“The First Battle of Kiev was the German name for the operation that resulted in a huge encirclement of Soviet troops in the vicinity of Kiev (Kyiv) during World War II. This encirclement is considered the largest encirclement in the history of warfare (by number of troops) and the battle was an unprecedented defeat for the Red Army, exceeding even the Battle of Białystok–Minsk of June–July 1941. The operation ran from 7 August to 26 September 1941, as part of Operation Barbarossa, the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kiev_(1941)
January 1942. Kerch Peninsula, Ukraine. “Parents find the body of their murdered son in Kerch. Photograph shows mother with arms outstretched, leaning back against husband while dead bodies lie at their feet.” U.S. Office for Emergency Management photoprint – British Official Photo https://www.shorpy.com/node/26492#comments
The Kerch Peninsula is a major and prominent geographic peninsula located at the eastern end of the Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine.
The Battle of the Kerch Peninsula began on 26 December 1941 with an amphibious landing operation by two Soviet armies intended to break the Siege of Sevastopol. The last pockets of organized Soviet resistance were eradicated through German aerial and artillery firepower by May 19th.
Reportedly total Soviet casualties during the five-month-long battle amounted to 570,000 men https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Kerch_Peninsula
“Kyiv residents told to make Molotov cocktails as they await Russian assault” https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/kyiv-residents-clear-away-rubble-await-russian-assault-2022-02-25/
The name “Molotov cocktail” (Molotovin koktaili) was coined by the Finns during the 1939-1940 Winter War between the Soviet Union (USSR) and Finland. The name was a pejorative reference to Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov, who was one of the architects of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that enabled the two powers to carve up Poland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov_cocktail [at the moment some Instructions in Ukrainian for assembly are included – Олії refers to cooking oil]
The territories of Poland annexed by the Soviet Union after the 1939 Soviet invasion east of the Curzon line remained in the Soviet Union after the war ended and are now in Ukraine and Belarus. Vilnius was given to Lithuania. Only Podlaskie and a small part of Galicia east of the San River, around Przemyśl, were returned to Poland. Of all the other territories annexed by the Soviet Union in 1939 to 1940, those detached from Finland (Western Karelia, Petsamo), Estonia (Estonian Ingria and Petseri County) and Latvia (Abrene) remain part of Russia, the successor state to the Russian SSR [Soviet Socialist Republic] after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The territories annexed from Romania had also been integrated into the Soviet Union (as the Moldavian SSR or oblasts [administrative divisions or regions] of the Ukrainian SSR). The core of Bessarabia now forms Moldova. Northern Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina and the Hertsa region now form the Chernivtsi Oblast of Ukraine. Southern Bessarabia is part of the Odessa Oblast, which is also in Ukraine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov%E2%80%93Ribbentrop_Pact
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls on Europeans with “combat experience” to take up arms and defend Ukraine against invading Russian forces.
“If you have combat experience in Europe and do not want to look at the indecision of politicians, you can come to our country and join us in defending Europe, where it is very necessary now,” Zelensky, who appears tired, says in a video.
Ukraine is also looking to recruit hacker volunteers to help in its war against Russia. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/zelensky-calls-on-europeans-with-combat-experience-to-fight-for-ukraine/
Footnotes:
“The Lincoln Battalion was formed by a group of volunteers from the United States who served in the Spanish Civil War as soldiers, technicians, medical personnel and aviators fighting for Spanish Republican forces against the Nazi-supported forces of General Francisco Franco and his Nationalist faction.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Battalion
The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was formed to help oppose the Japanese invasion of China. While it accepted some civilian volunteers for its headquarters and ground crew, the AVG recruited most of its staff from the U.S. military, who became members of the Republic of China Air Force. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Tigers
The White House @WhiteHouse 3:57 PM · Feb 26, 2022: “This coming week, we will launch a multilateral Transatlantic task force to identify, hunt down, and freeze the assets of sanctioned Russian companies and oligarchs – their yachts, their mansions, and any other ill-gotten gains that we can find and freeze under the law.
…We are also announcing our commitment to take measures to limit the sale of citizenship – so called golden passports – that allow wealthy Russians connected to the Russian government become citizens in certain countries to gain access to our financial systems.”
Reuters @Reuters 9:57 AM · Feb 27, 2022: “Two Russian billionaires, Mikhail Fridman and Oleg Deripaska, called for an end to the conflict triggered by President Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine, with Fridman calling it a tragedy for both countries’ people” https://reut.rs/3plic9Whttps://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1497979277484040193
(2/24/22) “Russia’s richest 22 billionaires have lost $39 billion in one day after the invasion of Ukraine” https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-billionaires-lose-39-billion-dollars-one-day-ukraine-invasion-2022-2
“BP says it will ‘exit’ its $14 billion stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft over Kremlin invasion of Ukraine : 19.75% stake in the state-owned oil company is one of the most significant Western investments in Russia https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/02/27/bp-russia-rosneft-ukraine/
The Biden administration and its European allies vowed Saturday to block Moscow’s access to its sizable foreign currency reserves in the West, teeing up one of the most powerful financial penalties and threatening to send the Russian financial market into free fall. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/02/26/russia-central-bank-white-house/
“Switzerland breaks neutral status to sanction Russia over Ukraine invasion” https://www.businessinsider.com/switzerland-sanctions-russia-breaks-neutral-status-ukraine-invasion-2022-2
Switzerland’s Federal Council said on Monday that it was adopting the EU’s sanctions against Russia. The package includes freezing Putin’s personal assets, effective immediately. Switzerland also said it would close its airspace to Russian aircraft and bar people close to Putin from entering.
