Events in the US are at such a perverse level that it makes it hard to peruse the interwebs. It seems that all the safety mechanisms have been removed and the country and world are streaming at high speed to a train wreck of massive proportions.
Globalism / Great Reset –
The U.S. Treasury Department this week announced its “Principles for Net Zero Financing & Investment,” which pushes banks, insurance companies, and asset managers to unite behind U.N. climate goals.
The principles, issued on Sept. 19, state that “Treasury and the Biden-Harris Administration welcome robust net-zero commitments made by financial institutions. Treasury hopes financial institutions will use the Principles to support the implementation of their commitments.”
According to a statement by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the principles “establish that financial institution net-zero commitments should be in line with limiting the increase in the global average temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius. They affirm that financial institutions that have made these commitments should develop transition plans with clear practices, targets, and metrics.”
These principles, which the Treasury Department says are “voluntary,” direct banks, insurance companies and asset managers to focus particularly on “Scope 3” greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Scope 3 entails those emissions from a company’s customers and clients.
Mr. Skrmetti recently led a coalition of 22 state attorneys general, who penned a letter to members of the Net Zero Financial Service Providers Alliance (NZFSPA), one of several U.N.-sponsored net zero clubs.
The letter stated: “both federal and state law broadly prohibit business competitors from engaging in concerted action in restraint of trade or commerce. Accordingly, collective agreements to ‘restrict production, sales, or output’ are almost always illegal.”
Robert Bork, Jr., president of the Antitrust Education Project, also voiced his concerns.
“This U.S. Treasury document encourages the network of powerful investment companies and NGOs to violate antitrust law with government support. It encourages a restraint of trade, a form of collusion outlawed by the Sherman Antitrust Act,” Mr. Bork told The Epoch Times.
OBSERVATION - With public blowback from ESG mandates in the private sector, now the push is increasing from the govt. Of course, these mandates follow WEF guidances. Follow the money. The private/govt collusion on global warming seeks to worm its way around congressional oversight and laws by having the private sector do the dirty work. I’ve seen this in many other sectors as well, with govt urging companies implementing woke policies and reaping the consequences thereof.
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Bill Gates has been all over the map this week. On Thursday, Gates made a sudden U-turn on his climate doom narrative and now expects “No temperate country is going to become uninhabitable.”
This follows his pronouncement of the biggest cause of global warming -
“Of all the climate areas, the one that people are probably least aware of is all the fertilizer and cows, and that’s a challenge,” Gates said, as reported by CNBC.
A report from the University of California, Davis, said just a single cow can belch about 220 pounds of methane a year, and that’s not to mention the production of the same gas in manure, which is often used as a fertilizer.
OBSERVATION - This agriculture statement is interesting since Kerry also speaking about same recently, demanding reactions in agriculture. Gates is a dyed in the wool depopulationist and is willing to look to what ever means is available and necessary to achieve the goal of removing billions from the planet.
Remember - domestic cattle are but one of the animal species on this planet and I’ll bet you almost anything that those other animals contribute as much or more. But that is not the goal - the goal is to reduce human population via famine. I know that is a harsh view, but the persistent drum beat from the likes of kerry and gates, overlaid on the Dutch trying to essentially close down all the farms and ireland seeking to reduce herds by 200,000 heads, among others, no other conclusion can be made.
Economy –
Employers in the U.S. are expecting to see the largest increase in healthcare costs in a decade in 2024, according to forecasts from healthcare benefit consultants — although workers may avoid some of the increase due to the tight labor market.
Benefit consultants from Mercer, Aon and Willis Towers Watson see employers’ healthcare costs jumping by a range of 5.4% to 8.5% in 2024 because of medical inflation, high demand for expensive weight-loss drugs and the wider availability of high-priced gene therapies.
OBSERVATION - Being retired and in the transition mode to Medicare, health costs are a concern. I recently turned down a MRI to monitor my pancreas because my payment was well over $1000 - way outside my budget capabilities - and I have what many would consider to be one of the gold plans. Others see Medicare costs rising faster than Social Security increases. In today’s economy with lingering high inflation, an additional 5 -8% increase is going to put the hurt on a lot of families and in the end increase health problems as some procedures will just be abandoned as too expensive. There have been many common sense health care reforms put forth in the past, but they seem to be silently shelved thru the Big Pharma / Big medical lobby.
