Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

“woke” is the new caravan.

Republicans would impeach Biden if he bit into a whole Kit Kat rather than breaking the sections apart.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

Republicans don’t trust women.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

The problem people have with Biden’s age is the color of the VPs skin.

Biden: Oh no. We’ve upset Big Pharma again.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

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

Bark louder, little dog.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

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

Elections aren’t won by handwringing, cowering, and/or bashing your own candidates.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

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

You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / War for Ukraine Day 933: 49 More Russian POWs and Detainees Have Been Returned Home

War for Ukraine Day 933: 49 More Russian POWs and Detainees Have Been Returned Home

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Three quick housekeeping notes. First, despite the monsoons, Rosie is doing great! Ruby had to see the vet today just to check on something and she is doing great too! Thank you all for the good thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations.

Second, we have made it to Friday!

Third, welcome to new commenter Art, who left a great comment to WED’s night’s thread many hours after we all had moved on. I let you out of moderation as soon as I saw the alert and you are now free to comment as much or little as you like.

It’s 6;40 PM EDT/1:43 AM local time in Ukraine and air raid alerts are up for all of eastern and central Ukraine. There’s no indication on the alert maps of Russian strategic aviation being aloft, so once again we’re most likely looking at drone swarms.

Today the Ukrainians were able to bring 49 more POWs and detainees home from Russian captivity.

Another return of our people – something we always wait for and work tirelessly to achieve.

Forty-nine Ukrainians are now home. These include warriors from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the National Police, the State Border Guard Service, and our civilians. Among them is Leniye Umerova, a young woman taken hostage by the Russians when she came to take care of her sick father. More defenders of Azovstal have also been freed. Viktor Ivchuk, a military medic and Hero of Ukraine, is also back home.

I want to thank our entire team that works to secure the release of prisoners and hostages from Russian captivity. I especially want to acknowledge each of our Ukrainian units that contribute to replenishing the “exchange fund” for our country. All our warriors who capture Russian occupiers, and all our services that neutralize Russian saboteurs and collaborators, bring closer the liberation of our people. We must bring home every single one of our people, both military and civilian.

🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

Coming home.

49 Ukrainians, men and women, men and women, including Azovstal defenders, were released from Russian captivity today.

It’s the 56th prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia, but Russian propagandists, including in the West, somehow try to pretend Ukraine “doesn’t care about its people”.

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

In Total, We Have Managed to Return 3569 Ukrainians from Captivity – Address by the President

13 September 2024 – 20:31

Dear Ukrainians!

First of all – our gratitude to our warriors, combat units, which replenish the exchange fund for our state. In different directions. Also, to our special services, which counteract saboteurs and collaborators. Thanks to this work, representatives of Ukraine and our exchange team are able to free our people from Russian captivity. Today there was another exchange. Another 49 Ukrainians are back home. Among them are both military personnel and civilians. Warriors of the Armed Forces, our border guards, the National Guard, in particular, the defenders of Azovstal, and two police officers. Among our civilians is Leniye Umerova, a young woman who was captured by the Russians in Crimea while on her way to visit her sick father. The Hero of Ukraine, military medic Viktor Ivchuk, was also returned. I thank our entire team engaged in the exchanges. All those who are involved and whose work ensures all this: the Armed Forces, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Head of the Office, the Ombudsman. Thank you! In total, we have managed to return 3569 Ukrainians from captivity.

Today has also been a very active day for our international communications. The annual Yalta European Strategy Forum has started its work, and it is important for Ukraine that our arguments on long-range weapons and all defense cooperation with partners are heard. On the sidelines of the Forum, I met with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and Poland. I thanked them for their support. I also spoke with the President of the Munich Security Conference, which is one of the most influential foreign and security policy platforms in Europe. I also met with Mike Pompeo, the former U.S. Secretary of State. Boris Johnson, one of Ukraine’s greatest friends, was also at the Forum. I thanked him for his unwavering support since 2022. Today I also met with the Minister of Defense of Denmark. It was a very informative meeting. Denmark is the first country, with which we have started the joint production of weapons. And these weapons are already helping on the frontline. We produce Bohdanas together. Of course, we also talked about other aspects of our cooperation, including the F-16s. Denmark is indeed one of the leaders in supporting our defense industry. I thank Mette, Madam Prime Minister, and all the Danish people. Today, together with the First Lady of Ukraine, we met with Michael Douglas, a well-known actor and a caring person. He helps us a lot to keep the attention on the truth about the war and helps UNITED24. We thanked him for this today.

