Ukraine

[Johan R]

Where did Ukraine claim that the missile was Russian attack on NATO? I seem to have missed that.
The western gutter press may have jumped to that conclusion, but truth does not sell newspapers as much as outright lies.

Ukraine's Zelenskiy blames Russian missiles for deadly Poland explosion | Reuters

US and NATO were quick to dismiss Zelensky claims, after an investigation, something Zelensky was slow to walk back.

[Johan R]

Boris Johnson's credibility can be deduced from the fact that no one bothered to post his claim about Putin threatening him with a missile ......

Until Boris was paid to go on TV for an interview. Boris gets a bomb threat! Or does he? - YouTube

[Johan R]

Bradleys en-route.

As of Monday, and according to USTRANSCOM's press release noting the vessel's name, data via MarineTraffic shows ARC Integrity is full steam ahead in the Atlantic Ocean and will arrive at the Port in Southampton, England, on Feb. 7.

[Peerie Maa]

Boris Johnson's credibility can be deduced from the fact that no one bothered to post his claim about Putin threatening him with a missile until Vadim brought it up.

If you read the Grauniad report below, you will see that Boris gave the comment no credibility.

Russian spokesmen are known to be liars.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...uk-in-a-minute

[birlinn]

Ukraine's Zelenskiy blames Russian missiles for deadly Poland explosion | Reuters

US and NATO were quick to dismiss Zelensky claims, after an investigation, something Zelensky was slow to walk back.

On that, my memory is in error.
I see that Joe Biden, at the G20 summit on the same day of the 'attack', stated that the missile was unlikely to have been fired by Russia. I believe NATO had tracked the missile.
It took two days for Zelensky to come round to agreeing.

[sandtown]

Boris in WAPO today.
Stating the obvious, but doing it well. He is a wordsmith first.

I am surprised he did not boast about blowing up the April peace talks with an unannounced visit to Kiev.

And if you think he was not under instructions to do so by the US Blob, you are wrong.

[L.W. Baxter]

I am surprised he did not boast about blowing up the April peace talks with an unannounced to Kiev.

And if you think he was not under instructions to do so by the US Blob, you are wrong.

there you go again. hey, just curious, is mark milley part of the u.s. blob, or not. you know milley, our highest ranking military officer. who "agrees" with you, and "disagrees" with "everyone" else posting here.

the truth-obscuring contortions you go through to establish a position of superiority for yourself, in your own mind....

[Peerie Maa]

I am surprised he did not boast about blowing up the April peace talks with an unannounced to Kiev.

And if you think he was not under instructions to do so by the US Blob, you are wrong.

That is because he did not do so. Did you post any sources for that when asked after the first time you posted that terminological inexactitude?

[sandtown]

That is because he did not do so.

Are you saying that this did not happen ??

https://www.commondreams.org/news/20...krainian-paper

[Peerie Maa]

I have linked to the Guardian twice now. I think that I should have C&P instead.

Boris Johnson says Putin claimed he could send missile to hit UK ‘in a minute’

Former prime minister’s comments about call to Russian president just before invasion come in new BBC documentary

• Russia-Ukraine war: latest updates

Boris Johnson claims Vladimir Putin threatened UK missile strike – video

Mon 30 Jan 2023 11.00 GMTFirst published on Sun 29 Jan 2023 18.06 GMT

Boris Johnson has said Vladimir Putin claimed he could have sent a missile to hit Britain “within a minute”, in a call shortly before the invasion of Ukraine.
The former prime minister’s comments came in a three-part documentary for BBC Two on the conflict and the lead-up to Russia’s invasion in February last year.