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30 yr mortgage rates are officially above 8%.
OBSERVATION - Housing will not recover for a long time, and these rates are also being reflected other loans and credit cards.
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Rite Aid, one of the top-10 largest pharmacies in the United States, proposed closing up to 500 of its stores in bankruptcy.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday the drugstore chain is “negotiating with creditors over a chapter 11 plan that would substantially shrink its operational footprint.”
If Rite Aid closed 500 stores, that would equal approximately 25% of its 2,000+ drugstores nationwide.
The Philadelphia-based company faces more than $3.3 billion in debt and over a thousand federal lawsuits alleging it oversupplied opioids, the Journal reported.
OBSERVATION - The other silent factor is likely the increase in organized looting that have hit a lot of these businesses of late. Some estimates of over 100 Billion in losses across the board this year alone.
CW2 / Domestic violence -
Major metropolitan areas have had substantial losses of police since the 2020 riots. Reviewing videos of recent Antifa et al protests (albeit on a relatively small scale) on trend is concerning. In many of those instances, police are being forced to physically confront aggressive protestors - and typical riot controls are absent. Such things as tear gas, pepper spray, puppet pellets and bean bags. This is largely due to the leftist city and state leadership outlawing police the use of those systems. Should things go sideways, police will be seriously overwhelmed and substantial injuries will be received in future confrontations. This also means that riots will destroy millions (billions) of dollars in structures being burned down and other vandalism/destruction of property as police seek to contain riots rather than stop them. In hardest hit towns like Minneapolis, very little rebuilding has occurred, with building after building boarded up.
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Seeing Antifa / Transtifa ramping up violence against protestors rejecting trans grooming of children in schools. They are getting improved turnout and cranking up the violence aspect in part to get venues for anti-grooming protests denied. This is still on a local basis, but the interconnections are being firmed up for a readiness to respond to a broader ‘issue’ should on appear.
Military / Strategic Activity / Deployments –
The United States Military Academy in West Point, New York is being sued for racial discrimination in its selection process.
On Tuesday, lawyers representing the Students for Fair Admissions sued West Point for alleged race and ethnicity discrimination in admissions decisions, according to Politico. SFFA is the anti-affirmative action group that tanked race-conscious admissions practices at Harvard in a Supreme Court decision.
SFFA contends that West Point is violating the Fifth Amendment with its skewed admission practices. The Fifth Amendment contains an equal-protection principle that binds the federal government.
“Instead of admitting future cadets based on objective metrics and leadership potential, West Point focuses on race,” the lawsuit claimed. “In fact, it openly publishes its racial composition ‘goals,’ and its director of admissions brags that race is wholly determinative for hundreds if not thousands of applicants.”
OBSERVATION - Now we have a replacement for the weasel Milley - Gen Brown - who aggressively advocates race based promotions ands eliminating half of our white fighter pilots to promote ‘equity’ rather than merit.
West Point “ring bangers” were often insufferable when I served. Now with the double blanket of racial preferences, they better hope there isn’t a war because fragging - once a thing of the past - will rise to the surface once again.
POLITICAL FRONT –
Govt shut down looms even closer as the end of the Fy deadline closes to within a week. How harsh will the regime / democrats try to make it on the average person out there? Not sure, but I don’t think republicans are positioning themselves to provide an honest answer.
Biden / Harris Watch –
With increased scuttlebutt that biden may be on the edge of pulling out of the 2024 race - whether he in his withered mind wants to or not - the questions shift to replacements.
To toss harris under the bus as well could strike the ire of democrats black voter base - unless something is done to appease them.
Hence the increased chatter of putting Michelle (Mike) 0bama into the mix - many want it to be the president candidate. Newscum, trying to place distance between his maneuvering for 2024 and his real goals is in the mix as well. Hillary, though popular among some democrat circles, see large negatives that come with her illegal and unethical actions of the past and could spur greater swing towards Trump.