And one more thing.

A report has just been made by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported today. The main priority is weapons for our warriors in the Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, and Toretsk directions, in all Donetsk directions, and along the entire frontline. This includes the issue of delivery and the issue of production, both in Ukraine and together with partners. The task is to strengthen our positions as much as possible and put maximum pressure on Russia. We can end this war fairly only from a position of strength. We are doing everything for that. Everything.

Glory to Ukraine!

President Zelenskyy also addressed the 20th Annual Yalta European Strategy Meeting today. Video below followed by the English transcript.

The War Must Become Significantly Harder for Russia – President’s Speech at the Opening of the 20th Annual Yalta European Strategy Meeting

13 September 2024 – 15:25

Слава Україні!

Dear participants of this year’s Yalta European Strategy meeting!

Dear friends of Ukraine!

Thank you for the invitation! I’m glad to welcome you all to Ukraine today – and for many of you not for the first time. And it is extremely important in a time of war like this – to be in Ukraine, to be with our defenders, defenders of Ukraine, with all our people – people who are going through the hardest thing that could ever happen – a full-scale war. I’m grateful to all of you for being with Ukraine.

But it is also important for all of us to have the same understanding of what it means to be with Ukraine. It’s not just about presence. It is not just about an emotional connection to our state, to Ukrainians, to our battle for independence.

Yesterday, the Russian army carried out one of its many attacks on Ukraine. It was an artillery strike. It hit the village of Viroliubivka in the Donetsk region.

The Russians saw where they were hitting. The trucks of the International Committee of the Red Cross were burned. Two people were wounded in this strike. Unfortunately, three people were killed. My condolences. They were employees of the humanitarian mission – their lives were taken by Russian artillery. And it is disappointing, deeply disappointing, to see that the Red Cross, in its official communication, was afraid to even say that this was a Russian strike. This is our reality. But this is their face… And it’s not just the truth – it was a Russian strike, Russian terror. Yesterday, the Russian army conducted an equally blatant strike. A Russian missile hit a civilian vessel in the Black Sea, I think it took place near Romanian waters already. It was a bulk carrier transporting wheat. The port of destination was in Egypt. And it was just luck that none of the crew was killed by that missile. And there was no reaction from Egypt, no reaction at all, even though it is their food security. But this is how Russia treats Egypt, food security, and free navigation – it treats it like a typical terrorist. As long as there are double standards in the realm of morality, Putin may continue to seek something other than peace.

We are now in the third year of this full-scale war. And after so much killing and destruction in Ukraine, after so many Russian war crimes, after so many terrorist strikes, Putin can still afford to destroy life in Ukraine as he pleases, can buy and produce missiles, bombs and artillery, can even afford to issue ultimatums to the world. And he expects the world to give in to his madness.

It is the third year of the war, and Putin still believes that it is he to whom concessions must be made. Why is that?

These days, there have been very important meetings with our partners, and there have been important guests in Ukraine. In particular, representatives of the US and the UK.

Of course, we cannot fully disclose the content of closed negotiations between our partners and us. But I would like to share my feelings.

Now in Ukraine, as in many other countries, the school year has started. Children are going to school. In Ukraine, we really want as many children as possible to learn not online, but together with other children, in a normal school atmosphere, where they acquire not only knowledge but also social skills, communication skills and life skills. For this, we need air defense systems, primarily Patriots, which are available in sufficient quantities globally and which we have long been expecting from our partners.

