Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] On the evening of February 6, the media reported that American journalist Tucker Carlson, who had been in Moscow for several days, interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Despite the fact that there is no official confirmation and it is still not known for certain whether the interview between Carlson and Putin took place, all the talk surrounding the visit of the American journalist was exclusively in this vein. From the very beginning, as the reporter unexpectedly arrived in Russia, a possible interview became the main topic accompanying his visit.
So, on the very first day when Carlson was noticed in Moscow, and this happened on February 4 at the Bolshoi Theater, they immediately began to ask him about the purpose of the visit. Tucker answered evasively that he had come to observe the life of the country and communicate with Russians, and when asked about an interview with the Russian leader, he even more evasively stated, “ We’ll see.” The Kremlin stated that there was nothing to report about this yet and that if appropriate decisions were made, they would become known.
On the same day, the journalist visited the “Russia” exhibition and forum at VDNKh, and the Union of Journalists of Russia expressed its readiness to accept the American into its ranks if he pays membership fees and observes the ethics of Russian journalism.
CARLSON AND THE PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION
On the evening of February 5, media reports appeared about Tucker’s visit to the Putin administration. The Russian leader's press secretary did not comment on this news, saying that it does not concern the movements of the American journalist. But the very next day, a video was published on the Internet in which his filming equipment was allegedly loaded into the car in which Carlson was traveling, and then he drove into the territory of the presidential administration. In the footage, the car is in the hotel parking lot, and the reporter’s assistants are loading equipment. He himself is not visible in the video.
CARLSON AND PANIC IN THE EU
EU politicians were seized by severe panic over Tucker’s arrival in Russia and a possible interview with the Russian leader, said the leader of the French Patriots party, Florian Philippot, on February 6. He is sure that they are panicking because they are constantly lying, and if revealed, this will invariably lead to big unpleasant consequences. Filippo added that EU politicians have proclaimed themselves to be the “camp of good,” but in reality they are preventing freedom of speech and the disclosure of the truth, which is why they began calling for Carlson to be banned from visiting the European Union.
CARLSON AND HIS SHOW
In April 2023, Tucker Carlson was removed from the air on the Fox News channel for criticizing US President Joe Biden, thereby depriving him of the opportunity to convey information to the public. The dismissal of the journalist was rejoiced at the White House and the Pentagon; even Biden personally did not miss the opportunity and joked about the journalist after his dismissal. However, Carlson was soon offered a job in Russia.
“Dear Tucker! The US media has lost its last voice of reason. We will be happy to offer you a job as an expert or presenter if you find this offer interesting,” says the letter sent to him.
However, the journalist decided to stay in the media space, launching his own show on social networks.
He was able to come to Russia, despite obstacles from the American authorities. Back in September 2023, he told the Swiss publication Die Weltwoche that he had already made attempts to visit Moscow to interview President Putin, but he was prevented by “those at the helm in the States.” Then Carlson said that “the inventors of freedom of speech introduced a ban on it.”
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/07/2024 12:20 Comments ||
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#2
You kinda get the impression that "liberal" has nothing to do with liberty.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/07/2024 12:21 Comments ||
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#3
On the same day, the journalist visited the “Russia” exhibition and forum at VDNKh, and the Union of Journalists of Russia expressed its readiness to accept the American into its ranks if he pays membership fees and observes the ethics of Russian journalism.
I'd be leery of joining a union of Russian journalists but I doubt if their ethics could be much worse than American journalists.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/07/2024 12:25 Comments ||
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#4
When Russia was Soviet Union American journalists interviewing Soviet head considered it a pinacle of their professional career.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/07/2024 13:02 Comments ||
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#7
All of our presidents from Truman to Reagan understood how to deal with the Soviet Union and so we had better relations with those old Bolsheviks than we now have with Putin. It's not because Putin is any better or worse than Stalin, it's because Biden and his handlers are a bunch of war mongers and would-be totalitarians who would make Stalin blush.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/07/2024 13:59 Comments ||
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Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title
[Korrespondent] 22:23 The notorious former host of the American Fox News channel and Trump fan Tucker Carlson, who is in Moscow, announced an interview with Putin. He also said that he asked for an interview with Zelensky.
22:05 The Russian Army became more active in the Avdiivka direction back in October. Analysts talk about partial successes of the Russians, but there is almost no official data. The General Staff reports only say that the Defense Forces are holding back the enemy, who is not abandoning attempts to cordon off the city. Analysts report Russian assaults in the south and north of the city, as well as enemy advances towards the quarry and advance along the N-20 Slavyansk-Mariupol highway. More details about what is happening can be found in the material Fighting for Avdiivka.
21:39 Biden once again appealed to Congress to pass a law on the border and assistance to Ukraine: “Everything suggests that this bill will not even be transmitted to the Senate. Why? The reason is simple: Donald Trump... To support the bill is stand up to Putin. Voting against plays into his hands. History is watching. Failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will never be forgotten... We are a great nation. But this is not how a great nation behaves."
21:07 In the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine there is a secret unit called Group 13 - these are operators of maritime drones. This group was dubbed “hunters of Russian ships.” They have already accounted for more than half a dozen enemy warships. The American television channel CNN managed to talk with one of the Group 13 intelligence officers. What he said about his work is in the material What secrets does the GUR unit have ?
20:31 The Turkish company Baykar has begun construction of a drone production plant near Kiev, Reuters writes with reference to the company’s management. The planned production volume is about 120 units of Bayraktar model TB2 or TB3 per year. Construction of the plant is expected to take 12 months and will employ about 500 people.
19:40 Zelensky said in an evening video message that he held a meeting today on new agreements on security guarantees for Ukraine: “We are now working with several countries. The agreements can be quite ambitious, with good content. We must show such a result in the construction of architecture in the coming months security agreements that will give the necessary positive signals for this entire year - signals of effective support for Ukraine, long-term support."
19:24 Zelensky said in an evening video message that the creation of the Unmanned Systems Forces is “something that should give a very specific result in the near future.” According to the president, this year should be decisive in many aspects: “And, obviously, on the battlefield. Drones - unmanned systems - have proven their effectiveness in battles on the ground, in the sky and in the sea. Ukraine has really changed the situation in the Black Sea thanks to drones. Repelling assaults on the ground is largely the work of drones. Large-scale destruction of the occupiers and their equipment is also done by drones."
Zelensky also outlined a list of tasks: “Special staff positions for working with drones, special units, effective training, systematization of experience, constant scaling of production and attraction of the best ideas, the best specialists in this field. This is a task for the army, the Ministry of Defense and the government "in general. And in order to provide the necessary coordination in the Defense Forces, ensure the appropriate level of planning and quality of logistics, the Unmanned Systems Forces will be created within the structure of the Armed Forces." According to the president, Ukraine is now “continuing to reboot the state system.”
19:15 Zelensky signed a decree instructing the Cabinet of Ministers, with the involvement of the General Staff, to work on the issue of creating unmanned systems forces within the structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a separate type of force and to submit appropriate proposals for consideration by the National Security and Defense Council.
18:56 Zelensky said that he held a meeting in Kiev with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on the eve of his visit to the Zaporozhye NPP. “The only way to prevent a nuclear incident at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is its complete demilitarization, deoccupation and restoration of control over the station by Ukraine,” the president emphasized.
18:37 The Russian military fired artillery at the village. Peschanoye, Kupyansky district, Kharkov region, one person was injured, the prosecutor’s office reported.