Driving some of this is a recent ABC based poll that shows Trump destroying biden in all categories, especially among independents - by double digits. So something has to give and biden is reportedly in the cross hairs. Most likely will be given kid glove treatment - perhaps that his physical conditions are becoming more than he can handle, etc. Harris will be brutially pushed aside being even less liked than biden and a certifiable twit on her own.
This leave Newscum and mz 0bama as the two front runners for replacement. It will be hard for democrats to pull this ultra leftist duo to the center, but expect crazy support from the progressive base.
Wild card circles back to Kennedy and Manchin, possibly running as a third party ‘moderate’ ticket. That will spell doom for the democrat presidential machine in 2024.
Illegal Immigration –
According to the New York Post, 3.8 million migrants have entered the United States since Biden took office in 2021, 1.5 million of whom made the crossing illegally and have not been caught. The number of “gotaways” is triple the number recorded during the last three years of the Trump presidency.
Fiscal Year 2023 is set to eclipse the record-setting totals posted the previous year. As of May, 530,000 gotaways were reported, leaving four months to surpass the 600,000 tallied in FY2022. Over half of the 2,345,600 Notices to Appear (NTA) granted to migrants since Biden took office have been handed out in FY2023.
OBSERVATION - The forecast is for more significant increases in the flow of illegals in the coming months - at new record setting volumes. Some figure that at this new rate, another 3 million could pour over the border in FY 2024.
The democrat goal is to flood the system, making it virtually impossible to deport these millions and it provides leverage to their debate to issue some sort of amnesty or citizenship because we can’t deal with all of them. IMHO we’ve passed a turning point that short a massive, citizen supported deportation effort our country has lost its national status. Remember, even before Trump, illegal immigration was a problem. Under this regime it has taken an order of magnitude jump. The US is fast approaching European levels of migrants - migrants who want all the benefits, but not willing to integrate or embrace the culture and laws of the country. Time is running out before these illegals mass together and start to really destroy our country materially - and in a measure far greater than what they presently are doing.
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CNN is reporting that Mexico has made an agreement with the United States to deport migrants from its border cities to their home countries and take several actions to deter migrants as part of a new effort to combat the recent surge in border crossings.
Mexican officials met with US Customs and Border Protection officials on Friday in Ciudad Juárez,, Mexico, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas, following the recent spike in illegal crossings into the US, which temporarily closed an international bridge and paused Mexico’s main cargo train system.
As part of the agreement, Mexico agreed to “depressurize” its northern cities, which border the El Paso, San Diego and Eagle Pass, Texas, where the mayor has declared a state of emergency. They will also implement more than a dozen actions to prevent migrants from risking their lives by using the railway system to reach the US-Mexico border, according to Mexico’s National Migration Institute.
OBSERVATION - Mexico is happy to comply because the crush of illegals is a skyrocketing burden to its economy and border areas as well. Human trafficking by cartels and associate drug related crime has been hard to control in the past, now becoming unmanageable under current conditions.
RELATED - Immigration watchers are noting a dramatic rise in illegals piling onto freight trains headed to the US border.
China –
Taiwan warns that increasingly aggressive Chinese operations around Taiwan could result in a live fire incident.
Russia -
WAR WATCH - into the second year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - Feb 24th, 2022
CURRENT ASSESSMENT - Updated August 6, 2023
Russia is on a defensive footing across most of Ukraine, relying on Russian doctrinal defense in depth to blunt the Ukrainian offensive. However, Russian forces are increasingly stretched and undermanned, with increasingly insufficient artillery support.
Russian attempt at launching a counter offensive to take pressure off its southern and eastern fronts has sputtered out. Initially, reports that Russia has amassed about 180,000 troops opposite of Kharkiv morphed into Russian assaults that initially gained some ground but was quickly reversed, due largely to poor coordination between units.
Russia’s strategic ballistic and cruise missiles continue to show evidence of massively reduced inventories. Recent attacks indicate the Russia has started to produce its own Shahed drones with Iranian assistance. Russia capable of continued, though limited, attacks in this arena.
Russia is capable of launching small scale attacks in various sectors of company and small sized elements, but any large scale offensive action in the face of the heavy demands from defending against the Ukrainian offensive are essentially nil.
