several interesting articles

will only post a very little from each

https://taskandpurpose.com/ana...-ukraine-russia-war/

‘The king of battle’ — How US artillery in the hands of Ukrainians may reshape the war with Russia

About 70 of the 155 mm guns along with roughly 70,000 artillery rounds have been transferred to Ukraine so far, a senior defense official told reporters on Monday. More than 200 Ukrainian troops are expected to be trained on how to operate the howitzers

The Defense Department is also providing Ukrainian forces with 14 counter-artillery radars. Combined with those radars, which the Ukrainians have been receiving since 2015, the howitzers will allow Ukrainian forces to target and attack Russian tube and rocket artillery

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https://taskandpurpose.com/ana...out-of-fuel-ukraine/

“The U.S. Army, we build that into our plan: ‘All right, this is where we’re going to be able to refuel in the middle of the attack, it’s going to work, we lay our advances that way so we’re not vulnerable,’” Cogan said. “The Russian philosophy is, you’re not going to stop, there’s no time for that, you have a time schedule to maintain. So carry as much fuel and as much ammunition as possible, and you’re either going to get to your objective or you’re going to die trying.”

that philosophy of pushing forward and refusing to stop has essentially remained the same for Russian armor since World War II


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https://taskandpurpose.com/news/what-is-psyops-army/

This unsettling Army recruitment video is a master class in psychological warfare

Psychological operations, or PSYOP, is all about influencing governments, people of power, and everyday citizens. The Army’s website explaining the field says PSYOP soldiers’ key missions are to influence “emotions, notices, reasoning, and behavior of foreign governments and citizens,” “deliberately deceive” enemy forces, advise governments, and provide communications for disaster relief and rescue efforts. It’s a small, niche community; Stangle said there are only around 1,000 active duty PSYOP soldiers.

after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the U.S. PSYOP community, along with other NATO allies and special operations communities around the world, got to work helping Ukraine build their own abilities.

“We’ve helped them build their PSYOP force,” Stangle said. “We’ve helped through [military-to-military] partnerships, us as well as more than 12 allies and partners. And what we’ve been able to do is just sit and watch how amazing their arguments are … Ukraine has done a masterful job, they’ve taken the training and the work we’ve done with them, as well as their own inherent skill, and have just really blown it up.”

I did not see this posted, but it has been reported by several news sources. Apparently the Ukrainians have been taking phots of dead Russian soldiers and then looking for a match on social media. Once found they send it to the guy's mother. They said 80 percent of the responses were negative. The intent was to let them know that there is a war going on and they do not know the facts.

link: https://www.news18.com/news/te...amilies-4997293.html

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
I did not see this posted, but it has been reported by several news sources. Apparently the Ukrainians have been taking phots of dead Russian soldiers and then looking for a match on social media. Once found they send it to the guy's mother. They said 80 percent of the responses were negative. The intent was to let them know that there is a war going on and they do not know the facts.

link: https://www.news18.com/news/te...amilies-4997293.html

I think that’s brilliant. Fight propaganda with the truth. Maybe, hopefully such tactics will result in the overthrow of that despot Putin.

I would cheer but the psyops are being used on us

How about a few words from PARA's favorite liberal Jimmy Dore. I think the transformation is almost complete....virtually everyone hates the current president, administration, and congress.

Just an FYI, likely NSFW.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ne...al-board-Moskva.html

Mystery is growing over the fate of Vladimir Putin's Black Fleet chief, Admiral Igor Osipov, who has 'not been seen alive' since the sinking of the Moskva warship one month ago.

There are now suspicions that the commander was on board the vessel when it was hit by Ukrainian Neptune missiles, say Kyiv sources.

Osipov, 49, was conspicuously absent from the Red Square Victory Day parade on Monday, which he would routinely be expected to attend.

He was also nowhere to be seen at events linked to Black Sea Fleet Day this week.

At one event on 7 May, he was reported as being present only for his name to be removed later.

The governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev said: 'Our commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Igor Vladimirovich Osipov, is now at his combat post.
several sources say that Osipov has not been seen 'live' since the Black Sea Fleet flagship was sunk on 14 April.

'The Black Sea Fleet is discussing whether Osipov could have been on board the cruiser Moskva at the time of the attack,' said one pro-Kyiv source claiming to have inside information from the Russian navy .

And Russian Telegram channel VChK-OGPU said no-one has seen Osipov face to face for a month.

