Russia Will React Accordingly to ATACMS Strike, Says Foreign Minister Lavrov
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О неподтверждённом решении по ударам «вглубь России» и утвержденном Президентом России решении по ядерной политике России.
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После того как пыль, поднятая западными газетами, чуть осела, очевидно, что, несмотря на явный пропагандистский замысел публикаций, у происходящего могут быть весьма серьёзные последствия.
1. Не столь важно, кто и когда принял решение об использовании тактических баллистических и крылатых ракет большой дальности стран НАТО «вглубь территории» России. Тем более что попытки их применения по нашей стране уже были.
2. Не столь важно, сколько их у противника сегодня. Как и то, что их применение, по мнению наших врагов, должно иметь не только военный, но и информационный эффект.
3. Не столь важно, что эти ракеты не смогут внести существенного вклада в военные действия врага.
4. Не столь важно, что такими решениями нынешняя администрация США сознательно создаёт такую эскалацию конфликта, с которой придётся разбираться уже команде Трампа.
5. Важно одно – то, о чём сказал Глава российского государства 12.09. И как результат - сегодня утверждена новая версия Основ госполитики в области ядерного сдерживания. Использование ракет альянса подобным образом теперь можно квалифицировать как нападение стран блока на Россию. В этом случае возникает право нанести ответный удар оружием массового поражения по Киеву и основным объектам НАТО, где бы они ни находились. И это уже WWIII.
Может, старик Байден и вправду решил красиво уйти из жизни, забрав с собой значительную часть человечества…
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Ukraine uses U.S.-made ATACMS missiles inside Russia for the first time
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Первый официальный комментарий РФ по поводу информации о том, что Украина уже нанесла удар дальнобойными ракетами по Брянской области.
Глава МИД РФ Лавров озвучил следующие тезисы:
1. «Удары по Брянской области ракетами ATACMS - сигнал, что Запад хочет эскалации».
2. Лавров сказал, что не может точно подтвердить сведения, что США приняли решение по ударам дальнобойными ракетами по территории РФ.
3. Лавров надеется, что на Западе «прочитают обновленную ядерную доктрину РФ во всей ее полноте».
4. Лавров назвал ответственной позицию Шольца по отказу поставлять Киеву ракеты Taurus и наносить удары по РФ.
Напомним, о том, что ВСУ уже нанесли удары «дальнобоем» по территории России сообщили украинские СМИ со ссылкой на свои источники. Затем об этом заявило минобороны РФ. Украина официально удар не подтверждала.
Источник.
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ООН призывает защитить гражданское население из-за разрешения США на удары ракетами ATACMS по территории РФ.
"Все стороны должны обеспечить безопасность и защиту гражданских лиц, где бы они ни находились", - заявил спикер генсека Стефан Дюжаррик на брифинге.
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Ядерная угроза для Украины после заявлений Кремля.
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В связи с тем, что Кремль сегодня заявил, что удары по РФ дальнобойными ракетами могут повлечь за собой ядерный ответ России, мы приводим отрывок из данного текста, касающийся сценария, если по Украине будет нанесен ядерный удар:
«Еще один радикальный сценарий – ядерный удар по Украине. О нем говорят уже давно. В том числе, и Байден. Однако, к счастью, до сих «ядерка» не применялась. При этом, в информполе Украины распространено крайне легкомысленное отношение к такой перспективе. Часто можно встретить точку зрения, что ядерный удар по Украине никак не повлияет на ход войны, зато отправит Россию в международную изоляцию и принудит, по итогу, Москву к капитуляции.
Однако, в реальности, ядерный удар – один из самых страшных сценариев для Украины.
Никто не может гарантировать, что реакция мирового сообщества будет действительно жесткой. В СМИ, правда, появлялись неподтвержденные данные, что США угрожали Москве уничтожением флота, в случае ядерного удара по Украине. Однако это (как и любой другой вариант военного ответа Запада), означало бы вступление НАТО в войну с Россией и, с высокой вероятностью, привело бы к использованию РФ ядерного оружия (обычным оружием Россия Альянсу противостоять не сможет). Будет ли НАТО так рисковать из-за Украины - вопрос открытый.
Китай и другие страны Глобального юга неоднократно выступали против применения ядерного оружия. Но какой будет их реакция, если Кремль его применит - точно неизвестно. Разорвут ли они все отношения с РФ, что обрушит ее экономику? Либо побоятся загонять Путина в угол, чтоб самим не получить ядерный удар?
На все эти вопросы нет однозначного ответа.
А если со стороны мирового сообщества, после первого ядерного удара, не будет уничтожающей для РФ «ответки», то далее перед Украиной будет развилка всего лишь из двух вариантов.
Первый - прекратить сопротивление и капитулировать. Причем речь, в данном случае, будет идти уже не о согласии с потерей части территории через остановку войны по линии фронта («корейский сценарий»), что в Украине часто называют «капитуляцией», хотя капитуляцией «корейский сценарий» не является - страна сохраняет суверенитет, армию, контроль над большей частью своей территории. А речь будет идти о капитуляции в прямом смысле слова - с оккупацией всей территории страны российской армией, роспуске ВСУ, назначением Москвой новых руководителей Украины и т.д. Как было с Японией в 1945 году после ядерных ударов по Хиросиме и Нагасаки.
Второй вариант - в случае отказа от капитуляции могут быть новые серии ядерных ударов по Украине. Если Кремль не получит жесткой «ответки» от международного сообщества после первого удара, то вряд ли его что-либо остановит от нанесения новых ударов, которые, рано или поздно, лишат Украину возможности продолжать сопротивление.
Если же «ответка» мира будет действительно жесткой, что поставит Россию на грань разгрома, то это может привести к глобальной ядерной войне.
Все эти сценарии настолько ужасны, что по поводу них хочется сказать только одно – такого не может быть, потому что не может быть никогда. Однако, после вторжения РФ в 2022 году, в вероятность которого тоже мало кто верил, эта формула уже не работает. Оно показало, что, к сожалению, реальны даже самые страшные варианты.
Тем более, что и в Украине, и на Западе, и в России очень сильны позиции «партии войны». В Киеве и в Вашингтоне она говорит, что не нужно боятся поднимать ставки, так как РФ не решится применить ядерное оружие и, в конце концов, «сольется». В Москве она говорит, что не нужно боятся применить ядерное оружие или выдвигать ультиматум с угрозой его применения, потому что Запад не решится на жесткий ответ и, в конце концов, «сольется». Но, по итогу, расчеты партий войны по обе стороны линии фронта могут оказаться ошибочными и ситуация выйдет из под контроля. Гарантировано избежать худшего развития событий можно только одним способом – как можно скорее остановить войну в Украине».
European nations denounce Russian hybrid attacks, cable cut probes launched
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VILNIUS/WARSAW, Nov 19 (Reuters) - European governments accused Russia on Tuesday of escalating hybrid attacks on Ukraine's Western allies, as Baltic nations investigated whether the cutting of two fibre-optic telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea was sabotage.
European officials have not directly accused Russia of destroying the cables. But Germany, Poland and others said it was likely an act of sabotage, while Lithuania's armed forces boosted surveillance of its waters in response.
"Moscow's escalating hybrid activities against NATO and EU countries are also unprecedented in their variety and scale, creating significant security risks," the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Britain said in a joint statement.
The strongly worded declaration came as European countries probed the complete severing this week of the Baltic cables, one linking Finland and Germany, the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania, recalling previous incidents in the busy waterway.
"If Russia does not stop committing acts of sabotage in Europe, Warsaw will close the rest of its consulates in Poland," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Tuesday after several European foreign ministers met in the Polish capital.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius struck a similar chord at separate talks in Brussels: "No one believes that these cables were cut accidentally."
"We also have to assume, without knowing it yet, that it is sabotage," Pistorius added.
The Swedish Prosecution Authority said it had launched a preliminary criminal investigation into the breached cables, which pass through Sweden's exclusive economic zone in the Baltic Sea, on suspicion of possible sabotage.
Swedish Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin later told broadcaster TV4 that the country's armed forces and coastguard had picked up ship movements that corresponded with the interruption of two telecoms cables in the Baltic Sea.
Finland's National Bureau of Investigation said it had also launched an investigation into the broken subsea cable.
In the most prominent Baltic sabotage case, the Nord Stream gas pipeline was destroyed in September 2022, seven months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, hastening Europe's switch to other energy suppliers.
No one has taken responsibility for those blasts. While some Western officials initially blamed Moscow - an interpretation dismissed as "idiotic" by the Kremlin - U.S. and German media have reported that pro-Ukrainian actors may have played a role.
Regional NATO members are jointly assessing events surrounding the latest cable cuts, a spokesperson for the Lithuanian armed forces said.
The companies that own the two cables both said it was not yet clear what had caused the outages.
"It's not a partial damage, it's full damage," said a spokesperson for Arelion, owner and operator of the cable linking Lithuania and Sweden. The company later said it had filed a police report.
Cinia, owner of the cable linking Finland and Germany, said it was not possible to say what might have caused the breach until repairs had started. The company has said repairs of this nature typically take 5-15 days.
Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said he had no specific information about who was to blame, adding: "We see increasing activity of especially Russia on our seas, aimed at espionage and possibly even sabotage of our vital infrastructure."
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Germany suspects sabotage behind severing of critical undersea cables
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Germany’s defense minister told reporters in Brussels that the severing of two communication cables in the Baltic Sea was likely sabotage. One of the cables connected Finland and Germany; it is the latest incident in a series of incidents involving undersea cables in the body of water.
“No one believes that these cables were cut accidentally,” Boris Pistorius said, adding that it was not clear “specifically who it came from.”
The Finnish firm responsible for the cable believes that it was likely severed “by an outside force.”
Finnish officials have launched an investigation into the incident, while Sweden is looking into the severing of a cable connecting to Lithuania.
In September, US officials warned that Russia had increased its military activity around undersea cables, including in the Baltic Sea. Meanwhile, NATO has ramped up its protection over the maritime infrastructure that transports much of Europe’s energy supply and undergirds global internet traffic.
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С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
For Russia, Nuclear Weapons Are the Ultimate Bargaining Chip
The Ukraine war has not only shattered millions of lives and shaken Europe. It also has inured Washington to the use of nuclear threats as leverage.
On the 1,000th day of the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky took advantage of Washington’s new willingness to allow long-range missiles to be shot deep into Russia. Until this weekend, President Biden had declined to allow such strikes using American weapons, out of fear they could prompt World War III.
On the same day, Russia formally announced a new nuclear doctrine that it had signaled two months ago, declaring for the first time that it would use nuclear weapons not only in response to an attack that threatened its survival, but also in response to any attack that posed a “critical threat” to its sovereignty and territorial integrity — a situation very similar to what was playing out in the Kursk region, as American-made ballistic missiles struck Russian weapons arsenals.
And there was another wrinkle to Russia’s guidelines for nuclear use: For the first time, it declared the right to use nuclear weapons against a state that only possesses conventional arms — if it is backed by a nuclear power. Ukraine, backed by the United States, Britain and France — three of the five original nuclear-armed states — seems to be the country Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, had in mind.
Yet it was telling that the reaction in Washington on Tuesday was just short of a yawn. Officials dismissed the doctrine as the nothingburger of nuclear threats. Instead, the city was rife with speculation over who would prevail as Treasury secretary, or whether Matt Gaetz, a former congressman surrounded by sex-and-drug allegations though never charged, could survive the confirmation process to become attorney general.
The Ukraine war has changed many things: It has ended hundreds of thousands of lives and shattered millions, it has shaken Europe, and it has deepened the enmity between Russia and the United States. But it has also inured Washington and the world to the renewed use of nuclear weapons as the ultimate bargaining chip. The idea that one of the nine countries now in possession of nuclear weapons — with Iran on the threshold of becoming the tenth — might press the button is more likely to evoke shrugs than a convening of the United Nations Security Council.
“This is a signaling exercise, trying to scare audiences in Europe — and to a lesser extent, the United States — into falling off support for Ukraine,” said Matthew Bunn, a Harvard professor who has tracked nuclear risks for decades. “The actual short-term probability of Russian nuclear use hasn’t increased. The long-term probability of nuclear war has probably increased slightly — because U.S. willingness to support strikes deep into Russia is reinforcing Putin’s hatred and fear of the West, and will likely provoke Russian responses that will increase Western fear and hatred of Russia.”
Mr. Biden’s decision to allow the Ukrainians to use the long-range missiles, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, was a major change in U.S. policy.
President-elect Donald J. Trump, who will be inaugurated in about nine weeks, has promised to limit U.S. support for Ukraine while boasting during the campaign that he will end the war “in 24 hours.” For Mr. Putin, the new nuclear doctrine is the latest of several attempts to turn the world’s largest nuclear arsenal into something the world might actually fear again, giving him the global influence that his gas-and-war-economy so far cannot.
In a statement from the National Security Council, the Biden administration condemned the new doctrine but showed no sense of alarm. There was no change in Russia’s nuclear posture, the statement noted, and thus no need for a change in the United States’ alert levels. The underlying sense was that it was all words, that Mr. Putin was trying to create for himself new justifications to threaten nuclear use. And none of the restraints on him had changed.
“Regardless of the threshold he may try to set, Putin’s decision to employ a nonstrategic nuclear weapon any place, at any time, on any scale would still be met with severe consequences, as President Biden has repeatedly noted,” said Vipin Narang, an M.I.T. professor and nuclear expert who recently returned from a two-year assignment at the Pentagon. There he worked on the new, largely classified “nuclear employment guidance” for the United States — one that focuses more on China’s growing arsenal, and its partnership with Russia.
“Putin would still have to account for U.S. and global responses and escalation management,” Mr. Narang noted. “Even with these revisions to Russian doctrine, I’m still very confident that U.S. and NATO conventional and nuclear posture are capable of deterring Russian nuclear employment, and restoring deterrence should Putin miscalculate.”
The chance of that miscalculation seems low: Mr. Putin has been cautious throughout the war about launching any overt attack on NATO nations, which he wants to keep out of the war. And the United States has been fearful at times that he might actually detonate a nuclear weapon — notably in October 2022, when American intelligence officials picked up conversations among Russian generals that prompted fears that Mr. Putin would use a battlefield nuclear weapon against a Ukrainian military base or other target.
Mr. Biden told attendees at a New York fund-raiser at that time that the United States was closer to a nuclear exchange than at any time since the Cuban missile crisis, terrifying some in the room. But in the end, it did not materialize. And as Mr. Narang notes, “a nuclear threshold is not determined by words, but by the deterrence balance and stakes, and changes to declaratory doctrine do not at all change the deterrence balance between the U.S., NATO and Russia.”
Nonetheless, this was not the world that Western leaders envisioned for the mid-2020s. The post-Cold War era began with the dismantling of Russian and American weapons at a fierce pace. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine turned over thousands of atomic weapons in exchange for security guarantees from Russia, the United States and other countries. Many Ukrainians regret that to this day. Warheads were blended down into fuel for nuclear power, shipped to the United States, and for years lit and heated houses across the United States.
Only 15 years ago, President Barack Obama envisioned a world without nuclear weapons, even if that moment did not come in his lifetime. And he downgraded their importance in American strategy.
Those days are over. Mr. Putin, to show he has new reach, has placed nuclear weapons in Belarus. Soon he will face no limits on his most powerful nuclear weapons, the intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach the United States: In 15 months the last treaty that limits the number of such strategic weapons Washington and Moscow can deploy — called “New Start” — expires, and there is little chance that it will be replaced.