RUMINT-
Some are commenting that it appears that Russian is beginning to abandon Crimea as a headquarters for its Black Sea fleet as well as major command center for Ukrainian operations. Recent attacks by Ukraine have exposed just how vulnerable Russian bases and facilities have become. A move of this magnitude will definitely work its way down to the front lines, visible as disrupted command and control as the headquarters are moved ever farther away from the fight to ‘safer’ territory.
Ukraine –
WEATHER FORECAST – Temperatures continue in the 70’s and fair conditions for the forecast period.
24 HOUR ROUND UP –
Continued slow, methodical progress by Ukraine on the southern and eastern fronts.
Tokmak Axis -.
Slow but steady, evidence is growing that the crack in the Russian line of defense at Verbove is widening. While on the other sided of the salient, Ukraine forces continued to pick their way southward of Robotnye.
Russian Territory –
A drone attacked an administrative building in Kursk. The roof was slightly damaged, - according to Governor Roman Starovoyt
OUTLOOK –
More being leaked out regarding the delivery of ATACMS to Ukraine. It appears that instead of the single warhead and 300km range ATACMS missiles that could destroy the Kerch Bridge, Ukraine will likely be provided the cluster warhead variant, reportedly with a reduced range of 140km (though there is discussion on if these have been extended to a 300km range)
The arrival of the APAM cluster munitions equipped ATACMS Block 1 and 1A missile delivers 950 munitions in a 1 km by 1 km area. The ability to take out most of a grid square will cause the push back of VKS Buk, S-300 and S-400 surface to air missile batteries out of Southern Ukraine and all of Donbas. Other soft targets like logistic/ammo depots and troop concentrations will also be highly threatened.
Not the Kerch Bridge destroyers some had anticipated, the capability to massively take out Russian air defense systems will open the door for more cruise missile forays - which could take out the Kerch Bridge, as well as free up Ukraine fix wing aircraft strikes using advanced, gps guided gliding bombs to hit key features like strong points on the Russian defensive lines.
The cluster munitions warheads deploy before any air defense missiles can effectively intercept them, increasing their success rate. Ukraine has successfully and ingeniously used systems provided to them to their benefit, so adding a cluster munition ATACMS to the mix will give them a greater degree of flexibility with all their systems.
Armenia/Azerbaijan –
Armenian media claims Azerbaijani Army is approaching Khankendi, entering the first quarters of the city.
The Russian base in Nagorno Karabakh was hit by forces of Azerbaijan. The Russian army is stationed there as “peacekeeping” force. It is the 2nd major incident of that kind. Few days ago a car carrying Russian soldiers was hit, killing several of them.
OBSERVATION - Much of the world is silent on the actions here.
I didn't write this but it is spot on.
The US Government is presently the most corrupt organized crime syndicate in the world. It is completely lawless, completely immoral, and will stop at nothing to preserve and increase its power. The DOJ, the FBI, DHS, DoD, EPA, IRS - are all Democrat mob enforcement arms that have perverted the law and now use its full power to intimidate innocent Americans and shield guilty friends of the powerful from any justice. The US Government is far more of a threat to the world, and the US, than Russia, China, Iran or any other nation. The US Government as presently constituted operates as Saul Alinsky, hero of the Clinton's and Obama's, under the direction of Lucifer.
Reading any post or opinion that attempts to even define and describe the totality of the syndicate falls ridiculously short. On every front and by every angle it's an all-encompassing degenerate, depraved, perverted, dishonest, demoralizing complete disaster.
Excellent post - so many good ones to pull from I gave up finding the best. +1 on Yellen, Rite Aid, Antifa with their creepy support on people sexually mutilating children, illegal immigration etc... great job Godzilla.
Economy –
JPMorgan analysts said an oil supply shortfall could push prices to $150 per barrel “over the near to medium term.” They forecast a 1 million barrel per day supply shortage in 2025, and this gap will widen to 7 million barrels per day in 2030, which would mean even higher oil prices.
OBSERVATION - the regime’s fight to eliminate fossil fuels have taken the US out as a net exporter of oil to desperately relying on foreign sources. Combined with a dangerous drawdown of the strategic reserve, we are in a perilous situation should something bad come our way - which it seems is building every day.
