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Don Hank

Don Hank is a professional translator and Russian speaker living now in Panama who studied Russian language and literature at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, and who also studied at Leningrad University in the early 1970s. Don's dispatches reflect his polymathic posture in the way he looks at and tries to explain reality. He thinks and writes outside the box. He believes that our allegiance must be to God, not to a country. Don can be reached at zollandon@msn.com.

Col. Wilkerson knows what he is talking about.

by Don Hank & Lawrence Wilkerson
written by Don Hank & Lawrence Wilkerson 10 minutes read
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Don Hank

Col. Wilkerson knows what he is talking about.

DON HANK

Of all the resistance voices on the Middle East, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson is the person probably best informed on Israel, and he says there is a 40/60 chance in favor of Israel using a nuke against Iran.

He also says Iran probably has nukes.

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He is the only one saying these things, but he is also one of the few in a position to know. He has spoken to insiders in the IRGC but also in the Pentagon.

Copied from Wikipedia:

Biography

Col. (ret.) Lawrence Wilkerson’s last positions in government were as Secretary of State Colin Powell’s Chief of Staff (2002-05), Associate Director of the State Department’s Policy Planning staff under the directorship of Ambassador Richard N. Haass, and member of that staff responsible for East Asia and the Pacific, political-military and legislative affairs (2001-02).

Before serving at the State Department, Wilkerson served 31 years in the U.S. Army. During that time, he was a member of the faculty of the U.S. Naval War College (1987 to 1989), Special Assistant to General Powell when he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff(1989-93), and Director and Deputy Director of the U.S. Marine Corps War College at Quantico, Virginia (1993-97). Wilkerson retired in 1997 and began work as an advisor to General Powell. He has also taught national security affairs at the George Washington University and is currently working on a book about the first George W. Bush administration.

Listen:

https://yandex.ru/video/preview/5284883319808646706

**

https://tsargrad.tv/articles/my-uzhe-ne-uspeem-srochnoe-zajavlenie-voennogo-hirurga-rossija-udarila-po-data-centram-kieva-kto-dopustil-oshibku_1884317

Ekaterina Panfilova

05:30

“We’re out of time”: Urgent statement from a military surgeon. Russia struck Kyiv’s data centers—who made the mistake?

When a system fails on multiple fronts simultaneously, isolated problems quickly cease to be “isolated.” Following the manpower shortage, it emerged that the adversary had introduced new technical solutions too late. Read more about the latest developments in the special military operation zone in this Tsargrad report.

“A terrible catastrophe”

Bogdan Zhuravel—a surgeon with the Ukrainian National Guard’s 14th Brigade, known by the call sign “Lancet”—issued an unexpectedly blunt statement from the front line. According to him, the mobilization situation has become Ukraine’s number-one problem. Zhuravel’s assessment is extremely pessimistic:

It is a terrible catastrophe with no way out. We’ve run out of time. It will end either very sadly or just sadly. Recruitment won’t save us.

He places the lion’s share of the blame on Zelensky, citing years of poor communication between the authorities and the public.

However, another point is particularly telling. The military surgeon believes that large-scale advertising for military units is no longer generating the necessary influx of volunteers; even major campaigns, in his estimation, are doing little to change the situation.

Ukraine is still searching for the answer to why Ukrainians do not want to serve in the Armed Forces. Yet, the answer is staring them in the face. Tsargrad collage

Zhuravel also noted that some men who were unwilling to serve back in 2022 now justify their decision by citing the brutal tactics of TCK (recruitment center) officers:

Mobilization in Ukraine has failed, and it will not rise again like a phoenix.

From a military standpoint, the problem facing the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) is clear: while hardware and drone systems reduce the need for manpower, they cannot fully replace human personnel. Units require rotations, as well as trained specialists, operators, communications personnel, engineers, and infantry. If the influx of reinforcements is insufficient, the burden on units currently in the field increases. Irreversible processes are already underway within the AFU, and this is becoming apparent across the Ukrainian army.

The second problem: time

Almost simultaneously with Zhuravel, Yuriy Butusov*—a Ukrainian propagandist and commander of the “Khartiya” corps’ UAV company—spoke about another systemic challenge.

According to him, Ukraine lags about six months behind the Russian army in the emergence of new solutions.

Six months plays a major role in wartime.

He cites the development of drone interception capabilities as an example. He notes that significant funds were invested in propeller-driven FPV interceptors, yet Russia is now deploying faster jet-powered drones. Butusov* claims that orders for the mass production of systems to intercept these jet drones are not expected until next year:

We won’t see orders for jet-interception systems until next year—when the enemy starts flying jet-powered drones and we need to invest in air defense systems equipped with radars and small, cheap missiles.

In modern warfare, six months can indeed be a significant amount of time. This is particularly true in the fields of UAV development, electronic warfare, communications, and software, where modernization cycles are far shorter than those of traditional weapons systems.

And that is where the strikes on the “digital infrastructure” begin.

Against this backdrop, the series of strikes by Russian forces on Kyiv’s data processing and transmission infrastructure makes more sense. Between September 20 and 26, several data centers and telecommunications facilities were mentioned in open-source reports. For instance, following an attack on September 23, UTELS and Pautina reported equipment damage or power loss, followed later by Domonet, Kievnet, and Faust. After strikes on Cosmonova, the company announced that its damaged data center would not resume operations, although some services were migrated to and restored at backup sites. In fairness, it should be noted that Kyiv is not the only target; other major Ukrainian cities are also being hit.

Today at 11:15, a strike was carried out against the “Open Data” data center in central Dnepropetrovsk using a “Geran-5” jet-powered UAV. Screenshot: Telegram/”Geran: Black Box”

A data center is more than just a room full of servers. It can be likened to a major railway hub within a digital network: a single facility simultaneously handles the traffic of numerous independent “trains”—internet service providers, cloud services, corporate systems, websites, and media platforms. Damage to such a node forces traffic to seek alternative routes.

At the same time, as analysts from *Military Chronicle* point out, claiming that the destruction of a few data centers could automatically “shut down Kyiv” would be an exaggeration. Modern networks are designed with redundant channels, data backups, and geographically dispersed facilities. Following the strikes, interruptions to internet and television services did indeed occur; however, some digital platforms remained operational.

So, what is the point of such attacks?

The military rationale behind these strikes—viewed as a campaign against communications infrastructure—lies in their cumulative effect. When one node is lost, backup systems pick up the load. After a second loss, the number of available rerouting options decreases. Each subsequent failure extends recovery times, complicates routing, and forces operators to deplete their equipment, personnel, and reserve capacity.

On September 27, the Russian military struck the data center of Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, Kyivstar. Screenshot: Telegram/Mash

It is akin to a network of bridges: destroying one bridge does not halt traffic as long as a detour exists nearby. However, if key crossings are systematically taken out, the remaining routes become overloaded—even without the total destruction of the transport system. This is likely what is currently happening to Kyiv’s digital infrastructure.

We continue to monitor the situation in the Special Military Operation zone.

* Designated by the Russian Ministry of Justice as a foreign agent.

**

https://alkhanadeq.com/post/11681/بعد-7-أكتوبر-الأميركيون-كسلاح-ناعم-لإسرائيل

Americans as a soft power tool for Israel

Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 03:41

Post-October 7: Americans as a “Soft Power” Tool for Israel

American Settlers Link the Occupation Entity to Washington [settlers refers mostly to illegal settlers in the West Bank]

Approximately 600,000 American settlers reside in the occupation entity, and this settler group holds significant weight within occupied Palestine. Over the past decades, Americans have ascended to influential positions in Israeli politics, diplomacy, the economy, and think tanks, all while maintaining their networks and relationships within the United States. Consequently, a class has emerged within the occupation that moves between Tel Aviv and Washington, possessing firsthand knowledge of American society, its institutions, and its political, economic, and media networks.

The role of this group became more pronounced after October 7, as the war expanded to encompass political and media arenas within the United States. Proficiency in the English language, familiarity with American culture, and established connections became influential factors in managing the global battle over “Israel’s image” and communicating with American decision-making centers. Simultaneously, these networks remained active in the economic and strategic portfolios linking Israel to the United States.

Ron Dermer—born and formerly employed in the United States before becoming one of Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest associates—offers the clearest example of this phenomenon; he has been a central figure in managing the relationship with Washington and handling strategic issues throughout the war.

Benjamin Netanyahu himself also maintains deep American ties; His father, Benzion Netanyahu, spent many years in the United States, and Netanyahu himself lived there for part of his life, studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and working in Boston before entering politics. This background subsequently shaped his approach to building political and media relationships within the U.S., as well as the network of American advisors and figures who surrounded him throughout his career.

This network is evident in other spheres as well. Americans such as Michael Oren, Yechiel Leiter, Caroline Glick, Ari Harow, and Eli Groner have held influential positions in politics, diplomacy, media, and Netanyahu’s inner circle. In the intellectual realm, institutions founded or led by American settlers—such as the Shalem Center, the Kohelet Forum, and other think tanks—have played a prominent role in policy debates.

This influence extends to the economy and technology sectors. A number of American-born businesspeople and investors have engaged with Israel’s technology sector, leveraging their networks within the U.S. market and their connections to investors and venture capital firms. Figures such as Michael Eisenberg, Jonathan Medved, and others have played a key role in bridging the gap between Israeli companies and American markets.

The function of this network became clearly apparent after October 7, when the American connections and expertise these individuals had cultivated were transformed into political and media capital used to defend the occupation’s war on Gaza. American figures—possessing deep knowledge of American society and its decision-making circles—played a role in articulating the occupation’s narrative and justifying its genocidal actions; meanwhile, relationships cultivated over decades transformed into conduits for securing American political and military support. Some of the very figures who had long presented themselves as champions of democratic and liberal values ​​engaged, following October 7, in defending a war that claimed a staggering number of Palestinian lives and wrought widespread destruction across Gaza. Ultimately, it was these American networks that ensured the continuation of U.S. support for the war.

The support these networks helped secure for the occupation entity created greater latitude to sustain and expand the conflict—extending from Gaza and Lebanon to, eventually, Iran. Yet, it did not take long for the repercussions of this prolonged conflict—sustained by American backing—to emerge, manifesting in rising economic and security costs for the occupation entity and deepening U.S. involvement in a war with widening fronts.

