Showing posts with label Russia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Russia. Show all posts

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Poland’s stance towards Russia: pathetic, contemptible and plain stupid



Alexander Rutskoi (Major-General of Aviation, former President and Vice-President of Russia, Hero of Russia): You know, there is that saying that if a rape is inevitable, then you should relax and enjoy it.  Well, this is the kind of “enjoyment” which all of Europe is getting nowadays.  I have quoted Nietzsche in the past who said “only the strong can be respected, the weak can only be pitied, and even that not always”.  Now they are finally respecting Russia again and now all of these folks are shaking in fear because Russia has stood up from her knees.  We have a peace-loving President, he wants to form a coalition with everybody, he always says let’s settle this issue together – but there is zero reaction on the other side.  But now those who have that “zero reaction” (to Putin’s offers) now know that Russia today can also smash their faces (“дать по морде”).
Zigmund Dzencholovski (Polish journalist): I am very worried about the words I heard today from Mr. Rutskoi who said that now the world has to understand that we have reached the point were the world has to understand that “Russian can smash their faces”.  This is precisely this type of Russia which we fear and this is why we are uniting.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Moscow Slams US Reaction to Dutch (One of U.S's Permanent Puppets) #MH17 Report As Misleading



On Tuesday, the State Department said that the Dutch report “validated” the US theory that MH17 was downed by a surface-to-air missile from “separatist-controlled territory,” although the report gave no exact location of the missile system.
The reconstructed airplane serves as a backdrop during the presentation of the final report into the crash of July 2014 of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine, in Gilze Rijen, the Netherlands, October 13, 2015

Moscow considers the US State Department's reaction to the final Dutch MH17 crash report unclear and aimed at misleading the public, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday during a briefing in Moscow.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Week one of the Russian military intervention in Syria



This column was originally written for the Unz Review: http://www.unz.com/tsaker/week-one-of-the-russian-military-intervention-in-syria/
The speed at which the Russian military operation in Syria was conducted what a big surprise for the US intelligence community (which I can hardly blame as I was just as surprised myself). Make no mistake here, the Russian force in Syria is a small one, at least for the time being, and it does not even remotely resemble what the rumors had predicted, but it is especially the manner in which it is being used which is very original: as a type of “ force multiplier ” for the Syrian military and a likely cover for the Iranian one. This is a very elegant solution in which a small force achieves a disproportionately big result. This is also a rather dangerous strategy, because it leaves the force very vulnerable, but one which, at least so far, Putin very successfully explained to the Russian people.
According to the most recent poll , 66% of Russian support the airstrikes in Syria while 19% oppose them. Considering the risks involved, these are extremely good numbers. Putin’s personal popularity, by the way, is still at a phenomenal 85% (all these figures have an margin of error of 3.4%). Still, these figures indicate to me that the potential for concern and, possibly, disappointment is present. The big advantage that Putin has over any US President is that Russians understand that wars, all wars, have a cost, and they are therefore nowhere as casualty-averse as the people in the USA or Europe. Still, while combat footage taken from UAV is a good start, Putin will have to be able to show something more tangible soon. Hence, probably, the current Syrian army counter-offensive. Still, the current way of triumphalism in Russia makes me nervous.
The reaction in the West, however, has been very negative, especially after the Russian cruise missile attacks (which mark the first time ever that the Russians have used their non-nuclear but strategic forces in a show of force aimed less as Daesh than at the USA).







On October 8th, the US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, declared:

