Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

Battle won, war still ongoing.

Come on, man.

In short, I come down firmly on all sides of the issue.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

Trump’s legal defense is going to be a dumpster fire inside a clown car on a derailing train.

FFS people, this was a good thing. take the win.

“Cheese and Kraken paired together for the appetizer trial.”

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

Good lord, these people are nuts.

…and a burning sense of injustice to juice the soul.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Chutkan laughs. Lauro sits back down.

Fani Willis claps back at Trump chihuahua, Jim Jordan.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / War for Ukraine Day 892: A Brief Saturday Night Update

War for Ukraine Day 892: A Brief Saturday Night Update

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Three quick housekeeping notes. First, Rosie is still doing great. Her next treatment is Monday. Thank you all, again, for the good thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations.

Second, I’m still recovering from several long weeks, so I’m going to try to keep tonight’s update on the shorter side.

Third, there is horrific imagery of a heinous Russian war crime floating around on social media. The Russians drew and quartered a Ukrainian POW, rearranged him into a swastika, and photographed their atrocity as a souvenir. The imagery appears to be legit and Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights has already filed an appeal to the ICRC and the UN. You DO NOT need to look at it, which is why I’m not posting it here.

Ukraine, which does not currently have a real naval presence in the Black Sea, just sank a Russian (improved) Kilo class attack submarine. In the Black Sea.

A russian submarine went to the bottom of the Black Sea.

Ukrainian defense forces successfully attacked the B-237 “Rostov-na-Donu” attack submarine in Sevastopol’s port. As a result of the attack, the submarine sank.

Great work, warriors. The Black Sea fish will enjoy their new home.

We also now have confirmation of the Ukrainian strikes on the Russian S-400 air defense systems in Russian occupied Crimea:

More great news from Ukrainian defenders.

On July 2, the units of the Missile Forces, in cooperation with the units of the Naval Forces, successfully struck the S-400 air defense system in the temporarily occupied Crimea. As a result of the attack, 4 launchers of the S-400 “Triumph” air defense system were significantly damaged.

Bravo!

The Ukrainians have also struck a Russian airfield in Russia and another Russian refinery. More on those after the jump.

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

Ukraine Needs to Carry Out Strikes — Really Long-Range Strikes Against the Russian Occupier — Address by the President

3 August 2024 – 19:42

I wish you good health, fellow Ukrainians!

First of all, today our gratitude goes to each of our warriors and all those who work in our defense industry for striking Russian airfields, oil refineries, and logistics. It is most effective when the consequences of the Russian war are brought back home to Russia, and when the enemy has no place of peace in the occupied territories of our country. Today, Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi reported to me on the details of these strikes. Warriors, I thank everyone involved! Everyone who continues to tell our partners absolutely clearly that Ukraine needs to carry out strikes — really long-range strikes against the Russian occupier. Wherever the occupier is, wherever Russia strikes Ukraine from, wherever it launches missiles, “Shahed” drones, bombs from. We need this decision so that we can use all the weapons that can be effective. We must protect the lives of our people and end the war on Ukrainian terms, and every strike that accurately responds to Russia’s aerial bombs, that destroys Russian logistics and bases, that makes it more difficult for the occupier to stay on our land — every such strike brings the just end to the war closer. The just one for us, for the world, for Ukraine. For all who value life. I thank every one of our warriors in the Armed Forces, in Intelligence, and in the Security Service of Ukraine — who ensures this with the forces we have and provides us with such necessary long-range results.

Today I also want to thank all our partners who are rightly continuing to put pressure on Russia for this war — and on those individuals from other countries who are helping Russia to wage war. All sanctions, all these decisions, every manifestation of pressure on the aggressor for this war, must continue to work and be strengthened so that the Russian state cannot circumvent sanctions. The more difficult it will be for Moscow to maintain its military production and supply its army, the more it will actually force Russia into peace. And that is why the points of our Peace Formula are absolutely possible to implement, because the world majority puts pressure on Russia, does not support its military activity and really wants to restore stability in international relations. Sanctions contribute to this — and there will be real peace. It will be if we do not show weakness and stick to the course of justice.

And one more thing for today. Our state is currently conducting evacuations in the Middle East from dangerous areas of Lebanon. The Defense Intelligence, the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine have organized the evacuation of 30 of our citizens — women with children, who are now, at this moment, already in safety. And we will continue this work. Always, whenever there is a need to help our people anywhere in the world and bring them home, we are doing it, and we will do it.