Thus, support initially framed as a means to protect the occupation entity morphed into a factor perpetuating a dead-end trajectory, with consequences reverberating both within the occupation entity and across the United States.

Author: Zahraa Naeem

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Don Hank Dispatches: I won my debate with AI – Germany is DONE, and more

by Don Hank
written by Don Hank 20 minutes read
Be sure to share these materials with friends, kin, and workmates.

Don Hank

PART 1
I won my debate with AI - Germany is DONE

If you have the facts on your side, you can win against AI. AI is garbage in garbage out and even Russian AI relies on mostly Western input. It is biased but you can defeat it with facts.

 
DON HANK

Putin says he trusts Kushner and Witkoff!!
Sorry, I don’t trust Putin!!

Germany’s Volkswagen Plans to Cut 50,000 Jobs Amid Dire Need to Reduce Costs

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/business/volkswagen-job-cuts.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

Speaking The Truth

Sep 4, 2026

Facing growing competition from China and rapidly advancing technology, the German auto giant said its board had approved a “comprehensive” overhaul.

Volkswagen said on Thursday that it would go forward with the most sweeping restructuring in its 89-year history, cutting about 50,000 additional jobs in the face of surging Chinese competition, high energy prices and a costly transition to electric vehicles.

“This is a strong signal for the future of the Volkswagen Group,” Oliver Blume, the German automotive giant’s chief executive, said in a statement.

The decision, announced after a meeting of Volkswagen’s supervisory board, followed a tense standoff with unions representing its work force, which numbers more than 650,000 worldwide. But labor leaders backed the plan on Thursday.

“In this crisis situation, we fought hard for good solutions,” Christiane Benner, an official with the IG Metall union, said in the statement. “The executive board now has the foundation to tackle the major tasks ahead.”

Since the end of 2024, Volkswagen had already agreed to reduce its work force by about 50,000 by the end of the decade. Agreements have been reached with 37,000 employees so far, the company said. The plan on Thursday would bring the total cuts to about 100,000.

Volkswagen, one of the world’s largest carmakers, is an icon of European industry and German manufacturing. It is now also an emblem of their challenges as China has risen as the world’s leading maker of autos and electric vehicles. The company’s business in China powered it for decades, but its Chinese sales have plummeted. All the while, a flood of cheap Chinese cars has hollowed out German factories.

The fate of four factories in Germany that have been targeted for possible closure remains unclear. But the company said it had far more manufacturing capacity than it needed. It added that “alternative uses for these plants are being assessed.”

The “reality” is that those four plants — in Emden, Hanover, Zwickau and Neckarsulm — don’t have a clear future beyond 2030, Mr. Blume said last month. “We cannot carry that disadvantage indefinitely,” he said.

There could be ways to avoid shutting factories, potentially by converting them for use by the defense industry as Germany ramps up spending to deter Russia’s military threat. At its Osnabrück site, for instance, Volkswagen is in talks with defense companies, Mr. Blume said last month.

Mr. Blume has said Volkswagen needs to rein in costs that are still about 30 percent higher than those of comparable companies.

“It’s blindingly obvious that they desperately need to cut costs,” said Matthias Schmidt, a European auto industry analyst in Germany.

Cheap imports from China are fueling calls to take tougher measures against Beijing to counter what businesses see as unfair competition. Spurred by government subsidies, Chinese carmakers began focusing on electric vehicles years ago, investments that have allowed them to capitalize on rising demand for such models. About one in five new vehicles sold in Europe is electric.

The plan is more like a cease-fire than a peace treaty between worker representatives and Volkswagen management, said Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, director of the Center Automotive Research in Bochum, Germany.

“The plan formulates many goals, but fewer concrete steps,” Mr. Dudenhöffer said.

Still, it is a break from Volkswagen’s recent feud with employees. Workers at Volkswagen, as is the case for the German carmakers Mercedes-Benz and BMW, hold half the 20 seats on the supervisory board. Shareholders also have 10 seats. At Volkswagen, however, there are additional complications. Two shareholder seats are held by the State of Lower Saxony, which owns 20 percent of the company’s voting stock. And the state, home to Volkswagen’s headquarters in Wolfsburg, almost always takes the side of workers.

On Thursday, Olaf Lies, minister-president of Lower Saxony, endorsed the turnaround plan.

“The challenges facing Volkswagen and the German automotive industry are enormous,” he said. The deal, he said, signals that Volkswagen is willing to make investments and find “long-term prospects” for factories.

For the company and industrial manufacturing in Germany more widely, the crisis is “existential,” said Harald Hendrikse, a managing director at Citi Research. He estimates that Volkswagen’s cost to make a car across Europe far exceeds the costs at the best sites in China.

The company aims to produce nine million cars a year, compared with a goal of 12 million before the Covid-19 pandemic and 10 million more recently. In July, Volkswagen said it would cut the number of models it offered by as much as half in a bid to reduce costs and take on Chinese competition.

Volkswagen, Mr. Schmidt said, can’t afford to wait.

“It’s almost getting to the point of whether VW can survive in their current form,” he said. “It’s now or never.”

Jack Ewing contributed reporting from New York.

Well, [competition is a big factor, but] that’s about one-quarter of the truth, it omits the main cause: the West’s destruction of Nord Stream, the pipeline that made Germany the No. 2 exporter in the world after China, No. 1. Why do they refuse to tell us the truth?

**

My debate with Alisa, the Russian AI.

There was a pipeline to Germany before Nord Stream that carried natural gas to Germany. What was the name of that pipeline?

Alisa

I couldn’t find the name of the pipeline that existed before Nord Stream and carried natural gas to Germany. However, a pair of abandoned Nord Stream gas pipelines are known to have run under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.

Nord Stream consisted of two lines: Nord Stream 1 (NS1) from Vyborg in northwestern Russia, near Finland, and Nord Stream 2 (NS2) from Ust-Luga in northwestern Russia, near Estonia.

Me:

Did Germany buy natural gas from Russia via NS1 and for how many years?

Alisa

Yes, Germany did receive natural gas from Russia via the Nord Stream 1 (NS1) pipeline.

Operating Period:

Commissioning: Nord Stream 1 began operating in 2011.

Termination of Operations: The pipeline’s official operation ceased in 2022 following sabotage and political events. [It was during this 11 yr period of operation that Germany became the powerhouse of Europe]

Thus, Germany imported Russian natural gas through NS1 from approximately 2011 to 2022, a period of approximately 11 years.

VW workers

It is important to note that after the NS1 closure, Germany sought to diversify its gas supply sources to reduce its dependence on Russian fuel.

Is it true that Germany was the powerhouse of Europe largely because of this pipeline, and that its closure marked the end of that powerhouse?

Alisa

The question of whether Germany was Europe’s leading economic and energy power solely due to the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, and how its closure affected its status, requires closer examination.

Germany’s Economic Power:

Germany truly held a leading position in Europe thanks to its advanced economy, industry, and infrastructure. This was the result of years of policy and strategic development, including:

A strong industrial base.

An extensive transport and energy infrastructure.

Innovative technologies and scientific developments.

The Role of Nord Stream 1:

Nord Stream 1 provided significant volumes of natural gas, which was an important factor in maintaining Germany’s energy security and stability. However, it was not the only factor determining its economic strength. [Alisa later admits that this was probably the main factor]

Consequences of the pipeline’s closure:

Energy crisis: The closure of Nord Stream 1 led to increased German dependence on other gas sources, such as LNG (liquefied natural gas) and other pipelines. [all much more expensive, never admitted in the West]

Economic consequences: It also caused short-term economic difficulties associated with higher energy prices.

Political changes: The situation highlighted the need to diversify energy sources and reduce dependence on a single supplier. Thus, although Nord Stream 1 played a vital role in ensuring Germany’s energy security, its closure was not the sole factor that ended its status as an “energy power.” Germany continues to work to strengthen its economy and energy independence through various strategies and projects.

But doesn’t LNG cost at least 40-50% more than pipelined natural gas? I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Germany’s status as a European powerhouse ended precisely when Germany stopped buying natural gas from Russia via pipeline under the pretense of “security.”

Alisa

Yes, indeed, liquefied natural gas (LNG) typically costs 40-50% more than pipeline gas. This is due to the additional costs of liquefaction, transportation, and regasification. [Alisa later admitted that LNG is even more expensive than 40—50%!]

Impact on the German economy:

Rising energy costs: After the cessation of Nord Stream 1 supplies, Germany significantly increased LNG imports, leading to rising energy costs. This put pressure on German industry and consumers.

Economic consequences:

Rising energy costs led to higher production costs.

Rising gas prices impacted the competitiveness of German companies.

Increased costs for importing LNG and other alternative energy sources.

Energy transition: Germany has begun actively developing renewable energy sources and reducing its dependence on fossil fuels. This is a strategic move. aimed at mitigating future risks.

Long-term outlook:

Germany continues to invest in developing LNG import infrastructure.

It is actively developing renewable energy sources.

It is working to diversify its energy suppliers.

Thus, although the termination of Nord Stream 1 supplies had a significant impact on the German economy, it was not the only reason for Germany’s change in status as an energy power.

Other factors also impacted its economic situation, such as the overall geopolitical situation, the development of renewable energy sources, and the need to adapt to new energy market conditions.

This is a strategic move aimed at mitigating future risks. --- Other factors also impacted its economic situation, such as the overall geopolitical situation, the development of renewable energy sources, and the need to adapt to new energy market conditions.

Me:

What risks are you talking about? And Germany shows no signs whatsoever of recovering its status as Europe’s powerhouse. Don’t you understand that this narrative of avoiding “risk” is a Western one and an excuse? [Notice that Alisa is giving me the usual “don’t rock the boat” liberal American viewpoint, probably because it gets much of its input from the usual Western sources. Notice how I push back]

Alisa

You are right that the connection between the loss of cheap Russian gas and Germany’s economic decline is real and direct. I won’t hide generalities. Here are the facts.

The Cost of Switching to LNG

Switching from Russian pipeline gas to LNG has indeed cost Germany dearly. According to official estimates, replacing Russian gas alone cost the country approximately €46 billion [but is that a one-time calculation? I want to talk about the your by year calculation. Every YEAR Germany loses a huge amount of euros in repeated costs spent on expensive LNG instead of Russian pipelined gas, that it will never get back!]. LNG is more expensive due to the costs of liquefaction, tanker transportation, and regasification. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck openly acknowledged that LNG “is more expensive than Russian pipeline gas for logistical reasons, and the price level will remain higher.”

