Russia

[dawg80]

Trump put the kabash on the Graham-Blumenthal sanctions deal. Graham caved in to Trump's demand to support Putin/Russia and so those sanctions are done. Keep in mind there were 84 senators ready to sign on to the sanctions, that is presidential veto-proof. So, what happened? Well, Trump is nothing if not influential and I'm sure there is some money involved in this too for those going along. The past few days the US Chamber of Commerce has been a major host/player in the world commerce conference going on in St. Petersburg, Russia. There ya go. There are articles and YouTube video summaries of Trump's/US Chamber's role in this affair, if you care to learn the details. Suffice it to say, Trump is more concerned about a mere $300 billion in business deals between US and Russian companies than standing up to an evil POS like Putin.

Yes, pro-Ukrainian YouTubers are having a major meltdown over this, but IT IS WHAT IT IS, and the game is over.

[dawg80]

More lies from Putin, claims Russia killed 76,000 Ukrainian soldiers in the battle for Kursk, "as we drove them out," he says. Wrong. First, Ukraine never had more than about 25,000 soldiers in Kursk at the peak, and Ukraine is still holding ground in Kursk. Russian losses in Kursk are 100K+, Ukrainian losses about 4,000 total, that includes KIA and wounded/captured.

More stupidity by the Russians in the Sumy region. It's unbelievable how STUPID the Orcs (nickname for the Russians) can be. Yesterday 5 truckloads of Russian grunts were wiped out, about 150 idiots, now dead idiots, as they were packed into open panel trucks and driven in daylight (not that that really matters given Ukraine's night vision capability) into the combat zone in Sumy. Out front was a civilian car converted into a scout car, probably a Lada, the five trucks, and one IFV trailing behind. Kaboom! Ukrainian recon drones directed artillery fire onto this convoy, not a single vehicle escaped. One of the trucks, trying to escape, drove into a dry ditch and flipped over, then artillery shells hit it causing a massive fireball explosion. The pro-Ukran YouTuber showing this video footage and narrating laughed "at this crazy driver." "Look," he laughed, "Orc driver just drove into the ditch." Well, as he was laughing keep in mind 30+ people (even if they are "Orcs") burned to death in that fireball.

War is Hell, true. But even as I root for Ukraine to win this war, I cannot help but think about the actual human cost of war.

[dawg80]

A group of Russian soldiers shot and killed their commanders then surrendered to Ukrainian forces. The exact number is 35 soldiers, and 3 Russian officers killed. This was first reported two days ago but I waited for confirmation of real numbers since the early reports, as usual, were greatly exaggerated. Now, what is still not clear is the number of Russians killed in their firefight. Some other Russian soldiers tried to protect the three officers and a gunbattle broke out between the mutineers and those still loyal to Putin. Estimates are 10-15 killed and another 20+ wounded.

In Sumy, Ukran forces gained ground in their counterattack on Russian units who have crossed the border.

And this news...Germany has confirmed they have entered into an agreement to work closely with Ukraine to build hypersonic long-range missiles. A plant has been being built for several months now in western Ukraine, secretly, and the exact location has not been disclosed. But Germany/Ukraine have reached the point where they could no longer keep this secret, given the private tech firms involved in the endeavor. No mention of a timetable of when Ukraine will have operational missiles. But, sources guess it'll be fairly soon as this project is being fast-tracked to completion.

[dawg80]

More fragging... the latest reported to be in one of Russia's elite airborne divisions, the 98th, known as the "Blue Berets." Too many rumors and wild reports right now to state anything definitively, but something happened yesterday. One or more officers in the 98th were shot by disgruntled soldiers. And adding to the flood of "reports" one YouTuber (anti-Putin) posted video of two armored cars speeding away from a stopped Russian column of tanks and other vehicles and claiming this was Russian commanders fleeing to save their lives. Nah. There was no date/time stamp on the video, so it was probably canned video from last year...back when Russia still had tanks and armored vehicles, which they don't these days. If I have learned nothing else the past 3+ years following the war in Ukraine, it's how to spot BS YouTube postings.

In the bigger picture, Putin is losing this war.