I thank everyone who cares about Ukraine and Ukrainians! Glory to all who fight for Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The Ukrainians have won their first gold medal in the 2024 Summer Olympics:

Remember that Olga Kharlan, who won the final match, did this:

Ukrainian fencer, six-time world champion and eight-time European champion Olga Kharlan, defeated Russia’s Olga Smirnova in the World Championships in Milan.

Harlan defeated Russia’s Anna Smirnova 15:7. According to the regulations, at the end of the fight, athletes should shake hands. Ukrainian athlete refused to shake hands.

According to the rules of fencing, the fight is not considered finished until the handshake. There was no handshake, because instead of her hand, Olga Kharlan extended a rapier to her opponent: so that not to insult with your handshake the memory and honor of those who defend Ukraine from brutal aggression (this practice is also used at times during competitions).

Olga was disqualified.

In this video, Olga thanks everyone who supported her.

Olga’s gesture was, in fact, symbolic of a new world order against the old rules that have lost all meaning.

The Russian athlete was also a symbol of the current Russia:

1. She performed under a “neutral” flag, but she herself is not “neutral” (her brother Nikita’s Instagram has a photo of them together, where the athlete poses with the symbol of terrorism “V” and in a typical Russian military cap. Her brother himself is wearing the military uniform of the Russian army).

2. False victory. The disqualification of the real winner is not a victory, but an information war and a demonstration of the scale of the efforts, money and resources “Russian world” continues to invest in it with redoubled force.

3. By the way, the fencing association was chaired from 2008 to 2022 by Alisher Usmanov (Russian money, Russian lobby).

Disqualification for the Ukrainian champion is a huge sacrifice. But her own human disqualification would have been much more terrible.

Olga became another symbol of freedom and dignity of her country in the eyes of the world. This is a much more substantial victory.

The rule of the extended rapier is about not resorting to false handshakes, not maintaining discredited relationships, consciously or by inertia, but to extend the rapier at the slightest approach of the “Russian world.”

If we pretend that the world has not changed and nothing is happening, evil will not be defeated!

The cost:

Please, listen to this story. Unfortunately, thousands of Ukrainians have such stories to tell.

Serhii and his girlfriend fled Melitopol and found a home in Kyiv. The house where the couple lived was destroyed on July 8 as a result of a Russian attack. And now, once again, they have to start everything from scratch since all their belongings were left under the rubble.

“This collapse is the second thing I cannot forgive Russia for. The strongest and closest blow was when my grandfather died just because they [the Russians] stole all the medical equipment. He said, ‘I feel bad.’ And we could not help him in any way.”

The war continues…

📹: spilkaporuch/TikTok

The reason:

I know it came up in the comments last night after I’d racked out, but at their post-release press conference, the freed Russian opposition figures demanded that the US, the EU, and other states lift the sanctions on Russia in response to Russia’s genocidal re-invasion of Ukraine. We can both be appreciative that 1) there are Russian opposition, 2) some of them are actually quite personally brave, 3) the Biden administration got them out even though they’re not American, and at the same time recognize this doesn’t make them something more than 1 and 2 above.

After arriving in Germany as part of a prisoner swap between Russia and the West, Russian opposition figures Vladimir Kara-Murza and Andrey Pivovarov said that sanctions against “ordinary Russians” are unfair and counterproductive.

It needs to be explained that any “decrease in sanctions” means more resources for Putin to wage war, which means a longer war.

And that means more Russians will be killed (I’m explaining this for Russians), and Putin will still stay.

On the other hand, of course, one should take into account the information vacuum of prison and camps, the long suffering, physical and psychological torture, and the unexpectedness of release.

But I think that in a couple of months, the trends will be clear – how well the Russian opposition understands what the Russian people have become and what support Putin and the war really have now.

What are your thoughts about this press-conference?

That said, as you can imagine, the Ukrainians, as well as those of us supporting them, are not amused with their comments.

For instance:

Inspired by recent events and in the spirit of being constructive, here are some concrete bare minimum steps that need to be taken by Russian opposition for Ukrainians to consider cooperating with them again: 
📍Acknowledge Imperialist Ideology:
Explicitly recognize and denounce the imperialist and chauvinist ideologies that have influenced Russian society and policy. 
📍Address Historical Context:
Understand and communicate the historical context of Russian-Ukrainian relations, acknowledging Ukraine’s long struggle for independence and the oppressive nature of past and present Russian policies. 
📍Condemn the War as Imperialist:
Publicly acknowledge that the war in Ukraine is a result of broader Russian imperialism, not just the actions of Putin, and actively work to change this narrative within Russian opposition circles. 
📍Promote Anti-Imperialist Actions:
Adopt and promote an actively anti-imperialist stance, demonstrating through actions and rhetoric a commitment to dismantling imperialist ideologies within Russia. 
📍Support Ukrainian Sovereignty:
Explicitly support Ukraine’s right to self-determination, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in all public and private statements. 
📍Highlight Ukrainian Struggles:
Ensure that the sacrifices and struggles of Ukrainians are highlighted and respected, giving them the recognition they deserve in any discourse or event. 
📍Public Apologies:
Issue public apologies for past and present wrongs committed by Russia against Ukraine and explore avenues for reparations and restitution. 
📍Support Ukrainian Voices:
Ensure that Ukrainian voices are prominently included and respected in international forums, panels, and exhibitions without overshadowing or marginalizing their experiences. 