Already there is talk, among Democrats and Republicans, of the need to expand America’s arsenal to account for the new Russia-China partnership, and the possibility they could use their weapons in concert.
The real message of Mr. Putin’s revised strategy is not that nuclear weapons are back, but that they never went away.
A Nostalgic Biden Fades Out of the Picture in Talks With World Leaders
As he made his final appearance at global gatherings, including at the Group of 20 summit in Brazil, President Biden lobbied for his foreign policy goals even as leaders shifted attention away from him.
President Biden and Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, met on Tuesday during a working lunch at the Group of 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.Credit...Eric Lee/The New York Times
World leaders at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro were discussing plans to confront poverty and war when President Biden acknowledged the obvious — this was most likely his last time attending such an elite meeting.
“This is my last G20 summit,” Mr. Biden said on Monday. “We’ve made progress together, but I urge you to keep going — and I’m sure you will, regardless of my urging or not.”
Mr. Biden appeared to be right — the presidents and prime ministers who had gathered in Brazil for talks on Monday and Tuesday at the Group of 20 summit were ready to move on without him.
In some cases, literally.
Hours later, as leaders gathered under the backdrop of Rio’s Sugarloaf Mountain to commemorate the summit, Mr. Biden was chatting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada near a palm tree.
Other leaders were smiling and waving to cameras for the customary “family photograph.” By the time Mr. Biden made it over to a platform for the photograph, the leaders were already on their way out.
The president was not in the group portrait.
The final summit of Mr. Biden’s presidency was one of his last opportunities to lobby for his vision of the world, even as many world leaders shift their attention to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald J. Trump.
World leaders at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro gathered for a group photo. Mr. Biden was not in the initial photo.Credit...Eric Lee/The New York Times
He had been both nostalgic and reflective with allies and rivals, while remaining just a few steps behind his peers as he embraced his final days in the global spotlight.
The photograph snafu, which White House officials attributed to logistical issues, was not the first time Mr. Biden was running late.
During the first leg of his Latin America tour, at an Asia-Pacific economic meeting in Lima, Peru, Mr. Biden left other leaders who had gathered on a stage waiting for five awkward minutes. Those already there kept glancing around to see if the American president was going to join them.
By the time he settled into his spot in a back corner, sandwiched between the leaders of Thailand and Vietnam, Mr. Biden appeared to embrace the moment.
He slowly looked from side to side before exchanging a playful shrug with the prime minister of Malaysia.
It was Xi Jinping, the president of China and one of Mr. Biden’s chief global rivals, who commanded the position in front and at the center of the stage next to the summit’s host, President Dina Boluarte of Peru. (The placement of guest leaders was in alphabetical order by country.)
One of the more high-stakes moments of Mr. Biden’s trip was a meeting on Saturday with Mr. Xi at the hotel where the Chinese leader was staying.
It was also the only time at either summit that a president who has a history of verbal miscues and has largely avoided news interviews answered any questions. Asked how he would work with China to handle North Korea, Mr. Biden simply said, “Peacefully.”
When a reporter shouted questions about Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden turned his back and walked with Mr. Xi into their meeting.
As they sat across from each other, Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi shared a moment of levity.
“Can you put on your earpiece?” Mr. Xi told his counterpart. “We have simultaneous interpreting.”
“I’ve learned to speak Chinese,” Mr. Biden joked, adding, “Wish I did.”
They then proceeded with their discussion on matters of great importance, including Taiwan and the contested South China Sea, as well as the growing economic competition between the two superpowers.
But they also paused to reminisce.
Mr. Biden signed a proclamation designating Nov. 17 as “International Conservation Day” when he visited Manaus, a Brazilian city in the Amazon. Credit...Eric Lee/The New York Times
When their meeting ended, they set aside their notes, Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, told reporters later.
They then reflected, Mr. Sullivan said, on “the fact that they’ve known each other for quite a long time now, that they have worked together closely, that they obviously haven’t always seen eye to eye, but they’ve always been straight with one another.”
Mr. Biden appeared more relaxed a day later, on Sunday, when he landed in Manaus, in the Brazilian Amazon, under a scorching sun, wearing bluejeans, a navy shirt and aviator glasses.
After climbing aboard the presidential helicopter, Marine One, he flew over the Rio Negro and the murky brown waters of the Amazon River.
Joined by his daughter, Ashley, and his granddaughter, Natalie, Mr. Biden was greeted with a traditional Indigenous ceremony. Three Indigenous leaders held maracas filled with seeds native to the rainforest and shook them to the rhythm of an ancestral chant.
Mr. Biden then went on a brief exploration in the forest, walking over ant hills before delivering a speech on the importance of combating climate change.
“It’s true that some may seek to deny or delay the clean energy revolution that’s underway in America,” Mr. Biden said. “But nobody — nobody — can reverse. Nobody.”
Back in Rio on Tuesday, world leaders gathered for another group photo — this time ensuring that Mr. Biden would be in the picture.
Asked why the leaders had not waited for Mr. Biden the first time, Paulo Pimenta, Brazil’s minister of communications, said Brazilians prioritized punctuality.
“When it’s time, it’s time,” Mr. Pimenta said on Tuesday.
Mr. Biden took part in one more meeting on climate change on Tuesday, pleading with leaders to take the crisis seriously.
“History is watching us,” said Mr. Biden, who turns 82 on Wednesday. “I urge us to keep the faith and keep going.”
“I have much more to say,” he said, before reconsidering. “I’m not going to.”
P.S.
А.п. напоминает Уважаемым коллегам, что в связи с тем, что провайдер села обитания а.п., принял решение улучшить качество своей работы(что само по себе обнадёживает), начиная с 14 ноября сего года, все публикации а.п. (в разделах «примечания и дополнения», «фанаты и жизнь», «варвар и еретик», и «дураки и дороги»), будут происходить нерегулярно, случайным, можно даже сказать, возможным образом.
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С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
А.п. просит Уважаемых коллег не забывать, что подобные рекламные посольские акции, не имеют ничего общего с реальным беспокойством государств за жизнь своих подданных, являясь инструментом ведения всё той же гибридной войны другими средствами.
Вот, Сикорский, все понимает...
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Единственное посольство, объявление которого действительно вызовет мощную реакцию во всем мире и возымеет реальные практические действия, это подобное же сообщение посольства России в США, о возможном ударе по Вашингтону
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13.54.
Казахстан рекомендует своим гражданам рассмотреть возможность выезда с территории Украины в целях безопасности, сообщает @sputnikKZ со ссылкой на посольство страны.
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Американская разведка считает, что Москва может нанести беспрецедентный ракетный удар по Украине и Киеву в ближайшие 48 часов.
В Киеве уже закрыты посольства США, Великобритании, Испании, Италии, Греции.
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9.50.
В Украине прокомментировали предупреждения посольства США о масштабом ударе сегодня, 20 ноября.
В СНБО дали понять, что обстрел возможен.
«Напомним, что россияне делали запасы ракет на серию обстрелов Украины в течение месяцев. Это касается ракет Х-101, которые они продолжают производить, а также «калибров» и баллистики.
Для обстрелов в России готова авиация и запасы ракет на аэродромах стратегической авиации, а также складах. Ранее это уже сообщали.
Соответственно, это нужно понимать и всегда помнить, структурам продумывать меры безопасности, людям – реагировать на тревоги», - заявил спикер «Центра по противодействию дезинформации» при СНБО Коваленко.
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С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
На фоне заявлений посольства США о готовящемся по Украине ударе, украинские паблики начали массово писать, что ударить могут новой российской ракетой
.
Заявляется, что речь об экспериментальной межконтинентальной баллистической ракете Р-26, способной бить на шесть тысяч километров и нести ядерную боеголовку. Якобы удар - без ядерной части - будет наноситься из Астрахани.
Отметим, что эти данные не имеют источника и практически без изменений публикуются по различным телеграм-каналам.
То есть, каких-либо подтверждений эти сведения пока не имеют.
Р-26 - это проектируемая российская ракета нового поколения. Судя по открытым данным, комплекс пока находится в разработке и на вооружение не принимался.
Отметим, что слухи о запуске Р-26 начали курсировать после удара Украины американскими ракетами ATACMS по Брянской области.
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U.S. Closes Its Kyiv Embassy, Warning of ‘Significant Air Attack’
The unusual alert came a day after Ukraine used American-made ballistic missiles to strike Russian territory for the first time.
Searchlights in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, during a Russian drone strike early Wednesday.Credit...Gleb Garanich/Reuters
The United States Embassy in Kyiv issued an urgent warning on Wednesday morning that Russia might launch “a significant air attack,” closing the embassy and telling employees to shelter in place.
Air-raid alerts are a daily fact of life in Ukraine and the capital often comes under drone and missile attacks, but the embassy rarely issues such a specific alert or shuts down.
The warning came one day after Ukraine’s military used American-made ballistic missiles to strike into Russian territory for the first time, after receiving long-sought authorization from President Biden to do so. The Kremlin had long warned that such strikes would be treated as an escalation, and on Tuesday vowed to respond.
“We will be taking this as a qualitatively new phase of the Western war against Russia,” Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei V. Lavrov, said at a news conference on Tuesday. “And we will react accordingly.”
In its message on Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy said it had “received specific information” about a potential attack, but did not offer details. It urged Americans to pay special attention to air-raid alerts.
Russia has launched a number of deadly strikes on Ukraine this week, including an hourslong nationwide assault on Sunday that killed at least nine people. A rocket strike later that day on a residential building in the city of Sumy, near the Russian border, killed 10 people. Then an attack in the port city of Odesa killed 10 more people, and another on Monday night in the Sumy region killed 11. Scores were injured in the attacks.
Overnight and into Wednesday morning, air-raid alerts warned of incoming attack drones for most of the country. Ukraine’s air force said that it had destroyed 56 drones before noon.
One explosion rang out in Kyiv just before 8 a.m. when air-defense teams intercepted a drone, according to Ukrainian officials, who said falling debris had started a fire at a multistory residential building. There was no immediate information on casualties.
Such drone attacks have become increasingly common in recent weeks. During 1,000 days of war, Russia has targeted the capital with more than 2,500 missiles and drones, according to data collected by the city’s military administration. Around half of the attacks took place this year.
The United States Embassy in Kyiv.Credit...Lynsey Addario for The New York Times
Since the war began, there have been about 1,370 alerts in Kyiv, according to city officials. Those have lasted more than 1,550 hours in total — meaning that if residents spent every hour of every alert in a shelter, they would have spent more than two months in bunkers.
Many people seek shelter in subways, basements and underground facilities like parking garages when the air-raid warnings wail.
But there is often little warning when ballistic missiles, which travel at several times the speed of sound, are fired at the capital. The time between launch and impact can be minutes.
And many large-scale Russian attacks — like the one on Sunday, which targeted Ukraine’s power grid — feature a combination of drones, cruises and ballistic missiles aimed to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.
Both Moscow and Kyiv appear to be stepping up their attacks ahead of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration in January.
Mr. Trump has said he wants to bring a swift end to the war in Ukraine but has not said how, leading to speculation over whether he will maintain the same level of robust military support provided to Ukraine under the Biden administration.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has said he believes that the only way to force Moscow into peace negotiations is by showing strength and shoring up Ukraine’s position on the battlefield — with the help of its allies. He drove that point home again in an interview with Fox News that was broadcast Tuesday evening.
As long as Europe, the United States and the people of Ukraine remain united, he said, they could force President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to accept a just and lasting peace.
“Putin is weaker than the United States of America,” Mr. Zelensky said. And Mr. Trump, he added, “is much stronger than Putin.”
President Biden’s decision to allow the Ukrainians to use the American-made ballistic missiles to strike inside Russia was a major change in U.S. policy — just two months before Mr. Trump heads to the White House.
Ukraine had been pleading for permission to use them for months, saying it needed longer-range capabilities to hit the Russian war machine. The weapon, known as the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, can reach further into Russia than any other Ukrainian missile.
But Ukraine has also been developing its own long-range weapons. Mr. Zelensky said on Tuesday that the country would produce at least 30,000 long-range drones next year.
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s military said it had used drones to target military installations in several regions of Russia overnight, including in the Novgorod region near the village of Kotovo, more than 400 miles from the Ukrainian border.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it had shot down 44 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 20 over the Novgorod region. Neither side’s claims could be independently verified.
As Trump Pushes Peace, Russia Intensifies Assaults on Ukraine
Overextended and exhausted, Ukrainian forces lack manpower and artillery against Russian forces willing to absorb staggering casualties.
An artillery unit of the Ukrainian military’s 68th Jaeger Brigade fires a howitzer at Russian positions outside a town in Donbas in October.Credit.
A small band of Ukrainian soldiers was trapped. They were holding the line on the battlefield, but Russian forces had managed to creep in behind their trench and encircle them.
“Even if the position holds, supplies — ammunition, provisions — eventually run out,” Capt. Viacheslav, the 30-year-old commander of an elite drone unit, said last week as he monitored events from an outpost a few miles away in eastern Ukraine. “Any vehicle attempting to reach these positions will be ambushed.”
“We are always getting stuck in these kinds of tough situations,” he said.
As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth winter and the first snowfall blankets cratered fields strewed with bodies, the situations are only growing tougher for Ukrainian forces.
Paramedics from the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade working to stabilize wounded soldiers from the front line, outside Kurakove in October.
Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine’s top military commander, recently said his forces were fighting to hold back “one of the most powerful Russian offensives from launching a full-scale invasion.”
Ukraine got a boost on Sunday when the United States, after months of pressure from Kyiv, said it had granted permission for Ukraine to use American-provided weapons to fire deeper into Russia. On Tuesday, they used American-made ballistic missiles, called ATACMS (for Army Tactical Missile System), in an attack on a munitions depot in Russia.
But the election of Donald J. Trump to the American presidency this month injected an extra dose of uncertainty over the fate of the Ukrainian war effort.
While questions over whether the United States would continue to provide robust military support to Ukraine have resulted in a frenzy of diplomatic activity around the world, nowhere will those decisions be felt more acutely than on the front lines, where beleaguered Ukrainian troops are engaged in a fierce and bloody defense of their land.
Outnumbered by more than six to one along some stretches of the front, soldiers and commanders say they are hindered by a lack of combat infantry after years of heavy fighting and, just as important, by a shortage of experienced platoon and company commanders to lead untested recruits into battle. That has led to a fraying of Ukraine’s lines that has allowed Russia to make its largest gains since the first weeks of the war.
“Brigades that have been fighting for a long time are simply worn out,” Captain Viacheslav said, echoing concerns voiced by more than a dozen commanders and soldiers interviewed along the front last week.
An infantry soldier at a frontline position outside Toretsk, in Donetsk.
The soldiers, identified only by their first names in accordance with military protocol, said they were speaking publicly about problems in the hopes of driving home the urgency of the moment to the military and civilian leadership as well as the public.
“We’re stretched thin,” Captain Viacheslav said. “People need to step up and serve. There’s no other way.”
As well as being short of personnel, Ukraine lacks the medium- and long-range weapons needed to conduct a consistent and effective campaign aimed at Russian logistics, command and control centers and other key targets.
More than a dozen Ukrainian soldiers on the front noted a marked decrease in artillery fire from their side in recent weeks, including the U.S.-made multiple rocket launching system known as HIMARS.
“HIMARS — I barely hear them at all anymore. They’re almost nonexistent,” said Sgt. Maj. Dmytro, a 33-year-old drone operator and company leader. “If we had more munitions, it could compensate for the lack of people.”
