“Ukrainian military’s southern command said the rocket strike targeted the depot in Russian-held Nova Kakhovka, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) east of the important Black Sea port city of Kherson, which is also occupied by Russian forces.
Video on social media showed a massive explosion. The nature of the strike suggested that Ukrainian forces used U.S-supplied multiple-launch High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, to strike the area.
Russia’s Tass news agency offered a different account, saying that the target was a mineral fertilizer storage facility that exploded, and that a market, hospital and houses were damaged. Some of the ingredients in fertilizer can be used for ammunition.
Ukrainian authorities also said that Russian fire struck the southern city of Mykolaiv on Tuesday morning, hitting two medical facilities and residential buildings. Four people were wounded in the shelling attack, Mykolaiv regional governor Vitaliy Kim said on Telegram.
Air raid sirens sounded early Tuesday morning in the western city of Lviv and other areas of Ukraine as Russian forces continued to make advances.
According to a Tuesday intelligence briefing from the British military, Russia is continuing to make “small, incremental gains” in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where heavy fighting led the province’s governor last week to urge its 350,000 remaining residents to move to safer places in western Ukraine.”
Comment: If anything is going to improve Ukraine’s situation it will be this. pl
Ukrainian Rocket Strike Targets Russian Ammunition Depot | Newsmax.com
“Russia’s Tass news agency offered a different account, saying that the target was a mineral fertilizer storage facility that exploded..”. Ah yes, the unmistakable smell of fertilizer is in the air.
Barbara Ann,
Ukrainian missles only ever hit fertilizer plants, just like Russian missles only hit apartment buildings.
My sources report possible destruction of a twelve dimensional set. But I don’t see confirmation and suspect it is based on recent orders received for replacement kits. The set is rumored to have been the possession of a high ranking official, but the country of the official is not indicated by my source.
On a more serious note. Pot. Water. Heating element. Frog. “I cook em so slow not only they don’t notice, I’ll even get an extra frog or two jumpin in for the fun of it.” It was overheard in a restaurant.
Colonel Lang,
I have a question. Do you believe that the Grand Duke Nicholas, at Tannenberg, if he had had two FKR regiments armed with a large number (80 on the island?) of tactical five to fourteen kiloton nuclear warheads capable of being launched directly from transporters, as the Soviets had in Cuba WELL AFTER October 16-28, 1962–though it took thirty years for American intelligence to find that out– he would not have used them? To save two armies? I would have.
Trying to stay positive but real questions need to be answered. Where is Russia going to nuke us first? Straight for the jugular in D.C. or, maybe Delaware. No more naked swimming for Biden in front of female SS.
https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2014/08/01/biden-swims-naked-upsetting-female-secret-service-agents-book-claims.
Hard to say. Maybe both then both regimes go underground for a while.
This nuclear war is Woke. So no need to be disturbed. Most obnoxious commercial I’ve ever seen.
https://youtu.be/N-5d7V4Sbqk
“All right, you’ve got this.” And she walks off. Yes, only a nuclear bomb hitting new york city. All that’s needed is an ignorant but fashionably slim mulatto goddess lesbian cross-dresser, a bandaid and an iPhone app.
F&L
Thanks for sharing, it’s the perfect guide for the woke apocalypse. “So there’s been a nuclear attack” – no big deal for the snowflake generation who deal with innumerable issues every day. This is just another one, like being mis-gendered.
“Don’t ask me how or why” – getting in there early with the denial of responsibility. And because the certain answer to that question is because your government has f*cked up good, for the last time.
The “All right, you’ve got this” ending was inevitable. It’s important the audience feel empowered – right up until the moment they are vaporized.
Bert the Turtle was not so concerned with your feelings, but he was from a generation with thicker skins.
I’m hoping DC and New York. Hollywood would be cool, or SF, or they might want to go for the DOE weapons lab down the road from where I live. Then, what would be left of USSR – China land…
Babelthuap & Cobo –
My bet is that Putin will cause a major accident (deliberately) in the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that is currently under Russian control.
Prevailing western winds would cause fallout on major Ukrainian cities? – Yup!
Those same winds would bring fallout to NATO countries? – Yup!
Plausible deniability? – For sure.
Revenge on Ukrainians and the West for kicking his butt? – Definitely.
Leith, if you were him, you would do that? Or, he is a fascist after all, claiming to fight fascists because he looks into the mirror too much?