And this:

Okay, this will be like crying out in the desert, and Twitter is unlikely to actively show this thread in English, but we have to try. Maybe something will come of it. So, a thread about the Russian opposition for an English-speaking audience. 
So, what’s wrong with Russian opposition? For Ukrainians, the answer here is simple and obvious, like the simplest arithmetic examples: all Russians, including opposition members, are imperialists. And most of them categorically deny this. 
Russia is an empire. For centuries, this state has expanded its territories at the expense of other states and nations. The local population was persecuted, uprisings were suppressed, language and culture were allowed only in limited amounts or banned. 
This was done by Tsarist Russia. It was done during the USSR. It is being done by Russia now. When Russians start defending the rights of Russian speakers in Ukraine, they break down on one simple question: how many Ukrainian-language schools and libraries are there in Russia? 
Moving on. People with an imperial mindset treat former territories that have fought for their independence as their own lands. That is why such progressive and opposition-minded Russians tell Ukrainians how to build their state. 
It would seem that liberal Russians should not be interested in how decolonization is happening in Ukraine. How streets are being renamed and monuments to whom are erected to. And which monuments are dismantled. However, you can regularly see Russians giving advice to Ukrainians. 
A fresh example is the renaming of streets in Odesa. For example, Zhvanetsky Street, who, just to remind you, accepted awards from Putin. Ukrainians and Ukrainian authorities can decide for themselves whether it is worth naming streets after such a person. 
But what do we see? Liberal Russians express their dissatisfaction, even on social networks. They evaluate whether this renaming was correct. Dear ones, why do you even fucking care? We can handle it without you. 
However, Russians do not understand that they are imperialists. Because to do so, one has to reflect on this problem. In liberal community and at the societal level. But this hasn`t happened. 
The second thing. The Russian opposition categorically denies the guilt of ordinary Russians in the war against Ukraine. They place all responsibility solely on Putin. And they explain that Russians do not oppose the war, do not protest because they fear this government. 
This could be true. But we saw how Russians in border regions took to mass protests when they lost power. And somehow the fear of police vans and the terrible Russian police did not stop them. So, maybe the problem is not in fear? 
Maybe the problem is that the majority of ordinary Russians either support the war or simply do not care? And if suddenly the Russian opposition admits this, it turns out that they, as part of Russian society, are responsible for this war? 
Maybe if they admit that Russians support the war, they will have to admit that there is something wrong with Russian society? That Russian society is far from the values of democracy? That Russian society is imperialistic? 
Maybe if they admit that Russian society is imperialistic, they will have to admit that the Russian opposition does not influence any processes within Russia? That the opposition has no authority there? Has no critical mass of supporters? 
They will have to admit that the Russian opposition cannot offer a simple and understandable idea, except for an essentially imperial one, which the majority of Russians would support? I can understand the Russian opposition. Admitting such things is painful. But it is necessary. 
In fact, Ukrainians understood all this about Russians and the Russian opposition 10 years ago when Russians started a war against Ukraine in Crimea and Donbas. The problem is that now these simple and obvious things need to be explained to our Western partners. 
Then statements that only Putin is to blame for the war will not be a surprise. After all, it is not Putin assembles rockets and drones in factories. It is not Putin gets into a plane to drop bombs on Kharkiv. On the front line are not 690,000 Putins, not ordinary Russians. 
Therefore, just like the Russian opposition, our Western partners need to understand a simple thing: Russian opposition, besides being imperialistic, does not influence the processes within Russia. And it has no expertise on the situation in the Russia. 

Also,

In some people’s world of rainbows and rosy unicorns, the largest European war since WWII orbits in an abstract vacuum with no direct connections to Russia’s economy, taxes, defense manufacturing, export and import, populace, workforce, infrastructure, transport, energy, propaganda, communications, finances, agriculture, etc etc etc etc, — including millions of “ordinary Russians” who are directly or indirectly involved in the Kremlin’s war effort as part of those industries.

