Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

When we show up, we win.

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

Fight them, without becoming them!

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

I really should read my own blog.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

A norm that restrains only one side really is not a norm – it is a trap.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

We will not go back.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

I swear, each month of 2025 will have its own history degree.

All hail the time of the bunny!

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

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / War for Ukraine Day 925: The Air Raid Alerts Are Going Up All Over Ukraine

War for Ukraine Day 925: The Air Raid Alerts Are Going Up All Over Ukraine

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(Image by NEIVANMADE)

A quick housekeeping note: Rosie is doing great. Her next treatment is a week from Monday. Thank you all for the good thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations.

The air raid alerts are going up over Ukraine. As of 6:15 PM EDT/1:15 AM local time in Ukraine they’re up in western Ukraine running from Lviv to Vinnitsiya Oblasts and in eastern Ukraine from Sumy through Kharkiv and then all the way around to Kherson and Mykolaiv Oblasts. There’s no indication on the alert maps that Russian SU-24s or MiG-31s are up, so this is likely another drone swarm (for now) and there was a significant impact in Donetsk Oblast around 1:13 AM local time in Ukraine.

We have some more indictments.

First up, Gregory Simes and his wife. Simes, you may remember Simes from way back in the spring of 2016. He hosted Trump’s only foreign policy address at his Center for the National Interest. The Center for the National Interest is a beltway think tank that is more aligned with Russia’s interests than the US’s.

DOJ: “From at least in or around June 2022 through the present, Dimitri Simes, Anastasia Simes and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), by providing services to Channel One Russia, including by serving as a presenter and producer of programming, and by receiving over $1 million, a personal car and driver, a stipend for an apartment in Moscow, Russia, and a team of 10 employees from Channel One Russia following its designation by OFAC. The indictment alleges that Dimitri and Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations.”

I’m pretty sure that Scott Ritter is caught up in this based on the reporting that his phones and electronic devices were seized at the same time as Simes’ were. So we’ll keep an eye out to see if he gets indicted as well.

The GRU’s elite wetwork team, Unit 29155, also got some love from the DOJ today.

Unit 29155 is responsible for the Skirpal hit, the unintended follow on poisoning that resulted from their sloppy tradecraft, another of other successful and/or suspected assassination attempts, and has, as we covered several months ago, been implicated in the alleged attacks against US diplomatic, military, and intelligence personnel that is commonly referred to as Havana Syndrome.

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

Throughout the Fall, Everyone in Their Position Must Deliver Tangible Results – Address by the President

5 September 2024 – 20:30

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

Briefly about this day.

Changes in the government have taken place. I am grateful to the parliament for supporting the respective candidates. It is crucial that government institutions now operate as actively as possible – more actively than before – at all levels. More investments from partners in Ukraine’s defense production. More active progress in negotiations with the European Union as we prepare for the future accession agreement. More interaction and mutual understanding between the central government and communities. And of course, more support for the frontline and for all our people. This concerns the supply of weapons. Our energy sector – protecting energy infrastructure and rebuilding what has been destroyed. A clear veteran policy. Clear counteraction to Russian propaganda abroad. Working with the global Ukrainian community. Ensuring the financial stability of our state and, in particular, intensifying work with partners to ensure that the proceeds from Russian assets are used for Ukraine. There are dozens of such very specific tasks, and throughout the fall, everyone in their position must deliver tangible results.

The second thing that is important to say. There is already a clear decision from Romania regarding the Patriot system for Ukraine. This decision has been approved at all levels. I am grateful for it. And we expect our partners to implement the full package of decisions on air defense and other assistance to Ukraine, which is exactly the package that was adopted at the NATO Summit in Washington in July. Currently, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine has held a series of meetings in France, the UK, and Germany. We are in constant communication with American partners. We highly value our cooperation with Italy. We are already well-prepared for the upcoming “Ramstein” meeting, which will take place shortly. Everything we agree on with our partners requires the fastest possible implementation. When decisions are quick, Russia does not have time to adapt, and we achieve particularly valuable results. This applies to protecting our cities and communities from strikes, supporting our warriors on the frontline, and ensuring the resilience of our state and our people. And in general, the resilience of the world that wants to continue living by rules, by international law, and not in dependency on the madness of certain “putins.”

And one more thing.

Today, there was a report from Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi, particularly on the Pokrovsk direction. We are sending reinforcements, and the key objective is to eliminate as many of the occupier’s forces as possible. Additionally, the report focused on an operation in the Kursk region. We are holding our designated positions, and with each day of the Kursk operation, we are proving to the world that Russia can lose this war. The only thing needed for this is enough of our determination, and the determination of everyone in the world who influences the global situation. It is not up to Moscow to determine the future of our people. And that’s how it must always be.