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Some economists are raising warnings over the convergence of factors that could weigh heavily on the economy. First being a govt shutdown, with some saying it could cost the GDP 0.05 - 01% every week; spiking fuel prices and an expanded UAW strike. One heck of a way of ushering in FY2024.
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Janet Yellen latest commentary on the economy::
“I don’t see any sign that the economy is in risk of a downturn.”
OBSERVATION - Her track record is nearly 100% - if you go with opposite of what she says.
CW2 / Domestic violence -
Recent poll on free speech and censorship:
* 47% of Dems say free speech should be legal ‘only under certain circumstances.
* 34% of Dems say Americans ‘have too much freedom’
* 75% of Dems say government has a responsibility to censor ‘hateful’ social media posts
Only 31% strongly agree with the statement, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.’
OBSERVATION - This is a continuation of the growing gap between Red and Blue in the country. Shows the growing hostility of democrats / left towards speech and ‘freedom’ that isn’t in line with the socialists narrative. Attitudes like the poll indicate help generate dehumanization of the leftist opponents and increase their justification of the use of violence against them.
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See also Illegal immigration for more
Military / Strategic Activity / Deployments –
On Wednesday the Army announced that about 3,400 soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division’s 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team will head to Eastern Europe this fall, as will 200 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division Headquarters.
The units will deploy primarily to Romania as well in Southeastern Europe and to the continent’s “High North” region that includes Scandinavian countries, Army officials said.
OBSERVATION - Part of scheduled troop rotations, but maintaining a heightened presence in eastern Europe in the face of the Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Wuhan and other “new” Plandemics –
Mayo Clinic site now lists hydroxychloroquine as treatment for certain COVID-19 cases
OBSERVATION - Worth noting again.
POLITICAL FRONT –
Likelihood of a govt shutdown are increasing daily.
Biden / Harris Watch –
NBC News’s latest poll shows a combined 74% of registered voters say they have major concerns (59%) or moderate concerns (15%) that Biden, at age 80, doesn’t have the necessary mental and physical health to be president for a second term.
OBSERVATION - It is becoming unmistakable, the powers that be are attempting to push biden out of running in 2024.
Illegal Immigration –
French Ministry of Interior has concluded that about 70% of violent crimes in the Paris metropolis were committed by non-French perpetrators (ie migrants) last year.
OBSERVATION - Why am I noting this here? Because this is a harbinger of what is coming our way - and can dual file under CW2. You have a vast majority of young males, sitting around with nothing to do and realizing that the govt is essentially powerless to stop you from doing just about anything you want.
China –
On Sunday, Taiwan’s military detected a buildup of Chinese forces marshaling along China’s Fujian Province, a coastal region bordering the Taiwan Strait, Focus Taiwan reported early Sunday morning.
These Chinese “military exercises,” as it’s being reported, are being “conducted at Fujian’s Dacheng Bay” and feature an “undisclosed numbers of People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) warplanes, warships, and ground troops.”
But on Sunday, Indo-Pacific News noted, “ferries that have been adapted for military amphibious operations are on the move.
OBSERVATION - Reports of about 6 -8 civilian ferries being taken off their routes and sent south to this area have been out there for a few days. As far as an invasion force goes - these ferries would be used as follow-on elements as they are unsuited for a direct assault. What is significant is the appearance that China is upping its training for an amphibious operation. Not noted is how many military amphibious ships are present as well.
I’ve noted many times before that this operation is beyond the scope of anything China has ever attempted - particularly during the era of modern warfare. Its one thing to maneuver your ships under no opposition, its entirely something else to do so while dodging missiles and torpedos and taking loses. At this stage, the most probable course of action China could take would be a backside of Taiwan - a far lower risk than an amphibious assault. The troop build up and exercises in the Dacheng Bay still need close monitoring to see how Chinese command and control play out.
Russia -
WAR WATCH - into the second year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - Feb 24th, 2022
CURRENT ASSESSMENT - Updated August 6, 2023
Russia is on a defensive footing across most of Ukraine, relying on Russian doctrinal defense in depth to blunt the Ukrainian offensive. However, Russian forces are increasingly stretched and undermanned, with increasingly insufficient artillery support.
