Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

Donald Trump, welcome to your everything, everywhere, all at once.

Israel is using food as a weapon of war. Unforgivable.

Please don’t feed the bears.

Fundamental belief of white supremacy: white people are presumed innocent, minorities are presumed guilty.

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

The gop couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

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

The Supreme Court is corrupt. Democrats must win in November and force court reform.

People are weird.

Celebrate the fucking wins.

So many bastards, so little time.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

When they say they’re pro-life, they don’t mean yours.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

There is one struggling party in US right now, and it’s not the Democrats.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / War for Ukraine Day 986: A Brief Election Night Update

War for Ukraine Day 986: A Brief Election Night Update

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Two quick housekeeping notes. First, Rosie is doing very well. Thank you for all the good thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations.

Second, since I know everyone is focused on other issues tonight, we’ll just run through the basics tonight.

Let’s start with Russian interference in the US election:

You – and this includes the US National Command Authority – may not be interested in being in a world war with Russia, but Russia and its world war are definitely interested in you.

The Kursk cross-border offensive:

North Koreans want porn!

From Task & Purpose:

North Korean troops deployed to Russia may have discovered online pornography, and really gotten into it, the chief foreign affairs commentator for the Financial Times newspaper posted on X.

“A usually reliable source tells me that the North Korean soldiers who have deployed to Russia have never had unfettered access to the internet before,” wrote Gideon Rachman. “As a result, they are gorging on pornography.”

Rachman did not specify who his source was or how this person would be in a position to know whether roughly 10,000 North Koreans deployed to Russia had figured out how to find such adult sites, considering the country’s tight controls on internet use, but this is social media, and “some guy” on Twitter (ahem, I mean ‘X’) posting about whether North Korean troops are spending their downtime watching porn is enough to drive 1.5 million people to read the post, as of publication time.

Now, as the puppet musical “Avenue Q” taught us, the internet is for porn. But if North Korean troops now in Russia are indeed spending their time away from home in that fashion online, who’s to say what damage that could cause to the computers in their tactical operations center, once they become overrun with pop-ads for erectile dysfunction medication?

Given the enormous signals intelligence capabilities that the Defense Department has, one might assume that the Pentagon would have a good idea of whether horny North Korean troops are at risk of bringing down the entire Russian network.

Alas, a brave Pentagon spokesperson had little to say about the matter.

“As entertaining as that sounds, I can’t confirm any North Korean internet habits or virtual ‘extracurriculars’ in Russia,” Army Lt. Col. Charlie Dietz told Task & Purpose. “We’re focused on the more serious aspects of North Korea’s involvement, if any, in Russia’s military operations. As for internet access, that’s a question best directed to Moscow. Right now, our attention remains on supporting Ukraine and addressing the more significant regional security concerns.”

There’s a reason DIA stands for Do It Again…

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

The First Battles with North Korean Soldiers Open a New Page of Instability in the World – Address by the President

5 November 2024 – 20:38

Dear Ukrainians!

Today we did a lot of internal work, work on the points of the Internal Strengthening Plan for our state, our society. Today we discussed military proposals – the points concerning the front. Our strategy and tactics. We must direct all our state’s resources to ensure that Ukraine’s tasks are fulfilled. I held a long meeting. The Military Command, the Government. The Commander-in-Chief, the General Staff, the Ministry of Defense, along with the Prime Minister, the First Deputy Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation and Technology, the Minister of Strategic Industries, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, and the Foreign Intelligence Service. This frontline point of the Plan plus our defense and industrial complex are truly fundamental things, and everything else in our state’s life depends on how this is defined. Therefore, a clear certainty about the front – the ways to achieve our goals – and a significant scale-up of Ukraine’s domestic defense and industrial complex, tailored to the existing tasks – are something for which every step of our state should and will be calculated.

Today, we also decided on a lot of issues related to our diplomacy. Together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, we discussed the candidates for the vacant posts of Ukrainian Ambassadors in the respective countries, and we also discussed the results of our diplomats’ efforts. We are preparing replacements and appointments.

And one more thing.

