Daily Report from the Ukraine Field for 2022-09-24
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Brainwashed for War With Russia
by Ray McGovern Posted onSeptember 22, 2022
Thanks to Establishment media, the sorcerer apprentices advising President Joe Biden – I refer to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, national security adviser Jacob Sullivan, and China specialist Kurt Campbell – will have no trouble rallying Americans for the widest war in 77 years, starting in Ukraine, and maybe spreading to China. And, shockingly, under false pretenses.
Most Americans are oblivious to the reality that Western media are owned and operated by the same corporations that make massive profits by helping to stoke small wars and then peddling the necessary weapons. Corporate leaders, and Ivy-mantled elites, educated to believe in U.S. "exceptionalism," find the lucre and the luster too lucrative to be able to think straight. They deceive themselves into thinking that (a) the US cannot lose a war; (b) escalation can be calibrated and wider war can be limited to Europe; and (c) China can be expected to just sit on the sidelines. The attitude, consciously or unconsciously, "Not to worry. And, in any case, the lucre and luster are worth the risk."
The media also know they can always trot out died-in-the-wool Russophobes to "explain," for example, why the Russians are "almost genetically driven" to do evil (James Clapper, former National Intelligence Director and now hired savant on CNN); or Fiona Hill (former National Intelligence Officer for Russia), who insists "Putin wants to evict the United States from Europe … As he might put it: "Goodbye, America. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out."
Absent a miraculous appearance of clearer heads with a less benighted attitude toward the core interests of Russia in Ukraine, and China in Taiwan, historians who survive to record the war now on our doorstep will describe it as the result of hubris and stupidity run amok. Objective historians may even note that one of their colleagues – Professor John Mearsheimer – got it right from the start, when he explained in the autumn 2014 issue of Foreign Affairs "Why the Ukraine Crisis is the West’s Fault."
Historian Barbara Tuchman addressed the kind of situation the world faces in Ukraine in her book "The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam." (Had she lived, she surely would have updated it to take Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine into account). Tuchman wrote:
"Wooden-headedness…plays a remarkably large role in government. It consists in assessing a situation in terms of preconceived fixed notions while ignoring or rejecting any contrary signs. It is acting according to wish while not allowing oneself to be deflected by the facts."
Six Years (and Counting) of Brainwashing
Thanks to US media, a very small percentage of Americans know that:
14 years ago, then US Ambassador to Russia (current CIA Director) William Burns was warned by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Russia might have to intervene in Ukraine, if it were made a member of NATO. The Subject Line of Burns’s Feb. 1, 2008 Embassy Moscow cable (#182) to Washington makes it clear that Amb. Burns did not mince Lavrov’s words; the subject line stated: "Nyet means nyet: Russia’s NATO enlargement redlines."
Thus, Washington policymakers were given forewarning, in very specific terms, of Russia’s redline regarding membership for Ukraine in NATO. Nevertheless, on April 3, 2008, a NATO summit in Bucharest asserted: "NATO welcomes Ukraine’s and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations for membership in NATO. We agreed today that these countries will become members of NATO."
8 years ago, on Feb. 22, 2014, the US orchestrated a coup in Kiev – rightly labeled "the most blatant coup in history’, insofar as it had already been blown on YouTube 18 days prior. Kiev’s spanking new leaders, handpicked and identified by name by US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland in the YouTube-publicized conversation with the U.S. ambassador in Kiev, immediately called for Ukraine to join NATO.
6 years ago, in June 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Western reporters of his concern that so-called antiballistic missiles sites in Romania and Poland could be converted overnight to accommodate offensive strike missiles posing a threat to Russia’s own nuclear forces. (See this unique video, with English subtitles, from minute 37 to 49.) There is a direct analogy with the 1962 Cuban missile crisis when Moscow put offensive strike missiles in Cuba and President John Kennedy reacted strongly to the existential threat that posed to the US.
On December 21, 2021, President Putin told his most senior military leaders:
"It is extremely alarming that elements of the US global defense system are being deployed near Russia. The Mk 41 launchers, which are located in Romania and are to be deployed in Poland, are adapted for launching the Tomahawk strike missiles. If this infrastructure continues to move forward, and if US and NATO missile systems are deployed in Ukraine, their flight time to Moscow will be only 7–10 minutes, or even five minutes for hypersonic systems. This is a huge challenge for us, for our security." [Emphasis added.]
