Posted on 02/28/2022 8:10:18 PM PST by Mariner
A Russian military convoy that was outside of Ivankiv, Ukraine, on Sunday has since made it to the outskirts of Kyiv, satellite images show.
On Sunday, the convoy was roughly 40 miles northwest of the Ukrainian capital, according to images provided by Maxar Technologies.
Maxar said that roughly 17 miles of roadway is chocked full of the convoy, which consists of armored vehicles, tanks, towed artillery and other logistical vehicles.
The private US company said the convoy was located on the T-1011 highway at Antonov air base around 11:11 a.m local time.
Antonov is roughly 17 miles from the center of the Ukrainian capital.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
he Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces did not conduct offensive operations along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line on April 30.[80] Ukrainian National Guard Spokesperson Rulan Muzychuk stated that Russian forces are using more artillery but conducting fewer assaults in the Kupyansk and Lyman directions than in Bakhmut and Marinka.[81]
Russian forces conducted ground attacks in and around Bakhmut and along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line on April 30.[82] Ukrainian Eastern Grouping of Forces Spokesperson Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty reported that Ukrainian forces continue to have access to logistics routes to Bakhmut.[83]
A Russian source suggested on April 30 that Russian forces will likely conduct their own offensive in southern Ukraine if the potential Ukrainian counteroffensive fails.[84] The Russian source cited the fact that top Russian officials and law enforcement are discussing possible candidates to lead various districts in Zaporizhia Oblast which are currently under Ukrainian control as further evidence of Russian plans to move in the southern direction.[85]
A Russian milblogger claimed that Russia is forming new brigades of the airborne forces (VDV), elite units that have conducted joint operations with Wagner forces in Bakhmut.[87]
Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Head Kyrylo Budanov reported that Russia is seeking to take control of numerous Russian paramilitary groups and is trying to create a new structure that would subordinate private military companies (PMCs) to the Russian General Staff.[86]
More details
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-30-2023
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cratc_cAAfG/
The Ukrainian farmers !
30 Apr: Nice! Wagners TAKE RECORD LOSSES IN 1 DAY | War in Ukraine Explained 5 min
Day 431: April 30
Last time I told you that Ukrainians started to demolish key Russian positions by conducting precision strikes. I also told you that such a use of air bombs and missiles already dealt a lot of damage to Russian logistics and forced them to take time to regroup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNsHZiAqBRQ
There's no such thing as a former KGB man, writes Mark Hollingsworth. Is the FSB an intelligence agency gone out of control, accountable to no one but itself and intent on subverting Western political institutions? The scale of Russian disinformation warfare and Active Measures is huge even when compared to their activities at the height of the Cold War. In 1985, 1,300 KGB officers were stationed in the USA. The FBI only had 350 counter-intelligence officers. Since the early days of the Cold War, the KGB seduced parliamentarians and diplomats, infiltrated the highest echelons of the Civil Service, and planted fake news in papers across the world. More disturbingly, it never stopped.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZcEEecxyTE
Operation RYAN (Ракетно-ядерное нападение) was mentioned and it is important to remember the Putin (and Patrushev) was active in KGB at that time. It can be said that those were his forming years and it partly explains why Putin is the person he is.
See references in this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_RYAN for more info on Operation RYAN, and additional info about Able Archer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_Archer_83
A popular, and rather accurate description of that time is the TV series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutschland_83 and the sequels 86 and 89.
U.S. Wires Ukraine With Radiation Sensors to Detect Nuclear Blasts
The federal National Nuclear Security Administration is setting up an advanced network that can verify an attacker’s identity.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/28/science/ukraine-nuclear-radiation-sensors.html
Yet another appeal to Putin from the wives and mother of mobilized men from Altai region. They don't have any information where their men serve, the men don't get paid and cannot get leave.
