’s drones are everywhere all the time along the 700-mile front line of Russia’s 45-month wide war on Ukraine. But a first-person-view drone performs only as well as its operator can see.

And the winter fog that has blanketed much of the front line for weeks now limits visibility to around 50 yards, according to Ukrainian drone operator Kriegsforscher. This bad weather can “significantly degrade” drone operations, Carnegie Endowment analyst Michael Kofman wrote.

It’s a problem for Ukraine’s faltering defense—one the Ukrainians are mitigating with admirable ingenuity. Deploying ground robots to spot targets for aerial robots. And, more recently, using signals intelligence—radio eavesdropping, basically—to locate Russian assault groups before sending in the drones mostly blind.

The armed forces of Ukraine “have awful weather conditions during the day and night,” Kriegsforscher wrote on Friday. “But with the help of SIGINT and other tools, we are able to destroy the enemy.”

Kriegsforscher listed seven targets, all BTR-80/82AT wheeled infantry fighting vehicles from the 1st and 252nd Motor Rifle Regiments, slowly advancing north of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast. Destroying the seven BTRs between Nov. 23 and 28, Kriegsforscher’s unit claimed it killed 19 Russians.

It’s apparent from Kriegsforscher’s statement that his team located at least some of the BTRs by listening in on the crews’ radio chatter—or by intercepting communications from the Russian regimental staffs.

Either way, the strikes were SIGINT-led. The pilots flew their drones to coordinates indicated by the radio intercepts, and them maneuvered close enough to the ground to eventually spot the BTRs in the fog. (Observe less foggy strikes by Kriegsforscher’s team in the video below.)

It’s a new approach to combined-arms drone warfare—and not the first. Taking advantage of a thick winter fog on or just before Nov. 15, a Russian mechanized column rolled toward Kostyantynivka, a fortress town just 30 miles northeast of the main locus of the fighting in Donetsk: the ruins of Pokrovsk.

Instead of deploying aerial surveillance drones, the 93rd Mechanized Brigade deployed ground surveillance drones that are largely unbothered by foggy skies.

Ground ’bots to the rescue

“Using the weather conditions, namely thick fog, the enemy made a push in the direction of Ukrainian positions, hoping that our drones would be blind,” the 93rd Mechanized Brigade reported. “The Russians did not take one thing into account: during the enemy’s assault actions, the newest ground robotic reconnaissance complexes were standing in their rear, detected the Russian columns and transmitted the coordinates.”

93rd Mechanized Brigade operators launched their FPV drones and steered them to the coordinates provided by the ground robots. Apparently flying blind for miles, the FPVs got close enough to spot the Russian vehicles through the fog. A video montage the veteran brigade posted online depicts FPV drones striking several Russian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.

Bombers drones with thermal cameras mopped up: dropping grenades on immobilized vehicles and scattered Russian troops.

Fog protects Russian assault groups. Ground surveillance and radio eavesdropping can penetrate that protection. Whether these methods are scalable is the open question. Between independent drone units and those subordinate to the ground forces, Ukraine fields hundreds of drone teams. And single one is critical to the defense of its sector.

Do all of them have access to SIGINT? If not, do they enjoy support from nearby ground robots?

Thanks for reading Trench Art! This post is public so feel free to share it.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 7:31 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Blah, blah, blah...

--------------------------------------------------

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 7:33 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


The Atlantic: Ukraine Says It Won’t Give Up Land to Russia

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-says-it-won-t-give-up-lan
d-to-russia/ar-AA1RhPov


You're on your own, bitch.

You're a dead man walking, Zelensky.

Good luck to ya.



--------------------------------------------------

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 28, 2025 8:04 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Quote:

Originally posted by second:
Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Quote:

Why the Elections Are Not Seen as Democratic

• Lack of genuine opposition: The only clear opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, died in prison, and other potential rivals, like Boris Nadezhdin in the 2024 election, were barred from running by Russian authorities.

