rocketman

I was born and grew up in former Yugoslavia (not Serbian) which does make me quite partial to Ukrainians. I checked with my former coworkers of Ukranian origins and they fully endorse the following:
https://www.patreon.com/uaexplainers
21 HOURS AGO
9 things people still don’t get about Ukraine
Thoughts from a bunch of stubborn Ukrainians after eight months of the invasion. Feel free to share this with people who still find it hard to understand why Ukrainians think or act in certain ways.
1. Ukraine will never surrender.
This is an existential war for Ukrainians. If we stop fighting, our homes will be turned into rubble, our children will be taken away, and our people will face mass terror. Every place that experienced Russian occupation in Ukraine has a similar story to tell: a story of mass graves, torture chambers, filtration camps, and forced deportations.
All that means that Ukrainians are prepared to fight no matter how long it takes – because they are fighting for survival. Nobody “makes” Ukrainians fight – not the government and most certainly not the Western arms. With or without military or political support from the democratic world, Ukraine will keep on resisting – because we are fighting for our right to exist.
For us, the reality of perpetual military resistance is more acceptable than the reality of the Russian occupation.
2. None of us is okay – even if we say we are.
In the first weeks following the February 24 invasion, Ukrainians were in a state of shock and terror. The shock passed, but the collective trauma never started to heal. Every day people across Ukraine keep dying from Russian shelling. Every week new stories of horror of Russia’s genocidal campaign emerge. Each week brings a new little catastrophe – and every week a little part of us quietly dies inside.
This has become the new norm Ukrainians are learning to navigate. So, when you ask a Ukrainian friend or colleague whether they’re okay, keep in mind that this question has lost its meaning to most of us. We are not okay and we don’t know if we’ll ever be okay again.
But we keep holding on. In a way, trying to be okay as Ukrainians is the final act of resistance against Russia’s attempt to wipe out everything that is Ukraine.
3. Ukraine is fighting against Russian colonialism, not just Putin.
Putin may have pulled the trigger, but the root of the invasion lies deeper than the current regime in Russia. For centuries, Russia has led colonial conquests from Eastern Europe to the Pacific Far East. It conquered and assimilated multiple indigenous peoples – and exterminated those who resisted.
Russian colonialism remained largely under the radar this whole time, and its crimes are much less studied. As a result, the Russian imperial worldview has remained unchecked and unchallenged – and has expressed itself in multiple invasions since 1991: Transnistria, Ichkeria, Chechnya, Georgia, Ukraine, and Syria.
The war might be paused when Putin’s regime implodes, but Ukrainians know all too well that a lasting peace is only possible with a decolonized and disarmed Russia that rethinks its past and future.
Until then, the untamed beast of Russian colonialism will seek to continue its imperial conquest in Ukraine and elsewhere.
4. Russian-speaking Ukrainians are not “more Russian.”
Yes, most Ukrainians are bilingual. Yes, 26% of Ukrainians are Russian-first speakers and 27% speak an equal amount of Russian and Ukrainian in their daily lives. But do you know why?
While some foreigners still believe that it has mostly to do with ethnicity and political ideology, the widespread use of the Russian language in Ukraine is mostly the result of centuries-old Russification policy.
Since the 19th century, Ukrainians were deliberately banned from using their language in education, labor, and public spheres of life. The Russification process prevailed throughout Soviet rule. As a result, millions of Ukrainians switched to Russian and deliberately hid their Ukrainian traces. And Ukraine learned to exist successfully as a nation of bilinguals.
So, if you meet Ukrainians who speak Russian in their daily lives, do not assume they are “more Russian” than any other Ukrainian or that they support Russia in any way. They probably have a more interesting story to tell about language and identity – just ask them.
5. Ukraine never had a Nazi problem.
Not only Nazis in Ukraine had nothing to do with Russia’s invasion, but the entire notion of Ukraine being run by the far-right is and always has been ridiculous.
The story of a “dangerous Nazi regime in Kyiv” has always been nothing more than a Russian propaganda myth. The idea of “Banderites” running amok was first voiced on Russian state TV when Ukrainians went to the streets to protest against a corrupt dictatorship in 2013. As Russia invaded and destabilized parts of Ukraine in 2014, it kept weaponizing and feeding the Nazi myth thus justifying its involvement and legitimizing the occupation.
Ukraine’s far-right movements have always been marginal and never had more than 5% of public support combined. Unlike many European states that do have a problem with far-right populism or Russia – a country running on aggressive fascist ethnonationalism for decades – Ukraine never really had a Nazi problem.
There is nothing humane or intellectual in trying to justify a brutal genocidal campaign by parroting propaganda claims crafted by the Kremlin. At this point, anyone trying to counterbalance Russian war crimes by appealing to the “Nazis in Ukraine” narrative is either a paid Russian shill or just a useful idiot. There is no point talking to these people anymore – we just need to stop providing them with a platform for spreading fascist propaganda.
