(Image by NEIVANMADE)
A few quick housekeeping notes: First, everyone chill the hell out in the comments! And cut each other a lot more slack! I get it that all of what is going on in Ukraine, Gaza, Georgia, and everywhere else has everyone frazzled, but let’s all just dial it back a few notches. Thanks!
Second, Rosie is still doing well as she recovers from her fourth chemo treatment. It’s clearly had an effect on her system, but nowhere near the effect of the first two treatments. Thank all of you again for the thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations!
Third, I only got home a little while ago. It has been a very long day, so I’m just going to cover a few items tonight.
Fourth, simply to clarify, the F-16s that the Ukrainians will be getting are not coming from a boneyard in the US. They’re coming from our NATO allies. The first dozen or so from Holland. The issue here, like it is with so many US weapons systems, is that had the Biden administration began the process when the Ukrainians asked, rather than loudly announcing the Ukrainians didn’t need what they asked for and it wouldn’t be helpful, but just quietly started the training programs and setting up the logistics to provide them, then they’d have been available when the Biden administration eventually changed their mind and announced that we’re sending F-16s or several other weapons systems. Finally, and I’ve said this before, I’m unhappy with the President and his nat-sec team, I think they’re exceedingly risk averse when they shouldn’t be and not risk averse enough when they should be. But they’re still a million times better than the people lined up to replace them if Trump is elected in November. Everyone needs to vote as if this is the last actual meaningful election we’ll ever see. Because it may very well be.
The Russians once again revealed their genocidal intent with their bombardment of Kharkiv today. And, of course, the tweet I want to embed won’t. Neither will this one! Let’s try a reply with the original tweet. Nope, that won’t work either! Not a single fucking tweet will embed! And I’m having this problem with both Safari and Brave and with the VPN on and the VPN off. I’ve already alerted Cole.
Let’s do this the hard way.
Russia blew up Ukraine’s largest printing house today. Seven workers were killed, only two identified because of the heat of the explosion. Kharkiv was attacked three times today during the day and again just as the 23rd gave way to the 24th in Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent has the details:
Russian forces destroyed one of Ukraine’s largest printing presses amid a mass missile attack on the city of Kharkiv on the morning of May 23.
According to regional authorities, Russia used S-300 missiles, fired from inside Russian territory, to strike the factory belonging to Ukraine’s prominent Vivat publishing house.
Russian forces fired around 10 missiles in total at Kharkiv, as well as other settlements in the region including Liubotyn, Derhachi, and Zolochiv.
Seven people were killed in the attack, and over a dozen more injured. One of the civilians killed was placed on an ambulance stretcher, his body still intact. The others, discovered by the firefighters one at a time as they made their way through the smoking ruins, were burnt beyond recognition.
The attack is just the latest in a series of intensified attacks against civilian targets in Kharkiv Oblast amid an ongoing ground offensive in the region.
On May 19, another seven people were killed when Russian forces conducted a “double-tap” strike against a lakeside recreation center north of the city.
Kharkiv is a center of the Ukrainian publishing industry, with repeated attacks seemingly targeting publishing houses condemned as part of Russia’s war against Ukrainian culture.
Eight more communities in Sumy Oblast were attacked by Russia today as well. From The Kyiv Independent:
Russian forces attacked Sumy Oblast 108 times in 25 separate attacks throughout the day, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on May 23.
The communities of Bilopillia, Yunakivka, Khotin, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Druzhbivka, Seredyna-Buda, and Esman, were targeted.
Throughout the day, Russia assailed the border communities with mortar, drone, rocket, and artillery attacks, while dropping explosives from drones onto three of the communities.
No casualties or injuries were reported.
The town of Velyka Pysarivka, located about 3 kilometers west of the Ukraine-Russia border, experienced the bulk of the attacks reported with 42 explosions recorded in the area.
Given the town’s proximity to Russia, Velyka Pysarivka has become a main target of attack for Russia over recent months. Much of the community’s infrastructure has been destroyed by Russian attacks.
Russian strikes against Sumy Oblast have become increasingly destructive in recent months. Amid intensified attacks, Ukrainian authorities ordered increased evacuations from the region.
Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said on May 14 he expects Russia to launch a new attack in Sumy Oblast once the situation in Kharkiv Oblast stabilized, the New York Times reported.
Shelling is a daily occurrence for the communities near Ukraine’s northeastern border with Russia, with residents in the region’s vulnerable border settlements experience multiple attacks per day.
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address. Video below, English transcript after the jump.