It had been in a conversation about hypothetical support for Nato on Russia’s borders if Putin decided to invade, as Johnson tried to talk Putin down.
He told the makers of Putin vs the West that he did not regard Putin’s comments as a threat. He went on to become one of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s biggest supporters and has visited Kyiv since resigning as prime minister.
Boris Johnson: Ukraine must join Nato for sake of long-term peace

“He sort of threatened me at one point and said, ‘Boris, I don’t want to hurt you, but with a missile, it would only take a minute’, or something like that,” Johnson said.
“I think from the very relaxed tone that he was taking, the sort of air of detachment that he seemed to have, he was just playing along with my attempts to get him to negotiate.”
Johnson had warned there would be tougher western sanctions if Russia invaded, and support for Nato would increase – even if Ukraine was not close to becoming a member.
“He said, ‘Boris, you say that Ukraine is not going to join Nato anytime soon … What is anytime soon?’, and I said, ‘Well it’s not going to join Nato for the foreseeable future. You know that perfectly well,’” Johnson said of the call with Putin.
Responding to the claim, Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters that what Johnson said was not true, or “more precisely, a lie”.
Peskov said: “There were no threats of missiles. It is either a deliberate lie – so you have to ask Mr Johnson why he chose to put it that way – or it was an unconscious lie and he did not in fact understand what Putin was talking to him about.”

Peskov said Putin had explained to Johnson how, if Ukraine joined the Nato alliance, US or Nato missiles placed near Russia’s borders would mean any missile could reach Moscow in minutes, and suggested that there may have been a misunderstanding.
“If that’s how this passage was understood, then it’s a very awkward situation,” Peskov said.

Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, also spoke in the documentary about a visit to Moscow in February in an unsuccessful attempt to negotiate and avert war. He met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, as well as the chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov. “I remember saying to minister Shoigu, ‘They will fight’ and he said, ‘My mother is Ukrainian; they won’t!’ He also said he had no intention of invading,” Wallace said.

“That would be ‘vran’e’ in the Russian language. ‘Vran’e’ I think is sort of a demonstration of bullying or strength: I’m going to lie to you. You know I’m lying. I know you know I’m lying and I’m still going to lie to you. He knew I knew and I knew he knew. But I think it was about saying: I’m powerful.
“It was the fairly chilling but direct lie of what they were not going to do that I think to me confirmed they were going to do it. I remember as we were walking out General Gerasimov said, ‘Never again will we be humiliated. We used to be the fourth army in the world, we’re now number two. It’s now America and us.’ And there in that minute was that sense of potentially why [they were doing this].”

[skuthorp]

That threat has always been there since the tech has been there, but Boris can easily just be self-aggrandising.

[John Meachen]

Bradleys en-route.

As of Monday, and according to USTRANSCOM's press release noting the vessel's name, data via MarineTraffic shows ARC Integrity is full steam ahead in the Atlantic Ocean and will arrive at the Port in Southampton, England, on Feb. 7.

Somebody or other needs a lecture on the topic of operational security.

[Peerie Maa]

That threat has always been there since the tech has been there, but Boris can easily just be self-aggrandising.

Or was he letting everyone know what sort of bullying aerosol Pootin actually is?

[gypsie]

Or was he letting everyone know what sort of bullying aerosol Pootin actually is?

Yep - how he really really wanted a peaceful outcome.
Arrogant bullying aerosol.

[skuthorp]

Somebody or other needs a lecture on the topic of operational security.

[skuthorp]

Anyhow thre's only 2 years left to fix the Ukraine/Russia problem according to Air Force commander, Gen. Michael A. Minihan before you are at war with China. Got to get your priorities right after all.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...hina-war-2025/

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

I think we can take it that if the US DoD tell us that they have put x items on a ship and name the ship and the ship proceeds to sea with her AIS transmitting, that secrecy was never intended for that shipment.

[WX]

This a quite a good Youtube channel to follow in my opinion.

