Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

People are weird.

Bogus polls are all they’ve got left. Let’s bury these fuckers at the polls a year from now.

How can republicans represent us when they don’t trust women?

I also would like a pony to improve my balloon juice experience.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

T R E 4 5 O N

Fuck that bum, let’s go Joe!

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

“Loving your country does not mean lying about it’s history.”

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

It’s a doggy dog world.

Consistently wrong since 2002

“When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re gonna use it.”

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / War for Ukraine Day 699: Russia Once Again Bombards Civilian Targets in Ukraine

War for Ukraine Day 699: Russia Once Again Bombards Civilian Targets in Ukraine

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Screen shot of new artwork by NEIVANMADE. The background is black. In the bottom foreground are grey Ukrainian homes and apartment buildings being bombarded by red Russian missiles with the Special Military Operation "Z" symbol on them. Above the missiles, written in red is the word "Ruzzians". Below the buildings being attacked is the statement "Turns Homes Into Graves".

(Images by NEIVANMADE)

Been a very long day, so this is going to be brief (for me).

Also, late last night/early this morning commenter piece of peace asked:

Adam and commentors, I appreciate receiving knowledge about the conflicts and problems going on in the Middle East, formed with easily-readable explanations.  Otherwise, I’d be tempted to ignore it.  Thank you all.

I will try to do a Mess O Potamia post this weekend. I won’t have time before then. I hope that will be sufficient.

One last housekeeping item. What I’m covering tonight is grim. We may not know the full butcher’s bill for a few days. I’ve chosen not to post a lot of the video and imagery that’s on social media. This includes the animal shelter video. I am asking you all, and for once please just actually comply, DO NOT post links to or embed the nitter links to those types of posts in the comments. Once you’re done with today’s post you’ll know what happened if you didn’t already. You don’t need to subject yourselves and others to even more of it. It is not going to actually help anyone in Ukraine if you force yourselves to watch that stuff if you do not have to.

Russia once again spent the morning bombarding Ukraine.

From this morning:

From this afternoon:

More on this after the jump.

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address after the jump. Video below, English transcript after the jump.

The NSDC issued a decision on economic security and economic stability during martial law – address by the President of Ukraine

23 January 2024 – 22:16

Fellow Ukrainians!

First of all, concerning the Russian strike in the morning. Almost 40 missiles of various types – another combined attack attempting to bypass our air defense system. A significant number of missiles were shot down. Unfortunately, there were also hits. More than 200 various objects were damaged – 139 of them are houses, ordinary houses… 130 people were wounded or injured. All of them are being provided with the necessary assistance. Unfortunately, 18 people were killed… My condolences to their families and friends. And this death toll may increase. In particular, the rescue operation in Kharkiv is still underway – the rubble of the building is being dismantled. It was an ordinary high-rise building, ordinary people lived there.

Ordinary life is what modern Russia considers a threat to itself. This state is a typical terrorist. And let them in Russia know that the Ukrainian character is capable of being long-range enough to retaliate. The Russian war will inevitably be brought back home – back to where this evil came from, where it must be quelled. Right there, in Russia. I thank everyone who ensures that the logistics of the terrorist state, the infrastructure, and the Russian state itself feel the true cost of war.

Second for today. I would like to recognize the entire team of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, everyone who works to save lives and help after the attacks. Who dedicates their lives day and night to ensure that everyone is saved. Kharkiv and the region, Kyiv and the region, Sumy, Chernihiv, Donetsk regions, Zaporizhzhia and the region, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa regions, Dnipro and the region, Kropyvnytskyi and the region. All our regions, all our communities that need protection and receive it from the State Emergency Service. I thank everyone in the SES ranks for their dedication, professionalism and humanity.

I would especially like to mention the employees of the State Emergency Service in Kharkiv region: Sergeant Oleksiy Rudchenko, Chief Master Sergeants Serhiy Onopriyenko and Ruslan Holik, Senior Lieutenant Vitaliy Pidlisnyi and Major Mykyta Zakharov. Thank you, guys!

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kyiv: Master Sergeant Andriy Didkivsky, Chief Master Sergeants Mykola Knysh, Kostiantyn Koniev and Serhiy Nakonechnyi, and Captain Ivanna Davydenko. Thank you!

And the State Emergency Service of the Donetsk region: Sergeants Artur Taranenko, Artem Tolmachov, Kostiantyn Kalus and Stepan Holivets, as well as Captains of the Civil Protection Service Serhiy Subbotin and Oleksandr Pekhterev. I thank everyone who saves and helps save lives.

The third thing that is important to say today.

I met with the President of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber, who was on a visit to Ukraine today. This is a significant political force in Europe. We had a rather productive conversation. I informed him of the situation on the battlefield and our defense against Russian terror. We must further step up our cooperation with all partners on air defense – this is the priority that this year, both in the defense of our cities and villages and in the defense of our positions at the front, should influence the strategic situation, and therefore the course of the war in general. I am grateful to every partner who helps us with this. Of course, together with the head of the European People’s Party, we discussed our work at the level of European institutions, our expectations from the European Council and, more specifically, Ukraine’s integration.