The Protection of Life Must Have All of the Necessary Tools to Truly Defeat Terrorists – Address by the President
23 May 2024 – 21:56
Dear Ukrainians!
Today, the elimination of the consequences of Russian terrorists’ attacks on the Kharkiv region continued throughout the day. Kharkiv, Lyubotyn and Derhachi were under attack by missiles, and then by guided aerial bombs. Today, among Russia’s targets was one of Ukraine’s largest printing facilities. A missile strike killed and wounded a number of people. Book storage and equipment were destroyed by fire. Many Ukrainian publishers had their books printed there. And this is a target for Russian terrorists. They want to burn and destroy all spheres of life. Today, there were many reactions both in Ukraine and in the world to this yet another act of Russian terror. But every time such attacks occur, destroying our cities and villages, ruining lives, burning books and everything that preserves humanity, we must openly say why this is still possible. It is only because Ukraine still has restrictions in its defense. This is a shortage of air defense systems that are actually available in the world. This is the lack of long-range capabilities for our warriors and the complete inability to destroy the very source of Russian terror near our borders, including the missile launchers that actually hit Ukraine and the lives of our people. The vast majority of the world perceives the threat of terror in the same way – people always want reliable protection from terrorists and fair punishment for their attacks against life. And every nation would perceive restrictions in the fight against terror as wrong and unfair. The protection of life must have all of the necessary tools to truly defeat terrorists. And I thank every leader who perceives this the same way as Ukrainians do, every state that genuinely supports our fight against terror. But we need more efforts, more determination – the determination of the world’s leaders – to make Russian terror finally lose.
The second important thing for today. I would like to especially thank the warriors of our 110th separate mechanized brigade who destroyed a Russian Su-25. The day before – also in the Donetsk region – the warriors of our 47th separate mechanized brigade also shot down a Su-25. Thank you for your accuracy, warriors! I thank every unit, every soldier, every commander who is doing everything to give Ukraine the necessary results at the front – no matter what.
I held a meeting of the Staff. The Commander-in-Chief reported on both the Kharkiv region and the battles in the Donetsk region. We are doing everything to deter Russian assaults. There was a report by the Minister of Defense on supplies for our warriors. The Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported on the situation on our border – in Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions. There were reports from the intelligence agencies – the Defense Intelligence and the Foreign Intelligence Service – in particular, on Russian attempts to disrupt the Peace Summit and the participation of the world’s states. We are countering the Russian intention to continue and expand the war.
Today, I spoke with the President of North Macedonia and the Prime Ministers of Greece and Norway to invite them to the Peace Summit and express gratitude for confirming their attendance.
A few more things.
Our Ukrainian Marines are celebrating their Day today, and it is a day of our special respect for them. Today it was an honor for me to congratulate the warriors and recognize them with state awards.
And today I also met with the team and ambassadors of our national charitable platform United24. This is the second anniversary of its activities, and it is one of the most successful international projects of Ukraine. In two years of fundraising for the needs of Ukraine – for our Defense and Security Forces, for the protection of life in Ukraine – a total of $650 million has been raised through United24. I thank everyone in the world who has joined and who is helping. I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine!
Glory to our warriors!
Glory to Ukraine!
https://x.com/DefenceU/status/1793679432550367234
Ukraine’s 110th Mechanized Brigade said it shot down a Russian Su-25 jet on May 23, making it the second reported downing of a Russian plane within the same day.
It is reportedly the sixth Russian Su-25 jet that Ukraine has shot down this month.
The 110th Mechanized Brigade said it was downed in Donbas but did not specify exactly where. Donbas is an industrial region in the east of Ukraine that comprises Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Russia currently controls most of both regions.
The Soviet-designed Su-25, nicknamed “Frogfoot” by NATO, is a heavily armored ground-attack aircraft that provides close air support for Russian ground troops.
Ukraine previously claimed that it destroyed Su-25s on May 4, May 11, May 13, and May 18.
Another Su-25 plane was shot down earlier in the day on May 23.
The General Staff said on May 23 that Russia has lost over 350 planes since the launch of the full-scale invasion.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these figures.
Yesterday we covered Russia deleting their posted amendment of their maritime borders as a result of pushback from the Baltic states and Finland. I posited that just because they deleted it, didn’t mean they had abandoned the idea. From the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
Statement of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the border incident on the Estonian-Russian border in the Narva River
On 23 May at 3 a.m., Russian Border Guard unilaterally removed the light buoys placed by Estonia to demarcate the border with Russia on the Narva River.
