Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

ha ha ha! Nice try weird people.

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

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

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

“Let’s not pretend [Trump] wants to engage in high-minded discourse.”

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans got rid of McCarthy. Democrats chose not to save him.

How any woman could possibly vote for this smug smarmy piece of misogynistic crap is beyond understanding.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

No one could have predicted…

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” is supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

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

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

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

Fight them, without becoming them!

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / War for Ukraine Day 924: Russian Ballistic Missiles Are Inbound While the Butcher’s Bill for the Day Is Still Being Tallied

War for Ukraine Day 924: Russian Ballistic Missiles Are Inbound While the Butcher’s Bill for the Day Is Still Being Tallied

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A painting by Ukrainian artist NEIVANMADE. The words "NEVER AGAIN" are repeated over and over, from left to right and top to bottom, in a faded, washed out black against a white background. Red, the color of blood, runs and drips down across 2/3rds of the painting. "WHILE YOU TOLERATE TYRANTS" is written/painted in the bottom white corner below the three rows of "NEVER AGAIN".

(Image by NEIVANMADE)

Two quick housekeeping notes: Rosie is doing fine, with the exception of the electrical monsoon. Her next treatment is in two weeks. Than you for the good thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations.

Second, I don’t seem to be getting the notifications that someone is stuck in moderation. My apologies to Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom, I don’t know why you got stuck in moderation, but when I saw you were this afternoon I approved it so you should be good to go. If you, or anyone else, are still having trouble, just email me through the contact a front pager tool. As soon as I get the message I’ll let you out.

All of eastern and central Ukraine is under air raid alert as of 6;15 PM EDT/1:15 AM local time in Ukraine. The alert maps are not showing any Tu-95s or MiG 31s airborne, but there are reports of ballistic missile warnings.

And Russia has launched another Shahed swarm attack:

This is after Russia attacked deep into Ukraine in the small hours of the morning.

More on the Lviv strike, as well as the others that were inflicted on Ukraine today, after the jump.

I want to make something very clear: President Biden, his senior natsec appointees, Chancellor Scholtz in Germany, none of them are responsible for Putin’s decision to commit genocide in Ukraine. What they are responsible for is being too cautious by half, for being too risk averse, and, as a result, hamstringing Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s genocidal war for Ukraine. That nine year old girl in Lviv did not need to die today. Russia was able to attack so deeply into western Ukraine because the Biden administration refuses to let them strike at legitimate Russian military targets that lie beyond a very narrow within Russia just over the border of Kharkiv and Sumy Oblasts. As a result, the Russians are able to keep their theater strategic assets out of range of the Ukrainians and attack Ukraine while Ukraine has no way of stopping them from doing so. More on this after the jump too.

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

It Is Very Important That Absolutely All the Objectives Set for Our Kursk Operation Are Being Realized – Address by the President

4 September 2024 – 19:19

Dear Ukrainians!

By now, rescue operations have been completed in Lviv and Kryvyi Rih, where people suffered from the Russian missile strikes today. Ordinary houses and civil infrastructure were damaged. There are many victims. Everyone has received the necessary assistance. Unfortunately, seven people were killed in Lviv. My condolences to their families and loved ones!

It is important that the world sees this terror and reacts to it. To everything that Russia is doing against our people, against our state. I am grateful to all political and public figures, I am grateful to every leader who supports Ukraine and Ukrainians and condemns Russian terror. And I am also grateful to all journalists of Ukraine, Europe, and the world – to all those who speak truthfully about what is happening, about this war, and about the importance of protecting lives.

Today, the Taoiseach of Ireland came on a visit to Ukraine, and he was not only in Kyiv, but also in Hostomel and Borodyanka. He saw what the Russian war brought to Ukraine. Today we signed a bilateral security agreement with Ireland, which is substantial, as it should be. It is the 26th such agreement. Although Ireland is a militarily neutral state, we cooperate actively in the political, economic and humanitarian spheres. And we will work even more actively. We have secured the amount of Ireland’s assistance to Ukraine for this year. We have agreed to make more joint efforts to ensure that sanctions against Russia for this war become stronger, and that reconstruction in Ukraine is more active. I suggested that Ireland should look more closely at the possibility of patronage for the restoration of one of our regions. And, of course, it is very valuable that Irish society and the political class know what is happening in Ukraine and what exactly is needed to end this war as soon as possible.