Given the shortage of artillery, drones now account for 80 percent or more of enemy losses along much of the front, commanders said.
That has made the drone operators prized targets. “It’s a constant struggle for survival — every day is a question of luck,” Sergeant Major Dmytro said.
A Ukrainian soldier from the 38th Separate Marine Brigade carrying a shell to a field gun being fired at the advancing Russian Army on Saturday.
A veteran drone pilot and platoon leader, Sgt, Maj. Vasyl, said the Russians were even dropping thousand-pound guided bombs to try to take out small drone teams, with one falling just a few hundred feet from his position last week.
“If they detect a drone operator, everything is thrown at us,” he said.
But drones alone, soldiers said, will not stabilize defensive lines.
“Nothing can replace infantry,” Captain Viacheslav said, adding that drones “cannot realistically stop the enemy.”
Russian forces are concentrating much of their efforts on capturing the last Ukrainian stronghold in the southern Donetsk region, Kurakhove, and opening a path to attack the strategic city of Pokrovsk from the south.
At the moment, Russia is still a long way from achieving the Kremlin’s aims of seizing Ukraine’s two most easternmost regions, Luhansk and Donetsk.
An artillery unit of the 68th Jaeger Brigade fires near Selydove, Donbas.
Despite their struggles, Ukrainian forces continue to make the Russians pay a high price for every advance, using their fleet of drones to slow the Russian onslaught.
“Our pilots and everyone working here knows that if we don’t stop them while they’re advancing, they’ll reach our positions 100 percent, and a gunfight will begin,” said Sergeant Major Vasyl. “It’s relentless: 24/7.”
He said he had taken part in some of the deadliest battles of the war but that the intensity of the Russian assaults in the southern Donbas was unlike anything he had witnessed.
“Once, they dropped off 30 infantry soldiers from an armored personnel carrier, and we took them all out in one spot,” Sergeant Major Vasyl said. “Another A.P.C. came in immediately after and unloaded 30 more soldiers. We lost count of how many times they sent more troops to the same spot. In half a day of fighting, the Russians lost more than 200 men.”
“In another six-hour clash,” he added, “we recorded a record 132 infantry killed.”
“These are staggering numbers,” Captain Viacheslav said.
But at the end of each engagement, the Russians took the land.
“If they’re willing to lose that many men just to advance, I’m not sure what could stop them,” he said.
A soldier from the 38th Separate Marine Brigade moving branches to hide a field gun after firing at the Russian Army near Pokrovsk on Saturday.
His claims of Russian fatalities could not be independently verified.
Ukraine does not provide casualty figures, but soldiers say they also suffer grievous losses in each clash. Russian drone pilots attack them with the same ferocity with which the Ukrainians attack the Russians. The relentless attempts by Russia to storm Ukrainian trenches lead to deadly close-quarter combat that can favor the larger attacking side. And Russia has used its advantage in the air to pound Ukrainian fortifications with powerful guided bombs.
The Ukrainian soldiers shared drone video documenting the recent battles and allowed The New York Times to watch live video being streamed from the front at a command post a few miles away. Drone pilots targeted one group of Russian soldiers one after another, hour after hour.
While it was not possible to verify the precise death tolls, the scores of lifeless Russian soldiers scattered across fields, tree lines and roadsides offered a gruesome window into the extraordinary violence playing out across hundreds of miles of the front every day.
Ukrainian soldiers said the best way to stop the Russian advances was not by engaging in head-on clashes — which would always favor the larger Russian forces — but by weakening the enemy’s combat capabilities.
The lack of artillery compromises that effort. With no signs of the Russian offensive easing, Ukraine is racing to fortify defensive lines across the front. Tree lines are being cut down to limit places the Russians can hide. Tank traps are being dug deep into the ground. New trenches branch off from roadsides in all directions. And fertile fields are lined by concrete dragon’s teeth and seeded with mines.
But troops are still needed fill the trenches.
The 38th Separate Marine Brigade, with a self-propelled howitzer, is fighting to hold back the Russian Army as it tries to occupy Pokrovsk and just to the east, Myrnohrad.
Brigades normally charged with controlling a five-kilometer stretch of land are sometimes asked to hold a line two or three times as long, soldiers said.
When reinforcements are added, they lack combat experience, and each passing month, as Ukrainian losses mount, there are fewer battle-hardened veterans to help guide them.
Effective communication has also become an issue for Ukraine. When units from different brigades are dispatched to help fill gaps along the front, it can lead to a breakdown.
Junior Sgt. Denys, a drone operator working around Kurakhove, described an example of the problem.
When he detects enemy movement using a thermal imager, he only sees a heat signature.
“I don’t see the uniform and insignia,” he said.
To be sure he is not targeting friendly forces, he asks his commander if they have any troops in the area. But his commander needs to reach out to another battalion commander who in turn has to ask yet another.
“It takes time for this information to get back,” he said.
Time, however, is not a luxury soldiers under assault can afford.
Ukrainian soldiers riding in the bed of a pickup truck in Andriivka, Ukraine, in early November.
Kremlin says 'absurd' to suggest Russia involved in Baltic Sea cable damage
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MOSCOW/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Russia dismissed as "absurd" on Wednesday any suggestion that it had been involved in damage caused at the weekend to two fibre-optic data telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea.
European governments accused Russia on Tuesday of escalating hybrid attacks on Ukraine's Western allies, days after one data cable running between Finland and Germany and one running between Sweden and Lithuania were cut.
European officials stopped short of directly accusing Russia of destroying the cables but Germany, Poland and others said it was likely an act of sabotage.
Asked about the matter on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a regular news briefing: "It is quite absurd to continue to blame Russia for everything without any reason."
"It is probably laughable against the background of the lack of any reaction to Ukraine's sabotage activities in the Baltic Sea," he said, referring to Nord Stream gas pipe explosions in September 2022, blamed by Moscow on Kyiv and Western countries.
In the latest incident, one cable went out of service on Sunday morning, the other less than 24 hours later on Monday. The breaches happened in Sweden's exclusive economic zone and Swedish prosecutors started a preliminary investigation on Tuesday on suspicion of possible sabotage.
Swedish Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin told Reuters on Tuesday that the country's armed forces and coastguard had picked up ship movements that corresponded with the interruption of two telecoms cables in the Baltic Sea.
The Swedish navy is helping police and prosecutors in the investigation, a naval spokesman said on Wednesday, deploying vessels to the more southerly of the two sites to film and document an operation that is likely to take a few days.
Цитата:
Undersea Cables Cut In The Baltic, A Perfect Target For Hybrid Warfare
Two undersea communication cables were severed in the Baltic Sea this weekend, prompting Germany's defense minister to say that “no one believes" it was an accident. Many suspect a new escalation of hybrid warfare in a sea where Russia is the only country not part of NATO.
PARIS — You regularly hear references to the concept of hybrid warfare, meaning the idea that an act of war can take multiple forms, not just the use of weapons. We may have an example of this in the Baltic Sea, and it is particularly concerning.
Two undersea fiber optic cables ensuring internet communications — one between Sweden and Lithuania, the other between Finland and Germany — were cut within hours of each other, on Sunday and Monday. It takes at least two weeks to repair these cuts in the open sea.
“No one believes that these cables were cut by accident,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said. Although, at this stage, there is no formal evidence of sabotage.
Finland and Germany's foreign ministers went even further, jointly stating that Europe's security is not only threatened by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine but also by “hybrid warfare by malicious actors.”
Brewing speculation
Undersea cable accidents are possible: a ship's anchor dragging a piece of cable, or, as happened in Asia a few years ago, an underwater earthquake causing damage. But two cables cut within hours of each other leave little doubt that these events weren’t related.
Speculation is swift. A Chinese cargo ship, the Yi Peng 3, was spotted in the area and even tracked for a while by a Danish Navy vessel. It had just anchored in a Russian port and was heading toward Egypt. Last year, another Chinese cargo ship had damaged a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, though it was unclear whether it was deliberate.
Similarly, a connection has been made to the announcement: The day before these incidents, a Russian spy ship, the Yantar, was present in the Irish exclusive economic zone, near the undersea cables connecting Ireland to the United Kingdom. A ship from the Irish fleet escorted it out of the area, while the French, British and U.S. navies monitored its movements.
This forms a body of suspicion, not evidence. And caution remains necessary, especially when remembering the speculation surrounding the sabotage of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea two years ago. Attributing sabotage is particularly difficult.
Nord Stream Pipeline Leaking Into Baltic Sea after an explosion in September 2022
A specific context
The geopolitical context is, of course, very specific. The Baltic has virtually become a "NATO sea" with Sweden and Finland's decision to join the Atlantic alliance after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia is the only Baltic neighbor that is not a member.
Critical infrastructures such as undersea cables have become prime targets in these theorized hybrid wars. These cables, which cross all seas and oceans, have become vital for running modern economies, as well as defense systems.
If it is confirmed that these two cables were sabotaged by a hostile power, it will be another escalation in a fractured world — and surely not the last.
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Long Tied to Russia, Georgia’s Winemakers Tip a Glass to the West
Some vintners in the former Soviet republic are seeking to break a politically risky dependence on Russia and focus more on high-value European and American markets.
It was another abundant and busy harvest in the vineyards of Kakheti, the Republic of Georgia’s famed wine-producing region.
With the green ridges of the Caucasus basking in the sun before him, Levan Eloshvili prepared to drive his rusty Soviet-designed truck with a load of grapes to a sprawling factory nearby. There it will be turned into wine, some of it to be sold to Russia.
At a small winery a few miles away, Kakha Tchotiashvili stirred a fermenting juice of crushed grapes and their skins in traditional clay pots to produce refined reds and oranges destined for trendy restaurants and wine bars in Europe and the United States.
The scenes reflected the two approaches to the future of Georgian winemaking that are being debated across Kakheti and other winemaking regions in the former Soviet republic. Should they be focusing on Russia or the West?
The situation in Kakheti and other wine-producing regions of Georgia reflects a country long torn between great power interests. Many people, particularly younger ones and those living in big cities, want to forge closer ties with Europe, where they see their political future. Others believe it is important to maintain economic stability and therefore stay close to Russia.
The fortunes of Georgia’s winemakers have long been tied to Russia, their biggest market, and one that has grown since sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine cut off a flow of Italian and French wines.
Now many winemakers say it’s time to break that dependence, which comes with considerable political risk, and focus more on European and American markets.
Giorgi Dakishvili was among the first to bottle amber-colored wines made in qvevri in the early 2000s.
Qvevri, amphora clay pots buried in the ground, act as natural thermoses for fermentation, storage and aging.
Mr. Tchotiashvili, for one, sees a bright future for Georgian winemakers if they can break away from Russia and move up the value chain by selling carefully crafted wines in the West. While big winemakers are likely to remain dependent on the Russian market, he said there are benefits to staying small and earning more per bottle in Europe and the United States.
He said he and his team proudly signed the labels of each of the 50,000 bottles they produce in a typical year. “We are not simply selling wine, we are selling our culture,” Mr. Tchotiashvili said as he poured a glass of Chitistvala, an amber-colored dry wine, in his tasting hall. (With notes of pineapple, it was delicate and delicious.) “We don’t have oil in Georgia, but we have wine,” he joked.
For the most part, the wines sold to Russia are sweeter and cheaper varieties sold in bulk that might go for a few dollars per bottle in a supermarket, a fraction of prices in boutique wine shops in the West.
“A good direction is getting away from the Russian market” and looking for more profitable outlets, said Tina Kezeli, the head of Georgia’s wine association.
That is partly because, she said, the Russian market “has always been very political,” including a ban on Georgian wines by Moscow after a dispute between the two countries in the 2000s. In Russia, she said, “everything is used as a tool: Either you behave or we close the market.”
Following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, some Georgian winemakers refused to sell to Russia. But others increased their shares of the Russian market.
Levan Eloshvili getting his Soviet-designed truck loaded with a load of grapes.
Wine is highly wrapped up in the country’s identity. It often appears as if every Georgian is a winemaker.
The gains were mostly enjoyed by the country’s big wine companies, like Badagoni, that sell a lot of cheaper bottles. But even high-end producers saw an opportunity, and pricey Georgian wines also appear on tables at expensive restaurants in Moscow.
So far this year, almost 70 percent of Georgia’s production, worth more than $214 million, has been exported to Russia, according to Georgian state statistics, an increase of more than 54 percent from a similar period in 2021, before the war.
For many Georgians the debate over the future of the wine industry is intensely personal.
Wine has been cultivated continuously in Georgia for more than 8,000 years and is highly wrapped up in the country’s identity. It often appears as if every Georgian is a winemaker, and many homes have marani, or traditional wine cellars.
One of the nation’s main Christian relics is a grapevine cross. Toastmaking and elaborate feasts with copious amounts of wine are part of the fabric of life in Georgia.
In the country’s villages, visitors cannot walk into a house without being invited to inspect its marani and taste wine from qvevri — clay pots buried in the ground that act as natural thermoses for fermentation, storage and aging.
When Georgia was part of the Soviet Union, individual winemaking was prohibited, though many Georgians still produced wine in their cellars, mainly for personal use. Wine manufactured at Soviet factories was typically of low quality and usually sweet. (Legends still abound across the former Soviet Union that the semisweet Khvanchkara variety was nonetheless a favorite of Stalin, who was from Georgia.)
“A lot of wine just wasn’t very good,” said Robert Joseph, a British wine critic who first visited Georgia in 1988.
he Kakheti region east of the capital Tbilisi is abundant in monasteries and castles, as well as fertile grape microzones.
Zurab Mgvdiashvili, owner of Nikalas Marani, a company that specializes in natural wines, said he refused to sell wine to the Russian market.
Over the past two decades, Mr. Joseph said he witnessed a major transformation of the Georgian wine industry. While the industrial production of cheap wines surged, enthusiasts using traditional methods began making smaller quantities of higher quality wine mostly sold in the West.
Giorgi Dakishvili was one of the pioneers of the latter group. Born to a family of winemakers — his father supervised the production of Saperavi, the preferred red of Soviet elites — Mr. Dakishviili was among the first to bottle traditional amber-colored wines made in qvevri in the early 2000s. At first, he said, he had to include a leaflet explaining that the wines were meant to be that color when he sold to restaurants in Tbilisi.
Today his wines are mainly sold in boutiques in Britain, Japan and the United States, as well as in small amounts in Russia.
“The Russian market is an easy market because our wines are well-known and winemakers don’t need to invest money to increase awareness,” Mr. Dakishvili said. “At the same time it is very unstable for political reasons.”
In 2006, following a deterioration in relations between the Kremlin and a new pro-Western government in Tbilisi, Russia banned imports of Georgian wine. The ban lasted seven years, forcing many wineries in Kakheti into bankruptcy. But others were motivated to innovate and seek out other markets.
A worker at the Mildiani Family Winery in Telavi, in Georgia’s Kakheti region.
The Mildiani factory in Telavi. The company can send tens of thousands of bottles to Russia in a single batch.
“I want to thank the Russian embargo because without these terrible times we would need much more time to achieve the current situation,” Mr. Dakishvili said. “But it would also be absolutely un-pragmatic to stop commercial communications with Russia.”
Zurab Mgvdiashvili, the owner of Nikalas Marani, a company that specializes in natural wines — which use grapes farmed without the use of chemicals and are made with minimal manipulations and additions — in his village of Kardakhi in eastern Kakheti, said he refused to sell wine to the Russian market.
