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Originally Posted By Prime: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3vNKZca4AECD5Y?format=jpg&name=large https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3vNMCDbMAATn3D?format=jpg&name=large https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3vNOBpbsAEyE2e?format=jpg&name=large https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3vNO1SaMAEoQSP?format=jpg&name=large
View Quote Those pictures are incredible! |
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Originally Posted By Jaehaerys: Those would be nice, but there's not going to be any Wunderwaffen which drastically alter the course of the war, I don't think. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Jaehaerys: Originally Posted By AlmightyTallest:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3uE-QUXMAAE2jo?format=jpg&name=small Those would be nice, but there's not going to be any Wunderwaffen which drastically alter the course of the war, I don't think. All destroyed years ago. |
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„From a place you will not see, comes a sound you will not hear.“
Thanks for the membership @ toaster |
Originally Posted By 1saxman: In the conventional warfare sense, Russia is extremely vulnerable right now and could not handle any incursion - from the east or from the west. Its possible that their strategic nuclear deterrent would be ineffective too because of unwillingness of the operators to actually push the button. View Quote What gives you the idea that Russian ICBM crews would be unwilling to follow orders? |
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Originally Posted By mercersfinest4: Those pictures are incredible! View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By mercersfinest4: Originally Posted By Prime: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3vNKZca4AECD5Y?format=jpg&name=large https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3vNMCDbMAATn3D?format=jpg&name=large https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3vNOBpbsAEyE2e?format=jpg&name=large https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3vNO1SaMAEoQSP?format=jpg&name=large
Those pictures are incredible! They are so incredible that I’m waiting for someone to ruin it |
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“If by chance you were to ask me which ornaments I would desire above all others in my house, I would reply, without much pause for reflection, arms and books.”
Baldassare Castiglione |
Originally Posted By 4xGM300m: All destroyed years ago. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By 4xGM300m: Originally Posted By Jaehaerys: Originally Posted By AlmightyTallest:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3uE-QUXMAAE2jo?format=jpg&name=small Those would be nice, but there's not going to be any Wunderwaffen which drastically alter the course of the war, I don't think. All destroyed years ago. |
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Happening AGAIN. Dagestan is one of the provinces heavily conscripted and treated as a vassal to be used up in every way to support Moscow’s whims and comforts. Over built housing and corrupt infrastructure. Blackouts not being fixed ever.
Video of street protest.
Residents of Makhachkala, Dagestan, again blocked the road due to problems with electricity. “We do it out of desperation, people are without electricity.” local residents say. The situation is caused by the chaotic construction of multi-storey residential buildings, not designed for the capacity of the existing energy facilities, and illegal connections to the power grid, the General Prosecutor’s Office explains. Residents of Makhachkala have faced everyday difficulties caused by power and water supply interruptions; while appeals to public utilities, according to their stories, proved to be fruitless. Sergey Melikov, the head of Dagestan, has even threatened the protesters. Ziyaudin Uvaisov, the head of the "ZhKKh Monitor", has noted that last winter, same as in previous years, there was a "difficult situation" in the public utilities sector in Dagestan. View Quote |
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Deplorable fan of liberty
“I don’t need a ride, I need more ammunition.” |
The stormtroopers were advancing through the mined strip of forest when a close fire(fight) began. The identified occupiers were successfully captured and captured.
Soldiers of the "MYRON" platoon of the 2nd company of the 2nd Assault Battalion work under artillery fire. https://twitter.com/KrzysztofJano15/status/1692188185965609164 |
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“If by chance you were to ask me which ornaments I would desire above all others in my house, I would reply, without much pause for reflection, arms and books.”
Baldassare Castiglione |
Originally Posted By Jaehaerys: They'll give them a week of training on how to run an AK, send them to the front, make it clear that desertion results in a painful death, and have them conduct probing attacks with a few drones overhead while they micromanage them via radio. If they find a weak point in Ukrainian defenses, they'll assault it with troops that actually have decent training. If they get hammered with Ukrainian artillery or mortars, the Russians will have counter battery radars ready and will return fire. If they walk into a minefield or meet stiff resistance from Ukrainian infantry, the Russians will download that information and adjust accordingly. Or, if they opt to use these guys defensively, they'll just throw them in a trench and have them die in place in order to delay Ukrainian assaults. This is how the Russians have been treating all of their "disposable" manpower (L/DPR guys, convicts, etc.) since the beginning of the war. View Quote Pretty much. Few other countries could pull this off and probably not as "good" as Russia. But then again, didnt Sparta collapse due to too much reliance on slaves...? |
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Yet another spy/collaborator nabbed. SBU stays busy. In war time they need to be much harsher with these traitors/spies to deter others. Fair trail and if guilty then execution by whatever standard means.