Would fit since a more collective revenge? Compared to what I stumbled across over here a minute ago, more targeted matters like the Ukrainian solution: Assassinating people that Russia put in place?
For a second I wondered if your scenario was meant to pull ‘the West’ into the war, that so far is only sitting on the fence delivering weapons and support. Maybe because it was a response?
Leander –
No, I would not. But that is definitely something that would suit Putin or his devotees.
Assassinating people? No, it’s self defense. The collaborators are working with Putin’s neo-KGB to ID, arrest, torture, and non-judicially execute Ukrainians whose only crime was being a member of the former government or Armed Forces.
From what I read it is the Ukrainians who attacked this power plant. Unsuccessfully so far.
‘The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) continue to fire on military and civilian infrastructure, threatening industrial facilities in the regions under Russian control. On July 12th, one of the targets was the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The attack was complex, involving drone and artillery fire.
The Ukrainian Army used six kamikaze drones conducting reconnaissance mission over the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and the city heating and water supply plant in Energodar. The UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) dropped two mines near the power plant, which reportedly did not cause any significant damage damaged. Another drone was heading in the direction of residential buildings in Energodar, its course may have been corrected. The UAV attack was thwarted, none of the six drones reached their targets, and the air defense of the Zaporizhia region successfully prevented the attack.’ Courtesy SF. They added pictures of the drones, or what remained of it.
Previously Ukraine targeted a dam, and they are publicly dreaming of destroying the Kerch bridge. Through the fog of war a pattern emerges with Ukraine being eager to destroy civilian infrastructure, while Russia is even delivering gas and oil to ‘unfriendly’ countries, as long as they pay for it. ‘Plausible deniability’ and Russia? How’s that? It doesn’t matter what the Russians say on anything, the west will believe whatever ‘Kiev’ and NATO say. Why risk escalating this conflict, while they need the power plant for electricity in regions they control? Please explain your thinking?
I expect those reports you quote are the same ones that previously claimed the HIMARS launchers were all either destroyed or sold on the black market to the Chechens.
Ryybar again? You need better sources.
Ryybar? I used an established source which has been up and running for many years, and which rarely disappointed. I found confirmation elsewhere, including the Kyiv Independent.
But what fascinates me, is what inspires you to fantasize about Russia bombing a nuclear power plant they need to provide electricity to the areas they control, while they are actually not even blocking power to Ukraine from said nuclear facility. I hope you did not bet the family jewels away.
Jake –
So you are saying the Kyiv Independent claimed that Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked their own NPP at Zaporizhzhia? I call BS on that. Please show the link. My guess it is a phony story ginned up by Putin’s disinfo ecosystem.
A twitter link at The Drive tells about the Russians grouping their artillery around the nuclear plants.
https://twitter.com/JayinKyiv/status/1545498044732522498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1545498044732522498%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2Fukraine-situation-report-more-russian-ammo-dumps-blown-up
leith,
So a biological attack is now out, but melting down a reactor is in. Has he bothered to just cut the electric power being fed into Ukraine from that plant?
Fred –
Who said he no longer plans an attack with biological agents? A twofer of WMDs is right down Putin’s alley. Both have some figment of deniability for him. The bio stuff – he’ll get the usual suspects to say they escaped from US controlled labs. The meltdown – he has already geared up the propaganda wurlitzer to say the Ukrainians are targeting that NPP.
Leith,
The bio stuff, “the usual suspects to say”
Putin, not Assad this time, did it. It’s already both predictable and tiresome. What does Russia gain by a reactor melt down? He can turn the damn thing off it it is still providing electricity to Ukraine. The same with a bio weapon. Are his people immune? You didn’t answer that one.
Fred –
Perhaps I am getting too conspiracy-minded and should break out the tinfoil and make myself a hat. So I’ll recant.
PS – Prevailing winds are towards western Ukraine and also Poland & Slovakia.
This addition of HIMARS is going to expand the war. Russia will be forced into air raids to bomb and strafe staging areas where these munitions and weapons systems are entering Ukraine. This is inevitable. Thanks to NATO & the US for initiating WW4. Our USD would be better spent negotiating a settlement and stopping the death and destruction.
VT NATO d/n attack Ukraine. Russia did. Russia started this war and can end it, today. As to your comments re air raid however, I agree w/y. That is why Ukraine’s Slavic neighbor’s, who are also threatened by Russian dreams of slavic hegemony, will have to find some excuse to provide Ukraine with fighter jets. Unless Russia turns around, goes home and leaves Ukraine alone.