Today, there was a report from Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi. As every day, it was about each part of the front, with special reference to Pokrovsk, Toretsk, and the Kurakhove direction. Separate mention was made of the operation in the Kursk region. It is very important that absolutely all the objectives set for our Kursk operation are being realized. For this, I thank every soldier, every sergeant and every officer involved. As of now, this operation continues to be the largest replenishment of the exchange fund from one direction.

And today we also continued evacuating our people from the Middle East – from Lebanon. 11 children, 14 adults. They are now safe. And our diplomats and intelligence will continue helping – all Ukrainians in the region who need it can contact our diplomatic missions in the Middle East and get everything they need, all help, all assistance.

And one more thing.

We are preparing important meetings with our partners. Something that can and should strengthen our positions – not only of Ukraine, but of all of us in Europe, of all of us in the world who want a real end to this war and a real joint work on ensuring that security never collapses again. This week, next week, and all of September must be productive for all of us. Primarily, this is about air defense, our capabilities on the front and in reconstruction. We are preparing substantial things.

I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine! I thank all those who fight and work – really work one hundred percent – to defend our independence, our people!

Glory to Ukraine!

The cost:

“With unspeakable sorrow in our hearts, we announce that our colleague, Yaryna Bazylevych, was tragically killed in a russian attack last night. She was only 21.
A kind and bright person, she was a program manager at the «Lviv — European Youth Capital 2025» Office and had been working with us since the very inception of the MoloDvizhCenter, and later, the entire TVORY! network.
Eternal and blessed memory.
We will neither forget nor forgive.”
Source: Tvory network

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

ALL CLEAR!!

President Zelenskyy shoot up his cabinet/government today.

Here’s how things stand tonight in Kyiv, after Zelensky met with his Servant of the People faction to discuss the govt overhaul. This is from my sources at the meeting as well as faction leader David Arakhamia who shared some of this on his Telegram.

-FM Dmytro Kuleba is out; deputy FM Andriy Sybiha, will become foreign minister

-Dep PM Olha Stefanishyna will be reappointed deputy PM Prime for Euro Integration and justice minister.

-Dep PM Iryna Vereshchuk will go to the president’s office where she’ll work on social policy. Her ministry of temporarily cccupied territories will be closed and folded into ministry of infrastructure.

-Oleksiy Kuleba will be minister of infrastructure

-Oleksandr Kamyshin will be Zelensky’s adviser on strategic industries; Ukroboronprom CEO Herman Smetanin will take his place as minister of strategic industries

-Svitlana Hrynchuk will replace Ruslan Strilets as environmental minister

-Matvii Bidnyi will be appointed minister of youth and sports after serving as acting minister

-Vitaliy Koval of the State Property Fund, will lead the ag ministry

-Mykola Tochytskyi will be the minister of culture and info policy

-Nataliia Kalmykova will move from dep defense minister to minister of vet affairs

Lithuania:

The US:

From The White House:

 

Statement from President Joe Biden on Russian Attack on Poltava, Ukraine

Earlier today, Russian missiles struck a military training facility and a hospital in Ukraine—killing more than 50 people and injuring dozens more. I condemn this deplorable attack in the strongest possible terms.

This assault is a tragic reminder of Putin’s ongoing and outrageous attempts to break the will of a free people. But for two and a half years, the people of Ukraine have stood unbowed. And the United States will continue stand with them—including providing the air defense systems and capabilities they need to protect their country.

Make no mistake: Russia will not prevail in this war. The people of Ukraine will prevail. And on this tragic day, and every day, the United States stands with them.

It would be better if he stopped making these statements. They look and sound tone deaf. He also needs to stop promising to bring hostages home from Gaza and stating a ceasefire deal is near. No one believes any of these remarks anymore and they’re not helping anyone anywhere.

Ukrainians don’t need anymore crocodile tears from the Mourner in Chief. What they need is permission to use their American supplied weapons or weapons supplied by allies and partners that contain American components to strike Russian military targets deep enough in Russia to establish deterrence.

russian terrorists have been shelling our cities for days in a row. These missile attacks on our cities and people show the enemy’s terrorist nature.