Russian attempt at launching a counter offensive to take pressure off its southern and eastern fronts has sputtered out. Initially, reports that Russia has amassed about 180,000 troops opposite of Kharkiv morphed into Russian assaults that initially gained some ground but was quickly reversed, due largely to poor coordination between units.
Russia’s strategic ballistic and cruise missiles continue to show evidence of massively reduced inventories. Recent attacks indicate the Russia has started to produce its own Shahed drones with Iranian assistance. Russia capable of continued, though limited, attacks in this arena.
Russia is capable of launching small scale attacks in various sectors of company and small sized elements, but any large scale offensive action in the face of the heavy demands from defending against the Ukrainian offensive are essentially nil.
RUMINT-
Analysts, citing an insider source in the Kremlin, claim that the Russian President gave Shoigu a month (end of October) to improve the situation on the front line, stop the Ukrainian counter-offensive and return the initiative to Russian troops.
The report suggests that Russian military commanders may order continuous counterattacks to force the Ukrainian counteroffensive to reach a climax, even at high cost to Russian military capabilities.
This is similar to the directive last fall/winter for Russian forces to seize Luhansk Oblast.
Ukraine –
WEATHER FORECAST – Temperatures continue in the 70’s and fair conditions for the forecast period.
RUMINT –
RUMINT has been floating around.
- Possibly 30-40 Russian officers were killed/seriously wounded in the Black Sea Fleet headquarters strike.
- Ukraine successfully struck ships that were docked at Berths No. 17 and 19 in Sevastopol with Neptune missiles.
24 HOUR ROUND UP –
Ukrainian air defense shot down over 19 of 19 Shahed drones, 11 of 12 Kaliber cruise missiles. Russian forces have also launched 2 Onyx missiles. Odesa was targeted and a high rise hotel was hit and burned to the ground. Port facilities in the Odesa region damaged by attacks as well.
More interesting developments along the Tokmok axis - see below.
Tokmak Axis -.
NOTE - The following has not been fully confirmed, but available indicators suggest it is factual.
Russian sources report that Ukrainian forces entered Verbove on September 22 & continued attacking the settlement with armored vehicles as of September 24.
Russian sources also indicate that Ukrainian forces are operating north of Verbove. The VDV source later reported that Ukrainian forces occupy half of Verbove as of September 24.
Partially confirmed reports indicate that Ukraine is widening the shoulders of its penetration in the sector and blunting any attempts by Russian forces to close the salient.
Two key breakaways from the above. I reported Ukranian armor entering the Verbove area several days ago - the first seen in weeks - following the line of breach by ukrainian infantry. Not a good sign for Russian forces. Secondly, the operation north of Verbove appears to be along a seam between Russian brigades. In western doctrine, adjacent units must establish contact with each other for control/reporting of adjacent unit operations and early waning of any hazards. Russian milbloggers are highly concerned about the Ukrainian thrust as potentially isolating the northern unit as well as encircling Verbove.
Unconfirmed reports that Ukrainian forces have likely destroyed the Russian 810th Naval Infantry Brigade (Black Sea Fleet). Elements of the brigade have reportedly been operating in the Zaporizhia since March 2023 and in w. Zaporizhia since June 2023.
Velyka Novosilka Axis-
Unconfirmed reports that Ukraine has transferred forces from this axis to the Tokmok axis - possibly focusing away from this axis in favor of Tokmok.
Bakhmut Axis -
Heavy explosions were reported at the ammunition depot in Sorokyne of Luhansk region
Russian Territory –
Possible casualties after explosions at Khalino airfield in Kursk region.
RUMINT surrounding this is that Russian EW forced an Ukranian drone to land and as the base commander, nearly a dozen other officers and airfield staff got to the drone, it exploded, killing about a dozen including the commander and most of the other officers.
Ukraine drones in the Tula and Moscow area caused traffic to be halted at Domodedovo airport in Moscow region.
Russia news reports that after a large explosion, Pulkovo International Airport and surrounding residential areas lost electricity and water in Saint Petersburg.
