Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Can we lighten up on the doomsday scenarios?

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

The new republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

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

The words do not have to be perfect.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

One of our two political parties is a cult whose leader admires Vladimir Putin.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

Republicans can’t even be trusted with their own money.

The revolution will be supervised.

American History and Black History can not be separated.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Bad people in a position to do bad things will do bad things because they are bad people. End of story.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Ron DeSantis, the grand wizard, oops, governor of FL.

Let me file that under fuck it.

Today’s gop: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

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

Republicans do not pay their debts.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

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

You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / War for Ukraine Day 950: Russia’s Butcher’s Bill for September 2024

War for Ukraine Day 950: Russia’s Butcher’s Bill for September 2024

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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)

A quick housekeeping note. Rosie had her penultimate treatment today. She has two weeks off and then the final one. Thank you for all the good thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations.

Here’s Russia’s butcher’s bill for September:

Here’s the bill just for the past week:

And just for last night:

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

Everything That Can Be Done This Fall, Everything We Can Achieve, We Must Achieve – President’s Address

30 September 2024 – 19:41

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

I have just concluded a meeting following the visit to the United States. The military, the Government, the Office. Our teams – both Ukrainian and American – are already working on everything we discussed in New York and Washington, and we are already preparing for the upcoming “Ramstein” meeting. This will be a special “Ramstein,” and our partners will receive all the details and arguments from our side on how to ensure results in the coming months both at the front and in diplomatic work. The power of weapons and the power of diplomacy are always effective when working together, and this is exactly our plan – this is exactly how we should implement the Victory Plan. We are also expecting concrete actions from our partners to strengthen our strategy. This applies to all our partners – our strength lies in the fact that the free world is defending itself.

We are also preparing to sign another security agreement for Ukraine – the twenty-seventh one already.

I held a meeting of the Staff today. Several key issues were discussed. The first is manning the brigades. The second is weapons and equipment for our warriors – procurement and supply. Additionally, I had a separate discussion with Ukraine’s Defense Minister Umerov regarding the fulfillment of contracts and the functioning of institutions within the Ministry of Defense. All real reform measures must be fully implemented.

Today, we also had a detailed and very long conversation with Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Barhylevych. More than two and a half hours. Reports on each of our frontline areas, our further capabilities, and our specific tasks. The situation is very challenging. The most important thing is to put pressure on Russia using all available means and tools to achieve our goal of a real and just peace for Ukraine and all our people as soon as possible. Everything that can be done this fall, everything we can achieve, we must achieve. And it depends on everyone in the Ukrainian team. Now we have to work as hard as we can before “Ramstein.”

I thank everyone who is fighting and working for Ukraine! I thank everyone who is helping us!

Glory to Ukraine!

The cost and the reason:

Denmark:

Here’s the full text of the MOD’s tweet:

🇺🇦 and 🇩🇰 signed a Letter of Intent regarding the implementation of financial support for our defense production

Denmark allocates 175 million euros, and another 400 million will be taken from surplus profits of immobilised russian assets. This is a direct contribution to the development of Ukrainian attack UAVs, missiles and anti-tank systems.

Tusind tak 🇩🇰

And Defense Minister Umerov’s:

Ukraine and Denmark signed a Letter of Intent regarding the implementation of financial support for defense production in 🇺🇦.

This will help attract almost 600 million euros of investment in our defense industry.

This is a direct contribution to the development of Ukrainian attack UAVs, missiles and anti-tank systems. Denmark allocates 175 million euros, and another 400 million will be taken from surplus profits of immobilised russian assets.

We are sincerely grateful to our partners for their unwavering support! 🇺🇦🇩🇰
@Forsvarsmin @troelslundp

Alaska:

I believe the Russian word for this is nekulturny.

More on the recent revision regarding Russia’s nuclear weapons “doctrine”:

Anders Umland in The Kyiv Independent: (emphasis mine)

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a seemingly significant modification of Russia’s military doctrine in a statement on Sept. 25. He revealed that the new doctrine would propose considering aggression against Russia by a non-nuclear state, “with the participation or support of a nuclear state,” as a “joint attack” on Russia. Putin’s message to the West is clear: If you help Ukraine militarily, we may also target you.

The Russian president further explained that the new doctrine will “clearly set the conditions for Russia to transition to using nuclear weapons.”

“We will consider such a possibility (of nuclear retaliation) when we receive reliable information about a massive launch of air and space attack assets and them crossing our state border,” Putin warned darkly, citing “strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, (and)  hypersonic and other flying vehicles.” He clarified that the changes apply to both Russia and Belarus.

What makes this threat different from Putin’s earlier ones is not its boldness but that it concerns a forthcoming formal document. Despite this, Putin’s announcements do not fundamentally alter Russia’s position. The pre-announced changes to Russia’s military doctrine are as much a psychological operation by the Kremlin as previous nuclear intimidations.

As with past threats, Moscow aims to scare away foreign supporters of Ukraine from continuing and expanding their aid. The proposed change in military doctrine is another attempt to curtail Western assistance to Ukraine.

However, it’s important to put Putin’s statement in context. Russian official texts – whether laws, doctrines, or treaties – carry little weight in a country where there is no rule of law and state behavior is marked by arbitrariness. As in domestic affairs, Kremlin decisions are based on political preferences, with legal acts being adapted, interpreted or amended as needed.

Putin’s latest threats are linked to ongoing strategic debates in the West. One critical discussion is whether to provide Ukraine with more advanced  weaponry, including Germany’s highly effective, yet now notorious, Taurus cruise missiles. Another debate concerns allowing Ukraine to use Western missiles inside Russia. The latter, in particular, seems to be a source of concern for the Kremlin.