And when you say at important closed meetings with partners that we need air defense, it is difficult, really difficult to hear the same answer every time – “we are working on it.” Russian missiles and Iranian-supplied “Shaheds,” unfortunately, are also “working”, but they are working in our skies and against our people. And Putin doesn’t need any permissions or approvals for long-range strikes.

You have all heard, many have seen, and some have even experienced firsthand how difficult it is now on the frontline everywhere, especially in the Donetsk region. Near Pokrovsk, first of all. Our heroic warriors are there – I would like us to support them, applaud them, thank them for their feat – they are really strong people, very strong. We all understand that they need reinforcement. This means equipped and ready-to-fight units, enough not only to hold their positions but to reclaim them.

We have been talking with our partners for months about this – about equipping our brigades. I’m grateful to all the leaders and states that have made responsible commitments and are actually fulfilling them on time. But frankly, we are still far from fully implementing what we have agreed on a long time ago.

And when you remind of this during negotiations, it is very difficult to hear – “we are working on it” – again. While this is being said, Putin is burning down our cities and villages – that’s what he’s working on. And he doesn’t need any approvals. Putin interprets delays in helping us and in making strong decisions for Ukraine as permission to do everything he is doing, to do whatever he wants.

And regarding the long-range capability for Ukraine.

Anyone who simply sees on a map where Russia strikes from on a daily basis, where Russia trains its forces and keeps reserves, where it locates military facilities and what logistics it uses – anyone who sees all this, clearly understands why Ukraine needs long-range capability.

By the way, we discussed this in detail with Antony Blinken and David Lammy, the US Secretary of State and the British Foreign Secretary, who were recently in Kyiv. I hope that after our conversation, there simply cannot be any unanswered questions about why Ukraine needs sufficient long-range capability.

I want to highlight once again: sufficient. Sufficient not to simply say that there is a decision, but to really change the course of the war and make Russia seek peace. And we are really counting on our partners, hoping for results from our partners. At least, we are working on it.

Dear ladies and gentlemen!

When we think about how to end the war, we must realize absolutely clearly that it is we who need it – not Putin. He does not want to end anything. He feels comfortable sending people to their deaths, controlling his people through television, and enjoying life in his bubble. Unfortunately, Putin and his inner circle have not been tangibly affected by the war so far. Yet. Yet. But Putin and his cronies must feel all the problems that war brings. And this means that the war must become significantly more difficult for Russia. Only then can Russia be forced to understand that the war will have to end. And it must end fairly – on the basis of international law. This requires strong decisions from the world. And each of you knows what they are.

When we hear that new missiles have arrived in Russia from Iran, it is the same evil that the allies have already had to shoot down in the skies of the Middle East. Now, the markings of the missiles may be different, but not Iran’s terrorist motive behind the proliferation and use of these weapons. If the allies are jointly shooting down missiles and drones in the skies over the Middle East, why is there still no similar decision to jointly shoot down Russian missiles and Iranian “Shaheds” over Ukraine? And this isn’t being done even when missiles and drones are heading towards the territory of our neighbors.

And when we raise this issue with our partners, which we do constantly, to be honest, everyone tries to talk around it… They’re even afraid to say, “we are working on it.” They’re afraid even of those words. That’s the truth.

So far, only Belarus was noticed for shooting down Russian “Shaheds.” I couldn’t imagine it would be that way… I think this is truly humiliating for the strong democratic world.

We and our partners know exactly all the spots where Russia is gathering forces for strikes. All of them. We know where Russian air defense is located. If any of our partners don’t know, we can share this information. Everyone knows where Russian missile launchers are being deployed, and what logistics routes are critical for the Russian occupation forces. All of this can be destroyed in a matter of months. Let me remind you that the war has been going on for 10 years, and the full-scale one for almost three. So, what is lacking to bring it to an end? Strength? Decisions? Or the will to do so?