[dawg80]

The pro-Ukrainian YouTubers have been complaining...well, not so much that, but NOTING with some concerns, that the world is not paying attention to that war as it focuses on the Middle East. Well, that's understandable because of the world oil market and the potential "flash" that could lead to a wider war. No one seems concerned or seems to think the war in Ukraine might "flash" to a wider war. There is some truth to not being overly concerned because Ukraine is stopping the evil Putin in his tracks.

And while the world, and the world media, focuses on Israel-Iran, Ukraine has been quietly kicking the Russians' asses. Putin's mighty summer offensive, designed to capture a chunk of the Sumy Oblast, all the way to Sumy City, is dead in the water. Or, more accurately, dead in the fields, woods, and villages of eastern Sumy. His 60,000 Russians have been bested by less than 15,000 Ukrainians who are now in pursuit of the retreating Russians.

[dawg80]

Putin is not giving up. Yesterday a large Russian armored column, composed of 3 brigades, two armor and one mechanized infantry, launched an attack northeast of Pokrovsk, in attempt to drive a wedge thru Ukrainian defenses and give them options to try to get around the Pokrovsk defenses and/or attack Kostyankynivka, which sits on key roads and a river, to the northwest, and behind Toretsk where intense house to house fighting is on-going. This is sound strategy, and if successful, will cause problems for Ukraine in this region. But, the Ukrans have other ideas. The initial thrust of Russian armor, tanks and IFVs, has been stopped.

Initially the Russian had their tanks, IFVs, and APCs spread over about a 2-mile front, but the Ukrans had already anticipated such a move and built defensive works of deep ditches, dragon teeth and minefields, channeling the Russian vehicles toward the main highway where they piled up and then became easy targets for Ukrainian artillery and drones. Early reports show 25 Russian armored vehicles destroyed and killing 200+ Russian soldiers. The surviving Russian units have dug in after an advance of about a mile, but they can't stay there long.

[dawg80]

Putin's economy is going into a recession, and soon, and then stagflation is very likely. The chairman of Russia's central bank Elvira Nebullina (sp?) says the Russian economy will totally collapse sometime in 2026. The YoY report just released for the 1st qtr 2025 is bad, shows a 75% decline in GDP compared to 1st qtr 2024. Russian corporations have been surviving on government subsidies and those are about to run out. There is a YouTube video giving great detail on this, shows Nebullina's testimony at Putin's inner-circle conference. She has always been brave, bold in telling that idiot Putin the truth to his face.

Also, separately, saw a report showing European consumption of Putin's O&G is down over 40% YoY. Needs to be down 100%. Stop subsidizing Putin's war machine. Now is the time to turn up the heat on Putin. Slam him with real sanctions. Of course, Trump and his little pal Rubio want to kiss Putin's ass, so that won't happen.

[dawg80]

Putin's assassination plot. No, not against President Z or other officials, against members of the Azov Corps.

Yes, Russian agents have concocted a plot to lure Azov soldiers, home on leave for some R&R, into traps to be killed. Unfortunately, it worked once, and one Azov soldier was killed and another seriously wounded when a bomb went off in a motor scooter one of them had just bought...from a Russian agent (not knowing). Another Azov soldier, a sergeant, got suspicious when a woman he had "met" online asked him, via cell phone, to retrieve something from her parked motor scooter. He remembered the first incident, a bomb in a motor scooter, and walked away from this one just as it exploded. He was not injured. Two Russian agents have been arrested by Ukranian police and are charged as being part of this plot. Now the plot has been discovered, and more arrests are expected soon.

The Azov unit, now a full corps, composed of the original 3rd Assault Brigade (the Azov Brigade), and now other units, resides in the head of Putin. This plot was designed to target Azov soldiers. But now, according to a battalion commander in the Azov Corps, this has only motivated the unit to fight even harder. "Pay back is going to be hell," he promised.

[dawg80]

More losses for Putin, more wins for Ukraine. That sums up the past 48 hours.

Putin lost two of his advanced fighter-bombers, SU-34a, that were moved to a base 600 miles further away from Ukraine. To show Putin no place is safe, the Ukrans destroyed both of those jets with long-range drones. They targeted those two jets even as there are other Russian warplanes sitting at that same base. But Putin made it point to say, in a recent news conference, he was ordering prudent steps to protect his air force's more advanced jets.