OUTLOOK –
If the orders to Shoigu are true, Russia is becoming very desperate in its defense of the Tokmok axis and reinforces the evidence that Ukraine has broken the major defensive line and is in the process of exploiting the breach. Russia has thrown its marines (from the Black Sea Fleet) and VDV into this sector and they’ve been taken a mauling. Shoigu is going to face challenges because not only has he lost his Black Sea admiral, he has lost (to wounds anyway) generals and senior staff of the combined arms armies working the defense. Whole new chains of command need to be established and forces scrapped up from elsewhere along the defensive lines to shore up the sector.
The order to conduct ‘continuous counter attacks’ is one where Russia has virtually no operational reserve to support. Russian defense in depth doctrine has Russia immediately counter attacking if they lose ground - and Ukraine baiting that to a “T “ - digging right in and then submitting the underpowered Russian counter attacks to the meat grinder. In the Tokmok axis, Ukraine has the advantage in artillery - a luxury they haven’t had for most of the war. Combined with drone air superiority, quick artillery support and the introduction of cluster munitions, let’s just say Russian counterattacks have been far less than successful and have resulted in massive losses.
Artillery superiority in the current battle around Verbove has been another issue Russians are on the ropes about. Russian milbloggers and reports there indicate that Ukraine artillery is so significant, they are unable to evac their wounded (not that they’ve done that well under other conditions). Accurate artillery support, combined with direct fire support from armor/tanks is likely to beak the defense wide open soon as there is no evidence of any significant Russian counter effort in play.
The deep war continues, but at a general pause from both sides as their OODA loops work frantically to ID and prepare attacks on the next round of targets. Ukraine is beating Russia at this hands down. Russia is throwing assets at civilian targets that will have little effect on the ground war. Ukraine is targeting Russian command and logistical assets that will and are having an effect on the ground war. This week most likely see at least one major Russian missile attack as they conserve their cruise and ballistic missiles. Ukraine appears to be probing with its drones again, setting up for their next series of focused strike.
Keep your eyes on the Verbove region because things are close to an armor breakout that could throw Russian forces into a serous retreat.
SERBIA / KOSOVO -
At least four people are dead after Kosovan police cleared a monastery held by at least 30 heavily armed men near the border with Serbia.
“We put this territory under control. It was done after several consecutive battles,” Xhelal Svecla, Kosovo’s minister of internal affairs said.
The day began with the death of a police officer in Banjska village, before the occupation of the monastery.
Belgrade and Pristina were quick to blame each other for the violence.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said three of those killed in the shooting were confirmed to be Kosovo Serbs.
OBSERVATION - The attack by these Kosovian Serbs is the most serous action in months of mounting tension between Pristina and Belgrade. Substantial arms and supplies were found in the monastery, showing serious support likely funneled in from Serbia.
Israel –
Israel’s security services have raised their alert level for Yom Kippur and thousands of police officers will be deployed throughout the country, with attention being directed mainly to synagogues and places of worship.
The head of the Operations Division of the Israel Police, Superintendent Sigal Bar Zvi, called on legal firearms owners to carry them during Yom Kippur. “We call on the public who have weapons and are skilled in using them when necessary, to keep their weapons by their side during the upcoming days.”
OBSERVATION - pretty common to issue such an alert, but with heightened tensions from terrorists in Jenin and other camps, concerns are very real.
Armenia/Azerbaijan –
Armenia is sending convoys of buses to Nagorno-Karabakh to evacuate some of the 120 000 Armenians living there.
It is expected that many of them will leave for Armenia as Azerbaijan is taking control of the area.
OBSERVATION - The refugees are fleeing the strong probability of ethnic cleansing once control of Nagorno-Karabakh is solidified by the Azeri’s. So far the Azeri’s have not been restricting or interfering with refugees leaving the region.
Africa general – WAR WATCH
France will withdraw it’s troops from Niger and recall it’s ambassador following the coup, Macron says. Process could take ‘months’ - Reuters
OBSERVATION - Not much else brewing in Niger. Some think that the removal could be a signal that an invasion is close at hand or that the anti-rebel coalition is backing down from a fight.