Russia Masses Military Equipment Near Ukraine Borders: A Prologue to WWIII?

[Helen of Annoy]

russians committed the worst war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. They tortured and maimed residents of temporarily occupied areas, before shooting or hanging them. russians thought they can scare Ukrainians into obedience. russians were wrong about that, just like they were wrong about everything else.

 

The leaflets read: Heniches'k, Ukrainian town. Do not accept invader's passport, wait for Armed Forces of Ukraine! 

 

[Helen of Annoy]

[Stiff]

Putin Is Preparing to Flee When Russia Implodes, Ex-Aide Says

Russia’s Vladimir Putin and his cronies already have a plan in place to flee the country once things go sideways, a former aide to the Russian president has claimed. 

Abbas Gallyamov, a former speechwriter for Putin, made the astounding claim on Telegram early Wednesday, citing an unnamed source that he said had “insider” information on the whole affair.

The evacuation plan, according to Gallyamov, got underway back in the spring, when it was unofficially dubbed “Noah’s Ark.”

“As the name implies, it’s about a search for new land to go to in case it becomes completely uncomfortable in the homeland. The leader’s entourage has not ruled out that he will lose the war, be stripped of power, and have to urgently evacuate somewhere,” Gallyamov wrote.

Putin’s inner circle first considered a plan to evacuate to China, Gallyamov said, but later thought better of it, fearing the chances of “cooperation” from the Chinese were slim, especially since they despise “losers.” Now, he said, the focus has shifted to either Argentina or Venezuela, with Putin ally Igor Sechin currently overseeing an evacuation plan for the latter country.

Explosive Leak of ‘Presidential Lockdown Order’ Roils Kremlin

The plan is so far along, Gallyamov said, that Sechin’s “right-hand man” at Rosneft “formally resigned” from the oil giant to handle “on-site work.”

Citing two sources close to the presidential administration and a source in Rosneft, the Telegram channel Mozhem Obyasnit also reports that high-ranking officials have already begun buying up real estate and working on getting residency rights in Venezuela. Those lower on the totem-pole in the presidential administration and Russian government are seeking residency in Ecuador, Paraguay, and Argentina, according to that report.

In particular, a source was quoted saying, Russian officials have snatched up property on Venezuela’s Margarita Island, where they are confident they’ll be safe from extradition.

“The island of Margarita in Venezuela is their local Courchevel,” the source was quoted saying, comparing the would-be Kremlin hideout to the famous French Alps ski resort.

Conceding that he had no further details, Gallyamov said the sheer fact of an evacuation plan “is enough to understand” that “when they say ‘everything is going according to plan,’ it’s worth asking which one. They seem to have many more than one plan.”

His bombshell claims came as the Russian leader played down reports of record-low morale among Russian troops fed up with his fledgling war nine months after it started. Myriad reports have emerged in recent weeks of draftees fleeing their bases en masse after their complaints of shoddy equipment and supplies went ignored. And the rise of troops’ relatives publicly blasting the so-called “special military operation” has even led some experts to suggest it could be the tipping point to a full-blown civil war.

According to Putin, however, everything’s fine.

“There are no problems with desertion in the zone of the [special military operation]. There were isolated incidents, but on the whole, there’s nothing like that. … Are there people who leave their positions? Yes, that has happened. It’s happening less and less,” Putin claimed Wednesday while meeting with members of the country’s human rights council.

He also denied reports by human rights groups that “camps” have been set up where hundreds of Russian defectors have been forcibly held in basements, claiming such reports are “fake.”

Warning that the war is likely to be a “long process,” Putin went on to hail the seizure of new Ukrainian territories (while failing to mention that Ukraine has already won some of them back) and offered an ominous outlook on the prospects of a nuclear war.

“Such a threat is growing. Why deny it?”

Read more at The Daily Beast.

From here.

[Helen of Annoy]

Even when they start facing the fact that their propaganda has nothing to do with reality, russians just have to keep lying.

 

[pellinore]

BP should donate its “wartime profits” in Russia to the reconstruction of Ukraine or ministers should impose a special windfall tax on the oil company to force it to do so, MPs have told parliament.

The British oil supermajor has a 19.75% stake in Rosneft, one of the Kremlin’s most important oil assets and signalled its intent to exit Russia nine months ago, after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The company took a £18.7bn hit by writing off the shareholding from its books, but still owns the stock in the Russian state-controlled firm.

In a parliamentary debate on Wednesday, MPs from all parties put pressure on the government to ensure BP completely left the country.