The Bank of Russia acted quickly to shield the nation’s $1.5 trillion economy from sweeping sanctions that hit key banks, pushed the ruble to a record low and left President Vladimir Putin unable to access much of his war chest of more than $640 billion.
The central bank more than doubled its key interest rate to 20%, the highest in almost two decades, and imposed some controls on the flow of capital.
The ruble’s 24% drop so far this year is the worst slump globally, prices compiled by Bloomberg show. At current levels the ruble’s slump is the biggest since 1998, the year the nation’s economy went into a tailspin and the government defaulted on its local debt.
S&P Global Ratings lowered Russia’s credit score below investment grade on Friday, while Moody’s Investors Service — which rates Russia one notch above junk — put the nation on review for a downgrade. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/2/28/russia-activates-defences-to-shield-1-5-trilion-economy
“Texas’s $1.6 trillion economy is roughly the same size as the economy of Russia, a global superpower and principal geo-political rival of the United States.” (USA TODAY 2019) https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/04/17/how-gdp-of-us-states-compares-to-countries-around-the-world/39295197/
Two Ukrainian facilities containing nuclear waste suffered damage amid Russia’s now four-day-old invasion, international monitors reported on Sunday.
Missiles hit a radioactive waste-disposal site in Kyiv, and an electrical transformer was damaged in a similar depot in Kharkiv, according to an email from the International Atomic Energy Agency. Inspectors are still awaiting radiation measurements from local authorities to determine the extent of the damage. https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-3-iaea-director-general-statement-on-situation-in-ukraine
While much attention has been paid to Chernobyl this week as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, there is growing concern about the four active nuclear power plants that supply half of the nation’s power.
Those four power plants, located near towns and cities in western and southern Ukraine, contain 15 operating nuclear reactors. The concern is that a nuclear disaster could occur if during the conflict they were accidentally damaged, left unmaintained or cut off from the power grid needed to cool the reactors. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/chernobyl-isnt-biggest-nuclear-risk-ukraines-active-nuclear-power-plan-rcna17697
The defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been under occupation by attacking Russian soldiers since Thursday (Feb. 24). Workers at the facility, stationed there to monitor and maintain radiation levels within safe bounds, have been taken hostage by Russian troops, according to a Ukrainian military expert. https://www.livescience.com/chernobyl-radiation-levels-rise-after-fighting
Online data from the Chernobyl exclusion zone’s automated radiation-monitoring system [ https://www.saveecobot.com/en/radiation-maps#11/51.4454/30.2148/gamma/comp+cams+fire ] shows that gamma radiation has increased twenty times above usual levels at multiple observation points, which officials from the Ukrainian nuclear agency attributed to radioactive dust thrown up by the movement of heavy military equipment in the area.
The majority of Ukrainian hospitals could run out of life-saving medical oxygen as soon as today, putting at risk the lives of thousands of critically ill patients amid the pandemic, the World Health Organization warned Sunday.
Medical oxygen is critical for a variety of patients, including those with severe COVID-19. There are approximately 1,700 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Ukraine currently, the WHO reports. The country is currently experiencing a COVID-19 surge, driven by the ultra-transmissible omicron coronavirus variant. Active cases jumped 555 percent from January 15 to February 25, according to a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. That is likely a significant undercount given testing shortages. In addition, oxygen is critical for patients ranging from newborns to the elderly due to a variety of circumstances, like chronic conditions, sepsis, injuries, and trauma. https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/02/majority-of-ukrainian-hospitals-could-run-out-of-oxygen-today-as-omicron-rages-who/
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr. Hans Kluge also warned that patients are at risk because hospitals are facing power shortages, and ambulances transporting patients are at risk of being caught in crossfire. https://www.who.int/news/item/27-02-2022-dangerously-low-medical-oxygen-supplies-in-ukraine-due-to-crisis-warn-who-director-general-and-who-regional-director-for-europe
“The revolution will not be televised
Will not be televised
Will not be televised
Will not be televised
The revolution will be no re-run, brothers
The revolution will be live”
Gil Scott-Heron (1970) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Revolution_Will_Not_Be_Televised
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has warned that World War III has “likely started already” amid Russia’s ongoing attack on Ukraine. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/07/russia-ukraine-bill-ackman-says-world-war-iii-likely-already-started.html
“In January 2020, I had nightmares about the potential for a pandemic, but everyone seemed to think I was crazy. I am having similar nightmares now,” Ackman said via Twitter late Saturday.
