Morning music
On this day a year ago
Saturday quiz
This week brings another victory over political journalist John Rentoul.
Rentoul awards himself 5.5 (?) out of 10. I scored 7/10. I did not know the answers to questions 2, 4, and 10 (hit the post on question 10…three years out).
More music
Tweets seen
First prize in some future fictional (?) lottery: to slap around the msm “celebrity” idiot of your choice…
The usual suspects:
Buy your lottery ticket now! (see comment above).
I admit that I was at first (and unusually) naive: I thought that at least this time, the “refugees” are genuine, and will be white Europeans. Wrong…the System does not miss a trick to import unwanted blacks and browns into Europe, including the UK. The “Coudenhove-Kalergi Plan”.
The frontman for the Jewish-Zionist Kiev regime, Zelensky, is used to cheap comedy, and simplistic propaganda good enough to take in the unsophisticated Ukrainian public, but nowhere near good enough to hoodwink the public opinion of the West (most of the time). He has needed the unstinting help of the NWO and its “Western” msm.
Admittedly, Russian public relations have been effectively non-existent since the start of the invasion.
More music
More tweets
There has been some talk of the two remaining Russians on board being taken off, but the sole American on board left to die. Were that to happen, it would give the worst possible impression of Russia. I hope that that does not happen. All three should be taken off.
Russia must now develop an economy based mainly on autarky. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autarky.
Russia is one of the few countries in the world able, by reason of geographic size, population size, and number of climatic zones, to contemplate doing that.
Ukraine
Apparent state of play, as of yesterday:
Assuming that the above map is at least mainly accurate, there seem to be no Kiev-regime counter-offensives anywhere (except a possible small one north-west of Kharkov). That may reflect lack of men, materiel, and/or fuel, but it may also mean that the Ukrainian forces calculate that they have little chance fighting in open country, as distinct from fighting in heavily-built-up areas where defensive and counter-offensive operations stand a far greater chance of success.
As yet, the main cities of Ukraine are still in the hands of forces loyal to the Kiev regime— Kiev, Kharkov, Odessa, Dnipro (former Dnepropetrovsk), and Zaporozhye, as well as Lvov in the far west of the country.
Psychologically, Kiev remains key, especially as long as Zelensky and his cabal remain there. Taking a capital, or very large city, does not necessarily mean overall victory, as with Moscow in 1812, taken by Napoleon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_invasion_of_Russia. However, it does make a statement; and one must bear in mind that Moscow in 1812 was not the capital, which was situate in St. Petersburg, never threatened by Napoleon’s army.
However, had Moscow fallen to the forces of the Reich in 1941, Hitler may well have defeated Stalin, or at least reduced him to the status of Leninist “emperor”, or insecure dictator of lands beyond the Urals. Moscow was pivotal both psychologically and in terms of logistics etc. Everything was centralized, taking its lead from Moscow.
Kiev in 2022 is different. The Russians, once they secure Kharkov and surrounding area, will have or should have few resupply problems. By comparison with Napoleon in 1812, and Hitler in 1941, Putin has no very long lines of supply to protect. Ukraine is large but still dwarfed by the immensity of Russia itself.
Also, while Kiev is the capital of Ukraine (and, very long ago, of Russia itself, of “Kievan Rus”), Lvov has always been the heartland of Ukrainian nationalism. However, Kiev is presently the capital, and also the largest city, having had (before the recent evacuation of at least half of its population) 3 million inhabitants. One of the most-populous cities of Europe. If Russian forces can take Kiev, they will have, pretty much, won this ghastly conflict, if “winning” means anything now (it has rapidly become more important not to “lose”…).
Zelensky and others have claimed that Kiev, especially, will be fortified, defended with fervour, even booby-trapped. Templates? Maybe Stalingrad in 1942-43, or Berlin in 1945.
Already a bloody, bitter mess, this Ukraine conflict will now become still more bitter, as Russian troops (and possibly Syrian mercenaries, it is claimed) fight their way into the besieged cities that are running out of food, fuel, water and, eventually, ammunition.
There is already a merciless bombardment of some smaller cities in Ukraine. I imagine that, in respect of Kiev, the Russians would prefer not to destroy the city, but may eventually weigh that against not taking whatever is left of it.
I should expect that, unless Kiev is declared by Zelensky an open city (highly unlikely), the Russians will continue to tighten the grip around the city, move up artillery, and then attack using that and air power, before moving in armour and assault troops on the ground.
God knows how much will be left of Kiev in the end.
As to the other main active areas, it is uncertain whether Russian forces will be able to go for the cities on the lower Dnieper, Dnipro and Zaporozhye, and Odessa on the Black Sea, at the same time. Maybe not. “If you chase two hares, you will not catch one” [Russian proverb].
Odessa is blockaded by sea anyway, so it may be that the cities on the Dnieper will be prioritized, with the aim of increasing pressure thereafter on Kiev.
Within the triangle Kiev-Kharkov-Dnipro, there is only one city or large town of any importance— Poltava, a city/town of (pre-invasion) 283,000 inhabitants, which has been the location of many battles historically, particularly noted being the 1709 victory of Peter the Great over the forces of Sweden; the area also saw heavy fighting in 1943. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poltava.
Once Kharkov and Dnipro are taken, that whole huge area within the said triangle will fall easily to Russian armour and infantry. Kiev will then be open to east and southeast. Russian forces will then move up to approach Kiev from the south and southeast, and from the east.
Britain as banana republic (without bananas or the republic)
“A Jewish former member of parliament in the United Kingdom has been appointed by the British government to be the minister for refugees.
Richard Harrington, 63, a former chair of Conservative Friends of Israel and former MP for Watford, resigned from politics in 2019. He became an MP in 2010 and later a government minister.”
[Jewish News Syndicate].
Well, wouldn’t you just know it? A Jew appointed to bring in more “refugees”, and not only made an instant government minister but a “lord” in the devalued House of…
Maybe “banana republic” is not quite right after all. Matzo Monarchy?
I wonder how many of the said “refugees” will be either real “refugees” or even Ukrainian? In France, it seems that a third of the recent said “refugees” “from Ukraine” were not even in Ukraine at time of invasion, or since; also, another third are not Ukrainians anyway, but blacks and browns.
As previously blogged, I am not against the idea of taking some Ukrainian refugees into the UK. They are after all, European ethnically and culturally; but I disagree that the UK should take any odds and sods, and especially blacks and browns, who happened to have washed up in Ukraine for whatever reason. Also, in a country as crowded and stressed as the UK now is, it is at least partly a question of numbers.
Thought for the day
Late tweets
Late music
Ian Robert Millard 