Chinese soldiers have been killed and captured fighting in Donbas. One captured Chinaman is seeking asylum in Ukraine/Europe saying he agreed to be sent to Ukraine under the pretense of fighting for Putin, but his real aim was to surrender to Ukrainians and seek asylum. Additionally, more African "mercenaries" have been killed/captured in Donbas. They are used as cannon fodder, ordered to charge straight into Ukrainian machinegun, mortar, rifle fire just to draw said fire away from attacking Russian troops. One captured African soldier told the whole story. The casualty rate of these African soldiers is 100%. Casualties defined as KIA, wounded, captured. None of them survive to return to the Russian lines, because if they show up back with the Russians they are branded as a deserter and shot on the spot.

The Russians have shifted...AGAIN...their attack vectors along the eastern front. They have been hammered in recent offensives and so, what they do is to say...okay, that didn't work, let's attack in this direction. Sometimes they luck out and strike a weak portion of the Ukranian defensive line, since Ukraine is so badly outnumbered, they are stretched thin along the whole 600+ mile front and get overrun in places. These Russian "successes" are always short-lived as the Ukrans simply shift troops to meet the threat. The Russians usually end up being able to hold the patches of ground they have taken, since the Ukrans will not risk losing troops counterattacking to retake vacant farmland. Putin propagandists seize these small gains and trumpet them as "huge gains," and "look, Putin is winning the war."

Now, Ukraine will, and has, counterattacked in locations that make strategic sense. But these attacks are carefully planned and carried out to minimize losses in men and equipment. And, the ground retaken has to be important enough to risk the attacks.

[dawg80]

Russian forces have overrun and taken Shevchenko, a small village south of Pokrovsk. Why is this important? Well, symbolically, for now, it is extremely important. Shevchenko, the small town, exists for one reason: the lithium deposit/mine there. Based on current world prices, there is $141 billion in lithium there. And many $millions more in other rare earth minerals, such as titanium. This area, the village, is still in a fairly active combat area, within range of artillery and drone attacks so it's not like Russia can start mining activities next week, but it does represent one of the reasons Putin invaded Ukraine and why he is refusing to agree to an end of the war, unless Russia gets to keep all of Donbas. It is also important to note that this lithium deposit figures prominently in Trump's mineral deal with President Z/Ukraine. That can't happen if Putin owns the deposit.

[dawg80]

Tough hombres! That band of Columbians, fighting for Ukraine as volunteer mercenaries, just delivered a severe blow to Putin's bunch of pansies. These Columbians are retired Columbian army dudes who spent most of their career fighting drug cartels in the jungles of Columbia. It was kill or be killed because those drug cartels play for keeps. So, when deployed into woods in Kursk, they laughed at the notion the woods would be hard to negotiate. The stupid Russians actually thought their flank was safe because surely no one can get through that thick tangled mess of a forest. Wrong!

Report is about 40 Columbians attacked two Russian positions of about 100 soldiers each and wiped them out. They did not have the means to deal with prisoners, so they didn't take any. After killing every Russian they came across, they set charges with timers in the HQ building, supply shacks, and barracks, knowing more Russians would show up later...kaboom! More dead Russians. They returned to the Ukrainian lines, all of them, not even a wound suffered, and calmly reported their success and then asked, "what's for supper?" A reporter embedded in the Ukrainian brigade of which the company of Columbians is a part of, documented this in a report. He tried not to laugh when his cameraman was videoing the grinning Columbians who acted like they had just come back from a carnival or something.

There are plenty of foreign nationals fighting in this war, for both sides. The American contingent has disappeared from the news. They were fighting in one of the Ukran elite brigades a year+ ago, but I have seen nothing reported about them in many months. Will try to find something on them.

[dawg80]

Found a YouTube video published about 5 months ago. The American contingent numbers 60 men, who have been joined by a like number of Brits and Aussies forming a company that is now in the 3rd Assault (Azov) Brigade. One American has been killed, two wounded, but both back in action, and one captured by the Russians. The latter is a 72-yr-old, retired Army sergeant, called "Gramps," of course. He stayed behind to provide covering fire when a squad of the Americans were in danger of being cutoff. He was taken prisoner by the Russians and has not been heard from since.