Osipov's name has appeared as if he signed documents recently - but evidently he has not been seen in person.

Russian Generals believed to have been killed:

General Magomed Tushaev: Chechen special forces leader
Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky: Deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District
Major General Vitaly Gerasimov: First deputy commander of Russia's 41st army
Major General Andrei Kolesnikov: Commander of the 29th Combined Army Army
Major General Oleg Mityaev
Lt Gen Andrey Mordvichev
Lt Gen Yakov Rezantsev, commander of Russia's 49th combined army
Major General Vladimir Frolov was deputy commander of the 8th Guards Army
Major General Andrei Simonov

?? Admiral Igor Osipov, Black Fleet chief

quote:

Admiral Igor Osipov, Black Fleet chief

^^^^^^^^^^^
He has a consulting job with Revell.

quote:

There are now suspicions that the commander was on board the vessel when it was hit by Ukrainian Neptune missiles, say Kyiv sources.

This is what one or two initial reports said, but that seemed to be based on the guy's theoretically being posted on the Moskva. No one came through at the time and said he was actually there.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
How about a few words from PARA's favorite liberal Jimmy Dore.....

Thanks for posting this.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Why so cynical?

Why so gullible?

The Biden Administration and our joke of a news media are telling us how things are in all of this. Cynicism is absolutely called for, and lots of it. I don't believe a single thing either of these entities tells me.

And you can just say goodbye to that 30 to 40 billion tax payer dollars, flushed straight down the toilet.

Oh, yes, so many things to be positive about. I'm positive the American public is being lied to, I'm positive the American taxpayer is getting screwed. I'm positive that all of this is a waste of time and money.

Agree with Para. My guess would be approximately 99% of those funds would be siphoned off by criminals, fraudsters, organized crime, and grifters, just as it is in the US of A whenever Democrats spend big money. Here's a check for xx billion dollars, and we trust everyone. Fucking morons.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
And you can just say goodbye to that 30 to 40 billion tax payer dollars, flushed straight down the toilet.
****
Yes, and that money is g-o-n-e, and the American taxpayer will never see any actual effect of it over there. We might as well have just piled bills in a field and had a bonfire.

Actually, the bonfire or the toilet flush might be preferable. At least then it's gone.

The reality is that a large part of the $40 billion slush fund will come back to the Democratic coffers. You can bet that a huge portion of that will be siphoned off at every turn: palms will be greased, money kicked back, and all will know that it's the Democrats who must benefit. It's the Chicago way. Gone International.

Bingo. Well put. And true.

quote:

Ankara has ordered around 30 of the F-35 stealth fighter jets that Washington hopes will form the alliance's aerial backbone.

However, the U.S. and other industry analysts warn that the S-400 is incompatible with NATO's systems.

More worrying from Washington's perspective is if the Russian missile system and the American jets are deployed on the same soil, the S-400 could learn how to track the stealth F-35 and perhaps even target its vulnerabilities.

Biden Redeploys U.S. Combat Troops to Somalia, Reversing Trump Draw Down

Democrats love war, even when they have to go looking for one. The New York Times is reporting that Joe Biden has signed a Defense Dept order authorizing 700 combat troops to redeploy to Somalia, reversing the Trump-era troop withdrawal.



https://theconservativetreehou...aw-down/#more-233132

way too much info at this link to cover well

https://hotair.com/allahpundit...donets-river-n469711

lots of videos and pics

The Russian army was attempting to cross the river on pontoon bridges, crowding dozens of armored vehicles manned by hundreds of troops near the riverbank in anticipation. The Ukrainians attacked, destroying the pontoons and leaving the Russians trapped.

The result was a turkey shoot unlike any seen in war in many years.

A tally of Russian losses from the infamous failed Russian Siverskyi Donets river crossing near Bilohorivka.
In total 73 Russian equipment were destroyed/abandoned

The Institute for the Study of War estimates that some 550 Russians from 74th Motorized Rifle Brigade were involved in the operation and that close to 500 of them were killed or wounded. ISW’s best guess at what went wrong: “The unit’s command and staff may have failed to recognize the dangers that Ukraine’s improving artillery capabilities posed two months later, or may simply have been incompetent or unable to control their troops.” Right, it may be that the Russians thought the Ukrainians were based far enough away from the river that their artillery couldn’t reach it


much more at link

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sdy,

The Russians seem like a bunch of amateurs at this point and if this UK Daily Mail story is to be believed, Russkie commanders are now shooting their wounded instead of evacuating them:

Putin's commanders are slaughtering their own wounded soldiers rather than retrieving them from the battlefield for medical treatment, captured Russian soldiers reveal

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
Biden Redeploys U.S. Combat Troops to Somalia, Reversing Trump Draw Down

Somolia? Again? Maybe the global Biden crime family has some money invested there.

