Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Pelosi: “He either is stupid, or he thinks the rest of us are.” Why not both?

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Israel is using food as a weapon of war. Unforgivable.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

“woke” is the new caravan.

One of our two political parties is a cult whose leader admires Vladimir Putin.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

People are weird.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

Dead end MAGA boomers crying about Talyor Swift being a Dem is my kind of music. Turn it up.

I’m just a talker, trying to find a channel!

Be a traveling stable for those who can’t find room at the inn.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

We’re not going back!

Joe Biden can go out like FDR, not by dying in office, but by crushing the fascists.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / War for Ukraine Day 719: Cry Friskies! And Let Slip the Cats of War!

War for Ukraine Day 719: Cry Friskies! And Let Slip the Cats of War!

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(The only cat image I’ve got)

🐈 ❤️ Politico published an article about Ukrainian cats that help the military defend the Motherland. Among the heroes are Syrskyi, Shaybyk, Karolina and Gerych.

Cats usually come to the defenders at the front from nearby villages and towns, seeking human protection from constant shelling and explosions.

“When this frightened little creature comes to you seeking protection, how can you say no?” We are strong, that’s why we protect weaker beings who got into such terrible circumstances as we did, only because Russians appeared on our land,” explained combat medic Oleksandr Yabchanka.

We’ll get to the full article after the jump.

Mongolia’s former president wins the epic trolling of Russia award for today:

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

To add more protection, we are providing greater capabilities to our mobile firing groups – address by the President of Ukraine

12 February 2024 – 19:53

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

Today, I held the first meeting of the Staff with the participation of the new military commanders. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Chief of the General Staff Anatoliy Barhylevych, along with the commanders of the sectors. They reported on the situation at the front. Kupyansk direction, Lyman, Bakhmut. Of course, Avdiivka. Maryinka direction, Zaporizhzhia direction. A separate report concerned our actions in the south, particularly in Kherson region.

There was a detailed report on the protection of critical infrastructure – energy, heating and water supply facilities. Everything that is a constant target for Russian missiles and drones. To add more protection, we are providing greater force and capabilities to our mobile firing groups. We will increase the number of such groups. They are one of the pillars of our defense against Russian terror, and I am grateful to all those who serve in the mobile firing groups, train them and provide assistance.

As always, one of today’s reports at the Staff meeting focused on the provision of all our units: ammunition, drones, electronic warfare. Everyone in Ukraine who can produce effective electronic warfare systems deserves full state support at all levels: at the central level – from the government – and in every region with such potential. I am grateful to all representatives of local authorities and to every Ukrainian entrepreneur, to all Ukrainian developers of electronic warfare systems.

Today I spoke with President Ramaphosa, the head of the Republic of South Africa. First of all, we discussed our global efforts to restore a real, just peace in Ukraine. The kind of peace that every nation deserves and for the sake of which Ukraine has proposed the Peace Formula. Ten points encompassing all aspects of Russian aggression against our country. I thanked President Ramaphosa for the participation of the representative of the Republic of South Africa in the meetings of the advisors on the Peace Formula. I told him about our agreement and joint work with Switzerland on the organization of the Global Peace Summit. And we agreed to further maintain a sufficient level of engagement to bring a just peace closer and make global efforts productive. Africa must be represented in all global processes.

And one more thing.

Today I held a lengthy meeting on our international activities in February. In particular, we are preparing for the Munich Security Conference, an important platform not only for Europe, but also for the world. Ukraine will present its vision of this year. A decisive year in many ways – the vision of prospects that all of us, all free nations, have, and which should not be lost. Cooperation matters. And I am grateful to everyone in the world who realizes this, to everyone who helps, to every leader, every state that seeks a fair peace as much as Ukrainians do.

Glory to all those who have defended and keep defending Ukraine! Glory to everyone who is fighting for our country and people!

Glory to Ukraine!

I’m becoming more and more convinced, as President Zelenskyy makes announcements about changes in personnel, policy, and strategy, that there was a much larger plan to change direction. I would expect that a fair amount of this comes as a result in the change in Defense Minister last year.

The cost:

For those of you interested in Ukrainian history:

Norway has published its 2024 strategic defense assessment. Here’s an excerpt:

Norway is facing a more serious threat environment now than it has in decades. As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, Russia is about to gain the military upper hand. The Russian military industry is running at full steam, and China, Belarus, Iran and North Korea are providing considerable materiel support. Russia is better positioned in the war than it was a year ago, and the Russian armed forces remain the main military threat to Norway’s sovereignty, its people, territory, key societal functions and infrastructure.