Why can Putin keep his own weapons production at a maximum? He gets critical components. In the Russian missiles that hit our cities and villages on a daily basis, we see components from all over the world – America, Europe, Taiwan etc. Chains of such supplies to Russia still exist. And it turns out that it is cheaper for Putin to continue his terror than for us to defend ourselves against it. The logistics of weapons in Russia and the sites for Russian strikes are, unfortunately, still beyond the reach of our defenders, our defensive strikes. We have effective drones. But drones cannot do what missiles are supposed to. And even artillery – Putin can get more than enough and relatively cheap from North Korea. Meanwhile, for Ukraine, every defense package is an achievement.

Why am I talking so much about the details on weapons right now? In fact, these are details about forcing Russia into peace. Putin does not understand anything else. Only the things that strengthen Ukraine’s position. Only what makes the situation worse for Russia. Only the fact that the partners are actually taking the necessary steps, and not promising to consider what steps are needed from meeting to meeting, as if it is still not clear for someone.

Of course, we are at war, and in such conditions it is impossible to plan a completely unchanged schedule. But this month, I have a meeting with President Biden planned. I will present him with the Victory Plan. A system of interconnected decisions that will give Ukraine sufficient strength – enough strength to put this war on a course to peace.

Wars of aggression such as Russia’s war against Ukraine can end fairly in several ways – either the occupying army is pushed out or diplomacy ensures that the country’s real independence is preserved and it is freed from occupation. In both cases, Ukraine needs a strong position. The United States can help with this. If we, along with our key partner, equally strive for victory. The Victory Package that I’ll present to the President of the United States can pave the way for a lasting peace – for the full implementation of the Peace Formula. Unfortunately, there are still illusions in the world that it’s possible to talk to Moscow or draw some new red lines that will eventually make Moscow softer and inclined toward reconciliation. But without illusions, if we all want to one day hear the words – “peace has finally come, a just peace in Ukraine” – then we must hear now – “Ukraine has become powerful enough – powerful enough to win.” That will be the true guarantee of peace.

And it depends not only on us. In many ways, it depends on the world – on you, dear friends.

I thank all Ukrainians for their courage! I am grateful to each of our partners who are really doing everything to make Ukraine strong and to ensure that our country wins.

And I want to be able to thank the leaders of the world for the key thing – for the kind of help that will make Ukraine’s victory inevitable. Only in this way will the desire to seek real peace reach Putin’s bubble.

Thank you for your attention!

Слава Україні!

The cost:

Here’s the machine translation:

Pavlo Charkin, a MobiDev sysadmin from Kharkiv, born in 1994, died.
died on September 4 near the village of Suzha in the Kursk region, was the commander of a mortar platoon, senior officer of the mortar battery of the assault battalion of the 92nd brigade.
He was mobilized to the Armed Forces at the beginning of a full-scale war.

Yesterday, my son Matityahu (Anton) was laid to rest… Friends, I am grateful to each of you, I have received tens of thousands of words of sympathy and support. I read each and every one of them. Your warm words, coming from the heart, fill me with confidence in our victory over evil.

Because evil is limited, its essence is to kill, destroy, and annihilate. And goodness is infinite, it means loving, building, nurturing, helping.

I am sure that together we will dispel this evil and it will disappear!

Friends, we are launching a fundraising campaign to honour the memory of the hero Matityahu, whose life was dedicated to caring for others. This house will become a living manifestation of his love and compassion, giving warmth and support to those who have been left homeless and without hope by the war – refugees, the elderly, widows and orphans: https://charidy.com/msc ‼️Every donation you make will be matched by our friends “Yael Fondation”

Glory to G-d!
Glory to Ukraine!

The reason:

Finland:

Finland announced the 25th military aid package for Ukraine valued at EUR 118 million.

The total value of the defense material delivered by Finland to Ukraine is now EUR 2.3 billion.

We are grateful to our Finnish partners for their unwavering support!
Together, we are stronger!
🇺🇦🤝🇫🇮
@DefenceFinland

Denmark:

Held an important meeting with the delegation led by the Minister of Defense of Denmark, @troelslundp.