17:55 EU countries fear that Moscow will confiscate Western assets in response to the possible confiscation of frozen reserves of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, Politico writes, citing sources. According to them, “the more governments consider confiscation, the more difficult it becomes.” Europeans also fear that the confiscation will tarnish the EU's reputation for investors, deprive Putin of incentive to negotiate, and that Russian hackers will launch a large-scale cyber attack on Western financial institutions in an attempt to return the money.
Therefore, other options are now being considered - for example, using these assets as collateral for bank loans that will be used to restore Ukraine. And only if Moscow refuses to pay reparations after the end of the war will they be confiscated. In this way, they want to create an incentive for Putin to agree to negotiations.
17:28 Zelensky said that he met in Kiev with two Portuguese ministers - Foreign Affairs Joao Gomes Cravinho and Education Joao Costa. We discussed further defense cooperation, in particular in the context of Portugal joining the aviation coalition, and the issue of Portugal’s participation in the Global Peace Summit. The President also thanked Portugal for its readiness to take part in the restoration of educational institutions in the Zhytomyr region.
17:09 An X-59 guided aircraft missile was destroyed in the Dneprovsky district of the Dnepropetrovsk region, the Air Command of Skhid reported.
16:44 As a result of today's Russian shelling of Tokarevka, Kherson region, one person was killed and two were wounded, the OVA reported.
16:23 At the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, the service life of nuclear fuel is expiring, the situation there is “fragile,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said during a briefing in Kiev. Among the main problems of the occupied station, he also named a significant reduction in technical personnel - of the required 10 thousand workers there are now only half. After Kyiv, Grossi will visit the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, and from there he will go to a meeting with Russian officials in Moscow.
15:59 Belgium, which currently holds the presidency of the EU Council, confirmed its intentions to adopt the 13th package of anti-Russian sanctions on the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. The head of the Belgian Foreign Ministry, Aja Labib, also emphasized the need to speed up the supply of ammunition and missiles in order to keep the promise and provide Ukraine with a million 155-mm shells. "We are still very far from this. In March, according to forecasts, we will be able to reach a volume of about 524 thousand shells. This is very far from the goal that we have set. We absolutely need to do more and strengthen our production capacity," she added.
15:24 Hackers from the Prana Network group hacked the mail servers of the Iranian company IRGC Sahara Thunder and found out how much Iran received for the Shahed drones sold to Russia. Initially, Tehran asked for 375 thousand dollars for one Shahed-136, but after negotiations, the Russian Federation was able to reduce the price to 193 thousand per unit when purchasing 6,000 units and to 290 thousand when purchasing 2,000 units. In total, Iran earned $1.8 billion from selling martyrs to Russia. According to published documents, Moscow paid in gold.
15:06 The Russian missile boat Ivanovets was sunk as a result of an attack by ten MAGURA naval drones, six of which hit the target. A secret Ukrainian unit was behind the attack, one of the drone operators told CNN. MAGURA drones are only a few meters long and powered by water motors, but they have a long range of about 800 km, giving the unit the ability to launch them from large sections of the Ukrainian coastline for missions against Crimean targets, he said.
14:38 The Ukrainian Embassy in Georgia commented on Tbilisi’s statement about the discovery of the transit of explosives from Odessa to Voronezh on February 5. Kyiv called on Georgia to refrain from politicizing the case and expressed its readiness for “constructive interaction with law enforcement and other competent authorities of Georgia.”
13:55 The Russians fired at Tokarevka, Kherson region - two people were injured, OVA reported.
13:51 The Russian Army attacked Manganets, Dnepropetrovsk region, with a kamikaze drone - two people were wounded, four private houses were damaged, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak.
13:46 The Verkhovna Rada extended the martial law and general mobilization in Ukraine for another 90 days - until May 13, 2024.
13:38 The European Commission has involved Ukraine in the development of the EU defense industry strategy, said EC head Ursula von der Leyen: “As we look to the future, we must think of Ukraine’s defense capabilities as our own.”
13:03 Ukraine nationalized the oil and gas assets of the Russian oligarch Eduard Khudainatov for 500 million hryvnia, the SBU reported. 100% of his share in the authorized capital of LLC Oil Company Alliance-Ukraine was recovered from the country's income. According to the investigation, Khudainatov controlled the Ukrainian oil trader through a number of offshore companies and controlled entities. The investigation also established that Khudainatov is one of Putin’s confidants, heads the Russian oil and gas company NNK-Group and was on the board of directors of Rosneft.
12:29 IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said that he arrived on a visit to Kiev before his trip to the occupied Zaporizhia NPP.
12:24 President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Pia Kauma is on a visit to Ukraine and speaks in the Verkhovna Rada, People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak said.
12:07 Ukrainian military will soon be able to get married remotely - via video via Diyu, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mikhail Fedorov. According to him, this is a unique opportunity for the whole world. The Deputy Prime Minister also assured that no agendas or elections are planned in the application.
11:23 Berislav, Kherson region, was again attacked by Russian drones. Russian troops dropped explosives from a drone three times near the humanitarian headquarters, wounding one person, OVA reported. Over the previous 24 hours, five people were killed and one was injured as a result of Russian shelling in the region.
10:52 The first tranche of the Ukraine Facility program worth 50 billion euros will arrive in Ukraine in March 2024, said the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. According to the terms, the fund's total budget for Ukraine of 50 billion euros will be distributed between 33 billion euros in loans and 17 billion euros in grants. The European Parliament must finally vote on this document at the plenary session from February 26 to 29.
10:45 North Korea provided Russia with weapons in exchange for unfreezing its assets in a Russian bank, frozen due to UN sanctions, The New York Times writes, citing intelligence sources in US allied countries. According to them, the Russian Federation allowed the release of $9 million from 30 million frozen North Korean assets. The DPRK is going to use this money to buy oil.
10:39 Law enforcement officers neutralized a powerful intelligence network of the Russian FSB, which included former and current officials of the Ukrainian special services, the SBU reported. Five members of the enemy group were detained in different regions. Among them are former officials of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense and the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, as well as an employee of the regional department of the SBU.
10:18 Due to attacks by Ukrainian drones, Russian refineries in January reduced refining by 4% compared to January 2023, Kommersant writes. The newspaper notes that the main factors for the decline were repairs, as well as the failure of some installations due to the increasing frequency of drone attacks.
09:43 The EU Council and the European Parliament have reached a preliminary agreement on the creation of a new special instrument to support the recovery, reconstruction and modernization of Ukraine, as well as to support its efforts in carrying out reforms on the path to EU accession. As reported in the Council of the EU, the Ukrainian fund in the amount of 50 billion euros will combine the budgetary support of Ukraine from the European Union into one single instrument that will provide consistent, predictable and flexible support for the period 2024-2027.
09:05 The head of the US Army procurement department, Doug Bush, said that the army intends to double the production of artillery shells used in Ukraine by October of this year.
08:46 High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell arrived in Kiev. Along with him came his special adviser, diplomat Zaiki Laidi.
08:34 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of February 6:
personnel - about 390,580 (+1020) people,
tanks - 6365 (+17),
armored combat vehicles - 11,857 (+35),
artillery systems - 9367 (+18),
MLRS - 979 (+0),
air defense systems - 665 (+1),
aircraft - 332 (+0),
helicopters - 324 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 7173 (+0),
cruise missiles - 1848 (+0),
ships/boats - 24 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 12,453 (+41),
special equipment - 1496 (+10).
08:19 As a result of a night Russian strike with two S-300 missiles on a three-story hotel in Zolochiv, Bogodukhovsky district, Kharkov region, a two-month-old child was killed and three women were wounded, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. Seven private houses, 19 civil infrastructure facilities (shops, cafes, kiosks), two administrative premises, and cars were damaged.