And one more thing. NSDC.

Today the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine issued a decision on economic security and economic stability right now, during martial law. It clearly defines the steps that will help both Ukrainian entrepreneurs and state institutions to overcome the whole range of problems that have been discussed a lot in recent weeks. As agreed upon by the government and business representatives, a Council for Entrepreneurship Support will be formed, and it will include representatives from the business community. These are well-known names, prominent executives of Ukrainian companies. Businesses that work for the benefit of millions of people. Technology businesses, finance, services, and other industries. Different sectors, to ensure a diversity of views. But the common goal is the strengthening of our economy, our society.

Furthermore, there is absolute clarity regarding law enforcement agencies. The government will present amendments to the law on the Economic Security Bureau and some other laws to minimize the potential for any possible pressure on “white”, legal businesses. The NSDC has also decided on a three-month term of a de facto moratorium on procedural actions that could block the work of an enterprise. An audit of the tax invoice risk monitoring system is also to be conducted. All issues with tax invoices must be resolved. And there’s a lot more – everything is specified in detail in the decree.

The state will fulfill its part of the moral contract with business. It is important that every business in Ukraine also fulfills its part of the agreement: the business pays taxes, operates legally, respects its employees, and definitely does not work with Russia. We all work solely for Ukraine’s victory!

I thank everyone who strengthens Ukraine, who safeguards Ukrainians, who fights, works and helps for Ukraine to withstand and emerge victorious.

Glory to Ukraine!

Bout damn time!

More on the strikes:

Kyiv region. The rocket’s hull flew to the threshold of the Ruslan and Lyudmila cafe in the village of Kryukivshchyna.

📸 Volodymyr Tarasov, Ukrinform

 

According to the updated data, we already have information about 12 people killed in today’s enemy shelling. The highest death toll is in the Kharkiv region—8. Among the dead is an 8-year-old girl and her mother. Three people were killed in the Kherson region and one in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Over 100 residents of these areas have been injured, with more than 60 in the Kharkiv region alone. Rescue operations are still underway in Kharkiv City. Video: Aftermath of the Russian attack on Kharkiv #RussianWarCrimes

WARNING!! WARNING!! GRAPHIC IMAGERY!! WARNING!! WARNING!!

ALL CLEAR!!!!

There’s a combination of things going on here with the Ukrainian air defense response to these Russian bombardments. The first, which is the obvious one, is that none of the Kh-22s were brought down. That isn’t surprising, as far as I and everyone else seems to know, Ukraine has never brought a Kh-22 down. What you’re seeing with the remainder of the air defense data from today’s attacks is that Russia, at least for now, has figured out which munitions will and won’t be successful at getting through the Ukrainian air defense systems. They’re willing to sacrifice the Kh-101s/Kh-555s/Kh55s, or in some attacks a bunch of Shahed drones, in order to get the Kh-22s, S-300 and S-400s, the Kh-59s, and the Iskanders through. Some of this is clearly working out what number and what combination of munitions to launch to overwhelm the Ukrainian air defense systems and some of it is working out where those air defenses are located and their effective ranges and then targeting around them.

Every delay in the US, the EU as a whole, and within specific EU member states in getting Ukraine both more air defense systems and the munitions for them will only increase Russia’s ability to achieve its effects. There are three: 1) forcing Ukraine to deplete their stocks of western supplied air defense munitions as there will be no resupply for the foreseeable future, 2) destroy as much civilian infrastructure as possible in order to, 3) demoralize and terrorize the Ukrainians. The second objective also overlaps with the overall genocidal objectives of Russia’s re-invasion.

Also, you do not see this type of air defense every day. Or at all really:

For you GPS spoofing afficionados:

I know Tatarigami has a new assessment posted and there’s lots of other stuff, but given what we’ve covered of today’s events, that’s enough for tonight. I’ll get to all the rest, plus whatever happens tomorrow tomorrow night.

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Open thread!

Reader Interactions

19Comments

  2. 2.

    Alison Rose

    There are days where it is much more difficult not to engage in daydreams of nuking the entire kremlin from orbit. This is one of those days. Fuck russia all to hell.

    I am asking you all, and for once please just actually comply, DO NOT post links to or embed the nitter links to those types of posts in the comments.

    Thank you for this. I always appreciate your care and judiciousness regarding what to share here. Sometimes commenters aren’t as considerate. While I believe in the importance of bearing witness, that should be something done at the discretion of each individual as to what they can mentally handle.

    Thank you as always, Adam. I am impressed that you can put these together every day, especially a day like today, without hurling your computer against the wall.

  3. 3.

    Another Scott

    AlJazeera.com:

    NATO has signed a large ammunition deal that it says would help it supply Ukraine with desperately needed stocks.

    The military alliance announced on Tuesday that it has signed a deal worth 1.1 billion euros ($1.2bn) to buy artillery shells. The move comes amid intensified exchanges of fire between Russia and Ukraine since the end of last year, which have depleted the latter’s weapons stockpiles.