I thanked the government and people of Denmark for their faith in the victory of Ukraine and their significant contribution to our fight against the aggressor.

Denmark became the first country to invest in the development of Ukraine’s defense industry—we call it the “Danish model.” Denmark directly financed more than 50 million euros for Ukrainian equipment production.

We discussed the dynamics on the battlefield, the enemy’s plans, and our immediate needs.

Every day, the russian aviation makes about 200 combat missions and launches up to 150 bombs. To stop russian air superiority, we need to strengthen air defense and achieve air superiority. Denmark plays a key role in this by training our pilots and by providing F-16 aircraft, which have already proven their effectiveness.

I am grateful to Denmark for its constant support and am confident that our cooperation will help ensure a free future for Ukraine and Europe.

Poland:

The US:

From The Kyiv Independent:

Democratic candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will be “more aggressive” in supporting Ukraine than U.S. President Joe Biden if she wins the November election, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William B. Taylor said on Sept. 12.

“She will have the ability to be even stronger if she wants to. And my bet is she’s going to be a little more aggressive than President Biden,” Taylor said at a meeting at the American University Kyiv attended by the Kyiv Independent’s journalist.

The meeting with Taylor occurred shortly after the first debate between Harris and Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, on Sept. 10.

During the debate, Trump refused to say that he wanted Ukraine to win the war and dodged a question as to whether a Ukrainian victory was in the United States’ best interests. Harris, in response, accused Trump of giving up on Ukraine.

Taylor highlighted that Harris “clearly supports” Ukraine and will continue to do so “until it prevails.”

The former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine also said that Biden has done “a great job” of assembling and maintaining a coalition of partners but has been “slow to make some decisions.”

“He was slow to make some decisions about HIMARS, Abrams, and F-16s, and now he is slow to make decisions about attacking deep into Russia,” Taylor said, adding that despite the slow pace, his decisions were correct.

Harris has already shown in some issues that she is “more aggressive” than Biden, according to Taylor.

The former ambassador also noted that if Harris wins the presidential election, she will likely bring a new team to the White House.

“If she’s elected, she will have a new secretary of state, probably a new national security advisor. She has the opportunity to bring in people who are even more supportive of Ukraine or not. My bet is they will be more supportive,” Taylor said.

Harris became the presumptive nominee after Biden dropped out of the race in July and now has a chance of becoming the first female U.S. president in history.

Harris will take on Trump in the general election scheduled for Nov. 5, running alongside her vice presidential running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Unfortunately, also the US:

From The Hill:

The Biden administration has requested Congress to include an extension of the presidential drawdown authority (PDA) for sending weapons to Ukraine through 2025, to make approximately $5.8 billion available beyond Sept. 30.

The White House has requested the extension be included in a continuing resolution House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has proposed. The money faces a use-it-or-lose-it deadline at the end of this month.

“We have $5.9 billion left in Ukraine Presidential Drawdown Authority; all but $100 million of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year,” said Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, in an email to The Hill.

“The Department will continue to provide drawdown packages in the near future and is working with Congress to seek an extension of PDA authorities beyond the end of the fiscal year.”

The Biden administration has used the drawdown authority to deliver weapons quickly to Ukraine directly through Department of Defense stocks. The funds appropriated by Congress relate to the valuation of the military equipment donated to Ukraine, and the dollars used to backfill U.S. supplies.

The measure allows the Pentagon to ship out older military equipment and refill stocks with newer equipment. But assistance to Ukraine is often doled out in batches of hundreds of millions of dollars to avoid emptying Pentagon stocks and account for the time to backfill.

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $250 million in military assistance for Ukraine by using the authority — providing air defense missiles and support, munitions for rocket systems and artillery, anti-tank weapons, Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and other armored vehicles, among other items.

Getting Congress to extend the PDA for the $5.8 billion will allow the White House to continue dispatching to Ukraine military assistance in small batches a few times a month.

