Update for Russian military operations in Ukraine for September 12, 2022. Ukraine has committed what is left of its best troops and equipment to multiple and expensive offensives, both around Kherson and in Kharkov, and rumors of offensives being prepared elsewhere. The Kherson offensive has failed, costing Ukraine multiple brigades’ worth of men and equipment with little territorial gain; the Kharkov offensive has cost Ukraine a large amount of men and equipment with significant territorial gains but failed to eliminate the Russian forces holding the region. Russia’s decision to withdraw from Kharkov conserves men and equipment for fighting later on and to be determined on Russian terms.
US GOVERNMENT CRIMES
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ERIC ZUESSE—It isn’t only “what my voters think” but also what they NEED that she, as the German Government, is obligated to be her very first concern, if today’s Germany is to become, finally, a democracy, which is a majority-rule republic: a nation whose Government is chosen by, and answerable to, a majority of its residents. Germany is not that, and has not been that, ever since the Weimar Republic, if even that Government, whose first obligation under the post-WW-I Versailles Treaty was instead to pay reparations to World War One’s winners, was a “democracy.” This time around, however, the foreign enslavement of the German public is by means of a ‘democracy’, instead of by means of a war. Only expelling the occupying power — the U.S. regime — can possibly bring democracy to Germany. No vassal-nation can be a democracy.
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U.S. imperialism: Reflections from a Ukrainian mirror
221 minutes readTIM BEAL—The central role of the United States in international affairs must be unearthed and analyzed. Nothing much of consequence happens in the world without U.S. involvement. At the same time, that involvement is hidden, and the U.S. empire’s role obscured or distorted by its huge and largely successful propaganda apparatus. The ongoing Ukraine crisis is a salient example. The root cause is NATO expansion driven by the U.S. as an instrument of its strategy to disempower Russia. The other major players—Russia, Ukraine and the European countries—are subsidiary, and, whether wisely or not, reacting to U.S. grand policy. Needless to say, this is not the way it is portrayed by the United States.
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THE SAKER—In theory, if successful, this Ukrainian attack could threaten Russian forces in all sorts of ways, but I personally don’t believe that this will happen as the Russians are, according to numerous reports, concentrating very large forces to contain the Ukrainian attack. Furthermore, the Ukrainian advances *already* have come at a *huge* cost in personnel (again!).
Also, please consider this: the further East the Ukronazi forces go, the less artillery they will have to support them: shorter range artillery systems (like small*medium caliber mortars) will either be too far, or will have to be moved forward (at great risk) and only long range artillery (MLRS & HIMARS) will be able to support the Ukrainian attack. And, of course, it is much easier to resupply the Ukrainian attack force while it is closer to the Ukrainian rear than when the resupplies will have to be brought through a very dangerous and highly contested area!
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Some *very* basic stuff about Russian defenses in the SMO
21 minutes readTHE SAKER—So how does a mobile defense work?
Basically, it uses the Russian advantages (firepower, maneuverability, logistics, reach, C3ISR, morale and training) to save as many Russian lives as possible while killing as many Ukrainian soldiers are possible. Why? Because while terrain can always be re-conquered, dead soldiers cannot be resurrected.