Moreover, it appears that it is somehow possible to undermine an aggressor power’s ability to fight and sponsor a large-scale war without upsetting “ordinary Russians” with “unfair sanctions.”

Moreover, it appears that to avoid upsetting “ordinary Russians” with “unfair sanctions” that only “help Putin” and are “counterproductive,” the West should have just boiled down to imposing symbolic personal sanctions on Russian officials and war criminals only (or, best of all, just express their incredibly deep concerns) — and let Russia’s economy and war machine wage the largest European war of aggression since WWII freely and uninterruptedly.

That is just epitomic infantilism and demagoguery.

Here’s the full text of Ponomarenko’s first tweet:

Excuse me, but about 500,000 “ordinary Russians” are right now fighting to exterminate Ukraine right now.

About 120,000 “ordinary Russians” have already been killed in this war to exterminate Ukraine, which is unprecedented since WWII, and this war sees no end in sight.

Up to 25,000 “ordinary Russians” are joining the Russian military every single month to get some real crazy money for helping exterminate Ukraine.

Russia’s overall military force deployed to exterminate Ukraine is expected to grow to about 700,000 “ordinary Russians” by the end of 2024, and another wave of mass mobilization is very likely.

Yet, no nationwide protests, no military trains derailed en masse by those protesting against exterminating Ukraine, no war of national resistance in Russia to stop this madness, the idiocy of which is simply very hard for a sane mind to apperceive.

It’s not just “Putin’s war”.

It’s a war to exterminate Ukraine supported actively by “regular Russians” poisoned by the Kremlin’s Nazi propaganda of hatred and/or those participating in the extermination of Ukraine for money, which meets no resistance from those who opt towards omission.

This is much deeper than just “a dictator waging a war of aggression”.

This is about a very large nation, in which an aggressive totalitarian regime has built its power largely on the consolidating idea of exterminating and devouring a neighboring nation.

The Pokrovsk-Avdiivka direction:

Russia’s Morozovsk airbase:

This is what happens to Russian military airfields when Ukraine strikes back.

No “major escalation,” no “WWIII,” no “all kneel to Putin or else.”

This is what happens when an aggressor gets its military capabilities undermined and disrupted — instead of being encouraged for further aggression by organically incoherent appeasers and morally bankrupt defeatists.

Russia’s Morozovsk air base just last night.

Here’s the machine translation:

🔥 The first pictures of the consequences of the damage to the Morozovsk airfield on the night of August 2-3 have appeared

🛰 Low-quality photos, although somewhat cloudy, clearly demonstrate the extent of the destruction. In particular, the complete destruction of one of the warehouses of aviation weapons of this airfield.

✈️ It should be noted that the Muscovites removed all the planes from the parking lot near the warehouses, but the extent of their damage is unknown.

🇺🇦 The General Staff reported the damage to this airfield in the morning. It was specified there that the ammunition warehouses were hit, in particular with guided aerial bombs.

🗓 Pictures from 02.08.2024 and 03.08.2024, respectively.

Russian oil depot, Kamensky Raion, Rostov on Don, Russia:

After I racked out last night, RaflW asked me:

Off topic, but defense and nat. sec. related: Anyone have insight into Lloyd Austin’s move to dismiss the retired officer who, in her role at Guantanamo, approved* the plead deal with KSH and the other two?
Via NYT

“Effective immediately, in the exercise of my authority, I hereby withdraw from the three pretrial agreements that you signed on July 31, 2024.”

Ms. Escallier’s approval of the agreement that was reached between prosecutors and the defendants over two years of negotiations had appeared to resolve the case, which had been mired in pretrial hearings since 2012.

I’ve read the whole article. I have no idea why Secretary Austin did this other than he’s exceedingly risk averse and often seems to make rushed, panicked, and bad decisions when he’s being yelled at by representatives and senators. Given how badly the Bush 43 administration officials handled the “interrogations,” how badly they got like minded military lawyers like DeStupid to approve what was without a doubt torture under the name of interrogation, these cases can’t even be tried in the US military criminal justice system, let alone the civilian courts. And that’s not counting the handful of people we’re holding, post-torture, that were scarfed up in error. As a result all of those left at the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay are essentially already serving life sentences, they’re just doing so in an extrajudicial way as we either can’t try them at all or we can’t try them effectively because of the torture regime that was doing business as interrogation and investigation. The US is clearly not going to release them, even if they can’t try or can’t get convictions. The only choices here are either plea bargains that “legalize” what the US did under the Bush 43 admin’s rules written by Professor Yoo or the US continues to impose extrajudicial life sentences. The former would be better and make more sense than the latter, but I don’t expect the US will do the right thing here.