A congressional aide told The Hill that absent the extension, the Biden administration could announce it is providing $5.8 billion in military assistance to Ukraine before Oct. 1, and then use the rest of the year to send over the equipment — but that this is a less attractive option.

There may be some legal challenges to allocating the $5.8 billion at once, the aide explained, with lawyers for the administration concerned that there may not be an authority to permit transfers of munitions that are not currently in stock, or considered in surplus.

Extending the authority is unlikely to face opposition in the stop-gap funding measure, but Johnson’s pathway to passing the bill is fraught, thanks in part to former President Trump insisting on legislation requiring proof of citizenship for voting — a move that Democrats have said is a nonstarter. Noncitizens are already barred from voting in federal elections.

“This major problem for managing the support for Ukraine is one of the many unnecessary casualties of the political gamesmanship on the CR playing out right now,” the congressional aide said.

This is no way to run a superpower. Hell, this is no way to run a failed state like, for instance, Mississippi.

Even worse in the US:

And DC:

Oopsie!

I believe that’s what’s called a Kinsley gaffe.

🧵The White House’s John Kirby lowered expectations for a decision on permission for Ukraine to use western provided munitions for long range strikes into Russia coming out of POTUS meeting with UK PM today: I “would not expect there to be any announcements on this coming out of the meeting today. There’s been no change to our policy…with respect to the long-range strike capability inside Russia, and I’d leave it at that.”

Oy vey.

CNN has more on the Russian political warfare and influence operations being run through RT:

The Biden administration on Friday announced a major effort to blunt the global influence of RT and expose what it says is the Russian state media network’s key role in the Kremlin’s global intelligence and influence operations.

The State Department revealed declassified US intelligence findings that suggest RT is fully integrated into Russia’s intelligence operations around the world and announced it is launching a diplomatic campaign to provide countries with information about the risks associated with RT activities.

“Thanks to new information, much of which originates from RT employees, we know that RT possessed cyber capabilities and engaged in covert information and influence operations and military procurement,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday.

A key finding from the new US intelligence is that, for more than a year, the Russian government quietly embedded an intelligence-gathering unit within RT focused on influence operations globally. That activity has been part of US officials described as a big expansion of RT’s role as an arm and mouthpiece of the Kremlin abroad. The activity goes beyond propaganda and covert influence operations to even include military procurement, according to US officials.

“Under the cover of RT, information produced through this unit flows to Russian intelligence services, Russian media outlets, Russian mercenary groups, and other state and proxy arms of the Russian government,” Blinken said.

In addition to its covert influence operations, the leaders of RT also administered an online crowdfunding effort to supply military equipment to Russian soldiers in Ukraine, Blinken alleged.

The crowdfunding effort supplied “sniper rifles, suppressors, body armor, night vision equipment, drones, radio equipment, personal weapon sights, diesel generators” to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine, according to Blinken.

The goal of the US announcement — and private discussions with allied diplomats — is to make sure that countries know that RT and Russian intelligence agencies are working together to sow division and harm democratic processes, while simultaneously making it much more difficult for RT to operate globally, a senior administration official said.

CNN first reported on the pending State Department announcement.

Asked for comment by CNN, RT responded with a mocking email that read in part: “We’ve been broadcasting straight out of the KGB headquarters all this time.”

CNN has requested comment from the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC.

Friday’s news is part of a full-fledged US government effort to curb RT’s global clout. It comes just a week after federal prosecutors announced criminal charges against two RT employees for covertly funneling nearly $10 million into a US company to create and amplify content that aligned with Russian interests. The covert influence campaign was aimed at the American public ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, US officials said.

US diplomats are looking to the coming days and weeks – including the UN General Assembly gathering – to build a coalition of countries willing to combat the threat that US officials see from RT.

Formerly known as Russia Today, RT runs television and online platforms around the world that advance the Kremlin’s agenda. The US Department of Justice forced RT America to register as a foreign agent in 2017 after US intelligence officials concluded that the media outlet contributed to Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 election.