07:58 Over the past 24 hours, 126 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In the Avdeevsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled 29 enemy attacks in the area of Novobakhmutovka, Avdeevka and another 16 attacks south of Tonenky, Pervomaisky, Nevelsky, Donetsk region. In the Maryinsky direction, 26 attacks were repelled (near Georgievka and Novomikhailovka, Donetsk region), in Limansky - 20 attacks (near Belogorivka, Luhansk region and Yampolevka, Ternov, Torskoye, Grigoryevka, Donetsk region).
In the Kupyansk direction, Ukrainian forces repelled eight attacks near Sinkovka, Kharkov region; on Bakhmutsky - ten attacks near Bogdanovka, Ivanovsky and Kleshcheevka, Donetsk region; in Zaporozhye - two attacks in the Rabotino area of the Zaporozhye region. The enemy did not conduct offensive actions in the Shakhtarsky direction. In the Kherson direction, the Defense Forces hold their positions and repelled three assaults by Russian troops.
06:30 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that air defense systems allegedly intercepted seven drones over the Belgorod region. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that the city of Gubkin was attacked - there were no casualties as a result of the fall of the UAV followed by detonation.
03:27 A high alert regime was introduced in four ports of the Leningrad region - in Vyborg, Vysotsk, Primorsk and Ust-Luga - “due to the increased likelihood of a man-made emergency from attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” authorities said.
03:14 The Russians attacked Zolochev, Bogodukhovsky district, Kharkov region - a three-story hotel was destroyed. A person is believed to be under the rubble; three have been rescued, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA.
#1
Biden once again appealed to Congress to pass a law on the border and assistance to Ukraine: “Everything suggests that this bill will not even be transmitted to the Senate. Why? The reason is simple: Donald Trump...
Yes, yes. It's all Trump's fault. Never mind the will of the American people. And don't you dare suggest that Biden is holding Israel hostage in an attempt to keep the border open and get more money for his war in Ukraine.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/07/2024 12:37 Comments ||
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Consequences of the shelling of Avdeevka
According to the General Staff, during the day, on February 6, in the Avdeevsky direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled 20 attacks near Avdeevka.
Avdeevka is the hottest spot on the front at the moment. On Tuesday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the invaders are actively attacking in the Avdiivka direction and are not abandoning attempts to encircle the city. Over the past 24 hours, the Defense Forces repulsed 29 attacks by the invaders in the area of the settlements of Novobakhmutovka and Avdeevka, the report says. At the same time, military experts and journalists report a critical situation in the city.
ATTEMPT TO ENCIRCLE
The enemy became more active in the Avdeevka direction back in October. Analysts talk about partial successes of Russian troops near Avdievka, but there is almost no official data on this matter. The reports of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine only say that the Defense Forces are holding back the enemy, who is not abandoning attempts to encircle the city.
DeepState analysts report Russian assaults in the south and north of Avdievka. On the northern outskirts there is progress towards the quarry. To the west there are fierce battles for every house in Pervomaisky.
A report from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) speaks of Russian advances along the H-20 Slavyansk-Mariupol highway on the eastern side of Avdeevka.
The so-called “Z-military correspondents” claim that the occupiers allegedly advanced near the Avdeevka Coke and Chemical Plant (AKHZ) on the northwestern outskirts and near the village of Stepovoye. The head of the public relations service of the 47th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Magura, Dmitry Lazutkin, denies this fact. According to him, the front line sometimes shifts by 50-100 meters, but these are insignificant changes.
He also emphasized that north of Avdeevka the enemy is losing people and equipment, does not enter in columns, but uses several infantry fighting vehicles with artillery support, and attacks with guided bombs. According to him, the losses of the Russian army are 10 times greater than the Ukrainian ones, and even more in terms of equipment.
Positional battles also continue in the area of the Tsarskaya Okhota restaurant on the outskirts of Avdeevka. Lazutkin notes that every day it becomes more and more difficult to defend the city.
PROBLEMS IN RESOURCES
“Battles take place for every yard. For battles in built-up areas, prepared and well-trained assault troops are needed. Conducting such battles is considered the most difficult. I’m not ready to talk about our capabilities, but the fact that the enemy is constantly hitting our defenders with artillery, mortars and aircraft is fact. The main point that many experts note is that as soon as the enemy is able to enter a multi-storey building, the situation may become critical. So far this has not happened, but the trends are alarming," notes former General Staff Speaker Vladislav Seleznev.
Expert of the Ukrainian Institute of the Future Ivan Stupak says that the Ukrainian defenders of Avdiivka are experiencing a hunger for shells: “They have an advantage in technology, they have aviation, a huge number of Russian fighters and bombers that drop KABs, guided bombs on our positions: 200, 300, 500 kilograms explosives that simply leave no stone unturned."
“The Russians will not take Avdeevka itself with these stupid assaults. But there is only one highway there through Orlovka, which connects Avdeevka with our rear. The occupiers have already advanced quite close to it and are crawling further. If they reach the highway, they will cut it. If it takes too long to hold back these meat assaults, when our artillery remains silent due to a lack of shells, the Russians will still crawl out. In this case, no one will leave a garrison there, no one will make a second Mariupol. Then we will have to retreat," adds the military expert, ATO veteran Evgeniy Dikiy.
CONSEQUENCES
We do love consequences hereabouts.
In Russia they are talking about the capture of Avdeevka before the first days of March as part of the election campaign of dictator Vladimir Putin. “Avdiivka is highlighted in the media. Accordingly, taking it under control will create an aura of victory for the Russian army. Since this army achieved its last large-scale successes in Soledar and Bakhmut,” states Seleznev.
According to Dikiy, the possible capture of Avdiivka will not have operational military significance for the occupiers. “That is, they will not break through our front, capturing the city. On the contrary, they will simply straighten out their front. In general, this is also useful. They will breathe a sigh of relief because we will be a little further from Donetsk. But no more. There is no talk of a deep breakthrough into our rear", he noted.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The enemy attacks the south of Ukraine
This night, Ukraine found itself under attack by unmanned aerial vehicles; an air raid alert was announced in the Kirovograd, Vinnitsa, Nikolaev, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.
In Russia, bombers took off from the Olenya military airfield. Monitoring channels reported this on Wednesday, February 7.
If the flight is combat, we expect missile launches: approximately 4.30 - 5.30.
Then missiles in Ukrainian airspace: approximately 06.00 - 07.00.
“Don’t ignore alarms in the morning,” the message says.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force indicates that the enemy is attacking Ukraine with drones.
“Attention! Several groups of suicide bombers are in the north of the Dnepropetrovsk region, heading towards the Dnieper, Pavlograd! Uman, stay in shelters! Another group of suicide bombers is heading in your direction!” the message says.
Let us remind you that today Berislav in the Kherson region was attacked by Russian drones, a woman was injured.
It was also reported that the Russians shelled a hotel in the Kharkov region: a baby was killed.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] The Supreme Court of Kalmykia found natives of Dagestan Magomed Atimagomedov and Daud Kuramagomedov guilty of attempting to escape, murder and attempted murder, and disrupting the work of a colony. Atimagomedov was sentenced to 25 years in prison, and Kuramagomedov to life imprisonment.