Navalny never got enough votes in mayoral election to win, and not enough signatures to even run.

Previous Poisoning: In 2020, Navalny was poisoned with a Soviet-era Novichok nerve agent.



No.
He wasn't.

He collapsed on a Russian flight, was treated at a Russian hospital and tested for toxins. What they found was severely low blood sugar.

But bc of agitation Navalny was transferred to a German hospital along with blood and urine samples taken at hospital and the bottled water that he has been drinking on the plane.
If he had been poisoned, the samples would never have been shared. Russia was really pissed that Germany participated in the "poisoning" charade.

AFA as his death in prison, he died of a brain bleed, just two days after his ever-loving wife visited him. She inherited his estate after he died. Coincidence?

******
I can tell how our war in Ukraine is going by the amount of "cope" that SECOND and THGR post.

For example;

Quote:

Fog Blinded Ukraine's Drones. So The Pilots Homed In On The Russians' Radio Chatter.

Signals intelligence can pinpoint Russian vehicles for the drones to attack.

Nov 28, 2025

https://www.trenchart.us/p/fog-blinded-ukraines-drones-so-the

Ukraine’s drones are everywhere all the time along the 700-mile front line of Russia’s 45-month wide war on Ukraine.



Er, actually, no. There are very few videos of Ukrainian FPV drone attacks along the front line. There were some videos just posted from Pokrovsk, but that's it.

Quote:

But a first-person-view drone performs only as well as its operator can see.

And the winter fog that has blanketed much of the front line for weeks now limits visibility to around 50 yards, according to Ukrainian drone operator Kriegsforscher. This bad weather can “significantly degrade” drone operations, Carnegie Endowment analyst Michael Kofman wrote.



If Ukrainian drones are blinded by fog, how is Russia continuing aggressive drone warfare?
Magic?

Ukraine's problem is that Russia is successfully targeting drone operators, and drone manufacture. Fog isn't the problem.




------


"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Saturday, November 29, 2025 8:21 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Verified Russian Deaths in Ukraine War Surpass 150K – Independent Tally

Nov 29, 2025

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/11/29/verified-russian-deaths-in-u
kraine-war-surpass-150k-independent-tally-a91279


Verified Russian military deaths in Ukraine have risen to at least 152,142 since the full-scale invasion, according to a joint count by BBC Russian and Mediazona.

The tally is based on verified open-source reports such as obituaries and court records and includes only Russian citizens. Fighters from the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics are excluded.

The republics of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan and the Sverdlovsk region recorded the highest numbers of confirmed fatalities, with 7,643, 6,599 and 5,386 deaths respectively.

Moscow, a city of over 13 million people, accounted for 4,520 deaths by comparison, while the republic of Chechnya reported 372.

BBC Russian and Mediazona said losses continue to fall disproportionately on residents of small towns and rural areas.

Around 67% of the confirmed dead came from settlements with fewer than 100,000 people. These areas account for less than half the country’s population.

Alexei Zakharov, an economist at the University of Chicago, told BBC Russian that casualty levels strongly correlate with how dependent local budgets are on federal subsidies.

Western estimates suggest Russia’s overall losses are significantly higher than the BBC Russian and Mediazona tally.

British intelligence in June put total Russian casualties at about 1 million, including up to 250,000 killed. Irreversible losses, including those missing or too badly wounded to return to service, likely stood between 400,000 and 500,000, London said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Russia lost around 100,000 troops killed in the first half of 2025. President Donald Trump later said more than 112,000 Russian deaths since January compared with about 8,000 Ukrainian fatalities.

The Economist estimated Russia may have lost around 31,000 troops between May 1 and July 9 alone and that cumulative losses could total 900,000-1.3 million, including 190,000-350,000 irreversible casualties.

