I have been following WarNews24/7 as a source of reliable information on the war in Ukraine.
The site has now been closed down making the finding of reliable, unbiased reporting harder to find.
From another Greek site
BREAKING: All-out Russian offensive across Eastern Front: 150,000 personnel attack 'spear gun'...everywhere! (update)
The Russian counterattack comes from two directions
A general attack seems to have been launched in the last hours "quietly" by the Russian forces along a length of 600 km on the eastern front.
In Kursk after a surprise counterattack by Russian forces on September 8, Russian units led by the assaulting 155th Marine Brigade have begun to choke Ukrainian forces back to the border line.
The Russians are pushing from two main directions: From Korenovo south to Sagost and from Troitskoe to Gordivka.
The Russians are also attacking Ukrainsk:
Ukrainian territorial gains have been reduced by 10% due to the continuous Russian pressure in Kursk, although for many the real Russian counter-offensive has not yet manifested itself and these moves are simply in the nature of aggressive reconnaissance.
In Chasiv Yar in the last few hours they are attacking in waves with armored forces hitting the last fortified positions of the Ukrainians:
The main dilemma for the Ukrainian military command now is whether to reinforce its forces in Kursk or whether to send whatever reinforcements it can afford to Pokrovsk, the main supply hub for Ukrainian forces, the capture of which would signal the final expulsion of the Ukrainians from Donetsk.
The US sees Pokrovsk as the area where the main effort of Ukrainian forces should be directed, but the Russians are shelling Ukrainian positions on the outskirts of Prokhorsk
The US Department of Defense believes that the preservation of Krasnoarmeysk (Ukrainian name – Pokrovsk) is critical. And the Russians are only 7 km from their center, fighting in the suburbs.
Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder was absolutely clear and shows in this way how strategically important the city of Pokrovsk is.
"This particular city – Pokrovsk – is at a strategic crossroads, especially in terms of lines of communication, so of course it's important for Ukraine to hold it," the Pentagon spokesman said.
According to him, the Ukrainians are doing "everything they can" to maintain control of the city.
However, experience has shown that when the Russians decide to occupy a city, they succeed no matter how long and how much effort and sacrifices are required.
At the same time in Kharkiv, the Ukrainian Army's 92nd Brigade repulsed a Russian attack, with the Ukrainians claiming the destruction of two TOMA BMP-2s and a T-72 tank.
The Russian offensive began in the early hours of today and while Russian pressure around Kupiansk is intensifying.
Towards uncontrolled escalation: "Russia's Iranian missiles are a direct threat" Westerners say - B. Putin responds harshly against the US (upd)
USA, France, Germany and Britain "stretch the rope"
After Anthony Blinken's statements about the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia, its European allies, France, Germany and Britain, issued an ultimatum statement in which they speak of "a direct threat to Europe posed by Iranian missiles"!
Something inexplicable technically and militarily, given that they are regular missiles with a maximum range of 150 km and Russia has much superior missile systems than Iran's, it's just that the duration of the war in Ukraine is so long that it definitely needs additional reserves, even if lower quality.
In particular, the governments of France, Germany and Britain strongly condemned the transfers of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia and announced that they would cooperate in the direction of imposing sanctions on Iran Air.
The start of the largest naval military exercises, together with China, in the post-Soviet era was announced by Vladimir Putin, sending his message to the West at the same time.
More than 400 warships, submarines and support vessels, more than 120 naval aircraft and helicopters, approximately 7,000 marines, and more than 90,000 personnel will participate.
B. Putin stated that "Russia must be ready for any development".
He accused, apparently in retaliation, the US of "preparing to deploy short- and medium-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region and seeking with its aggressive actions to achieve military supremacy, destroying the security architecture and balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region."
" In reality, the US is provoking an arms race, disregarding the security of its European and Asian allies ," he pointed out.
He also accused the US of "Aiming to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia by increasing its military presence near the Russian border under the pretext of the alleged Russian threat and the need to contain the People's Republic of China, the Arctic and the wider Asia-Pacific region."
It should be noted that the joint statement of the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany states that "this act is an escalation on the part of both, Iran and Russia, and a direct threat to European security" .
The original (in English) text of the joint declaration reads as follows:
"Statement by Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany
The governments of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom strongly condemn Iran's export and Russia's procurement of Iranian ballistic missiles.
This is a further escalation of Iran's military support to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and will see Iranian missiles reaching European soil, increasing the suffering of the Ukrainian people.
This act is an escalation by both Iran and Russia, and is a direct threat to European security.
The E3 has privately and publicly been clear that we would take new and significant measures against Iran if the transfers took place.
We now have confirmation that Iran has made these transfers.