This action by Russia, carried out in the shadow of the night, fits well within the broader pattern of Russia’s provocative behaviour, including on its borders with neighbours, most recently vis-à-vis Lithuania and Finland.Estonia’s response remains calm and clear-eyed. We treat this as a provocative border incident. We will communicate to the Russian Federation through our border representatives and diplomatic channels that such actions are unacceptable, demand an explanation about the removal of the buoys and their immediate return.
Estonia is in close contact with Allies and partners as we continue to counter Russia’s malign activities across Europe.
See, that didn’t take long!
Politico has some good news on the F-16 front:
NEW AID TO UKRAINE: The U.S. is expected to unveil a new $275 million military package for Ukraine on Friday as its troops struggle to keep Russian forces from advancing in the northeastern Kharkiv region, The Associated Press’ TARA COPP and MATTHEW LEE report.
The package will include high mobility artillery rocket systems; 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds that are in high demand; Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems; anti-tank mines, tactical vehicles, small arms and ammunition for those weapons.
FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — CONGRATS GRADS: The first batch of Ukrainian pilots have graduated from F-16 training at an Arizona military base, a crucial step toward putting modern, American-made fighter jets in Ukraine’s skies, Capt. ERIN HANNIGAN, a spokesperson with the Air National Guard, told our own LARA SELIGMAN.
The pilots had been training at the 162d National Guard Air Force Base in Tucson. Hannigan would not confirm how many have graduated or the exact date of graduation “out of abundance of caution for their safety.”
The pilots are now headed to Europe for additional training, according to a person with knowledge of their movements. Ukraine is slated to receive more than 60 F-16s from Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium.
From the same link, Politico is also reporting about Trump’s attempt to use Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerschkovich, who is in pre-trial imprisonment in Russia on trumped up bogus charges, to shake down the US.
TRUMP’S PLAN TO FREE EVAN: Former President DONALD TRUMP claimed today that his relationship with Putin will help free jailed Wall Street Journal reporter EVAN GERSHKOVICH.
In a Truth Social post, the presumptive Republican nominee said Gershkovich would be released after the election, “definitely before I assume office.” Trump added: “Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING!”
The Kremlin, however, is throwing cold water on those claims, according to Reuters’ GLEB STOLYAROV. “Here, Putin has naturally not had contacts with Donald Trump,” Kremlin spokesperson DMITRY PESKOV told reporters today. Peskov added that any contact about detainees would need to be discreet, saying “this is the only way they can be effective.”
Gershkovich has been detained by Russian authorities for more than a year on dubious espionage charges. Both the Journal and U.S. government reject the allegations. The State Department has designated the reporter “wrongfully detained.”
I’ll remind everyone that Trump did fuck all for US Marine Paul Whelan, who Putin is also imprisoning on trumped up bogus charges.
What a putz!
That’s going to be it for tonight.
Your daily Patron!
There is a new Patron tweet, but it won’t embed, so provided whatever isn’t working starts working again by tomorrow night, I’ll post it then. Until then here’s a new video from Patron’s official TikTok!
@patron__dsns :) #песпатрон
Well at least something worked!
Open thread!
Adam L Silverman
I’m going to get cleaned up and go to sleep. Everyone is most welcome. Do not make me regret not being around to moderate! Catch everyone tomorrow.
Jackie
Adam, I’m happy to hear Rosie’s doing well with her chemo treatments. Sending her love, and hugs to you.
Adam L Silverman
@Jackie: Thank you so much.
YY_Sima Qian
@Adam L Silverman: Good to hear about Rosie!
I am curious where you think the Biden natsec team has not been risk averse enough. I agree completely w/ your characterization, but you have more focused on where they have been too risk averse in your analyses wrt Ukraine.
As I said before, I think Biden’s foreign policy is better descried as thoroughly conventional in the liberal internationalist/interventionist/hegemonist mold of the Cold War/Unipolar Moment era, & where they choose to be risk averse or risk embracing is a reflection of that.
Gin & Tonic
The nut of the Kharkiv publishing house bombing – in March of 2022 the russians kidnapped Ukrainian writer Volodymyr Vakulenko, tortured and murdered him, but he had buried his diary for safekeeping; in September of that year Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina found it; next July, Amelina was killed in the russian bombing of Kramatorsk, but by then the diary had been published; it was published by Vivat, which was bombed by russia today (yesterday.) Just layer after layer of tragedy.
Every means possible to destroy Ukrainian culture. Is this not genocide?
SpaceUnit
Fine. I’ll behave.