The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) provided comparable figures, estimating about 1 million Russian casualties overall, including 250,000 killed and roughly 400,000 severely wounded.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Saturday, November 29, 2025 8:22 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Russian victory would cost Europe twice as much as supporting Ukraine, study finds

By Lucy Pakhnyuk | November 29, 2025 6:26 am

https://kyivindependent.com/russian-victory-far-costlier-for-europe-th
an-ukrainian-victory-study-finds
/

A Russian military victory in Ukraine would cost Europe twice as much as a Ukrainian victory, according to a new study by Corisk and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs published on Nov. 25.

The study outlined two military and economic scenarios for Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and highlighted the choices available to Europe as the United States pushes a peace plan that may be unfavorable to Ukraine and Europe as a whole.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/397941386_Europe's_choice
_Military_and_economic_scenarios_for_the_War_in_Ukraine_Corisk_Report_Series_No_12_2025


Under the first scenario proposed by the researchers, Moscow's forces would continue their incremental advance and push westward toward the Dnipro River. As a result of their military victories, the Kremlin would force Ukraine to accept a negotiated settlement on terms beneficial to Moscow.

According to the report, such an outcome would amount to a Russian partial victory, giving the Kremlin influence over Ukraine's political and economic orientation, including EU and NATO membership.

The study further warned that Ukraine could lose half its territory, face long-term political destabilization, and risk democratic backsliding — or even state failure. Millions more Ukrainians — an estimated 6 to 11 million — could flee toward Europe, generating 524-952 billion euros ($606 billion - 1.1 trillion) in refugee-related expenses over four years.

Additional defense spending to reinforce NATO's eastern flank would raise Europe's total costs under Scenario 1 to €1.2-€1.6 trillion ($1.4-1.8 trillion).

Following a negotiated settlement to its invasion of Ukraine, Russia could then redirect military resources toward Moldova, the Baltic states, or the Nordic region, the report said. European governments would need to rapidly build up its defenses and deterrence in the Baltics and Arctic, while simultaneously dealing with rising political strain from migration and domestic polarization.

Under a second scenario — or a Ukrainian victory — the cost associated would be significantly less for Europe, the researchers found.

With the right level of support, Ukraine could rebuild superior combat power — similar to its successful 2022 counter offensives — and begin retaking occupied territory. In this scenario, Ukraine's battlefield momentum would force Russia into peace talks that safeguard Kyiv's vital interests.

To facilitate victory, Ukraine would require a rapid influx of military equipment. This would include "1,500-2,500 battle tanks and 2,000-3,000 artillery systems over one or two years... Ukraine will also need up to 8 million drones of all types, air defense, and strategic missile systems."

If these capabilities are delivered, the report argued, Ukraine could stop Russian advances, reclaim strategically important areas, and restore conditions for political normalization and economic recovery. A Ukrainian partial victory would also accelerate EU integration, encourage refugee returns, and reduce country-risk premiums for investors.

Europe's estimated cost for enabling such an outcome — including military aid, industrial support, and reduced refugee burdens — totals 522–838 billion euros ($605-$972 billion) over four years, roughly half the cost of a Russian victory. Confiscation of frozen Russian assets could further reduce European expenses by up to 50 percent.

Under both scenarios, Europe would take on the vast majority of support for Ukraine, as the study estimates the United States will eventually phase out its support for Ukrainian and European defenses.

The research findings come as pressure is at an all-time high to source new funding for Ukraine, whose finances will run dry in mid-2026.

Under a "reparations loan" scheme spearheaded by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, approximately 140 billion euros ($162 billion) in immobilized Russian central bank reserves would be lent to Ukraine.

Despite some opposition from European leader, the European Commission and most EU member states favor a reparations loan scheme and aim to finalize an agreement at the European Council meeting on Dec. 18-19.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Saturday, November 29, 2025 8:30 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:

No.
He wasn't.

He collapsed on a Russian flight, was treated at a Russian hospital and tested for toxins. What they found was severely low blood sugar.

But bc of agitation Navalny was transferred to a German hospital along with blood and urine samples taken at hospital and the bottled water that he has been drinking on the plane.

If he had been poisoned, the samples would never have been shared. Russia was really pissed that Germany participated in the "poisoning" charade.