The US believes RT propaganda and disinformation has been key to generating pro-Russia reactions to the Ukraine war globally, a senior administration official told CNN.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, RT was banned in the European Union, and in the US the channel is not publicly broadcast. But in Latin American and Sub-Saharan Africa RT broadcasts have been expanding.

RT’s broadcasts have had a “deleterious effect on the views of the rest of the world about a war [in Ukraine] that should be an open-and-shut case,” James Rubin, the coordinator for the department’s Global Engagement Center, told reporters after Blinken’s remarks.

RT’s embrace of covert activities is a response to the restrictions on the outlet’s presence in some Western countries, according to US officials. A separate scheme hatched by RT, US prosecutors said in July, involved running a network of over 1,000 social media accounts that posed as US residents to spread anti-Ukraine propaganda. The Kremlin financed the scheme and an officer of Russia’s FSB intelligence service helped run the operation, the Justice Department claimed.

It was not immediately clear on Friday whether the Russian intelligence unit embedded within RT described by State Department officials was still active. “I can’t answer that,” Rubin said.

More at the link.

The former Russian Foreign Minister from 1990 to 1996:

The 2014 and 2022 Russian invasions have driven Ukraine’s already dire demographic crisis to catastrophic levels. Birth rates are among the lowest in the world, while death rate is the highest. Despite enduring horrific human losses during World War I, the Holodomor, and World War II, Ukraine managed to survive and emerge independent – remarkable resilience. Today, tens of millions of Ukrainians have been displaced, cities reduced to rubble, and millions more are being pushed into poverty. This is Europe’s worst humanitarian tragedy of the 21st century.

Despite the incredible resilience of the Ukrainian people and their heroic resistance against one of the world’s largest military forces, the collapse of the country and the erasure of its nationhood is a real possibility. Many pro-Ukraine advocates in the West seem to ignore this grim reality, believing Ukraine can hold out indefinitely. Yet, its population has nearly halved, its industry is in ruins, and people are fighting on, impoverished, for the basic right not to be assimilated or exiled to remote corners of Russia.

Either Russia’s ambitions are stopped in Ukraine, allowing the country to quickly rebuild like many post-war nations in Europe and Asia, or Ukraine succumbs to becoming a buffer zone between East and West. In the latter scenario, its occupied territories would be plundered, and its population relocated to replenish Russia’s human losses: at the cost of Ukraine’s future.

EuroMaidan Press has the details:

According to recent reports from The World Factbook, Ukraine is facing a severe demographic crisis, with the highest death rate and lowest birth rate in the world.

The data reveals that Ukraine’s death rate stands at 18.6 per 1,000 people, the highest globally. For comparison, Lithuania, the second-highest, has a death rate of 15.02 per 1,000 people, followed by Serbia at 14.9. Russia’s death rate stands at 14 per 1,000 while at the other end of the spectrum, Qatar has the lowest death rate at 1.4 per 1,000 people.

Simultaneously, Ukraine’s birth rate is the world’s lowest at 6 births per 1,000 people. The French territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon is second-lowest with 6.4 births per 1,000 people. Niger leads the world in birth rate with 46.6 births per 1,000 people.

The situation in Ukraine has worsened in recent years. In the first half of 2024, Ukraine recorded 87,655 births, a 9% decrease from the same period last year. During this time, there were 250,972 deaths, meaning for every newborn, there were three deaths. This ratio has deteriorated from 2:1 in 2018-2020 before the full-scale war.

Regional disparities are evident, with Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and Kyiv registering the highest numbers of both births and deaths. Frontline regions are particularly affected, with Kherson Oblast recording only 221 births in the first half of 2024.

The Ministry of Health reports that birth rates in Ukraine have been declining by approximately 7% annually since 2014, when Russia attacked Ukraine. The situation further deteriorated after the 2022 full-scale invasion. For perspective, in the first half of 2021, Ukraine recorded 132,595 births, 1.5 times higher than current figures.

These stark demographics paint a concerning picture of Ukraine’s future, impacting its economy, social services, and national development and potentially raising the question of the overall sustainability of the Ukrainian nation. The ongoing Russian war against Ukraine exacerbates these trends.