As the "Caucasian Knot" reported, in September 2022, investigators in Kalmykia opened a criminal case against prisoners from Dagestan Magomed Atimagomedov and Daud (also referred to as Davud) Kuramagomedov, who are accused of attacking colony employees, on calls for mass riots. According to lawyers, their clients were severely beaten in the colony. Magomed Atimagomedov, who is accused of murdering a colony employee, said that he planned to escape because FSIN officers threatened to charge him with terrorism charges, but he was not involved in the murder, and signed the testimony under pressure. Atimagomedov is being threatened, he fears for his life, lawyer Aza Aliyeva reported in August 2022.
A court in Kalmykia found two defendants serving sentences in colony No. 2 guilty of attempted escape with the use of life-threatening violence, murder and attempted murder, and disruption of the activities of the colony. One of the prisoners was also accused of intentionally causing moderate bodily harm, and he was also found guilty under this article.
According to the investigation and the court, on August 5, 2022, two convicts deliberately “committed an attack on colony employees, causing them injuries of varying degrees of severity.” “As a result of the incident, the victims were taken to a medical institution, where one of them died, the second suffered serious harm to health. At the same moment, one of the accused attempted to murder one of the convicts serving a sentence in a correctional institution. Later that same day the accused entered the dormitory territory, where, resisting arrest, using the above objects, they used violence, including life-threatening violence, against six correctional facility employees who received injuries of varying severity,” the Investigative Committee of Russia for Kalmykia published the version of the investigation.
By a court verdict, one of the defendants was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 25 years of special regime with restriction of freedom for a period of two years, the second defendant in the criminal case was sentenced to life imprisonment in a special regime correctional colony. Compensation for moral damage in the amount of 1 million rubles each was recovered from those convicted in favor of the victim, as indicated in the department’s message on the page in “Contact” dated February 5.
Lawyer Aza Aliyeva reported that earlier her client and Kuramagomedov refused lawyers. In her opinion, this was a wrong decision and a shorter sentence could have been achieved - Atimagomedov was sentenced to 25 years in prison. “Atimagomedov <...> said that he made such a decision due to the fact that he wants to completely rely on the Almighty and accept what is destined for him without a fight. There were many violations and contradictions in the case, there were many opportunities in court to refer to those or other gaps in the investigation, but, alas, Magomed did not leave such an opportunity for me, as his defense attorney. It was a very wrong decision, but this is the decision of my client, and I cannot help but accept it," the lawyer replied, quoting her words "Draft".
Atimagomedov’s mother Zaira said that the family would really like to appeal the verdict, but her son has no plans, the publication says.
Aliyeva added that in connection with the torture case, four colony employees are in pre-trial detention center, one is under house arrest.
As the " Caucasian Knot " wrote, five colony employees were taken into custody on suspicion of using violence against prisoners. Natives of Dagestan who were beaten in the Kalmyk colony said that they were tortured by about 40 people, most of whom were not taken into custody, said the lawyer of one of the prisoners, Aza Aliyeva. In January 2023, four colony employees refused to admit guilt of involvement in torture, and another refused to answer questions when confronted. On March 12, 2023, it became known that the defense of one of the prisoners, Magomed Atimagomedov, managed to achieve the initiation of a second criminal case of torture against two colony employees, Baatar Bakanov and Arman Sagipov. On March 26, 2023, it became known about the arrest of a sixth suspect in torture.
Article Linked To Is Available Only Via VPN
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces repelled six attacks launched by assault groups of AFU 25th airborne, 30th, 44th Mechanised brigades and the 18th National Guard Brigade close to Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Terni (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy losses amounted to up to 35 Ukrainian troops and two motor vehicles.
In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line, and repelled two attacks of the AFU 60th Mechanised Brigade's assault groups near Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
In addition, strikes were delivered at AFU manpower and hardware close to Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic) and Serebryanka.
Up to 240 Ukrainian troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, and one 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system have been eliminated.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces have taken more advantageous lines and positions, repelled seven enemy attacks, and also hit AFU manpower and hardware close to Kleshcheyevka, Novgorodskoye, Georgiyevka, and Katerinovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy losses were up to 290 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, and three motor vehicles.
In addition, in the course of the counterbattery warfare, one U.S.-made M777 artillery howitzer, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, and one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar station were neutralised.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line, repelled two enemy attacks, and inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of AFU 58th mechanised infantry, 105th, 128th Territorial Defence brigades close to Staromayorskoye, Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic) and Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region).
The enemy lost up to 195 Ukrainian troops, one tank, and two motor vehicles.
One 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya and one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems were hit during the counterbattery warfare.
In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of AFU 128th Mountain Assault, 65th, 118th Mechanised brigades close to Rabotino, Nesteryanka, and Pyatikhatki (Zaporozhye region).
The enemy lost more than 95 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, and two pick-up trucks.
In the course of the counterbattery warfare, one 152mm D-20 howitzer and one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system were hit.
In Kherson direction, as a result of complex fire attack and actions of the Russian troops, the AFU lost up to 30 Ukrainian troops and two motor vehicles.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged one air-delivered ordnance depot, as well as manpower and hardware in 112 areas during the day.
Russian air defence forces have shot down two HIMARS MLRS projectiles during the day.
In addition, 30 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down close to Masyutovka (Kharkov region), Baranikovka, Lisichansk, Nikolayevka (Lugansk People's Republic), Otradovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Novaya Kakhovka and Alyoshki (Kherson region).
In total, 568 airplanes and 265 helicopters, 11,863 unmanned aerial vehicles, 462 air defence missile systems, 14,927 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,217 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,973 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 18,283 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:00 In the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine, an infrastructure facility was damaged, said the head of the local regional administration, Sergei Lysak.
Previously, an air raid alert was declared in the region twice.
19:50 The crew of the 122mm BM-21 MLRS "Grad" of the group of troops "South" disrupted the rotation of enemy units in forward positions -video.
19:25 Ukrainian propagandist Yuriy Butusov reports that the situation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Avdievka is becoming catastrophic
According to him, the command of the Ukrainian forces is throwing into battle everyone who can hold a weapon, including fighters from repair units. Butusov notes that most of them have already died, some were captured.
18:53 As the Russian infantry advances to Avdievka, the Ukrainian positions continue to be processed by the TOS-1 heavy flamethrower system. On video missiles with thermobaric warheads are used at the position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces mortar battery.
18:00 Ukrainian Telegram channels report missiles towards Novomoskovsk (Dnepropetrovsk region).
17:44 Explosions are heard in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Ukrainian media write about the work of air defense.
17:40 Ukrainian Telegram channels report missiles towards Dnepropetrovsk
16:55 T-72B3 crew of the Southern group of troops destroyed calculation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces anti-tank missile system in the Donetsk direction.
Our reconnaissance revealed the position of an enemy ATGM in a dilapidated private house. The crew of the T-72B3 tank immediately moved to the firing position and worked according to the issued coordinates. Objective monitoring footage confirmed the destruction of the target.
16:30 On February 5-6, active hostilities continued in the Kupyansk direction in the Sin'kovka area.
Units of the Russian Armed Forces, under the cover of artillery and aviation, bypass fortified enemy positions, advancing from the northwestern side from the forest area. Ukrainian resources confirm the loss of a number of positions under pressure from the Russian army. On the southern flank of the Kupyansk group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, our forces continue to consolidate in the area of Tabaevka, Kotlyarovka and Kislovka.
16:10 The repair and restoration brigade of district electrical networks (RES) was attacked by a drone of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU), said the head of the Yasinovatsky municipal district Dmitry Shevchenko.
“The RES emergency group, while performing repair and restoration work, was attacked by a VFU drone. There were no casualties. In this regard, we cannot yet completely eliminate the consequences of the night accident,” Shevchenko wrote on the Telegram channel.