In early 2020, when fewer than 7,000 coronavirus cases had been confirmed in the U.S., Ackman — who is CEO of Pershing Square Capital — called for a 30-day national lockdown and warned that “hell is coming” in an interview with CNBC.
Ackman later defended his comments after his fund announced shortly thereafter that it had made more than $2 billion on bets against the markets.
Yesterday NATO’s Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) issued an urgent warning to ships operating in the Black Sea. The warning said the risk of Russia directly attacking commercial shipping, and damage from collateral damage is “considered VERY HIGH.” In the same statement, NATO warned of a Russian ‘Naval Exercise Area’ around the approaches to Novorossiysk, Russia’s largest port and a critical oil hub for the country. https://gcaptain.com/nato-warning-novorossiysk-russian-oil-port/
“Northern Black Sea Is Now A ‘Warlike Area’ As Navy Fails To Protect Shipping In NATO Waters” (3/2/22) https://gcaptain.com/black-sea-warlike-operations-navy-nato/
“The deputy commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has been killed in battle near the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, the Kremlin-installed governor of the Russia-occupied city of Sevastopol said.” (3/20/22) https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-black-sea-fleet-deputy-commander-killed/31762245.html
“About a dozen Russian warships remain in the Black Sea, raising concerns that Moscow is still considering an amphibious assault on the Ukrainian city of Odesa.
It is unclear what Russia is planning for the ships, which include amphibious and surface combatants vessels, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters Monday. The Pentagon noted the increased naval activity last week, USNI News previously reported.” (3/21/22) https://news.usni.org/2022/03/21/intentions-of-russian-amphibious-warships-in-black-sea-still-unclear
(NPR): The U.S. and Russian militaries have both talked for years about “hybrid warfare” as the future of war. Yet it remains a fuzzy term with no fixed meaning. The general idea is waging unconventional war on multiple fronts and well beyond the traditional battlefield.
What’s clear is the U.S. and its allies are doing this now — perhaps on a scale never seen before — as they attempt to counter Russia in the war in Ukraine.
Here’s a look at what it means in the current conflict: https://www.npr.org/2022/03/15/1086641007/without-sending-troops-the-u-s-wages-hybrid-warfare-against-russia
Russia says it used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine to destroy a weapons storage site in the country’s west. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/19/russia-uses-advanced-hypersonic-missiles-in-ukraine-for-first-tim
Russia first used the hypersonic missile during its military campaign in Syria in 2016.
Putin has called the Kinzhal (Dagger) missile “an ideal weapon” with a range of up to 2,000km (about 1,250 miles) that flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it hard to intercept by air-defense systems.
Putin announced an array of new hypersonic weapons in 2018 in one of his most bellicose speeches in years, saying they could hit almost any point in the world and evade a United States-built missile shield.
“American intelligence officials have discovered that the barrage of ballistic missiles Russia has fired into Ukraine contain a surprise: decoys that trick air-defense radars and fool heat-seeking missiles.” (NYT March 14, 2022) https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/14/us/russia-ukraine-weapons-decoy.html
“The devices are each about a foot long, shaped like a dart and white with an orange tail, according to an American intelligence official. They are released by the Iskander-M short-range ballistic missiles that Russia is firing from mobile launchers across the border, the official said, when the missile senses that it has been targeted by air defense systems.
Each is packed with electronics and produces radio signals to jam or spoof enemy radars attempting to locate the Iskander-M, and contains a heat source to attract incoming missiles. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about intelligence matters, described the devices on the condition of anonymity.
The use of the decoys may help explain why Ukrainian air-defense weapons have had difficulty intercepting Russia’s Iskander missiles.”
“Revered Ukrainian actress Oksana Shvets has been killed in a Russian rocket attack on a residential building in Kyiv, according to the Young Theater where she was part of the troupe. She was reportedly 67.
Shvets worked in theater and film for decades and her efforts garnered one of Ukraine’s highest honors, the title of which roughly translates as “Honored Artist of Ukraine” — it is also sometimes inartfully expressed in English as “Well-Deserving Artist.” Whatever the case, the honor is only bestowed upon those among the country’s most accomplished performing artists.” https://deadline.com/2022/03/ukrainian-actress-oksana-shvets-killed-russian-rocket-attack-1234981310/
Eideard 
“The First Battle of Kiev was the German name for the operation that resulted in a huge encirclement of Soviet troops in the vicinity of Kiev (Kyiv) during World War II. This encirclement is considered the largest encirclement in the history of warfare (by number of troops) and the battle was an unprecedented defeat for the Red Army, exceeding even the Battle of Białystok–Minsk of June–July 1941. The operation ran from 7 August to 26 September 1941, as part of Operation Barbarossa, the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kiev_(1941)
“Putin’s attack on Ukraine echoes Hitler’s takeover of Czechoslovakia : The Nazi leader used similar tactics to dismember and devour Czechoslovakia before World War II”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/02/24/hitler-czechoslovakia-sudeten-putin-ukraine/
January 1942. Kerch Peninsula, Ukraine. “Parents find the body of their murdered son in Kerch. Photograph shows mother with arms outstretched, leaning back against husband while dead bodies lie at their feet.” U.S. Office for Emergency Management photoprint – British Official Photo https://www.shorpy.com/node/26492#comments
The Kerch Peninsula is a major and prominent geographic peninsula located at the eastern end of the Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine.
