Previous day’s thread: https://freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/4210873/posts
Summarizing this war:
A tragedy for Ukraine.
A disaster for RuZZia.
A strategic win for the USA.
“Why Internet Trolls Do What They Do and How to Spot Russian Fakes”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLtBzvw0—0
“Here is the best-kept secret about U.S. military aid to Ukraine: Most of the money is being spent here in the United States. That’s right: Funds that lawmakers approve to arm Ukraine are not going directly to Ukraine but being used stateside to build new weapons or to replace weapons sent to replace weapons sent to Kyiv from U.S. stockpiles. Of the $68 billion in military and related assistance Congress has approved since Russia invaded Ukraine, almost 90 percent is going to Americans, one analysis found.”
https://twitter.com/TheDeadDistrict/status/1730119780873441750
Crimean media report massive electricity outages in Crimea. A large part of Sevastopol has no electricity, together with Simferopol, Feodosia, Kerch, Dzhankoy, Saky.
Kremlin snuff box
https://t.me/s/kremlin_secrets
Putin announced a new date for the capture of Avdiivka and gave the order to close Crimea from enemy missiles. The day before, 19 soldiers were killed near Sevastopol
The President gave his instructions during a recent short conversation with Sergei Shoigu, our source in the Ministry of Defense said.
Vladimir Vladimirovich gave the order on Crimea after the missile attack that the enemy launched on Sevastopol and its environs on Wednesday, January 17.
According to interlocutors close to the Minister of Defense and the General Staff, this blow had tragic consequences. “We shot down all the missiles, except two. Two missiles hit a Marine training center near Sevastopol, a classified facility. 19 of our boys were killed, 12 more were wounded.
“Several pieces of valuable equipment were also lost,” said one of our sources. Please note that this tragedy has not been previously reported.
The President was informed about it (though not Shoigu, as has often happened lately ). “Vladimir Vladimirovich was very angry and said that Crimea should be closed off from missiles.
To objections that this was impossible, he sharply replied: “You try!” - an interlocutor close to the Minister of Defense told us. He fears that the president may make “tough decisions,” since it is impossible to completely close Crimea from Ukrainian and NATO missiles that the enemy is armed with.
Putin also told Shoigu that he expected the capture of Avdiivka before March 1, or at the latest by March 10. And he ordered to intensify attacks on the city “now.”
“In principle, it is possible to take Avdiivka before the March elections. Although no one, of course, guarantees this to you. But no one will protect Crimea from attacks.
“Unfortunately, the Kyiv regime is being given and will be given even more missiles. No air defense in the world can cope with such attacks,” a representative of the General Staff told us about this.
https://twitter.com/GloOouD/status/1747741801451045078
Above is a picture of the tank. I have no way to verify that.
However, what I find interesting is that the Mavic drone that took the picture is flying without GPS sattelite information.
Mavics can easily defeat GPS jamming.
https://twitter.com/secretsqrl123/status/1747763245627142256
OilPrice.com reports:
“The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has taken its first oil price cap enforcement action of the year, according to a Thursday press release.
The enforcement action is against UAE-based shipping company Hennesea Holdings Limited (Hennesea) linked to a price cap violation. Hennesea is the ultimate owner of 18 vessels—all crude oil and chemical tankers—including the HS Atlantica, which OFAC has identified as having carried Russian crude oil that had been purchased above the $60 threshold—while being covered by a U.S.-based provider.
OFAC has alleged that Hennesea tankers have repeatedly conducted port calls in Russian Federation ports...
...Today’s actions designate all property and interests in property of Hennesea that are in the U.S. or in the possession or control of US persons as blocked, and must be reported to OFAC. Any entities that are owned directly or indirectly by 50% or more by Hennesea are also blocked. All transactions by U.S. persons or within the U.S. that involve any blocked property are prohibited unless exempt.”
(Fortunately for Russia this time, the heavily inbred Houthis were not able to hit the broad side of a barn, or even an oil tanker.)
Note how Houthi vessels travel in seemingly random directions, as passengers excitedly gesticulate:
"Houthi rebels mistakenly targeted a tanker from an undisclosed country on Jan. 12 that was carrying Russian oil through the Gulf of Aden, Reuters reported, citing the U.K.-based maritime security company Ambrey...
Reuters reported, citing sources from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization, that Houthis had fired a missile at the ship, which landed in the water some distance away and caused no damage or casualties.
Several small boats also tailed the cargo ship, but no information was provided if a breaching or naval interception was attempted...
...Russia, which has close ties with the Houthi benefactors Iran, requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the following day."
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4211299/posts
The House passed a short-term spending extension only hours after the bill cleared the Senate, pushing the next shutdown threat to March and surrendering Republican leverage on enacting a border security package.
Russia “Revs” Up for Massive Winter Offensive In Eastern & Southern Ukraine
there is growing speculation that the Russian military will launch a new offensive specifically targeting the eastern and southern regions
I find these videos interesting
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ls5sydxVAi4