Bill,
NATO (also known as the Kagan family and enablers) has spent years and perhaps decades setting this up, waiting for a weak semi-able and compliant president to sign off on the plot. You’ll note Biden was mentioned in the Nuland/Pyatt call as being “with us”. They were unable to get the green light to escalate further while Obama and Trump were in office. This is all on the record.
After 8 years of Ukraine making war on its own Russian speaking people the events of Feb 15 to 23 tell us all we need to know about who is on the right side of history and the right side of international law. When Blinken called off all diplomacy with Russia on the 15th that triggered the launch of an offensive by Ukraine to roll over the Donbas and its citizens. Up to 2,000 artillery strikes per day were lobbed over onto the Russian speaking people of the region.
Russia used the “Responsibility to Protect” clause of IHL to prevent further massacres and ethnic cleansing of the Russian people. Keep in mind that the US instigated those laws and used them (once even before they had them enshrined) in Iraq, Kosovo, Libya, and Syria. In Kosovo a “foreign diplomat” even persuaded the KLA to up the ante in order to get an intervention (“DUGI GORANI
KOSOVO ALBANIAN NEGOTIATOR
The more civilians were killed, the chances of international intervention became bigger, and the KLA of course realised that. There was this foreign diplomat who once told me ‘Look
unless you pass the quota of five thousand deaths you’ll never have anybody permanently present in Kosovo from the foreign diplomacy.”)
The KLA obliged by creating the conditions in which it was inevitable that their own civilians would be killed by Serb forces deployed in the province. I personally interviewed the KLA “Operative Group” commander who carried out not only that order but also the one that followed: don’t defend Raçak. That was enough for Mrs Albright.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander unless of course one believes in some divine right of exceptionalism.
Steve were the neocons, Nulands, and Kagans, also “in on it” when Ukraine declared independence from Russia in 1918? Perhaps the Neocons were driving those cwazy Ukies seeking independence from Russia in ’41 and again in ’45? No doubt the Nulands and Kagans were whistpering in Ukrainian ears in the late summer of ’91 when they again declared independence from Russia. Pardon my language but I need to make this simple. Ukrainians don’t want to be russian bitches. They have had that strange notion for over 100 years – b/f a single Kagan was born. This is b/t the Russians and Ukrainians and has been so since 1900. If Russia is successful other Slavs and Balts will follow. The only “exceptionalism” I see is that the other Balts/Slavs take exception to being the Russian footstool again.
Bill,
The past is the past and unchangeable. Clinging onto hatreds simply destroys the future, as the Ukrainians are beginning to realize at this moment. We’ll see how this all pans out but I’m pretty sure that most ordinary Ukrainians now rue the day when they allowed that criminal cabal into their lives, wishing they hadn’t fallen for the tasty cookies handed around.
Were the Ukrainian people really a “footstool” for Russia in 2014? Are they better off now than they were in January of 2014? It hasn’t just been the war you know; look at the devastating results of allowing the IMF and World Bank through the door, and the carpetbagging western corporations buying up the national assets.
Are they happy that their government is so strongly influenced by the extreme nationalists and their stormtroopers? Are they really so proud to be sending their sons, daughters, mothers, fathers and grandparents into the grinder?
No, Bill, they’re now someone else’s footstool and they don’t give a shit about how many die. They don’t give a shit about how many widows and orphans are created. They really are dispensable in to a corrupt imperialist ideology wrapped up in the words of “freedom” and “democracy” but is really about sacrificing to be enslaved.
Do you wonder that non-Russophone Ukrainians are taking advantage of the Russian passport offers? There’s a message there. And if you don’t hear it from them ask the Afghans, ask the Iraqis, or the Libyans, or the Syrians. Come to think of it, you can also ask the 165 countries in the world that reject the west. And maybe even the people of a few NATO countries who would kinda like their sovereignty back so they can afford to put shoes on their children’s feet, and whose governments are collapsing as we watch.
And all because the few can’t put away their historical hatreds. Pitiful.
One of Russia’s expected goals is to link the territories it has recently conquered to create a land corridor to occupied Crimea. And this land corridor will one day include the corridor to Transnistria. Transnistria and Kaliningrad are not simple exclaves; they’re forward deployed military outposts. As I’ve stated before, NATO’s role of deterring aggression is obsolete. NATO needs to make war on its enemies. Russia is for Russians, but an aggressive military with ambitions beyond its borders is cause for war. And destroying Russia’s forward deployed military outposts, including their presence in Svalbard, needs to be done. Watch out for the accommodators, they’re everywhere… And they won’t stop the inevitability of war; they’ll just make it worse.