That is funny because it is the same story Moscow was telling, except Moscow was lying:

Exclusive: -Russian paramedics' accounts challenge Moscow's explanation for Navalny's coma - sources

By Anton Zverev and Gleb Stolyarov | September 14, 20208:56 AM CDTUpdated September 14, 2020

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/russian-paramedics-accounts-cha
llenge-moscows-explanation-navalnys-coma-sources-2020-09-14
/

Signym, you cannot stop lying.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Saturday, November 29, 2025 8:38 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:

AFA as his death in prison, he died of a brain bleed, just two days after his ever-loving wife visited him. She inherited his estate after he died. Coincidence?

Translating: "AFA as Navalny's death in prison, he died of a brain bleed, just two days after his ever-loving wife visited him. She inherited his estate after he died. Coincidence?" When that is googled:

The claims in the prompt are factually incorrect based on available information.

Cause of death: Official Russian authorities claimed Navalny died from "sudden death syndrome" due to an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), which was later specified as a "combined disease" including cholecystitis, pancreatitis, and intervertebral hernia, triggered by high blood pressure. These official claims have been widely disputed. An independent investigative group found early official documents mentioned symptoms like abdominal pain, vomiting, and convulsions, consistent with poisoning, which were removed in the final report. Yulia Navalnaya and independent foreign labs that tested biological samples smuggled out of Russia concluded he was poisoned shortly before his death. There is no credible information from official or independent sources that he died of a "brain bleed".

Wife's visit: Yulia Navalnaya was prevented from visiting or speaking to her husband for two years leading up to his death. The last time they had an extended visit in prison was in August 2021. The user's claim that she visited him just two days before his death is false. On Valentine's Day, two days before his death, a post on Navalny's Instagram page featured a picture of them both with a loving caption, which was likely managed by his team, not a result of a physical visit.

Inheritance: Yulia Navalnaya inherited her husband's political work and role as the leader of the opposition, specifically his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). She has vowed to continue his fight against Vladimir Putin's regime. There is no information in public reporting about her inheriting a specific monetary "estate" or that this was a motive for his death. Navalny's anti-corruption work was funded by donations and support from individuals like Boris Zimin, who considered it a charity project.

The international community, human rights organizations, and Western governments broadly hold Russian authorities responsible for Navalny's death, attributing it to his previous poisoning and brutal prison conditions.

I am shocked, shocked I tell you, that Signym cannot stop lying.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Saturday, November 29, 2025 2:40 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.



Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:

No.
He wasn't.

He collapsed on a Russian flight, was treated at a Russian hospital and tested for toxins. What they found was severely low blood sugar.

But bc of agitation Navalny was transferred to a German hospital along with blood and urine samples taken at hospital and the bottled water that he has been drinking on the plane.

If he had been poisoned, the samples would never have been shared. Russia was really pissed that Germany participated in the "poisoning" charade.


SECOND:
That is funny because it is the same story Moscow was telling, except Moscow was lying:

Exclusive: -Russian paramedics' accounts challenge Moscow's explanation for Navalny's coma - sources

By Anton Zverev and Gleb Stolyarov | September 14, 20208:56 AM CDTUpdated September 14, 2020

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/russian-paramedics-accounts-cha
llenge-moscows-explanation-navalnys-coma-sources-2020-09-14
/

Signym, you cannot stop lying.




The article doesn't quote the paramedics themselves, so the headline itself is a lie. It refers to "sources with knowledge of".

Where's the evidence? Field notes? Communications with the hospital? Lab results?

Lack of evidence is telling.

Those "sources" could be anyone. They could even be American. They could be CIA. With that kind of sourcing and without evidence, it's just "someone said".

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Saturday, November 29, 2025 4:29 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Looks like some of Zelensky's buddies are taking stacks of US cash from the pile and fleeing.

This thing is almost finally over.



