Ukraine is beginning to act like a spoiled brat, and for some, it’s causing their halo to slip.
After securing the most modern, lethal battle tanks on planet earth, Ukraine now wants fourth-generation F-16 fighter jets. Begging your pardon, Mr. President, but what’s next? Nuclear weapons?
Graves discovered in southern Russia show extent of mercenary group’s recruitment for war in Ukraine
Hitmen, murderers and alcoholics from in and outside Russia have been killed fighting for the notorious Wagner mercenary group.
New graves discovered in a plot in rural southern Russia expose the array of convicts sent to their deaths on the front lines after a major prison recruitment drive.
A Reuters investigation found many of the buried men were convicted for violent crimes, and some of the recruits were foreign nationals including from Ukraine and Moldova.
#Ukraine: A Russian T-72B3 tank was destroyed by the Ukrainian 72nd Mechanized Brigade near Vuhledar, #Donetsk Oblast.
A T-80BV tank and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle of the Russian army were also damaged there. pic.twitter.com/DKg1hrQxls— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) January 26, 2023
German authorities have arrested a man alleged to have passed intelligence information to Russia, German prosecutors said on Thursday.
The suspect, identified as Arthur E. in line with Germany’s privacy laws, was arrested on Sunday in Munich airport, as he arrived from the US.
German authorities were aided in their efforts by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“Arthur E. took the information to Russia and handed it over to the intelligence service there,” said a statement from prosecutors.
Chang Frick, who wore Putin T-shirt, paid admin fee for protest that has put Sweden’s Nato bid in doubt
A far-Right journalist with links to the Kremlin organised the Quran-burning stunt that has threatened Sweden’s attempt to join Nato.
Chang Frick, who has previously worked for Russia Today (RT) and sister agency Ruptly, paid the administrative fee for the demonstration outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm where Rasmus Paludan torched the holy book.
Mr Frick’s Twitter feed includes pictures of him posing in a Putin t-shirt and showing off a Putin calendar.
On Thursday, Germany and the United States agreed to provide advanced battle tanks to the Ukrainian military. As PJM’s Rick Moran noted, “this is a serious escalation in the war.” In fact, according to Joe Biden, it’s going to start World War III.
Last March, Biden chose not to send jets and tanks to Ukraine because doing so would be a dangerous escalation.
Canada is sending four combat-ready battle tanks to Ukraine “in the coming weeks,” Defence Minister Anita Anand announced Thursday.
As CTV News first reported, in addition to the initial four Leopard 2 tanks, Canada is considering sending more tanks at a later date.
Anand, announcing this latest shipment of military aid to Ukraine, said that Canada will also be deploying “a number” of Canadian Armed Forces members to train Ukrainian soldiers with the skills they will need to operate this equipment.
I happen to be one who believes that the escalating war in Ukraine is entirely Biden’s fault, that the current Ukraine government is completely corrupt, and that the entire thing, which has seen tens of thousands of Ukrainian deaths and the destruction of large swaths of that country, has become a profitable boondoggle for politicians and military contractors. Call me cynical or naïve, but that’s where I am. I also think the whole enterprise has taken on a truly hallucinatory quality, exacerbated by the news today: Putin is negotiating to buy abandoned American weapons from Afghanistan while Biden is sending 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. We will have armed both sides to the battle.
Inaccurate and piecemeal information has been a fixture of this war
The Russia-Ukraine war looks set to be one of the bloodiest in modern history. Even by conservative estimates, both sides are losing hundreds of soldiers per day, putting it within the top 10% of deadliest wars since 1812.
Over the past week, two major military figures in the West appeared to confirm the scale of suffering. Last Friday, Norway’s Chief of Defence, General Eirik Kristoffersen, claimed that Russia has endured 180,000 casualties to Ukraine’s 100,000 (plus another 30,000 Ukrainian civilian casualties). Meanwhile, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said on Friday that Russian casualties are “significantly well over 100,00 now.” The Sun reports American intelligence services suggesting this figure is around 188,000.
Canada is considering contributing four Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, senior sources told CBC News — but no decision has been made.
The government could announce the donation of tanks as early as Thursday, the sources said.