Russian outposts have to be distroyed. By whom? By NATO or by the ‘pointillist empire’ itself? Absolutely great term. Only stumbled across it yesterday. Invented by Daniel Immerwahr:
tinyurl.com/pointillist-empire
What a pity. No pages for this chapter.
hat tip to b, Daniel Bessner, Empire Burlesque, Harpers, July 2022:
To facilitate their crusade, Americans constructed what the historian Daniel Immerwahr has dubbed a “pointillist empire.” While most empires traditionally relied on the seizure and occupation of vast territories, the United States built military bases around the world to project its power.
It continues like this, which will anger supporters of the “Benevolent Empire” that keeps giving without getting something in return.
From these outposts, it launched wars that killed millions, protected a capitalist system that benefited the wealthy, and threatened any power—democratic or otherwise—that had the temerity to disagree with it.
Very interesting article. Not having ‘the temerity to disagree’, and advantages or disadvantages in agreeing of course would be an interesting question in itself.
Nice subtle dig about beirut fertiliser storage.The final straw that set the camels tail on fire.
The positive is the grain is flowing but things are changed and humty dumpy will not be put together again
From: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2022/06/28/how-himars-rockets-can-help-turn-the-tide-in-ukraine/?sh=76e2efe192a8
“… Massed artillery fire has long been a central feature of Russian military doctrine, and in this case it allows devastating attacks on defending forces while putting fewer Russian troops at risk. Ukraine’s military too has turned to artillery, but it is running out of ammunition for its Soviet-era guns, and the artillery provided by NATO nations has limited range.
The missile strikes launched in recent days from Russian bombers hundreds of miles away are a problem for which Kyiv has no adequate response, but you can’t occupy and hold territory using cruise missiles; it is artillery and armor that will decide who controls Ukraine…
… Obviously, there are many factors potentially contributing to future Russian military reverses, from manpower to materiel to morale, but HIMARS delivers capability that was previously lacking in the Ukrainian arsenal.
… The system doesn’t just have greater range, it is extremely precise. Target coordinates are transmitted via secure data link to an on-board computer that aims the launcher in as little as 16 seconds. In the configuration the Ukrainians are receiving, each launcher carries a six-pack of missiles which can be fired singly or in multiple numbers depending on the nature of intended targets.
The system was designed to attack high-value tactical targets such as air defense sites, artillery emplacements and supply depots. Each of the guided missiles carries a 200-pound warhead capable of obliterating any Russian asset currently deployed in-country….”
A very important July 14 column from Pat Buchanan:
Is a US-Russia War Becoming Inevitable?
I will add a comment of my own:
If Putin and the Russian people see their national interest being severely harmed by weapons supplied by America
(referring to the effect of the HIMARS rockets),
is that not cause for them to attack America in retaliation?
We, America, have done far too much to provoke Russia.
Link here with pics and videos: https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1547331411719364609
Ukraine’s large community of software developers have put their skills to use to resolve a key problem for drone pilots: identifying and accurately hitting camouflaged Russian targets. The developers are working for the Ukrainian military’s ‘Delta’ initiative, which seeks to find technological ways of fighting the Russian invasion. The military sets tasks which development teams try to find solutions for.
Two developers had worked before the war on scanning objects for commercial purposes. Colleagues who went to the front lines highlighted the difficulties they faced in targeting hidden Russian hardware. The developers realised their AI tools could be used to defeat camouflage.
The drone videos what it’s seeing with its camera. The developers’ AI system automatically recognises camouflaged enemy equipment and marks it with the precise geographical coordinates. The data is sent both to the drone operators and the commander in the field.
Assuming the drone is armed, the commander can then order an attack. Using a small improvised bomb, such as one of these RKG-1600s (a 1950s anti-tank grenade adapted with a new 3D-printed plastic tail fin), the drone can strike and destroy even a main battle tank. Drones often carry several bombs. The first is often used as a test drop before the drone corrects its position to hit the target directly.
The drone videos what it’s seeing with its camera. The developers’ AI system automatically recognises camouflaged enemy equipment and marks it with the precise geographical coordinates. The data is sent both to the drone operators and the commander in the field.