That’s enough for tonight.

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Open thread!

Reader Interactions

17Comments

  3. 3.

    KatKapCC

    G-d in Heaven. I know people of all kinds do things in war that we would find abhorrent, but that…there are not even words for that. It seems to me that you already have to be a sicko for war to make you do something that horrifyingly barbaric.

  4. 4.

    Nukular Biskits

    Second, I’m still recovering from several long weeks, so I’m going to try to keep tonight’s update on the shorter side.

    Adam, I don’t think you understand the phrase “shorter side”. LOL!

    Excellent summary.

    WRT to sinking of the B-237, it kinda puts to the lie the claim by so many bubbleheads I’ve worked with over the years that there are only two kinds of ships:  Submarines and targets.

    Also, I saw your comment in the other thread about Jimmy Carter being your boss.  That would put you about 5-10 years older than me (I’ll be 60 soon).

  5. 5.

    silvery

    I know it can seem minor in the bigger scheme of survival & death, but these Ukrainian animal rescues are indicative of so much absolute caring & empathy. Thanks for highlighting these with everything else.

  9. 9.

    Lyrebird

    @Adam L Silverman: Thank you Adam!  That’s really cool that you worked for the Carter Center.

    Question if you have the time, or someone else: didn’t one of the people involved in Reagan’s shameful dealings – prolonging the hostage crisis – just provide a nearly deathbed confessional to the press?  I mean, we knew what had happened, but I thought a TX politician who was near the end of his life chose to clear his conscience about that.  If this sounds correct, do you recall his name?

    Thank you either way.

  10. 10.

    Gin & Tonic

    “russian opposition” is totally fucking useless. Why the US expended diplomatic energy on getting them released as opposed to the many, many Ukrainians imprisoned there – POW’s and otherwise – escapes me.

    And thanks, Adam, for including several Twitter threads from Ukrainians on the subject. Those written in Ukrainian, for a Ukrainian audience, are far harsher on this deal.

  12. 12.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Gin & Tonic: I’m sure. I also could’ve made the update 10 times longer and still not exhausted all of the Ukrainian frustration. In either Ukrainian or English.

  13. 13.

    Lyrebird

    @Adam L Silverman: I covered that last year or the year before in a post.

    Yes, I thought it might’ve been here where I  saw that story.  Was looking for his name bc of the current stuff in the news about hostage negotiations, was surprised his story wasn’t being brought up again in the major news outlets.  Anyhoo.

  14. 14.

    tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat)

    Thank you, Adam. I hope that gold medal can be restored to Ms Kharlan. Russia and Ukraine are at war due to Russian aggression. To expect them to shake hands is ridiculous and to disqualify her for not doing so makes a mockery of the competition. As for the social media post there are no words. Again, thank you and I hope you are on the road to recovery.

  15. 15.

    wjca

    At the rate the Ukrainians are sinking Russian naval vessels, by the end of the war, the Black Sea will be a Ukrainian lake.**

    ** OK, the Turks will remain a presence, too.  But I like the image.

  16. 16.

    bjacques

    @wjca: maybe they’ll rename the Black Sea to “We Sink Muscovites On Our Side. You Sink Muscovites On Your Side. Nobody Sink Muscovites In The Middle. (Haha, Just Kidding About That Last Part; We Can Flip A Coin Or Something.)”

    Thanks as always, Adam.

    @Jay, it looks like Reddit jumped on the America PAC fake voter registration site you mentioned last night. Musk may be trying to Cambridge Analytica this election, and he’s clearly as racist as CA founder Alexander Nix, but not as smart.

    For battleground state like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin, the site promises to help you fill out a registration form, but the form doesn’t appear.

    I tried it for blue ZIP codes in a battleground state and then in a safe red state.

    US Citizen Notary Sojac, born October 23, 1935 (when Dutch Schultz got his) got his data harvested when he lived in Kiwanis Park (location chosen in honor of the late Great Kiwani Spiro Agnew) in Phoenix, Arizona, but not when he moved to around Cafe Brasil in deep blue Montrose in Houston, TX.

    I bet someone could have serious fun with this, like demon-dialling TV evangelists 1-800 numbers back in the 1980s. Perhaps someone handy with a script could register Robert “Drop” Table (from xkcd) since he may be old enough to vote by now. Since Musk is paying for the site, it’s clearly of the same quality that now goes into Xitter.

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