He also added that part of the population in the city remains without electricity due to the shelling. Work will be resumed soon.
16:04 Military personnel of the Dnepr group of troops continue destroy military facilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the right bank of the Kherson region.
15:50 Enemy Bradley’s destruction in Avdievka –video.
14:47 Fighting in the Novomikhailovka area situation as of 14.00 January 6:
The Russian Armed Forces are quite successfully breaking through enemy defenses in the Novomikhailovka area. By the evening of February 5, it became known that Russian units had reached the eastern outskirts of the village towards Mira Street.
This became a logical development of the attack at the end of December, when an armored group of the Russian Armed Forces, having made passages in minefields, escaped to land on the northeastern outskirts of Novomikhailovka.
At the same time, before the assault, there was active UAV activity against enemy armored vehicles and passenger vehicles, which could not but affect supplies and, as a result, the stability of the defense.
However, even taking into account Novomikhailovka’s position in half-coverage, the situation for the enemy cannot be considered critical. Through Novomikhailovka and neighboring Paraskovievka there are roads to Konstantinovka, one of the main supply hubs, and therefore defense, in the South Donetsk direction. Thus, the village is one of the key ones in the current configuration, and one should not hope for easy progress.
14:25 The main thing from the new briefing of the Russian Ministry of Defense:
The Russian Armed Forces repelled two attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the South Donetsk direction;
The Russian Armed Forces continued to occupy more advantageous lines and positions in the Donetsk direction, repelling seven attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces per day;
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 195 military personnel in the South Donetsk direction;
The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donetsk direction amounted to up to 290 military personnel, a tank, 2 infantry fighting vehicles;
Over the course of a day, Russian troops improved their position along the front line in the Krasnolimansky direction;
Russian air defense shot down two HIMARS rounds and 30 Ukrainian Armed Forces drones in one day;
The Armed Forces of Ukraine lost up to 240 military personnel in the Krasnolimansk direction per day;
Russian troops destroyed a warehouse of aviation weapons of the Ukrainian Armed Forces;
The Russian military repelled six attacks by Ukrainian Armed Forces assault groups in the Kupyansk direction in one day.
14:20 Buk-M3 crews of the Central Military District intercepted air target in the Krasnolimansk direction. The battery commander with the call sign “One” spoke about the peculiarities of combat work.
13:58 The assault on the eastern outskirts of Novomikhailovka began again.
13:15 According to the Russian FSB Directorate for the DPR, 14 Ukrainian drones were suppressed over Donetsk and Makeyevka over the past 24 hours - reports the DPR Defense Headquarters
Also, two reconnaissance UAVs of the “Flying Wing” type were intercepted and sent for research to decipher flight missions.
13:00 The Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled the village of Butovo, Starobelsky district of the LPR. Presumably, the fire was fired from an American-made Himars MLRS, said the head of the Starobelsky municipality, Vladimir Chernev.
As a result of the shelling, a gas station caught fire. Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the administration of the Starobelsky district went to the scene. The fire was quickly localized.
Also, as a result of the shelling, the building of the bakery, which is located next to the gas station, was partially damaged.
None of the residents were injured as a result of the shelling.
12:49 Statement senior officer of the press center of the "West" group:
Units of the West group of forces continue to carry out operational missions in the Kupyansk direction.
Motorized rifle units, in cooperation with artillery, repelled seven attacks by assault groups of the 30th Mechanized Brigade, the 25th Airborne Brigade and the 13th National Guard Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Sin'kovka, Terny and Zhitlovka.
During the counterbattery fight in the Nadiya area, a mortar crew was destroyed.
The crew of the Buk-M3 anti-aircraft missile system under the command of Major Alexander Kruglikov destroyed a Ukrainian reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle.
Enemy losses in the Kupyansk direction amounted to up to 130 manpower, two pickup trucks, a mortar crew, an ammunition supply point and one unmanned aerial vehicle.
12:33 Yesterday, the Russian Armed Forces launched the most massive simultaneous artillery strike during the Northern Military District against positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkov and Sumy regions.
The impact lasted more than three hours. Huge losses among militants have already been reported. Hospitals and morgues in Kharkov and Sumy are receiving large numbers of wounded people.
Information also appeared that, taking into account this shelling, the Ukrainian average daily irretrievable losses exceeded 3,000 militants!
12:20 Personnel combat use of FPV drones of the “Southern” group of troops in the Donetsk direction.
Over the course of a week, crews of the group’s FPV drones disrupted three rotations of nationalists near strongholds, destroying at least 70 military personnel and three pieces of equipment.
12:12 Avdievka. Russian fighters continue to develop success in residential development, the advance west of the quarry was approximately 600 meters deep and 600 meters wide.
11:49 Statement Head of the press center of the Vostok group:
Units of the Vostok group of troops continue to carry out combat missions in the South Donetsk direction.
Bomber strikes and artillery fire hit strongholds and manpower concentration areas of the 1st Presidential Brigade, the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade and the 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Urozhainy, Ugledar and Vodyanoy, four temporary deployment points and a field ammunition depot were destroyed.
During the day, an attack by assault groups of the 128th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Priyutnoye area was repelled and four attempts to carry out rotations at forward positions in the Staromayorskoye and Ravnopol areas were thwarted.
Enemy losses amounted to more than 145 military personnel, two armored combat vehicles and three vehicles.
11:36 In Avdievka, according to operational information, our troops advanced along Zheleznodorozhny Lane, taking the enemy’s platoon stronghold. About 300 meters are occupied.
Also, the progress in Pervomaisky on Pershotravnevaya Street is being clarified.
11:31 Consequences of dropping an explosive object from an enemy drone onto Station Square in the Kievsky district of Donetsk -photo.
11:22 Destruction of an enemy howitzer using Lancet in the South Donetsk direction -video.
10:58 APU dropped ammunition from a drone onto a shuttle bus in Donetsk. Information about the victims and injured is being clarified.
10:20 The situation in Avdieivka for the Ukrainian Armed Forces continues to deteriorate, reports the Ukrainian military public page Deep State.
According to him, Russian troops again advanced in the northern part of the city. They are focusing on establishing themselves in the old Avdeevka and the holiday village near the coking plant. In addition, they are trying to occupy the bridge over the railway.
According to Bild military observer Julian Röpke, the situation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Avdiivka is beginning to resemble Bakhmut.
09:55 The criminal Kiev regime continues to fire at the civilian infrastructure of settlements on the left bank of the Kherson region, yesterday during the day the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired from cannon artillery:
-- n.p. Dnepryan two rounds;
-- n.p. Kazachi Lagerya five rounds;
-- n.p. Staraya Zburevka two rounds;
-- n.p. Alyosha four rounds;
-- n.p. Novaya Mayachka two rounds.
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the village. Proletarka, n.p. Peschanivka, n.p. Korsunka, n.p. Aleshki, firing a total of 13 rounds from cannon artillery.
Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being determined.
09:29 Ukrainian troops left a large fortified area near Donetsk, - adviser to the head of the DPR Igor Kimakovsky.
09:22 In Zolochev, Khar'kov region, two rockets hit a private hotel at night. One rocket hit, the second fell 30 meters away.
The building housed up to 50 soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, presumably from the national formation “Kraken”, reports “Director for Ukraine”.
09:10 Bakhmut direction: positional battles near Chasov Yar. Situation as of 9.00 February 6:
After a successful push through the landings to Ivanovskoye at the end of January, the Russian Armed Forces were able to advance deep into the settlement and north of the T-0504 highway, occupying at least part of the landing overlooking the reservoirs east of the village. Artillery strikes are carried out on enemy forces.