The Battle of the Kerch Peninsula began on 26 December 1941 with an amphibious landing operation by two Soviet armies intended to break the Siege of Sevastopol. The last pockets of organized Soviet resistance were eradicated through German aerial and artillery firepower by May 19th.
Reportedly total Soviet casualties during the five-month-long battle amounted to 570,000 men
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Kerch_Peninsula
“Kyiv residents told to make Molotov cocktails as they await Russian assault” https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/kyiv-residents-clear-away-rubble-await-russian-assault-2022-02-25/
The name “Molotov cocktail” (Molotovin koktaili) was coined by the Finns during the 1939-1940 Winter War between the Soviet Union (USSR) and Finland. The name was a pejorative reference to Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov, who was one of the architects of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that enabled the two powers to carve up Poland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov_cocktail [at the moment some Instructions in Ukrainian for assembly are included – Олії refers to cooking oil]
Хай Бог буде з Брати та сестри!
“Sunflower seeds and Molotov cocktails” by Catriona Standfield https://www.duckofminerva.com/2022/02/sunflower-seeds-and-molotov-cocktails.html
[video src="https://img-9gag-fun.9cache.com/photo/aKmGeL1_460svvp9.webm" /]
[video src="https://img-9gag-fun.9cache.com/photo/aKmGeL1_460svvp9.webm" /]
Regards the new calculus for war and great power competition: “When the Butcher’s Bill Lies: How Modern Military Medicine Distorts the Costs of War”. (The Modern War Institute at West Point 2/11/22) https://mwi.usma.edu/when-the-butchers-bill-lies-how-modern-military-medicine-distorts-the-costs-of-war/
“Ukrainian History, or No Offense, A Bunch of Stuff You Probably Never Thought About” (The second in a three-part series about Ukraine July 17, 2020) https://7969.home.blog/2020/07/17/ukrainian-history-or-no-offense-a-bunch-of-stuff-you-probably-never-thought-about/
See also “5 facts about “Novorossiya” you won’t learn in a Russian history class” https://euromaidanpress.com/2014/10/17/5-facts-about-novorossiya-you-wont-learn-in-a-russian-history-class/
The territories of Poland annexed by the Soviet Union after the 1939 Soviet invasion east of the Curzon line remained in the Soviet Union after the war ended and are now in Ukraine and Belarus. Vilnius was given to Lithuania. Only Podlaskie and a small part of Galicia east of the San River, around Przemyśl, were returned to Poland. Of all the other territories annexed by the Soviet Union in 1939 to 1940, those detached from Finland (Western Karelia, Petsamo), Estonia (Estonian Ingria and Petseri County) and Latvia (Abrene) remain part of Russia, the successor state to the Russian SSR [Soviet Socialist Republic] after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The territories annexed from Romania had also been integrated into the Soviet Union (as the Moldavian SSR or oblasts [administrative divisions or regions] of the Ukrainian SSR). The core of Bessarabia now forms Moldova. Northern Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina and the Hertsa region now form the Chernivtsi Oblast of Ukraine. Southern Bessarabia is part of the Odessa Oblast, which is also in Ukraine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov%E2%80%93Ribbentrop_Pact
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls on Europeans with “combat experience” to take up arms and defend Ukraine against invading Russian forces.
“If you have combat experience in Europe and do not want to look at the indecision of politicians, you can come to our country and join us in defending Europe, where it is very necessary now,” Zelensky, who appears tired, says in a video.
Ukraine is also looking to recruit hacker volunteers to help in its war against Russia. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/zelensky-calls-on-europeans-with-combat-experience-to-fight-for-ukraine/
Footnotes:
“The Lincoln Battalion was formed by a group of volunteers from the United States who served in the Spanish Civil War as soldiers, technicians, medical personnel and aviators fighting for Spanish Republican forces against the Nazi-supported forces of General Francisco Franco and his Nationalist faction.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Battalion
The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was formed to help oppose the Japanese invasion of China. While it accepted some civilian volunteers for its headquarters and ground crew, the AVG recruited most of its staff from the U.S. military, who became members of the Republic of China Air Force. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Tigers
In the center of the Ukrainian city of Lviv there’s a memorial for the American pilots who volunteered to fight for the Second Polish Republic in the Polish-Soviet War between 1919 to 1921 https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/87560/Memorial-for-the-American-Pilots.htm
Hidden from public view in a museum vault in Wrocław, Poland, is an intimately detailed reconstruction of the city of Lwów (Lviv, Ukraine today) as it looked in the mid-18th century just prior to the end of Polish rule and before the Austrian Habsburg takeover of the city. The three dimensional model was done with exacting historical accuracy to a scale of 200:1 by Janusz Witwicki, an architect and art historian. https://europebetweeneastandwest.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/model-of-betrayal-the-plastic-panorama-of-old-lwow-lviv-the-history-of-one-city-20/
The International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Legion_of_Territorial_Defense_of_Ukraine
Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Friday that would have demanded that Moscow immediately stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all troops, a move several Council members said was deplorable, but inevitable.
