TheOldGuy @TheOldGuy@social.cleverlibre.org

Trump will likely have a trial in March and another in April.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/for-all-the-doomsday-hysteria-donald-trump-is-likely-to-have-two-criminal-trials-in-the-next-two-months/54353/

https://t.me/Israel_Report/20637

The Volgagrad refinery is burning after a drone attack.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/27558?s=35

This propagandist can't figure out why these women want their husband's home.

The Ukrainian response to a Russian man who ripped flowers down from a Ukrainian monument.

https://t.me/liveukraine_media/17844

Biden's hidden advantage. At least read the first inch of comments.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/bidens-hidden-advantage/54346/

Russian propagandist Simonyan was offended after reading The Times, where she was called a "beaver-eater"

The newspaper wrote about Simonyan in its diary under the heading "Putin’s petulant pet".

"Vladimir Putin’s pet broadcaster seems a bit tetchy at the moment.

Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of RT, the Russian state television network, turned on the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg during an election event in Moscow.

“Stop picking on us,” she whined, complaining that the West was “trying to destroy Russia”.

Rosenberg observed that the West didn’t invade Ukraine, to which Simonyan petulantly sniffed: “You’re so old. And naive.”

At 55, Rosenberg is nearer her age than Putin’s. Simonyan is known as “bobroedka” or “beaver-eater” because she once boasted of having the furry creature for a new year’s dinner.

She wasn’t always so grumpy. A few years ago, Madame Beaver told Rosenberg he was “a very nice man, a gentleman”, before saying it would be a pity if he had to be expelled for being mean about her boss.", the Times wrote.

Simonyan reacted angrily, complaining about the diminishing British humour.

Ðrones destroyed a Russian convoy.

https://t.me/Ukraine_Report/18870

Sony bans activation of their games in either Russia or Belarus
https://t.me/liveukraine_media/17839

Nikki Haley does not think this country is racist or has ever been racist. And she is all for letting Texas secede.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/not-ready-for-prime-time/54357/

Vince McMahon. Under investigation

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/donald-trumps-pal-is-under-federal-criminal-investigation-for-alleged-sex-trafficking/54361/

Jeff Tiedrich

https://open.substack.com/pub/jefftiedrich/p/this-week-in-stupid-february-3-edition?r=70k1h&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

🔴 IDF: Over the past day, dozens of terrorists were eliminated throughout the Gaza Strip: A terrorist cell transferring weapons in the northern Gaza Strip was identified by IDF troops and eliminated by an aircraft

During targeted raids in the northern and central Gaza Strip over the last day, IDF troops killed dozens of terrorists and destroyed numerous anti-tank missile launchers. During a targeted raid on an office belonging to a Hamas terrorist, the troops located military equipment, weapons, and Hamas documents.

During an incident in the area of Shati, IDF troops identified a number of terrorists who attempted to transfer weapons in sacks. In response, the troops directed an aircraft to the scene of the incident, which struck and eliminated the terrorist cell.

Over the last day in western Khan Yunis, IDF troops killed approximately 20 terrorists. During one of the operations, a terrorist cell fired an anti-tank missile at an IDF vehicle. A short while after, the troops responded with live fire toward the three terrorists who fired the anti-tank missiles, killing them.

Additionally, over the last day, IDF troops killed several terrorists west of the city of Khan Yunis. During a targeted raid on a site in the area of the city, the troops located weapons, RPGs, grenades, military equipment, and scuba diving equipment belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization.

Furthermore, in the area of Khan Yunis, IDF fighter jets struck a Hamas compound used to conduct combat, inside which a tunnel shaft and weapons storage facility belonging to the terrorist organization was located. Additionally, IDF troops located AK-47 rifles, explosive devices, and additional weapons used by the Hamas terrorist organization.

Attached are photos of the IDF activity in the Gaza Strip: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC03022024498576

🇮🇱 @israel_report

🟣 Musa Abu Marzouk (senior Hamas leader)

"The aid that comes into Gaza has to be distributed first to the resistance fighters, and what remains can be distribute to the people. The attempt of some citizens to seize aid, as happened today in Rafah, will be fought with all force, and the people must offer the aid for the sake of the resistance and not steal the food from the resistance."

Terrorists eat first!

@yonatanmim

... We just found why they are fat ...

