Posted on 04/12/2022 2:37:05 PM PDT by delta7
The NATO narrative is that Azovstal – one of Europe’s biggest iron and steel works – was nearly destroyed by the Russian Army and its allied Donetsk forces who “lay siege” to Mariupol.
The true story is that the neo-Nazi Azov batallion took scores of Mariupol civilians as human shields since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, and retreated to Azovstal as a last stand. After an ultimatum delivered last week, they are now being completely exterminated by the Russian and Donetsk forces and Chechen Spetsnaz.
Azovstal, part of the Metinvest group controlled by Ukraine’s wealthiest oligarch, Rinat Akhmetov, is indeed one of the biggest metallurgic plants in Europe, self-described as a “high-performance integrated metallurgical enterprise that produces coke and sinter, steel as well as high-quality rolled products, bars and shapes.”
Amidst a flurry of testimonials detailing the horrors inflicted by the Azov neo-Nazis on Mariupol’s civilian population, a way more auspicious, invisible story bodes well for the immediate future.
Russia is the world’s fifth largest steel producer, apart from holding huge iron and coal deposits. Mariupol – a steel Mecca – used to source coal from Donbass, but under de facto neo-Nazi rule since the 2014 Maidan events, was turned into an importer. Iron, for instance, started to be supplied from Krivbas in Ukraine, over 200 kilometers away.
After Donetsk solidifies itself as an independent republic or, via referendum, chooses to become part of the Russian Federation, this situation is bound to change.
Azovstal is invested in a broad product line of very useful stuff: structural steel, rail for railroads, hardened steel for chains, mining equipment, rolled steel used in factory apparatus, trucks and railroad cars. Parts of the factory complex are quite modern while some, decades old, are badly in need of upgrading, which Russian industry can certainly provide.
Strategically, this is a huge complex, right at the Sea of Azov, which is now, for all practical purposes, incorporated into the Donetsk People’s Republic, and close to the Black Sea. That implies a short trip to the Eastern Mediterranean, including many potential customers in West Asia. And crossing Suez and reaching the Indian Ocean, are customers all across South and Southeast Asia.
So the Donetsk People’s Republic, possibly part of the future Novorossiya, and even part of Russia, will be in control of a lot of steel-making capacity for southern Europe, West Asia, and beyond.
One of the inevitable consequences is that it will be able to supply a real freight railroad construction boom in Russia, China and the Central Asian ‘stans.’ Railroad construction happens to be the privileged connectivity mode for Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). And, crucially, of the increasingly turbo-charged International North South Transportation Corridor (INSTC).
So, mid-term, Mariupol should expect to become one of the key hubs of a boom in north-south routes – INSTC across Russia and linking with the ‘stans’ – as well as major BRI upgrades east-west and sub-BRI corridors.
Interlocked Eurasia
The INSTC’s main players are Russia, Iran and India – which are now, post-NATO sanctions, in advanced interconnection mode, complete with devising mechanisms to bypass the US dollar in their trade. Azerbaijan is another important INSTC player, yet more volatile because it privileges Turkey’s connectivity designs in the Caucasus.
The INSTC network will also be progressively interconnecting with Pakistan – and that means the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a key BRI hub, which is slowly but surely expanding to Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s impromptu visit to Kabul late last week was to advance the incorporation of Afghanistan to the New Silk Roads.
All that is happening as Moscow – extremely close to New Delhi – is simultaneously expanding trade relations with Islamabad. All three, crucially, are Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members.
Where’s the FReeper with the Chinese screen name?
The one with the Ukraine ping-list of mystery meat, herp-derps - none of whom anyone here knows.
“and Chechen Spetsnaz”
We’re supposed to celebrate this SOB using Muslim Ork thugs to murder Europeans?
Sorry, don’t care how bad the Ruthenian/Galician soccer hoods are, they’re light years better then the Tsarnaev clan.
Very interesting. I’ve been following Patrick Lancaster’s reports from Mariupol and I’ve heard a lot about Azovstal.