“I just don’t like Russia,” said Mr. Mgvdiashvili, who is also the head of Georgia’s Natural Wine Association. “I would think whether to continue as a winemaker or sell to Russia.”
The production capabilities of the small winemakers pale in comparison to the industrial-scale ones serving Russia.
Mr. Mgvdiashvili produces 10,000 bottles of natural wine a year, much of it sold in New York. By comparison, Mildiani, a major Georgian wine factory, can send tens of thousands of bottles to Russia in a single batch.
While Mr. Mgvdiashvili’s wines cost around $18 at his winery, Russian retail chains buy mass-produced Georgian wines at around $2.10 per bottle.
Mr. Joseph, the wine critic, has been working with Vladimer Kublashvili, chief winemaker at Khareba, the biggest estate winery in Georgia, on a project to create a high-quality wine that they hope can also be sold in large quantities in the West.
“As a responsible wine producer, we are always trying to reach other wine markets around the world,” said Mr. Kublashvili.
There are more than 500 indigenous grape varieties in Georgia, though only about 25 are commercially used.
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С сожалением и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Как и было замечено с утра 20 ноября, дипломатическая суетня США была только политической рекламной акцией.
А виноваты в этом … конечно русские.
Судите сами, США&Cо ради обоснования разрекламированного удара закрыли целый куст посольств, а Россия просто не явилась на войну!
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Analysis: US embassy’s temporary closure in Kyiv reflects a starkly escalating war in Ukraine
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Kyiv, UkraineCNN —
It is a very specific and high-profile warning, so you would expect the information behind it to have been quite precise.
The US Embassy in Kyiv has not closed since it relocated during the opening months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But on Wednesday, it announced a one-day closure, citing “specific information of a potential significant air attack.” Kyiv endures air attacks on an almost nightly basis – but the US step suggested a fear of being potentially targeted.
The Greek, Italian, and Spanish embassies followed suit, causing the Ukrainian foreign ministry to plead that its allies behave on the 1001st day of the war, as they had done on the previous thousand days, and not let their anxieties overcome them. Ukrainian defense officials even derided a fake warning circulated widely on Telegram claiming a massive Russian air attack, as being crude Russian-produced misinformation.
A senior advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, told CNN the apparent anxiety after years of war should be put down to Russia’s bid to use “elements of psychological influence.”
(выделенно а.п.)
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While Russia is the aggressor, strategically it is difficult to see how Moscow can continue to endure the overt Western escalation against its territory without trying to assert some sort of deterrence again. They are slowly finding all the red lines the Kremlin head seems to lay down evaporate in the heat.
(выделенно а.п.)
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Canada, U.S. embassies scramble after threat of Russian air strike in Kyiv
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OTTAWA — The Canadian and American embassies in Ukraine were closed to the public on Wednesday after the U.S. warned of a "potential significant air attack" in Kyiv by Russia.
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In a media release later on Wednesday, the embassy said it had modified operations and was open and operational.
In-person consular services at the Canadian Embassy have been suspended since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. On Wednesday, officials said the embassy was closed to staff as well, as a result of the possible threat of air strikes.
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Первый удар Storm Shadow по России, в Киеве закрываются посольства, условия мира Путина. Итоги 20.11
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Макбрайд (рождена мужчиной) — первый открытый трансгендер в Конгрессе США. Он/она избралась в 2024 году от штата Делавэр. Спикера Палаты представителей Майка Джонсона сразу стали пытать: мол, как быть с новым законодателем, что насчёт общих уборных в здании на Капитолийском холме? Дело в том, что спикер контролирует места общего пользования в зданиях Конгресса, в том числе, туалеты.
И вот Джонсон заявил, что трансгендерам будет запрещено пользоваться общими уборными. При этом, отметил спикер, у каждого члена Конгресса есть собственное помещение с собственным туалетом. Соответствующее распоряжение он пообещал вскоре опубликовать на официальном сайте Конгресса.
Республиканская конгрессвумен Нэнси Мэйс первой подняла вопрос о новой коллеге. Мэйс предложила законопроект, который запретил бы биологическим мужчинам посещение женских уборных. По словам самой Мэйс, после этого предложения ей стали поступать угрозы (включая угрозы смерти) от активистов-трансгендеров.
Майк Джонсон решил не разжигать страсти на данном этапе с обсуждением законопроекта, вокруг которого демократы почти наверняка бы устроили истерический шабаш. Он воспользовался своей административной властью.
В его заявлении, в частности, говорится: "Все однополые помещения в Капитолии и офисных зданиях Палаты Представителей, такие как туалеты, раздевалки и уборные, зарезервированы для лиц этого биологического пола. Важно отметить, что в каждом офисе компании-члена есть свой собственный туалет, а туалеты для мужчин доступны по всему Капитолию. Женщины заслуживают того, чтобы у нас были места только для женщин".
Сара Макбрайд уже заявила, что подчинится распоряжению спикера.
Цитата:
Speaker Johnson restricts use of Capitol bathrooms by transgender people
The rule change is announced about two weeks after Democrat Sarah McBride of Delaware became the first openly transgender individual elected to Congress.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said Wednesday that transgender individuals would not be allowed into restroom facilities in the Capitol and House office buildings that do not correspond with their sex assigned at birth, announcing the rule change about two weeks after Democrat Sarah McBride of Delaware became the first openly transgender individual elected to Congress.
“All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings — such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms — are reserved for individuals of that biological sex,” Johnson said in a statement. “It is important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol. Women deserve women’s only spaces.”
This week, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) introduced a resolution to ban transgender women from female bathrooms in the Capitol. The resolution does not specifically name McBride, but Mace said Tuesday that “it’s 100 percent because of McBride” and that the future congresswoman “doesn’t get a say” in shaping the first-of-its-kind policy.
In a statement Wednesday, McBride said she is “not here to fight about bathrooms.”
“I’m here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families,” McBride said. “Like all members, I will follow the rules as outlined by Speaker Johnson even if I disagree with them. This effort to distract from the real issues facing this country hasn’t distracted me over the last several days, as I’ve remained hard at work preparing to represent the greatest state in the union come January.”
At a news conference Tuesday, Johnson refused to say whether he thinks McBride is a woman or a man. But hours later, he told reporters: “Let me be unequivocally clear: A man is a man, and a woman is a woman, and a man cannot become a woman. … But I also believe that we treat everybody with dignity, and so we can do and believe all those things at the same time.”
Johnson told reporters Wednesday that “like all House policies,” the bathroom rule is “enforceable.”
“It’s always been, I guess, an unwritten policy but now it’s in writing,” he added.
When The Washington Post contacted the speaker’s office Wednesday for more details on how the new rule would be enforced, it declined to elaborate.
Asked by reporters Tuesday for details on how the House could enforce such a restriction, Mace said the House sergeant at arms “can enforce it.”
Mace thanked Johnson for the rule change, writing on X on Wednesday: “This fight isn’t over just yet. We want to ban men from women’s spaces in EVERY federal building, school, public bathroom, everywhere.”
Kelley Robinson, the president of the Human Rights Campaign — an LBGTQ advocacy group where McBride was previously a spokesperson — called Johnson’s new bathroom rule “cruel and discriminatory.”
Robinson pointed out that the rule “targets not just Rep.-elect McBride, but all trans and nonbinary people who work and visit the Capitol — public servants who have been working in the Capitol for years.”
House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (Massachusetts) told reporters Tuesday, after Mace introduced the resolution, that it wasn’t a “great start” for the new Republican House majority to kick off the 119th Congress by talking about “where one member out of 435” is going to use the bathroom.
“The American people say: Mind your own business about where people do their business,” Clark said.
In a blink, hockey went from marveling at Alex Ovechkin to missing him
Alex Ovechkin was barreling in on Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record. Now we don’t know what to expect.
Alex Ovechkin was on a tear before he went down with the most serious injury of his NHL career. (John McDonnell for The Washington Post)
This is dizzying, going from, “You’ve got to be kidding me, Alex Ovechkin is leading the NHL in goals at age 39,” to the previously unheard of, “Alex Ovechkin is on injured reserve with a lower leg injury.” He scored five goals in two days to grab the hockey world by its throat. He went down after a knee-to-knee hit late Monday night in Utah and could not skate thereafter. Feels like one of those pucks from the left faceoff circle — the howitzers Ovechkin has used to make heads spin for two decades — just whizzed by. This is whiplash.
Ovechkin’s injury — about which we don’t know specifics, and therefore don’t know a timetable for his return — is also flat jarring. He is famously unbreakable. For the first time in his career, he is broken. In his 20th season, he was on an absolute heater — 13 goals in 11 games to take the league lead. In his 20th season, he is now dealing with the most significant injury of his career.
He is not lost for the season. But a Washington Capitals team that woke up Wednesday unexpectedly sitting atop the Metropolitan Division now must deal with a situation it has never known: Finding its way without Ovechkin for weeks, at least.
Marvel at him one minute. Miss him — and miss him dearly — the next.
“I mean, he’s our captain,” veteran forward Tom Wilson said. “He leads the way every night and has been a superstar that carries the load for so many years that, when he’s out, we got to make sure we’re playing to the standard that he would appreciate.”
That standard, early this season, was being reset. For the greatest goal scorer in history (yeah, I know, that’s a debatable take, but a defensible one), that’s both mind-blowing and true. Ovechkin’s 15-goals-in-the-first-18-games barrage was a driving force behind the revamped Capitals’ surge — a surge that just concluded with a three-game, four-day road trip out west that somehow yielded convincing wins against Colorado, Vegas and Utah.
So Ovechkin’s absence is about how these Capitals compensate and keep pressing forward in an enormously promising season. That’s important for Washington as a town, for the Capitals as a team. What’s important for the sport of hockey: How does this impact his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals mark?
That conversation, to this point, has already flip-flopped. Entering the season, he needed 42 goals to pass Gretzky’s record total of 894. The thinking here: “People his age don’t score 42 goals in a season. Wait till next year — if you’re lucky.”
By Monday night, when he ripped in his 15th of the season to get on a — blink your eyes clear for this one — 68-goal pace, it was fair to start looking at the calendar and wondering when to buy tickets to see No. 895. (For the record: At that pace, which we would label as absolutely unsustainable if we were talking about someone other than Alex Ovechkin, he would have passed Gretzky in or around the Caps’ 51st game of the year — Jan. 30 at Ottawa.)
Now? Well, we don’t know. Coach Spencer Carbery was clear at Wednesday’s practice that the injury is not season-ending. The vibe among players was that it’s a bummer — a major bummer — but a temporary one.
“He’ll be back,” said defenseman John Carlson, Ovechkin’s teammate for 16 seasons. “That’s all we can hope for is that it’s quick and he’s healthy as you can get.”
By this point, we should have all moved past doubting Ovechkin. I first made that mistake in the spring of 2017, after another second-round playoff flameout against Pittsburgh that felt like a kneecap to the Caps and their captain. Ovechkin’s response: a league-leading 49 goals in 2017-18, the Stanley Freaking Cup, and 148 goals over the next three seasons, even though the last was truncated by the coronavirus pandemic.
It was easy, too, to write off Gretzky’s record as unreachable as recently as a year ago, when Ovechkin had just eight goals through 43 games. His response: 23 goals the rest of the way to pull No. 99 back into his sights.
So consider the following not an overriding doubt, but a reality check: Whatever the ailment, it’s almost certain Ovechkin has never had to overcome an injury of this magnitude. And whatever the ailment, healing is easier at 29 than it is 39.
Ovechkin’s durability is legendary. In 15 of his 19 seasons to this point, he has missed four or fewer games. Suddenly, he’ll be out at least that many — and likely more.
That has an effect on tactics, sure. But it has an emotional impact, too.
“Energy levels, enthusiasm, communication — all the stuff goes into what you’re talking about,” Carbery said. “So that goes back to: I think we all need to do more in those departments. Because you’re right, he does bring a lot of infectious energy, positivity — on the road when you feel like you can’t muster up something, when you feel like, ‘Geez, my legs are really heavy today.’ He helps in that department — bring you up and bring you into the fight and drag you into a game where you might not have your best.”
That’s a lot to lose on the ice. That’s a lot to lose in the locker room. That’s a lot to lose — for hockey.
For 17 games and two periods, Alex Ovechkin was the best story in his sport. With one collision, that changed. The pursuit of Gretzky is on hold. Can he get still get to 895 goals? Sure. But if there was something that would move us from the certainty of “When will he do it?” to the murkiness of “Can he do it?”, it just happened. Doubt him at your own peril. But fingers crossed that weeks don’t become months, too.
P.S.
А.п. напоминает Уважаемым коллегам, что в связи с тем, что провайдер села обитания а.п., принял решение улучшить качество своей работы(что само по себе обнадёживает), начиная с 14 ноября сего года, все публикации а.п. (в разделах «примечания и дополнения», «фанаты и жизнь», «варвар и еретик», и «дураки и дороги»), будут происходить нерегулярно, случайным, можно даже сказать возможным образом.
_________________
С удовлетворением и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Последний раз редактировалось: Dimitriy (21.11.2024 4:26), всего редактировалось 1 раз
Что пишут военкоры и аналитики о применении баллистического комплекса «Орешник» и заявлении Путина?
▪️ Борис Рожин:
«Пентагон заявил, что обеспокоен применением Россией новой ракетной системы на Украине. А вот администрация Байдена не обеспокоена. Ей всё равно уже недолго осталось».
▪️ Юрий Подоляка:
«На ЗАВТРА и ПОСЛЕЗАВТРА также есть заявка России. На такие же пуски. По той же траектории — на УКРАИНУ. Всю её территорию (и даже больше). А потому всё возможно — не расслабляемся».
▪️ «Рыбарь»:
«Cегодняшнее применение «Орешника» было уже более явным сигналом странам НАТО. Тем самым, который так ждала российская общественность, уставшая от простых заявлений о красных линиях».
▪️ «Старше Эдды»:
«Массированный пуск Storm Shadow принёс околонулевой результат, хотя и погибли наши люди. Что же касается испытания нашей новой ракеты «Орешник», то всё можно выразить двумя словами: давайте ещё!»
▪️ Александр Симонов:
«Лично я «развалинами Рейхстага удовлетворён». Всё по чести. Всё по совести. Думайте, нетоварищи оппоненты. Мы свои национальные интересы отстоим».
▪️ Юрий Котенок:
«Выводы напрашиваются сами: пускать не только «Орешники» (без предупреждения разрешается) до тех пор, пока «сдерживающее влияние» не выйдет во главу угла всего противостояния на ТВД. За первой серией обязательно показывать вторую и третью».
▪️ Евгений Поддубный:
«Новая российская баллистическая ракета в безъядерном гиперзвуковом оснащении летит к цели со скоростью 10 Махов (около 3 км/с), что делает невозможным её перехват любыми существующими в мире средствами ПРО»
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Цитата:
Главный редактор журнала "Национальная оборона" Игорь Коротченко - об «Орешнике»:
В комплексе "Орешник" концентрация компетенций, которые имеет Россия в области создания ракетных и гиперзвуковых технологий. Важно отметить практически синхронный приход боевых блоков по объекту поражения, что также говорит об очень эффективной и технологичной отработке всех элементов данного ракетного комплекса, который представляет собой шедевр современного российского боевого твердотопливного ракетостроения.
Подобного рода комплексы обеспечат нашу безопасность в условиях предполагаемого с 2027 года развертывания американских ракет средней дальности на территории Германии. Нам есть чем ответить. Первое боевое применение комплекса "Орешник" показало, что ждет тех, кто толкает мир к началу Третьей мировой войны.