Long-range capabilities to strike on military facilities inside russia are needed now. It is of utmost importance to halt the russian terror and protect lives.

#LetUkraineStrikeBack

Estonia:

The Chair of the Estonian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee is correct.

Germany has announced it is sending Ukraine weapons systems and munitions that it had previously announced it was sending Ukraine weapons systems and munitions.

I see that people are spreading this news as newly pledged air defense by Germany for Ukraine, but this is incorrect. I checked this with @deaidua. The 24 systems that Ukraine should receive by 2026, are already known, either pledged or already delivered.

Delivered:
3 IRIS-T SLS (6 launchers)
4 IRIS-T SLM

Pledged:
9 IRIS-T SLS (18 launchers)
8 IRIS-T SLM

An IRIS-T SLS consists of two launchers, IRIS-T SLM is a fire unit (full system with launchers, radar, tactical operations centre and support vehicles etc.)

@deaidua is German Aid to Ukraine’s feed.

Norway:

Norway contributed NOK 570 million ($53 million) to the British-led International Fund for Ukraine.
The funds will be used for the acquisition of drones and strengthening 🇺🇦 air defense.

We are grateful to our Norwegian friends for their unwavering support. Together, we are stronger.
@Forsvarsdep

🇺🇦🤝🇳🇴

New Asgard:

I’m sure Valkyrie will get right to the bottom of this!

Lviv:

Russian missiles against our cities and people. The strike on Lviv killed 5 people, including a 14-year-old girl. My condolences go out to the families and loved ones of the victims. More than 30 people were injured. Ordinary residential buildings, schools, and medical facilities in the city were damaged.

In the Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih, 5 people were injured. Homes and civilian infrastructure were damaged. Our emergency services are on site, doing everything necessary to eliminate the aftermath of the attack. All the injured are receiving the required assistance.

Every one of our partners around the world who helps Ukraine with air defense is a true defender of life. Anyone who convinces partners to provide Ukraine with more long-range capabilities, enabling us to respond justly to terror, is working to prevent such Russian terrorist strikes on Ukrainian cities. Terror must be stopped.

The bloodied frenzied man in the video above is the sole survivor from the family that was obliterated in Lviv today. He’s trying to dig them out himself.

Kharkiv:

In Kharkiv, on September 4, state flags were lowered as a sign of solidarity with Poltava and Lviv, the city council reported.

As a result of a Russian strike on Poltava on September 3, 53 people were killed and at least 298 were injured. In today’s nighttime attack on Lviv, 7 people were killed and 45 were injured.

Someone managed to stir Attorney General Merrick Garland, who is a member of the Federalist Society, from whatever he does at the Department of Justice and that resulted in an indictment.

It’s not a very thorough indictment. The indictment makes clear that the two people that owned Tenet media new they were being paid by the Russians.

Arieh Kovler has more about who knew what.

This means a Russian intel agent was part of the internal conversations with Lauren Chen and Liam Donovan about how much to pay Benny Johnson and Tim Pool

Image

The Russians asked Chen to recruit Benny Johnson and Tim Pool to make some content and offered $2m a year each. Johnson said he wanted $5m. Pool demanded $100k per episode.

NB the indictment does not suggest that they knew the money was coming from Russia.Image

Tim Pool spoke to a Russian agent pretending to be a Hungarian businessman on a secure call.Image
Benny Johnson wanted more info on the fake businessman. So the Russians made a fake CV. But Benny had a concern… the CV mentioned Social Justice! That won’t do.Image
Image

Eventually they did a deal. Benny Johnson would (unknowingly) work for the Russians for $400,000 a month in exchange for 4 monthly videos. Plus a 100k signing bonus.