CBC News is not identifying the confidential sources because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Do we even have 4 working tanks?
Adam Zivo: How Canada sabotaged its own fleet of tanks
When asked last week about whether Canada will send tanks to Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “We’re not there yet.” As it turns out, maybe the reason we aren’t “there” is because a decade of neglect has rendered a significant portion of our tanks inoperable.
Ukraine’s top soldier, General Valery Zaluzhny, has said that if he is to launch a successful counter-offensive, the West will have to provide him with another 300 tanks. This is, of course, a negotiating position. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government has been very effective in managing western allies: cajoling, demanding and guilting them into providing more than they intended. He’s actually going to be getting more tanks, if not 300, now that Berlin has been browbeaten into lifting its objections. Might Germany’s initial reluctance suggest a changing perception of the war? It has certainly revealed the limited nature of the European powers’ arsenals.
Why does Ukraine need more tanks now?
There has been a lull in the fighting over the winter but both Ukraine and Russia are gearing up for an offensive in the spring. Military experts believe the battles could be decisive in the outcome of the war. Kyiv has already received a significant number of armoured vehicles and howitzers but Ukrainian troops require tanks if they are to break through Russian defensive lines with the sort of combined arms manoeuvre practised by western armies.
The Biden administration is leaning toward sending “a significant number” of M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, two U.S. officials said, and an announcement could come as early as this week.
The development comes amid a public standoff with German officials, who are under pressure to send their own Leopard tanks and allow other European countries that operate the German-made vehicles to do so as well.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Tuesday underscored the importance of helping Ukraine win its fight against Russia’s invasion this year, a victory she said would be a “big boost” for Canada and the global economy.
Yet Freeland would not say if Canada would supply Leopard 2 tanks in order to help Ukraine achieve that victory, becoming the latest cabinet official to remain mum on the issue.
Typically a war’s end triggers recession. I don’t see Canada benefitting much from a Ukraine Marshall Plan, we are among those who have donated least.
And … Freeland says 2023 budget will focus on health care, green energy, while still being fiscally prudent
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says her 2023 budget will prioritize spending on health care and the green energy transition, while ensuring the government’s overall fiscal plan is sustainable during what is expected to be a challenging year.
Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet retreat in Hamilton, Ms. Freeland acknowledged a slowing economy could leave the federal government with less tax revenue to spend.
“I think that’s the approach that governments should always take to putting together a budget: If there’s less fiscal room, you can do less,” she said. “There is still a lot of uncertainty in the world economy. And that means that we do need to continue to take a fiscally prudent approach.”
German news magazine Der Spiegel and others published stories on Tuesday evening saying that the government in Berlin had decided to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
This follows a long-running debate on the issue among NATO allies, and comes after Poland formally asked Berlin for permission to send some of its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine earlier on Tuesday.
Spiegel magazine reported that the decision would involve sending at least one company of Leopard 2A6 tanks. The 2A6 version is the second-newest available and the most recent available in larger numbers.
Spiegel attributed its information to government sources but did not identify them. Broadcaster ntv issued a similar report, and the dpa news agency later said its “coalition sources” had said the same. But the government did not immediately comment publicly on the reports.
Four senior Ukrainian officials resigned or were fired within a few hours today after President Zelensky vowed to purge his government of corruption.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Vyacheslav Shapovalov, a deputy defence minister, and Ivan Lukerya, a deputy infrastructure minister, all announced their resignations. Oleksiy Symonenko, the deputy prosecutor general, was dismissed.
Shapovalov stepped down after Ukraine’s za.ua media outlet alleged that defence officials had been purchasing food for the army at vastly inflated prices. Oleksiy Reznikov, the defence minister, denied any wrongdoing and called for a parliamentary inquiry.
And… Zelenskyy bans Ukrainian officials from traveling abroad
Ukrainian officials will no longer be allowed to leave the country unless on official business, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced late Monday, just as Moscow said it was implementing new border measures.
“Officials will no longer be able to travel abroad for vacation or for any other non-governmental purpose,” Zelenskyy said.
Hmmm …
And there it is https://t.co/60yy1FghG8
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 24, 2023