On December 30, 2021, Biden and Putin talked by phone at Putin’s urgent request. The Kremlin readout stated:
"Joseph Biden emphasized that Russia and the US shared a special responsibility for ensuring stability in Europe and the whole world and that Washington had no intention of deploying offensive strike weapons in Ukraine." Yuri Ushakov, a top foreign policy adviser to Putin, pointed out that this was also one of the goals Moscow hoped to achieve with its proposals for security guarantees to the US and NATO. [Emphasis added.]
On February 12, 2022, Ushakov briefed the media on the telephone conversation between Putin and Biden earlier that day.
"The call was as a follow-up of sorts to the … December 30 telephone conversation. … The Russian President made clear that President Biden’s proposals did not really address the central, key elements of Russia’s initiatives either with regards to non-expansion of NATO, or non-deployment of strike weapons systems on Ukrainian territory … To these items, we have received no meaningful response." [Emphasis added.]
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine.
Unprovoked?
The US insists that Russia’s invasion was "unprovoked". Establishment media dutifully regurgitate that line, while keeping Americans in the dark about such facts (not opinion) as are outlined (and sourced) above. Most Americans are just as taken in by the media as they were 20 years ago, when they were told there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. They simply took it on faith. Nor did the guilty media express remorse – or a modicum of embarrassment.
The late Fred Hiatt, who was op-ed editor at the Washington Post, is a case in point. In an interview with the Columbia Journalism Review [CJR, March/April 2004] he commented:
"If you look at the editorials we wrote running up [to the war], we state as flat fact that he [Saddam Hussein] has weapons of mass destruction." "If that’s not true, it would have been better not to say it."
(My journalism mentor, Robert Parry, had this to say about Hiatt’s remark. "Yes, that is a common principle of journalism, that if something isn’t real, we’re not supposed to confidently declare that it is.")
It’s worse now. Russia is not Iraq. And Putin has been so demonized over the past six years that people are inclined to believe the likes of James Clapper to the effect there’s something genetic that makes Russians evil. "Russia-gate" was a big con (and, now, demonstrably so), but Americans don’t know that either. The consequences of prolonged demonization are extremely dangerous – and will become even more so in the next several weeks as politicians vie to be the strongest in opposing and countering Russia’s "unprovoked" attack on Ukraine.
THE Problem
Humorist Will Rogers had it right:
"The problem ain’t what people know. It’s what people know that ain’t so; that’s the problem."
Ray McGovern works with Tell the Word, a publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington. His 27-year career as a CIA analyst includes serving as Chief of the Soviet Foreign Policy Branch and preparer/briefer of the President’s Daily Brief. He is co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).
⚡️🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ Krasny #Lyman - Situation in the morning of 24 Sep 2022⚡️
Yesterday the enemy continued its attempts to break the front line of the RF Armed Forces near Krasny #Lyman, but no significant results were achieved. Everywhere it encountered dense barrier fire, and attempts to break through near #Novoselovka-#Drobyshevo resulted in significant losses. Also, the enemy has not yet taken control of the village of Koroviy Yar. This is the good news.
The bad news... In the morning from #Kharkov to #Izyum huge columns of AFU "troops" are coming, which obviously will be thrown to "the last assault" on #Lyman, tomorrow at the latest, to sweeten the pill of political defeat in connection with the referendums held by Russia.
And therefore fortitude to our guys. Looks like tomorrow will be Judgment Day for #Lyman...
@Slavyangrad/ t.me/yurasumy/5044 /
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[Forwarded from MoD Russia]
⚡️ Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine (September 24, 2022)
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
💥 Massive fire attack has resulted in causing casualties of over 140 servicemen and 19 units of military equipment pf 14th and 92nd mechanised brigades near Kupyansk (Kharkov region), as well as of 66th Mechanised Brigade near Shchurovo (Donetsk People's Republic).
💥 High-precision attacks launched by Russian Aerospace Forces at the positions of 28th Mechanised and 59th Mechanised Infantry brigades near Nikolayev, as well as of 61st Chaser Infantry Brigade near Ternovka (Nikolayev region) have resulted in the elimination of over 200 nationalists, 3 tanks and 16 armoured combat vehicles.