Pool also agreed 100k a video but no bonus. Weak negotiating skills.Image
Image

NB I have been saying Benny Johnson, but there is another commentator who could fit the description: Dave Rubin. Either one could be Commentator-1.Image
Image
Chen and Donovan knew it was the Russians.Image
Commentator-6 is for sure Matt Christiansen. This is the video referenced in this paragraph.Image
Image
Commentator-5 is Lauren Southern, the only woman of the six.Image
The Russians wanted them to post the Tucker Carlson grocery video, but they thought it was too obviously shilling. Lauren Chen said to post it anyway.Image
The Russians wanted to blame the ISIS Moscow attack on Ukraine. They got Commentator-3 to do it. If Dave Rubin is Commentator-1 than I think Johnson is 3, and vice versa.Image

As is always the case with the current Department of Justice, which despite their being a Democratic president is still being run by an attorney general who is a Federalist Society member, the most minimalist indictment is all that is ever possible. None of these hostile foreign actors – state or non-state – nor ultra-high net worth Americans are deterred by these things. Nor are the foot soldiers from the 6th January 2021 insurrection at the Capitol.

I’ll deal with the Russian influence operation and political warfare election interference announcement tomorrow night. Not that I’d expect the DOJ or the FBI or the CIA or the NSA or anyone that could actually do something about to do anything but make statements

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

First, some adjacent material.

Archie the dog was brought to Kharkiv by volunteers from Kupiansk (he was left there when his owners moved for safety). He was taken in by Valerii who did his best to help Archie overcome his fear of any loud noises.

During a recent Russian strike on Kharkiv, Valerii’s and Archies home was hit by a piece of debris and a fire started. Thankfully, both of them were rescued.

📹: Radio Svoboda

If there is life, there must also be death. But what crushes me inside is the fact that so many children in Ukraine will never know what it is like to grow up simply because they won’t live long enough to experience it. And how deeply upsetting it is that I cannot protect them all. Incredibly upsetting.

Open thread!

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    19Comments

    1. 1.

      Ivan X

      What a sad fucking story. And, it never stops being sad. There was a moment when we thought the hero would triumph and maybe they will still, but, it feels like a long, slow sadness, possibly made tragic by the fact that it might have, but didn’t have to, be this way.

      Reply
    4. 4.

      Argiope

      Wow, the Patron is gut-punchingly powerful.  As a mom of a girl who was once 9, then 14, and now 21, tonight’s post is borderline unbearable.  I hold onto hope that Harris will triumph in November and be less risk-averse than Biden–and it sure would be cool if, one of these days soon, Joe decides enough is enough already and lets Ukraine fight this the way they know they need to.  Thanks, Adam, for continuing to do this nightly especially when the news is hard.  It’s important, yet I can imagine it takes a toll.

      Reply
    5. 5.

      Gin & Tonic

      That strike in L’viv was a block from my cousin’s house (she and her husband and son are unhurt.) That family shown up top that was wiped out lived on the top floor of one of the old Austrian buildings. When the air raid siren went off they went to hide in the stairwell. Dad went to the kitchen to get water when the missile hit, collapsing the stairwell and burying (killing) his wife and daughters. He had only minor (physical) injuries.

      I’m not sure I’d be able to go on living if I were him.

      This is a completely residential neighborhood. No industry, no military, just apartment buildings.

      Reply
    11. 11.

      Bill Arnold

      The auonsson thread about the freighter with 20 ktons of Russian ammonium nitrate has been updated. A big tugboat arrived, and the freighter has moved away from the port. (Not clear if towed or under its own power or both.)
      Whew. Ammonium nitrate doesn’t detonate easily by accident, but Russia cannot be trusted with a near Hiroshima-level device. (Hiroshima bomb was 16 kton TNT equivalent, recent estimates.)

      Reply
    12. 12.

      West of the Rockies

      Insane,  brutal,  soul-crushing.  I hope Harris has a different way forward that is better fir Ukraine.

      Russia, you deserve every misery, brutality, and humiliation cosmically available.

      Reply
    13. 13.

      Dagaetch

      Thank you Adam.

      I think Zelenskyy and Biden are expected to meet at a UN assembly next week? I hope that in a private meeting, Zelenskyy says “President Biden, starting in two days time, we’re going to use any weapons we have to attack the Russians wherever it will be most effective. If that’s a problem for you, look me in the eyes right here and tell me I’m not allowed to defend my people.”

      Reply
    14. 14.

      wjca

      @Dagaetch: I think I’d go with

      “…look me in the eyes right here and tell me I’m not allowed to defend my children.”