    NATO greenlit the purchase of 220,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition, the most widely sought-after artillery shell, noting that bulk buying for member states should ensure lower prices. Sources said the ammunition would be supplied by French arms maker Nexter and Germany’s Junghans.

    “This is important to defend our own territory, to build up our own stocks, but also to continue to support Ukraine,” said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

    “The war in Ukraine has become a battle of ammunition,” he told reporters. “We cannot allow President [Vladimir] Putin to win in Ukraine … That would be a tragedy for the Ukrainians and dangerous for all of us.”

    […]

    I think this has been in the works for a long while. It’s good that the contracts have finally been signed.

    More from the horse’s mouth:

    Since Allied leaders agreed NATO’s Defence Production Action Plan in July 2023, the NSPA has agreed contracts for around 10 billion dollars’ worth of ammunition. Recent NSPA purchases include a 5.5 billion dollar contract for 1,000 Patriot missiles and 4 billion dollars for 155-mm artillery, anti-tank guided missiles and tank ammunition. In November 2023, NATO’s procurement agency also opted to buy six E-7A Wedgetail aircraft with a contract to be signed in 2024.

    These record-breaking contracts demonstrate the capacity of the transatlantic defence industry to enhance NATO’s deterrence and defence and to support Ukraine.

    More, please.

    Slava Ukraini!!

    Thanks, Adam, and everyone.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  6. 6.

    Another Scott

    In other news, it’s not final yet, but maybe there’s some progress…

    Reuters.com:

    DOHA/GAZA/JERUSALEM, Jan 24 (Reuters) – Israel and Hamas have moved closer to agreement on a 30-day ceasefire in Gaza when Israeli hostages and Palestinians prisoners would be released, sources told Reuters, as Israel pressed ahead with its assault on southern Gaza’s main city of Khan Younis.

    Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt have held shuttle diplomacy since Dec. 28 seeking to bridge differences between Israel and the Palestinian militant group on a framework for a break in hostilities, which would also allow an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.

    But the two sides remain at odds over how to permanently end the Gaza war, and Hamas has refused to move forward until this is resolved, the sources said.

    The U.S. State Department and White House, Qatar’s foreign ministry and Egypt’s State Information Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Reuters report.

    […]

    Other reports earlier said that Israel proposed 2 months if all of the hostages (and remains of those who died) were released. So, things seem to be in a state of flux, but people are trying to make a pause happen.

    Peace and comfort to the innocents.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  7. 7.

    karen marie

    It’s been a while since I sent in a donation to help Ukraine, and I’d like to do so again.  These Russian fuckfaces are chapping my ass.

    Does anyone know where I can send money to chip in on a big bomb to blow the motherfuckers to kingdom com?

    Or, if not that, where would be the best place to direct my small donation.

    I’ve previously donated to World Kitchen and animal rescue efforts in Ukraine but I’d really like to direct it towards blowing some motherfucking Russians into pieces so small their god can’t see them.

  8. 8.

    eversor

    @Ksmiami:

    We can’t.  Removing the likes of Mike Johnson would be racial, sexual, religious, and political discrimination.

    We are willing to do this if you are white, and we are willing to do this if you are a male, and we are willing to do this if you are a conservative, but Christianity is off bounds.  Which means Mike Johnson gets what he wants and we can either help him or be crushed.

    So…. for this first time in my life.  ALL GOP ALL THE TIME!  Give me that Jesus.

  9. 9.

    Alison Rose

    @karen marie: G&T has recommended Razom For Ukraine before.

    Razom means “together” in Ukrainian and serves as a constant reminder of the community that it takes to create, build and do.  Razom creates spaces where people meet, partner and work together to unlock the potential of Ukraine.  We maintain a relentless focus on the needs on the ground to support Ukraine and on opportunities to amplify voices from Ukraine in conversations in the United States.  We operate in Ukraine as Razom Dlia Ukraini (Разом Для України) and we collaborate with organizations and individuals so that we can deliver the highest impact.

  12. 12.

    karen marie

    @Andrya:  That looks good as well.  Given my donation to United24 may go to the Ukraine defense department, I’d get my bomb.  That’s appealing.

    I’ll send funds to these guys first and then when I’m flush again, we’ll send some to Razom.

    Other suggestions are always welcome.

  13. 13.

    YY_Sima Qian

    The Kh-22 anti-ship cruise missile is very fast, like Mach 4.8+, so extremely difficult intercept as it does not fly a ballistic or even quasi-ballistic trajectory. However, it is woefully inaccurate (CEP of ~ 100 m), as it a Cold War era weapon that only has a radar seeker designed for targeting capital war ships. Not sure if Russia is using them as terror weapons, or trying to large targets such as weapons manufacturing plants.

  14. 14.

    Lyrebird

    @karen marie: I can’t find it right now, but I know Markos Moulitsas found a way to donate where you could have a message written on a MLRS or similar (small) missile.

  19. 19.

    Lyrebird

    @evodevo: If you scroll wayyyy down and you are willing to be in a joint effort, you can pitch in a dollar (or more) to the ”
    NAFO Mig-29″

Comments are closed.