--------------------------------------------------

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 30, 2025 6:05 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Weekend Update #161: Not A Bad Week For Ukraine

Truth, Democracy and Corruption, Possible High Command Changes, Are European Gloves Coming Off?

By Phillips P. OBrien | Nov 30, 2025

https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/weekend-update-161-not-a-bad-we
ek


Hello All,

The big story this week is not hard to pinpoint. The US Government under the rule of Donald Trump is more and more openly operating as an ally/agent/protector of Vladimir Putin’s dictatorial rule in Russia. Trump even employs and trusts someone who at this point could be called an active Russian agent of influence. And for months, it seems, the US government, under Trump, has been working on a plan to sell Ukraine to Russia in exchange for personal benefit for the president’s inner circle. Soon, a US delegation will be arriving in Moscow, perhaps to complete the deal.

Considering such developments, how can this be called “not a bad” week for Ukraine. Well, it starts with one simple word—truth. While people, particularly in Europe, might be shocked at what has happened this week, and there was a good Guardian article about that realization, they should not have been.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/29/the-week-europe-realised
-it-stands-alone-against-russian-expansionism


The truth is and was that this was always in the cards. This was always Trump’s plan and from the moment he was elected to his second term (now more than a year ago) Europeans needed to understand that they were on their own. They needed to prepare to support Ukraine on their own, to stop deferring to the USA, to prepare the continent greater for strategic autonomy and self-defense.

Much more at https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/weekend-update-161-not-a-bad-we
ek


The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 30, 2025 6:06 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Russian troops sent to slaughter with no helmets or armor

‘Disposable’ soldiers forced into meat grinder assault unequipped as commanders face dwindling supplies from Moscow

By Verity Bowman | 29 November 2025 8:00am GMT

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/29/russian-troops-sent-
to-slaughter-with-no-helmets-or-armour
/

A Russian soldier breaks into a frantic run across a field. He glances upward, as if already sensing the Ukrainian drone circling above, then pushes toward a thin line of trees, the only cover in sight.

But the panicked soldier has no helmet, no body armour – not even a load-bearing vest. He is killed in an instant.

It is a scene repeated across the Lyman frontline, according to soldiers in the area – one that underscores the Russian command’s apparent disregard for the lives of its own troops.

“It’s a new trend. Especially if you compare it to last year, when there were practically no similar cases,” Igor Komok, deputy commander of Ukraine’s 2nd Mechanised Battalion of the 66th Separate Mechanised Brigade, told The Telegraph.

“We can say they are being forced to fight without the armour they need. They must do it.”

Video footage shared with The Telegraph paints a bleak picture for Russian soldiers in the Donetsk Oblast.

Several soldiers scramble across the fields in nothing but camouflage, while other clips show them pressing themselves into the foliage in a futile attempt to hide.

The 66th Brigade shared photographs of at least six soldiers recently killed without any protective clothing, as well as numerous video clips. They said the phenomenon is even more widespread than these documented cases.

“Helmets were only worn in four groups out of the last 20,” said Commander Komok, referring to recent battalions of advancing Russians. “That is, these are not isolated cases.”

The 66th Brigade is responsible for holding back Russian attacks in the region. Officials said that Russia is currently attempting to exploit weather conditions – heavy fog and the absence of greenery – to make advances, something complicating Ukraine’s defences.

Moscow’s troops are pressing forward with heavy numbers of infantry supported by drones, at times resorting to motorcycle advances with significant losses.

Dmytro Zhmailo, executive director of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, said: “The lack of protective gear is an adaptation to the current conditions on the front line, where the Russian army is suffering disproportionately high losses in daily ‘meat grinder’ assaults.”

Mr Zhmailo explained all of the clips shared by the 66th Brigade were taken in late October and November, adding that it is “quite a common phenomenon” to see soldiers without the protective gear they desperately need

He said that the lack of appropriate equipment reflects the high losses of the Russian army, which have led to shortages of supplies, weapons and ammunition, and that Russia’s ability to sustain its military is declining amid economic problems.

