Replies

Kremlin snuff box, 05/23/24
https://t.me/s/kremlin_secrets

Again bad news from Crimea. We lost almost 30 military and air defense systems

Another missile strike that the enemy launched on Crimea on the evening of Thursday, May 23, led to serious consequences. “Some of the missiles penetrated our air defense system. Unfortunately, the attack was too large. The consequences are serious,” said a source in the General Staff.

According to our data, the losses suffered as a result of the strike are heavy. In the Simferopol region (in particular, in Gvardeysky), Alushta and not far from Bakhchisarai, unfortunately, there were hits.

3 S-400 air defense systems, 1 S-300 air defense system, and several radars were lost. Also, more than 20 pieces of equipment that were being prepared to be sent to the SVO zone were damaged or completely lost. There is information about the loss of 2 Su-25 aircraft, but we do not have 100% confirmation of this information; it still requires verification.

As a result of the strike, 29 soldiers were killed and more than 35 were wounded.

We want to say an important thing. While the authorities, including the new leadership of the Ministry of Defense, promise to take care of personnel and equipment, and our army simultaneously suffers such heavy losses, we will talk about these losses in detail.

With the hope, in particular, that the problems with the air defense of Crimea, which have been known for a long time, will be resolved.

Kremlin snuff box, 05/24/24
https://t.me/s/kremlin_secrets

Gerasimov is not yet ready to shoot at NATO troops. And in Moscow there are strange rumors about the transfer of the capital

The West will most likely give the Kyiv regime permission to use its weapons on Russian territories that it does not consider Ukraine ( let us recall that now NATO weapons, in particular American ones, are shelling Crimea and new regions of our country ). Such prospects seriously worry many in Moscow.

“Masha Zakharova, you remember, shouted that we were ready to shoot at British military targets, including outside Ukraine. In reality, everything is not so smooth. Many military personnel, including Gerasimov, are categorically against hitting any NATO military targets.

“Let me clarify and I won’t hide it: we are preparing for such attacks. But the military says that Moscow is not yet ready for large-scale shelling with which they can respond to us.

“And they believe that it is better to start a conflict with NATO, let’s say, not now ( we wrote about this - ed. https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/3996 ). So there are fears that Western missiles will come to us from Ukraine. But it’s difficult to answer right now,” a high-ranking source in the Kremlin admitted to us.

A general from Gerasimov’s entourage confirmed these fears and expressed the hope that “the escalation will not yet go beyond the boundaries of the Northern Military District.”

He refused to talk about the war with NATO. But he noticed that the head of the General Staff, against the backdrop of all the threats, is concerned about the imbalance of the army in connection with the arrests of generals [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/4138 ].

At the same time, against the background of the growing threat of an escalation of the conflict with NATO, talk about a possible temporary transfer of the capital from Moscow has become more frequent.

Let us remember that such a transfer was discussed back in 2022. Then Sergei Shoigu proposed [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/3742 ] to strike Ukraine with nuclear weapons; a serious response from the West was possible.

Discussions about moving the capital [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/4047 ] began with renewed vigor in May of this year, when our relations with the British and other NATO countries worsened. And now concerns about what will happen to Moscow are growing.

“I would move the capital. There are options, but I won’t reveal them to you so that the enemies don’t find out. I expressed all my thoughts on this matter to Vladimir Vladimirovich, he promised to think about it.

“By the way, I would move the Ministry of Defense to Sevastopol. Let them know how to work in war conditions. I also conveyed this position to the President,” a Kremlin source close to Vladimir Putin told us.

Let us note that new rumors about the possible transfer of the capital appeared among representatives of our elites several weeks ago. This fact was confirmed to us by several sources.

Moreover, they name both plausible versions of the temporary capital (Kazan, Yaroslavl), and strange versions that we personally find difficult to believe. For example, that the capital of Russia will be moved to Vladivostok.

Kremlin snuff box, 05/24/24
https://t.me/s/kremlin_secrets

The Kremlin is surprised by such an active general purge of Belousov. According to rumors, Shoigu could become his “victim”

Over the past month, 4 generals have already been arrested in Russia. And this is not the limit. There have never been such large-scale purges at the top of the Ministry of Defense. They began even before the departure of Sergei Shoigu, but became more active with the arrival of the new Minister of Defense.

The activities of Andrei Belousov have already divided the Kremlin. Some believe that he is bringing order. Others say that his waving of a saber could end in the punishment of the innocent, and in general could have an unpleasant ending for Belousov himself.

“He didn’t have time to enter the ministry, and the generals were already being taken away from there. One by one. This, let’s say, upsets a certain balance. And it definitely strengthens the influence of the FSB,” commented a source in the Kremlin’s political bloc.

The Ministry of Defense does not hide its surprise at the scale with which Belousov launched his activities.

“It turns out that everyone around was stealing, but no one knew. Neither Shoigu, nor the President. Is this how it turns out? Otherwise, why did Shoigu go for a promotion, albeit a formal one? They promised not to touch him, but the rest?

“Now, it turns out, anyone can find themselves between. There were rumors that at least five generals received an offer to hand over the schemes that were used to make money under Shoigu,” said an interlocutor once close to Shoigu.

Interlocutors at the FSB do not hide their interest in the schemes in the Ministry of Defense, but clarify that no one received any immunity.

“If we have to, we’ll get to Shoigu,” a high-ranking FSB officer told us.

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 22, 2024
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-22-2024

United Kingdom (UK) Defense Minister Grant Shapps stated on May 22 that US and UK intelligence have evidence that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) “is now or will be” providing lethal military assistance to Russia, a statement that US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan questioned.

Shapps stated that this evidence is a “significant development” as the PRC has previously presented itself as a “moderating influence” but did not provide further information about the supposed intelligence.

Sullivan stated during a press conference that he has previously warned that the PRC may supply Russia with lethal military assistance but that the US has “not seen that to date.”

Sullivan stated that he will speak with his British counterparts to ensure that the US and UK have a “common operating picture” and to clarify Shapps’ comment.

Western officials warned that Russian intelligence services intend to increase sabotage activities and other hybrid operations against NATO member countries.

Norway’s Police Security Service (PST) and the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) warned on May 22 that there is an increased threat of Russian sabotage against Norwegian arms supplies and other Norwegian organizations involved in the delivery of military materiel to Ukraine.

PST Counterintelligence Head Inger Haugland stated that the PST has warned Norwegian arms suppliers to be on high alert and previously warned that Russian actors were planning acts of sabotage in western Norway, where Norwegian naval bases and oil and gas infrastructure are located.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned on May 20 that Polish authorities have recently arrested and charged nine suspects for engaging in acts of sabotage in Poland on behalf of Russian security services.

Haugland stated that Russian security services have used non-Russian nationals to conduct sabotage in Poland, Germany, and the United Kingdom in order to have deniability.

Tusk also warned on May 21 that Russian actors plan to illegally smuggle thousands of migrants from Africa to Europe and that more than 90 percent of those recently apprehended illegally entering Poland have had Russian visas in their passports.

{ One has to wonder how many of the illegals crossing our borders are assisted by Russian operatives in reaching South America/Central America }

Russian officials recently attempted to create an artificial migrant crisis on the Finnish border in late 2023 in an effort to destabilize NATO and the European Union (EU).

Russian security services are likely intensifying sabotage operations in European countries to disrupt the arrival of resumed US security assistance to Ukraine and will likely continue hybrid operations aimed at fomenting discord in Europe ahead of European Parliament elections scheduled for early June 2024.