They could send Ilan Omar over there to be the point person, although I seriously doubt she gives a shit about any black moslems in Africa.

quote:

Originally posted by wrightd:

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
Actually, the bonfire or the toilet flush might be preferable. At least then it's gone.

The reality is that a large part of the $40 billion slush fund will come back to the Democratic coffers. You can bet that a huge portion of that will be siphoned off at every turn: palms will be greased, money kicked back, and all will know that it's the Democrats who must benefit. It's the Chicago way. Gone International.

Bingo. Well put. And true.

I keep asking myself why can't we have peace and prosperity? The formula isn't complicated.
It's because so many people want to be grifters.

Nancy Pelosi went over to Ukraine and met with Zalensky. Nancy Pelosi doesn't give a shit about Ukraine. It's just another scheme to put money into the pockets of those who kiss the ring and contribute a portion back to the Democrats campaign coffers.

Virginia National Guard has been in Africa for a while now

https://www.wsls.com/news/loca...-mobilize-to-africa/

from July 2021

Lynchburg-based Virginia National Guard soldiers set to mobilize to Africa

The Virginia National Guard’s Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team will soon be deployed to Africa for overseas duty.

On Thursday, Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, announced in a press release that the unit was given a mobilization order to provide a security force for the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa. The release said that providing security for bases that the Department of Defense maintains will help build partnerships with host nations and improve safety and stability in the region.

According to officials, nearly 1,000 soldiers are set to mobilize as Task Force Red Dragon under 1st Battalion’s Headquarters with Virginia Army National Guard units from Bedford, Charlottesville, Lexington, Pulaski and Suffolk along with a Kentucky Army National Guard unit from Somerset, Kentucky.

If all goes as planned, this will be the most soldiers and airmen that the Virginia National Guard has deployed since 2007, said Williams. In addition, the 29th Infantry Division is set to mobilize the most soldiers since World War II as it deploys troops from units in Virginia, Maryland and Kentucky.

In August, soldiers will train at Fort Pickett, Virginia for about two weeks in preparation for the mobilization. The training will include weapons qualification, equipment issue and medical evaluation.

Then in the fall, soldiers will report to Fort Bliss, Texas to receive additional training for about 45 days before heading overseas to serve on federal active duty for about 12 months.

https://www.military.com/daily...-wars-wind-down.html

The U.S. has been increasingly operating in countries like Somalia and Niger as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have drawn down.

There are some 6,000 American troops, Defense Department civilians and contractors across Africa, an Army spokesperson told Military.com. About 3,400 of those people operate from Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, which serves as the major hub for the U.S. military on the continent.

Virginia and Kentucky’s mission will be to provide security at various forward operating bases across the horn of Africa and to “improve safety and stability in the region,” according to a Guard press release.

Is Putin changing his tune just a bit?

Link

Today as the Swedish Parliament debated whether to join NATO, the shift in tone from Vladimir Putin was as surprising as the decision of Finland and Sweden to apply to join NATO after decades of neutrality in the wake of Russia's invasion. Putin said unless NATO built bases in Sweden and Finland and put permanent troops there, Russia would not have a problem with Finland and Sweden joining NATO.

"As far as expansion - new members Finland and Sweden included - Russia - I would like to remind you, dear colleagues - doesn't have any problem with those countries," Putin said to six former Soviet States marking the 30th Anniversary of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. "Therefore, there is not an immediate threat to Russia with the inclusion of those countries. But the expansion of military infrastructure over that territory will obviously call for our response."

^^^ Could be. After all, there's nothing Putin can do about Sweden and Finland joining NATO. On the other hand, there is that bit about "the expansion of military infrastructure ...will obviously call for our response". It's supposed to sound like Putin drew a new red line, and both the line and the proposed response are wonderfully vague. So does that mean he'll react to 'military infrastructure' when he couldn't do anything about joining NATO, or is he simply reserving the "right" to take advantage of any opportunity he sees in the future to punish Sweden and Finland?

Hungary may be cowering these days whether a NATO member or no. But it's difficult to see what Putin could do about anything if Sweden and Finland blew him off so it's hard to see how this latest threat could be carried out.