We will be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran.
In addition, we will pursue the designations of significant entities and individuals involved with Iran's ballistic missile program and the transfer of ballistic missiles and other weapons to Russia.
We will also work towards imposing sanctions on Iran Air.
The E3 are closely coordinating our strong response to these transfers with our European and international partners.
We call on Iran to immediately cease all support to Russia's war against Ukraine and halt the development and transfers of its ballistic missiles" .
We recall that earlier today, during a press conference in the United Kingdom, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken claimed that "dozens of Russian military personnel have been trained in Iran to use the five-to-350 short-range ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles [120 kilometers]'.
He pointed out that Russia has already received shipments of these missiles and will likely use them in the coming weeks against Ukrainian targets.
CNN Shared A Glimpse Of Just How Bad Everything Has Become For Ukraine
Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack,
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are in the midst of converging crises caused by the failed counteroffensive, the forcible conscription policy, and Zelensky’s Kursk blunder, which are leading to more desertions, defeats, and ultimately more desperation.
CNN carried out a rare act of journalistic service with their detailed report about how “Outgunned and outnumbered, Ukraine’s military is struggling with low morale and desertion”. It candidly describes the numerous problems afflicting the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) at this pivotal moment in the conflict as they continue to occupy part of Kursk but are still losing ground in Donbass. Their story begins by introducing a battalion commander who lost most of the around 800 men under his control.
This figure couldn’t take it anymore and thus transferred to a cushy military administrative job in Kiev. He and the five others who CNN spoke to when researching their report informed them that “desertion and insubordination are becoming a widespread problem, especially among newly recruited soldiers.”
In the words of one commander, “Not all mobilized soldiers are leaving their positions, but the majority are…They either leave their positions, refuse to go into battle, or try to find a way to leave the army.”
The reader is then informed that these troops are forcibly conscripted, thus adding context to why they desert, but they also claimed that morale problems began to infect the armed forces’ ranks during the now-resolved impasse over more American aid to Ukraine. While that likely played a role, CNN conspicuously omits to mention last summer’s failed counteroffensive, which proved that Ukraine is unable to reconquer its lost lands despite all the hype and the aid that it received up until that point.
Moving along after having clarified the real reason behind the UAF’s plunging morale over the past year, drones have made the battlefield more unbearable than before, and the amount of time between rotations has grown since some troops simply can’t leave their positions without risking their lives. CNN then added that “In just the first four months of 2024, prosecutors launched criminal proceedings against almost 19,000 soldiers who either abandoned their posts or deserted”.
They also acknowledged that “It’s a staggering and – most likely – incomplete number. Several commanders told CNN that many officers would not report desertion and unauthorized absences, hoping instead to convince troops to return voluntarily, without facing punishment. This approach became so common that Ukraine changed the law to decriminalize desertion and absence without leave, if committed for the first time.”
The impending Battle of Pokrovsk, which could be a game-changer for Russia on the Donbass front, risks turning into a total disaster for the UAF since “some commanders estimate there are 10 Russian soldiers to each Ukrainian.” Just as alarming is the claim from one officer that “There have even been cases of troops not disclosing the full battlefield picture to other units out of fear it would make them look bad.” Communication problems are also reportedly rife between Kiev’s varied units there too.
The Kursk front isn’t as bad, but it might not have served its political purpose of boosting morale among the UAF unlike what Zelensky has claimed. CNN quoted some sappers who were unsure of the strategy involved, questioning why they were redeployed from defending Pokrovsk to invade Russia when the Donbass front is experiencing such difficulties as was already reported. The piece then ends with a psychological support expert declaring that he’s no longer going to be emotionally attached to anyone.
Reflecting on CNN’s surprisingly critical report, it’s clear that the UAF is in the midst of converging crises caused by the failed counteroffensive, the forcible conscription policy, and Zelensky’s Kursk blunder, which are leading to more desertions, defeats, and ultimately more desperation. In such circumstances, Ukraine can either stay the course by remaining in Kursk at the expense of losing more ground in Donbass, withdraw from Kursk to help hold Donbass, or asymmetrically escalate.
The first two scenarios are self-explanatory while the last could concern expanding the conflict into other Russian regions, Belarus, and/or Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region, seriously damaging Russian nuclear power plants out of desperation to provoke a nuclear response, and/or assassinating top Russians. There are only a few months left before the winter impedes combat operations on both sides, after which the status quo will persist until spring, when one or both sides might go on the offensive.
This timeline adds urgency to the impending Battle of Pokrovsk, which Russia wants to win as soon as possible in order to push through the fields beyond, capture more territory, threaten the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk agglomeration from the south, and possibly prepare to make a move on Zaporozhye city from the northeast. If Ukraine can hold out into next year, then it could have more time to build more defenses beyond Pokrovsk, thus reducing the pace of Russia’s advance if it comes out on top there.