Donate ‘wartime profits’ to Ukraine or pay windfall tax, MPs tell BP | BP | The Guardian

Edited December 7, 2022 by pellinore

[Helen of Annoy]

But they'll moan later that they've been bombed by NATO again for no reason at all. Kidding. Maybe. 

On a completely serious note, russian terrorist organization has opened a "center of friendship" in Serbia. 

 

https://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/wagner-u-srbiji-smo-otvorili-centar-suradnje-obracunat-cemo-se-s-liberalnim-rusima/2418836.aspx

WAGNER Group, a Russian private mercenary military group with close ties to the Kremlin, announced on Telegram that its "resident cultural and information center of friendship and cooperation Orlovi" was formed in Serbia,

...

"The Eagles, as wards of the PMC Wagner Center, deal with informational confrontation with Russian liberals who have gone to Serbia and are trying to carry out anti-Russian activities there with the aim of discrediting Russia and worsening relations between the Russian and Serbian people," they write in the publication.

...

 

Reacting on Twitter, Ivana Stradner, a research associate of the American Fund for the Defense of Democracy and an expert on hybrid warfare, Russian propaganda and disinformation, recalled that she announced this type of cooperation between Russia and Serbia a few months ago.

"A few months ago, I announced cooperation between Russia and Serbia in the field of information security, and people told me I was paranoid! The cooperation between the Wagner Center and Serbia is happening. What part of this message does the West not understand,"

 

[Occult1]

Eyes on Belarus as Ukraine's neighbour moves troops, hardware

''Russia's ally Belarus said on Wednesday it was moving troops and military hardware to counteract what it called a threat of terrorism, amid signs Moscow could be putting pressure on its loyal client to open a new front in the war against Ukraine.

President Alexander Lukashenko, who relied on Russian troops to put down a popular revolt two years ago, has allowed Belarus to serve as a staging ground for Russia's invasion of its neighbour, but has so far kept his own army from joining.

But recent weeks have seen increasing signs of involvement in Belarus from Moscow, culminating on Saturday when Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu flew unannounced to Minsk, the capital. He and Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin signed amendments to the two countries' security co-operation agreement, without disclosing the new terms.''

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-ukraine-war-1.6677044

 

Looks like Belarus is preparing to open a new front in the north.

[+and-then]

I came across these two guys and I thought ONE of the points they made were quite profound and even alarming.  I don't need to be told they are pro-Putin this, that, or the other.  I know they are.  That doesn't invalidate this one issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifxg783Kh5U

Mercouris alludes to the recent news that the U.S. disabled the HIMARS launcher system, software and hardware, to make it impossible to launch the 300KM ATACMS that we have refused to supply Ukraine.  His take is that this isn't all "good news".  It implies a rift in the Pentagon where factions exist that just might want long range attacks into Russian territory and this action to disable that capability points to the danger of those factions.  If true, we're in more trouble here in the U.S. than even pessimists like myself have imagined.

[spartan max2]

4 minutes ago, and-then said:

I came across these two guys and I thought ONE of the points they made were quite profound and even alarming.  I don't need to be told they are pro-Putin this, that, or the other.  I know they are.  That doesn't invalidate this one issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifxg783Kh5U

Mercouris alludes to the recent news that the U.S. disabled the HIMARS launcher system, software and hardware, to make it impossible to launch the 300KM ATACMS that we have refused to supply Ukraine.  His take is that this isn't all "good news".  It implies a rift in the Pentagon where factions exist that just might want long range attacks into Russian territory and this action to disable that capability points to the danger of those factions.  If true, we're in more trouble here in the U.S. than even pessimists like myself have imagined.

Hopefully Ukraine sends a missile right into Putin's house .

But the US has been entirely consistent on not supplying Ukraine with weapons that can reach Russia. Not sure why you would be surprised at all with the US continuing to do that.

Yet another example of how Putin has made no serious efforts at peace or negotiations 

 

Edited December 7, 2022 by spartan max2

[+and-then]

7 minutes ago, Occult1 said:

Looks like Belarus is preparing to open a new front in the north.

When I glanced at this headline earlier, I thought it meant they were moving some of their assets farther from the Ukraine border out of fear of the long range drones 

Seriously though, I had no idea how significant that strike on the Engels air base was.  Not because it caused major damage, but due to that base likely being home to nuclear weapons.  It's apparently a major base for staging nuclear-capable aircraft on short notice.  As such, it seems like an attempt at escalation, presumably against the will of the Pentagon.

[+and-then]

18 hours ago, Nuclear Wessel said:

"Too bad for them."