While 11 of the Council’s 15 members voted in favor of the text, China India, and the United Arab Emirates abstained.
After the text was defeated, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield took the floor again.
“You can veto this resolution, but you cannot veto our voices; You cannot veto the truth; You cannot veto our principles; You cannot veto the Ukrainian people; cannot veto the UN Charter…and you will not veto accountability,” she underscored. https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/02/1112802
Two dozen countries will supply more military equipment and weapons to Ukraine https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_february_2022_global_security_army_industry/two_dozen_countries_will_supply_more_military_equipment_and_weapons_to_ukraine.html
St. Javelin, The Protector of Ukraine https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0568/9527/5101/files/sticker-1_750x.png?v=1645059317
“Kazakhstan, one of Russia’s closest allies and a southern neighbor, is denying a request for its troops to join the offensive in Ukraine, officials said Friday.
Additionally, the former Soviet republic said it is not recognizing the Russia-created breakaway republics upheld by Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, as a pretext for its aggression in Ukraine.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/russia-ukraine-live-updates-n1289976/ncrd1289985#liveBlogCards
p/s: More than a quarter of the world’s wheat exports come from Russia and Ukraine. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/17/infographic-russia-ukraine-and-the-global-wheat-supply-interactive
Exclusive: Pictures And Video From Kharkiv Battle At A Crossroads (Graphic Content)
Scroll down for analysis https://sofrep.com/news/exclusive-pictures-and-video-from-kharkiv-battle-at-a-crossroadsgraphic-content/
“Dead men by mass production — in one country after another — month after month and year after year. Dead men in winter and dead men in summer. Dead men in such familiar promiscuity that they become monotonous. Dead men in such monstrous infinity that you come almost to hate them.” Ernie Pyle, American journalist and war correspondent best known for his stories about ordinary American soldiers during World War II. https://www.santafenewmexican.com/life/features/palace-press-puts-fallen-war-correspondent-ernie-pyle-s-last-words-in-print/article_729628df-eba7-599c-80b9-d966c1d4bad4.html
Ukraine’s Secret Weapon: Seafarers https://gcaptain.com/ukraines-secret-weapon-seafarers/
The White House @WhiteHouse 3:57 PM · Feb 26, 2022: “This coming week, we will launch a multilateral Transatlantic task force to identify, hunt down, and freeze the assets of sanctioned Russian companies and oligarchs – their yachts, their mansions, and any other ill-gotten gains that we can find and freeze under the law.
…We are also announcing our commitment to take measures to limit the sale of citizenship – so called golden passports – that allow wealthy Russians connected to the Russian government become citizens in certain countries to gain access to our financial systems.”
Reuters @Reuters 9:57 AM · Feb 27, 2022: “Two Russian billionaires, Mikhail Fridman and Oleg Deripaska, called for an end to the conflict triggered by President Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine, with Fridman calling it a tragedy for both countries’ people” https://reut.rs/3plic9W https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1497979277484040193
(2/24/22) “Russia’s richest 22 billionaires have lost $39 billion in one day after the invasion of Ukraine” https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-billionaires-lose-39-billion-dollars-one-day-ukraine-invasion-2022-2
White House https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1497707469350526986
“BP says it will ‘exit’ its $14 billion stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft over Kremlin invasion of Ukraine : 19.75% stake in the state-owned oil company is one of the most significant Western investments in Russia https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/02/27/bp-russia-rosneft-ukraine/
The Biden administration and its European allies vowed Saturday to block Moscow’s access to its sizable foreign currency reserves in the West, teeing up one of the most powerful financial penalties and threatening to send the Russian financial market into free fall. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/02/26/russia-central-bank-white-house/
Swiss President Ignazio Cassis said on Sunday that it was “very probable” that neutral Switzerland would follow the European Union (EU) on Monday in sanctioning Russia and freezing Russian assets in the Alpine country.
Cassis, interviewed on French-language Swiss public television, said that the seven-member Federal Council would meet on Monday and review recommendations by the departments of finance and economy. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/very-probable-that-swiss-will-freeze-russian-assets-president-2022-02-27/
This comes after Cyprus, the alleged Russian money laundering capital of the world, decided to go along with the rest of the European Union in locking Russia out of the SWIFT banking system. https://theprint.in/world/cyprus-haven-for-russian-money-laundering-supports-excluding-russia-from-swift-banking/850757/
7AM MST, tomorrow morning, 6th
“Switzerland breaks neutral status to sanction Russia over Ukraine invasion” https://www.businessinsider.com/switzerland-sanctions-russia-breaks-neutral-status-ukraine-invasion-2022-2
Switzerland’s Federal Council said on Monday that it was adopting the EU’s sanctions against Russia. The package includes freezing Putin’s personal assets, effective immediately. Switzerland also said it would close its airspace to Russian aircraft and bar people close to Putin from entering.