6. Ukraine is a democracy. Zelensky acts as our representative.
Ukraine is not perfect. The issues with social trust, corruption, and poor state management have persisted for decades and hurt our country in various ways. But Ukrainians always fought back whenever authoritarianism loomed over: they protested in 2004 after a rigged election, and overthrew a corrupt wannabe dictator in 2014.
And yes, Ukraine still has a lot to improve – which would have been a lot easier if we didn’t have to constantly defend ourselves from Russia’s territorial aggression since 2014. But despite an external threat, Ukraine remained devoted to democratic values and reforms.
Not many people understand that Zelensky – a President who received 73% of the public’s vote in 2019 – always speaks and acts on behalf of the Ukrainian people. Following the full-scale invasion, Zelensky’s actions received praise and support from 91% of Ukrainians.
There has never been such a clear connection between the President and the people in Ukraine – and there are probably not a lot of examples of such political unity in modern-day democracies. All notions of Zelensky forcing anything onto Ukrainians are completely out of touch with reality.
7. We will not shut up. Not anymore.
For too long, the Ukrainian perspectives were silenced by Russia and pro-Russian sentiments around the globe. Like many other nations colonized by Russia, Ukraine had to shut up and, at best, politely debate whatever Russians had to say.
This colonial legacy has stayed long after 1991. Ukrainians were consistently denied agency: their pro-EU and pro-NATO choices were explained through conspiracies about the “US and NATO aggressive expansion.” Discussions about Ukraine often happened without Ukrainians themselves but with well-established carriers of the Russian colonial views on Ukraine.
All of this must remain in the past. We will not shut up and listen to another round of Russian imperial bull****, casual tone-deaf Westsplaining, or another Russian state-sponsored gaslighting campaign.
As the genocide against our people continues, we will remain unapologetically Ukrainian – and we will make sure our voices are loud and clear from now on.
8. Yes, we think all Russians are responsible for the war.
Ukrainians do not blame just Putin or the elites for the war – we blame the entire Russian nation. Putin and his cronies do not personally launch high-precision missiles at residential buildings. They don’t torture and mutilate civilians living under occupation. They don’t take away Ukrainian children and don’t try to “re-educate” them. They don’t loot, rape, and murder us. They don’t attack Ukrainians abroad or online. Ordinary Russians do all those things. All while the rest of them are silently and passively going along with the genocide for 8 months – or running away from their country and responsibility.
Those who fight against Putin’s regime carry the burden of responsibility as well. Even if they tried to make it right – they failed, and that’s just a fact. They failed as a state, as a society, and now millions of Ukrainians are suffering from genocide because of this ongoing collective failure.
Until Russians recognize and own this political responsibility, there is nothing for us to talk about. Ukrainians have the right to a safe space without Russians – without their point of view, narratives, or offers to help. And there’s nothing hateful about that. It’s a matter of personal safety and healing trauma.
Keep in mind that, unlike most people around the world, Ukrainians have lived close to Russians for centuries. We speak and understand their language – and we can follow their conversations on social media and in real life. We know how xenophobic, chauvinistic, and cynical the average Russians are. And we perfectly realize how their imperial attitudes have made this war possible in the first place.
9. Ukrainians are afraid of what comes next. But we won’t surrender to our fears.
Some people think that Ukraine’s stubbornness may lead to a full-blown world war or a nuclear catastrophe. What these people fail to understand is that Ukrainians want peace more than anyone in the world. It’s our homes getting pillaged. It’s our children being murdered.
The only country that tries to occupy a sovereign state all while blackmailing the rest of the world with nuclear catastrophe is Russia. Like it or not, the genie is out of the box – Russia is already a fascist dictatorship on nukes that invades its neighbors. It is already a threat to global security – and this has nothing to do with the way Ukraine resists. The entire notion that Ukraine can “escalate” the war by defending itself from an invasion within its internationally recognized borders is just absurd victim-blaming.
Ukrainians are afraid every night as we go to sleep and every morning while reading news of more death and destruction. But if we let our fears consume us, Russia will most likely win, and its illegal invasion, genocide, and nuclear blackmail will be rewarded. And this outcome is exactly what leads to another world war.
As Dmytro Kuleba recently said on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, “It’s absolutely normal not to have fear, yet to be afraid.” And that is exactly how it feels to be Ukrainian these eight months.