I want to thank everyone in the world who reacted to the deployment of North Korean soldiers in Russia. And who reacted not only with words, but also by preparing appropriate actions to support our defense here in Ukraine. Terror, unfortunately, can spread like a virus when it does not meet sufficient counteraction. Now, our counteraction must be sufficient. Strong enough. The first battles with North Korean soldiers open a new page of instability in the world. Together with the world, we must do everything to make this Russian step to expand the war – to really escalate it – to make this step a failure. Both for them, and for North Korea. I thank all those who are helping!

I thank all those who are working for the benefit of our state and people!

Glory to Ukraine!

The cost:

“They fought, loved and died together.”

A couple in love died at the front – Danylo “Berserk”, a Warrior of the 3rd Assault Brigade, and combat medic Valentyna Nahorna, with the call sign “Valkyrie”.

Sergeant Valentyna Nahorna was a biotechnologist and manicurist in civilian life. She joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. “Valkyrie” provided medical care to a huge number of wounded Ukrainian Defenders.

Valentyna’s boyfriend “Berserk” had extensive combat experience since 2014. Between the battles for Kyiv, he taught everyone medicine, his brothers-in-arms recall.

Eternal memory and eternal glory to Ukrainian Heroes.

Lithuania:

Lithuania handed over an aid package to Ukraine within the Demining Coalition – 230 pickup trucks and 240 metal detectors.

This equipment will significantly boost our sappers. The vehicles will be used for humanitarian demining and will increase the mobility of demining teams.

We are grateful to Lithuanian partners, and especially Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas’, for supporting our nation.
Together, we are stronger.
🇺🇦🤝🇱🇹
@Lithuanian_MoD

Australia:

Australia will provide 14 rigid-hull boats for Ukraine to bolster Ukraine’s maritime and coastal defense. The package has a value of $14 million.

These sea boats will provide a rapid and highly maneuverable maritime capability for Ukraine.

We are grateful to our Australian friends for their staunch support!
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Australia has provided more than $1.3 billion in military support that significantly strengthened our warriors on the battlefield.
🇺🇦🤝🇦🇺
@DefenceAust @RichardMarlesMP

I can’t remember if I covered it when the news initially broke because it was during my hurricane evac, but in case I didn’t Australia is also sending Ukraine 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks!

  • Australia is to give 49 superseded M1A1 tanks to Ukraine, whose president sent his thanks for the “brave” donation which he described as essential assistance in its defence against Russia’s invasion. Some will need refurbishment first, or could be used for spare parts as Ukrainian soldiers are already using American M1A1 tanks, also known as the Abrams, donated by the US. Australia’s most recent A$245m aid package for Ukraine also includes air defence missiles, guided weapons, anti-tank weapons, artillery, mortars and small arms ammunition.
  • The tanks bring Australia’s total military aid contribution to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022 to A$1.3bn, which includes 120 Bushmaster vehicles. Australia’s defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, told national broadcaster the ABC: “We’re really privileged to be the largest non-Nato contributor of military assistance.” Australia is upgrading to the M1A2 version of the Abrams tank.

NATO:

“The shifting front line of this war is no longer solely within Ukraine”, – NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte

Yesterday, @SecGenNATO visited Berlin for the first time since his appointment as NATO Chief. A press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz concluded the visit.

Here are some of the highlights:

◾️Ramping up military spending among NATO members and continued support to Ukraine were the main topics discussed at the press conference.

◾️Rutte called the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia’s war against Ukraine a “significant escalation”, and emphasized the need for cooperation with Indopacific partners to strengthen collective security.

◾️Asked about Ukraine’s path to NATO, Secretary General said that the commitments made in Washington, together with the continued support by individual NATO members, the $40 billion pledge, and bilateral security agreements between Ukraine and NATO states are a “bridge” towards Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance in the longer term. “I am absolutely convinced that one day Ukraine will be a member of NATO,” Rutte said.