Most Russian assault troops are treated as “disposable”, he said, receiving low-quality equipment and training, while the command tries to conserve scarce resources that Moscow cannot fully supply.

Mr Zhmailo also suggested that the incidents could be some form of punishment for disobeying commanders.

“In the Russian army, it is extremely common to ‘punish’ personnel by ‘zeroing’ them, when commanders deliberately send their fighters to their deaths by Ukrainian drones.”

Russian commanders often send wounded soldiers into battle without even arming them, as they are considered “disposable”, he added.

The Telegraph has collected further evidence showing the brutal front-line conditions for Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Russian soldiers reported that minor infractions, such as carrying one litre of water instead of two, or wearing non-regulation patches, can lead to arrest by military police and forced deployment into assault squads.

In footage shared on Telegram, others said they are eating tree bark to survive, and that they face extortion from their superiors.

“For the Russian command, they are merely expendable resources for achieving the Kremlin’s political goals,” said Mr Zhmailo. “Russian groups are exhausted and suffer heavy losses from constant assaults, and the Russian leadership demands results on the battlefield.”

Commander Komok suggested that the Russian troops caught out by his unit might have been completely unaware they were approaching Ukrainian forces due to the chaos on the frontline.

“Most likely, Russian troops do not even suspect that they are approaching the positions of Ukrainian forces,” he said. “The Russian command convinces the personnel that there are no Ukrainian troops ahead, only allies.”

He believes that the lack of equipment is not just down to shortages in supplies on the Russian side, but also recklessness and a disregard for the lives of their foot soldiers.

According to Mr Zhmailo, it is likely that many of the Russian troops caught by the 66th Brigade were sent into the field to retrieve the weapons and supplies left behind with their dead comrades.

“This equipment is then passed on to the next assault group, which will go on another meat grinder assault. Meanwhile, the Russian assault troops who died on the battlefield are left behind. The Russian command simply saves resources by not supplying the foot soldiers.”

Russia also often uses unarmed and unprotected men to run into the field by foot to deliver provisions and ammunition – a role giving them the nickname “camels” by their comrades.

Mr Zhmailo said that in most cases “camels” are quickly detected by drones and destroyed, meaning the Russian command can send several of them into battle during an operation.

In most cases they are unprotected and unarmed.

“We are forced to destroy them, because if we don’t do this, our guys may die,” said Commander Komok.

“We can say yes – they [Russian troops] must fight without the right armour because of deception from their own command and their own decision to take up arms and go to war in a foreign country.”

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 30, 2025 6:25 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


The week Europe realised it stands alone against Russian expansionism

Sat 29 Nov 2025

Kaja Kallas, the European Union foreign policy chief, asked her officials this week to dig up the number of times Russia had – in its various guises – invaded other states in the 20th and 21st centuries. The answer that came back was 19 states, on 33 occasions. Kallas, the former Estonian prime minister, was not just indulging in some form of historical mathematics. She was seeking to make a point about the true nature of the Russian regime.

Kallas reads history books as a leisure activity and – drawing on her own country’s history of Soviet occupation – has long maintained that the Soviet Union fell, but its imperialism never did. “Russia has never truly had to come to terms with its brutal past or bear the consequences of its actions,” she has said.

A similar warning was made this week by the German foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, who said: “Our intelligence services are telling us urgently: Russia is at least creating the option of a war against Nato by 2029 at the latest.” Putin is recruiting nearly one new division a month, Wadephul said, adding: “Divisions that are undoubtedly also targeting us, at the EU, at Nato.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/29/the-week-europe-realised
-it-stands-alone-against-russian-expansionism


The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 30, 2025 11:34 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a major tax overhaul that will raise Russia’s value-added tax to 22% from 20% next year, a move aimed at closing the fiscal gap created by soaring military expenditures and falling oil and gas revenues amid Western sanctions.

More small businesses will also be swept into the tax system under additional changes. The annual revenue threshold for companies required to pay VAT will drop from 60 million rubles ($732,000) to 10 million rubles ($122,000).

