DiggerUK

In your Independent link, there was this little gem from the author of the infamous 'Pee Pee Tapes', the very discredited Christopher Steele. "However, a former MI6 intelligence over officer said Vladimir Putin’s decision to replace his defence minister as part of a cabinet reshuffle points to “serious instability right at the heart” of his regime. Sergei Shoigu was rated by many as the second most powerful person in Russia, Christopher Steele told Sky News, suggesting the change goes beyond a “normal” reshuffle. Which for me confirms it was definitely a very normal reshuffle..._

The Kharkiv frontlines in the north east of Ukraine show interesting battle positions. The map from The Guardian/Institute For The study Of War shows the two Russian positions, which they simply walked in to, that could support movement towards Kharkiv, or allow them to use the Silverskyi Donets River as a massive cut off of Ukrainian forces to the east of the river, whilst offering themselves a good defensive position to fall back on. The forces around Pylsna are a little over 10 miles from the forces currently north of Vovchansk. Here is the region in context with the whole of the area of conflict. It could all be a classic example of Russian Maskirovka of course. But it sure as hell gives a clear example of the ability to dance to the tunes they like. No wonder Kyiev sacked their regional commander...._

At least they don't allow Swastikas..._

You will understand the significance of my editing going forward. Red Army? you make it sound like Moscow has an army of forces similar to what pop up out of the jungles claiming loyalty to Emperor Hirohito. From my Officer training days I think Moscow now commonly refers to it's military as The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation..._

I have scanned as much of the legacy media that I can over the last few days. There does not appear to be any convincing narrative for Ukraines chances going forward. The recent incursions in the Kharkiv area shows just how badly Ukrainian positions are defended. This Russian advance needs to be seen as alarmingly successful, especially as it was territory reoccupied by Ukraine in late 2022..... what the hell have Ukraine been doing since then. What has all the money sent to Kyiev for defensive trench lines been spent on? There is no humane reason for this shitshow to continue. The end must begin now..._

Hi Vlad, it's pretty pointless attempting to reason with the Tarbaby Trolls on this thread. They are of the Ultra HPC variety and best handled by just making your argument. Any attempt at discussion will get you involved in ping pong with HPC Ultras..._

Yes, I agree with your sentiment. All the same, I am convinced it is the boom before the bust. I am basing that conclusion on the dire international economic and geopolitical situation. The bust will bust when it is ready, I'm just glad I'm in a good financial position..._

Forgive me sticking my nose in to a good post..._

Seems that Putin didn't get the memo that the May 9th celebrations had been cancelled. Everybody here did. P.S., it seems that Mark Twain really is dead..._

Continuing with the story that sanctions are crippling Russia, washing machine chips are keeping Russias' weapons systems functioning, whilst at the same time continuing to repeat they have run out of missiles, planes, helicopters and that their armaments industry is incapable of replacing losses, simply beggars belief after this length of time. Most all of the talking heads in the NATO/NeoCon world openly acknowledge that Ukraine is out gunned and, more importantly, out staffed on all criteria. I don't think it is fully realised that the nuclear powers involved in this conflict: Russia, USA, France and the UK, between them own 90/95% of the worlds nukes. Just let that sink in before a dismissing my call for peace negotiations to start ASAP. Russia setting up nukes in Cuba, in response to the USA nukes in Italy and Turkey in 1962, ended peacefully. This conflict must end the same way. Who wins a nuclear war anyway? In all wars it doesn't matter who is good or bad, right or wrong, saint or sinner...it's who wins that matters. It is odds on that any 'victor' in a nuclear war will be a Pyrrhic Victor anyway..._

Before Russian boots stepped over their Western Border in February 2022, they amassed a force in excess of 300,00. We can be forgiven for doubting they would start a 'Special Military Operation' (SMO) I certainly didn't think they needed to, with such a force on display it was obvious that they were negotiating in all seriousness. On seeing such a force I did not feel they would fail in the negotiations in Turkey. If Russia had any idea that Ukraine, NATO et al were negotiating in bad faith, I do not believe that they would have withdrawn back from Kyiev as they did. But that's now history. So when I heard that Russia was planning a military exercise to 'war game' a nuclear battle drill I dug deeper. And yes, they are. First things first. I do believe they are saying if "Red Lines" are crossed they'll push the button. So don't take this as a bluff. Also remember, that after the bad faith negotiations that led to them mounting the SMO in 2022, it is best to believe them. Then there is the French threat to send boots in to Ukraine, it seems plausible they are already there. I suspect it is sour grapes on the part of France for them being kicked out of most of their operating areas in Africa. Then there is our own Foreign Secretary letting Kyiev know that it's OK to use UK missiles to attack inside Russia. That would be an act of war by the UK which would leave Russia with no other option than to target UK assets. I have always been alarmed at the cavalier attitudes expressed here whenever I have warned of mission creep, now it's time to accept I was right to warn of the likelihood of such a catastrophe. This conflict must be ended and an off ramp negotiated before mission creep takes over..._