We have not and will not agree to cooperate with Russia so long as they continue to pursue this misguided strategy. We’ve seen increasingly unprofessional behavior from Russian forces. They violated Turkish airspace, which as all of us here made clear earlier this week, and strongly affirmed today here in Brussels, is NATO airspace. They’ve shot cruise missiles from a ship in the Caspian Sea without warning. They’ve come within just a few miles of one of our unmanned aerial vehicles. They have initiated a joint ground offensive with the Syrian regime, shattering the facade that they’re there to fight ISIL. 
This will have consequences for Russia itself, which is rightfully fearful of attack upon Russia. And I also expect that in coming days, the Russians will begin to suffer casualties in Syria (Source:http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/622454/press-conference-by-secretary-carter-at-nato-headquarters-brussels-belgium )
On the next day, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov replied by saying:
Representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry, in their evaluation of the actions of the US military and the various operations they are engaged worldwide, have never sunk down to the level to publicly express the hope for the death of US servicemen or, even less so, of ordinary Americans. Today’s announcement Pentagon chief Ashton Carter, unfortunately clearly illustrates the current level of political culture of some representatives of the US government or, should I say, their level of cynicism towards the rest of the world. I am sure that no US general would ever have allowed himself to express such feelings. (Source:http://tass.ru/politika/2331242 )
Does that not remind you of something? Does that not sound like a repeat of the threat made by Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan ‘s threat to unleash ‘Chechen’ terror attacks against Russia? At the very least, this is, yet again, a sign that the US controls or, rather, thinks that it controls the Wahabi crazies and can unleash them against any opponent.
Typically, there are two basic ways the West handles any Russian military operation: they are either presented as mass murder and butchery or as gross, primitive and ineffective. CNN chose the second option and reported that “A number of cruise missiles launched from a Russian ship and aimed at targets in Syria have crashed in Iran, two U.S. officials told CNN Thursday”. Both Russia and Iran immediately denied that, as for the State Department and the Pentagon, they have refused to confirm or deny these reports.
Maria Zakarova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry reacted with disgust to these reports on her FB account and wrote : “I have read the CNN reports claiming that “Russian cruise missiles fell in Iran.” I wonder, do they write that out of impotent anger, or what? As for the constantreferences to “sources” they remind of the channeling of water from the sewer”.
Clearly, the Russians are rather disgusted with the rather pathetic US reactions to the Russian military operation. As for US officials, they appear rather clueless as to what do do next.
However, these appearances can be deceiving: this “game” is very far from being over.
As I have written in a recent column , the notion that Russia has established a no-fly zone over Syria is plain false: four SU-30MS, even if backed by six SU-34s are not enough to establish any kind of no-fly zone. The real mission of these SU-30MSs is to protect the Russian Air Force from any overzealous Turkish or Israeli fighter, not to establish a no-fly zone. In fact, according to the commander of the USAF operation over Syria, the US flies many more sorties than the Russians. What he does not add is that most of these US sorties do not include the release of weapons whereas all the Russian ones do. But, really, this is comparing apples and oranges. The USAF can fly as many sorties as it wants, only the Russian aircraft are operating in close coordination with Syrian and Iranian ground forces.
What worries me most is that people on both sides like to engage in cheap bravado and say things like “the Americans/Russians would never dare to attack a Russian/American aircraft”. This is a very dangerous way of thinking about what is going on because it ignores all the historical evidence for decision-makers taking very dumb decisions to try to avoid appearing humiliated by the other side (Ehud Olmert in 2006, immediately comes to mind). The fact that Obama and the USA look totally out-smarted is nice, of course, but also potentially very dangerous.
The good news is that, at least for the time being, neither Russia nor the USA are directly threatening each other, at least not on a military level. The USAF apparently has decided on a 20miles “avoidance radius” and while the Russians have not made any statements about this, I am pretty sure that they also go out of their way not to interfere with the Americans, much less so threaten them directly. Still, this situation is inherently dangerous.
Since this is a real combat zone and not just some peacetime patrol area, Russian and American aircraft have to use radar modes which are normally associated with a hostile intent: not just scan the skies for any potential enemy, but also actively track any detected aircraft. This is a very delicate situation because once a radar has acquired an aircraft and is actively tracking it all the pilot has to do to attack is press one button. For the pilot in the aircraft being tracked, this is similar to having a gun pointed at you – it makes you very nervous. To make things worse, modern aircraft can actually engage each other without using these radar modes and they can try to hide their radar signals, but that only adds to the tension. It is precisely because the US and Russia are two nuclear powers that it is crucial that neither side count on the other one to “blink first” or play any game of chicken. The politicians can indulge in this kind of nonsense, but I hope that the generals on both sides will do everything in their power to avoid any such situation. Right now, the situation appears to be under control, but it could get worse very fast. Hopefully, the Pentagon and the Russian General Staff will come to an “de-conflicting” agreement soon.
There are numerous reports that Iran is preparing a major intervention in Syria. These reports come from many sources and I consider them credible simply because there is no way that the very limited Russian intervention can really change the time of the war, at least not by itself. Yes, I do insist that the Russian intervention is a very limited one. 12 SU-24M, 12 SU-25SM, 6 SU-34 and 4 SU-30SM are not a big force, not even backed by helicopters and cruise missiles. Yes, the Russian force has been very effective to relieve the pressure on the northwestern front and to allow for a Syrian Army counter-offensive, but that will not, by itself, end the war. For one thing, should things get really ugly, the Daesh crazies can simply repeat what they have already done in the past: cross the border into Turkey, Jordan and Iraq.