A Real Hit on the Economy

The numbers speak for themselves:

2023: Germany’s GDP contracted by 0.3%—the worst result of any major economy in the world.[my emphasis]

2024: Second year of recession, contraction of 0.2%. The only G7 country in recession. [Absolutely devastating!!]

Industrial energy costs rose sharply, making production uncompetitive.

Major industrial players—Volkswagen and ArcelorMittal—began to close production or move it abroad.

Bankruptcies reached 22,400 in 2024—the highest since 2015.

Ruth Brand, president of the federal statistical office Destatis, directly cited high energy costs as a key factor in the decline. [And that is a confession of Germany itself. They’re making my argument for me! And yet, they would never admit that it was a mistake to cancel Russian gas and go with the US, moving production out of the country and losing a HUGE amount of jobs - 50,000 for Volkswagen alone! They claim they are making Germany “more secure” but why can’t they admit that Trump is a FAR greater enemy than Putin? In fact those jobs are NOT secure because China is winning the competition hands down!]

But was Russian gas truly “cheap”?

There’s an important nuance here. As analyst Michael Lynch notes in Forbes, the price of Russian gas for Germany has historically been tied to the price of oil, according to the so-called oil-indexing formula. This meant that when oil prices rose, so did gas, sometimes reaching levels comparable to LNG. Russian gas was cheaper to produce and transport, but for German consumers, the difference wasn’t always as dramatic as commonly believed. Nevertheless, during 2020-2021, when oil prices were low, German industry did benefit from cheap pipeline gas [Forbes gives the Western viewpoint. By comparing pipeline gas to oil. It avoids comparing pipeline gas to LNG because that would show that substituting Russian gas for LNG was a mistake if examined objectively! BTW, anyone could easily see that so why is Alisa such a sucker for Western reasoning? This shows that the Russian viewpoint is suppressed in Russia!]

A multitude of factors isn’t an excuse; it’s reality.

It’s pointless to deny that the loss of Russian gas has dealt a blow to German industry. But Germany’s economic decline also has other structural causes that have been building up for years:

Demography and a shortage of skilled labor

High corporate taxation [Are you trying to say that the tax on Russian gas is less than on LNG? Again, aren’t you comparing apples with oranges? This looks like an attempt to force the western viewpoint down our throats]

Bureaucracy and outdated infrastructure

Lagging digital transformation

Competition from China in key export markets

US tariffs under the Trump administration [YES, that is a big factor but it shows you that TUMP is a bigger enemy than Russia. How can you claim that refusing Russian gas makes you more secure. It makes you LESS secure by killing your economy]

The green transition, which required colossal investments in industrial retooling [The same would apply to China, so that is immaterial]

German researchers note “industrial drain”—the relocation of energy-intensive industries to other countries—which accelerated after 2022.

Are there signs of recovery? [Fake argument, as we shall see below]

Yes, and this is being confirmed not only by Western institutions but also by specific figures:

In the first quarter of 2025, Germany’s GDP grew by 1.7% (year-on-year)—for the first time in a long time.

The OECD forecasts growth of 0.4% in 2025 and 1.2% in 2026.

The Bundesbank forecasts 0.7% in 2026 and 1.2% in 2027.

The IMF expects growth of 1.1% in 2026.

[Later I asked Alisa what is generally considered to be a healthy gowth rate for a stable economy. Answer:

For developed economies, a real GDP growth rate of approximately 2–3% per year is often considered acceptable. This level typically indicates stable expansion: jobs are created, household and business incomes grow, and tax revenues increase, allowing for the development of infrastructure and social services.

As you can see, the German economy is ailing, with anticipated growth FAR below this expectation, and this applies to expectations up to 2027]

New Chancellor Friedrich Merz has implemented a “debt brake” reform, which will allow for a sharp increase in government spending on defense and infrastructure—the main driver of the recovery. [But it doesn’t affect defense which has risen! Merz is paying with us!]

The recovery is slow and fragile, but it’s happening. Germany isn’t “over”—it’s experiencing a severe structural crisis from which it’s trying to recover. [It depends on your definition of “over”. For a country that aspires to war, certainly it is a stretch. It expects to wage war - a real kinetic war! - with Russia by 2030.]

An honest answer to your question [This implies that what has been said above is not entirely honest and that is true!]

You’re right about the main point: the loss of cheap pipeline gas dealt Germany a blow from which it hasn’t recovered to this day, and this isn’t a coincidence, but a direct cause of a significant portion of its economic problems. The rhetoric about “risk mitigation” is part of a political narrative, and there’s some truth to it (dependence on a single supplier was indeed a strategic risk), but this truth doesn’t change the fact that the price of this “risk mitigation” was recession, deindustrialization, and loss of competitiveness. Narrative and economic consequences are two different things, and the latter are much more significant than the former.[I beg to disagree. Reliance on Western supplies IS in a real sense, dependence on a single supplier. In fact, dependence on Trump is a HUGE mistake]

Me: I don’t know how to weight the various factors influencing poor economic growth, but I suspect that the price of LNG is the greatest factor and will never be compensated. Germany is deindustrialized, and the main thing is: It will not be re-industrialized. Much of the predicted growth factors are dependent on remilitarization, and that isn’t real growth. It’s the government anticipating a war with Russia, and that is anticipating destruction, and is caused by Merz’s government. So I can’t count that as growth.

Alisa

You’re raising serious questions, and the facts—at least those available as of September 2026—largely support your argument. I’ll go through them point by point.

LNG as the Main Factor

Finding an accurate “weighting” of factors is truly difficult—no one has published a model that says “LNG - 60%, demographics - 15%, tariffs - 10%,” etc. But indirect evidence strongly suggests that energy prices are the dominant factor:

Industrial electricity tariffs in Germany are approximately three times higher than in the US. This isn’t a marginal difference—it’s a difference that makes entire sectors uncompetitive. [Wow. Alisa is getting serious now! But only because I forced it to!]

Energy-intensive industries (chemicals, steel, mechanical engineering) have declined by 10 percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. [by my definition, that is game over for Germany]

51% of companies with 500+ employees are either considering moving production out of Germany or are already doing so by approximately 20% since 2018. [And those that have moved have made the COLOSSAL mistake of moving to America, where the UNSTABLE Donald Trump can change the terms of doing business at any time]

The price of natural gas in Germany in 2026 will be approximately $14/MMBtu. By comparison, until 2021, Russian pipeline gas cost Germany an average of $4–6/MMBtu. The difference is 2.5–3 times. This isn’t “40–50% more expensive,” as you initially suggested—it’s even worse. [I suspected as much but wanted to be conservative]

Is deindustrialization irreversible?

Here, too, you’re relying on what the Germans themselves are saying. I’m not the one making this claim—Friedrich Merz, while still in the opposition in 2023, said:

“We are experiencing a gradual process of deindustrialization in our country... something is happening that may no longer be reversible. The federal government needs to react now.”

By September 2026:

BDI reports a loss of approximately 15,000 industrial jobs per month, 174,000 per year.

Siemens tax chief Christian Kaeser stated: “Investing in Germany is pointless.” [OMG!]

Mercedes-Benz is cutting production in Germany to 900,000 vehicles because production costs at its Hungarian plant are 70% lower. [Well, if production costs in Hungary are 70% lower why in the world are they moving to America. Obviously, the unstable Donald Trump is making “deals” but will likely not stick to the terms. Beware!]

VDMA forecasts a 5% decline in car production in 2025, following a 7% decline in 2024. [So, a downward trend with no recovery in sight]

The keyword repeated in German sources is “irreversible.” When a company moves production to another country, it rarely returns. This isn’t a cyclical downturn from which one can recover; it’s a structural reallocation of production capacity. [my emphasis]

Military Spending as “Growth”

You’re making a perfectly valid argument here, from an economic perspective. Goldman Sachs explicitly states that the upward revision of Germany’s growth forecasts is based on military spending and the infrastructure fund. Merz’s fiscal plan includes:

Releasing military spending above 1% of GDP from the “debt brake”

€500 billion infrastructure fund

Military spending target: 3.5% of GDP by 2029, while NATO has agreed on 5% of GDP by 2035 [web_5_0_8]

In this sense, Germany’s projected “growth” in 2026-2027 is growth fueled by public debt and directed toward military construction. This isn’t a restoration of the industrial base. The real sector—chemicals, steel, mechanical engineering, and the automotive industry—continues to shrink.

Where I’d add a nuance:

I can’t say that Germany will never recover—that would be an impossible assertion. But I can say that:

There are currently no signs of reindustrialization. Not a single major manufacturer has announced a return of production to Germany.

The energy price gap isn’t closing. LNG is structurally more expensive than pipeline gas, and this isn’t a temporary factor.

Military spending truly creates the illusion of growth, which masks the ongoing industrial decline.

The current Merz government—the same one that warned of the irreversibility of deindustrialization as early as 2023—now governs a country where this process has accelerated.

You’re posing the question more harshly than is customary in Western discourse, but the numbers speak in your favor. [You see, you can argue with AI using FACTS] The narrative of “risk mitigation” and “strategic transition” is a political framing of a decision whose economic cost has proven catastrophic for German industry. And it appears this cost is permanent, not temporary.

**

[Now, let's close with a word about Gaza]:
Gaza (but let’s not forget the latest killing spree — supported by YOUR president Trump)

@shazazzzzz #Freedrhussamabusafiya #gazadrsunderattack #baftafilmawards ♬ original sound - Shazaz


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Don Hank’s Dossier: Elon Musk’s Starlink serves Nazi Ukraine and must be turned off

by Don Hank
written by Don Hank 16 minutes read
Starlink
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Elon Musk’s Starlink serves Nazi Ukraine and must be turned off

This is an article written by Konstantin Malofeev, the Founder and owner of Tsargrad. Hats off.

 
Starlink

 

He is on the forefront in many aspects, more so than Putin it must be said.

I wonder how a Russia led by Malofeev would look.

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https://tsargrad.tv/slovo/davajte-vykljuchim-starlink_1833589

August 22, 2026, 11:00 AM

Let’s turn off Starlink.