Ukrainian formations relatively successfully counterattacked to the south, between Kleshcheevka and Ivanovsky, knocking out Russian forces from some of the landings, but were unable to gain a foothold. In fact, communication with the forward detachments has not been disrupted. The landings left by the Russian Armed Forces remained in a gray zone, since neither side could occupy the fortifications due to mutual FPV-UAV strikes.
Units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine do not stop carrying out engineering work in the rear, including to the west of the Seversky Donets - Donbass canal, which the Russian Armed Forces are preventing to the best of their ability. Counterbattery warfare is being carried out using both conventional artillery and missiles. In Konstantinovka, an Iskander strike allegedly destroyed the HIMARS MLRS.
On the northern flank in the Bogdanovka area, neither side is taking active offensive actions. Enemy positions in the village itself and its environs are being hit with drones, but without any attempts to advance by the Russian Armed Forces due to the vulnerable location of Bogdanovka in the lowlands.
08:19 Su-34 fighter-bombers struck hit at the enemy control point in the Kupyansk direction.
The airstrike was carried out by unguided FAB-500 aerial bombs with a universal planning and correction module.
08:14 Advancement of the Russian Armed Forces in the Priyutnoye area. Situation as of 8.00 February 6:
Since the end of January - beginning of February, the Russian Armed Forces have been launching attacks north of Priyutnoye. Due to the high saturation of the area with mines and FPV drones, the use of armored groups is difficult and leads to losses of equipment.
Therefore, all attempts to advance are carried out by infantry groups with the support of artillery and drones. At the moment, Russian units were able to cling to the Kutsaya beam and ponds north of the settlement.
At the same time, VKS aviation, as well as howitzers and MLRS, are striking targets in Levadnoye, Novodarovka and Rovnopol. It is with the support of these settlements that the enemy’s defenses for plantings in this area are built.
08:10 Over the past 24 hours, the armed formations of Ukraine carried out further artillery attack territory of the DPR.
As a result of artillery attack using 155mm artillery in the village. A woman born in 1962 died in Komsomolsky Volnovakhsky district.
In addition, within 24 hours, Ukrainian militants shelled the Kirovsky and Petrovsky districts of Donetsk, the Nikitovsky district of Gorlovka and the Yasinovatsky district, using 155mm caliber artillery, including with a cluster warhead.
In total, two residential buildings and one civilian infrastructure facility were damaged by DPR shelling.
08:07 The Viking special forces detachment of the Southern Group of Forces destroyed an electronic warfare installation, an ammunition depot and about 12 Ukrainian military personnel in the Donetsk direction -video.
08:05 Crews of 152mm Msta-S howitzers destroyed closed firing positions of Ukrainian Armed Forces artillery in the Kupyansk direction -video.
08:00 Summary on the morning of February 6, 2024:
The Kherson direction is characterized by the Russian Armed Forces hunting for operators of enemy UAVs; some successes in the direction are reported. In general, there are no significant changes in the situation; our aviation and artillery are striking the enemy bank of the Dnieper. Along Krynki, FABs do not operate on our shore: apparently due to the proximity of the positions of our troops and the enemy.On the Zaporozhye front, rain and wind yesterday made it difficult to use drones. After artillery barrage, units of the Russian Armed Forces knocked out the enemy from several positions near Rabotino. Verbovoy repelled several attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Yesterday, our troops in the South Donetsk direction, after long weeks of fighting, broke into the outskirts of the village. Novomikhailovka, consolidated their position and began clearing the settlement. The fighting in Georgievka west of Mar'inka is taking place on the same lines.
On the southern ledge of the Avdeevsky direction in Pervomaisky there is an advance of our troops. From the north, our troops approached the outskirts of Avdievka in the area of Zheleznodorozhny Lane, in the south there are battles on Sportivnaya Street.
West of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut), the offensive operations of our troops continue at Kleshcheevka, near Ivanovsky (Krasny) and Bogdanovka.
To the south of Kremennaya, the Russian Armed Forces are fighting near Belogorovka. North-west of Svatovo, the zone of control of our Army at Tabaevka is expanding.
The enemy is expecting offensive actions by our troops in the Kharkov direction, is building fortified areas, and is tightening the rules for staying in the front-line zone.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Petr Akopov
[REGNUM] Tucker Carlson flew to Russia for an interview with Vladimir Putin - you've probably already heard this news. The American TV star, kicked out of Fox last year, a staunch Trump supporter, a harsh critic of Biden and American policy in Ukraine, will speak with the Russian president - and this will be really interesting for Carlson’s multi-million American audience.
But why should this be important to us in Russia?
Weird question? But this is exactly what many critics of “tuckerophilia” ask, ridiculing the worship of the visiting American. Like, why are you looking everywhere for the machinations of the West, identifying foreign agents, and fawning over Carlson? “Carlson went to the Bolshoi Theater”, “The car that carries Carlson left the presidential administration”, “Carlson watched “The Master and Margarita” - some media and telegram channels really “catch the hype” on the attention to the guest.
Funny? It’s funny, but a whole theory has already been built from this.
The essence of the theory is that Russia, like a rejected bride, is still waiting for recognition from the West - if not from the mainstream, then at least from rebels like Carlson. They say that we have no independence and self-respect, we understand our inferiority against the backdrop of real powers, and so the American guest becomes an object of worship. And everything, they say, because with them, in the West, everything is real and competitive, but with us, they say, there is only imitation and totalitarianism. Where, they say, are our domestic “Carlsons” - popular among the people and in opposition to the authorities? There are none, they say they all flew abroad or were excommunicated from the media. And the authorities, they say, don’t even understand that with their worship of Carlson they only emphasize their internal squalor and their longing for their lost involvement in the West...
Is it okay, creative?
No, it’s just pathetic, because in order to see the situation this way, you need to have absolutely Smerdyakov-like thinking.
Yes, we have enough stupidity and primitiveness in our propaganda - some media use unknown Western experts only because of their criticism of Western policy in Ukraine (despite the fact that there are many authoritative analysts who analyze the weak poihttps://regnum.ru/opinion/3865420nts of American policy), they exploit mischievous sentiments... All this is there, like the stupid hype on Carlson’s arrival. But in the case of Tucker, he is exploited in the same way as some Blinovskaya or the heroes of the “naked party”, that is, the media simply gather an audience on a “clickable” person. To see this as servility to the West is as stupid as to suspect a Ukrainian agent in a doctor, a graduate of the Lvov Medical Institute. It is necessary to separate the media noise around Carlson’s arrival from the real significance of this event, that is, the upcoming interview with Putin.
Russia does not need the approval of the West, nor the recognition by the Trumpists of the greatness of Russia and Putin, we have entered into a long-term ideological and geopolitical conflict with the Atlantic globalist elite leading the West.
At the same time, our elites are, to put it mildly, heterogeneous, and there are enough people in them who grew up in real servility before “developed civilizations.” There are also plenty of them among those who engage in propaganda, and they often take everything to the point of caricature, to the point of absurdity.
Not because of any sabotage, but simply because of absolute rejection of what is happening: they have no fundamental understanding of the causes of the conflict between Russia and the West, no idea of Russia’s national interests, no national self-awareness. And therefore, their anti-Western propaganda is not based on serious analysis, but on its imitation or exploitation of primitive emotions and banal xenophobia. There is zero benefit from such “agitation and propaganda” (uniting the people is achieved by other methods), but the potential harm is palpable.