Furthermore, you cannot hold any ground from the air. For that, “boots on the ground” are needed and Russian boots are not coming – Putin has unambiguously stated that (although he did leave a small door open for a future change of strategy by saying that a ground intervention was not in the “current plans”). Regardless, anything short of a minor or very short intervention would be fantastically hard to sell in Russia and I therefore still don’t believe that it will happen. My bet is on the Iranians. Well, when I say “Iranians” I mean Iranians and their allies, including Hezbollah, but not necessarily in Iranian uniforms.
Chances are, the Iranians and the Syrians will want to keep the magnitude of the Iranian involvement as hidden from view as possible. But, of course, they won’t be able to fool the USA, Turkey or Israel for very long, at least not if a large Iranian force is involved.
So the big question for me is this: what will the USA do if (when?) Iran intervenes in Syria?
Chances are that the Iraqis will request the Russian help to defeat Daesh exactly at the moment when the Iranians make their move. If the Russians agree, and it looks like they might, the Russian Air Force will, in fact, be providing air cover for the Iranian forces moving across Iraq towards Syria. My guess is that the Russians will try to get some UNSC Resolution to allow an international intervention in Syria or that, failing that, they will try to get some kind of deal with the USA. But that is going to be awfully hard, as they Neocons will go ballistic if the Iranians actually make a big move into Syria.
Right now the Russian Air Force does not have the resources needed to support an Iranian move into Syria, and that might be the reason for a reappearance of the rumor about “six MiG-31s” going to Syria . I personally have seen no evidence for that, at least not form any halfway dencent source, but if that does really happen, then this will become a major game-changer because one thing is certain: MiG-31s will never be used against Daesh or even a few isolated Turkish or Israeli fighters; if the MiG-31s ever really show up in the Syrian skies, their goal will be to keep control of the Syrian airspace and that implies a direct and credible threat against the US and its allies. The same goes for the actual deployment of S-300s. Thank God,we are not there yet. But unless the Syrian Army manages an extremely successful offensive against Daesh, a large Iranian intervention will become very likely. Then things will become very dangerous indeed.
In the meantime, NATO is still busy making big statement about being “ ready to defend Turkey ” while McCain declares that the US and Russia are engaged in a “ proxy war ”. We ought to be grateful for such loud emissions of hot hair because, hopefully, as long as the western leaders feel that their empty talk makes them look credible, they will not be tempted to do something truly stupid and dangerous.
These are definitely dangerous times.
The Saker

Friday, October 9, 2015

Game-Changer: Russia's Involvement in Syria Shifts Balance of Power



Russia's military involvement in Syria is undeniably a game-changer in the Middle East, US geopolitical analyst Eric Draitser told Sputnik, adding that Washington will definitely try to restore its shrinking positions in the region at all costs.

It is naïve to believe that Washington will eat its humble pie and admit that its decade-long policy in the Middle East has been a complete failure; it is more likely that US hawks will do whatever it takes to bolster their shrinking influence in the region.

Countries 'Liberated' by US Ask Russia for Help in Fighting Terrorism




Iraq and Afghanistan, which once were "liberated and democratized" by the US, are now reaching out for help from Russia in fighting ISIL terrorists. Moscow is ready to help but only in response to an official government request, Il Giornale reported.


Airstrikes in Syria Prove 'Russia Will Not Tolerate Half-Way Measures in Fighting Terrorism'
"The balance of power has changed in the Middle East," the article read.

Russian Jets Carry Out Record 67 Sorties Against ISIL Targets in Syria



Russian jets have carried out 67 sorties against the Islamic State targets in Syria in past 24 hours, Russian Air Force chief Lieutenant General Igor Makushev told journalists.

Attack aircraft from the Russian air group deployed in Syria carried out record 67 combat missions in the past 24 hours hitting a total of 60 Islamic State targets, the Russian General Staff said Friday.