Even if Ukraine holds on for at least several months or perhaps as long as half a year longer there, the problems touched upon in CNN’s piece will likely only exacerbate seeing as how more forcibly conscripted troops will be thrown into what might by then become the next infamous meat grinder. Morale will probably continue plummeting while defections could spike, both of which could combine to cripple the UAF and create an opening for Russia to exploit in Pokrovsk or elsewhere along the front.
The ideal solution for Kiev would be to reach a ceasefire for facilitating its voluntary withdrawal from part of Donbass (ex: Pokrovsk’s surroundings) in parallel with pulling out of Kursk, which are terms that Russia might entertain since they’d advance some of its political and military goals. It’s better for Ukraine from the perspective of its regime’s interests to have an orderly withdrawal than a chaotic one if Russia achieves a breakthrough, but Zelensky and his ilk aren’t known for their rational decisions.
Nevertheless, those like India and Hungary who are want to help politically resolve this conflict could propose something of the sort, perhaps also suggesting the revival of last month’s reported Qatari-mediated partial ceasefire proposal for eschewing attacks against the other’s energy infrastructure. Zelensky is unlikely to agree, especially since he’s under the influence of uber-hawk Yermak, but it would still be best to informally circulate some variant of the aforementioned proposal sooner than later.
Regardless of well-intentioned third parties’ proposals, the conflict appears poised to continue raging into the next year absent a complete military and/or political breakdown in Ukraine, neither of which can be ruled out though considering how bad everything has become per CNN’s latest report. Ukraine and its Anglo-American “deep state” allies could also stage a major provocation aimed at desperately “escalating to de-escalate” on more of their terms, so observers shouldn’t rule that scenario out either.
BREAKING NEWS: U.S. and UK to Officially APPROVE Long-Range Attacks into Pre-War Russia
US Secretary of State Blinken & UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, will travel to Kyiv to inform Ukraine that restrictions on use of long-range missiles against Russian territory will be lifted.
Initially, this will mean that American-supplied ATACMS (Advanced Tactical Missile System) along with British-supplied "StormShadow" missiles, and French-supplied "SCALP" missiles, can now be used to attack deep inside pre-war Russia.
HAL TURNER ANALYSIS
How much longer can any reasonable person expect Russia, to sit back and allow itself to be attacked with American, British, French, and German weaponry, fired by Ukraine?
In the real world, if persons "A" and "b" give a weapon to person "C," and person "C" goes out and uses that weapon to commit an act of violence . . . and gets arrested . . . . they then ask Person "C" "Where did you get this weapon?" When person "C" tells them, the very NEXT people to get arrested are persons "A" and "B."
There __is__ liability and culpability for what the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and NATO member countries, are doing. They are accessories before the fact.
If it weren't for the fact that the US and NATO breached the promise made by President George H.W. Bush (the father) . . . who promised Mikhail Gorbachev that "NATO will not move one inch eastward" if the then-Soviet Union approved of the reunification of East and West Germany, none of this trouble would be happening.
WE PROMISED the Soviets we would not expand NATO. Bill Clinton got into the US Presidency, and the Presidential promise to the Soviets went out the window.
We not only expanded NATO more than one inch eastward, we expanded it right up to Russia's BORDER!
When the US/EU and NATO tried to get Ukraine to join NATO, back in 2013 and 2014, Ukraine's Democratically-elected President, Viktor Yanukovich said "Thanks, but no thanks." So the US -- under Barack Obama -- the EU, and NATO fomented, financed, and facilitated the forcible, violent overthrow of Yanukovich.
It was THEN . . . . right then . . . . that Russia realized the expansion of NATO was going to put American missiles on Ukrainian soil - and do it by overthrowing Ukraine's President! ! ! !. Those missiles would have a five minute flight time to Moscow.
Russia also pointed out that even if, as the Americans claimed, the missiles were "conventional" and "defensive" that they could also be re-fitted with OFFENSIVE and NUCLEAR warheads. The refit could be done while the missiles were in their launcher, and no one would know the missiles had been swapped-out.
Russia could then find itself on the wrong end of nuclear bombs with a five minute flight time to Moscow, and a slightly longer 7-10 minute flight time to Russia's strategic nuclear missile silos.
Russia pointed out that no nation on earth can defend itself against a missile with a five minute flight time from launch to impact.
Russia pointed out that it was US President John F. Kennedy, who set the precedent for this, when he imposed a naval blockade of Cuba because the then-Soviets, had place nuclear missiles in Cuba with a five minute flight time to Washington DC. (Cuban Missile Crisis.)