The Bank of Russia acted quickly to shield the nation’s $1.5 trillion economy from sweeping sanctions that hit key banks, pushed the ruble to a record low and left President Vladimir Putin unable to access much of his war chest of more than $640 billion.
The central bank more than doubled its key interest rate to 20%, the highest in almost two decades, and imposed some controls on the flow of capital.
The ruble’s 24% drop so far this year is the worst slump globally, prices compiled by Bloomberg show. At current levels the ruble’s slump is the biggest since 1998, the year the nation’s economy went into a tailspin and the government defaulted on its local debt.
S&P Global Ratings lowered Russia’s credit score below investment grade on Friday, while Moody’s Investors Service — which rates Russia one notch above junk — put the nation on review for a downgrade. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/2/28/russia-activates-defences-to-shield-1-5-trilion-economy
“Texas’s $1.6 trillion economy is roughly the same size as the economy of Russia, a global superpower and principal geo-political rival of the United States.” (USA TODAY 2019) https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/04/17/how-gdp-of-us-states-compares-to-countries-around-the-world/39295197/
Forbes, Feb 28, 2022,12:49pm EST): “Russia Stocks Crash Even With Moscow Exchange Closed—Experts Call Market ‘Uninvestable’” https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2022/02/28/russia-stocks-crash-even-with-moscow-stock-exchange-closed-experts-call-market-uninvestable/?sh=21769c3c5a9a
Two Ukrainian facilities containing nuclear waste suffered damage amid Russia’s now four-day-old invasion, international monitors reported on Sunday.
Missiles hit a radioactive waste-disposal site in Kyiv, and an electrical transformer was damaged in a similar depot in Kharkiv, according to an email from the International Atomic Energy Agency. Inspectors are still awaiting radiation measurements from local authorities to determine the extent of the damage. https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-3-iaea-director-general-statement-on-situation-in-ukraine
While much attention has been paid to Chernobyl this week as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, there is growing concern about the four active nuclear power plants that supply half of the nation’s power.
Those four power plants, located near towns and cities in western and southern Ukraine, contain 15 operating nuclear reactors. The concern is that a nuclear disaster could occur if during the conflict they were accidentally damaged, left unmaintained or cut off from the power grid needed to cool the reactors. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/chernobyl-isnt-biggest-nuclear-risk-ukraines-active-nuclear-power-plan-rcna17697
The defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been under occupation by attacking Russian soldiers since Thursday (Feb. 24). Workers at the facility, stationed there to monitor and maintain radiation levels within safe bounds, have been taken hostage by Russian troops, according to a Ukrainian military expert. https://www.livescience.com/chernobyl-radiation-levels-rise-after-fighting
Online data from the Chernobyl exclusion zone’s automated radiation-monitoring system [ https://www.saveecobot.com/en/radiation-maps#11/51.4454/30.2148/gamma/comp+cams+fire ] shows that gamma radiation has increased twenty times above usual levels at multiple observation points, which officials from the Ukrainian nuclear agency attributed to radioactive dust thrown up by the movement of heavy military equipment in the area.
The majority of Ukrainian hospitals could run out of life-saving medical oxygen as soon as today, putting at risk the lives of thousands of critically ill patients amid the pandemic, the World Health Organization warned Sunday.
Medical oxygen is critical for a variety of patients, including those with severe COVID-19. There are approximately 1,700 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Ukraine currently, the WHO reports. The country is currently experiencing a COVID-19 surge, driven by the ultra-transmissible omicron coronavirus variant. Active cases jumped 555 percent from January 15 to February 25, according to a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. That is likely a significant undercount given testing shortages. In addition, oxygen is critical for patients ranging from newborns to the elderly due to a variety of circumstances, like chronic conditions, sepsis, injuries, and trauma. https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/02/majority-of-ukrainian-hospitals-could-run-out-of-oxygen-today-as-omicron-rages-who/
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr. Hans Kluge also warned that patients are at risk because hospitals are facing power shortages, and ambulances transporting patients are at risk of being caught in crossfire. https://www.who.int/news/item/27-02-2022-dangerously-low-medical-oxygen-supplies-in-ukraine-due-to-crisis-warn-who-director-general-and-who-regional-director-for-europe
How a college professor used Google Maps traffic data to figure out the war had started before news had even broken. https://www.vice.com/en/article/xgd7dd/google-maps-live-traffic-showed-the-russian-invasion-of-ukraine
Commercial spy satellites put Russia’s Ukraine invasion in the public eye https://spacenews.com/satellite-imaging-companies-increase-profile-as-they-track-russias-invasion-of-ukraine/
“Whether it’s overhead imagery, geo-located tweets and videos, ship tracking and air tracking data, the media can now do a lot of source confirmation in ways that they couldn’t do before. And a lot of that has been enabled by the rise in geospatial analytics that’s happened over the last several years.”