Ракета успешно поразила заданный объект военной промышленности Украины, разрабатывающий именно те самые ракеты, о которых недавно заявлял Зеленский, угрожая нашей стране. В данном случае реакция России абсолютно правомерна.
Цитата:
Доктор военных наук Константин Сивков — о новой гиперзвуковой ракете «Орешник»:
«Речь идёт о том, что мы создали свою ракету средней дальности, которая идёт по баллистической траектории. И сегодня её испытали в ходе боевых действий. Вот, собственно, об этом речь идёт. То есть мы имеем возможность наносить удары с подлётным временем, измеряемым несколькими минутами до назначенных целей с очень высокой точностью».
Однако эксперт отметил, что для западных стран это вряд ли станет сдерживающим фактором:
«Дальнобойное оружие Запад применяет совершенно с другими целями, и вряд ли это станет сдерживающим фактором. Я должен констатировать, к сожалению».
Цитата:
Что значит заявление Путина о "дальнобое", удар «Орешником» по Южмашу, бои в центре Курахово. 21.11
Цитата:
Russia fired experimental hypersonic ballistic missile on Ukraine says Putin
Цитата:
Matt Gaetz WITHDRAWS as AG, and Biden Escalates Russia-Ukraine War, w/ Andrew Klavan & Jeffrey Sachs
Цитата:
Andrei Martyanov: Russia Fires Hypersonic Ballistic Missile (ICBM) at Ukraine!
Цитата:
Hoping Putin's Bluffing = Horrendous Policy
Цитата:
BREAKING: Putin - "Our Missiles CANNOT be Intercepted"
Цитата:
Using Missiles as Diplomacy: Ukraine & Russia w/John Mearsheimer
Цитата:
Huge Strikes - Russia Launches An ICBM | Future Reality For Crimea - Ukraine Map Update
Цитата:
John Mearsheimer REVEALS: Russia Joins Iran's Next MASSIVE Response Push Israel Into BIG TROUBLES
Цитата:
ЗЕЛЕНСКИЙ ЗРЯ РАДУЕТСЯ УДАРАМ ПО РОССИИ, ОТВЕТ-ТО БУДЕТ/ НИКОЛАЙ ЯНОВИЧ - НАТАЛЬЯ ВОРОНЦОВА
Цитата:
Biden's "Reckless" Decision To Escalate Russia-Ukraine War Highlights His Failures, w/ Jeffrey Sachs
В связи с сообщениями РФ о том, что они предупредили Вашингтон о запуске «Орешника» по Днепру (и это подтвердил Пентагон) в новом свете выглядит закрытие американского и ряда других посольств в Киеве в среду.
Хотя Песков и сказал, что американцев предупредили о запуске всего за полчаса, однако многое указывает на то, что информация о предполагаемом ударе новой ракетной системой, с которым может не справиться ПВО, была у Вашингтона ещё раньше. Об этом, собственно, прямо сказали в Пентагоне, уточнив, что предупредили заранее и украинские власти.
Отсюда, вероятно, и публикации в ряде связанных с Банковой телеграмм-каналов слухов о подготовке запуска россиянами межконтинентальной ракеты РС-26 «Рубеж» (за которую, как потом выяснилось, приняли «Орешник»).
Впрочем, разгон паники по этому поводу затем списали на «российское ИПСО». Но, как уже понятно, первоисточником была реальная информация о подготовке запуска новой ракеты.
Сейчас же, после заявления Путина, тема ударов «Орешником» начала жить своей жизнью. И паника разгоняется уже на всех уровнях.
Например, депутатами. Один из них заявил, что россияне хотят ударить по Раде, а другие сказали об угрозе удара по всему правительственному кварталу Киева уже завтра. А украинские телеграмм-каналы массово разносят «новость» о том, что Россия на 22-23 ноября закрывает часть своего воздушного пространства для ракетного удара со ссылкой на российские СМИ (хотя российские СМИ ничего об этом не пишут).
И в данной ситуации разобраться где тут реальные данные разведки, а где вбросы или просто панические настроения, уже трудно.
Хотя американское посольство о приостановке завтра работы ничего пока не заявляло.
Кроме того, сегодня к работе в Киеве приступил новый китайский посол. А посольство КНР в Киеве находится совсем недалеко от Верховной Рады.
Цитата:
Цитата:
«Заседание Рады завтра не будет. Следующее планируется в декабре»: После демонстрации возможностей «Орешника» заседание Верховной Рады перенесли (в бункер) на попозже.
P.S.
А.п. напоминает Уважаемым коллегам, что в связи с тем, что провайдер села обитания а.п., принял решение улучшить качество своей работы(что само по себе обнадёживает), начиная с 14 ноября сего года, все публикации а.п. (в разделах «примечания и дополнения», «фанаты и жизнь», «варвар и еретик», и «дураки и дороги»), будут происходить нерегулярно, случайным, можно даже сказать возможным образом.
_________________
С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Последний раз редактировалось: Dimitriy (22.11.2024 2:10), всего редактировалось 1 раз
'He is testing you': Volodymyr Zelensky says world 'must respond' after Putin boasted about new missile and declared the UK is now 'directly involved' in war
Russian President Vladimir Putin has revealed that his forces carried out a strike with a new medium-range ballistic missile in Ukraine today as a test.
In a gloating nationwide TV address, Putin warned that the Kremlin could use the new missiles to hit other countries who have provided Ukraine with weapons capable of striking Russia - such as the UK and US.
This comes after the Russian ambassador to the UK declared that Britain is now 'directly involved' in the Russia/Ukraine war after Kyiv's Storm Shadow attack.
The UN called the testing of the new Russian missile in Ukraine 'worrying' and Downing Street condemned Putin for further escalating the conflict.
It comes after Ukraine struck a military facility in Russia's Kursk region on Wednesday, utilising British-made missiles.
In a rare move of making a statement himself, Putin said in an alarming TV address around 8pm Moscow time: 'We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against the military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities.'
He said he wanted to give a message to those who 'harbour delusions about delivering a strategic defeat to Russia', as the 33-month-old war continues to escalate.
Putin claimed that today's strike on Dnipro was in response to 'aggressive' actions by NATO and warned that 'targets for further testing will be determined by us based on the security threats'.
Nine projectiles were launched at critical infrastructure in Dnipro between 5am and 7am local time, from the Astrakhan region of Russia, Ukraine's air forces said.
The missile's range far outstrips that of newly authorised US and British supplied weapons. The distance from Moscow to London is around 2,500km, suggesting the range of the new missile could threaten the UK.
Attacking either the UK or US would be a major escalation and it could be the first time Russia has deliberately launched an attack on NATO soil since the war began.
The Russian leader said: 'In the event of further escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond equally decisively and in kind.
'I recommend that the ruling elites of those countries which are considering allegiance against Russia seriously consider this. Of course, if necessary, we will choose targets for destruction. There are currently no means to counter such weapons. It is impossible.'
He added: 'In response to the use of American and British long-range weapons, on November 21 of this year, the Russian armed forces launched a combined strike on one of the facilities of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine.
'From that moment, as we have repeatedly underscored, a regional conflict in Ukraine previously provoked by the West has acquired elements of a global character.
'In combat conditions, one of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems was tested, among other things. In this case, with a ballistic missile in a nuclear-free hypersonic equipment.'
He said of the new weapon: 'Our engineers named it Oreshnik.' This means hazel tree in Russian.
The Russian leader declared that Russia would issue advance warnings before strikes on other countries to allow civilians to evacuate to safety.
Sir Keir Starmer's official spokesman said: 'My understanding is that it is the first time that Russia has used a ballistic missile in Ukraine with a range of several thousand kilometres.'
No 10 said it was 'an example of escalatory behaviour from Russia'.
But the Prime Minister's spokesman added it 'only serves to strengthen our resolve and to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to act in self-defence against Russia's reckless and illegal invasion'.
The US was notified by Russia 'briefly' before today's missile strike on Ukraine, an American official said today.
Ukraine's foreign ministry urged the international community to react swiftly to the use of what it said was 'the use by Russia of a new type of weaponry.'
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russia likely possesses a handful of the 'experimental' intermediate-range ballistic missiles used in today's strike.
Defence Secretary John Healey earlier revealed to a committee of MPs that the UK knew Russia had been 'preparing for months' to fire a new ballistic missile.
Mr Healey warned Ukraine faces a 'serious moment' in its defence against Putin's invasion, but refused to confirm that Kyiv had been given permission to use Storm Shadow in Russia.
Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence have repeatedly declined to comment publicly on the use of Storm Shadow.
'It risks both operational security and in the end the only one that benefits from such a public debate is President Putin,' the Defence Secretary told MPs.
Battle lines in Ukraine are now 'less stable than at any time since the early days of the full-scale Russian invasion', Mr Healey said, citing British intelligence.
Speaking at the same time, Sir Keir told the House of Commons the UK 'will not be deterred or distracted by reckless threats' from Putin, who has lowered the threshold for using his nuclear arsenal.
Sir Keir also insisted that all the UK's support for Kyiv was 'in accordance with international law' and 'always for self-defence'.
Putin's announcement today came hours after Ukraine claimed that Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile overnight at the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
But American officials said an initial US assessment indicated the strike was carried out with an intermediate-range ballistic missile.
Two people were wounded in the attack, and an industrial facility and a rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities were damaged, according to local officials.
Security cameras caught the moment several projectiles streaked through the night sky and triggered a series of violent explosions in the city of Dnipro where the plants of state-owned aerospace and defence manufacturer Yuzmash are located.
'Expert examinations are underway. It is obvious that Putin is using Ukraine as a testing ground,' Zelensky said in a video posted on social media.
Footage of the strike was released as Russia also threatened to strike US air bases in Poland with 'advanced weapons' in an alarming statement.
Moscow said the opening of a new US ballistic missile defence base in Redzikowo near the Baltic coast will 'increase the overall level of nuclear danger', adding it could be considered a future target.
'(The base) has been added to the list of priority targets for potential destruction which, if necessary, can be executed with a wide range of advanced weapons,' Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova concluded.
Zakharova's statement came minutes after Ukraine's air force first reported the strike, claiming it was fired from a base in Russia's southern Astrakhan region on the Caspian Sea early.
In a bizarre twist, Zakharova's press conference was interrupted by a phone call in which the speaker appeared to tell the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman about the strike before instructing her not to comment on it.
A man's voice was faintly heard saying: 'Masha, ballistic missile strikes on Yuzhmash.
The Westerners are talking about it now. Don't comment at all.'
The attack comes in a week when tensions have repeatedly soared, as the US eased restrictions on Ukraine's use of American-made longer-range missiles inside Russia and Putin lowered the threshold for launching nuclear weapons.
The Ukrainian air force said in a statement that the attack on Dnipro was launched from Russia's Astrakhan region, on the Caspian Sea.
'Today, our crazy neighbour once again showed what he really is,' Ukrainian President Zelensky said. 'And how afraid he is.'
Earlier this week, the Biden administration authorized Ukraine to use US-supplied, longer-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia - a move that drew an angry response from Moscow.
Days later, Ukraine fired several of the missiles into Russia, according to the Kremlin.
The same day, Putin signed a new doctrine that allows for a potential nuclear response even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power.
The doctrine is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons. In response, Western countries, including the US, said Russia has used irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behaviour throughout the war to intimidate Ukraine and other nations.
They have also expressed dismay at the deployment of thousands of North Korean troops to Russia to fight against Ukraine.
Also on Thursday, Russia also struck Zelensky's home city of Kryvyi Rih, wounding 26 people, said the head of regional administration, Serhii Lysak.
The missile strike caused damage to an administrative building, at least five multi-storey residential buildings, and civilian vehicles.
The Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement that its air defence systems shot down two British-made Storm Shadow missiles, six HIMARS rockets, and 67 drones.
The statement didn't say when or where the Storm Shadows were shot down or what they were targeting. Russia earlier reported downing some of the missiles over the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Putin has also warned that the move would mean that Russia and NATO are at war.
Peter Ricketts, a former U.K. national security adviser who now sits in the House of Lords, said: 'It is an important move and it pulls against, undermines the narrative that Putin had been trying to establish that it was fine for Russia to rain down Iranian drones and North Korean missiles on Ukraine but a reckless escalation for Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons at legitimate targets in Russia.'
Цитата:
Starmer says Britain only supplies weapons to Ukraine for 'self-defence' as he defies WW3 threats from Putin after Storm Shadow missiles strike Russia for the first time
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Keir Starmer today insisted Britain only supplies weapons to Ukraine for 'self-defence' after Storm Shadow missiles were fired on Russia for the first time.
The PM accused Vladimir Putin of wanting 'destruction not peace' as he defied threats from the Kremlin.
The statement in the Commons came as experts have cautioned that the UK should expect 'more sabotage and subversion' after the West scaled up support for Kyiv.
Russia this morning apparently fired an intercontinental ballistic missile as part of reprisals against targets in Ukraine.
It came the day after Kyiv's forces battered a Russian command headquarters in the Kursk region with British Storm Shadows.
Updating MPs after attending the G20 summit in Rio, Sir Keir stopped short of explicitly confirming the weapons had been used.
But he said the UK had 'doubled down' on its support. 'While Brazil made finding solutions to hunger and poverty the focus of its presidency, in recent weeks Russian missiles have continued to rain down on civilian ships carrying grain bound for Africa. It could not be more clear: this is a man who wants destruction not peace,' he said.
'And after 1,000 days of war, 1,000 days of Ukrainian bravery and sacrifice, I am clear that we must double down in our support. We will not be deterred or distracted by reckless threats.
'We have consistently said we'll do what it takes to support Ukraine and put it in the best possible position going into the winter.
'The UK's support for Ukraine is always for self-defence, it is proportionate, co-ordinated, agile and a response to Russia's own actions and it is in accordance with international law.'
Fragments of the missiles that struck a military facility in the Russian town of Maryino were recovered by bloggers yesterday, with unverified pictures shared widely on social media.
The Mail understands the attacks, which followed Ukraine firing US-supplied ATACMS missiles on Tuesday, were personally approved by Keir Starmer.
Matthew Savill, military sciences director at the RUSI think tank, warned that the US and UK should expect 'more sabotage, subversion and Russian disruption, both at home and potentially abroad (e.g. against Middle Eastern interests)'.
'We should never be blasé about the nuclear risk, but that seems incredibly extreme,' he told The Times.
'We could see other forms of escalation and retaliation. The UK security community will be on its guard. They are not afraid to use lethal force or violence overseas or to attempt sabotage.'
Ukraine's air force reported that an ICBM had been fired from a base in Russia's southern Astrakhan region on the Caspian Sea early this morning - the first time Russia has used such a powerful, long-range missile during the war.
The air force did not specify which ICBM had been fired, but its launch comes mere hours after a Russian military analyst said Moscow's forces could unleash its fearsome RS-26 'Frontier' missile in retaliation for the Storm Shadow strikes.
The Frontier missile is a nuclear-capable weapon weighing roughly 50 tonnes with a range of up to 3,600 miles.
It has never before been used in combat, but analysts said it could be deployed with a conventional warhead in a strike that Ukraine's air defences would be powerless to intercept.
Kyiv has not suffered an ICBM strike since the war began in February 2022, with Russia's military deploying smaller, slower Iskander missiles and a handful of hypersonic Kinzhal projectiles alongside hundreds upon hundreds of attack drones.