Too bad for ALL OF US if our military and civilian leadership have factions that are struggling against each other with diverse goals that are in conflict with one another.  I mentioned this earlier, but I saw a piece on the limitation of our HIMARS launchers so they could not launch the longer range ATACMS missiles.  The point of the piece wasn't that we had simply refused to send the ATACMS and our Ukrainian allies accepted this condition.  The act of disabling the launchers seems to indicate that either we don't trust Ukraine not to use them against our will OR some of our NATO allies might be willing to hand some of them off below the radar.  Perhaps it indicates the presence of factions in the Pentagon with different goals?

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

3 minutes ago, and-then said:

Too bad for ALL OF US if our military and civilian leadership have factions that are struggling against each other with diverse goals that are in conflict with one another.  I mentioned this earlier, but I saw a piece on the limitation of our HIMARS launchers so they could not launch the longer range ATACMS missiles.  The point of the piece wasn't that we had simply refused to send the ATACMS and our Ukrainian allies accepted this condition.  The act of disabling the launchers seems to indicate that either we don't trust Ukraine not to use them against our will OR some of our NATO allies might be willing to hand some of them off below the radar.  Perhaps it indicates the presence of factions in the Pentagon with different goals?

Sounds like someone has learnt the lessons of the past about arming “allies” against the seasonal enemy (ie The”brave Mujahideen”) and aren’t giving them weapons that can easily be turned on America/America’s (other) allies.

[+and-then]

1 minute ago, Sir Wearer of Hats said:

Sounds like someone has learnt the lessons of the past about arming “allies” against the seasonal enemy (ie The”brave Mujahideen”) and aren’t giving them weapons that can easily be turned on America/America’s (other) allies.

That's also a distinct possibility.  It's still a little disturbing that we don't seem to think we can trust the "end users" with these systems. 

[jmccr8]

6 minutes ago, and-then said:

Too bad for ALL OF US if our military and civilian leadership have factions that are struggling against each other with diverse goals that are in conflict with one another.  I mentioned this earlier, but I saw a piece on the limitation of our HIMARS launchers so they could not launch the longer range ATACMS missiles.  The point of the piece wasn't that we had simply refused to send the ATACMS and our Ukrainian allies accepted this condition.  The act of disabling the launchers seems to indicate that either we don't trust Ukraine not to use them against our will OR some of our NATO allies might be willing to hand some of them off below the radar.  Perhaps it indicates the presence of factions in the Pentagon with different goals?

Hi And Then

Obviously there are always at least 2 sides to any issue. I don’t think that the difference of opinion in your country on this issue is as divisive as you are making it out to be. The modifications to the HIMARS was to show physical evidence that the US was keeping their word to the Russians about not supplying long range missiles. In reality they can likely be easily converted back to long range capabilities.

[jmccr8]

6 minutes ago, and-then said:

That's also a distinct possibility.  It's still a little disturbing that we don't seem to think we can trust the "end users" with these systems. 

Hi And Then

To me it looks like the trust issue was with Russia trusting the US because the Russians know how weak their military is and played the nuke card for leverage. Modification to the systems is evidence that the US kept their word.

[DarkHunter]

All these articles about America modifying Ukranian HIMARS are interesting.  What's particularly interesting is how it seems the earliest reports said the HIMARS just couldn't fire the ATACMS missile while later ones started to add in details talking about physical modifications.  

Clearly a lot of these articles are being written by people with little to no understanding of the weapon system and have done essentially zero research.  The only way the HIMARS could be modified to keep from using long range missiles is by modifying the fire control system.  Easiest way would be to have the fire control system coded so it just wont target something beyond a certain range.  While such a modification would be easy to do it also can be undone quickly, especially if America got involved in undoing it.

Talks of physical modifications are just complete and utter nonsense.  The ATACMS missile is a far larger missile than the standard missiles that HIMARS, M270, or the variants fire.  It is so much larger that it uses it's own seperate launch pod.  The standard launch pod holds six missiles while the ATACMS launch pod only holds a single missile.  Considering the standard pods and ATACMS pod connect the same way to the chassis and are meant to easily and quickly be interchangeable it is probably safe to say no physical modification has been done.

The Mars II variant of the M270 has a modified fire control system that prevents cluster munitions from being fired so modifying the fire control system to limit range is very much possible but as I said also easy to undo especially with American or UK help.  Honestly one would just need to install unmodified software or switch out the fire control system to undo any range modification.

[+Razman]

20 hours ago, Alchopwn said:

I expect the USA to become more aggressive now that they have solid intel that Russia's nukes are phony.

What intel is this?