Google Maps has temporarily disabled some of its tools in Ukraine following the Russian military’s invasion of the country, a spokesperson confirmed Sunday. https://www.axios.com/google-maps-live-traffic-data-disabled-ukraine-f4c0bf7a-249a-4fcc-8e65-49642f728d26.html
Driving the news: Following consultation from local authorities, the tech giant disabled tools that provide live details on traffic conditions and how busy places like stores are in order to help ensure the safety of Ukrainian communities, Reuters first reported. https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-temporarily-disables-google-maps-live-traffic-data-ukraine-2022-02-28/
Traffic information for people using the app for navigation is still available, a Google Maps spokesperson confirmed.
The big picture: The action comes a day after a Ukrainian government agency said it’s removing road signs across the country in order to confuse invading Russian forces. https://www.axios.com/ukraine-agency-removing-road-signs-russian-forces-677880ce-2de9-4537-8f0b-60656707f66c.html
“We’ve gone beyond “the revolution will be televised,” and are in a reality where the latest European war is live-streamed not just through social media, but on online mapping services without Google or Apple intending it.” (AppleInsider) https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/02/25/google-maps-apple-maps-and-smartphones-are-at-the-forefront-of-modern-war
“The revolution will not be televised
Will not be televised
Will not be televised
Will not be televised
The revolution will be no re-run, brothers
The revolution will be live”
Gil Scott-Heron (1970) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Revolution_Will_Not_Be_Televised
“Russia’s War of Self-Destruction : From Ukraine’s fierce resistance to the unified global backlash, Putin’s adventure is blowing up in his face.” https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/02/russias-war-of-self-destruction-in-ukraine.html
“The war in Ukraine isn’t working out the way Russia intended : Tactical blunders and fierce resistance from the Ukrainians risk ensnaring the Russians in a protracted conflict, military experts say” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/27/ukraine-russia-invasion-tactics/
Plus: FIFA suspends Russia from playing international soccer indefinitely https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/02/28/fifa-suspends-russian-teams/
(Feb 26, 2022): BBC listens to talks between Chechens preparing to enter Ukraine https://www.world-today-news.com/the-bbc-is-listening-to-talks-between-chechens-preparing-to-enter-ukraine/
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has warned that World War III has “likely started already” amid Russia’s ongoing attack on Ukraine. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/07/russia-ukraine-bill-ackman-says-world-war-iii-likely-already-started.html
“In January 2020, I had nightmares about the potential for a pandemic, but everyone seemed to think I was crazy. I am having similar nightmares now,” Ackman said via Twitter late Saturday.
In early 2020, when fewer than 7,000 coronavirus cases had been confirmed in the U.S., Ackman — who is CEO of Pershing Square Capital — called for a 30-day national lockdown and warned that “hell is coming” in an interview with CNBC.
Ackman later defended his comments after his fund announced shortly thereafter that it had made more than $2 billion on bets against the markets.
“Russia on Saturday gave a stern warning to the United States, alerting the country that any convoys carrying weapons into Ukraine will be considered “legitimate targets.” https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-american-convoys-weapons-ukraine-will-be-considered-targets-2022-3
Germany’s use of unrestricted submarine warfare and the sinking of merchant vessels brought the US into the first world war, which led to Germany’s defeat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unrestricted_submarine_warfare
Yesterday NATO’s Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) issued an urgent warning to ships operating in the Black Sea. The warning said the risk of Russia directly attacking commercial shipping, and damage from collateral damage is “considered VERY HIGH.” In the same statement, NATO warned of a Russian ‘Naval Exercise Area’ around the approaches to Novorossiysk, Russia’s largest port and a critical oil hub for the country. https://gcaptain.com/nato-warning-novorossiysk-russian-oil-port/
“Northern Black Sea Is Now A ‘Warlike Area’ As Navy Fails To Protect Shipping In NATO Waters” (3/2/22) https://gcaptain.com/black-sea-warlike-operations-navy-nato/
“The deputy commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has been killed in battle near the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, the Kremlin-installed governor of the Russia-occupied city of Sevastopol said.” (3/20/22) https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-black-sea-fleet-deputy-commander-killed/31762245.html
“About a dozen Russian warships remain in the Black Sea, raising concerns that Moscow is still considering an amphibious assault on the Ukrainian city of Odesa.