The relationship between Russia and the West is at a historic low point and can best be described as a clash of opposing values and security interests. The prospect of any genuine dialogue seems distant, and Russia’s policies towards the West and Norway are expected to become more unpredictable in the years to come. Thus far, Russia’s military conduct in the north has been restrained, but distrust of the West and of allied military activities in the Arctic could alter Russian military behaviour in areas close to Norway. This could increase the risk of misunderstandings, accidents and escalation.

Russia and China have a revisionist agenda in which they seek to reshape the international order to safeguard their own interests. These two countries share a belief that the United States is containing Chinese and Russian ambitions.

A less predictable neighbour

Russia refers to Norway as an ‘unfriendly country’ dictated by the anti-Russian policies of the great powers in the West.

The Russian authorities will seek to maintain those few remaining points of contact it has with Norway, such as Svalbard and the annual negotiations on fisheries. Nevertheless, Russia’s policies towards its neighbouring countries have become even more centralised. There are fewer bilateral points of contact between the countries, giving Russia less insight into Norway’s perspectives and policies. This, in turn, makes Russian policies towards Norway less predictable.

Russia has a continued interest in maintaining its presence and activity on Svalbard and a stated ambition to set up an international research and education centre at the former Soviet coal mining settlement Pyramiden. Russia could therefore choose to cooperate more with non-Arctic states on Svalbard.

Military positioning in the High North and Baltic Sea region
According to Russian military thinking, the High North and the Baltic Sea constitute a continuous area. With the NATO enlargement, one of Russia’s most important goals in the Baltic Sea has been lost, namely to preserve the region as a geographic and political buffer against the alliance. The enlargement reduces Russia’s military freedom of action in the region. For NATO, southern and central Norway have become more important for the ability to carry out operations in the Baltic Sea, which also means these areas have become more important to Russia.

At the same time, new Russian force dispositions could further alter the dynamics. The Kremlin has stated that it will respond to the NATO enlargement and plans to re-establish the Moscow and Leningrad military districts.

Russia’s behaviour in the Baltic Sea is somewhat confrontational, as it is in the Black Sea, and clearly aimed at allied activity. In the High North, Russia’s response to allied operations has mostly been reserved, though Russia is increasingly distrustful of allied activity in the north. This could lead to more belligerent Russian military behaviour and more persistent Russian intelligence operations.

Arctic powerplay

The Arctic is strategically important to both Russia and China. This region is especially important to Russia because of natural resources and the way Russia has shaped its nuclear deterrence capabilities. Defending the northern bastion and having access to the Atlantic will remain vital to Russia’s concept of security. Russia wants to be the dominant actor in the Arctic. At the same time, Moscow considers its position in the region to be more vulnerable than a few years ago.

Allied military activity in the Arctic and the High North has increased, while Russian authorities seek to counter political isolation by inviting in new actors on the civilian side, especially the BRICS countries. On top of Russia’s distrust of allied military activity, there is now a more complex set of actors entering the scene. This increases the risk of misunderstandings, accidents and escalation of conflicts.

Land forces from the Kola Peninsula have been redeployed to fight in Ukraine, significantly diminishing Russia’s land power on the Kola Peninsula. Following the attack on Ukraine, the Northern and Baltic Fleets have become more important to demonstrate Russia’s naval power in the north, as well as in the Atlantic and the Baltic Sea region. This means that the naval forces will have a more prominent role in Russia’s strategic and conventional deterrence and strategic communication towards NATO.

As Russia’s conventional land power is weakened, its strategic forces become more important. With its proximity to NATO’s core areas, the Northern Fleet has many of these in its possession.

China does not constitute a military threat to Norway, but it has an interest in establishing a political, economic and, in time, military foothold in the Arctic. Recent investments in polar capabilities, including icebreakers, have given China the opportunity to operate more independently in the region.

Developing the Northeast Passage for commercial traffic will save shipment time to European markets, reduce dependence on other traffic arteries and facilitate transport of raw materials. Chinese actors have shown an interest in developing infrastructure related to this shipping route in Norway as well.

The Arctic already plays an important role in China’s space programmes, both civilian and military. Beijing will continue to seek access to Arctic infrastructure in order to support its activities in space. Thus far, China has not conducted any military operations in the region, but developing the ability to carry out military operations is a long-term goal.