Thank you to everyone who helps! Glory to all who fight and work for Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The lack of long-range weapons forced us to look for alternatives, and that’s how the operation in Kursk region started,” President Zelenskyy told NBC News.

The operation was a response to Russia’s plans to create a “buffer zone” on Ukrainian territory.

“We realized that we needed to conduct an operation. So that not they would create a buffer zone in our country, but we. So that we do not have to repel their attacks later, as it was in Kharkiv,” the President added.

Here’s the full video of President Zelenskyy’s interview with NBC News. I’ve got the English closed captioning turned on.

The Financial Times has the details of President Zelenskyy’s cabinet and executive branch shake up.

Kuleba is expected to be replaced by Andriy Sybiha, who served as his first deputy minister since April. Sybiha, an experienced, multilingual diplomat, is seen as one of only a few insiders to have the president’s ear. He previously worked as the deputy head of Zelenskyy’s office in charge of foreign policy. Before that, he served as ambassador to Turkey and held two posts at Ukraine’s embassy in Poland, roles that will help Kyiv navigate two important relationships. https://ft.com/content/55e1148e-3ddf-47ae-b82e-418b4c271da8

Ukraine’s parliament has appointed a new wartime cabinet after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy carried out the biggest overhaul of his government since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost 31 months ago.

The Verkhovna Rada on Thursday dismissed several ministers who tendered resignations and approved nine ministerial candidates put forward by Zelenskyy’s ruling Servant of the People party, according to several members of the group.

But few new faces were appointed, with most of the nine positions filled by officials who were serving in ministerial roles or the presidential administration. Zelenskyy’s critics have warned that the cabinet changes are likely to further concentrate power in hands of the president and Andriy Yermak, his influential and controversial head of office.

Oleksandr Merezhko, an MP in Zelenskyy’s party, told the Financial Times that the president had explained to his deputies late on Wednesday that a “new energy” inside the government was needed to take the country forward.

The decision to replace Dmytro Kuleba, one of Ukraine’s longest-serving foreign ministers, has been the most contentious. A career diplomat, Kuleba has been one of the country’s most effective interlocutors with Washington and EU capitals and played a crucial role in securing western military aid for Kyiv’s defence.

MPs appointed Andriy Sybiha, who has served as Kuleba’s first deputy minister since April, to succeed his boss. Sybiha, an experienced, multilingual diplomat, is seen as one of only a few insiders to have the president’s ear. He has also been deputy head of Zelenskyy’s office in charge of foreign policy, served as ambassador to Turkey and held two posts at Ukraine’s embassy in Poland, roles that will help him navigate two important relationships as the new foreign minister.

The shake-up comes as Kyiv has reached a crucial point in the war against Russia, as it fights to halt Moscow’s steady advance towards the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine while trying to solidify its hold on about 1,000 sq km of territory in Russia’s Kursk region. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed his army had begun pushing Ukrainian forces out of the area.

Meanwhile, Russia’s air strikes on critical infrastructure have increased concerns that Ukraine may be unable to restore enough of its energy production to light and heat homes this winter.

Uncertainty surrounding the upcoming US presidential election and internal pressures in the EU also worry Kyiv, which fears the long-term security and financial commitments it relies on could soon wane.

Merezhko said: “We are entering a very difficult period, especially during the coming winter. And to meet these challenges we need changes in the government.”

More at the link!

This is an important description of the problem set:

Romania:

It appears the Patriot battery has arrived.

Germany:
More on what Germany has ordered and has sent:

Minister @rustem_umerov met in Germany with the Federal Minister of Defense Boris #Pistorius.

They discussed ways of strengthening defense cooperation between our countries. Special attention was paid to the supply of modern missile systems and ammunition for Ukraine, as well as the further development of air defense.

We are grateful to our German partners for the provided Patriot systems and undisputed leadership in strengthening Ukrainian air defense.
In addition, Germany ordered another 17 IRIS-T systems for Ukraine, four of which we will receive by the end of this year, and the rest in 2025.

The US:

THE LATEST!!! White House says “there’s been no change in our policy with respect to long range missile capabilities and where and what and how Ukraine can use those capabilities”

Kirby just now: “… No change in our policy to speak to today. I would also tell you that that we are as we have been every day, including while Jon [Finer] was in Kyiv, having a conversation with our Ukrainian counterparts about what they need, what’s going on on the battlefield, and what support they require to continue to to have success on the battlefield. So those conversations are iterative, as they always have been, and in fact, will continue at a higher level at the end of this week, when Secretary of Defense holds his next iteration of the Ramstein group. So you’ll see that for yourself in Germany here today and tomorrow. But again, no change to our policies one way or another to speak to.”