Yes, also for future releases on Steam. If you buy from Battlefront they don't lose a part of the profit to Steam, so support them and buy here.

Operation Interflex (the training of UA troops in UK) is ongoing. I am enrolled in the Norwegian Heimevernet (Territorial Defense) and we recently were offered to volunteer for participation in the operation. Currently the norwegian instructors are from the Rapid Response Force of Brigade North, but now they are asking for more instructors from the reserves. 
https://www.forsvaret.no/heimevernet/aktuelt/operasjon-interflex
There will be two contingents, one January-April 2023 and one April-July 2023. The norwegian instructors will get a three weeks refresher course in Norway before leaving for UK, but there are of course requirements that they posses the required qualifications.
The UA troops will get 5 weeks of intensive training. No details about how many troops are to be trained, but 10.000 were trained in the initial phase of 120 days. Hopefully a lot more can be trained now that the number of instructors will increase.
Edit: There are rumours of gross salaries of 120k NOK a month (11.4k USD), so the pay is really good. But there will be work around the clock with very little leave.

Despite scarcity of information, there are reports of very strong Ukrainian counterattack south of Bakhmut, partially confirmed by RU sources. They pushed Dirlewagnerites out of Asphalt Factory behind M03 road. If true, they lost almost everything they have there from May - significant Ukrainian success.
Short clip from Zaitsevo:
https://twitter.com/TuiteroMartin/status/1583745617347870723
 

Put simply:
1. The intelligence haul from Russians fleeing is going to be higher than the risks of additional Russian operatives among those fleeing. 
2. Every 30 year old productive male subtracted from the Russian economy and/or the Russian military manpower pool is a win for the West.
3. We are fighting a war of systems. A continuously demonstrated desire, among the best and brightest in Russia, that ours is better never stops being a good thing.

The NBA on TNT just did a long gut wrenching piece with follow-up commentary on the War in Ukraine.  (For the non-Americans, it is a very popular NBA pre-game show featuring Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neill, etc.  Large audience that probably doesn't spend much time reading up on this war.)   It featured one of O'Neill's former teammates who is Ukrainian and joined the fight.  At the end, they listed a fundraising site to donate.
This is the type of exposure that helps fuel American support for the Ukrainians.   To keep the war front and center in the minds of the American taxpayer--the voters.  It was a welcome site to see.  I'll post a link to the video if I can find it.
 
 

The Russians are not going to get the point that they have lost this war until and unless the power goes out in Moscow, and stays out for a month. Ideally this would be done by an untraceable cyber attack in the middle of a winter cold snap. Ukraine and the West should just deny any involvement and make nasty jokes about Russian "maintenance". 
 
It really sounds like Kherson is headed towards the final crack up.
Apparently the pontoon bridge went boom.

Is it F5-o'clock?

So, German-supplied IRIS-T got own batize of fire in Ukraine. Today was spotted parts of missiles of theese SAMs in some forest near Kyiv, so likely they have been participating since yesterday in defense of Kyiv.
Here the video of yesterday stirke on our district thermal power plant, incoming Kh-101 was shot probably with Iris-T. First hit (where smoke) was reportedly because Shakhed attack, but it might be and cruise missile (alas, three employees of power plant were killed by explosion)
Today two Kh-101 were shot down over Kyiv. There were two booms, last one enough loud - this missile was intercepted already over the city. First missile shot down a fighter jet.
Two other missiles, incoming to Kyiv from NE were shot down in 70 km from city limit in Chernihiv oblast
Remains of shot down Kh-101
 
Except 4 Kh-101 Air Forces claimed for today 10 Shakheds. Alas, two missiles and probably some number of Shakheds successfully hit power infrastructure objects in Vinnytsia and Ivano-Frankivsk oblast

A sober - adult in the room - analysis for today:
https://www.justsecurity.org/83605/addressing-putins-nuclear-threat-thinking-like-the-cold-war-kgb-officer-that-he-was/
"But even the most confident predatory intelligence officer will always allow for an escape route. Intelligence officers are trained to prepare for the worst in realizing their inability to control every variable. And therein lies the opportunity for the West, but one which comes with tough choices. And that choice is not to blink, to not merely maintain the pressure against him on all fronts, but to increase it. Putin’s off ramp should not be some face-saving deal the West must choreograph that he will be perceive as weakness and therefore raise the stakes. Rather, increase the quality and quantity of arms, training, and intelligence support to Ukraine to reclaim their territory and exact an untenable cost for Putin’s campaign; engage with dissident, opposition circles within Russia and extend a lifeboat to opportunists within Putin’s inner circle and those fearful of going down with him; and fortify NATO along Russia’s borders, particularly the Baltic States. But do all this prepared to confront and respond to Putin’s use of weapons of mass destruction, should he choose that path."
Well there you have it. Assistance packages that include modern weapons might not be the complete panacea, but surely important. And they are easier to discuss since the cloak & dagger stuff largely goes unseen. 