The company has the nickname of "The Chosen." A Ukrainian officer says they are "so professional, so confident in themselves that it inspires the rest of the battalion that, no matter what, no matter how rough it gets, we will win." The reporter asked that officer something else, and he offered, "they are lunatics."

Why did these Americans decide to go to Ukraine to fight? The consensus is they were bored with civilian life and just had to get back into the action.

[dawg80]

Putin the Terrorist continued his attacks on women, children, the elderly last night with his biggest attack to date. A confirmed 537 Russian drones and missiles were targeted on strictly civilian targets, you know, those military targets of apartments, houses, churches, grocery stores...all critical to any army. Early reports are 20 killed, another 80 injured, both figures expected to rise as first-responders are still on the scenes. One of the losses last night was a Ukrainian F-16 and its pilot, Lt. Colonel Maxicmo (sp?). Most likely his F-16 was hit by friendly fire as he had flown into a very hot area, credited with shooting down 7 Shahed drones and 1 cruise missile for sure. There was utter chaos over several Ukrainian cities the skies filled with Russian drones and missiles, F-16s, and ground fire from anti-aircraft/anti-drone batteries. First report is his F-16 was hit by a Ukran anti-aircraft missile.

Putin "entertained" a conference of international journalists and conducted a bullshit Q&A session. One or two of the journalists attempted to ask tough questions but Putin stonewalled them with utter BS and they were afraid to push it with tough follow-up questions. They wanted to get out of Moscow alive.

[dawg80]

Trump is catching hell from several pro-Ukrainian YouTubers for his lifting sanctions on the Russian nuclear power company, Rostrum, of which Putin is a part owner. That company is owned completely by Putin and his closest friends/allies. Specifically, the targeted lifted sanctions allow construction to resume on a nuclear power plant in Hungary, which pleases Hungary's PM Viktor Orban. Orban has been a major roadblock to Ukraine being invited to join both the EU and NATO, as Orban has veto power in both organizations. I think Trump may be trying to appease Orban in exchange for his support for Ukraine in future votes. Or, maybe not. It might be true that Trump simply loves Putin and doesn't care about any ramifications of his support for Putin. That's the accusations levied against Trump by the TDS crowd on YouTube. And, when Trump pulls a stunt like this and continues to hold up the sanctions' package authored by Senator Graham then it does appear Trump is in bed with Putin.

I have tired trying to defend Trump on these YouTuber message boards. I have my own integrity to guard and some of what Trump does is indefensible.

[dawg80]

Ukraine struck the last major Russian airbase on Crimea last night. Early reports are that 4 jets and 4 attack-helicopters, used to defend against Ukran sea drones and to guard the Kerch Bridge, have been destroyed. In addition, fuel tanks, hangars, supply/ammo sheds were hit. Huge explosions and fires now raging at the base. It is located on the extreme eastern edge of Crimea. Reports are the Ukrans used sea drones to deliver attack drones, which they have done previously.

What is the best are the social media videos published by locals when these attacks occur. This morning there are several such videos, with narration (dubbed into English, of course or closed captioned in English) and they are hilarious. Basically local/loyal Russian citizens have given up on Putin, his army, his government and no longer believe his silly lies. They mock Putin and his propagandists by imitating them (like Rich Little might do, even doing their voices) and then offer their own views on the situation. None of these folks, and probably 90% of all Russians, will be disappointed when Putin is no longer in power.

Putin himself, just the other day, uttered the truth, for a change, in his most recent national address to "the people" that the Russian economy has tanked. He actually admitted this! But then he called on all Russians to remain steadfast and loyal to "Mother Russia." To suck it up and starve a little. One rogue YouTuber (and I am surprised he hasn't been arrested) dude named Colan, does reports from the streets of Russia. Recently he showed what's going on in Russian grocery stores. For instance, a single slice of bread, packaged in cellophane, is priced at $22 USD. Yes, TWENTY-TWO bucks for a single slice of bread. The average monthly salary for Russians is $250 USD. Colan laughed as he held this neatly packaged slice of bread and read the label, where it has calories and the nutritional stats for it. Can feed a family of four! Yeah, baby!

Trump needs to get off his "love for Putin" highchair and join the EU in tough, and I mean TOUGH, economic sanctions. Now is the time to hammer the evil Putin regime into oblivion.