💥 Missile attack launched at a provisional base of foreign mercenaries near Kalinovka (Nikolayev region) has resulted in the elimination of up to 300 militants.
💥 Unsuccessful attempt of 10th Mountain Assault Brigade to launch an offensive towards Berestovoye (Donetsk People's Republic) has resulted in the elimination of 48 Ukrainian servicemen, including 7 officers.
◽️ 4 armoured vehicles have been neutralised.
💥 Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery have neutralised 5 AFU command posts near Kupyansk (Kharkov region), Nikolayevka (Donetsk People's Republic), Kirovo (Zaporozhye region), Kostromka (Kherson region) and Bereznegovatoye (Nikolayev region), as well as 62 artillery units, 153 AFU manpower and military equipment concentration areas.
◽️ 3 missile, artillery armament and munitions depots have been destroyed near Annovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Sladkoye and Uspenovka (Zaporozhye region).
◽️ 1 radar of Ukrainian-manufactured S-300 air defence system has been destroyed near Udachnoye (Donetsk People's Republic) and Norwegian-manufactured ARTHUR counter-battery warfare radar near Mikhaylo-Zavodskoye (Dnepropetrovsk region).
💥 Fighter of Russian Aerospace Forces has shot down 1 MiG-29 of Ukrainian Air Force modified for launching U.S.-manufactured HARM anti-radar missiles near Sergeyevka (Dnepropetrovsk region).
💥 Russian air defence facilities have shot down 7 unmanned aerial vehicles near Staromlynovka, Valeryanovka, Kirillovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Reshetilovskoye and Lyubimovka (Zaporozhye region), Chkalovo and Kirovo (Kherson region).
◽️ 42 projectiles launched by HIMARS and Olkha multiple rocket-launching systems, as well as HARM anti-radar missiles have been destroyed in air near Novaya Kakhovka (Kherson region).
◽️ Moreover, 2 Tochka-U tactical missiles have been intercepted over Matrosovka and Korsunka (Kherson region).
📊 In total, 299 airplanes and 155 helicopters, 2,062 unmanned aerial vehicles, 376 air defence missile systems, 5,100 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 844 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 3,412 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 5,813 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
❗️ Kiev regime continues its provocations near Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
💥 Russian air defence facilities have shot down 1 Bayraktar-TB2 unmanned aerial vehicle over Kakhovka reservoir on its way from Nikopol towards Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
◽️ AFU artillery has shelled Volna suburban settlement located near the nuclear power plant.
◽️ A total of 10 projectiles have been launched from the area of Marganets (Dnepropetrovsk region).
◽️ Enemy firepower has been neutralised by Russian artillery's counter-attack.
⚠️ The radiation environment at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant remains normal.
#MoD #Russia #Ukraine
@mod_russia_en
[ Photo ]
‼️🇺🇦🇺The enemy's offensive on the DNR: the enemy tries to encircle Krasny Liman
▪️VSU has established crossings and bridgeheads on our bank of the Seversky Donets, continuing to ferry equipment.
▪️ The enemy is attacking from several directions, threatening to encircle our Liman grouping.
▪️The enemy is storming Drobyshevo:
The settlement is now of critical importance, which is why the AFU is trying to take it to "squeeze the vise" over Liman. Selected forces - not only Ukrainian, in fact, already NATO - have been thrown here. The fighting has not subsided. "The situation is tense," report volunteers of the Russian Legion (Bars-13) detachment.
"Since morning there were 2 attacks, the first at 8.00 with the use of a helicopter, the second at 10.30 - repulsed, attacked all along the front, held out," - commander Sergei Fomchenkov:
▪️For several days the enemy has been storming Novoselovka, the village has been split in half and turned into ruins.
▪️ The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to attack Liman from the direction of Ozernoye.
▪️The Kuban squad ("Bars-16") is fighting on the outskirts of Krasny Liman and carrying out sorties, destroying T-62s, BTR-80s, and an 82mm pickup truck.
▪️One side actively uses artillery.
▪️ The AFU uses HIMARS MLRSs on reconnoiter targets in Liman and Drobyshevo.
▪️Artillery of the "🅾️" and the LNR NM are pounding on the advancing enemy forces.