I cannot emphasize how bad this would be. First off, the audit thing is Ron Paul’s schtick. What Musk really wants is access to everything that sits behind the federal budget. What amounts go where, what actually gets spent, what gets clawed back or repurposed. This information would be invaluable to Musk and anyone he shared it with. It would provide almost complete leverage over the US government and the US and it would allow Musk to fully subvert – read that as out administrate – the US government.

A key question to ask in regard to the people the DOJ is indicating were on Russia’s payroll, the people and organizations they’re connected to, the people they amplify and who amplify them, is what would they be doing differently if they either new they were on Russia’s payroll (Pool, Johnson, Southern, etc) or were actually on Russia’s payroll (Sacks, Musk, etc)? The answer is nothing. They would not be doing a thing differently.

Here’s the details of last night’s drone attack:

Tonight there were explosions in the air over Gomel, Belarus. Presumably Shahed kamikaze drone was intercepted by Belorussian air defence.

Tonight there was a large Russian drone attack on Ukraine. 78 Shahed drones were launched by Russians. 60 were intercepted, 15 were lost presumably due to EW systems work, 2 returned to the Russian airspace, 1 entered the Belorussian airspace. Likely this is the drone which was shot down in Gomel.

It is worth noting that this is far from the first time that Shahed has crossed the Belarusian border from Ukraine.

Other cases when Shahed drones have crossed Belorussian border were reported on: 4th of September, 31st of August, 26th of August, 21st of August.

https://t.me/kpszsu/18851

Kyiv:

Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast:

Kharkiv:

Ukrainian Khartiia Brigade assaults Russian positions in the Kharkiv region.

As a result of the assault, the soldiers of the 13th Khartiia Brigade of the National Guard killed 34 and wounded 23 enemies, cleared 7 infantry positions and an ATGM firing position, destroyed a howitzer, and drove the enemy to the next line of defense.

Behind every minute of a successful assault are dozens of hours of planning and preparation. This assault by the brigade soldiers was no exception. The plan of attack was perfected through detailed planning and training on terrain models and in the field.

“Success in battle depends on luck and preparation. We cannot influence luck, but we can influence the training and cohesion of our soldiers and commanders, the ability to make decisions in conditions of lack of time, information, and resources, and the ability to respond to changing situations on the battlefield,” says brigade commander Colonel Ihor Obolienskyi.

Glory!

📹: 13th Khartiia Brigade of the National Guard/Telegram

Cyrkuny, Kharkiv Oblast:

Niu York:

Pokrovsk:

The Luhansk front:

Vuhledar:

Vovchansk:

Poltava:

The Kursk cross border offensive:

The laws of war – a tremendous difference in the behavior of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers in the occupied territories – Politico.

The facts of Russian attacks on civilian objects, genocide, looting, rape, torture, and mass murder in Bucha, Irpin, and occupied towns in the south and east of Ukraine have been documented and proved.

Having entered the Kursk region, the AFU is strictly observing the laws of war concerning civilians in the occupied territories.

Ukrainian troops cooperate with Russian citizens, providing them with food and water, medical care, and security. Videos of the humane treatment of local residents by AFU soldiers are published online every day.

Ukraine has also allowed international journalists into the captured territories and asked the International Red Cross to come and observe the situation.

It is noteworthy that Russia has not yet made any accusations against Ukraine regarding violations of the laws of war in the Russian territories under its control.

By launching the Kursk operation, Kyiv seeks to differentiate itself from Russia’s often brutal occupation of Ukraine and not to lose the support of its Western allies.

“This ‘fighting by the rules’ plays a big role in projecting legitimacy for the Ukrainian state and helps in gaining military, diplomatic, financial and moral support from other nations. But it also has a crucial impact on soldiers. When soldiers are well-led, and engage in ethical conduct in war (as brutal as that might be at times), it keeps them human in the most terrible of circumstances, and also protects their souls,” wrote retired Australian General Mick Ryan.

Source: https://politico.eu/article/ukraine-humane-treatment-russian-civilians-kursk-diplomatic-tool-volodymyr-zelenskyy-vladimir-putin/

That’s enough for today.

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Open thread!

Reader Interactions

27Comments

  1. 1.

    Doug R

    Would be kinda good to the the St Petersburg 101st Keyboard Kommandos sent to the front.
    Be more peaceful on the interwebs.

  5. 5.

    Jay

    Anton Gerashchenko
    @Gerashchenko_en
    15h
    About what is happening in Kherson now.