Sorry, but NOBODY is worse than the Euro-elite and their global network of blood-sucking internationalist worms.
Any "Europeans" (as if that matters) fighting that fight deserve dead.
KILL THEM ALL.
Putin has done more the revive Nazism in Ukraine than anyone. The political future of these parties were waning over the last few elections. Their supporters in the government were out of office.
But, since Putin invaded and his troops rape everything with an orifice, the hatred of anything Russian is seared into every kids mind in that country.
So…good job getting rid of Nazis. I hope every Russian troop gets their feet blown off and they have to crawl back to Russia.
Yes, “Donetsk People’s Republic” which is 57% Ukrainian and 38% Russian, and was established by the militia of the Russian minority backed by Russia. By all means it should be part of Russia.
“One of the inevitable consequences is that it will be able to supply a real freight railroad construction boom in Russia, China and the Central Asian ‘stans.’ Railroad construction happens to be the privileged connectivity mode for Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)”
It’s funny when someone accidentally reveals their real plans. Long term this is not about if Russia controls Ukraine, but if China does.
These plans to build rail links from Ukraine to China are directly related to the 2013 scheme to sell vast amounts of Ukraine’s land to Chinese agricultural conglomerates.
China is building a Eurasian empire with both Russia and Ukraine as its subject states.
Yeah Nazis are Putin’s fault, like they were the Jews’ fault 80 years ago.
“I Nazi because someone made me.”
Read your text 3 time before hitting “post” - so you don’t sound so dumb.
Chechen Spetsnaz, eh? Brutal barbarians.
Interesting, though, that their designation contains the suffix “naz.” Naz. Hmmm. There is another word that contains those same letters, in the same order. Hmmmm. Can’t seem to put my finger on it right now, though.
Reading comprehension is tough for the stupid. And that mean most Putin Fellators.
The fact that his army is raping children will cause every person in Ukraine to kill as many Russians as possible. In Putin’s eyes, that makes them Nazis.
People believe anything from any publication as long as it fits their preconcieved bias (progandized misconceived bias) of just how things are.
When I read Ukraine and “Nazis” I know I am witnessing the long international arm of Russian misinformation tentacles. Putin is merely repeating the meme that the Soviets and the International Left relied on so often - their opponents are all Nazis.
Putin's invasion has brought misery, death and destruction to eastern Ukraine and hatred of Russians. Its incredible you can't understand that.
Death and destruction doesn’t mean you become a NAZI.
I don’t want to “understand” whatever it is you understand. Thanks.
Hilarious
Next you’ll be telling me that the Liebstandarte Division were all Zionists
No d00d, you’re simply wrong on your facts.
There are REAL Nazis in Ukraine. Large numbers of them form legal militias, and they kill and shell people they don’t like. Lots of them.
These militias have been absorbed into Ukrainian regular army units and fighting now, as I write this. NAZIS.
Not saying you’re dumb - just ignorant. Seriously.
You sound mad... again.
Did you piss yourself when you wrote that?
“Anyone familiar with the subject knows that fascist groups almost always appear in response to far left threats to society...”
Both communism and fascism are leftist (socialist) ideologies, both calling for large and powerful and dominating central governments and the repression of the people. Where they diverge, though is that communism subscribes to INTERNATIONAL socialism, whereas fascism subscribes to NATIONAL socialism. Communism believes in the abolition of individual, sovereign nations, as well as religion, with central control of all in the hands of a Party General Secretary and a Politburo.
Russia saw itself as controlling that leadership. Maoist China disagreed. So, Russia and China, though initially at odds with each other, later embraced an “agree to disagree” relationship.
Fascism, such as that under Mussolini in Italy, Franco in Spain, and Hitler in Germany, was very nationalistic, and antagonistic towards established religion (though some elements of fascism, especially in Germany, took on a ceremonial quasi-religious aspect). But, socialists they were.
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