And yet, they still address the almighty tsar: https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1652923807664062465
video Eng sub
Background of the peasant Letters to the Tsar
https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4042550/posts?page=3629#3629
China has decided to abandon the practice of “abstention” in voting at the UN on documents with harsh wording regarding the Russian military operation in Ukraine.
The Chinese delegation voted “for” the resolution of the General Assembly, where Russia is called the “aggressor”, follows from the data published by the Icelandic representation in the UN.
Document A/77/L.65 “Cooperation between the UN and the Council of Europe” speaks of the “unprecedented exports” facing Europe “after the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and before that against Georgia.”
The resolution also calls for “repairing the damage” caused to the victims of Russian military aggression and “bringing to justice all those who are guilty of violating the norms of international law.” In addition to China, Kazakhstan and all other post-Soviet republics, except for Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, voted in favor of the document, as well as countries that the Russian authorities call “friendly”. Among them are India, Brazil and Türkiye.
Votes “against” came from only five states. In addition to Russia, these are Belarus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nicaragua and Syria. 122 countries spoke in favor.
https://kapital-rus.ru/news/395699-kitai_vpervye_priznal_rossiu_agressorom_na_ukraine/
We will have to wait for the next vote to be sure.
The Sunday Times writes that the South African government has asked Putin to stay away from the upcoming BRICS summit in South Africa.
The country will otherwise have to arrest him in accordance with the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1652967968777576450
SVR General
At the weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin is treated, undergoes regular medical examinations and medical procedures, and tries to rest. On Saturday, April 29, Putin, communicating in various formats with several people from his inner circle, said that he had made the final decision to refuse almost all foreign trips, and definitely would not visit South Africa. The interlocutors supported the president's decision and discussed with him a number of points that, in their opinion, speak in favor of this decision. Putin said that, for him, videoconferencing is a completely safe way to conduct any negotiations.
On Sunday, the head of state held a meeting via video link with representatives of the leadership of the military bloc, where he succumbed to harsh criticism, consisting mainly of obscene expressions, of all participants, for not keeping promises. Artemovsk (Bakhmut), contrary to the sworn promises of the military, was not taken under control until May 1, and in other sectors of the front, according to the president, “generally fucked up.” Nevertheless, Putin, as expected, also did not fulfill his part of the promises, and to date, none of the leaders of the military bloc who did not keep their word has been punished by the president in any way. It should be noted that, harshly scolding the military leadership, he set them as an example of PMCs and Yevgeny Prigozhin. The FSO officials tried to brighten up the president's boring weekend, who on the eve of the beginning of the binge took former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev out of the binge and on Sunday provided Putin with a video of the handling of him.
The president was very amused by the video and shared it with several people in his inner circle. This time, FSO officers, mocking Dmitry Medvedev, who was practically insane, drunk and previously stripped naked, shoved the upper part of a bottle of brandy unfinished by the former president of Russia into his ass and, turning Dmitry Anatolyevich upside down, tried to pour the rest of the alcohol into him in an unconventional way. The President was very pleased and conveyed words of support and gratitude to the people who carried out the violence against Medvedev. Putin certainly takes a perverse pleasure in viewing such material.
The health of Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to deteriorate despite the efforts of the attending physicians. And on Saturday and Sunday, he complained several times about the deterioration of health. The new treatment, with constant adjustments, has not yet brought results.
True or not, more than 191,000 have read it.!
#SpringIsComing
It has started
Ukraine launches counterattacks in Bakhmut, Russian forces ‘abandon some positions’.
Ukrainian troops have launched counterattacks in parts of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, leading Russian troops to abandon some positions, Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, reported on May 1.
https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1652955890058776583
1 The original annual military parade on the Red Square was held on May 1st - the International Worker’s Day. In 1941, Stalin had special guests of honor at the Kremlin for the occasion - Hitler’s Nazis - the Soviet Union’s allies.