      Make it as brutally clear as possible just what the cost of this indefensible policy is.

      Reply
    16. 16.

      sconosciuto

      Bibi is never ever going to give Biden/Dems a win on Gaza.

       

      Bibi only stays in power while the war drags on.

       

      Bibi’s future depends on TFG winning this fall, the war will not end until after the US election.

       

      Why is Biden pretending otherwise? Why this kabuki theater of negotiations where the US “ally” is clearly not negotiating in good faith?

      Reply
    17. 17.

      Another Scott

      With the understanding that there’s never a deal until everything is agreed, and with the understanding that every party wants their spin to dominate in the reporting, I found this WhiteHouse.gov/briefing-room piece to be an interesting look behind the curtain on the Gaza negotiations.

      So, if you could just indulge me here for about five minutes, I thought it’d be useful for me and us to go through just where we are and try to help clarify, you know, any outstanding questions and what we’re trying to do.

      So let me just — obviously, this has been a negotiation that’s been going on for many months. As I think we’ve said before, it is a complex arrangement.

      There are three primary components. One is the humanitarian and the benefits for Gazans that are kind of woven throughout this deal. That’s one part. The second part is a prisoner exchange; that is the hostages for Palestinian prisoners. And the third part are the ceasefire arrangements for what those arrangements will look like and including some redeployment of Israeli forces and the phasing, which I think you’re familiar with. But those are basically the three components of the deal.

      The deal has 18 total paragraphs. Fourteen of those paragraphs are finished and, I have to say, are identical. You’ll sometimes hear Hamas say they agreed to a deal on July 2nd. Let me just explain that. There’s 18 paragraphs; 14 paragraphs are identical. One paragraph has a very technical fix, and the other three paragraphs have to do with the exchange of prisoners to hostages, which even Hamas’s own text of July 2nd explicitly says it has to still be negotiated.

      So, basically, 90 percent of this deal has been agreed, and it’s been agreed on terms that even Hamas had in their own proposal.

      On the humanitarian benefits — and I just — I wanted to go through this, what is already in the agreement, because I think this is somewhat lost in the debate of, if this deal goes forward, if Hamas agrees to release hostages, just what happens in Gaza.

      So what is in the deal? You might remember the November deal. There was a requirement of 200 trucks of aid a day getting into Gaza. Again, this can happen because a ceasefire enables the movement of humanitarian aid and humanitarian workers in a ceasefire condition. Obviously much different than conditions that you have with an ongoing conflict.

      So in the November deal, the target of 200 trucks a day. In this deal — and again, this is all explicit in the deal and ready to go, because we’ve done an extraordinary amount of work to get ready for this — 600 trucks of aid a day. That would include about 50 trucks of fuel. So just over the first 42 days of the deal in phase one, if you do the math, you’re talking 25,000 trucks of assistance and aid for Gazans.

      Also in the deal:

      * The immediate entry of equipment to clear rubble, as well as rehabilitation of hospitals, medical centers, bakeries across the Gaza Strip.

      * The rehabilitation of infrastructure, electricity, water, sewage, communications, and roads in all areas of the Gaza Strip.

      * The entry of supplies to support the internally displaced. That includes no less than 60,000 temporary homes, 200,000 tents.

      * Freedom of movement for civilians internally displaced. Full access for U.N. and other humanitarian organizations in all areas of the Gaza Strip.

      I go through that because I was struck by some news stories today kind of interviewing Gazans about how they feel about the Philadelphi Corridor, without any context of what is actually, like, in this deal and immediate relief for Gazans. And I’ll get to the Philadelphi Corridor in a second.

      Much, much more at the link.

      Cheers,
      Scott.

      Reply
    18. 18.

      daveNYC

      Has Biden checked out or something?  US foreign policy has spent the last few months just spinning it’s wheels with Ukraine and Israel.  The administration is looking like a bunch of chumps right now.

      Reply
    19. 19.

      YY_Sima Qian

      @daveNYC: Biden has not checked out, he & his team have just been trapped in their own FP conventional wisdom & historical momentum & path dependencies in general. & that has been the case for more than a few months, as Adam has repeatedly documented & argued in these threads.

      Reply

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