Not sure where in Ukraine this is, but it gives new meaning to the order “make it hot!”

Kyiv:

Kharkiv:

🕯🇺🇦A memorial plaque to combat medic and Hero of Ukraine Vladyslav Tytarenko unveiled on September 13, 2024, in #Kharkiv on the wall of the hospital where he worked.

He was killed by a Russian air strike on Kruhlyakivka near #Kupiansk on August 5, 2023.

Vladyslav died at the age of 28, a month short of his birthday. He was buried on the Alley of Glory in Kharkiv. This year, the combat medic was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine posthumously.

📷 Kharkiv National Medical University, Suspilne Kharkiv, Oksana Tytarenko

Kherson:

For you drone and rocket launcher enthusiasts:

💥 Successful test of the world’s first rocket launcher drone

The Bulava drone unit of the Separate Presidential Brigade named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky installed a rocket launcher on the Queen Hornet FPV drone and conducted a successful test.

From now on, an ordinary rocket launcher can work at a distance of 5+ km. This opens up new opportunities for the military.

We can’t tell you any other details yet, except that we will continue to work in this direction in collaboration with Bulava with the goal of going into mass production to help our military.

If you want to participate in the creation of new types of weapons for the elimination of ruzzia, you can do so by donating any amount:

💲 PayPal: [email protected]

The Kursk cross border offensive:

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

A new video from Patron’s official TikTok!

@patron__dsns

Це сталось! Якщо зайти на мій канал в YouTube (Patron The Dog), або тицьнувши на посилання в шапці профілю – можна побачити першу серію «На краю Світів». Це новий мультсеріал від фей мультиків, який розповідає захопливу історію сімʼї Коваленко. Вони отримали спадок від прабабусі, якої ніколи не бачили. І цей спадок — дуже чудернацький будиночок на краю далекого села у Запорізькій області. І коли вони приїхали — то побачили такееее…👻 Без спойлерів!

♬ оригінальний звук – Patron_official

Here’s the machine translation of the caption:

It happened! If you go to my YouTube channel (Patron The Dog) or click on the link in my profile header, you can see the first episode of “At the Edge of the Worlds”. It’s a new animated series from the cartoon fairies that tells the fascinating story of the Kovalenko family. They received an inheritance from their great-grandmother, whom they had never met. And this inheritance is a very strange house on the edge of a distant village in the Zaporizhzhia region. And when they arrived, they saw this… 👻 No spoilers!

And here’s the trailer video. I’ll post the full one tomorrow night (got to make sure I don’t run out of content…).

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

10Comments

  2. 2.

    Jay

    Thank you, Adam.

    TIFF has “suspended” the showing of the ruZZian propaganda film, but has not “cancelled it”.

    They are doubling down on victimhood, bullshit, gaslighting and whitewashing.

    The pressure campaign has not stopped.

    Pekka Kallioniemi
    @P_Kallioniemi
    16h
    In today’s #vatniksoup I’ll introduce a Russian filmmaker, Anastasia Trofimova. She’s best-known for her latest controversial documentary “Russians at War”, and for working as a producer for Russian state-funded media outlet RT.

    1/19

    Thread here,

    https://nitter.poast.org/P_Kallioniemi/status/1834508264156852448#m

  6. 6.

    KatKapCC

    By Harris being more “aggressive”, I hope that means the moment she finishes taking the oath on Inauguration Day, she grabs her cell, calls President Zelensky, and says “Aim the missiles wherever the hell you need to”.

    (I am aware this will not happen and it is far more complicated. A girl can have her daydreams, though.)

  9. 9.

    wjca

    @KatKapCC: the m oment she finishes taking the oath on Inauguration Day

    I have more ambitious daydreams.  I’d have her have everybody primed ahead of time:  “Watch your TV.  When I finish the oath, you’re good to go.”

    Equally unrealistic, I know.

Comments are closed.