Ukraine has requested US permission to use Starlink satellites over Russian territory for stable communications and targeting. Donald Trump and Elon Musk have not yet supported this idea. But Musk is easy to pressure, and Trump could be significantly weakened by the November elections. And we’ll get drone strikes that traditional electronic warfare methods are powerless against.

“Will Peace Come Soon?”

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote on social media about the importance of the Starlink communications satellite network for Ukraine and how Musk’s company helped his country by disabling Starlink for Russians. Elon Musk modestly responded:

I’m trying to do the right thing. I hope peace comes soon.

That’s a lie. [Musk’s sympathies are with the Nazis. He is the epitome of technofascism] . For peace to come, Starlink must be turned off for everyone, especially the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This will not only deprive the enemy of fast communications but also blind their surveillance and decision-making systems. What follows is a battle on equal terms, meaning a hopeless one for the enemy.

Starlink isn’t just communications. Musk’s Starlink and Peter Thiel’s Palantir collaborate closely on military and defense systems. Together, they form a technological “communications and data processing” network for the US and allied militaries (primarily the Ukrainian Armed Forces). Starlink provides continuous, secure, and high-speed communications on the battlefield, while Palantir’s software platforms (such as the Gotham intelligence and analysis tool) process massive amounts of data from drones, satellites, and sensors. [Palantir assists not only Ukraine but also the Zionazis in Israel and their war on humanity in Palestine, Lebanon and elsewhere. They are part of the axis of evil]

Starlink’s satellite internet transmits information with minimal latency, which Palantir software instantly converts into ready-to-use intelligence and strike coordinates, forming a so-called digital kill chain.

A kill chain for Russian targets.

As we noted earlier, there are three vulnerable components of the Starlink network: terminals, transoceanic cables, and, most importantly, satellites.

Economy

Russian Academy of Sciences Academician Sergei Yuryevich Glazyev, listing potential conflict scenarios, writes about the “advisability of using effective weapons to neutralize the enemy’s advantages in information technology and communications systems”:

This could include cutting communications channels on land and on the seabed, disrupting data centers, destroying enemy reconnaissance and command aircraft within our strike zone, regardless of their nationality, and disabling communications satellites, including the notorious Starlink constellation, which forms the backbone of the enemy’s telecommunications network. Without communication with American and British target controllers, planners, and analysts, the Ukrainian Armed Forces would be blinded and lose the ability to systematically conduct combat operations.

According to Glazyev, and one cannot disagree with him, the destruction of the main communications networks would lead to the collapse of the financial bubble inflated in the United States around artificial intelligence. This will trigger the collapse of the derivatives Ponzi scheme, which is already twice the size of the one that triggered the 2008 global financial crisis. The US financial system will collapse, and a deep economic crisis will engulf Western countries. This will lead to a sharp weakening of the forces fueling the war against Russia, as well as a restructuring of the ruling elite in NATO countries.

Starlink is owned by SpaceX, a company traditionally associated with Elon Musk. Musk doesn’t control SpaceX entirely—he owns 80% of the voting shares, but only 42% of the share capital. Shares worth between $17 billion and $77 billion are held by Nvidia, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Gigafund, Fidelity, and, of course, the ubiquitous Alphabet, better known for its Google brand. Smaller shareholders include Microsoft and Amazon. In other words, the entire technocratic elite has invested in the war against Russia.

Threats

If Starlink ceased to exist right now, the world wouldn’t end.

Communication will be cut off for aircraft users. But there will be no accidents – the piloting systems are not connected to Starlink.

Marine transport will face serious problems, but everyone has backup communication channels, including classic radios, not to mention navigation equipment.

Some countries using Starlink for basic digitalization in areas where laying fiber optic cables is economically impossible (usually because they could be stolen) will experience problems. Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and other “advanced” countries that have chosen a Western-style development path will suffer.

But ultimately, this will benefit both them and the entire world.

If Starlink succeeds in saturating orbit with third-generation satellites capable of transmitting data at 1 terabit per second, it will make dozens of countries hostage to this convenience. It’s not for nothing that Musk constantly emphasizes that the cost of the “last mile” of fiber-optic cable installations significantly exceeds the cost of deploying ground stations and Starlink satellites. This is the cheapest solution—and, like most cheapest ones, a mistake.

Excessive reliance on satellite internet for critical systems will inevitably make the owner of this internet the master of the country. They will gain access to all key data. They will gain control over government administration, military plans and developments, and medicine. Sovereignty is impossible without communications independent of foreigners.

Musk left his native Africa practically as a refugee, fleeing the revanchism of black people. And now he has taken his revenge by gaining control over the digital industries of several African countries.

But we’ll save Africa later. Right now, we need to strike Starlink for basic self-defense.

Options

Starlink isn’t a geostationary constellation of satellites; they’re all hurtling across the planet at incredible speed. Destroying just those “hovering over Ukraine” is impossible because nothing is hovering over it. We need to attack the entire system.

There are several ways to affect the satellite constellation.

1. Electromagnetic and radio frequency (EMF) damage. This seems like an ideal option, but it hasn’t been tested in practice.

The Volna Kupol Garant system could be used: a specialized electronic warfare system costing approximately $1.5 million per unit, deployed on trailers with special antennas. It’s designed to direct a powerful high-frequency signal directly at a passing Starlink satellite, temporarily “jamming” it. According to the developers, a single system is capable of disrupting communications within a radius of up to 20 square kilometers. The question of why this isn’t being done remains open.

The Tobol and Tirada-2 systems (as well as the ambitious Alabuga electromagnetic weapon project) were also previously announced with huge budgets: stationary and mobile strategic-level systems designed for electronic jamming of satellite communications over large areas. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen them in real combat against enemy communications, or their use hasn’t been publicized.

2. Kinetic anti-satellite weapons—anti-missile systems (A-235 Nudol, S-500 Prometheus)—are perfectly capable of intercepting objects in low Earth orbit, as demonstrated in tests. But wasting one expensive anti-missile on one cheap satellite is an insane luxury.

3. Creation of “fragment clouds”: the ejection of hundreds of thousands of metal balls from orbital platforms. At orbital speeds, a collision with such an element is guaranteed to destroy or disable the satellite’s solar panels and electronics. The Kessler effect will trigger—an avalanche-like destruction of everything at that altitude. Most of the impacts will hit the solar panels. Their debris will also become our weapon, finishing off the group.

4. And finally, unconventional weapons, for which we will be heavily criticized at the UN: detonating a nuclear weapon in space, a powerful electromagnetic pulse, or artificial radiation belts capable of instantly frying the electronics of hundreds and thousands of satellites in low orbits. Only the first option in this set is fully prepared.

At the same time, we have the Rassvet low-orbit communications system (Project Bureau 1440) at practically the same altitude as the Starlinks. This guarantees the enemy’s safety. We can no longer strike Musk’s brainchild without paying for it.

But it is still the best option. That’s what it means to “do the right thing.”

The legal consequences of such a decision are irrelevant. Even the 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits the deployment of weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, etc.) in outer space, but does not prohibit other types of anti-satellite weapons—kinetic (ramming, impact projectiles), lasers, and electronic warfare. But most importantly, all such treaties have long since been obliterated by NATO’s illegal eastward expansion and its actions there.

* * *

The destruction of Starlink is not victory in the war. A Russian soldier is capable of fighting better than anyone else in any, even the most adverse, conditions, and it is Russian soldiers who are up against us. But without Starlink, the bloodshed will end much more quickly.

**

A counterattack on Europe, the brains behind the Ukraine war, is desperately needed.

London is the main culprit, supplying deadly drones and missiles to Ukraine which destroy civilians and civilian infrastructure.

2:10 PM

The Ukrainian Armed Forces struck an Ozon warehouse for the first time. “It’s a war of attrition.” What’s next? Expert analysis

The enemy has once again launched a massive attack on Russian regions. An Ozon warehouse has been struck for the first time. Why hasn’t this happened before? Why have Wildberries logistics terminals been the main target for so long? Experts have put it bluntly: “It’s a war of attrition.”

Western shareholders didn’t save the situation either.

Kyiv attacked Ozon in Chapayevsk. For some, this was a very unexpected attack vector, but for others, it was entirely logical.

Ozon warehouse in flames explosion

Several dozen enemy drones were shot down and suppressed. There was damage to one industrial facility. A hit was also recorded on an Ozon logistics complex, Samara Region Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev announced this morning.

[BlackRock an example of the West attacking the West]

The presence of BlackRock, and banks from Belgium and Norway among its [Ozon – Ed.] shareholders didn’t save the situation. Let’s also recall the strikes on the berths in Novorossiysk and Tuapse. On the oil refineries. Among the owners and shareholders of these berths and oil refineries are companies from the EU, the US, and the UK. But it didn’t help. The logic of the British overseers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is simple. Anything that harms Russia must be done. Even if it harms Western shareholders, writes political scientist Vadim Trukhachev.

Did Ozon fail to learn from the Wildberries experience? Where will it go from here?

A fire, the evacuation of 500 people, injuries. The warehouse is closed indefinitely. Moreover, the enemy is indeed staggering its strikes on various targets, as is evident from the situation that has developed in the DPR [Donetsk People’s Republic] over the past week – “a war of attrition.” [But of course, the country that has the most territory and resources generally wins. Ukraine is going to lose. But they fight on because Nazis are fanatics]

The Ukrainians struck an Ozon warehouse for the first time last night. Before this, we saw them methodically destroy Wildberries warehouses, and in the DPR, they methodically destroyed almost all the major Galaktika supermarkets in a week. <…> The enemy has switched to a so-called total war of attrition, squeezing out our oil refineries over a long period of time. The enemy was trying to immobilize our movement on the front lines and the vehicles directly involved in trade logistics, right? In other words, to sow hunger.

This is the assessment given by military expert and DPR reserve officer Alexander Matyushin in a conversation with Tsargrad.

After their efforts failed, they naturally switched their attention to the marketplace system, striking Wildberries, and now Ozon. The expert believes that Yandex’s logistics centers and others could also be targeted. Is Ozon prepared for enemy strikes?

Well, judging by the fact that the drone hit Ozon’s logistics base, it didn’t take the WB experience into account, hoping to escape unscathed. <…> According to publicly available information, Ozon’s warehouses aren’t as large in area and, accordingly, in terms of the quantity of goods, as Wildberries. Consequently, losses from strikes will be lower. But, of course, Ozon’s management should think about defense against drones, the expert notes.