The intelligence threat to Norway

The sanctions and limited diplomatic presence in Europe have left Russia with fewer platforms for interaction and contact with the West. Access to information about Western and Norwegian affairs rely more on Russian intelligence and security services than before. These services have been mapping out Norwegian targets for years, directing their activities at many sectors in the digital and physical space. Russian actors seek information about Norwegian politics, energy, the High North, allied activities and defence. Russia is also interested in Norwegian technology in areas they themselves want to develop.

Russia also employs a high number of civilian ships for intelligence operations. These ships have lawful access close to Norwegian infrastructure and the coast of Norway. Uncovering whether civilian ships are carrying out intelligence activity in addition to their lawful undertakings can be a challenging task.

Chinese intelligence services operate all over Europe. Their activities include political intelligence and industrial espionage, and cyberspace is the main gateway. Chinese intelligence services use a combination of actions to keep their activities and objectives concealed, such as commonly available tools and digital infrastructure that conceal the actor.

Chinese services also have source handlers in Europe. Chinese diplomats, travel delegations, private individuals, businesses and special interest groups regularly carry out assignments on behalf of Chinese services. There are close links between Chinese intelligence services and Chinese corporate entities.

Beijing has the institutional resources and legal framework to use Chinese businesses and individuals for government purposes. All Chinese companies and individuals are required by law to assist China’s intelligence and security services.

Iran has an unremitting intention of targeting people opposed to the regime around the world. Tehran could also seek to attack Israel-affiliated targets across the world, especially in times of heightened tension between Israel and Iran. This means there is a constant risk of Iranian intelligence and security services orchestrating attacks against opposition figures, especially in countries that are vocal in their criticism of Iran or give residence permits to dissidents.

Norway is not a country of special interest to Iranian security services. However, this could change if individuals targeted by Iranian services travel to Norway, or if Norwegian policies are perceived as more hostile towards Iran.

Much, much more at the link.

Somewhere in Ukraine:

Avdiivka and Bil0horivka:

 

Musk isn’t just an antisemitic, homophobic, transphobic, racist, xenophobic weirdo and fraud, he’s also a clear and present danger to security of the US!

.
@elonmusk is now urging Americans to contact members of Congress to urge them not to support Ukraine funding:

“This spending does not help Ukraine… Having all these boys die for nothing is wrong. And it needs to stop.”

Shameful stuff. Imagine telling Ukrainians fighting to protect their families and their towns they are dying for nothing. Disgraceful.

Obligatory!

There are no new Patron tweets or videos, so we’re going to finish tonight with the war cats of Ukraine. Politico has the details! First, the video from the article.

Wars are fought by soldiers using bullets, shells and missiles, but also with ideas and propaganda — which explains why cats have become the latest battlefront in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s social media are full of felines, showing how they help soldiers as emotional support animals, attract donations to the military with their fluffy cuteness, and also fight invaders — in this case mice.

Russia is fighting back by humanizing its invading soldiers — often used in “meat wave” attacks against Ukrainian positions and accused of atrocities against civilians — by showing them with their own cats.

Cats usually arrive at Ukrainian army positions from nearby villages or towns destroyed by war. Abandoned by their owners, the pets seek human protection from the constant shelling, drone strikes and minefields.

“When this scared little creature comes to you, seeking protection, how could you say no? We are strong, so we protect weaker beings, who got into the same awful circumstances as we did, just because Russians showed up on our land,” explained Oleksandr Yabchanka, a Ukrainian army combat medic.

Cats and other animals bring comfort to Ukrainian soldiers. “Some adopt them and take them home, others prefer to keep them in the trenches and even pass them on to other units during rotation,” said Oleksandr Shtupun, a Ukrainian army spokesperson.

The adopted felines also fight their own battles against the mice that infest the trenches and chew Starlink satellite comms cables and car wiring, destroy food supplies and military gear, and even nip the fingers of sleeping soldiers.

“If cats live in our trenches, mice will almost always stay away,” Yabchanka said.

Syrsky the cat

Ukrainian Army Land Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrsky is known as one of the country’s most effective combat leaders; he is less famous for having a feline namesake with a lethal reputation. Roman Sinicyn, a Ukrainian army officer and the human of Syrsky the Cat, claims the naming was coincidental.

“He got the name because he likes cheese [syr in Ukrainian]. Of course, a cat with the same name as our general has already become a military joke,” Sinicyn said.

Even General Syrsky found it funny … to Sinicyn’s infinite relief. The officer met Syrsky the cat on a combat mission in a frontline village where, for a month, soldiers had been living in an abandoned house infested with mice.

“Most of the locals evacuated, so the cats took over. We caught Syrsky and food-persuaded him to stay with us. He helped to solve our mouse problem,” Sinicyn said.