2 Background on the secret Molotov-Ribbentrop alliance between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, signed in 1939. Hitler invaded the Soviet Union just 1.5 months after his representatives attended Stalin’s May 1st military parade on the Red Square.
https://twitter.com/igorsushko/status/1653229791297032193
2 videos w Eng sub
“The real estate market in Crimea is falling. The occupation authorities used a new element of pressure. The sale of real estate in Crimea needs to be coordinated with the so-called republican military commissariats. In this way they are trying to restrain the decline of the real estate market. Anyone who wants to sell real estate in Crimea may be subject to mobilization,”
https://global.espreso.tv/panic-in-crimea-russians-realize-that-liberation-of-peninsula-is-imminent
In a number of Russian cities there will be no victory parade on May 9 this year, and the processions of the so-called “Immortal Regiment” have also been cancelled. Authorities in Russia fear that relatives of those killed in the war against Ukraine will reveal what is really happening at the front during the events. Why Russia cancels parades – our journalist Vasyl Panasiuk wil tell.
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 1, 2023
Russian forces conducted another large-scale missile strike against Ukraine on the night of April 30 to May 1.
The White House assessed on May 1 that the Russian offensive against Bakhmut has failed.
Ukrainian officials continue to signal Ukraine’s readiness for potential counteroffensive operations.
Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin is likely using his rehabilitated standing with Russian leadership to amplify his self-promotion efforts and his longstanding issues with the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD).
The Russian MoD confirmed the replacement of Russian Deputy Minister of Defense for Logistics Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev with Colonel General Aleksey Kuzmenkov.
The Russian MoD opposition faction is likely attempting to remove select MoD officials by publicly criticizing their war efforts.
Russian forces conducted ground attacks along the Svatove-Kremmina line.
Russian forces continued ground attacks in and around Bakhmut and on the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line.
Ukrainian officials indicated that Wagner Group and other Russian forces are struggling to maintain their pace of offensive operations in Bakhmut.
Russian sources continue to claim that Ukrainian forces are conducting raids across the Dnipro River.
The recent increased prevalence of Russian private military companies (PMCs) operating in Ukraine may be necessitating certain changes in the overall command structure.
Russian officials and occupation authorities continue efforts to integrate occupied territories into the Russian socio-economic system.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-1-2023
Yesterday, despite the day off and feeling unwell, Russian President Vladimir Putin held two meetings via video link. One short one with representatives of the leadership of the military bloc and the second, quite long, with representatives of the leadership of the power bloc. With representatives of the leadership of the military bloc, the President was military straightforward and brief. He intelligibly and thoroughly, using mostly swear words, explained to the military leadership what they are wrong (in everything), who they are after that (damn .. would be, etc.), how they should continue to exist (go to hell ..) and how they can correct the situation (until May 8, Artemovsk (Bakhmut) must be completely taken under control). In response, the military leadership nodded their heads contritely and at the end once again gave the word to do everything, what the president requires of them, and by all means within the specified time. The President ended the meeting with the words “Morons, bl..t, specific.”
During a meeting with the leadership of the power bloc, blown up power lines, a derailed train and unmanned aerial vehicles in the sky over Russia were discussed. Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, suggested that if such events develop rapidly, the situation could get out of control and a collapse in railway logistics in several regions, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, is not ruled out. Patrushev said that the situation should be immediately brought under control and very transparently hinted to Putin on the need to introduce martial law in a number of regions, including the capital, with the cancellation of festive and solemn events. The President switched the topic to the discussion of drones and ways to solve this problem, and only at the end of the meeting he returned to the discussion of sabotage on the ground, proposing to work out all options for counteraction and report to him no later than Friday, May 5.
Despite the fact that the president's health continues to deteriorate and is of great concern to the attending physicians, Putin decided this week to take part in several official events via video link. For public events, a double will be used, which, due to the tight schedule and heavy employment, the initiates already call “Figaro” by analogy with the hero of Beaumarchais's plays, they say, “Figaro is here, Figaro is there.”
(225 000 read the earlier message)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