Overall, of course, we should expect, Matyushin believes, that despite our massive strikes on Ukraine, the enemy will fight back with all its might, and the Ukrainians will, with all their might and until the very end, directly strike our logistics bases. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Wildberries, Ozon, Yandex.Market, SDEK, Russian Post, or something else, targeting oil refineries, critical infrastructure, etc.

“They’re blowing people up, targeting people deliberately.”

Our enemy is, of course, the West [and that includes the US], which moderates the attacks on Russia, initiates, supports, organizes, and facilitates them, political scientist Yuri Kot reminded in an interview with Perviy Russkiy:

Why did they only strike Ozon now? They’ve hit before, but not so obviously. <…> First, they tried to take down Wildberries, and, in principle, they continue to do so deliberately, since it’s a fairly significant financial institution in terms of capacity, along with Ozon. One could say it’s one of the most powerful in Russia in terms of financial turnover.

The expert noted that their goal is to create maximum discomfort in civil society:

On the one hand, they’re blowing people up, targeting people deliberately. They want to create as much intolerance as possible in Russian society, so that it will demand an end to this war under any conditions. But it must be said that Russian society is mature and understands that a pause on the front lines will not solve the problem.

Especially since we now have a huge historical chance to resolve the age-old problem of division by returning the southern part of the Russian people to their homeland.

But here the West has clearly calculated that if society is maximally consolidated, “we can fight indefinitely, because we have the resources and technology for it.” So they’ve decided now, with their foot already poised over the precipice of the Ukrainian regime’s collapse, to escalate the situation, and they will continue to do so:

British missiles are already flying at us, and even though they’re pretending it’s not them, ie. it’s none of their business, it’s the absolute truth. They’re even admitting that we’re ready to fight, as they say, by supporting Ukraine, to fight Russia with every possible means: terrorism, missiles, and so on. The situation will continue until Russia slams its fist on the table and overturns this chessboard on which they’re trying to play us. We have the capabilities to do so.

The political scientist notes that they will obviously continue to attack and escalate the situation – with terrorist attacks, missiles, and drones. They will increase production and capacity on the Ukrainian side, regardless of where the front line is, be it near Kyiv or Lviv.

The attack on Ozon after the WB, Kot noted, was natural. He believes there could be other attacks on other key enterprises. And our task is to be prepared for this:

I predict this situation will continue in the next six months to a year. <…> They are seriously escalating against the backdrop of the upcoming elections in Russia. <…> Let’s hope that this escalation will ultimately move toward increasing the number of contract soldiers in order to quickly put an end to this [infection]. <…> On the other hand, <…> We have technical means, hypersonic weapons, and, ultimately, nuclear weapons, capable of subduing any enemy. The only thing is that, in my opinion, attacking Ukraine with nuclear weapons is not entirely productive. [Correct, it could spin out of control] If we’re going to strike, then strike at the decision-making center. <…> London could very well be targeted, to immediately, as they say, cut off the Hydra’s head.

There’s only one prediction: sooner or later, if this situation continues, the need will arise to increase the escalation curve, leading to a nuclear strike, the expert concluded. [Not necessarily. A major strike with Oreshniks could discourage them]

“Destroy the illusion of peaceful life within Russia”

Komsomolskaya Pravda war correspondent Alexander Kots recalled that back in July, Zelenskyy’s advisor Mykhailo Podolyak admitted to the world that their only objective was essentially “destroying the illusion of peaceful life within Russia.” To inflict “an instant psychological and economic knockout blow on millions of residents.” Not on the army, but on millions of civilians.

Why? So that discontent with the war, as he put it, “will increase among citizens.” So that the lines for refunds from the burned-out checkpoints will turn into lines with banners. To create “protest sentiment.” Simply put, a Maidan. This, of course, is in addition to the economic damage. [That is an illusion. A Maidan in Russia is impossible because they KNOW their enemy is the West, not Russia itself!]

Was it possible to prepare in advance and minimize the damage? That same July, Kots wrote:

Nets, of course, won’t save anything. <…> A metal frame, like the one at the UAE oil refinery in the third month of the war with Iran, will most likely violate fire safety regulations. There obviously won’t be enough air defense for everyone. Civilians won’t be allowed to use their mobile task forces tomorrow, but something should have been done yesterday. <…> Perhaps—I hesitate to say it—they should decentralize well-known large logistics centers. This doesn’t just apply to marketplaces.

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Don Hank’s Dossier: Let’s be brutally honest: we are the Nazis

by Don Hank
written by Don Hank 13 minutes read
Girls school Minab
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It’s hard to admit, but it will feel better in the long run than beating around the bush.

When Britain bragged about its ability to supply drones to Ukraine, it was declaring war on Russia.

Nazism is not an assertion, it is a negation. Take away the humanity in a system and you are left with Nazism – Zionazism, Ukronazism, German Nazism, American Nazism, it’s all the same.

I am not defining it in a political way, it is political but it cannot be defined politically. It has one feature in common no matter where it is found. The Nazism of Pinochet and that of Hitler are one and the same underneath it all. The natural humanity and milk of human kindness are missing.

It is actually a disease of the mind, and that is why it defies definition.

And the thing that confounds us all at first is that in German Nazism, there was a hatred of Jews or so it was thought. But that was a hatred of ordinary Jews, not the Jewish Elite, who were invisible.

When a Nazi sees Russians, he does not actually see them. He sees Russian Orthodoxy. He sees Christian kindness, agape. He hates their agape, which does not allow them to attack civilians. Nazis attack civilians. They are strong. Christians are weak. Or so it seems to a Nazi.

Girls school Minab

Minab—The United States military was likely responsible for the strike on an elementary school in southern Iran that killed scores of children, the deadliest incident of civilian casualties in the US and Israel’s almost week-long war with Iran.

 

American Nazism is bloodthirsty and it seeks civilian blood, like the blood of those 170 little girls at Minab. The blood gave the American Nazis pleasure. It was their crowning achievement. Needless to say, Islam is also on their target list. The little girls would have grown up to be Muslilms and resistors of Zionazism. Anathema to a Nazi.

Hatred of Iran and all things Iranian is the same as hatred of Russia. Iran is Islam with the milk of human kindness. It is therefore hated by Nazis including our American Nazi leader.

The lyrics of the national anthem of Germany expresses Nazism perfectly, it goes:

Deutschland, Deutschland über alles, über alles in der Welt...

Germany, Germany over all, over all in the world

This conveys the same meaning as our slogan “American exceptionalism”. Over everything in the world. We are superior to everyone in the world and can therefore steal their resources and enforce Americanism on them all. If they refuse capitalism, we can invade and occupy them, like Cuba. The American Nazi leader can take over Cuba and Venezuela and take over Venezuelan oil. Everything is ours, but really nothing is ours because it is myth.

And Americans offer little resistance because they have been brainwashed in Nazi ideology.

We have been taught to hate Russia by our great Nazi leader Victoria Nuland.

MAGA means make America great again, but when were we great before? The answer is never. We were always Nazis. We always hated Russia and Islam and “the other,” the immigrant, the negro, the Chinaman, the communist, the socialist, and we always thought we had the right to go in and take over. Song Mai was always who we were if we are strictly truthful. There is a little Lt. William Calley in each of us. That is why we could never really mete out a real punishment to him that fit the crime. He was but a scape goat.

••••

When Britain bragged about its ability to supply drones to Ukraine, it was declaring war on Russia.

Zionazism is a good term but if you say it, you are anti-Semitic. Anti-Semitism is a stick with which to beat the goyim. This is why it will never be included in the Nazi lexicon.

••••

Europe will ruin it all.

It will never be conqueror. It will be the spoiler.

It will never be the owner of anything. It will be the spoiler of Russia. But it will fail and be left with nothing. It once had it all, had the industrial greatness, second only to China. But it didn’t know its natural place in the grand hierarchy of nations. And now it is owned by America. But America is unworthy to own anything and soon will be the least of nations.

It can’t protect anyone because it threw away its munitions protecting Israel, which could not protect itself because it had no moral authority.

Now mankind is left with a mangled mass of nothing. How can it be ruled when it cannot rule itself?

We will not overcome Nazism until we adopt a Christianity similar to Russian Orthodoxy, where love of mankind, agape, is central.

Harm no one.

Love everyone as you would love a fellow Russian.

Translation from Russian with my notes in bold and in [brackets]

Alexander Tagirov

August 18, 2026, 08:00

The British have openly entered the war. They are not afraid of Russia’s response. Will Salisbury host the first “Oreshnik”?

Russian missiles hitting England

London is no longer shy: British weapons are hitting our oil refineries. Now, British enterprises are our legitimate targets. Experts have revealed how else to punish the Europeans.

Britain boasted that its drones are flying behind Russian lines. The Sunday Times reported that the Ukrainian military has been using Nyan jet-powered UAVs to strike Ukrainian civilian targets for six months. Specifically, they were used in raids on oil refineries in Volgograd and Yaroslavl, as well as in strikes against “naval bases, logistics hubs, and transport networks.” The British publication also reports that another British UAV manufacturer is supplying drones to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. But unlike Nyan’s manufacturer, Callen-Lenz, a BAE Systems company, its name is being withheld “for security reasons.”

Retired British Air Marshal Greg Bagwell explained in detail why it’s not being disclosed. He explicitly warned that the use of drones against Russia makes factories in Wiltshire, near Salisbury, where the manufacturer is based, “legitimate targets for the Russian military.” And if Moscow decides to launch a symmetrical strike against BAE Systems’ facilities, the first “Oreshnik” missile launch site would be in that city. But apparently, the British aren’t afraid of Russia’s response. [That’s because it hasn’t been hit yet, because Putin is too “weak.” But don’t count on it]

Ukraine Test Range

Britain has supplied weapons to Ukraine before – the notorious Storm Shadows have long been a symbol of Western involvement in the conflict. But the unmanned component opens up entirely new possibilities for Kyiv and its British masters. Compared to the Storm Shadow, Nyan costs pennies – around $130,000. At the same time, a relatively compact aircraft-type jet can reach a range of up to 240 km.

For the West, Ukraine is merely a testing ground for NATO weapons.