There are also those in the elite who truly believe in the possibility of eventually “returning everything the way it was,” including in relations with the West: making peace and forgetting, again becoming a junior partner of the globalists. But these people not only do not determine Russia’s policy, but every year they will lose their positions and influence. Strategically they are doomed, and therefore their longing for the West has no practical meaning.
However, the presence of these excesses does not negate the fact that the United States itself is now experiencing an acute internal crisis, and its development is of great importance for us. Not because supposedly “we won’t win otherwise” (in Ukraine and in general). And not because our main bet is that “America will fall apart.”
There is a much more correct explanation.
The United States itself has made Russia an important participant in its crisis, both domestic and international. And if with the second everything is clear - the bet on Ukraine’s separation from Russia led to a proxy war between us and the Americans, which in turn intensified our efforts to form a world order alternative to the Atlantic one, then with the first it is even more interesting.
The American elite itself dragged Russia into its internal squabbles when, during the 2016 elections, it began to promote the topic of “Russian interference.” For eight years now, Trump has been branded as a “Russian puppet,” despite the fact that most Americans do not believe either in his connection with Russia or that our country somehow contributed to his election as president.
During the current presidential campaign, the Russian theme is heard mainly in terms of the threat of direct war with Russia. Trump scares voters that Biden will drag the United States into a war (even a nuclear one) with the Russians, and Biden accuses Trump of handing over Ukraine to Putin and then the Americans will have to fight for Europe. The Americans don’t want to fight in any case, and their support for Ukraine is gradually decreasing, so the “Russian theme” becomes an additional argument in favor of the already leading Trump.
It would be at least strange if Russia did not use this to its advantage, that is, did not play along with Trump (including through Putin’s interview with Carlson, in which our president denounces Biden as a “warmonger”).
We do not expect that, upon returning to the White House, Trump will surrender Ukraine to us (which is basically impossible, even if he had a desire to “exchange” it - the West’s bets on Ukraine’s separation from Russia have deep-rooted historical and geopolitical reasons). But Trump's election victory will take the internal political division in the United States to a new level. This reason alone - and the election of Trump will also provoke serious problems between the United States and Europe - would be enough for Vladimir Putin to agree to an interview with Tucker Carlson. Although he will not be Trump’s vice president (rumors are periodically spread on this topic), he has already become an influential player in the American political field.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Dmitry Astrakhan
[REGNUM] During the SVO, photographs periodically appear in which soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces are armed with weapons of past generations, sometimes even from the time of the Great Patriotic War. And on the enemy side, the use of such weapons is simply a massive phenomenon.
Each photo provokes not only military-technical discussions, but also leads to heated public discussions. But with them everything is more or less clear. On the one hand, mockery of the outdated weapons used by the Ukrainian native infantry was for some time one of the favorite topics of our media people.
The real characteristics of the weapon were never taken into account. When photos of reservists from the DPR and LPR appeared in February 2022, in which steel helmets, Soviet duffel bags and weapons of different years of production were massively present, “experts” again played their role. I remember that back then you could read about the highest characteristics of the rifle with which “our grandfathers reached Berlin,” and even about the horror that this rifle brought to NATO.
In fact, weapons from the 1940s were widely used from the very beginning of the conflict. It's just that in many cases it's not as obvious to the general public. Both we and the enemy widely use the Soviet heavy-caliber DShK machine gun, which, by the way, is loved by users. This also applies to the American Browning M2 machine gun, which was massively supplied to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Both machine guns are popular in their class and have been used in almost every military conflict from World War II to the present day, so they are often considered modern weapons. Moreover, in both cases the cartridges have not changed and continue to remain the basic type of ammunition.
Machine guns chambered for a rifle cartridge are also not so rare. The enemy received a large number of German MG3s, which are a modernization of the MG42 for the common NATO cartridge. Well, the MG42, in fact, is the same “saw” with which the Wehrmacht fought throughout the war. Soviet DP/DPM machine guns from the Great Patriotic War also appear periodically at the front. Our caliber has not changed, so they can be used if necessary.
Interestingly, in the USSR in 1946 there was a modernization called RP-46, the main change of which was the transition from the characteristic disk magazine to tape feeding. Certain types of kits for converting DP to RP-46 were produced in several countries at once and are even now being produced for the civilian market in the USA. I think that if the use of these machine guns becomes widespread, then we will see their conversion to a belt version soon. Actually, the store was the main drawback of the original system.
Separately among small arms are types that, for various reasons, were considered obsolete. This is exactly the case with light machine guns, primarily RPD. It became the first machine gun chambered for an intermediate belt-fed cartridge, essentially creating an entire class of weapons. But for financial reasons it was withdrawn from service in the USSR and replaced by the RPK. And later the cartridge was changed. Then the entire class of light machine guns was called into question, and we approached the SVO with a view of them as an outdated weapon. But the “big war” showed that this may not be entirely true; the discussion about their usefulness is in full swing. At the front it is not uncommon to hear that one would like to have more light machine guns. Especially if not instead of, but in addition to systems chambered for a rifle cartridge.
Definitely outdated weapons are submachine guns, especially of the military and first post-war generations. Their massive use was noted by the Ukrainian side, which took them both from its own reserve warehouses and received them from abroad. The usefulness of such weapons is clearly limited to territorial defense, self-defense weapons and other auxiliary functions. Fortunately, only a few trophy specimens have been spotted on our side so far.
Pistols stand apart. For most military users, the pistol is not the primary weapon, so its functions are not very related to performance. There are exceptions, but they are not massive compared to the total number of troops. Therefore, to a reasonable extent, we can say that outdated pistols may well perform their functions. It’s definitely better to have an outdated TT than nothing if such a problem arises.
It is important to understand that among the old models of small arms there are those that can be used either in their original role or in a new one. Also, if you approach the issue thoughtfully, with the help of old models you can strengthen the capabilities of units in certain tasks if they enter service as an addition to modern standard equipment. However, many samples may require certain modifications, installation of modern sights, replacement of wooden parts, and so on.
Every time Maxim’s machine gun flashes in the photo, you don’t have to shout that everything is lost. It is important to first understand the technique and tactics of the issue, and not just swing on an emotional swing.
But enough with technology and history. Since weapons have been at war for a long time, many were able to visit the “receiving” side. Let's start with the fact that both Brownings and Soviet DShKs shoot no worse than modern heavy machine guns. But they are still placed either on stationary points or on cars. And so I have never met a single person who would like to be under their fire. Moreover, taking into account the greater accuracy of fire, they are in no way inferior to modern Utyos.
Situations where Maxim machine guns, correctly installed at strong points and designed for long-term firing, created big problems for the attackers were also not isolated. And no one made malicious jokes about Chapaev and the carts at that moment, I can assure you. Such jokes are written by those who have never come under Maxim’s fire. And I have never seen anyone throw away these outdated weapons with the words “why do I need an extra machine gun?!”
So the way you look at a weapon and joke about it very much depends on which side of the gun you are on at that moment. If you look from the muzzle, many things look different.
#1
...Fella on YouTube named Mark Felton has an interesting video on this subject (and many others)- actually documented a surprising number of WWII era German vehicles and weapons in the Middle East.
Posted by: Chris ||
02/07/2024 8:25 Comments ||
Top||
#3
The Russians are even breaking out WW1 weapons. Granted they are for the security forces in the out regions where most people don't have weapons, so it works. But still...