    ‼️ Russians are deliberately hunting and killing civilians with drones in Kherson.

    Over the past two months, life in the city has changed a lot. The city is still under daily and nightly artillery shelling, the damage from which is measured in dozens of buildings and human lives.

    But for two months now, the Russians have been massively attacking the city with grenade drops from FPV-drones.

    If earlier the Russians targeted military personnel and military vehicles, now they are attacking civilians on a daily basis.

    ‼️ Russian drone operators are deliberately dropping grenades on civilians. On women. On the elderly.

    Over the past two months, a large number of people have been killed who were just standing at bus stops, getting off a minibus, near shops or in line for water. If you are driving around the city, explosives are simply dropped on your car.

    Previously, the city’s coastal areas were most often attacked, but now drones are also flying into neighborhoods far from the Dnipro River.

    The cynicism of the Russians is that they can see perfectly well who the explosives are being dropped on. They post videos of these attacks online every day. And every day we see people falling down on the ground wounded or killed.

    People are constantly listening to the sound of the drone when they go out.

    You can see it in the photo below:

    ▪️ small fragments of grenades;

    ▪️ 60-year-old onco-dermatologist surgeon Volodymyr Tereliuk. He was killed the day before yesterday by a drone strike while he was traveling in a car with his wife. The video of his murder was immediately posted online by the Russians.

    ▪️ photo taken the week before last when a public transport stop was attacked. People managed to hide in a concrete shelter. When the noise stopped, everyone came out and the Russians dropped another grenade at that moment. A 55-year-old man was killed.

    ▪️ two men, 60-year-old Andrii Studynskyi and 61-year-old Vladyslav Zavtur, were killed a few weeks ago. Russians attacked them as they brought a tank of water to the residents. A video of the killing was also posted online.

    The list of those killed by drones is much longer. And it is growing.

    Photos from the “Kherson: war without fakes” Telegram channel.

    https://nitter.poast.org/Gerashchenko_en/status/1831618208899473601#m

  6. 6.

    Jay

    Anton Gerashchenko
    @Gerashchenko_en
    Sep 4
    Russian propagandist Solovyev explains that nothing will change in Russia when Putin leaves.

    Unless Russia goes through fundamental change, its essence will remain the same and it will remain a threat to the world.

    ‼️ The position “Putin is to blame for everything, it’s Putin’s war, Putin will die and the war will stop” makes no sense, is wrong, and plays into the hands of Russia ‼️

    The Russian Empire is at war against Ukraine and the West. Putin is not the creator of the Russian Empire but the bearer of its consciousness. If the empire and imperial consciousness of Russia are not destroyed, a new “Putin” will appear, with the same goals and narratives.

    https://nitter.poast.org/Gerashchenko_en/status/1831408492844028346#m

  8. 8.

    Jay

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Nope, there is either going to be a Putin with a different/similar backstory, but not known out side ruZZia, or someone much worse.

    ruZZia needs to be destroyed, disarmed and broken.

    And of course, we need to start kicking ruZZians out of The West. and seizing their loot. One of Pootie Poot’s kids has spent his 5 month “summer” galavanting around Europe, at high end Villa’s and resorts, before he returns to ruZZia to manage his Mother’s Ski Resort Corporation.

    Sadly, shitter, not nitter,

    Lithuania blocked the bridge to the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation with “dragon’s teeth” and “hedgehogs”

    The head of the department, Laurinas Kaschyunas, explained that the bridge is the property of the Russian Federation, because of this, Vilnius can install obstacles only in front of the bridge.

    “In addition to all the measures mentioned, it is also planned to install reserve obstacles on the supports – sets of metal beams. Not only the steep slopes of the river, but also mines, “dragon’s teeth”, “hedgehogs” and barbed wire will interfere with the enemy’s ford. It is important to be ready for everything , no matter what happens,” said the Lithuanian Minister of Defense.

  9. 9.

    Carlo Graziani

    @Gin & Tonic: Agreed. However, this is not a reason not to seek to destabilize Putin’s control, because no successor could be worse than Putin, and because political instability and contention between the military and security services would likely damage the Russian war effort.

  10. 10.

    Carlo Graziani

    I would appreciate a tutorial on Ukrainian parliamentary and governance politics that makes Zelenskyy’s cabinet reconstruction intelligible. Extra credit for connecting the dots to the senior military command reshuffle that occurred earlier this year.

    I’m sure that there’s some internal logic that explains what’s been going on, but I can’t make heads or tails of it.

  11. 11.

    Jay

    @Carlo Graziani:

    Does not exist.