Had the Soviets not agreed to remove those missiles, President Kennedy was already massing troops in Florida to invade Cuba.
Russia tried, at least TWICE, to negotiate "iron-clad, legally enforceable security guarantees" via Diplomatic efforts in December 2021 and January 2022 to protect their national security from NATO expansion and more missiles. The collective West laughed and told Russia "No." So the second attempt, Russia told everyone "If we cannot obtain iron-clad, legally enforceable security guarantees via Diplomatic means, we will obtain them by military or military-technical means." They told everyone -- in writing -- they would use military force.
The collective West waited about two weeks and then laughed at the Russians again, and told them "no."
Russia made clear this issue is a "Red Line" and they would not allow Ukraine to Join NATO.
In its final effort to keep the peace, Russia called Ukraine and told them "You have five hours to agree not to join NATO." Ukraine called the US and UK, both of whom told them "ignore the Russian ultimatum."
Russia waited. When the five hours were up, Russia waited two additional hours and, having heard nothing but Ukraine earlier say "We are a Sovereign country, we will do what we want, Russia said "Oh yea? Here. Meet the Russian Army.
In went the Russian troops.
The West then turns around and screeches like girl-men "This is an unprovoked aggression by Russia." No it isn't. It was provoked. Provoked by the expansion of NATO. Provoked by the forcible overthrow of Ukraine's President Yanukovich. Provoked by the Ukraine Army shelling and mortaring Russian-speaking civilians in Luhansk and Donetsk.
Russia is DEFENDING its own national security by forcibly halting this expansion of NATO; done by the forcible overthrow of Ukraine's government by the US and EU. Russia is defending itself from American missiles being on Ukrainian soil.
Russia is defending the Russian-speaking populations of Luhansk, Donetsk Kherson, and Zaporozyhe - many of whom were already being attacked by Ukraine artillery and mortars. In fact, Luhansk and Donetsk, had already lost about 13,000 people to Ukrainian attacks, before Russia stepped-in to help them fight off the Ukrainians in 2013 and 2014.
Russia is right in what it's doing.
If Russia gives-in, NATO will simply continue to expand until all of Russia is surrounded. Then, one day, NATO calls and says something like, you have five minutes to surrender or we will wipe your country from the face of the earth and take all its riches. At that point, it would be too late for Russia.
Russia had to take a stand, now. They had no choice.
We in the West are the aggressors here. It is we in the West who moved our NATO bases right up to Russia's border. It is we in the West aiming more and more missiles at Russia from all those bases. And it is we in the West who have been using Ukraine, as a Proxy army, to attack Russia for OUR (NATO) benefit.
If Russia decides they have had enough of us, it is WE (here in America) that may be hit by their missiles. All because NATO wants to expand.
I say, No thanks, NATO. You don't need to expand anymore.
From Gerald Celente
RITTER: Up Next for Ukraine is Unconditional Surrender
Ukraine will escalate before the U.S. election in hopes to get Russia to respond in a way to pull the West into the fight
SEP 10, 2024
Scott Ritter, the former UN weapons inspector, said in an interview published Sunday that despite Kyiv’s bluster and push for more weapons, the war’s outcome is inevitable.
“The only thing waiting for Ukraine is unconditional surrender,” he told the “Dialogue Works” podcast. “The West cannot accept that.”
He said the West could have as many emergency conferences as it wants, but not a single one will change the circumstances on the battlefield.
“Every day the situation gets worse for Ukraine; every day the situation gets worse for Europe. And, at some point in time, this reality will hit home so that even the European Union, the NATO propagandists — when they come together in a forum — they can't even lie themselves anymore. “
Ritter likened that moment to a scene in the 2005 movie “Downfall,” when Adolf Hitler, played by Bruno Ganz, was repositioning imaginary units and was told these troops no longer exist.
Ukraine on Tuesday carried out a drone attack on Moscow, killing one in what CNN called its biggest attack yet on the capital. The Trends Journal has said for weeks that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will try to escalate the war before the U.S. presidential election. He hopes that Moscow responds in a way that would draw the West into the conflict.
At least one person was killed in the attack.
Zelensky has been appealing to the U.S. to provide long-range missiles to strike targets deep inside Russia. U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday that Washington is close to signing an agreement for such a shipment, but it first needs to iron out some of the technical issues.
Three sources told the outlet that sending JASSMs to Ukraine “could significantly alter the strategic landscape of the conflict by putting more of Russia in range of powerful, precision-guided munitions, an important concern of the Biden administration.”
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/sitrep-91024-european-antinomy-squeezes?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1351274&post_id=148665821&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=ri8cr&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email