More on the Russian sabotage and wetwork campaign:

From The Wall Street Journal:

Western security officials say they believe that two incendiary devices, shipped via DHL, were part of a covert Russian operation that ultimately aimed to start fires aboard cargo or passenger aircraft flying to the U.S. and Canada, as Moscow steps up a sabotage campaign against Washington and its allies.

The devices ignited at DHL logistics hubs in July, one in Leipzig, Germany, and another in Birmingham, England. The explosions set off a multinational race to find the culprits.

Now investigators and spy agencies in Europe have figured out how the devices—electric massagers implanted with a magnesium-based flammable substance—were made and concluded that they were part of a wider Russian plot, according to security officials and people familiar with the probe.

Security officials say the electric massagers, sent to the U.K. from Lithuania, appear to have been a test run to figure out how to get such incendiary devices aboard planes bound for North America.

Lithuanian police arrested a suspect who sent four incendiary devices, including two from a DHL shop in the capital Vilnius, a European law-enforcement official said. The suspect identified himself as Igor Prudnikov, but his real name is Alexander Suranovas, the official said. Investigators said they believe he was used as a proxy by Russian spy services.

Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office said authorities there have arrested four people in connection with the fires and charged them with participating in sabotage or terrorist operations on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency. Poland is working with other countries to find at least two more suspects.

“The group’s goal was also to test the transfer channel for such parcels, which were ultimately to be sent to the United States of America and Canada,” the prosecutor’s office said, without saying who was orchestrating the group’s efforts.

But the head of Poland’s foreign-intelligence agency, Pawel Szota, said Russian spies were to blame and such an attack, if carried out, would have represented a major escalation in Moscow’s campaign against the West. “I’m not sure the political leaders of Russia are aware of the consequences if one of these packages exploded, causing a mass casualty event,” Szota said.

Szota’s comments echo what other Western intelligence officials said, indicating that Russia, and specifically its military-intelligence agency, known as the GRU, was responsible.

European authorities allege that Russia is behind an expanding campaign of sabotage, including arson in the U.K. and the Czech Republic, attacks on pipelines and data cables in the Baltic and tampering with water supplies in Sweden and Finland.

Earlier this year, the U.S. warned Germany that Russia planned to kill the chief executive of Rheinmetall, the German armaments giant that supplies Ukraine.

In the months after the fires at the DHL logistics hubs, the heads of both U.K. intelligence agencies called out Russia’s sabotage operations. In September, Richard Moore, the head of MI6, the U.K.’s foreign-intelligence service, said that the Russian spy agencies had “gone a bit feral in some of their behavior.”

A month later, Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, the U.K.’s domestic spy agency, warned that Russia was orchestrating “arson, sabotage and more. Dangerous actions conducted with increasing recklessness.”

Downing commercial passenger or cargo planes would be a big step up and some Western intelligence agencies have questioned whether such a plot could be the result of Russian spies carrying out a plan without the full authorization of the Kremlin, according to people familiar with the matter.

The incendiary devices that ignited in July only narrowly missed being on aircraft used by DHL, the people said. German police who tested replicas of the incendiary devices said that once magnesium ignited it would be difficult to extinguish with the firefighting systems most planes have, people familiar with the German investigation said, and pilots would have been forced to make an emergency landing.

An aircraft far from land and over an ocean would have been at risk of going down, the people said.

More at the link.

It’s almost like Russia is waging a world war against the US and our Canadian and European allies and partner.

Kharkiv, but also everywhere in Ukraine:

Today, there is wet snow with rain in many Ukrainian regions. The temperature at night gets below zero. It is already snowing in Kharkiv. The heating is not on in several cities.

Ukraine is getting ready to face the hardest winter in our history.

There may be no electricity in Ukraine for 20 hours a day in winter if Russia strikes our critical energy system and the weather is cold.

As of today, blackouts are most probable for 8-14 hours a day.

We are expecting a very harsh winter. I don’t know if the people in their apartments will be able to survive the prolonged heating and power cuts in severe cold weather. Russia is doing everything to make Ukrainians flee their country.

