Zeleban

Many of my friends had plans, despite the war. But reality made its own adjustments. Few of my friends had any expectations about the future. They are of course romantics. Every time I tell them that they shouldn’t hope for the best. You need to go and protect your present. But the frivolity of people is not conveyed by ordinary words

I can say that I am not afraid of death or injury, but of the stupidity of my command, or of my future colleagues

Be that as it may, I can say that times have changed. compared to last year. I had a development project. But because of the war, I decided that civilian projects would not benefit my country and decided to join the Ukrainian armed forces. Moreover, recently chronic diseases are not considered an obstacle to recruitment

There is nothing supernatural in my decision. I look at the people around me and come to the decision that nothing connects me with them. They are still trying to hold on to the realities of 2022. And so it is with most of my friends - they live the year before last

Be that as it may, I can say that times have changed. compared to last year. I had a development project. But because of the war, I decided that civilian projects would not benefit my country and decided to join the Ukrainian armed forces. Moreover, recently chronic diseases are not considered an obstacle to recruitment

Yes, but at the moment I am guided by the 0.7 liters of Madeira I drank. Rain outside the window, live concert of Depeche Mode 1993. And the lack of obvious successes of the Ukrainian armed forces. 
Many of my childhood friends are afraid of this call. But I think. that this is the duty of everyone who lived carefree in the 90s

Be that as it may, I can say that times have changed. compared to last year. I had a development project. But because of the war, I decided that civilian projects would not benefit my country and decided to join the Ukrainian armed forces. Moreover, recently chronic diseases are not considered an obstacle to recruitment

I can say that I am not afraid of death or injury, but of the stupidity of my command, or of my future colleagues

Be that as it may, I can say that times have changed. compared to last year. I had a development project. But because of the war, I decided that civilian projects would not benefit my country and decided to join the Ukrainian armed forces. Moreover, recently chronic diseases are not considered an obstacle to recruitment

Yes, but at the moment I am guided by the 0.7 liters of Madeira I drank. Rain outside the window, live concert of Depeche Mode 1993. And the lack of obvious successes of the Ukrainian armed forces. 
Many of my childhood friends are afraid of this call. But I think. that this is the duty of everyone who lived carefree in the 90s

May 'the force' be with you! ✌️

Be that as it may, I can say that times have changed. compared to last year. I had a development project. But because of the war, I decided that civilian projects would not benefit my country and decided to join the Ukrainian armed forces. Moreover, recently chronic diseases are not considered an obstacle to recruitment

Be that as it may, I can say that times have changed. compared to last year. I had a development project. But because of the war, I decided that civilian projects would not benefit my country and decided to join the Ukrainian armed forces. Moreover, recently chronic diseases are not considered an obstacle to recruitment

I can say that I am not afraid of death or injury, but of the stupidity of my command, or of my future colleagues

Be that as it may, I can say that times have changed. compared to last year. I had a development project. But because of the war, I decided that civilian projects would not benefit my country and decided to join the Ukrainian armed forces. Moreover, recently chronic diseases are not considered an obstacle to recruitment

Now give them the  ones that will put the Kerch bridge in the water!
Edit: And put out the production contracts so that the Russians know the Ukrainians can keep shooting them FOREVER.

Wow, ATACMS work just like we always said they would. I guess I should be happy they are finally there, and EDIT: NOT, bitter that they are fifteen months late.
 

Who could have thought attacking a NATO gas pipeline would lead to getting ATACMSed. 
Shocking turn of events.

If the Ukrainians are currently, successfully, lofting unguided rockets from Mi-8 helicopters with an effective range of 3-4 km, you don't think they would benefit from Longbow Apache's that can launch fire-and-forget Hellfire missiles with a range of 8 km?

https://mil.in.ua/en/news/the-military-demonstrated-hydra-rockets-on-ukrainian-helicopters/
 
 

They were just absolutely obliterated, even their own propagandists are saying it was a disaster.  Yet again, another offensive action that leads to massive losses for nothing.  Exactly what did they learn??  
I was hoping for more nuanced analysis, but Ohh well.  

Dutch journalist visited Svalbard recently..
Svalbard/Spitzbergen has a population of about 2500 souls, Norwegian mostly, but there are about 350 Russians there. And about a year or so ago their consul was replaced by a figure that is being deemed an FSB-officer. And for the first time ever a Russian parade was held. (Believe it or not, about 5-10 trucks and about 20 snowscooters, all waving a huge Russian flag. Absolutely ridiculous.) And a Russian orthodox priest was flown in to bless a newly erected statue/momument/thingy that has Russian Nationalist "meaning".
Non-Russian inhabitants fear increasing trouble with/from the Russians and worry seriously about the total lack of Nato/Western security/military presence(!). Also a very unusual flight from a plane with 50 or so Russian "workers" was scheduled to arrive shortly.
Also noted was the change in behaviour from the Russians that worked/lived there after the arrival of that new FSB-consul. No more interactions with the Norwegians, and staying mostly in the Russian enclave.
Was that cable-disruption coincedental?? Don't think so.
 

We need to start building ammo plants like there is a war on, or we are going to be very, VERY sorry. We have had eighteen months of warning, and mostly wasted it. 