[dutchpp]

The ISW Russian offensive campaign assessment, January 31.
https://www.understandingwar.org/bac...anuary-31-2023

Key Takeaways

• The introduction of Russian conventional forces to the Bakhmut frontline has offset the culmination of the Wagner Group’s offensive and retained the initiative for Russian operations around the city. ISW's December 27 forecast that the Russian offensive against Bakhmut was culminating was inaccurate.
• ISW does not forecast the imminent fall of Bakhmut, and it is extraordinarily unlikely that Russian forces will be able to conduct a surprise encirclement of Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut.
• Russian military command is overestimating Russian military capabilities to advance rapidly in Donetsk Oblast and in the theater.
• Russian conventional forces may be replacing expended Wagner PMC forces by relocating them from Bakhmut to the Zaporizhia Oblast front line.
• The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) may be attempting to fully supplant Wagner forces near Bakhmut to frame the traditional Russian military command structure as the sole victor around Bakhmut, assuming Russian forces take the city.
• Ukrainian officials continue to support ISW’s assessment that an imminent Russian offensive in the coming months is the most likely course of action (MLCOA) and further suggested that Ukrainian forces plan to launch a larger counteroffensive.
• Prominent Russian milbloggers continue to expose Russian military failures in Ukraine through increasingly public and elevated platforms.
• Russia continues to weaponize counterterrorism laws to justify domestic repressions.
• Russian forces continued limited ground attacks to regain lost positions along the Svatove-Kreminna line on January 31.
• Russian forces continued offensive operations along the Donetsk Oblast front line.
• Russian forces are unlikely to benefit significantly elsewhere in eastern Ukraine from their localized offensive around Vuhledar.
• Russian forces are likely prioritizing sabotage and reconnaissance activities over territorial gains in southern Ukraine.
• Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov acknowledged Russian mobilization failures in an attempt to frame implementation failures and policy violations as resolved.
• Russian occupation authorities continue to use youth engagement and education programs to consolidate social control of occupied territories.

[skuthorp]

Some discussion on our news tonight re pressure on Germany in particular to supply military aircraft to Ukraine, and the implocation that it would signal the step from arms supplier to participant.
Pages of comment here..
Germany in particular to supply military aircraft to Ukraine

[Johan R]

Somebody or other needs a lecture on the topic of operational security.

Well, maybe by design. Well publicized transport with ship AIS. It could have an accident like Nord Stream, blamed obviously on Russia. Bay of Pigs anybody. But, Amerricans would not stoop so low......right?

[heimlaga]

There has so far not been any indications that anybody else than Russia blew up the North Stream pipeline. Everything else is pure fiction and conspiracy theories made in Russia and spread by professional propagandists like you "Johan".

If Russia torpedoes that ship you will probably have another Lusitania to deal with..........

[Johan R]

[QUOTE=heimlaga;6796207]

There has so far not been any indications that anybody else than Russia blew up the North Stream pipeline.

What evidence have you seen to prove that?

Everything else is pure fiction and conspiracy theories made in Russia and spread by professional propagandists like you "Johan".

Except you said

Originally Posted by heimlaga

I haven't accused you of being a Russian propagandist. .

[Peerie Maa]

What evidence have you seen to prove that?

The KISS pronciple, or to put it another way "What is more likely?"

Except you said

Originally Posted by heimlaga

I haven't accused you of being a Russian propagandist. .

People can learn from observation over time, and change their minds.

[skuthorp]

Somebody or other needs a lecture on the topic of operational security.

OTOH that ship will be one of the most tracked, most observed ships on the water, and any surveillance that is possible will be being applied.

[Canoez]

OTOH that ship will be one of the most tracked, most observed ships on the water, and any surveillance that is possible will be being applied.

Alternatively, it may have an escort of some sort. It may be visible, it may not be.

One of those assumptions someone trying to sink that ship might make at their own peril.

[Osborne Russell]

I think we can take it that if the US DoD tell us that they have put x items on a ship and name the ship and the ship proceeds to sea with her AIS transmitting, that secrecy was never intended for that shipment.