ISW report on Putin's internal situation, long but interesting read:
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/putin-track-disappoint-multiple-competing-factions-russia
 
Putin’s attempt to double down on his goals in Ukraine despite the obvious risks suggests he may have tied his regime’s survival to a victory or semblance of victory in Ukraine—potentially at the expense of Russia’s long-term strength.
This doubling-down presents four key issues for Putin:
Putin has created a requirement to constantly provide “victories” to the extreme nationalists, but has limited ability to do so; Putin is on a collision course with elements of his regime that may not want to wreck Russia’s remaining strength in pursuit of Putin’s objectives in Ukraine; Putin is increasingly projecting weakness through repeated bad decisions; and Putin’s limited value proposition to his base among the Russian population is diminishing.  

Another is to declare Russia a terrorist state before the end of the current session. 

Hopefully we won't need to pivot to China.  Hopefully US & China will make the smart decision and realize economy matters a lot more than some piece of land somewhere and to not kill the goose that lays golden eggs just for some nationalistic stupidity.

Look at CNN, maybe she will tell something in twitetr later

Lots of sanctionable components.

Shakheds are already being sooting down by fighter jets, but this is dangerous hunting. Several days ago we lost MiG-29 over Vinnytsia - pilot shot down Shakhed, but hadn't time to evade of fragments of destroyed drone (carrying 20-30 kg of HE), the jet was damaged and lost control, so pilot was forced to eject. For two days he shot down two cruise missiles and five Shakheds

Putin and his inner circle are acutely aware of the implications of American politics for his prospects for prevailing in this war against democracies. And the seeds he planted in the 2016 elections are blooming in a large number of the candidates in next month’s USA midterm elections. Adding the shaky economy strengthens their chances. American economic woes are historically a strong indicator for removing the Party in power.
While Russia tries to determine how to attack Ukraine’s will to fight - its center of gravity? - arguably Ukraine’s center of gravity for international support is the USA’s military assistance and sanctions’ enforcement. We’ve seen Russia’s well-documented and relentless attacks on the USA through every non-combat means available since at least the 2016 Presidential campaign. Undermining the USA’s faith in its own governance, in its democracy, and its internal cohesion as a means to weaken USA foreign policies - especially towards Russia. Republicans are quite likely to control both houses of Congress and the Presidency. They already have a significant majority on the Supreme Court. Polls in 2021 and 2022 consistently show that Republicans view Russian President Putin more favorably than the President of the USA. Let that sink in. Have we ever seen that before? Ever?
 
 

If West had balls, Iran would be pretty stupid in helping Russia - they have pretty big protests right now, and somebody giving it a push (e.g. delivering weapons to protesters) would put the Iran government in a world of hurt.
But Iran seems to be making the bet that West has no balls, and it seems to be paying off.

Since russians do not have air superiority and operate only near frontlines at best - most MANPADs remain unused, so diverting them to shoot down drones shouldn't put much of a dent in their numbers, not to mention that shooting down a $20.000 drone with a missile that costs $120.000 literally saves millions of $$ in repairs, not to mention lives.

About two hours ago three Shakheds have struck our district thermal power plant. The fire was extinguished since a hour. Also one cruise missile was flying later as "control shot",but was intercepted probably in Brovary area. 
There was no elecricity turn off, but were problems with my cell phone internet

But that's the thing. There's no core ethnicity in Russia. Every time some russian "nat" complains about other ethnicities - even I, being their neighbor, have no idea what he's talking about, especially since russian "nats" themselves look like a huge mix of all the ethnicities present in Russia.
But maybe hopefully every and each one of those 20-30 ethnicities in Russia considering themselves the "main" one is what leads to brutal downfall of the empire.

we are so far past the point where Russia needs to be declared a state sponsor of terrorism.

Stupid... The Russians learned nothing from the bombings of Germany, the Blitz or the Vergeltungswaffen.... It has no impact on the population other than increasing the nation's resolve to go all the way. You could say it's for internal opinion but there would be no need to send such intensive attacks (they waste their weapons).

Our best thoughts to our Ukrainian friends Haiduk, Kraze, Zeleban and all

I travelled a bit around for the weekend. Let's say at a place I went to I couldn't quite relax in silence due to all the Su-25s and Su-27s going back and forth nearby.

Just a quickie as I must dash out. I couldn't resist those 🦷 so had a quick look at the hedgehog objects. Now this is only a first attempt and the texture is distorting like crazy - even though it looks fine in Blender (always happens) but I give you the Westwall ... 🎶 We're gonna hang out our washing ... 🎶



These are in your Entering Germany map. As you can see there's a lot of distortion, the 🦷 need some 🪥. Otherwise the objects come in quite well. The size is about the same as a hedgehog so they space out quite well and en masse give a pretty convincing effect. Next would be to test with yer actual tanks and breaching teams to see how they deal with them. If you would like to have a go I can upload this somewhere for you to grab.