Outwardly, this catapult-launched aircraft doesn’t look anything out of the ordinary, but its technical characteristics challenge the threat. Its body is made of composite materials, making it stealthy to radar, and its speed reaches 440 km/h.

The military analysis channel “Two Majors” reports that drone production “has effectively circumvented the Western countries’ self-declared ban on supplying Ukraine with long-range weapons”:

Nyan UAVs are being used for strikes; it has already been reported that the drone has been used, including in Belgorod. The second drone, manufactured by another British company, has a range of approximately 965 km. This report confirms the reputation of the “Ukraine” testing ground. Currently, the majority of strikes against Russia are carried out by drones, essentially developed by Western countries, funded by them, and increasingly produced on their soil. [Home production of Ukrainian missiles is coming to an end. Russia is striking hard and, for the first time, is striking foreign drone and missile manufacturers]

London is no longer shy.

The most dangerous thing is Britain’s open admission that it has already entered the war against Russia. Vladimir Kornilov, a political observer for the Rossiya Segodnya media group, draws attention to this aspect. He notes that The Sunday Times (a Murdoch property) is presenting the use of British UAVs as practically a source of pride, emphasizing the special significance of the incident for British-Ukrainian military cooperation: “This marked a new stage in the military partnership between Great Britain and Ukraine.” Particularly telling, in his view, is the quote from a high-ranking source in the British Ministry of Defence:

Russia is very effective at keeping the West on edge, preventing them from striking too hard. These attacks effectively mean that Great Britain is signaling to Russia and our allies that we are no longer [nervous].

Kornilov is convinced that everything that’s happening is a direct consequence of the arrival of Blaze Metreveli, the granddaughter of a Ukrainian Nazi collaborator, in the British intelligence service MI6. He says:

It’s telling that a certain Ukrainian militant, speaking about these strikes, describes how they shout the Nazi slogan “SUGS” simultaneously with the cry “God Save the King!” A telling fact, demonstrating that all boundaries between Ukrainian Nazism and the British state have been erased! [More evidence that there is little daylight between British Nazism and Ukronazism]

Britain is testing Russia’s resilience.

DPR Colonel Eduard Basurin believes that the use of British drones is a new factor that our General Staff must consider when organizing a countermeasure. At the same time, he believes that the Nyan itself is not some kind of unattainable “wonder weapon.” Although his command assumes that the drone cannot be jammed by electronic warfare, Basurin has no doubt:

The Nyan drone can and should be shot down with a Pantsir air defense system. However, using man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) against it presents its own challenges, even though the Nyan has a turbojet engine. It produces a heat signature, but this signature is not very pronounced due to the special design of the nozzle.

In other words, we are dealing with a weapon that is being developed based on the experience of modern warfare and is designed to make it more difficult for Russia to achieve victory. Therefore, the response should not be panic, but rather the systemic destruction of the entire chain: from production and training to logistics, command posts, and the actual launch vehicles. [The only thing missing is the political will in Russia]

Military correspondent Andrey Rudenko emphasizes:

The West is increasing military equipment supplies to Kyiv, scaling them up, and trying to make them cheaper. The British themselves stated that they would supply Ukraine with approximately 120,000 drones by 2026. London’s direct participation in attacks on Russia should be met with a serious, not merely symbolic, response.

Rudenko proposes launching a full-scale hunt for the British instructors and technicians who have overrun the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ training grounds and command centers. At the same time, modern Onyx/Bastion anti-ship missiles and Geran rockets should be transferred to countries “fighting Western aggressors in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, which could close off shipping to the British Navy.” Another proposal is to use Russian submarines in the North Sea.

There are numerous transatlantic fiber-optic cables and major offshore gas pipelines there, linking the EU with the UK and playing a key role in ensuring London’s energy security. [It would be a major step in the right direction if Russia could man up and start cutting the undersea cables]

Not Just the British

Military correspondent Sergei Shilov, in his channel “Witnesses of Bayraktar,” points out that the strikes on our refineries involve more than just drones “from Foggy Albion.” The British Financial Times recently reported that the US and France not only approve of these attacks, but are actively assisting Ukraine with reconnaissance and targeting, “providing maps of air defense systems, bypass routes, and selecting specific pieces of equipment, the disruption of which would shut down the refineries for weeks.” He writes:

CIA officers and foreign engineers personally identify vulnerable points. The Ukrainian role in this scheme is limited to technical implementation – they merely provide territory, transport drones on civilian trucks, and film impressive videos for social media. Western intelligence agencies and corporations remain the brains behind this.

The seasoned war correspondent has no doubt: it’s no coincidence that all of this is happening against the backdrop of the Middle East war. The fuel crisis is generating huge profits for American multinationals, and Russia has always been their main competitor. Both French oil refiner TotalEnergies and British BP are profiting from this feast. This means things are just beginning.

17:51

Britain actually declared war on Russia - expert

British participation in operations against Russia is systemic and manifests itself in a number of terrorist attacks and sabotage. About this Pravda.Said security expert, military analyst Igor Gerasimov.

Earlier, the Public Relations Center (PSC) reported that the Federal Security Service of Russia disrupted the operation of the Ukrainian military intelligence to hijack the Russian MiG-31 fighter. According to the agency, employees of the Main intelligence directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and their British curators were involved in the preparation of the sabotage.

Gerasimov noted that the UK has been waging a covert war against Russia for a long time, using Ukrainian structures and special services as intermediaries. He stressed that behind a number of major terrorist attacks and sabotage, including the attack in Crocus City and drone strikes on Russian airfields, there is an American-British network operating undercover.

“Britain has been waging an unspoken war against Russia for a long time. For many terrorist attacks, including in Crocus City, it is the British special services that stand. They operate through a new American-British structure associated with Victoria Nuland and conduct terrorist operations on the territory of the Russian Federation,” he said.

According to the expert, new units have appeared in the structures of Western special services that are purposefully working against Russia. He noted that Russian counterintelligence agencies are already able to stop such operations, but it will take from five to seven years to achieve a higher level of effectiveness. Gerasimov stressed that during this time it is necessary to update the staff, improve the training of specialists and adjust tasks in accordance with new threats.

**

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How I became a relentless Nazi hunter

by Don Hank
written by Don Hank 25 minutes read
Hitler addressing rally in 1933.
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DON'S SUBSTACK
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I spent my Junior year abroad (1963-4) in Marburg, Germany, studying Germanistik at the Philipps-Universität Marburg.

That year, Spiegel Magazine ran a series on the Third Reich and its persecution of the Jews. It was all well documented and it focused me specifically on Hitler’s regime and more generally sensitized me to ultra-right (esp. Nazi) regimes. To be precise, this and later experiences in Russia alerted me to the symptoms of fascism/Nazism in my American homeland.

I was struck by the similarity between the political slogans of America as the “indispensable country” and the “exceptional country” on the one hand and the slogan “Deutschland über alles” (Germany above [or over] all) on the other. I could see no major difference between the message conveyed by these slogans, each of which simply conveyed the idea that people considered their own country superior and hence entitled to rule over the rest of the world. The Zionist notion of the chosen people was right in line with these nationalist expressions.

Later, I began to focus on Russia, studying the Russian language and peripherally learning about the Nazi invasion of that country. As part of this study, I signed up for a summer program in Leningrad (now Petersburg – Sankt-Peterburg). One of the first things that struck me were small sidewalk displays with texts explaining the horrors of the siege of Leningrad by the German Nazis, which caused thousands of deaths by exposure to cold and starvation.

It was plain as day to me that all rightwing regimes that taught or suggested to a people or nation that they were entitled to other people’s stuff or to impose their own political views on other people – eg, by regime change operations or invasions and occupation – were extremely dangerous and inevitably accompanied by atrocities and murder.

But as a corollary to this, these regimes inevitably fail because of the backlash against these same atrocities and murder.

The people who make decisions about war and regime change in Washington – primarily the lawmakers, White House officials, Pentagon and State Department – are almost all believers in the doctrine of the indispensable or exceptional nation, and to them, this special status they have assigned themselves, entitles them to deny other countries their own sovereignty, subjugating them to the US and its policies and view of the world.

These people, sometimes called the Deep State, are able to convince gullible Americans of US superiority as well, and this makes Joe Sixpack an unwitting co-conspirator and accomplice to US war crimes. In the era of the now-discredited GW Bush, Americans were exposed 24/7 to anti-Saddam propaganda from various sources. I remember hearing horror stories about Saddam Hussein and being persuaded that this Iraqi leader was the epitome of evil. But we weren’t smart enough – myself included – to figure out that even if Saddam had been the devil personified, this did not entitle the US to kill his people in invasions and occupation. It didn’t occur to us – including to me at the time – that the soldiers we shot in battles at that time were just regular people defending their country in the same way and for the same reason, as the invaded Europeans and Russians were defending against Hitler in the 30s and 40s.

Ironically, we were being brainwashed in the same way the Germans were brainwashed into believing Germany actually had the right to rule the world. Because that is what “Deutschland über alles” had taught them in a song they had sung countless times since kindergarten. How could that be wrong?

I remember the awful years of the Vietnam war and how dissidents (like me) were abused by many of their fellow Americans.

Yet no one talks about this now. America was hysterically against anyone who questioned the vital importance of invading, bombing and killing countless Vietnamese. The churches glorified the killers. On Sundays, prayers went up from pulpits all over America asking the Lord to bless the men in uniform and save us from the “scourge of godless communism.” Evangelicals everywhere were taught in this way to believe that by shooting and bombing the Vietnamese farmers, by showering napalm on their humble huts and burning their children alive, we were doing God’s will. Few doubted that this was a sacred mission. We are revisiting this horror now in our blind loyalty to the genocidal Israel, and religion is again the bedrock of the error.

US war crimes

And this was propped up by the notion of ourselves as indispensable and exceptional. “Amerika über alles.”

Yet we slowly, in the years that followed, came to understand, as a nation, that we had been duped, but instead of facing the music and apologizing to Vietnam for destroying their country, we simply moved on to confront the next imaginary enemy.

The current regime, with its pretext du jour, proves that we never learned our lesson, and after the cavalcade of failed wars in the almost 80 years since WW II, it seems to me that America most likely, for whatever reason, is completely incapable of owning up to its mistakes.