“The mice run over you while you sleep, they get into your stuff. They chew everything. We had to throw out two boxes of our packed rations because of mice,” Sinicyn explained.

Once Syrsky was installed, the soldiers would listen to his nightly patrols against rodents.

“I took him home when we left that position. Now he lives with my family in Kyiv, but he continues to help the army. We used his social media popularity to collect €147,000 for Mini Shark UAV complexes for adjusting artillery,” Sinicyn said.

Shaybyk the lover

Oleksandr Liashuk, from the Odesa region in southwest Ukraine, gave a purr-out to Shaybyk — one of four stray kittens living with his unit on the southern front in 2022.

“Shaybyk had the biggest charisma. It was getting cold, so I took him with me one night into my sleeping bag. And that’s when I fell in love with that cat,” said Liashuk, 26. “He’s not just my best friend, he’s my son.”

Since then, Shaybyk has moved to different positions with Liashuk, with the pair becoming a viral sensation for their joint patrol videos.

Liashuk describes his cat as the perfect hunter. “Once we were at the position in the forest and he caught 11 mice in one day. Sometimes [he] brings mice to my sleeping bag,” he boasted.

Despite their bond, Shaybyk remains a free cat, but he has always returned to Liashuk. In June he disappeared for 18 long days until he was found by Ukrainian soldiers at a position several kilometers away, chilling with the local felines. “He just needed some love. I call it a vacation,” Liashuk said.

Shaybyk and Liashuk also collect donations for the Ukrainian army, with Shaybyk receiving a special award in September for helping to raise money to buy seven cars and other supplies.

There is much, much more at the link. Including pictures of the cats being profiled.

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

21Comments

  1. 1.

    glc

    Mongolia: they do have a point! Though it’s one I would expect to bother the Chinese at least as much as the Russians, so I’m a little surprised to see it out there even in this harmless mode. Though apparently former president Elbegdorj has a lot of latitude, often in less jocular directions.

    Going from there, and straight off-topic, I am reading the historical fantasy “He who Drowned the World”, part 2 of the duology that began with “She who Became the Sun”, set in China ca. 1356.  History very much re-imagined but not rendered any more pleasant (not at least in the sense of comfort reading – the work is  certainly engaging and has a sense of authenticity underneath it all, so recommended, modulo any number of trigger warnings that I will not enumerate).

  2. 2.

    Alison Rose

    As I’ve said before: Every cat in Ukraine looks like it is absolutely ready to eat the orcs’ faces off. Cats hate their routines and peace being interrupted, so I can imagine after nearly two years of this hell, they are all out for russian blood. Зробіть трохи шкоди, кошенята! (Blame Google if that phrase is off-kilter.)

    The relationship between Russia and the West is at a historic low point

    Nominated for Understatement Of The Century.

    Also too, fuck you Muskrat.

    Thank you as always, Adam.

  6. 6.

    Gvg

    Mice eating wires…I didn’t think of that, but I should have. In a modern army or even navy, I can see this as being a problem. And scientists said cats tamed themselves, attracted to humans because of our graineries which attracted their food creatures. Supposedly man did not try and tame cats on purpose like for dogs, horses or cattle, cats just moved in.

  7. 7.

    TeezySkeezy

    Maybe Musk’s, uh, “recreational habits” might finally take their toll and we don’t have to put up with his shit anymore.

  8. 8.

    Mart

    You would think that the big money boys and defense contractors would let the magaverse in on 90% of Ukraine funding comes back to US arms manufacturers. Maybe they prefer Trump. Thanks for all your work you Mongol.

  11. 11.

    Another Scott

    TheHill.com:

    A bipartisan coalition of senators on Monday night took another step toward passing funding for Ukraine, Israel and other defense priorities, approving three procedural motions over the staunch opposition of conservatives who have pulled out all the stops to delay the bill.

    Senators voted 66-33 to end dilatory debate on the $95 billion package, setting up a final vote for Tuesday or Wednesday to send it to the House, where it faces an uncertain future.

    Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) voted no. Merkley had voted with Democrats to advance the bill on earlier procedural votes.

    Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) touted the bill before the vote as a “down payment for the survival of Western democracy and the survival of American values.”

    […]

    It’s still moving.

    We’ll see what happens in the House.

    Slava Ukraini!!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  12. 12.

    Carlo Graziani

    From  the NYT: Here Are the Republicans Breaking With Their Party to Back Ukraine Aid (gift link).