Don’t usually comment much in these threads anyway.
Adam L Silverman
@SpaceUnit: You are welcome to comment as much or as little as you like.
Adam L Silverman
@YY_Sima Qian: Israel. And whatever they’re doing with the PRC-Taiwan hysteria.
YY_Sima Qian
@Adam L Silverman:
Seems like we are in full agreement.
I would add NK through neglect.
The engagement w/ the Global South is not risk averse or risk embracing, per se, but thoroughly conventional. You could say it is risk embracing by centering Global South engagement on Great Power Competition vis-a-vis the PRC & Russia, rather than the aspirations & developmental goals of the Global South countries.
Dan B
I saw 60 comments on last night’s post. Glad I didn’t look. (There was great stuff on PBS.)
I’m horrified by the administration’s foreign policy. The mainstream / corporate media isn’t covering the stories from Ukraine. They’re probably bored by the war or believe it’s no longer news, but the advances, and escalation, by Russia is new. I believe there won’t be further coverage unless Russian troops march into Kyiv. Until then our media couldn’t be bothered
And thanks for your posts when you’re exhausted. Time for a fundraiser for massages, or whatever is most relaxing and restorative for you. Tyler Brian Cohen writing your posts, or someone with your level of comprehension.
pieceofpeace
Thanks again, Adam.
Jay
As always, thank you Adam.
Another Scott
@YY_Sima Qian: I think that Biden and his team are spending increasing attention on Africa for many reasons (“terrorism”, trying to increase development and sustainability for many reasons including reducing migration pressures). I note that Kenya is going to be announced as a “major non-NATO ally” soon.
The US military getting kicked out of Niger by September 15 probably has something to do with the timing and urgency, but shows that the US is willing to be flexible to stay active in the region.
Many, many balls in the air at the Biden White House. The US press doesn’t seem to have much interest in covering many of them.
Cheers,
Scott.
Another Scott
@Dan B: Several of the comments last night were Jay and me talking past each other about US F-16s. I saw the number cited as being in the US boneyard (1100) and did some looking into those numbers, while Jay was mainly talking about the fact that the US isn’t sending any of its flying F-16s to Ukraine.
(There could be all kinds of export control reasons why it’s hard or impossible to send US F-16s without a lot of work (e.g. different electronics systems, etc.) while it’s easy for ones already exported to be transferred to Ukraine. But that’s another discussion.)
It wasn’t all screaming at each other. ;-)
Cheers,
Scott.
YY_Sima Qian
@Another Scott: The US’ engagement (such as it is) w/ Africa has been & remains extremely overweighted to the military & security spheres, certainly since GWB (who at least launched a highly successful program to curb the AIDS pandemic there) through Obama & Trump, & the recent deal w/ Kenya is framed by the Administration & the MSM as a counter to PRC influence on the continent.
As usual, Evan Feigenbaum of the Carnegie Endowment has the most pithy take:
YY_Sima Qian
@Another Scott: We had a good civilized conversation, too!
Speaking of better days for Sino-US relations:
Doubtful this kind of collaboration is possible today.
Another Scott
@YY_Sima Qian: 👍
On the last, I think there’s still stuff going on to increase cooperation in various areas with China. E.g. WhiteHouse.gov from April 2. But politics is slow.
Heck, the US was even talking with Iran recently – before Raisi’s death.
It seems to me Biden’s team is trying to make progress in all kinds of areas. Having an oooollld guy in the big chair who knows he’s mortal gives him a bit of flexibility that others don’t have. ;-) I don’t think they’re afraid to try new/different approaches, but they’re being deliberate about them. They’re not going to be cowboys or Leeroy Jenkins.
We’ll see.
Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.
YY_Sima Qian
Speaking of risk embracing aspects of Biden’s foreign policy, I think policy toward India, in service of the Great Power Competition w/ the PRC, counts as one.
For all of the intense geopolitical rivalry w/ the PRC, it seems Modi & the BJP have been very attentive students of the CPC regime’s oppression of restive minorities (in Xinjiang & Tibet), suppression of domestic dissent, & intimidation of critics among the overseas diaspora & foreign academia.
I am also seeing hints out of some Indian think tanks that Modi might seek a rapprochement w/ Xi after the former wins reelection, a détente not an entente. Kind of like how Deng sought rapprochement w/ the USSR in the late 80s, after Gorbachev declared glasnost, even though the PRC was a de facto Cold War ally of the Western camp from the late 70s to the mid-80s. Probably why the Biden Administration is loath to publicly censure Modi on anything.