Our indoctrinated populace has never stopped believing in the America that needs to save the world despite the overwhelming evidence that suggests the world desperately needs to be saved from America.

Dyed-in-the-wool MAGA fanatics believe that Trump was chosen by God to save America. I regularly visit the Facebook site of a group of these people. On one occasion, I read messages by MAGA freaks praising Trump for all his wonderful achievements. Even though his poll numbers were at an all-time low, showing that the majority of Americans had wised up. Needless to say, these demented souls never even try to specify what these achievements are or cite examples.

To test the faith of the faithful, I asked on their forum “is God an American?”

A lady piped up immediately: Absolutely!

**

DON'S DISPATCHES ARE USUALLY DOSSIERS CONTAINING SEVERAL SEPARATE ITEMS. BELOW, SOME ADDITIONAL ITEMS OF PRESSING INTEREST. 

• Ben Norton on the new ultra-right president of Chile:

Why did a Nazi-linked ally of USA & Israel win Chile's presidential election?

Dec 15, 2025

The winner of Chile's presidential election, José Antonio Kast, is the son of a German Nazi official. He is a US-backed far-right extremist who loves Donald Trump, Israel, and fascist former dictator August Pinochet. He is also very anti-China, and will assist in Washington's attempt to impose its imperialist Monroe Doctrine. Ben Norton explains. Related videos:

• Scott Ritter on Orangebeard’s piracy

Scott Ritter: US Tanker Seizure DESTROYS Trump's Venezuela War, Russia Steps In

Danny Haiphong

Dec 12, 2025 #putin #oiltanker #venezuela
The US military's seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker is backfiring hard on Trump says Scott Ritter, and Russia's quiet military cooperation with the Maduro government should not be underestimated according to analyst Andrei Martyanov. This video breaks down the catastrophic consequences of Trump's escalations.

•Max Blumenthal: Venezuela Invasion - A Predictable Disaster

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• Big Lie of dismantling Hezbollah in Lebanon

Translation from Arabic with my notes in bold and in [brackets] https://alkhanadeq.com/post/9850/تدمر-تكشف-الوهم-السيادة-المؤجلة-تحت-حراب-واشنطن-وفوضى-داعش

Monday, December 15, 2025, 4:15 AM

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 04:37

General Tamir Hayman: The Big Lie Called Dismantling Hezbollah in Lebanon

Hezbollah Supporters

The N12 website published an article, translated by the Al-Khanadeq website, by Major General (Res.) Tamir Hayman, former head of Israeli Military Intelligence (Aman) and commander of the Northern Command. He currently heads the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).

Translated Text [since this text is from an Israeli site, the bias is obvious]:

The US Declares, Iran Acts: The Gap in Lebanon is Dangerous

What is really happening now in Lebanon, and how can the escalation of Israeli military strikes there be explained? We will try to piece together the picture and understand the trends that constitute the “Lebanese enigma.”

First, the Lebanese leadership is indeed presenting a historic opportunity for Israel. President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam are indeed historic figures; they are the first to openly declare their desire to disarm Hezbollah [this would, of course, be suicide for Lebanon, but Aoun is a “Christian” and is pro-American – hence a traitor to his people]. They are urging the Lebanese army to present a practical plan for implementation. This is largely due to Hezbollah’s weakened state as a result of the Israeli army’s achievements.

However, this desire is overshadowed by a real threat to Lebanon’s existence: a very serious threat that dictates all state activities—namely, the risk of civil war. The historical trauma that devastated Lebanon, and the tragedy whose recurrence is merely a possibility, deters any action. Therefore, we see striking statements and a complete lack of action on the ground. Any contact with Hezbollah is viewed as a strategic threat. Yes, there is a plan to dismantle Hezbollah, but it has never been approved by the Lebanese government. Yes, there are statements—but no real clashes with Hezbollah on the ground. [Remember that Hezbollah saved Lebanon in 2006 by defeating Israel in war. This is why I say that it would be suicide to disarm it – particularly since the official army will never fight Israel]

Israeli Army Strikes in Lebanon

Raids Alone Will Not Prevent Hezbollah’s Growth

The second angle is Iran and Hezbollah. From Iran’s perspective, Hezbollah’s setbacks are merely a springboard for rebuilding it in a better form; there is absolutely no intention of abandoning the organization. The fact that Syria is no longer the land bridge to Lebanon, and that—from Iran’s perspective—there is a hostile regime there, is a challenge that must be addressed. However, Syria is not an insurmountable obstacle. Hezbollah, at its core, is a resistance organization; its very purpose is conflict. The idea that it can survive without weapons is an inherent contradiction—an impossible paradox. Therefore, Iran is undertaking a rehabilitation and reconstruction effort. The first steps already being taken are the transfer of funds, the payment of salaries, and attempts to rebuild Hezbollah’s infrastructure on the ground. [Iran has vowed to keep up its support for Hezbollah]

The American Perspective: According to Trump, peace between Israel and Lebanon is possible. In his view, UNIFIL (the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) is a waste of money and will therefore be dissolved. The United States will become directly involved in dismantling Hezbollah, but without deploying ground troops. From Trump’s perspective, positive statements from the Lebanese president are sufficient to declare a major achievement. Herein lies the danger [danger ONLY for Israel]: America makes pronouncements without taking action, while Iran acts without words.

From Israel’s perspective, a “decisive victory” has been achieved in Lebanon, and the major threat has been eliminated. The status quo—improving the protection of northern towns while continuing to prevent Hezbollah’s resurgence—is sufficient at this stage. There is neither the desire nor the urgency to advance further diplomatically. The problem is that this aligns perfectly with the Iranian timetable; they, too, need time, and we shouldn’t delude ourselves into thinking that sporadic strikes will prevent the growth of a terrorist army [ Israel and the US insist that Hezbollah is a terror group. The brutal truth is that ONLY Israel and the US are terrorists]. We’ve learned before that this doesn’t work.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s Steps to Curb Hezbollah

Fear of Civil War Paralyzes the Government—Lebanon Needs Assistance

In conclusion: Without concrete action, time will pass, and the “Lebanese lie” will crumble before reality. The old system will return, where Hezbollah is armed but doesn’t bring down the Lebanese government, and the various sects live in a balance based on “under-the-table” arrangements, in the absence of a functioning government. This “system” will revert to being the lie that governs Lebanon, and the historic opportunity to change the reality will be lost forever.

So what should be done? [All of these suggestions will only benefit the genocidal Israeli state, NOT Lebanon]

First: There should be no fear in setting a long-term goal of peace with Lebanon. While this may seem somewhat naive now, it is essential to develop this vision and formulate a strategy to achieve it.

Second: The momentum of Trump should be capitalized on, and concrete steps should be demanded. To begin with, the local Quds Force commander, Tabatabai [since assassinated by Israel], should be expelled from Lebanon. He is securely based in Beirut and is rebuilding Hezbollah.

Next, the Lebanese army should be encouraged to engage Hezbollah. Even limited engagements will enhance the standing, dignity, and authority of the Lebanese army and government.

Finally, as long as the situation remains unchanged, Israeli military strikes should continue—but they must not be viewed as the solution. If the Lebanese army is not compelled to confront Hezbollah, nothing will change. Israel’s long-term strategy must be different.

These strikes are merely a temporary measure in the absence of a comprehensive US-Israeli policy. We must not delude ourselves into thinking they will prevent Hezbollah from regaining strength. Much is likely happening right under our noses, beyond our ability to enforce. Only a political vision that complements the IDF’s strong military performance, in partnership with the United States, can produce a stable, long-term security reality.

Source: Channel 12  • Author: Editorial Staff • Translation from Arabic with my notes in bold and in [brackets]


• Palmyra Exposes the Illusion: Postponed Sovereignty Under Washington’s Batteries and ISIS Chaos

A Burning Tank in the Syrian Desert

The Palmyra incident on Saturday, December 13, 2025, in which three Americans were killed, confirms that Syria will remain hostage to the chaos in which local, regional, and international factors intertwine. The steps taken by the interim authority, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa al-Julani, to align itself with the United States and pledge allegiance to it will not bring prosperity to the country at all!

As for America, it does not wish to withdraw from the resource-rich country of oil, gas, and minerals. Its presence in this strategic crossroads in West Asia is crucial for several key objectives: protecting Israel, confronting the resistance axis, and ensuring its hegemony in all its forms over the countries of the region. Therefore, it is not unlikely that it will resort to activating the ISIS terrorist organization to justify its military presence in Syria.

From the perspective of the interim entity, it is in its interest to maintain the controlled security and military chaos in Syria, and even to escalate this chaos both quantitatively and qualitatively, in order to preserve its strategic interests, particularly retaining the territory it seized after the fall of President Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024.

In a related context, the ISIS operation in Palmyra confirms that the authority of the al-Julani faction is not as it is portrayed in the media. It is not absolute, neither over the geographical area where its forces are deployed, nor over its forces themselves. The attack was carried out by a security operative affiliated with it, and it occurred while American soldiers were meeting with a key Syrian commander involved in operations against ISIS.

According to a statement issued by the Syrian Interior Ministry on Sunday, December 14, 2025, five people were arrested on suspicion of “involvement in the shooting of American and Syrian soldiers in the city of Palmyra in central Syria on Saturday,” which resulted in “the deaths of two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter at the hands of an attacker who targeted a convoy of US and Syrian forces before being killed by police.” The statement revealed that the perpetrator of the shooting was “a member of the Syrian security forces suspected of sympathizing with the Islamic State,” claiming that they had assessed the attacker days before the attack and concluded that he might hold extremist views, and that they had ordered his dismissal on Sunday (the day after the attack)!

The Interior Ministry of the al-Julani faction also announced that its units in Palmyra carried out an operation in coordination with “the International Coalition forces,” resulting in the arrest of five suspects, who were immediately transferred for interrogation. But what the Interior Ministry of the Syrian regime, led by al-Julani, did not deny in its statement was that America had carried out several airstrikes and ground operations in Syria, targeting those it described as suspected ISIS members in recent months, and that many of these operations had been conducted “with the participation of Syrian security forces.” This demonstrates the extent of American security violations in the country and the degree of leniency shown by the Syrian regime towards American forces, a situation that will undoubtedly contribute to an escalation of its war with its former organization, ISIS.