📹: Kharkiv today

The Lyman direction:

Kherson Oblast:

Zaporizhzhia Oblast:

Sumy Oblast:

Selydove, Donetsk Oblast:

Russian forces allegedly executed six unarmed Ukrainian servicemen near Selydove in the Donetsk region, @GP_Ukraine reports. According to operational data, on October 23, during an offensive on the city, Russian troops captured three 🇺🇦 servicemen and later executed them. In addition, on 1 November, another 3 🇺🇦 POWs were killed in the same area.
#InternationalCrimes

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

First some adjacent material:

Ukrainian Border Guards added four fluffy teammates to their unit – a cat they adopted gave birth to four kittens. Their dad also visits.

Today, I pray that the first decisions and actions of the new US President are helping Ukraine win! This is security of the whole world and Ukrainian lives.

📹: State Border Guard Service of Ukraine

And a new video from Patron’s official TikTok!

@patron__dsns

В моїй голові це виглядало краще :)) #interpretivedance #песпатрон

♬ original sound – Shelbydances!!

Here’s the machine translation of the caption:

It looked better in my head :)) #interpretivedance #песпатрон

Open thread!

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    30Comments

    1. 1.

      Yarrow

      Thanks, Adam. This election is everything for Ukraine. I really hope the voters do the right thing.

      That Patron video made me actually laugh out loud. Thanks for that.

      Reply
    4. 4.

      Yarrow

      Also, this is just hilarious.

      North Korean troops deployed to Russia may have discovered online pornography, and really gotten into it, the chief foreign affairs commentator for the Financial Times newspaper posted on X.
      “A usually reliable source tells me that the North Korean soldiers who have deployed to Russia have never had unfettered access to the internet before,” wrote Gideon Rachman. “As a result, they are gorging on pornography.”

      Of course they are.

      Reply
    6. 6.

      Leto

      NK troops “gorging” on porn via Starlink. No, I have not seen that reported, but considering Russia is heavily utilizing Starlink terminals/bandwidth, just putting 2+2 together. Another reason we need to nationalize it and SpaceX.

      Reply
    7. 7.

      Leto

      Apparently new bomb threats in multiple states, including PA. Shapiro says these are “non-credible.” FBI is attributing them to Russia. Agree with Adam’s assessment, but I have now for the past 8 years.

      Reply
    8. 8.

      Kyle Rayner

      Thank you, Adam. Ukraine has been in my thoughts a lot leading up to this election. I hope we put in power those who will not only continue to send aid, but ramp up with more decisive liberation-oriented action going forward.

      Reply
    12. 12.

      YY_Sima Qian

      OT: Bibi just did this:

      Netanyahu fires Israeli defense minister
      Barak Ravid

      w/ FM Israel Katz as Gallant’s replacement.

      Bibi’s motivation according to Gallant:

      Amichai Stein
      @AmichaiStein1

      Gallant outlines the three reasons for his removal
      – his opposition to a recruitment law that will allow Ultra Orthodox not to be recruited
      – The dispute with Netanyahu over a hostage deal
      – The controversy over the establishment of a state investigative committee: Netanyahu opposes

      Meanwhile:

      Amichai Stein
      @AmichaiStein1

      The IDF announces: The division of the northern Gaza Strip into two parts has been completed, and we getting closer to the complete evacuation of the northern part from civilians and terrorists: “This time there is no intention to allow the residents of the northern Gaza Strip to return to their homes and that humanitarian aid will regularly enter the southern Gaza Strip – since there are no more civilians left north of Gaza City”.

      This is text book ethnic cleansing, & a rapid one (unlike the slow motion one in the WB). Combined w/ the wonton killing of civilians & destruction of life sustaining civilian infrastructure by the IDF in Gaza, & the prevalence of war crimes & crimes against humanity there, I think it is increasingly hard to argue that Israel is not carrying out genocide against. (Note that Gallant appears to OK w/ most of these actions.) This is all happening w/ most of the more powerful Western countries consistently bending over backwards to make excuses for Israel (except Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia & Norway) & provide material support for its war effort.

      Good luck mobilizing global action to censure & sanction crimes against humanity conducted by the US’ geopolitical rivals & adversaries in the future.