"In the past 24 hours, the Russian combat aircraft carried out 67 missions. The Sukhoi Su-34 and Su-24SM planes destroyed 60 terrorist targets," Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Lt. Gen. Igor Makushev told reporters in Moscow.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Tehran Has No Info on Cruise Missiles Which Allegedly Landed in Iran



Iranian defense ministry believes reports on "fallen Russian cruise missiles" are part of the intensified western propaganda war, according to a source.

Tehran has denied US reports that four of Russia's cruise missiles targeting ISIL actually fell to the ground in Iran, with the country's defense ministry calling the accusations "psychological war."

Russia's Defense Ministry also refutes US media reports of an alleged incident involving cruise missiles which were fired at ISIL positions in Syria on October 7, stating that all missiles hit their designated targets.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

'Relentless' Russian Airstrikes Caught Terrified ISIL Off Guard - Source




A recent series of airstrikes launched by Russian air forces against the Islamic State in Syria caused the ISIL militants to evacuate their checkpoints in Raqqa and to cancel all public events there.

A source in the Islamic State’s so-called 'capital' told Sputnik on condition of anonymity that Russian airstrikes have caused widespread panic among the Islamist militants who apparently were not expecting such a relentless assault.
"They thought that Russian warplanes would act like their American counterparts – that they would launch some sporadic surgical strikes at dusk and then they would fly away," the source said. "Instead, Russian military aircraft constantly bombard ISIS positions in the vicinity of Raqqa, and these massed strikes have completely paralyzed the Islamist group’s activities. The Russian air operation proved to be extremely effective."

Monday, October 5, 2015

Associated Press Photoshops 'Anti-Russian Demonstration' in Istanbul (UPDATED)




This AP “photograph”, which clearly proves that Russia is destroying the Middle East, has been floating around the Internet. Do you notice something odd about it? Yes: Putin's blood-soaked fangs aren't that large. But also: that’s just sloppy Aside from the hands, which clearly do not belong to the same body, what's up with that poster? The over-the-top concave (created by the firm grip of the painted, mutant hand), the crappy Photoshop shadow effect…Come on. This is embarrassing. Keep up the good work, Associated Press. UPDATE: This might actually be a case of “terrible nails”. Reader “Simon” points out that there are other pictures of this woman. As such, we apologize for jumping the proverbial gun. (AP still bites the big one, though.)

Dr. Lavrov nailed it on the head! See what he said...






Lavrov Says Moscow Ready to Establish Contacts With Free Syrian Army

Russia's Foreign Minister said Russia was willing to work with the Syrian opposition army to settle the crisis in Syria.

Moscow is prepared to set up contacts with the opposition's Free Syrian Army and have asked the United States for information on them, but so far Moscow has not received a response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

"In any case, I asked [US Secretary of State] John Kerry to have [the United States] give us some sort of information of where the Free Syrian Army is and who's running it," Lavrov said.

Jamming the Jihad & its supporters: Russian Electronic Warfare Systems Spotted in Syria




The state-of-the-art Russian electronic warfare system Krasukha-4 has reportedly been deployed in Syria.


The Russian military has deployed its mobile, ground-based electronic warfare system Krasukha-4 in Syria, according to footage placed on Russia's Zvezda news network.
At the beginning of the video (the 6th second), which shows a Russian-made Su-25 landing at a Syrian airfield, a characteristic set of antenna devices is visible in the background. These could be the Krasukha-4 system, Zvezda reported.

Western Media Laments as Russia Foils US Plans for No-Fly Zone Over Syria




The Western media is lamenting as Russia wrecks the nearly-set agreement of the US-led coalition to establish a no-fly zone over Syria based on Jordanian and Turkish plans, despite jihadist groups lacking any aerial strike capabilities, while adding that the US and its allies have begun “preparing to open up a major front in northeastern Syria”.

“The Russian forces now in place make it very, very obvious that any kind of no-fly zone on the Libyan model imposed by the US and allies is now impossible, unless the coalition is actually willing to shoot down Russian aircraft,” The Financial Times quotes Justin Bronk, a research analyst at the Royal United Services Institute as saying.

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Peacemaking US-Style: Obama Sending New Weapons to Ukraine - Poroshenko



Barack Obama ordered to supply Ukraine with new defensive weapons. A step toward reconciliation, you say?
The United States has decided to deliver new models of defensive weapons to Kiev, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Sunday.