🇮🇱 @israel_report

🇺🇦🇵🇱Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Zvarych, made a statement regarding the inevitable de-occupation of Crimea after the ambiguous words of Polish President Andrzej Duda, who questioned the return of the peninsula to Kyiv's control.

Earlier, Andrzej Duda, in an interview with Kanal Zero, to a question about Crimea, answered that he did not know whether Ukraine would get him back.

"Crimea is a special place, including for historical reasons." "Because in fact, if we look historically, it was in the hands of Russia for a long time," Andrzej Duda said.

Ambassador of Ukraine Vasyl Zvarych responded to this statement, noting that
"Crimea is Ukraine: this is how it is and this
is how it will be."

"International law is the basis. Russia's temporary occupation of Crimea is a war
crime for which it will be punished. The de-occupation of Crimea is our joint task and
duty with the free world. We will do it without
a doubt. We believe and act together," the
head of Ukraine emphasized embassy in
Warsaw

Confiscation instead of skimming off interest income and Taurus for Ukraine:
The Deputy President of the Bundestag, Katrin Göring-Eckardt, has called for the confiscation of Russian state assets in the EU to be examined "with the aim of ultimately releasing the assets for Ukraine."

In an interview with the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” (“FAS”), the Green Party also called for the German “Taurus” cruise missile to be delivered to Ukraine.

Since the beginning of Russia's major attack on Ukraine, Russian central bank assets worth 200 billion euros have been frozen in the EU. The member states took steps this week to at least pass on the proceeds from this - around three billion euros a year - to Ukraine. Göring-Eckardt wants to go far beyond that. “If the income has been released as a first step, we should also look at the assets themselves,” she told the “FAS”. "The goal must be to give the entire 200 billion to Ukraine."

The deputy chairwoman of the Bundestag also took a decisive stance on arms deliveries to Ukraine: Göring-Eckardt demanded that the German “Taurus” cruise missile be made available. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has not yet been able to decide on this. To justify this, the Green Party recalled Germany's “special responsibility”.
“German Nazis” were “responsible for massacres of people in Ukraine during World War II,” she told the newspaper. Today Germany “promised to do what we can. In my opinion, the delivery of the German Taurus cruise missile is one of them."

At the same time, Göring-Eckardt rejected recent statements by the chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen. He said on ARD that at the end of the war in Ukraine “something like Minsk will emerge.” In the Minsk agreements after the first Russian attack, Ukraine had de facto given up part of its territory. Göring-Eckardt rejected such a solution. The Minsk agreements were “not a peace agreement, not a ceasefire.” They gave “the aggressor” what he had “illegally taken.”

“Putin then continued to attack, imprison, kidnap or repress innocent Ukrainians,” said the Bundestag Vice President. Any reference to Minsk demands “a continuation of the suffering” from Ukraine. That is “the opposite of peace and freedom. Peace must be just and must not call into question the existence and identity of Ukraine.”

Source (German)

🇪🇺 @EU_Report 🇩🇪 🇷🇺 🇺🇦

We are already preparing the international work of the next weeks. More activity is needed for our collective strength. Not only Ukraine and Ukrainians, not only Europe, but all those in the world who seek stability and value human life. There will be appropriate formats of work, there will be new support packages for Ukraine - we are preparing the details.

And the main news for today is the news that we have all been waiting for a long time, for which we have been working for months at various levels. As a result, two more air defense systems arrived in Ukraine. All details, of course, should not be discussed publicly. But systems - which bring everything down. We will defend the regions. So far, the systems are not enough to fully protect Ukraine, but we work for it every day.

I am grateful to everyone who helps Ukraine! I am grateful to everyone who strengthens Ukraine! I am grateful to everyone who fights and works for Ukraine to win!
Glory to Ukraine!

Zelensky Official.

🇨🇦 Canada is considering the transfer to Ukraine of CRV7 air-to-ground missiles (NAR for helicopters) of Canadian development in the early 1970s, which were planned to be disposed of — CBC

There are 83,300 such missiles on the balance sheet of the Ministry of Defense of Canada.

It is believed that as many as 8,000 of the rockets still have warheads in good condition.

A spokesperson for Defence Minister Bill Blair confirmed the government is considering donating the rockets.