It is unclear what Russia is planning for the ships, which include amphibious and surface combatants vessels, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters Monday. The Pentagon noted the increased naval activity last week, USNI News previously reported.” (3/21/22) https://news.usni.org/2022/03/21/intentions-of-russian-amphibious-warships-in-black-sea-still-unclear
Russia has asked China for support in its war against Ukraine, according to two U.S. officials. The request included military aid and equipment, but it’s not clear what specifically Moscow has requested. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-asks-china-for-military-help-in-war-with-ukraine-u-s-officials-say/
Putin and Xi: Look to Beijing for the real reason behind the Ukraine invasion https://thehill.com/opinion/international/597943-putin-and-xi-look-to-beijing-for-the-real-reason-behind-the-ukraine
(NPR): The U.S. and Russian militaries have both talked for years about “hybrid warfare” as the future of war. Yet it remains a fuzzy term with no fixed meaning. The general idea is waging unconventional war on multiple fronts and well beyond the traditional battlefield.
What’s clear is the U.S. and its allies are doing this now — perhaps on a scale never seen before — as they attempt to counter Russia in the war in Ukraine.
Here’s a look at what it means in the current conflict: https://www.npr.org/2022/03/15/1086641007/without-sending-troops-the-u-s-wages-hybrid-warfare-against-russia
Russia-Ukraine war: How Moscow’s tactics are evolving in Ukraine
A strategic snapshot of Russia’s shifting tactics in the north, south, east and west of the country https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2022/3/15/how-russias-tactics-are-evolving-in-ukraine
Russia says it used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine to destroy a weapons storage site in the country’s west. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/19/russia-uses-advanced-hypersonic-missiles-in-ukraine-for-first-tim
Russia first used the hypersonic missile during its military campaign in Syria in 2016.
Putin has called the Kinzhal (Dagger) missile “an ideal weapon” with a range of up to 2,000km (about 1,250 miles) that flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it hard to intercept by air-defense systems.
Putin announced an array of new hypersonic weapons in 2018 in one of his most bellicose speeches in years, saying they could hit almost any point in the world and evade a United States-built missile shield.
“American intelligence officials have discovered that the barrage of ballistic missiles Russia has fired into Ukraine contain a surprise: decoys that trick air-defense radars and fool heat-seeking missiles.” (NYT March 14, 2022) https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/14/us/russia-ukraine-weapons-decoy.html
“The devices are each about a foot long, shaped like a dart and white with an orange tail, according to an American intelligence official. They are released by the Iskander-M short-range ballistic missiles that Russia is firing from mobile launchers across the border, the official said, when the missile senses that it has been targeted by air defense systems.
Each is packed with electronics and produces radio signals to jam or spoof enemy radars attempting to locate the Iskander-M, and contains a heat source to attract incoming missiles. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about intelligence matters, described the devices on the condition of anonymity.
The use of the decoys may help explain why Ukrainian air-defense weapons have had difficulty intercepting Russia’s Iskander missiles.”
“Revered Ukrainian actress Oksana Shvets has been killed in a Russian rocket attack on a residential building in Kyiv, according to the Young Theater where she was part of the troupe. She was reportedly 67.
Shvets worked in theater and film for decades and her efforts garnered one of Ukraine’s highest honors, the title of which roughly translates as “Honored Artist of Ukraine” — it is also sometimes inartfully expressed in English as “Well-Deserving Artist.” Whatever the case, the honor is only bestowed upon those among the country’s most accomplished performing artists.” https://deadline.com/2022/03/ukrainian-actress-oksana-shvets-killed-russian-rocket-attack-1234981310/
Hypersonic missiles: Why is Russia using them in Ukraine?
Russia has become the first country to test this new type of missile, billed as ‘unstoppable’, in combat. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2022/3/21/hypersonic-missiles-what-are-they-and-why-is-russia-using-them
Russia’s claim about the hypersonic missile has drawn scrutiny from arms observers in recent days, and the senior DoD official described the weapon’s alleged deployment as confusing. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/21/dod-official-russia-hypersonic-missile-00018872
The apparent first use of Russia’s air-launched hypersonic ballistic missile against a target in Ukraine doesn’t all add up. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44840/we-have-questions-about-russias-claimed-kinzhal-hypersonic-missile-use-in-ukraine
It appears Russia’s supposed strike with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile against a major military weapons storage area 300 miles southwest of Kyiv was actually an attack on a farm’s barn or large chicken coop in a heavily bombarded rural area in the far eastern area of Ukraine.
Will Belarus, Russia’s key ally, join Putin’s war in Ukraine? Analysts say President Lukashenko’s forces may spearhead the Russian advance on western Ukrainian regions. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/22/will-belarus-join-the-war
Belarus military may refuse to take part in waging against Ukraine https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3437326-belarus-military-refuse-to-fight-against-ukraine.html
Putin’s strongman ally may have accidentally shared a map of Russia’s Ukrainian-invasion plans The map also showed Ukraine divided into four sections. https://www.businessinsider.com/belarus-lukashenko-revealed-map-russias-ukrainian-invasion-plans-2022-3?inline-endstory-related-recommendations= See also video https://twitter.com/TadeuszGiczan/status/1498673348183744518?s=20&t=e8cdlbSlGdFMCrrf693Xew
Capitol riot suspect wanted by the FBI is granted asylum in Belarus https://www.businessinsider.com/capitol-riot-wanted-suspect-evan-neumann-granted-asylum-belarus-2022-3