"He [US President Barack Obama] told me that he signed an executive order on the delivery of new weapons to Ukraine, that we desperately need, since this is defensive armament, long range counter-battery radar complexes which will allow us to increase the defense capabilities of the Ukrainian army," Poroshenko said in an interview to Ukrainian TV channels.
Continue..

Breaking News: Russian Aviation Hits ISIL Training Center, Munition Depot Near Al-Tabqa




Russian Air Force has conducted 20 flights overnight targeting 10 ISIL facilities near the Syrian city of al-Tabqa, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Sunday.

"Su-34 bombers attacked the ISIL special training camp and munition depot with KAB-500 aviation bombs near Al-Tabqa, Ar-Raqqah province. As a result of explosion of the munition depot, the terrorist training camp was completely destroyed," Konashenkov told reporters.


Russian Su-25 jets have also attacked training camp of the Islamic State in Syrian Idlib governorate destroying workshop for explosive belt production.

Sunday, August 30, 2015

New Russian Spaceship to Be Ready Ahead of Schedule



Russian space manufacturer RSC Energia said that the first prototype of a new Russian manned spacecraft for launch to the International Space Station (ISS) and the Moon may be created ahead of schedule.

 — The first prototype of a new Russian manned spacecraft for launch to the International Space Station (ISS) and the Moon may be created ahead of schedule, president of Russian space manufacturer RSC Energia Vladimir Solntsev told RIA Novosti on Saturday.
The International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS 2015 is currently underway in the town of Zhukovsky near Moscow, and is due to finish on Sunday.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Ukraine SITREP June 11th, 2015 by Scott



Vox of Populi: If Putin ran for President of the USA in 2016, on a platform of banishing all incumbent members of the house and senate to re-education camps in Outer Mongolia, he’d win by a landslide..

I would add that if Putin ran for President of Russia today on a platform of banishing all incumbent members of the Russian parliament and government and the Russia’s Central bank to re-education camps in Outer Mongolia, he’d would also win by a landslide..

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Russia, China Not to Accept America’s Vassalage Status Despite US Pressure



The US is playing with fire by instigating a military standoff off Russian and Chinese borders, while neither the South China Sea nor Ukraine can be considered America’s backyards; Washington needs to understand that neither Russia nor China will accept its vassalage status, according to the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia.
The bipolar world ended with the end of the Cold War, the US attempt of a unipolar world has ended up in fiasco, but what is now being suggested as true pluralism and consensus in international relations, is seen by the US as "uncertainty" and "danger", which must be ended by force, the newspaper correspondent Rafael Poch wrote in his blog.
Continue..

Saturday, May 23, 2015

The Head of the GRU accuses US and allies of creating the transnational “Islamist” terrorist network




Dear friends,

I am posting today the speech of Colonel-General Igor Sergun, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia.  To say that his man, or the GRU is secretive would be an understatement.  Almost all the information publicly available about Sergun is in the short biography (researched by Scott) which I have placed at the end of this post.  As a general rule, the GRU never makes a public statement, nor does the person heading it.  It is thus interesting that on one of the very few occasions were General Sergun agreed to speak in public, he chose to focus on the risks of the so-called “Islamic” extremism and that in a relatively short presentation, he made four reference to the fact that these “Islamic” terrorists are basically a creature of the West.  One might be tempted to say “nothing new here, we all know that” – but that would be missing the point.  The point is that the head of Russian military intelligence is openly declaring that the so-called “Islamic terrorism” is not an original or indigenous phenomenon, but an instrument in the toolset of western imperialism which is used to subvert the countries which dare oppose the worldwide hegemony of the AngloZionist Empire.
The Saker

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

27.04.2015 Ukraine Crisis News: War in Ukraine. Donbass, Kiev, Russia, USA, Nepal



Monday, March 30, 2015

When Russia Ruled Alaska: Marking 148 Years of Historic Property Deal





While many Russians once lamented Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev's decision to give the Crimean peninsula to his native Ukraine in 1954, it wasn't the first time Russia parted with prime real estate: exactly 148 years ago Alaska became a territory of the US; some myths regarding the sale still remain.

ST

Please Like Us On facebook