Rus Breakthrough Chasov Yar, Ukr Energy Crisis, Belgorod HIMARS Strike; Rus Economy Bigger Japan
June 2, 2024
The Ukraine bombed Belegorod with HIMAR missiles and this was cast as a powerful escalation of the war. As usual, this was apparently just optics (FAKE NEWS). It probably is fanned as NEW! IMPROVED! war to justify the most recent gift of taxpayer funds to the Ukrainian war effort.
Mercouris says the Ukraine has been using other armaments to bomb Belegorod for awhile, and it is likely attacks on Belegorod were already authorized by the US. Bombing this region does not escalate the war as the region has been under attack for awhile, and firing on it does not violate Putin's 'red line'
The Russians are already capable of jamming HIMAR missile targeting and have done so successfully for awhile, so the HIMARS are not expected to do much damage in Belegorod.
Alexander wonders if the reason the Ukraine demanded HIMARS to fire on Belegorod, despite the fact they know Russia will jam them again, given that the Ukrainians have been firing on that region with other weapons, might indicate the Ukrainians have run out of those other arms. He refers to their 'psychological need' to fire on the region despite the weapons not doing much if any harm now.
The Russians claim they interceped all the HIMARs fired on Belegorod in the latest attck. While we don't know for sure, Alexander said that is probably true because Russia has already demonstrated its capacity over time to intercept HIMARS.
He says the Russians have systematically and methodically destroyed Ukrainian air defense systems (AIR 300's and others) located around Kharkiv to the point that, for all intents and purposes, the region is without air defenses.
The only weapon the Ukraine current has that would help repel Russian attacks on this region, with their very damaging 'CAB' missiles, would be America's Patriot systems. However, Russia effectively destroys these expensive systems so there is no way to move Patriot systems into position effectively. For this reason he says sending the Patriots there would be 'suicide' and that they would be destroyed.
The media avoids discussion of Russia's mass destruction of numerous Patriot systems in various locations close to the contact line earlier this year.
These issues are known, and they are not new - previously Ukrainian General (Syrkovsky?) increased air defense by moving massive air defense systems (including Western hardware and Air 300's) which were quickly identified by the Russians and destroyed. Starting around January of 2024 over a period of several weeks, around 12 air defense systems were destroyed. According to the Russians, about 6 or 7 of them wre Patriot launchers, and 1 or perhaps 2 were complete Patriot systems.
ransomnote: while the Russians use propaganda too, I believe the destruction of Patriot systems is likely true because it explains why they aren't using them where they are most needed, and because Russia's air superiority continues to surface as a problem for the Ukraine: high death rates as Ukrainians approach Russia's defensive lines, the threat of airfield and aircraft destruction if the Ukraine were to build runway and hangar for F-16's where they are needed near the line of contact, the destruction of tanks upon arrival to the Ukraine etc. Lack of adequate air defense costs the Ukraine military hardware at a rate the West struggles to replace. This is why Zelensky said last year that tanks are nice, but fighter jets are needed to actually win the war.
My notes above cover the first 15 minutes of the video. I am running out of time and just began monitoring the video in a general way at this point.
Alexander describes the interpretation of Macron's remarks to be 'authorization' for strikes within Russia's national boundaries as likely exaggerated or wishful thinking. So those saying Macron authorized strikes on Russian military assets within Russia's traditional boundaries are not supported by Macron's public statements. It appears Macron was urgining Western allies to authorize such strikes; he never made any formal statement authorizing them himself. Mercouris notes its possible, but feels it's unlikely, that Macron has given such authorization privately.
Alexander discusses an article analyzing the Biden administration's 'dangerous' silence on the national stage regarding its stance or intentions regarding strikes on Russia.
ransomnote: I have to stop for the night at the half hour mark. An hour of the video remains. If I have time I will watch more of it and post any notes I make as a comment on this thread.