[Occult1]

5 hours ago, DarkHunter said:

All these articles about America modifying Ukranian HIMARS are interesting.  What's particularly interesting is how it seems the earliest reports said the HIMARS just couldn't fire the ATACMS missile while later ones started to add in details talking about physical modifications.  

Clearly a lot of these articles are being written by people with little to no understanding of the weapon system and have done essentially zero research.  The only way the HIMARS could be modified to keep from using long range missiles is by modifying the fire control system.  Easiest way would be to have the fire control system coded so it just wont target something beyond a certain range.  While such a modification would be easy to do it also can be undone quickly, especially if America got involved in undoing it.

Talks of physical modifications are just complete and utter nonsense.  The ATACMS missile is a far larger missile than the standard missiles that HIMARS, M270, or the variants fire.  It is so much larger that it uses it's own seperate launch pod.  The standard launch pod holds six missiles while the ATACMS launch pod only holds a single missile.  Considering the standard pods and ATACMS pod connect the same way to the chassis and are meant to easily and quickly be interchangeable it is probably safe to say no physical modification has been done.

The Mars II variant of the M270 has a modified fire control system that prevents cluster munitions from being fired so modifying the fire control system to limit range is very much possible but as I said also easy to undo especially with American or UK help.  Honestly one would just need to install unmodified software or switch out the fire control system to undo any range modification.

The U.S. doesn't trust Ukraine as much as we are led to believe. They dont trust them not to sell weapons on the black market, which is why they now have onsite inspections.

They also don't fully trust them not to acquire longer-range missiles and stage some serious provocation with the HIMARS to draw the U.S in a direct war with Russia.

Modyfing the HIMARS units sent to Ukraine is a safety precaution and prevents any possibility that missiles could fired into Russia.

Edited December 8, 2022 by Occult1

[Occult1]

2 hours ago, razman said:

What intel is this?

Fertile imagination.

[bmk1245]

Quote

Interview

with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the sixth edition of the Financial Times’s Global Boardroom event

[...] What we see now is Russia is actually trying to have some kind of ‘freeze’ of this war at least for a short period of time to they can regroup, repair, recover. And then try to launch a bigger offensive next spring. [...]

I think we need to understand that President Putin made two big strategic mistakes when he decided to invade Ukraine. The first was to totally underestimate the Ukrainians, the bravery and the courage of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Ukrainian people and also the Ukrainian political leadership with President Zelenskyy. But he also underestimated the strength of NATO Allies and partners in our commitment to stand by Ukraine, to support Ukraine.

[...]

(link)

[Alchopwn]

4 hours ago, razman said:

What intel is this?

A Russian internal РВиА audit has shown that their nukes are broken.  They literally can't field them.  They are running to get even 1 working nuke.  The info has been leaked.  This is why they went from threatening to use tactical nukes to threatening to use dirty bombs.  A tac nuke that doesn't work becomes a dirty bomb, if you're lucky.

Edited December 8, 2022 by Alchopwn

[ThereWeAreThen]

4 hours ago, Alchopwn said:

A Russian internal РВиА audit has shown that their nukes are broken.  They literally can't field them.  They are running to get even 1 working nuke.  The info has been leaked.  This is why they went from threatening to use tactical nukes to threatening to use dirty bombs.  A tac nuke that doesn't work becomes a dirty bomb, if you're lucky.

Forgive us for being skeptical but this is an extraordinary claim to make. Nukes are the only thing keeping NATO away, Pooplers generals know they can't beat NATO conventionally. 

[Alchopwn]

1 hour ago, ThereWeAreThen said:

Forgive us for being skeptical but this is an extraordinary claim to make. Nukes are the only thing keeping NATO away, Pooplers generals know they can't beat NATO conventionally. 

Well they can't beat NATO with nukes either, because none of them work.

[Grey Area]

3 hours ago, ThereWeAreThen said:

Forgive us for being skeptical but this is an extraordinary claim to make. Nukes are the only thing keeping NATO away, Pooplers generals know they can't beat NATO conventionally. 

Yes, this would be HUGE?  And raises so many questions.

As it stands, the ONLY source of this information, information that if publicly known, and confirmed, would be global news, is @Alchopwn

[Occult1]

Time magazine names Ukraine's Zelensky 'Person of the Year'

Time magazine named President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as "the spirit of Ukraine" as its 2022 person of the year on Wednesday, for the resistance the country has shown in the face of Russia's invasion. Calling Zelensky's decision to remain in Kyiv and rally his country "fateful," Time editor in chief Edward Felsenthal said this year's decision was "the most clear-cut in memory."

https://www.france24.com/en/video/20221208-time-magazine-names-ukraine-s-zelensky-person-of-the-year

 

Congratulation.