The head of MI5 warned last month that Russian agents are determined to cause 'sustained mayhem on British and European streets'.
The government is said to be moving to bolster critical infrastructure, such as power stations and data hubs.
Labour announced cuts to the UK's defence capabilities yesterday as tensions with Russia rose.
Some 31 frontline helicopters and a pair of Commando assault ships were axed by Mr Healey.
Despite the domination of drones on the Ukrainian battlefield, the UK is to lose a staggering 46 Watchkeeper Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
A Royal Navy frigate and a pair of 'fast fleet tankers', which provide fuel for aircraft carriers, are also being chopped as part of the jaw-dropping plans.
Defence sources said the cuts delivered entirely the wrong message to Britain's enemies and allies such as the US.
The timing was also challenged as it coincides with the US ramping up its support for Ukraine – and as other NATO members are boosting their military capabilities.
One senior naval figure remarked: 'Try telling Donald Trump these helicopters and ships were getting old and were costing more to repair, he'll only hear that Britain is making cuts'.
Звонок в эфире - рекламная акция:Образ Жизни на Формах Поведения.
Все всё понимают, но делают вид.
Наслаждаемся...
Цитата:
Moment top Russian official is ordered not to talk about 'ICBM strike on Ukraine' when she receives urgent phone call in the middle of a live press conference
Maria Zakharova took an urgent phone call and was urged not to comment on the reports
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This is the moment a senior Kremlin official was urgently ordered not to comment on reports of an intercontinental ballistic missile strike on Ukraine this morning as she gave a press conference on the prospect of peace negotiations.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, took a call in the middle of a press briefing today and was sternly advised by a senior diplomat not to discuss the unconfirmed reports.
'Hello. I am having a briefing,' she could be heard saying into the phone on footage shared from the conference.
'Masha,' an unknown male voice on the phone said, addressing Ms Zakharova. 'On the 'Yuzhmash' ballistic missile strike that the Westerners have started talking about, we are not commenting at all,' it said, referring to an aerospace manufacturer based in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
It came as Ukraine's armed forces reported today that Russia had launched an ICBM overnight targeting Dnipro city. If confirmed, it would be the first time Moscow has used such a missile in the war, ongoing since February 2022.
While the range would seem excessive for use against Ukraine, such missiles are designed to carry nuclear warheads, and the use of one would serve as a chilling reminder of Russia's nuclear capability and a powerful message of potential escalation.
A Ukrainian air force source told the AFP news agency this morning that the missile did not have a nuclear charge.
Ms Zakharova spoke on propositions for a 'realistic' peace initiative on the conflict in Ukraine after the US granted Ukraine permission to use its supplied long-range ATACMS missiles against targets deep inside Russia.
'We are open to negotiations, we are ready to consider any realistic, non-politicised initiative - of course,' Zakharova said, adding that Russia would only consider a settlement 'which was based on taking into account our interests'.
'I would like to emphasise once again: the key word is taking into account the interests of our country, the current situation on ground and guarantees of compliance with relevant agreements.'
Her statements came as Ukraine's air force reported that an ICBM had been fired from a base in Russia's southern Astrakhan region on the Caspian Sea.
The head of the wider region where the city of Dnipro is located said the Russian aerial bombardment had damaged a rehabilitation centre and several homes, as well as an industrial enterprise.
'Two people were wounded - a 57-year-old man was treated on the scene and a 42-year-old woman was hospitalised,' said the official, Sergiy Lysak.
Russian authorities have not yet confirmed the launch, but it would be the first time such a powerful missile has been deployed in the war.
Such an attack would mark a 'clear escalation' by President Vladimir Putin, the European Union said today.
'While we're assessing the full facts it's obvious that such (an) attack would mark yet another clear escalation from the side of Putin,' EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano told reporters, saying the move would represent a 'quantitative and qualitative change' in the war.
Russia has so far closed ranks on the issue. Asked whether Moscow fired the missile, which can hit targets thousands of kilometres away, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had 'nothing to say on this topic.'
The Kremlin, however, did claim it was making 'maximum effort' to avoid a nuclear conflict after it updated its nuclear doctrine this week.
The new policy allows Moscow to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states and Russia said it should be seen as a warning to the West.
'We have stressed in the context of our doctrine that Russia is taking a responsible position to make maximum effort not to allow such a conflict,' Peskov added Thursday.
The RS-26 or Frontier missiles weigh up to 50 tonnes and have a 3,600 mile-range, although they have never been used in combat
During today's conference, Ms Zakharova also relayed threats to strike US air bases in Poland with 'advanced weapons', citing the recent opening of an American ballistic missile defence base in Redzikowo, near the Baltic coast.
'This is another frankly provocative step in a series of deeply destabilising actions by the Americans and their allies,' Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said of the airbase's unveiling.
Putin this week reiterated nuclear consequences if long-range US missiles from Ukraine hit deep within his country - after President Biden conceded to Kyiv permission to use its ATACMS missiles beyond its borders.
The Russian president signed a revised nuclear doctrine that formally lowers the threshold for the country's use of nuclear weapons as Ukraine fired several American-supplied longer-range missiles and reportedly fired U.K.-made Storm Shadows into Russia this week.
The decision to allow use of long-range Western weapons came after months of anxiety about the possibility of escalation - and fears Ukraine may be losing momentum after making gains in Russia's Kursk region earlier this year.
Цитата:
I'm terrified we're on the brink of nuclear war and this hopeless Government is provoking Putin into pushing the button: STEPHEN GLOVER
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The headline on this newspaper's front page yesterday made my blood run cold. I'm sure it will have had a similar effect on many who saw it.
It read: 'Putin clears way for nuclear strike.' The Mail reported that 'Moscow threatened nuclear retaliation after Ukraine fired long-range rockets into Russia for the first time'.
If you had told me when the Cold War ended 33 years ago that such an article would appear in a British newspaper during my lifetime, I wouldn't have believed you.
Even at the most dangerous point in the Cold War – the 1962 Cuban missile crisis – I doubt that such a terrifying story could have been published.
The Mail's headline was right. We are entering uncharted territory. I fear Russia could unleash some sort of nuclear weapon in the coming months.
President Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to fire US-made missiles deep into Russia represents an escalation. These ATACMS weapons are reliant on American military satellites, and require logistical support the Ukrainians can't provide.
It has also emerged that Biden, in the dying days of his presidency, has agreed to give Ukraine anti-personnel mines in an attempt to slow down Russian troops advancing in the east of the country.
Yesterday's report that British-supplied Storm Shadow long-range missiles have been used by Ukraine in Russia for the first time – presumably with the agreement of the British Government – only increases my sense of dread.
To threaten nuclear retaliation, as Putin has done, is unconscionable. But the Kremlin is surely justified in believing that the Western threat to Russia has increased. We are all of us less safe than we were this time last week.
And yet yesterday seemed just another day. We digested Jeremy Clarkson's remarks about inheritance tax during the farmers' protest in London. We read that Pep Guardiola is likely to remain manager of Manchester City for another two years. In comfortable Britain life goes on as usual.
Not so in Sweden, Norway and Finland, where millions of citizens are receiving government advice about what to do in the event of war. Are the authorities in these countries neighbouring Russia excitable? Or are they more realistic than our own stolid and blinkered Government?
Experts here are mostly united in saying that Putin is bluffing, and the likelihood of his using a nuclear weapon is virtually zero. In newspaper articles, and in monologues on daytime television, confident ex-military types remind us that the Russian President has previously issued several dire threats that were never carried through.
Maybe they're right. I will pray so. But how can they be sure? Putin is a paranoid and irrational dictator whose irrationality was illustrated by his order to invade Ukraine 1,000 days ago, when this terrible, bloody war began. The behaviour of monsters cannot be predicted.
This is what I believe: Russia had no right to invade Ukraine, even though its sense of being increasingly encircled by American-led Nato wasn't entirely fanciful. Putin has pursued the war in a barbaric fashion, killing thousands of Ukrainian civilians. He is a war criminal and a wicked man.
But I also believe that Ukraine, brave as its troops undoubtedly are, can never win this war. Despite being supplied with tens of billions of dollars of Western aid, its army has lost ground this year, with Russia taking 185 square miles of Ukrainian territory in October alone. Russia has three times the population and far greater natural resources.
No man has been more enthusiastic about the need to arm Ukraine than Lord Dannatt, a former Chief of the General Staff. But he realises that victory for Ukraine isn't possible. He recently told the BBC that 'Ukraine will have to accept a negotiated settlement with Russia, but President Zelensky won't like it'.
Zelensky's government will probably have to cede Russian-speaking Crimea (which Putin seized in 2014) and much of the ethnically Russian extreme east of Ukraine currently occupied by Moscow's troops.
It's sad. It is contrary to natural justice. It means force will be rewarded. But it is also inevitable. This is where Donald Trump comes in. The maverick President-elect has claimed he can end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. That is obviously idiotic. But he could set a path towards peace very speedily.
For all his many faults, Trump has grasped one truth that current Western leaders haven't dared utter in public. Zelensky can't be allowed to be the sole arbiter of how and when this war ends, because the outcome affects us all.
I wrote recently in these pages that if a 'capitulation' were forced on Zelensky by Trump that would 'embolden Putin in further adventures'. That is certainly a danger, though I may have overstated the case. There must, of course, be no capitulation. But Ukraine will have to give up land if the war is to end.
Any concession is bound to be greeted by charges of appeasement. It is an old and stale cry, and those who raise it invariably draw false parallels with the 1930s.
These critics will assert that Trump is the new Neville Chamberlain. They will declare that if aggressors are allowed to keep what they have taken, they will come back for more.
And so, to be fair, could Putin, perhaps turning his attention to the Baltic states. We should remember, though, the Russian people are almost certainly tired of war, and may not have the appetite for perpetual conflict.
What is the alternative to the kind of peace settlement Trump has in his turbulent mind? A perpetual slog in which Ukraine gradually loses more territory? Escalation by Western powers so that an unstable and desperate Putin pushes the nuclear button, most likely against Ukraine but conceivably against a Western power?
The reported firing by Ukraine of British-supplied Storm Shadow long-range missiles in Russia is an alarming development. If true, it puts us even more squarely in Putin's sights. No 10 has so far refused to confirm or deny that these weapons have been used.
How naïve and unimpressive most Western leaders seem, not least in this country! Sir Keir Starmer robotically repeats his commitment to Ukraine, and is now taunting a dangerous tyrant by allowing a lethal British missile to be deployed.
And yet, as Britain sinks deeper into the morass, Defence Secretary John Healey yesterday announced savage cutbacks to our already tottering Armed Forces, including 31 front-
line helicopters, a pair of Commando assault ships, and 46 Watchkeeper Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. A Royal Navy frigate is also being scrapped.
The way to deal with Vladimir Putin is not to poke and threaten the irascible bear. It is to build up our defences dramatically and quickly. If, God forbid, Moscow despatched a nuclear missile towards London, we would probably, unlike Israel, be unable to shoot it down.
Our politicians, Tory and now Labour, have left us perilously unprepared to defend ourselves. And now this hopeless, reckless Government is pushing us closer to what could be an apocalyptic war with Russia.
_________________
С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Последний раз редактировалось: Dimitriy (22.11.2024 4:39), всего редактировалось 1 раз
Russian ambassador's threats dismissed by ex-security minister | Ukraine war
Вот два характерных материала из «Daily Mail».
Англосаксы готовы войны выигрывать, но они не готовы в них воевать.
Островитяне искренне надеются, что когда кончится Украина, на смену ей найдутся Финляндия, Швеция и Норвегия.
И конечно страны Прибалтики.
Потом, Польша с Румынией.
И наверное Франция с Германией…
Главное, чтоб не они.
По этому, если Россия хочет закончить эту войну начинать надо именно с островитян.
С малых.
И конечно, с больших.
Цитата:
Britain has a 'weaker' culture of national resilience than European allies and must learn from Nordic countries to prepare for war, head of UK's armed forces warns
Britain has a 'weaker' culture of national resilience than its allies on the continent and must learn from its European partners to prepare for war, the head of the UK's armed forces has warned.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, chief of the UK defence staff, told the Berlin security conference this week that Britain simply does not have 'some of the civil aspects or planning aspects' that some other NATO allies 'have as part of their traditions'.
'We are having those conversations to learn from our colleagues and see what might be appropriate for ourselves,' he told an audience of representatives from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Lithuania.
Sweden announced this week that it would be sending out five million pamphlets to residents urging them to prepare for the possibility of a looming conflict amid fears of escalation within Europe.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Stockholm has repeatedly urged Swedes to prepare both mentally and logistically for a possible conflict, citing the worsening security situation in its vicinity.
Relations have reached a recent low since US President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to use its long-range ATACMS missiles to strike deep into Russian territory, hoping to help turn the tide on Putin's invasion.
The brochure urges 'preparedness' and talks citizens through finding shelter and navigating emergencies from war to cyber attacks and terrorism.
While the British government offers advice on dealing with emergencies, many Cold War shelters and civil defence provisions have since been retired.
The British Army's new Archer Mobile Howitzer gun, as British Army soldiers take part in training near Rovaniemi in the Arctic Circle, Finland, on November 19
Sir Tony Radakin warned that Britain was underprepared in civil defence next to allies
Sir Radakin spoke on the day the defence secretary announced cuts to the military, including the Royal Navy's amphibious assault ships, a frigate and dozens of helicopters. John Healey blamed the financial 'black hole' inherited from the last government.
'I think we have to acknowledge that we are in a different position … a slightly weaker one than my [Nordic and Baltic] colleagues on the panel,' Sir Radakin said.
'It's an area where we don't have the culture of total defence. We don't have some of the civil aspects or planning aspects that other countries within Nato have as part of their traditions.'
Nordic nations are taking pre-emptive steps to safeguard their populations for the possibility of war, stockpiling supplies and readying citizens to find shelter, give first aid and potentially take a role in national defence.
The Finnish government published a digital booklet preparing citizens for incidents and crises, and reminded residents of their 'obligation' to defending the nation.
'Preparedness is a civic skill in the current global situation,' said the head of Rescue Services at Finland's interior ministry. 'Knowing what to do in case of an incident is a good foundation for society's resilience.'
Sweden, meanwhile, has provided clear instruction with booklets entitled 'If Crisis or War Comes'. They contain information about how to prepare for emergencies such as war, natural disasters, cyber attacks and terrorism.
'An insecure world requires preparedness. The military threat to Sweden has increased and we must prepare for the worst - an armed attack,' its new introduction states.
The book shares potentially life-saving information on how to find effective shelter in the event of an attack with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.
Civil defence minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said within two years Sweden would revive civilian conscription to mobilise 3,000 young men and women a year with lessons in crisis management.
British Army soldiers take part in training in the Arctic Circle, Finland, on November 19
The British Army's new Archer Mobile Howitzer gun, as British Army soldiers take part in training near Rovaniemi in the Arctic Circle, Finland, on November 19
Britons are now reportedly snapping up old fallout shelters built during the Cold War (bunker in Wormshill, near Buxton, pictured)
An underground bunker in Repps with Bastwick, near Great Yarmouth with no running water or electricity will go up for auction next month and is expected to fetch up to £20,000
Norway also distributed booklets with advice on how to manage in the event of a crisis. Residents have shared how they have started stockpiling iodine after being told that it could help block the absorption of radioactive iodine in the event of a nuclear war.
The looming possibility of war returning to Europe comes after months of repeated threats from the Kremlin, promising retaliation against Nato allies for their support of Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin once more warned of nuclear consequences if long-range US missiles from Ukraine hit deep within his country - after President Biden conceded to Kyiv permission to use its ATACMS missiles beyond its borders.
Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine that formally lowers the threshold for the country's use of nuclear weapons as Ukraine fired several American-supplied longer-range missiles and reportedly fired U.K.-made Storm Shadows into Russia this week.
The decision to allow use of long-range Western weapons came after months of anxiety about the possibility of escalation - and fears Ukraine may be losing momentum after making gains in Russia's Kursk region earlier this year.
After months of political gridlock, the concession came amid reports that thousands of North Korean troops had moved to reinforce Putin's lines in Russia.
US-supplied ATACMS missiles will be used against both Russian and North Korean troops deployed against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region, officials said.
Russia has begun to recover ground in recent weeks, hoping to gain momentum as Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region of Russia slows.
Ukraine's August movement was helped along by another concession, allowing limited use of supplied weapons to strike into Russia.
The provision in turn followed Russia's land grab at Kharkiv, reopening its offensive as the West debated allowing use of long-range missiles in May.
Ukrainian forces fire a 120-mm mortar towards Russian troops at a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region, Ukraine, November 19
Ukrainian forces operate mortars near the frontlines on Tuesday, November 19
Ukraine said today that Russia had launched an intercontinental ballistic missile overnight targeting Dnipro city.
If confirmed, it would be the first time Moscow has used such a missile in the war, ongoing since February 2022.
In a statement Thursday on the Telegram messaging app, Ukraine's air force did not specify the exact type of missile, but said it was launched from Russia's Astrakhan region, which borders the Caspian Sea.
It said an intercontinental ballistic missile was fired at Dnipro city along with eight other missiles, and that the Ukrainian military shot down six of them.
Two people were wounded as a result of the attack, and an industrial facility and a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities were damaged, according to local officials.
While the range of an ICBM would seem excessive for use against Ukraine, such missiles are designed to carry nuclear warheads, and the use of one would serve as a chilling reminder of Russia's nuclear capability and a powerful message of potential escalation.
A Ukrainian air force source told the AFP news agency this morning that the missile did not have a nuclear charge.
Цитата:
If WW3 breaks out, I am looking at the frozen battlefield where it will be fought: MailOnline's CHRIS PLEASANCE witnesses NATO's awesome firepower on Finland's icy Russian frontier
With an ear-splitting whoosh and a bright flash of light, an American M270 rocket battery sends a volley of missiles streaking into the -7C air.
This is Rovanmieni, in Finnish Lapland. North of here is nothing but Arctic tundra, but just 80km to the east - well within range of rockets we've just seen fired - is Russia.
We're on NATO's newest frontier, an 830-mile stretch of border the alliance now shares with Vladimir Putin after Finland abandoned decades of neutrality to join the military pact, fearing an invasion.
If the despot does decide to send his troops across the border, this pristine winter wonderland - best-known for Santa Claus and reindeer - could become NATO's new blood-soaked frontline.
And that terrifying prospect edged a little closer this week after Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to fire long-range ATACMS rockets into Russia, followed by Starmer giving a similar nod for British Storm Shadow missiles. Putin responded by lowering the threshold for using his nukes.
Inside the Arctic Circle, we get the news between salvos of artillery fire. The threat of World War Three hangs in the air along with our breath.
Everyone here, from generals down to conscripts, insists that Russia has nothing to do with what's going on - this drill, dubbed Dynamic Front 24, has been long-planned, takes place each year, and isn't designed to send a message to anyone in particular.
Maybe - but it is obvious to everyone here that, if Putin does decide to take on NATO, frozen landscapes such as this could soon become battlefields.
Indeed, that's one of the reasons we're here, so NATO and its troops can get used to operating in these frigid conditions.
M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System fires rounds during Dynamic Front 25
It is obvious to everyone here that, if Putin does decide to take on NATO, frozen landscapes such as this could soon become battlefields'
Dramatic video shows the launch of rounds on November 17 during the NATO drills
A tank taking part in the joint NATO drills at Ravajarvi Training Area, Rovaniemi, Finland
That's harder than it sounds. -7C, we are told, is unseasonably warm for this time of year. -20C is more typical, though -30C isn't unheard of. We get just four hours of light per day. Further north the sun rises at midnight and sets at 1am. This time last year, the snow was already half a foot deep.
The other reason we're here is so NATO can practice firing its big guns: 155mm cannons of the kind that Ukraine is chewing through ammunition for, and rocket artillery which has been used to great effect against the Russians.
Artillery is known as the King of Battle and for good reason. For all the attention paid to novel weapons like drones, it is old-fashioned cannons doing the legwork in Ukraine.
An estimated 70 per cent of the 700,000 Russians either killed or wounded in this war to date were cut down by artillery shells and the white-hot shrapnel they throw out when they explode.
On display for us were Caesar and Archer, respectively French and Swedish, both of which have been donated to Kyiv.
They are purpose-built for the kind of war the Ukrainians are fighting, and which the rest of NATO will have to learn how to fight - one where eyes are everywhere thanks to spy drones, and where any vehicle that lingers too long in the open risks getting blown to bits by an FPV.
Both artillery pieces aim to avoid this fate with a tactic known as 'shoot and scoot': Deploying, firing, and getting away again before the gun can be spotted and shot at.
Caesar can deploy in 60 seconds, its five-man crew can unload three rounds in 15 seconds, pack up and then 'scoot' away in 40 seconds. Archer is even more impressive, just 20 seconds from start to finish and its three-man crew don't even have to leave the comfort of their air-conditioned cabin to do it.
Everyone here, from generals down to conscripts, insists that Russia has nothing to do with what's going on
If Putin does decide to take on NATO, frozen landscapes could soon become battlefields
NATO 's newest frontier is an 830-mile stretch of border the alliance now shares with Vladimir Putin after Finland abandoned decades of neutrality to join the military pact
British troops we spoke to - live-firing the Archer for the first time after the MoD bought it off Sweden last year - were singing its praises. Firing times, they said, were being measured in 'seconds, not minutes'.
Also on display was the K-9, a South Korean artillery piece that would likely form the backbone of any NATO army sent to confront the Russians. There are hundreds of them in Europe already, and more on the way.
It is nicknamed the 'Thunder' and it isn't hard to see why: The jaw-rattling thump it makes while firing can be heard for miles.
K-9s have tracks rather than wheels, meaning they can traverse rougher terrain than the Caesar or Archer but aren't as fast - slowing down their 'shoot and scoot' time. For that reason they also have more armour, just in case.
Not to be out-done, the Americans were showing off the M270A2, a slightly different kind of artillery that fires rockets rather than shells.
This version, they said, is brand new, featuring an improved armoured cabin and fire-control system - military speak for the computer that aims the weapon - but visually it is almost indistinguishable from the version sent to Ukraine.
The Americans were showing off the M270A2, a slightly different kind of artillery that fires rockets rather than shells
There are currently dozens of these in use by Kyiv, and very likely Zelensky's generals put them to use earlier this week sending ATACMS missiles into Russia - the first time a long-range Western missile has been used in this way.
M270 isn't as famous as its little brother - the HIMARS - but is perhaps even more formidable.
HIMARS carries one missile pod on its back loaded with six rockets which can fire up to 190 miles, much further than conventional artillery which can typically hit a target around 25 miles away.
Those six missiles can be swapped out for a single ATACMS, a type of ballistic missile with a huge range of 186 miles.
The HIMARS is wheeled, so like the Archer or Caesar it can 'shoot and scoot' incredibly fast, perfect for ambushing Russian ammo dumps and command posts for which it is famous.
By contrast, the M270 is tracked and therefore slower, but what it lacks in speed it makes up for in firepower: Two pods with 12 missiles or two ATACMS missiles, double that of the HIMARS.
Because of this, Ukraine has preferred to use these systems for ATACMS strikes - probably calculating that putting fewer vehicles into the field carrying multiple rockets each gives the Russians a smaller chance of successfully spotting and destroying them, even if they linger around for longer.
Putting dozens of these launchers through their paces right on Putin's doorstep is designed to send a message, even if nobody here will quite admit it: Ukraine has given you a hard time with just a handful of these things. We can make your life much harder than that.
A soldier is seen in the frozen tundra at the training ground in Finland
After a week in which the rolling thunder of artillery is an ever-present companion, the guns fall silent.
We're hustled into a conference centre and told the exercise was a resounding success: NATO is more united than ever, and ready to face whatever threat may come its way.
It had better be, because lurking just over the horizon is Russian ruler who seems utterly undeterred from confronting the West and everything it stands for, hell-bent on restoring Russia to its imperial glory, and unafraid of spilling an ocean of blood to do it.
As we're waiting to board the plane home, a squadron of Finnish F-18 fighters uses the runway to get airborne. If this is part of the exercise, we haven't been told about it.
We watch from the departure lounge as they rip into the sky. Following their flight path, all eyes turn to the east.
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С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Загадка "Орешника", реакция Украины и Запада на заявление Путина, обострение на южном фронте.
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Комментарий к текущим событиям от 22 ноября 2024. Михаил Хазин
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Ростислав Ищенко. Формула смысла. Как будет реагировать Запад 22.11.2024
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Ростислав Ищенко. Все меняется очень быстро 22.11.2024
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Dmitry Orlov: Russia's Massive Attack Coming? - Israel Collapsing on All Fronts
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Larry C. Johnson: Israel Collapsing, Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu - Russia Strikes Ukraine by ICBM
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Russia's New Missile: What it Means for Ukraine & the rest of the World w/Ted Postal, MIT
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Как закончится война на Украине | Джон Миршаймер и Лекс Фридман
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Михаил Хазин & Стив Дудник 21.11.2024
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Как быстро все сбылось!
Военно-политическое хуситское движение "Ансар Аллах" - заявило об ударе гиперзвуковой ракетой "Палестина-2" по авиабазе «Неватим» на юге Израиля: «Военно-воздушные войска вооруженных сил Йемена нанесли удар с использованием гиперзвуковой баллистической ракеты "Палестина-2" по авиабазе "Неватим" израильского врага в районе Негев на юге оккупированных территорий».
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As Ukraine Fires U.S. Missiles, Putin Sends a Chilling Message
Ukrainian soldiers firing at advancing Russian troops in the Pokrovsk area in eastern Ukraine last week.Credit...Tyler Hicks/The New York Times
In many ways, President Vladimir V. Putin seems to be winning.
Russian forces are pushing ahead in Ukraine. President-elect Donald J. Trump is returning to the White House. War fatigue is spreading across Europe. North Korean troops have boosted the ranks of his army.
And yet on Thursday, Mr. Putin appeared weary, threatened and newly aggrieved as he took his bellicose threats against his Western adversaries to a new level.
Even with the prospect of a friendlier American administration around the corner, he has found himself struggling anew to confront perhaps the biggest failure of his war: Russia’s inability to deter the West from providing colossal amounts of military aid to Ukraine.
As a result, Mr. Putin is bringing Russia closer to a direct conflict with the United States than at any point in decades. He announced Thursday evening that Russia had struck Ukraine with a new intermediate-range missile, one with nuclear capabilities, using a televised speech to cast the West as an aggressor that left Moscow with no choice but to respond.
Two months from now, Mr. Trump’s second presidency could give Mr. Putin the chance to strike a peace deal with Ukraine that he could portray as a victory. But until then, people who study the Kremlin say, Mr. Putin is intent on driving home the chilling message that America risks nuclear war as it expands its support for Kyiv.
“The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities,” Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, said on Friday. “The contours of further retaliatory actions, if our concerns are not taken into account, have also been quite clearly outlined.”
President Vladimir V. Putin in Moscow this month.Credit...Yuri Kochetkov/EPA, via Shutterstock
Capturing the mood, one of Russia’s most influential security hawks, Sergey Karaganov, a political scientist, published an article on Thursday warning that Russia risked “ripping defeat from the jaws of victory.” To prevail over the West, he argued, the Kremlin needed to step up the threat of nuclear weapons being used.
“Russia has started to win in the fight against Western aggression in Ukraine,” Mr. Karaganov wrote. “But it’s early and dangerous to relax. The fight is only beginning.”
Ever since he launched his invasion in February 2022, Mr. Putin has mostly been careful to avoid direct military conflict with NATO, even as Western countries poured modern weaponry into Ukraine that killed tens of thousands of Russian soldiers.
But on Thursday, he said in the most explicit terms yet that he was ready for such an escalation: Russia was “entitled,” he said, to strike the military facilities of countries “that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities.”
The main reason for that shift appears clear: President Biden’s recent decision to allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory with American-provided missiles that have a range of 190 miles. That was followed by a similar decision by the British government.
While Ukraine’s present stock of Western missiles is not sufficient to change the course of the war, Mr. Putin appears to fear that the West could provide Ukraine with more powerful, longer-range missiles in the future.
“From that point onward,” Mr. Putin said Thursday, referring to Ukraine’s missile attacks this week, “the regional conflict in Ukraine provoked by the West has assumed elements of a global nature.”
Damage from Russian shelling in eastern Ukraine, in October.Credit...Tyler Hicks/The New York Times
But some analysts see a second reason Mr. Putin may feel prepared to take bigger risks now: Mr. Trump’s looming return to the White House.
After all, Mr. Putin’s threats about a “global” war dovetail with Mr. Trump’s rhetoric about Mr. Biden risking World War III. So Mr. Putin — who quickly praised Mr. Trump after he won the election — may believe that taking more aggressive steps now could help him strike a favorable deal once Mr. Trump is inaugurated.
“I don’t see him being concerned about ruining his chances for a deal with Trump — rather, quite the opposite,” said Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. “Trump took the position that Biden’s policies are leading to World War III, and what Putin is doing confirms this.”
Mr. Biden long resisted allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with American missiles, to Ukraine’s great frustration, amid concern about Mr. Putin’s response. In September, Mr. Putin said that such a move would put his country “at war” with NATO, for the first time defining a specific “red line” that he was warning the West not to cross.
This week, the Biden administration crossed it, citing Mr. Putin’s own escalation of the war this fall by bringing thousands of North Korean troops into the fight.
Biden administration officials calculate that the risk of escalation by Mr. Putin diminished with the election of Mr. Trump.
But in Moscow, some question that notion. A former senior Russian official who remains close to the Kremlin said “no one knows” if a deal with Mr. Trump is really possible. But “a threat after Biden’s decision has already emerged,” he added, “so we have to respond.” He spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive Kremlin deliberations.
Donald J. Trump’s second presidency could give Mr. Putin the chance to strike a peace deal with Ukraine that he could cast as a victory.Credit...Eric Lee/The New York Times
American officials “are overestimating both themselves and the significance of their agenda for others,” said Dmitri Trenin, a hawkish specialist on security policy at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics, suggesting Mr. Putin is not so concerned about who holds power in Washington. “Putin has his schedule and his strategy, and he will follow them.”
Still, Mr. Putin has repeatedly signaled that he is interested in a negotiated settlement, as long as he is able to keep the land Russia has captured in Ukraine and to extract political concessions, like a guarantee that the country won’t join NATO.
He has often pointed to a draft treaty that Ukrainian and Russian negotiators hammered out in the first months of the invasion in 2022, in which Ukraine would have declared itself “permanently neutral” and accepted limits on the size of its army.
Russia may be “quite cynical and skeptical” about the prospects for a deal after Mr. Trump takes office, said Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. “But they still recognize that they need a deal eventually.”
Ukrainian and Western officials contend that Mr. Putin is simply looking for a deal only on his terms, tantamount to capitulation.