    The best way to put it in context is people get burned out and some reforms have not been as successful as hoped for. Others have mastered talents in their positions and are on to new challenges.

  12. 12.

    Jay

    @Carlo Graziani:

    However, this is not a reason not to seek to destabilize Putin’s control, because no successor could be worse than Putin,

    The current crop of potential successors to Putin, are the Navalney Block, (same Imperialists, just more polite), or much, much worse, Dugin’s block who will make Pol Pot look sane.

    and because political instability and contention between the military and security services would likely damage the Russian war effort.

    Glad to hear you are supporting ruZZia’s war effort.

  13. 13.

    Chris

    @Carlo Graziani:

    I feel like Putin skated for nearly two decades on the West’s “understanding” that he was the best they could realistically hope for and that anybody who could overthrow him would simply be worse.  It’s only in the last few years that a lot of people finally seem to be acknowledging that, no, whatever blood-soaked revanchist neo-communist or neo-fascist Air Force One villain you were afraid might replace Putin, Putin is basically already that.

    And yeah, chaos and dysfunction in Russia is a worthwhile goal in and of itself.  Did the fall of the Soviet Union ultimately remove the Russian threat?  No, but it took it out of the game for long enough for all of its former Eastern European satellites (and even a few ex-Soviet republics) to gain their independence, transition to democracy, and tie their security to NATO and their prosperity to the EU.  If that was all it accomplished, that’s fucking great.

  16. 16.

    Jay

    @Chris:

    I feel like Putin skated for nearly two decades on the West’s “understanding” that he was the best they could realistically hope for and that anybody who could overthrow him would simply be worse.

    He also skated, and is still skating by pouring legally, covertly and and illegally, billions of dollars into the West, enriching many in power, through official arms like Gazprom and illegal means like money laundering.

    There are a large number of Politicians, Plutocrats and Corporations in all of the West that want the sweet gravy train of rubles, oil, gas, etc turned back on, even if Ukraine and all Ukrainians have to die to make it so.

    $400K a month and a $100K signing bonus to minor you tubers and twitteratti to push ruZZian talking points, trash The West and create division,

    So what are they paying MTG, Tulsi, Johnson, etc?

  19. 19.

    Jay

    @Bill Arnold:

    missed the double negative,

    unfortunately, with out the second not, it is a fairly common attitude in The West. That’s why I missed the second “not”.

    There are a shitload of Politicians, Corporations, pundits and other’s who want, for various reason’s, for ruZZia to come out of the War on Ukraine, undamaged.

  20. 20.

    wjca

    @Jay: So what are they paying MTG, Tulsi, Johnson, etc?

    The great thing about useful idiots is that they work for free. Being idiots, don’t you know.

  21. 21.

    Jay

    @wjca:

    Some do it for free,

    some get paid,

    https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/19/trump-russian-money-appeals-court-00153339

    https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2021/09/gop-operatives-funneling-russian-money-trump-latest-foreign-straw-donor-scheme/

    https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2018/05/08/how-putin-s-oligarchs-funneled-millions-into-gop-campaigns/

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/house-majority-leader-to-colleagues-in-2016-i-think-putin-pays-trump/2017/05/17/515f6f8a-3aff-11e7-8854-21f35

    https://www.newsweek.com/house-speaker-mike-johnson-donations-russia-butina-1838501

    etc,

    https://securingdemocracy.gmfus.org/incident/former-german-chancellor-gerhard-schra%C2%B6der-becomes-chairman-of-russian-state-controlled-nord-stream-pipeline-company

    If you are pushing ruZZian talking points or doing dirty work for them, with out getting paid, you are a moron.

  22. 22.

    wjca

    @Jay: If you are pushing ruZZian talking points or doing dirty work for them, with out getting paid, you are a moron.

    No argument there.  However, if you are getting paid, at some point your effectiveness drops.  And you become, I believe the term of art is, a “loose end.”  If you don’t realize that, and how criminal enterprises (from street gangs to kleptocracies) deal with loose ends, you are also a moron.

  23. 23.

    Jay

    @wjca:

    As the Tim Pool’s et al are relying on, while it is relatively “easy” to sanction and charge ruZZian’s et al, for the State Dept and the DOJ, it requires a lot more evidence to make charges against even “paid Useful Idiots”. One needs to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the “paid Useful Idiot” knew the money was “dirty”.

    Fortunately the fictional “benefactor” was a fictional Hungarian, so that’s still a FARA violation.

  26. 26.

    Jay

    @wjca:

    Probably would attract more Federal attention.

    Just hang them out to dry, like they have many. They arn’t even worth exchanging for.

Comments are closed.