I respect Lindsey Graham for his honesty, when he explained why West support Ukraine.
And one usual American, who wrote in twitter almost the same "each of us paid 14$ of our taxes to see how Russian army will be destroyed without any losses of our soldiers"
Big countries or their allinces can smile each other and talk about cooperation for peace, but in real struggle for influence and resources has not gone anyway. And big countries conduct hidden game for this influence and resources. And if in 19th and 20th centuries this achieved mostly by military force, that now much more economical and information levereges to this. I bet US always wanted declining of Russia and China as well as China and Russia want declining of USA. Russia just brutally violated the order of this "big club". Even not because they invaded the large European country, which created many risks (millions of refugees, grain export, nuclear plants security etc), but because Putin jumped directly on the West, choosing Ukraine as "whipping boy" to scare westren elites and trade more appropriate place (on his opinion) of Russia in world order. You can recall demands of Putin before invasion. Most of them were adressed to West and NATO, not to Ukraine. He demanded that NATO turned back to 1997 borders. So, "big dudes" just took advantage to knock Russia down if they in so stupid way gave an occasion to do this. 
It's a luck for us that among large number of western elites was understanding like of Lindsey Graham. So, yes, you support us because "we tried to build a world where nations were not permitted to do what Russia is doing right now" and you support us as proxie force to weaken Russia in order to their behavior will not be "story of success" for other "big players". Because after Russian defeat western companies hipothetically can get partial or even full control over Russian resourse-mining companies. Because now you investing in own security and keep lives of own soldiers and civilians, which with big probability will not go to defend Taiwan, Israel or Southern Korea if Russia losses. So all talks about "democracy", "values" and "support of independent nation" leave for TV-shows for electorate. We are not against to be western proxies in global fight for influence, because this gives opportunity to defeat our ethernal enemy. We are weapon in your hands. So use it properly and decisively without hesitations 

It's all fairytales. There are no "friendship" between countries, there are no "we support you to defend democracy and values". Only economical and geopolitical interests exist and interests of current moment. Lucky for us our interests just coincided with current intersts of West. Else we would be repeat destiny of Georgia in 2008. And maybe would be blamed for initiating the war like Georgia. 
Condoleezza Rice, who wrote that speech for G.Bush in 1991 since 15 years recognized that was mistake. She explained US administration feared that collapse of USSR and rising of national movements will turn USSR in new Yugoslavia. Well, further history showed, that main source of all conflicts on former USSR terrritory was Russia (except N.Karabakh, but even there Russia supported Armenia), not "evil ethnic nationalists". This also showed very bad understanding of things on post-Soviet space for further strategical planning. Like and assesment of Kyiv falling for 48-72 hours.
About Budapesht memorandum. You can read about heavy pressure of G.Bush administration on UKR government in 1991-93. USA long time rejected to recognize Ukrainian independence (first contacts about this were as far as in May 1991, before 24th of August) and only after GKChP coup they some changed own mind, but as condition put in ultimative form that Ukraine must hand over own nuclear arsenal to Russia. There were very sharp tensions, because Leonid Kravchuk, first president of Ukraine didn't want sign anything without firm guarantees, but US administration just demanded to disarm. Next Clinton admininistration provide more soft policy and could find a not enough expencive keys to new president Kuchma, who on backgroupd of economical collapse easily agreed to sign all for symbolic financial aid and offering of membership in some organisations. Very easy to take advantage of weakness of opponent to force disarm it in exchange of useless paper and then to say "Who care? It's your guilt". Maybe our too. But US initiated this, seeing "big threat for the world" in Ukraine 
And? How much of our stored weaponary was sold to bad guys by our corrupted officials? Ah... "Kolchugas" to Iraq, where its weren't found at all. Like and bacteriological weapon, which was a reason for 2003 invasion. 
 

What does Gorby to do with it if we say about Russia? And how much Russian Kh-xxx cruise missiles were utilized? How many southands tons of artillery shells, moved to Russia from Eastern Europe?
Of course, Ukraine decided to get rid of all weaponary by own pure free-will. And weren't any "gentle offers" to sign it from any countries, wasn't any diplomacy discussions... Yes, rose unicornes exist.
Instead recognize that West made huge strategical mistake in 90th making own bet on Russia as guarntor of safetry on post-Soviet space and counting Ukraine as potential "risky country", who could supply weapon to bad guys, which led to idea of disarming of Ukraine, you just tell me about bright elvish US policy, which didn't force anybody to do something. Ridiculous. I remember 1991 when G.Bush arrived to Ukraine and made a statement that Ukraine must stay in "renewed USSR" and rejected to meet with politics-followers of independence. Despite on rising crisis, Ukraine in 90th still in top-five military powers of the world. Who need potential rival? Maybe I should tell here how US during 90th-2000th elimimated nuclear physics research institute in Kyiv? 
We are grateful for support, but you are not doing us a favor with own aid. You are fixing now own wrong choice 30 years ago. You make this not only for us, but for yourself too. If Ukraine lost or even all end by Korean scenario, soon or later you will fight with China or with Russia, or with Iran. or with N.Korea directly. Because they will be convinced, that west is weak and they can do anything.