"Before sending equipment to Ukraine, we coordinate closely with Ukraine to ensure that any donation would meet its military needs, and we examine the operational effectiveness of the equipment," said Daniel Minden in a media statement.

"We are following this same process for the CAF's stock of CRV7 rockets, purchased decades ago.

In particular, we are pursuing testing to ensure that this equipment is operationally effective and safe to transport to Ukraine before any potential donation."

From "The Analyst":

UPDATE 2-3 FEBRUARY

It’s been a bad week for the Russians - a really bad week.
The depth and scale of the assault on Crimea expanded yesterday as more detail emerged about the missile strikes across the peninsula, particularly on the airbase north of Sevastopol.
The death of a commanding general was just one result. What became clear was that the S-400 systems designed to protect the peninsula have failed in their jobs - largely because the Ukrainians destroyed all of the early warning radars the Russians stationed on the peninsula, then sank the corvette that was trying to provide some kind of early warning cover. That forced the
S-400’s into using their own radars and revealing themselves.
That in turn made them vulnerable to decoy missiles that they quickly engaged and HARM’s followed forcing the S-400’s to switch off as Storm Shadows blasted the airfield and it’s command centre as well as the central command bunkers at Yevapatoria.
The failure of the S-400 to do its job because of the risk to itself has become the subject of widespread criticism in the Russian milblogs. Much of its problem is its such a valuable system they can’t afford to lose, but it it’s also a lack of close range anti-air that works. The Pantsir is not very good if there is even one available.
The battles around Novomikhailivka north east of Vuhledar have been going on for some time. Russia managed at high cost to reach the defence lines on the southern edge of the village - but the cost over several long cold weeks has been increasingly high. It’s now all come to an end with a Ukrainian counter attack that drove them all the way back to their start lines. Further Russian attempts to try the same thing further round to the south resulted in mass casualties and even more equipment losses - almost all at the hands of drones and mines. Again, this is being seen as another example of command failure by Russian milblogs which have become very vocal on these two subjects.
Their frustration is that no matter what they try, progress is either incredibly costly or non-existent and the price paid isn’t even close to offering what might callously be described as value. There is also a growing push back at the death toll. Now verging on 400,000 after two years it’s starting to resonate at home.
Every death affects roughly ten people back home directly and another ten indirectly. 400,000 x 20 means that some 8 million Russians have a relationship with someone who died on the front and it’s probably twice that in reality. They may not be willing to ask the questions that need asking, but discontent simmers. Even more so when the state doesn’t pay up compensation or acknowledge those deaths in the first place with any sense of urgency or decency.
Add to all these woes the EU funding agreement for Ukraine, Sweden likely to fully join NATO very soon as Hungary stops dragging its feet, the fact that while the frontlines are barely moving Ukraine has utterly humiliated Russia in Crimea this week, and it’s all looking like a war Russia just can’t win.
The Crimea humiliation is seriously upsetting to Russians generally. They see Crimea as a stolen land that they got back - it’s the warm holiday heartland of their family histories back to the soviet era. Even Navalny said he would never give it back. To find it’s becoming progressively untenable, that its strategic value is actually becoming a burden, is hard to understand or believe.
For centuries he who holds Crimea effectively controls the Black Sea.
Modern weapons have changed that
situation. Ukrainian imagination and
flexibility combined with those weapons has
given them effective command of the
waters and skies over the eastern Black Sea
without as much as having a single viable
warship to their name. It’s a hard pill for the
Russians to swallow. It’s also why peace
without the return of Crimea remains
unthinkable to both sides.

Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦!

Ukrainian drone strikes, which attacked at least six Russian oil and gas infrastructure facilities in January, have hit the exports of major Russian oil companies.

According to the results of the first month of 2024, Russian oil companies reduced exports of gasoline abroad by 37%, the Russian Ministry of Energy reported. Sales of diesel fuel, the largest export article of petroleum products, collapsed by 23%. The reduction in exports was the result of "unscheduled repairs" at refineries and the need to supply the domestic market, the ministry explained.

If the attacks continue with the current intensity, "the inconvenience may turn into a problem," said Sergey Vakulenko, a visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He noted that refineries "are important for the economy and for waging war as cars and trucks, tractors and combines, tanks and ships, civilian and military aircraft must be fueled with gasoline, diesel and kerosene, not with crude oil." Anton Geraschenko