      Reply
    13. 13.

      Jay

      Jay in Kyiv
      @JayinKyiv
      20h
      The price of luring Russians into fighting in Ukraine has gone vertical.

      You can see why paying North Korea $2000 per meat-soldier is a bargain for Putin who will now have more cash for missles to rain on apartment buildings full of sleeping families.

      Nov 5, 2024 · 7:04 AM UTC

      https://nitter.poast.org/JayinKyiv/status/1853694946408067325#m

      Not including the Space tech, Nuclear Weapons Tech, fuel and food transfers, ruZZia saves it’s self $23,000 per NORK soldier. More money for bombs to kill Ukrainians.

      Reply
    16. 16.

      wjca

      @Yarrow:  This election is everything for Ukraine. I really hope the voters do the right thing.

      I hope so as well.  But don’t expect we will know for a day or two.

      This does occur to me.  Suppose Trump wins.  At that point Ukraine almost certainly can’t look for further American assistance.  So why care about any restrictions on how they can use what they have in hand?  Definitely including the stupid range restrictions,

      Reply
    18. 18.

      Seeker

      I don’t know if Adam would be willing to do it, but I believe the blog community would benefit from a post by him about how to handle the election result. Maybe he could hide it as his regular update.

      In any case I appreciate all his work here and all of the people that have posted on his updates. It’s been tremendously interesting to learn from all of you. I don’t think I’ll be reading anymore beyond the next few days…I can’t imagine the blog will persist much longer either…so I wish you all the best

      Reply
    19. 19.

      YY_Sima Qian

      @Seeker: I suspect Adam L. Silverman & Van Jackson have somewhat different politics, & probably very different views on US FP, but it is frightening how they seem to inhabit the same mental space on this topic:

      Thinking Your Way Into Political Violence?
      What happens if the national security state decides it doesn’t understand “We protect us”
      UN-DIPLOMATIC
      SEP 18, 2024 ∙ PAID

      The issue discussed is whether organized labor should be at the forefront of organizing community self-defense (armed, if necessary) in face of right wing militancy & terrorism, precipitated specifically by the assaults on Haitian immigrants.

      Worth reading in full.

      Reply
    20. 20.

      Jay

      @Faustusnotes:

      The runes on her arm are fuþark, my Saint Petersburg enemy.

      They translate as “Freedom for Ukraine, Comfort to my Brothers and Sisters, Death to the Nazis.

      So just fuck off you Nazi ruZZian orc humping fuckwad.

      Reply
    21. 21.

      Jay

      @Faustusnotes:

      The runes on her arm are fuþark, my Saint Petersburg enemy.

      They translate as “Freedom for Ukraine, Comfort to my Brothers and Sisters, Death to the Nazis.

      So just fuck off you Nazi ruZZian orc humping fuckwad.

      Reply
    22. 22.

      Jay

      @Faustusnotes:

      The runes on her arm are fuþark, my Saint Petersburg enemy.

      They translate as “Freedom for Ukraine, Comfort to my Brothers and Sisters, Death to the Nazis.

      So just fuck off you Nazi ruZZian orc humping fuckwad.

      Reply
    26. 26.

      Adam L Silverman

      I’ve banned him again. And notified Cole with the screen shots. Sorry you all had to endure the abuse while I got a few hours of sleep. Hopefully Cole will make the ban permanent this time.

      Reply
    29. 29.

      YY_Sima Qian

      @Adam L Silverman: Don’t we all? This was a rear guard actions that must be fought & won, & we lost, in a way that is impossible (as ar as I can tell) to delegitimize the election outcome.

      It is beyond time to search for a new strategy, start thinking the unthinkable, & start taking more heterodox voices seriously, beyond the Dem establishment w/ their staid, technocratic, “good governance” mentality.

      Reply
    30. 30.

      wu ming

      <delurks> thank you adam, both for this series and for your comments about the domestic side of things, however dark your conclusions sometimes can be. can’t deal with shit if you don’t acknowledge what we’re up against. FWIW i would like to second Seeker’s request.<relurks>

      Reply

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