A memorial in Kyiv on Thursday for Ukrainian soldiers killed in the conflict.Credit...Mauricio Lima for The New York Times
The 2022 negotiations between Russia and Ukraine fell apart amid disputes over how the West could protect Ukraine from another Russian invasion in the future.
That issue — the shape of “security guarantees” for Ukraine — is likely to loom as the most complicated factor in any renewed talks after Mr. Trump returns to the White House, more important than how much Ukrainian territory Russia is allowed to keep control over.
Until then, conditions appear ripe for further escalation — because Russia and Ukraine are jockeying for better negotiating positions before Mr. Trump takes office, and because Mr. Putin appears determined to deter a further expansion of Western aid to Ukraine that could bring the fighting deeper into Russian territory.
“We’re in an escalatory spiral,” Mr. Charap said. Separate from any preparation for future negotiations, he added, that spiral “is a sort of dynamic of its own.”
Цитата:
Russia seeks to intimidate Ukraine with new missile, officials say
The attack with an intermediate-range ballistic missile has spurred fears of a major escalation in the ongoing war and prompted Ukraine to request new air defenses.
Residents walk at a site of a Russian missile strike in Dnipro, Ukraine, on Thursday. (Mykola Synelnykov/Reuters)
KYIV — By launching a new nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday, Russia was threatening Kyiv and its Western allies with the aim of stopping Ukrainian strikes with Western-supplied weapons on Russian territory — or else.
The attack on the eastern city of Dnipro has spurred fears in the West over a major escalation in the ongoing war and prompted Ukraine to request new air defense capabilities from Washington to help intercept this type of missile.
But analysts and officials in Ukraine and the West, speaking Friday, said that while the attack had been accompanied by a major increase in threatening statements, it was ultimately just more Kremlin bravado.
Moscow aimed to “intimidate those who support Ukraine,” NATO spokeswoman Farah Dakhlallah said in an email. “Deploying this capability will neither change the course of the conflict nor deter NATO Allies from supporting Ukraine.”
Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency, GUR, released new details about the missile on Friday. It flew at roughly 11 times the speed of sound and took about 15 minutes to reach Dnipro from Russia’s coastal Astrakhan region. It was fitted with six warheads, the agency said, each of which contained six submunitions.
GUR chief Kyrylo Budanov said Friday that the missile is experimental and that Ukraine knows that at least two test versions were set to be made. The missile is not yet in “series production, thank God,” he said Friday.
“The fact that they used it in a nuclear-free version is, as they say, a warning from them, that they are not completely crazy,” he said.
…
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia hit Dnipro with a medium-range “nonnuclear hypersonic ballistic” missile dubbed “Oreshnik,” which means hazel in Russian. The Pentagon said the missile, which was armed with a conventional warhead, was an experimental variant of Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intermediate-range ballistic missile.
Ukraine has not fully disclosed the extent of damage from the Russian missile strike, beyond saying it struck an industrial area in the city. Kyiv does not typically comment on damage to military sites.
Putin said the attack on Dnipro was a “test” of the weapon, in response to the Biden administration’s recent decision authorizing Ukraine to fire its U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), with a range of up 190 miles, at targets inside Russia.
…
On Tuesday, Ukrainian forces for the first time fired ATACMS inside of Russia, targeting a weapons depot in Bryansk region. The next day, they employed U.K.-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to attack Russia’s Kursk region, in an operation one Ukrainian official described Friday as “successful.”
In the wake of the attacks, there were clear concerns over Russian retaliation, including the day-long closure of foreign diplomatic missions in Kyiv, including the U.S. Embassy, which cited intelligence over a potential Russian attack. On Friday, a parliamentary session was canceled, again over fears of an attack.
“The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities,” Peskov said, adding that “the contours of further retaliatory actions … have also been clearly outlined.”
In the wake of the strike, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said they would “take seriously the rhetoric coming out of Russia, but our focus remains on Ukraine and supporting Ukraine with what it needs.”
“We don’t want this to widen into a regional conflict; we don’t want war with Russia,” she added.
Observers cast doubt on whether Russia has enough of the missiles to regularly launch such strikes and said that the attack was probably spurred by real fears in Russia over how to continue supplying the front lines if Ukraine is able to target key weapons depots and other rear support locations with Western missiles.
“This is definitely an attempt to intimidate the West and an attempt to force the West not to help Ukraine. But on the other hand, this is also a manifestation of the absolute panic of Putin himself,” said Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine’s presidential office.
Russia’s strategy has always been to test the global response to its various escalations, he added, pointing to how Moscow waited to see how the West would respond to its full-scale invasion in February 2022, frequent missile strikes on civilians, attacks on the power grid, and more recently, the deployment of North Korean troops and regular executions of prisoners on the battlefield.
“This is all testing,” Podolyak said. “And now there is a new attempt — an intercontinental attack on the civilian population. What’s next?”
People wait in a metro station during an airstrike alarm in Kyiv on Thursday. (Tetiana Dzhafarova/AFP/Getty Images)
In Russia, the missile attack was presented as a major victory and a strong message to the country’s enemies.
Friday’s morning edition of the Russian propaganda show 60 Minutes opened with a digest of international media headlines, responding to the launch.
“The British Mirror says that the Oreshnik launch was a World War 3 warning shot. … Put more simply, the new Russian hypersonic missile is an untouchable weapon,” said host Olga Skabeeva. “All that’s to say, [the Western media] understood us correctly.”
Some analysts said that the new escalation is a sign that Moscow does not have a solid exit strategy from the war. Writing on Telegram, Russian political scientist Vladimir Pastukhov, honorary senior research associate at the University College of London, said that his intuition was telling him “that Putin is not bluffing.”
“It is not that he wanted a nuclear war and to burn in its fire … but in the current situation he is ambivalent about such a possibility,” he wrote. This has created a dangerous scenario, he wrote, where “the circumstances are such that he does not have the option of ‘relative defeat.’ … They simply do not have an exit strategy in case of defeat.”
Mykola Bielieskov, a political analyst linked to Ukraine’s presidential office, said he feared Russia was trying to convince President-elect Donald Trump’s team that there is a looming risk of World War III.
“If the U.S. backs down under these threats, Ukraine defense will be endangered,” he said. “Thus no more sitting on two chairs as the Biden administration tried to do all along.”
The latest threats, coming directly from Putin, marked a risky escalation in rhetoric that largely appears intended to stoke Western fears of a broadening conflict, said Camille Grand, a former NATO assistant secretary general who is now a distinguished policy fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations.
“We shouldn’t take things lightly. That’s the whole point, that you should never take the risk of nuclear escalation lightly,” he said.
Yet the Kremlin had created a problem for itself by making dozens of nuclear threats during the war, “because it’s becoming loose talk.”
“I don’t think Putin wants a nuclear war,” he added, but the threats were problematic “because it goes against the grammar of nuclear deterrence … which is that you try to avoid a situation where there is miscalculation or misinterpretation by one side or another.”
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Opinion
For Ukraine, are long-range missiles too little, too late?
This is a risky moment for Ukraine — and for the world.
Razor wire set up for defensive purposes outside Sumy, Ukraine, on Nov. 6. (Oksana Parafeniuk for The Washington Post)
Regarding the Nov. 18 front-page article “Biden allows Kyiv to use long-range missiles in Russia”:
President Joe Biden is to be congratulated for removing some of the constraints imposed on Ukraine’s use of U.S. long-range missiles. However, this only relates to their use in the Kursk region of Russia. Other key Russian logistics targets as well as Russian missile launch sites — which Russia uses to attack Ukrainian civilians and soldiers inside Ukraine — are within range of U.S. weapons systems, yet they remain under the previous usage restrictions.
The Biden administration should remove all constraints on long-range weapons, as should our British and French allies.
Edmund McWilliams
, White Oaks, New Mexico
To borrow from Mark Antony’s eulogy in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” I come to criticize President Joe Biden, not to honor him. His decision is long overdue. We can only hope that it will still allow Ukrainian armed forces to win back territory and give Russian President Vladimir Putin a proverbial bloody nose.
Mr. Biden can claim that he is the cavalry riding to Ukraine’s rescue, but let’s be real: The Iranians were flooding Russia with drones and ammunition while Mr. Biden was refusing to allow Ukraine’s unlimited deployment of the weapons we sold them. During this time, Ukrainian citizens died, and their cities were reduced to rubble. Recently, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent his mercenaries to Russia’s front lines as a quid pro who-knows-what quo. They have joined Russian military units in recent weeks. Surely, Mr. Biden knew this was happening but still did not unshackle Ukraine. There was an election to consider.
Retired military officers have been urging action for more than a year. In football, it is said that the best offense is a good defense. For Ukraine and its dead, the reverse has been true.
David Kahn,
Boca Raton, Florida
A dangerous gamble
President Joe Biden just made a terrible decision. The Ukrainian military cannot fire Army Tactical Missile Systems without the United States’ permission. That represents direct U.S. involvement in ATACMS attacks on Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin revised Russia’s nuclear strategy, declaring that any aggression against Russia by a nonnuclear power with support from a nuclear power would be considered a “joint attack,” with potential retaliation against both countries.
Mr. Biden hesitated in September after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged him to green-light direct Ukrainian strikes on Russia with long-range missiles. At the time, Mr. Biden appeared to consider Mr. Putin’s warnings.
What changed? Mr. Biden must comprehend the enormity of this decision. He has spent his entire 52-year career in politics promoting America’s self-proclaimed role as the world’s only indispensable nation. However, this recklessness has opened the door to our destruction, along with that of the rest of the world.
Walt Zlotow
, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Sanctions come at a cost
Regarding Edward Fishman’s Nov. 15 commentary, “How Biden can help Trump end the Ukraine war”:
As President Joe Biden makes way for President-elect Donald Trump, foreign policy analysts are wondering how U.S. policy on Ukraine and Russia will change. It’s quite clear that Mr. Trump wants to settle the war in Ukraine quickly. Mr. Fishman argued that Mr. Biden should provide the incoming administration with as much leverage over Moscow as it possibly can by slapping secondary sanctions on Russia’s energy industry.
But such a decision would be a tectonic shift in U.S. policy, and there are significant considerations that need attention before U.S. policymakers adopt it.
First, additional sanctions could adversely affect any country importing or transporting Russian oil. Unfortunately, one of Russia’s biggest consumers is India, which has used Western sanctions to its advantage by scooping up Russian oil at a steep discount. Sanctioning India, however, would inevitably strain U.S.-India relations at a time when Washington views New Delhi as a critical component of its China containment policy.
Second, although additional sanctions could make Russia more interested in entering end-of-war negotiations, they wouldn’t be a panacea. Yes, Mr. Trump would have more leverage. But if U.S. demands remain maximalist, Russian President Vladimir Putin will probably continue to resist them. If the United States moderates its demands and Russia offers concessions, Mr. Putin will need assurances that U.S. sanctions will actually be lifted once a deal is signed. This is a tall order, given the sorry state of U.S.-Russia relations.
Finally, Russia would probably respond negatively to additional sanctions. Mr. Putin has retaliated against other decisions he regards as escalatory, such as allowing Kyiv to use U.S. weapons to strike targets inside Russia. You can’t get much more escalatory than trying to tank the Russian economy.
Whatever U.S. leaders decide needs to be well-thought-out. The costs can’t be ignored.
Daniel DePetris,
New Rochelle, New York
Stand up to nuclear threats
The world needs strong U.S. leadership to reduce the threat of nuclear war. Countries in the Middle East and northeast Asia are dedicated to their nuclear weapons programs. Russia suspended its involvement in the New START Treaty in 2023 (it’s set to expire in 2026), and China has been rapidly expanding its arsenal. Russian saber-rattling, and warnings of escalation have become a regular feature of the war in Ukraine.
The United States will chair the U.N. Security Council in December, presenting an opportunity for a strong, “flag-planting” diplomatic effort. We must remind all member states that, as Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev said in 1985, “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought,” that there is great value in the nuclear test moratorium and that nuclear states have a responsibility to engage in negotiations about arms control and strategic stability. We must maintain and strengthen the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and associated nuclear nonproliferation regime.
Now is the time for the United States to highlight these growing nuclear risks and rally nations behind American leadership.
NOVEMBER 22 Funny American Political Cartoon - American Politics Caricature - Trump Breaking News
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NOVEMBER 21 Funny American Political Cartoon - American Politics Caricature - Trump Breaking News
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P.S.
А.п. напоминает Уважаемым коллегам, что в связи с тем, что провайдер села обитания а.п., принял решение улучшить качество своей работы(что само по себе обнадёживает), начиная с 14 ноября сего года, все публикации а.п. (в разделах «примечания и дополнения», «фанаты и жизнь», «варвар и еретик», и «дураки и дороги»), будут происходить нерегулярно, случайным, можно даже сказать возможным образом.
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С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Уровень доступа: Вы не можете начинать темы, Вы не можете отвечать на сообщения, Вы не можете редактировать свои сообщения, Вы не можете удалять свои сообщения, Вы не можете голосовать в опросах
Владимир Нерюев, заместитель генерального директора коммуникационного агентства Аура поделился мнением, какие изменения произошли или произойдут в профессии PR-специалиста.
Генеральный директор агентства мобильного маркетинга Mobisharks (входит в ГК Kokoc Group) — об эффективном мобильном маркетинге и примерах успешных стратегий.
За последние пару лет реклама банков изменилась. Появились новые сюжеты и герои. Реклама по-прежнему — не только инструмент продвижения услуг, но и способ формирования доверия к финансовым организациям. Главный тренд, который отмечают эксперты,— переход от сухого перечисления выгод к эмоционально окрашенным коммуникациям.
Антитрендами наружной рекламы в текущем году стали прямолинейность и чрезмерная перегруженность сообщений. Наружная реклама продолжает показывать рост: число рекламных конструкций за последний год увеличилось более чем на 2 тысячи.
В компании Sellty спрогнозировали развитие рынка электронной коммерции в сегменте СМБ на ближайший год. По оценке основателя Sellty Марии Бар-Бирюковой, число собственных интернет-магазинов среднего, малого и микробизнеса продолжит расти и увеличится минимум на 40% до конца 2025 года. Компании будут и дальше развиваться на маркетплейсах, но станут чаще комбинировать несколько каналов продаж.
Чего не хватает радио, чтобы увеличить свою долю на рекламном рынке? Аудиопиратство: угроза или возможности для отрасли? Каковы первые результаты общероссийской кампании по продвижению индустриального радиоплеера? Эти и другие вопросы были рассмотрены на конференции «Радио в глобальной медиаконкуренции», спикерами и участниками которой стали эксперты ГПМ Радио.
Деловая программа 28-й международной специализированной выставки технологий и услуг для производителей и заказчиков рекламы «Реклама-2021» открылась десятым юбилейным форумом «Матрица рекламы». Его организовали КВК «Империя» и «Экспоцентр».
28 марта в Центральном доме художника состоялась 25-ая выставка маркетинговых коммуникаций «Дизайн и реклама NEXT». Одним из самых ярких её событий стал День социальной рекламы, который организовала Ассоциация директоров по коммуникациям и корпоративным медиа России (АКМР) совместно с АНО «Лаборатория социальной рекламы» и оргкомитетом LIME.
На VII Международном форуме «Матрица рекламы», прошедшем в ЦВК «Экспоцентр» в рамках международной выставки «Реклама-2018», большой интерес у профессиональной аудитории вызвала VI Конференция «Интернет-реклама».
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