    Lede:

    Eighteen Senate Republicans are bucking a majority of their party and former President Donald J. Trump in joining Democrats to push military assistance for Ukraine toward approval in the Senate, highlighting a widening foreign policy divide in the contemporary Republican Party.
    The 18 senators, mainly national security hawks who include several military veterans, have provided the votes necessary to overcome multiple filibusters backed by a majority of their colleagues, clearing the way for approval within days of $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Pacific region.
    “The thread that binds that group together is national security,” said Senator Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican who is one of the 18. “America’s national security, the belief that what happens in Ukraine matters to the United States, the belief that what happens in Israel matters and the belief that what happens in the South Pacific matters.”
    Backing the funding could draw condemnation from Mr. Trump and his allies, a possibility that was most likely a factor in the decision of some to oppose it.

    Bottom line: In the Senate, there is an abundant sufficiency of Republicans who are Vets, or who actually remember what it was like to think about US National Security before Trump remodeled Republican brains, to force this measure past any hope of a filibuster by the MAGA morons.

    Now, the House—which certainly has it’s own share of Republicans wiith the same sort of background, albeit not so many in leadership—faces the prospect that Johnson et al. dreaded, to wit, a joint face-off against the Senate and the Administration, which has made no bones about it’s eagerness to veto any foreign aid bill not including aid for Ukraine. They now have to face multiple news cycles during which they must defend their idiot chief’s view against charges of treason against the Nation’s interests, while those views are actively revolting to a moiety of their own caucus.

    Johnson is so fucked, there are no terms of political art to describe his situation. It turns out that getting his caucus to chant “this bill is dead” in unison was not a sufficiently powerful incantation to prevent the bill from getting stuffed right back in his smug-yet-terrified face. I think that I’m actually going to enjoy the next part.

  18. 18.

    Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom

    Thank you Adam. That’s all I’m going to say. I can’t express my feelings towards the situation with any kind of coherence. Even profanity is inadequate.

  20. 20.

    YY_Sima Qian

    @glc: The unified Mongol Empire at the largest extent shown was only ever existed nominally. Southern China was only conquered & the Rus principalities subjugated after the death of Möngke Khan, the last undisputed Great Khagan. Following Möngke death while campaigning against the Southern Song Dynasty, the Mongol Empire broke apart into the Yuan, the Chagatai Khanate, the Golden Horde & the Il-Khanate, w/ Kublai Khan only having nominal status as the Great Khagan. After Kublai, even that pretense was largely dispensed w/.

    Kublai Khan’s part of the Mongol Empire in China styled itself, & has been recognized in official historiography by subsequent dynasties, as the Yuan Dynasty. The Mongol Yuan court Sinicized to a significant extent culturally, retained large parts of the administrative structures governing norther & southern China, including primacy of Confucian-Legalist governance, the imperial examinations to staff most of the bureaucracy, respect for Taoist & Buddhist religious institutions, as well as respect for local clan structures. Thus, the Yuan was thought of as having gained the “Mandate of Heaven” to rule China for a period of time.

    Of course, of the all of the nomadic peoples who conquered all or parts of China through the millennia (the Xiongnu, the Xianbei, the Tanguts, the Khitans, the Jürchens, & the Manchus), the Mongols Sinicized to the least extent. The Yuan was also the 1st time in Chinese history that all of China fell to the nomadic invaders, which was a huge shock in every way. The Yuan divided the population under its rule into 4 categories: Mongols at the top, the Persian/Turkic/Arab traders/soldiers/administrators/artisans brought into China on the rung below, northern Chinese & the Sinicized nomads that had conquered northern China before the Mongol unified (the Khitans & the Jürchens) below them, & southern Chinese who were part of the Souther Song Dynasty at the bottom (& relentlessly exploited & predated upon). The Mongol Yuan rule was so corrupt, harsh & exploitative that w/in 8 decades it collapsed under widespread Han Chinese uprisings (often joined by the Muslim descendent of the Persians/Turks/Arabs that the Mongols had brought in).

    Therefore, people in China will react to the tweet w/ a chuckle & a shrug. More seriously, the modern Republic of Mongolia is a landlocked nation sandwiched between 2 nuclear armed great powers, w/ a population of mere 3+M. Even the PRC “Autonomous” Region of Inner Mongolia is 78.7% Han Chinese.

    What would be much more worrisome is if some PRC policymaker or well connected scholar posted a map of the Yuan Empire at its greatest extent, used it as basis to support Chinese revanchism. However, no Chinese dynasty or republic after the Yuan has tried make territorial claims based on the extent of the Yuan.

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