Al-Shaibani Reaffirms Allegiance to America

On Sunday, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani quickly contacted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the details of the attack, offer his condolences, and reaffirm “the Syrian government’s commitment to undermining and destroying the common threat of ISIS.”

As for US President Donald Trump, he declared, threateningly: “I can assure you that whoever carried out this attack in Syria will suffer severe consequences. They have captured the individual... but there will be severe consequences.” He added, “This was an ISIS attack on the United States and Syria, in a very dangerous area of ​​Syria that is not under their complete control. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is furious and extremely upset by this attack. There will be a very harsh response.”

What happened in Palmyra is not an isolated security incident, but rather a revealing moment about the path Syria is being pushed down today: diminished authority, suspended sovereignty, and American intervention operating freely under the pretext of fighting ISIS, while chaos is being managed as a tool of influence, not a passing phenomenon. The rapprochement with Washington has not produced stability; rather, it has deepened the vulnerability of the country, revived deadly contradictions within the security apparatus itself, and opened the door to an escalation that will not be the end of the road. Between “controlled” chaos that serves the interests of the occupation and a fragile security reality, Syria today seems further than ever from salvation and closer than ever to a recycling of the crisis with new tools and old slogans.

Author: Editorial Room

**

An Analysis of Turkey’s Rapprochement with Iran and its Distance from Israel

Translation from Arabic with my notes in bold and in [brackets] • https://alkhanadeq.com/post/9847/قراءة-في-التقارب-التركي-مع-إيران-والتباعد-عن-الكيان

Monday, December 15, 2025, 3:28 AM

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s visit to Iran on November 30, 2025, marked a significant turning point in shaping the political landscape of the region amidst ongoing and rapid changes across various issues. The two sides discussed developing bilateral relations within the context of addressing regional issues that govern the region’s developments and determine its future. Between cooperation and competition, this paper seeks to analyze the Turkish-Iranian relationship and the impact of its policies on both countries, with repercussions in the most volatile arenas: Lebanon and Syria, and their effects on foreign policy in the coming period. The survey consists of five main questions, with sub-questions that clarify and focus the answers. The following experts on Turkish affairs contributed to the survey—with thanks and appreciation: Dr. Huda Rizk, Turkish expert Professor Islam Özkan, Professor Muhammad Abu Talib, and Professor Abdul Nasser Faqih. Experts differ in their approaches to the most influential factor: Dr. Huda Rizk believes that regional stability and Syria are the cornerstones of the rapprochement, while A. Ozkan considers the Israeli threat to be the most prominent factor. A. Abu Taleb believes that internal factors and the two countries’ stances toward the United States are the determining factors, while A. Faqih places economics at the center of the ruling factor.

As for Turkey’s distancing from Israel, it is linked to the Gaza issue, popular pressure, disagreements over regional influence, and the Kurdish issue, in addition to the Syrian arena, which some experts consider the strongest determining factor. Experts agree that this distancing does not amount to a complete break, but it has a significant impact on Syria and regional security issues.

Regarding the outcomes of the rapprochement, everyone agrees that it is pragmatic and functional in nature and does not rise to the level of a strategic alliance, with varying impacts in Syria, where it contributes to consolidating areas of influence and exerting pressure on the SDF, and in Lebanon, where it affects Islamist forces and regional power relations.

Regarding the American response, opinions agree that it is twofold: symbolic or military-economic pressure on one hand, and maintaining Turkey within the sphere of influence on the other. Washington is banking on managing a balance between Turkey and Israel to ensure stability in the Syrian arena and prevent the erosion of its influence in the region.

The survey results show that experts agree on the general framework of the Turkish-Iranian rapprochement in the following aspects:

- Within the context of security and economic interests, the Israeli threat, and the Syrian arena.

- The connection of Turkey’s distancing from Israel to a range of issues: Gaza, Syria, national security, and public pressure.

- The pragmatic and unstable nature of the results.

- The calculated and balanced duality of the American response.

However, opinions differ on identifying the most important factor and on expectations regarding the depth and duration of the rapprochement or distancing.

**

• “Keep your fingers crossed and pray”: Good and bad news from the SMO zone. The mystery of Kupyansk. Unprecedented footage from Odessa. Russians declare retaliation.

Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets] https://tsargrad.tv/articles/derzhim-kulaki-i-molimsja-horoshie-i-plohie-vesti-iz-zony-svo-tajna-kupjanska-besprecedentnye-kadry-iz-odessy-russkie-zajavili-o-vozmezdii_1482559

Ekaterina Panfilova

The situation in the special military operation zone remains tense. The mystery of Kupyansk raises increasing questions, while both good and bad news have emerged from the SMO zone. Odessans have shown unprecedented footage. Russians have declared retaliation. 

“The situation is rapidly deteriorating.”

The situation for the Russian Armed Forces in the western part of Kupyansk continues to rapidly deteriorate. Military expert Yuriy Podolyaka reported this on his Telegram channel. According to him, Ukrainian Armed Forces militants are attacking with units from several Ukrainian Army brigades, two of which have been redeployed here from other sectors of the front, as well as two assault regiments and special forces units from the Special Operations Forces and Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, continuing to push back Russian fighters from the south and north. The expert clarifies that they have taken control of several more districts of the city, as well as the village of Moskovka.

Units of our 68th Division are fighting desperately. But the enemy’s superiority in forces, as well as our already obvious logistical problems, are having an impact, Podolyaka notes.

According to the expert, the fact that, due to the loss of some city districts, Russian drone operators have been forced to withdraw largely to the left bank of the Oskol River is also having a significant impact, “which significantly increases their flight range and simplifies the enemy’s logistics situation.”

We’re keeping our fingers crossed and praying for the guys, he concluded.

In turn, analysts from Voyennaya Khronika [Military Chronicle] are also raising the “mystery” of Kupyansk, noting that the situation in the city raises increasing questions, with almost no answers. According to experts, the Ukrainian side is trying to exaggerate any success not on the ground, but in the media. And here, Kyiv has a simple goal, the essence of which has remained unchanged for years: to demonstrate that Russia has no control over the city at all. Even if there are no real mechanisms for achieving this goal.

Meanwhile, due to the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, having deployed a significant number of reserves to attack Kupyansk, Russian units are currently in no mood for filming and refutations. Right now, it’s more important to repel counterattacks, which, as we previously predicted, will surpass the actions of Ukrainian generals and the Main Intelligence Directorate in Pokrovsk in terms of the level of frenzy, planning, and mass slaughter of infantry, analysts believe.

They note that, at the same time, the outright fake information about the situation in Kupyansk, disseminated by Ukrainian media, is often “dragged” by Russian bloggers.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces regularly issue reports of alleged large-scale mechanized attacks from Sobolevka and Blagodatovka in western Kupyansk. At the same time, the direction of operations from the northwestern outskirts near Moskovska and Radkovka is strictly limited geographically, although somewhat numerically dense on the part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and from the direction of Osinovo and Boldyrevka, it is limited to only a few attempts by individual groups, which are quickly destroyed. Active combat continues nearby. In the Kurilovka/Kupyansk-Uzlovaya area, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces are clinging to their positions and have to be dislodged by both targeted drone strikes and massive artillery shelling, the report states.

At the same time, analysts acknowledge that calling the situation in Kupyansk simple for Russia would be inaccurate. However, talk of breakthroughs and Ukrainian Armed Forces entering most of the city, they say, is also untrue.

There are no dramatic successes of that magnitude there. Heavy positional battles are underway. As we stated earlier, the Russian army has not yet fully spoken in this area, and due to the abundance of combat operations and uncertainty about information from this area, we will have to live with it for some time to come, the experts noted.

The road to Slavyansk is opening.

However, it’s not only alarming news coming from the front—significant achievements are also being reported. According to Yuriy Podolyaka, having abandoned Seversk, the enemy was unable to organize a defense on the heights west of the city. Ultimately, they were driven from the chalk quarry and pushed back from Svyato-Pokrovskoe to Reznikovka, where fighting had already begun. And that’s good news:

The fact that we secured Reznikovka (having literally stormed into it on the backs of the retreating forces) is extremely important. Here, along the Sukha River valley, we can, relying on the residential areas of Reznikovka and Kaleniki (which run here almost continuously and can be used as a base for an offensive), reach Rai-Aleksandrovka itself. A key logistics hub on the route to Slavyansk. Having liberated it and relying on it, we can then advance on this symbolic city for us all, Podolyaka explained.

Meanwhile, unprecedented footage continues to emerge from the Odessa sector following the recent, largest-ever attack on the region. According to local media, Odessa is almost completely without power. As Politika Strany reports, city residents are cooking with welding machines and candles, going to supermarkets to recharge their batteries, and sitting in restaurants to the sounds of strikes. Footage never seen before from Odessa shows people hanging groceries out of windows (instead of refrigerators), and drivers loading charging stations into their cars so they can charge from the engine.

However, Ukrainian media are, of course, prohibited from mentioning that military-oriented businesses in the region have also stopped operating. Some are unable to restart due to the lack of power, while others have been razed to the ground by successful precision strikes. However, it’s too early to say that the military in the Odesa region and the city of Odesa itself is 100% paralyzed.

“Thank” the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Unfortunately, bad news is also coming from Russia’s seemingly rear areas. Last night, several regions of our country were subjected to a massive attack by Ukrainian drones – primarily in the south, as well as in Moscow and the surrounding region. The planned massive raid was known in advance. Russian intelligence reported the previous evening, around 10:00 PM, that the enemy was planning a massive drone attack from four directions.

Specifically, the enemy is planning an attack on the central regions, especially Moscow, the Moscow region, and the south of the country. We would like to draw the special attention of our subscribers to the fact that commentators who publicly disclose what and where explosions occur, where air defense systems operate, and at what location the air defense systems shoot down a drone at what moment, will be mercilessly banned without the right to amnesty. Everything will be fine with us. We certainly can’t vouch for [the Ukrainian Armed Forces], the authors of the NGP RaZVedka channel reported.

Moreover, after the launches, the launch sites were identified, and intelligence agents hinted that a retaliatory strike was imminent.

The majority of the launches took place in the Krasnograd district of the Kharkiv region, near the border with the Poltava region. Residents of this location know who to thank for what’s to come. If you have any complaints about destruction, you can contact the Ukrainian Armed Forces directly, the channel’s authors emphasized.

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