These issues must be viewed in their broader historical context. For more than two years, Ukraine has attacked Russian military targets in Crimea, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts – territories Russia considers its own following the illegal annexations of 2014 and 2022, as well as respective changes in the Russian Constitution.

More recently, Ukraine has also targeted military and industrial sites within Russia’s undisputed territory, including a drone attack on the Kremlin. Some of these strikes, particularly those on large ammunition depots deep inside Russia, have been notably successful.

Russia’s current military doctrine already allows the use of nuclear weapons in response to conventional attacks. Since 2010, the doctrine has permitted nuclear retaliation if the state’s existence is threatened by conventional weapons. This provision was reaffirmed in the 2020 “Foundations of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Area of Nuclear Deterrence.” Given Ukraine’s repeated attacks on Russian territory, Moscow could have invoked this doctrine long ago as justification for a nuclear response.

Since 2014, Putin and his associates have repeatedly signaled their willingness to use nuclear weapons in response to Western-supported Ukrainian resistance against Russia’s territorial expansion using conventional weaponry.

The phrase “the very existence of the Russian state” could be interpreted to encompass the inviolability of its borders and the security of its airspace – including the annexed Ukrainian territories that Moscow now views as part of Russia. Ukraine’s strikes and incursions into legitimate and illegally held Russian territory since 2022 could also have been viewed by the Kremlin as justification for retaliating with weapons of mass destruction.

However, no nuclear weapons have been used. This is because Russian threats – whether verbal or written – are not previews of actual actions. They are part of a psychological warfare campaign aimed at undermining Ukraine’s defense. Putin’s recent announcement of changes to Russia’s military doctrine is just another move in this high-stakes PR game.

A decision to use nuclear weapons would be driven more by political calculations than by doctrinal documents. If the Kremlin believes that using such weapons would enhance its power, it may act – regardless of the specific wording in official texts. Political utility, rather than legal obligation, will guide Moscow’s choices.

Imagine that, it was political warfare all along!

Vochansk, Kharkiv Oblast:

Today Russian forces launched a major attack on the Kharkiv front, in the town of Vovchansk:

From the Russian side 17 MT-LB, 3 tanks and more than 100 infantry were involved in the assault operations in the Vovchan direction.

16 MT-LBs were destroyed, 1 tank was knocked out, which was able to retreat together with survivors.

As said by Ukrainian soldier: “The boys confidently met Russian armor in the Vovchansk front, as I said, the units were ready for this, so they worked confidently.

In addition to the destroyed iron, there are a lot of corpses lying around them, since almost all the boxes were with infantry.”

https://t.me/BaluHub777/14990

Kherson Oblast:

The Pokrovsk front:

The Kursk cross border offensive:

Moscow:

Russia’s military expenditures will increase to 13.5 trillion rubles ($145.3 billion) or 6.3% of GDP in 2025.

The Russian government has submitted a draft budget for 2025 and the next two years to the State Duma.

This amount is almost double the military spending in 2024 and is the highest figure in the country’s post-Soviet history.

Earlier, Bloomberg predicted that in 2025, the Russian authorities intend to increase defense spending to 13.2 trillion rubles ($142.1 billion), but the published figures turned out to be even higher. At the same time, spending on national security coincides with the published data of the publication – almost 3.46 trillion rubles ($37.3 billion).

◾️It also follows from the draft budget that the Russian authorities plan to spend almost 1.58 trillion rubles ($17 billion) on education in 2025, 1.86 trillion rubles ($20 billion) on health care, and 6.4 trillion rubles ($68.9 billion) on social policy.

◾️In 2025, Russian housing and utilities tariffs will increase by 11.9%. This is twice as much as it was planned last year.

◾️Gas will rise in price by 10.3% and electricity by 12.6%. A year ago, tariffs in 2025 were planned to be indexed by 5.7%. In 2024, tariffs rose by 9.8%.

◾️The 2025 Russian budget allocates 49 million rubles ($527.6 thousand) for the Readovka Telegram channel. Vladimir Solovyev’s Solovyev Live TV channel will also receive state funding. From 2025 to 2027, 4.5 billion rubles ($48.5 million) will be allocated to it.

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

First some adjacent material.

The two horses were in the open, 2 kilometers from enemy positions in Donetsk region. One of the horses was wounded.

Ukrainian Defenders Oleksandr and Stepan found them on their way back from a combat mission and immediately started looking for help.

Animal Rescue Kharkiv rescuers together with the military went to the site to rescue the horses. Since the terrain was open, they had to take the horses 2 kilometers on foot to the first place where they could park a car with a trailer.

It took about 2 hours to get the horses into the trailer.

Thanks to Warriors Oleksandr and Stepan and their teamwork with the rescuers, the injured mare and her friend were saved. They turned out to be very sociable.

📹: ARK

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    6. 6.

      karen marie

      @Parfigliano: Must be nice to be able to foretell the future.  What other info do you have for us?  Is Harris going to win the election?  Will Putin at some point fall out a window?  What will I have for dinner?

      Reply
    7. 7.

      YY_Sima Qian

      The IDFs has marched into southern Lebanon. We will see if this operation remains “limited”. The very effective Israeli shaping operations prior to the land offensive should greatly hamper Hezbollah’s ability to mount a coordinated defense, at least in the short term.

      The Biden Administration is supporting the “limited” IDF incursion, while urging a diplomatic endgame. We will see if the Israeli government (not just Bibi) is any more interested in that endgame as they have been in Gaza, or if Biden will be any more effective here.

      Color me skeptical.

      Reply

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