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The command of the Ukrainian army expects that the Russian Armed Forces will launch a large-scale offensive in the Kharkov region in March, the American magazine Forbes said on February 3, citing sources in the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
As journalists were told, the Russian army has prepared 500 tanks, hundreds of howitzers, as well as 40 thousand military personnel for an attack in the Kupyansk direction. According to the publication, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have concentrated 20 thousand military personnel in this area, as well as armored vehicles and artillery, but the Ukrainian side has an acute shortage of shells.
It is reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces fire about 2 thousand shells per day, and the Russian army 10 thousand. This allows the latter not to fear counter-battery fire from Ukraine, journalists noted.
According to Forbes, the Ukrainian command is strengthening the garrison in Kupyansk, and additional trenches are being dug there.
As Regnum reported, military expert Andrei Marochko reported on February 6 that Russian units located in the Kharkov region, during the last 24 hours, during attacks on positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, violated their military logistics north and northeast of Kharkov. He noted that the Russian Armed Forces are also striking the forward positions of the Ukrainian army in this region, weakening the Ukrainian group of troops.
British expert Alexander Mercouris said on February 4 that Kiev needs to agree to negotiations with Moscow, otherwise Ukraine may lose the Kharkov region. In his opinion, if Russia liberates the region, its residents will want to join it. The expert is confident that this will not be the last loss for the Kyiv regime.
#1
Russia has an election for President scheduled for 15-17 March.
Back in 2018, Putin got about 78% of the vote in the previous Presidential election. According to election statisticians, of Putin's 56M votes, about 10M were added illegally by the vote counting officials.
Posted by: lord garth ||
02/07/2024 0:16 Comments ||
Top||
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kamran Hasanov
[REGNUM] Vladimir Putin's visit to Turkey, planned for February, became one of the key events in international politics even before it began.
Until recently, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was hardly behind Alexander Lukashenko in the frequency of meetings with the Russian leader. This is despite the fact that Turkey is a NATO country, and Belarus is in a military-political and economic union with Russia.
After the start of the SVO, the Turkish leader began to lag behind “Batka”. The reasons are clear. On the one hand, in wartime conditions the already high security requirements increased by an order of magnitude. On the other hand, it is not easy for Ankara to choose between the West and Ukraine on the one hand and Russia on the other.
But what still unites Erdogan and Lukashenko is that it was Minsk and Istanbul that became the first platforms for attempts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.
Despite his difficult situation related to NATO membership and economic dependence on the West, Recep Erdogan found opportunities to meet with the Russian president.
Last September he himself came to Sochi.
Then he was unable to agree on the “grain deal”; mediation on Ukraine was also frozen due to the hype around the “counter-offensive”. But decisions were made on the gas hub and alternatives to the “grain deal” were discussed. And joint projects in trade and energy not only remained intact, but also increased in volume. Trade turnover amounted to over $60 billion, and the prospect of construction by Russian forces of another Turkish nuclear power plant in Sinop loomed ahead.
Even if Turkey tries to adhere to “multi-vector”, relations between our countries are often influenced by the totality of events and their context.
We remember the tense negotiations on Syria in March 2020, when the “Crossing the Balkans” figurine flaunted behind the presidents’ backs, reminiscent of the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, the memory of which is sacred to Erdogan. One can also recall the lateness of one or the other president to negotiations. There were also funny moments - probably the most memorable was how Putin treated his colleague to ice cream at the MAKS-2019 air show.
The specificity of our countries is that they both have historical and geopolitical ambitions in the adjacent regions of the Caucasus, Balkans, Middle East, Mediterranean and Black Sea. This alone can cause conflicts, which countries have felt most clearly in Syria. And on top of these ambitions is another important variable—Turkey’s relations with its NATO partners.
As during the Sochi meeting, the Western factor can bring some negativity. Two months before Sochi, Erdogan gave the go-ahead for Sweden to join NATO, lobbied for Ukraine to join NATO and extradited to the latter militants of Azov, which is banned in Russia (an organization whose activities are banned in the Russian Federation).
This time, “gifts” also arrived from the Turkish side.
Turkey's ruling party ratified Sweden's entry into NATO, and a certain rapprochement with the West immediately emerged. Last week, the EU took two steps forward - it invited Turkey to the transport corridor from Central Asia and, at the level of foreign ministers, outlined its intention to improve relations with Ankara.
Dependent on Western investment and trade, Turkey needs normal relations with European and American political elites: they create a favorable investment climate. International rating agencies Standard & Poor's (S&P) and Moody's have upgraded Turkey's credit rating from stable to positive and expect inflation to slow from 65% to 45% by the end of the year.
The Americans are also giving positive signals, promising not today or tomorrow to hand over F-16 fighters and, under certain conditions, to return Turkey to the F-35 development program.
Positive relations with the EU and the US are certainly important for crisis-ridden Turkey. However, as practice has shown, the drift towards the West does not result in a “turn to the West”, and various “unpleasant things” turn out to be unable to upset the positive balance between Dolmabahce and the Kremlin.
At the Sochi meeting, the two leaders, according to Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, did not even discuss the “sensitive topic” of the transfer of Ukrainian militants to Kiev. The presidents focused on positive topics such as nuclear power plants, gas pipes and the supply of 1 million tons of grain to be milled in Turkey and sent from there to poor countries in Africa. On the controversial topic of the grain corridor, which is of great concern to Turkey, Erdogan even expressed an understanding of the reasons for Russia’s withdrawal from the deal.
The topics outlined at the last face-to-face meeting remain relevant today.
Erdogan will again try to raise the topic of the “grain deal”, seeking the implementation of at least an alternative plan for the export of Russian products with financing from Qatar. Specific details are possible regarding the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Sinop. On the issue of trade, it is important to develop mechanisms to overcome Western sanctions and establish mutual payments, including using rubles and liras.
Nowhere without geopolitics.
Putin and Erdogan will not ignore the topic of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Both Russia and Turkey want normalization on their borders and do not intend to let NATO in. The topic of the Middle East is also very relevant. Both Turkey and Russia support the creation of a Palestinian state and are alarmed by the expansion of hostilities involving the Houthis, Iran, the United States and Britain.
Ukraine remains the most important and interesting topic for Russia.
Erdogan, through the media, has already tested the ground several times for Ankara’s return to the mediation mission. Turkish journalists wrote about their leader's new proposal. And this is really more than rumors. A month ago, Erdogan himself offered Zelensky mediation, and after that he said that Putin intended to complete the special operation “as soon as possible.” Assistant to the Russian President Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Ukraine will become one of the main topics of negotiations.
Thus, we can say with confidence that the upcoming meeting of the presidents is not just a return guest visit, although any trip by Putin abroad, especially to a NATO country, is a sensation. Putin and Erdogan have a lot to discuss and decide.
Judging by how the West is putting pressure on Turkey and how poorly things are going for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the theater of operations, the results of the negotiations are of great intrigue.
Erdogan will most likely cope with Western pressure.
Winking at Europe and the United States, he gets closer to their opponents. He recently met with his Iranian counterpart Ibrahim Raisi and agreed to fight terrorism, hinting at Kurdish separatism. Contacts with the Gulf countries are being actively promoted. There are even hints of recognition of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
But with the mediation mission everything is much more complicated.
The Turkish leader's desire alone is not enough. The West does not stop stuffing Ukraine with weapons and is moving on a “war footing.” Nevertheless, in any case, Erdogan will present the meeting with Putin as a new step in Turkey’s efforts to end the war. Moscow, even if it does not have illusions about a settlement, still considers Turkey’s actions useful. It is no coincidence that Putin called the Istanbul negotiations a “breakthrough.”
Posted by: badanov ||
02/07/2024 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
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