▪️Group O Special Forces continue raiding, destroying AFU forces in the rear.
▪️Our forces and the Nazis are pulling up reserves.
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⚡️🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ Situation in the #Lyman Section at 18:00 on 24 Sep 2022⚡️
The AFU is trying to develop an offensive against the RF Armed Forces' positions on the eastern bank of the #Oskol River. However, the units of the 20th Army were not only able to repel the enemy's attacks, but also to push him back to his initial lines.
▪️ Enemy motorised infantry tried to re-attack Russian positions near #Redkodub and #Karpovka from the #Lozovoye side, but were pushed back to their initial positions.
▪️ Fighting between mobile groups of Russian Forces and the AFU is taking place in the fields west of Koroviy Yar and #Karlovka.
▪️ The village of #Drobyshevo and surrounding villages are held by reservists from BARS-13, who previously fought in the vicinity of #Bogorodichnoye. In four days of active fighting, the Ukrainian Armed Forces failed to break through the front. Enemy units entrenched themselves in the outskirts of #Novoselovka village. In #Novoselovka and #Drobyshevo, Ukrainian Forces are conducting artillery and rocket attacks and using phosphorus munitions.
▪️ Russian artillery struck massively at units of the 66th AFU detachment, which were forming up in combat formation near the village of #Shchurovo for a subsequent attack on #Lyman from the south. The enemy suffered significant losses in personnel and equipment. Another attempted offensive on #Lyman was foiled.
The Ukrainian forces are throwing all their reserves into the battle and are trying to build on their success in the direction of #Kharkov in order to capture #Kupyansk and #Lyman and reach the theatre of operations on the territory of Lugansk People's Republic.
Heavy, bloody fighting is taking place along the entire front.
@Slavyangrad/@rybar/#SMO/ t.me/SLG_MAPS/133
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⚡️🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ Situation in the #Lyman Section at the End of 24 Sep 2022⚡️
In the #Redkodub area, Ukrainian Forces have managed to exploit their numerical superiority and break through the defence lines of Russian Forces. Ukrainian units have advanced into the area of operations north of the settlement, where there is no solid defence line.
▪️ Ukrainian formations have taken control of #Redkodub, #Karpovka and #Novoye after a successful attack from #Lozovoye.
▪️ Reinforcements from the 20th Army's motorized rifle units carried out a successful counterattack and recaptured the villages of #Karpovka and #Novoye.
▪️ The enemies entrenched themselves in the village of #Redkodub, near which fierce fighting is taking place.
▪️ The Ukrainian command has deployed a large force of motorized infantry to advance further north and reach the #Svatovo-#Borovoye highway.
In the event that the AFU reaches #Svatovo, the entire #Lyman grouping of Allied Forces will be in an operational encirclement.
A simultaneous strike from the bridgehead in #Kupyansk could collapse the entire defence along the LPR border.
The command of the Russian Forces is throwing reserves into the battle to stop the Ukrainian troops and slow their advance in order to buy time to build a solid line of defensive line and stabilize the situation on the front.
@Slavyangrad/@rybar/#SMO/ t.me/SLG_MAPS/134
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[ Photo ]
⚡️🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ Situation in the #Soledar Direction at the End of 24 Sep 2022⚡️
▪️ Wagner PMC units destroyed AFU key strongholds east of #Otradovka and west of #Vershina.
▪️ Advanced groups of the "Wagnerians" have entered and entrenched themselves in the south-eastern outskirts of #Zaitsevo, south of #Bakhmut (#Artemovsk). Fighting is taking place in the private area.
▪️ After the liberation of the Donbass Power Station, the Wagner PMC fighters continued their offensive westwards towards #Zaitsevo and Veselaya Dolina.
▪️ The "Wagnerian" forces in eastern #Bakhmut expanded their zone of control by advancing deep into a horticultural association north of Patrice Lumumba Street.
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Hi! I also have that feeling that if NATO "officially' goes to war with Russia, posting much dissent about that side, especially posting from Russian sources, will be considered "traitorous" and DoJ dweebs will find various laws (only 300,000 U.S. federal laws on the books) to prosecute U.S. people. I pray that such "official" war doesn't come but its not looking good. Thank you so much for all your efforts over the months to populate your blog. Its been a great service!