One might be forgiven for concluding <-- English style
No S, Sherlock <-- American style

I was driving through Germany one time south of Bremerhaven., heading north. I hoped to drive along the beach but I didn't know, you can't, because there's this forty foot dike for many miles. What I did see was a European Ford sedan with hammer and sickle plates, empty and parked. Up on top of the dike, four guys with binoculars. "These guys really want to see the beach", I thought. So being the intelligence amateur I parked about 100 meters south of them and climbed the embankment. There was a huge aircraft carrier heading NW out of a channel. "Holy S!" says I. Quickly I drove to town and called the American Embassy. "The Russians are spying on this aircraft carrier!" I reported. They put me on hold for a couple of minutes, and then some other guy came on. I gave him the license plate number for the car. He says, "Oh yeah, we know those guys" and gave me their friggin names. "They're always driving around looking." "Hm", says I. "I thought I'd call it in, is all." "Oh yeah", he says, "Thanks for calling. We keep tabs." "So, no big thing?" says I. "No", says he; "It's the USS [Nimitz, IIRC]." "Oh", says I. "Yeah", says he. "It's the largest ship in the world. When it moves, it's not the kind of thing you can keep secret. But thanks for calling." And the light bulb went on.

[SKIP KILPATRICK]

Back in the Cold War days, some fellows from the Russian Embassy, used to like to fish in the Potomac off my father’s office.

Dad was the Director of a couple of the Army’s R&D laboratories at Ft. Beloir.

There was a US Coast Guard station right outside Dad’s office. Sometimes the Coasties would run the fishermen off….sometimes they would leave them be. But they always knew they were there.

[WX]

[QUOTE=Johan R;6796210]

What evidence have you seen to prove that?

Apart from the fact it was blown from inside the pipe?

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

[QUOTE=WX;6796460]

Apart from the fact it was blown from inside the pipe?

Citation, please.

I wasn’t aware that this had been established.

https://www.newscientist.com/article...investigators/

[lupussonic]

[QUOTE=WX;6796460]

Apart from the fact it was blown from inside the pipe?

What evidence have you seen?

[George Jung]

Well, inside or outside - sabotage. I thought I'd read it had been proven - but can't find a cite.

[lupussonic]

Well, inside or outside - sabotage. I thought I'd read it had been proven - but can't find a cite.

Of course it was sabotage, the question is by whom, and the question of 'from within or without' makes a HUGE difference.

There are only 2 ways in, but anyone in the entire world could hit it from the outside.

[dutchpp]

The ISW Russian offensive campaign assessment, February 1.
https://www.understandingwar.org/bac...ebruary-1-2023

Key Takeaways

• Ukrainian officials are continuing to warn about Russia’s intention of conducting a decisive offensive operation in Donbas in February and/or March, supporting ISW’s most likely course of action assessment (MLCOA).
• Russian President Vladimir Putin may be setting conditions for further Russian cross-border raids into northeastern areas of Ukraine, likely in an effort to further domestic information operations and pin Ukrainian forces against northern border areas.
• Russian forces continued ground attacks northeast and southwest of Bakhmut.
• Russian forces continued limited ground attacks to regain lost positions on the Svatove-Kreminna line on February 1.
• Russian forces are continuing to carry out unsuccessful disruption missions on islands in the Dnipro River delta in Kherson Oblast in an effort to prevent Ukrainian forces from gaining ground on the islands.
• Russian officials plan to propose a moratorium on the public procurement law to simplify spending procedures amid an increasingly costly war effort.
• The Wagner Group’s prison recruitment efforts may have slowed in previous months.
• Crimean partisans may have conducted an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in occupied Crimea on January 30.

[WX]

[QUOTE=Andrew Craig-Bennett;6796530]

Citation, please.

I wasn’t aware that this had been established.

https://www.newscientist.com/article...investigators/

That was from me. No real proof; it was from an article I read that pointed how easy it would have been to do. The Russians have a robotic they can send through a pipeline to detect faults. It would be easy to attach explosives to such a device.