Jay
@YY_Sima Qian:
Modi’s been killing his critics abroad for a while now. Now he’s going after their families.
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.4233056
YY_Sima Qian
@Jay: On 2nd thought, maybe Modi & the BJP have been attentive students of Putin, too.
Jay
@YY_Sima Qian:
Well, they use Indian “gangs” to do the intimidation or killings,
so, maybe OSS/Mafia in Italy during and after WWII??
Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom
Thank you Adam. Take care.
Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom
@YY_Sima Qian: They have even stopped most of the AIDS initiative because so many of the African countries where it was at work have enacted some of the harshest anti LGBTQAI laws possible & patients will no longer come in for treatment. Albeit the Biden Administration has protested against this legislation, they haven’t done nearly enough IMHO. Especially since so many of these laws are the result of the interventions of American Evangelical “missionaries”.
Jay
@Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom:
Ugg, “Evangelicals” and Africa. They have done nothing but harm.
AlaskaReader
Thanks Adam
Traveller
I am happy to see people lightning up a little on President Biden. All of this war criticism of him only goes to reinforce a non-conscious subtext that underlies much of American politics, specifically to wit:
Democrats start Wars, Republicans End them.
What!
Yes, Please see Wilson with World War I, FDR with World War II, Truman with Korea, LBJ with Vietnam, Clinton with Yugoslavia, but of course the Bush/Cheney Wars are forgiven or don’t count because they were forced upon the Republican Party. Or so goes the silent, unspoken conventional wisdom.
Biden then, and almost therefore, becomes again, a Democratic President at yet another War.
Best Wishes, Traveller
Jay
@Traveller:
The US is not “at war” in Ukraine.
That is the problem.
While ruZZia is at War with the US, NATO and the West,
Only Ukraine is at war with ruZZia, because ruZZia in invaded Ukraine.
The choices are pretty simple,
-arms, money and no more geofencing for Ukraine now,
– or massive numbers of dead US Troops later,
– or roll over and join ruZZian MIR, hug your toilet while you still can and have one.
Pretty sure that the US choice will be option #3.
YY_Sima Qian
@Traveller: I don’t think there is a shortage of criticism here against GOP foreign policy, from Nixon to Reagan to GWB to Trump.
Traveller
By way of wild coincidence, I am up working, or trying to work and the Battle of Algiers came on TCM…the ultimate movie on insurgency…France with great brutality, met with equal savagery by the FLN, won the year long Battle, but, of course, lost Algeria. It is said that The Battle for Algiers is the best war movie ever, but also maybe the best political movie also. Good stuff. Very highly recommended!
And while I am at it….Breaker Morant, maybe the best English language movie on the toll of insurgencies (and a fine fine military trial also). It has been a good night for background movies to be playing:
In answer to YY_Sima Qian, No one in retrospect can or does see Mr Nixon as the peace candidate, but that is how he ran and how he won; likewise, Warren G. Harding after Wilson and Eisenhower after Truman…all peace candidates, as Mr Trump will and has presented his insane self.
Best Wishes, Traveller
Traveller
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058946/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080310/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_Breaker%2520Morant
Another Scott
Reuters story that Putin wants to stop the war
It’s not really new, that I can see, but it’s a decent summary of VVP’s ham-handed arguments that there would be peace if only Ukraine accepts the “reality on the ground”.
It does show, I think, that he is under pressure to find a way to end it and doesn’t have infinite resources and infinite time, either despite his bluster. He probably wants to claim victory before the $60+B US aid is fully delivered and forces reversals.
Slava Ukraini!!
Cheers,
Scott.
Traveller
Alas….I sense the Putin talking peace is a further lifeline to Mr Trump…a trick from a very tricky Mister, to his ally should Trump need it.It would be very difficult for Biden to negotiate any peace on Mr Putin’s terms without the willing and voluntary backing of President Zelenskyy…which is not going to happen.
Leaving the field open for Mr Trump to play Nixon’s…”Peace plan for Vietnam.” to the Black Sea Shores. I fear the American Voting public will lap this up…but would be happy to be very wrong. Traveller
YY_Sima Qian
@Traveller: I think you are on to something here. What is different w/ Nixon is that most of the modern GOP is eager to align w/ Putinism, while Nixon’s GOP was staunchly anti-Communist which led to expansion of the Vietnam War to Cambodia. Trump & his coterie could hang Ukraine out to dry & coerce it to essentially capitulate, & proclaim the effort as “peacemaking”.