Tories have always been good at coming back from the dead. How can a nation possibly survive without a proper nasty party, it's just not cricket. As a member of the Labour Party, I'm more interested in how we survive New Labour Zwei..._

Seems that Reform can't get any councillors elected either..._

Amen to that..._

The 64Billion dollar question for Ukraine is how it finds recruits. On a thread next door to this one, schlomo reports, from a reliable source, that the population of Ukraine has suffered a catastrophic reduction from nearly 52 million in 1991, to less than 30 million today. And not all of that 30 million are supporting Kyiev. This final stage of the Civil War that started in 2014 is, hopefully, nearly over..._

If you want to gain some idea of how a massive loss of population affects a country, you could do no worse than look at the devastation experienced in the feudal economies following the great plagues in the middle ages. It was devastating. The current fashion for believing that a 'Climate Crisis' is real and that we must have a mass cull of life to survive is just Malthusian madness, not enlightened science. As to Kyiev, how the hell does this collapse of it's population solve the crucial problem of their dire shortage of military recruits. New personnel without which it is £uggered..._

The truth is that nobody knows the scale of casualties from this very avoidable conflict. The venal alliance of NeoCons, NATO et al, don't care either, those carpetbaggers are hell bent on fighting till the last Ukrainian and profiteering. Why do you continue to engage with these trolls, it's akin to debating with a room full of eclectics who have drunk way too much. They don't want a conclusion, they just want the attention..._

An ability to interpret facts is handy at times, but it seems there are still many who like to clutch at straws and defy gravity. A lot of information is available on the number of Ukrainians who fled Ukraine in February 2022. It is widely accepted that Kyiev wants to be able to conscript those of age. But if you stop and consider for a moment what the politics of those refugees is, it becomes obvious that some of them will be allied to West Ukraine, some to East Ukraine and others who don't want to be involved in any way, shape or form. Imagine the following scenario. A Ukrainian with Russian sympathies receives their call up papers, turns to the EU country they are in and claims asylum due to the fact that they will be in deep bother if deported back to Ukraine. What then? There is a desperation as Ukraine searches to find new recruits, this will not be overcome by unlimited military and financial aid, however generous that aid is. The longer Kyiev prevaricates, the higher price they will be forced to pay when peace negotiations are ended. Like it or lump it, the winners of any military conflict are simply the ones who win. That result has £ugger all to do with who is right or wrong, good or bad, saint or sinner. The dead don't care either..._

Trust me, Mark Twain isn't dead. And Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction really has been overturned by New York’s top court. There will be the full show on May 9th ..._

If Sunak's Rwanda plan works, the boat gangs will just move their business to Italy..._

Meanwhile, we go to our other breaking story, "Mark Twain not dead"..._

The talking heads reckon that Kyiev will be receiving just enough aid from the USA, to enable them to carry on for a year or more. My opinion is that recruitment will be their biggest problem. This lost cause has caused enough death, time to negotiate is now..._

Pepe Escobars' story of the downed Israeli war plane with accompanying nuke is discussed with Larry Johnson. Pepe gives his reasons for releasing the story, with caveats. Watch this space..._

An unusual story has broken, authored by Pepe Escobar. It concerns a claim that an Israeli aircraft, carrying an air burst nuclear bomb that would cause an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) that could immobilise all Iranian electronic communication. "An F-35 loaded with a nuclear bomb was sent east over Jordan...The mission: cause a high-altitude detonation over Iran that would provoke a surge in the high-capacity power lines, crippling Iran’s electric grid, as well as disabling all electronic devices." I am highly sceptical that Israel does indeed have such an independent nuclear capability, but I now have to square that with my high level of trust for Pepes' previous work. This is a damn good interview of Ray McGovern on Dialogue Works by Nima Alkhorshid in my opinion..._