Businesses have indicated in surveys that they plan to pass the tax hike directly onto consumers, who have already been strained in recent years by surging inflation** linked to war spending.

Economists, including those at the Financial Ministry, have said they anticipate a modest rise in inflation as the VAT hike takes effect starting next year.

VAT is one of the government’s most important revenue sources, generating 11.5 trillion rubles ($148 billion) from January through October, or more than 38% of total federal revenue.

Under the changes, select food products, medicines and children’s goods will continue to be taxed at a reduced 10% rate. But certain milk-based products made with milk-fat substitutes, such as processed cheeses and spreads, will now be taxed at the full 22% rate.

Russia last raised VAT in 2019, when it increased the rate to 20% from 18%.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/11/28/putin-signs-law-raising-russ
ias-value-added-tax-to-22-a91275


** Inflation Rate in Russia decreased to 7.70 percent in October from 8 percent in September of 2025. Inflation Rate in Russia averaged 99.41 percent from 1991 until 2025, reaching an all time high of 2333.30 percent in December of 1992 and a record low of 2.18 percent in February of 2018. source: Federal State Statistics Service https://tradingeconomics.com/russia/inflation-cpi

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 30, 2025 12:47 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two


Ukraine and Norway agreed to jointly produce drones, with the pilot production line to be launched in 2026, Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Nov. 30.

Shmyhal made the announcement after signing a corresponding agreement with his Norwegian counterpart, Tore O. Sandvik.

The announcement marks deepening ties between Kyiv and Oslo as Ukraine seeks to expand its domestic defense industry amid Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion and reduced military support from the United States.

While Ukraine will share its experience and innovations, Norway will provide a "strong production base, as well as research and development cooperation with leading Norwegian institutions," the Ukrainian defense minister noted.

Drones have become an increasingly vital tool on the Ukrainian battlefields, used by both Ukraine and Russia for front-line operations and long-range strikes.

Kyiv is also in talks with the U.K. regarding the production of 2,000 interceptor drones per month, and London has pledged to fund "thousands" of long-range attack drones for Ukraine.

Shmyhal did not specify which drones Ukraine would be producing in cooperation with Norway.

In June, Oslo announced that it would donate approximately 6.7 billion Norwegian Crowns ($660 million) to the U.K.-led maritime coalition for Kyiv and help produce naval drones in Ukraine.

The Nordic country also plans to allocate $7 billion next year to boost Ukraine's defense sector.

https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-norway-to-jointly-produce-drones/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

YOUR OPTIONS

NEW POSTS TODAY

USERPOST DATE
second 12.03 06:57
second 12.03 06:58
second 12.03 07:15
second 12.03 08:06

OTHER TOPICS

DISCUSSIONS
Russia Invades Ukraine. Again
Wed, December 3, 2025 08:06 - 9476 posts
Do you feel like the winds of change are blowing today too?
Wed, December 3, 2025 07:06 - 4013 posts
Trump Is Destroying Everything He Touches
Wed, December 3, 2025 07:04 - 1023 posts
In the garden, and RAIN!!! (2)
Tue, December 2, 2025 20:36 - 6405 posts
Maduro is fucking gone...
Tue, December 2, 2025 16:16 - 27 posts
QAnons' representatives here
Tue, December 2, 2025 14:36 - 1128 posts
Israel's and now America's war with Iran
Tue, December 2, 2025 14:29 - 110 posts
End Christmas as a Holiday?
Tue, December 2, 2025 13:28 - 60 posts
Midterms 2026
Tue, December 2, 2025 13:11 - 280 posts
Lost Boys: Epidemic of kosher pedophile rape in Hollywood
Tue, December 2, 2025 09:42 - 22 posts
Case for the 2nd Amendment made clear for all
Tue, December 2, 2025 08:25 - 44 posts
Other Elections on Planet Earth.
Tue, December 2, 2025 08:21 - 83 posts

FFF.NET SOCIAL