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Deplorable fan of liberty
“I don’t need a ride, I need more ammunition.” |
Speaking of gas supplies... Copied from another forum:
European natural gas storage has now hit its winter 90% target almost three months early. They could hit 100% in a month's time. In lieu of that, traders started pumping excess into storage in Ukraine. It looks like they're indeed utilizing the Bliche-Volytsko-Uherske facility on the Polish/Slovakia border. This facility can store 17bcm, which is 4x larger than the largest storage site in Germany, and almost double the amount Ukraine has offered to Europe. The expectation is that 3.5bcm could be stored there by the end of November, which is a substantial swing amount. Given the spread in spot/futures prices, and the fees the Ukrainians are charging, this looks like a lucrative trade. Europe is still dragging its feet though, because while pipeline/compressor infrastructure risks remain, indemnification and RE from Brussels could speed up the process. As it stands, 20 TWh could flow to Ukraine on a monthly basis, which, nonetheless, is a significant chunk to meet swing demand in Europe during winter months. China's tepid recovery and moribund economy have kept a decent lid on nat-gas prices, but pumping more to Ukraine, despite the risks, would make sense to provide a buffer against an especially cold winter. |
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Ya gotta do whatever it takes to save “our democracy”. Right, Nancy? 😂😂
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Deplorable fan of liberty
“I don’t need a ride, I need more ammunition.” |
This thread needs more Solovyov and his cautious, peaceful approach:
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Originally Posted By borderpatrol: What gives you the idea that Russian ICBM crews would be unwilling to follow orders? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By borderpatrol: Originally Posted By 1saxman: In the conventional warfare sense, Russia is extremely vulnerable right now and could not handle any incursion - from the east or from the west. Its possible that their strategic nuclear deterrent would be ineffective too because of unwillingness of the operators to actually push the button. What gives you the idea that Russian ICBM crews would be unwilling to follow orders? I find it more likely that a lot of missiles wouldn't follow their orders to launch, a lot of guidance systems wouldn't follow their orders to the correct target, or that a lot of the warheads wouldn't follow their orders to arm and detonate in the correct sequence. Considering the level of rot and corruption, as well as the quality control issues, the Orcs have demonstrated over the past year and a half, I have my doubts how well the majority of their Nukes are going to work. |
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Originally Posted By borderpatrol: I don't think Taiwan has been controlled by mainland China since the late 1800's. That being said, it is an unsinkable aircraft carrier. View Quote And thats the main reason the us and other nations will go to war. The chips is just a smoke screen. Holding Taiwan gives them huge control of pacific |
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America doesn't understand anything but force. Americans won't listen to anything unless you can beat them through force. True story!
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I've been battling some internal demons this week, so far I'm 0 for 6.
كافر. |
Originally Posted By borderpatrol: What gives you the idea that Russian ICBM crews would be unwilling to follow orders? View Quote Attached File |
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I've been battling some internal demons this week, so far I'm 0 for 6.
كافر. |
Originally Posted By Jaehaerys: They'll give them a week of training on how to run an AK, send them to the front, make it clear that desertion results in a painful death, and have them conduct probing attacks with a few drones overhead while they micromanage them via radio. If they find a weak point in Ukrainian defenses, they'll assault it with troops that actually have decent training. If they get hammered with Ukrainian artillery or mortars, the Russians will have counter battery radars ready and will return fire. If they walk into a minefield or meet stiff resistance from Ukrainian infantry, the Russians will download that information and adjust accordingly. Or, if they opt to use these guys defensively, they'll just throw them in a trench and have them die in place in order to delay Ukrainian assaults. This is how the Russians have been treating all of their "disposable" manpower (L/DPR guys, convicts, etc.) since the beginning of the war. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Jaehaerys: Originally Posted By LesBaer45: Originally Posted By Prime:
This video is from St. Petersburg but it is happening all over Russia. Immigrants who moved to Russia for work, many are Syrians and other Middle Easterners, are seen receiving summonses to report for military duty, being loaded onto buses, and taken to the local commissariat (voyenkomat) so they can be processed for service. Russia has been under a full "ghost mobilization" since the beginning of the year but they won't call it a mobilization for domestic political reasons. This is a translation of what the poster, "GREY ZONE", said about the video. He calls them "these people" even though they are Russian citizens which is typical of how Russians perceive ethnic groups -- aka, non-Russians. "And here is a delightful video from St. Petersburg! New citizens of Russia were lucky not only to get a passport of a citizen of our country, but also to be registered for military service, having a chance to prove loyalty to our Fatherland on the battlefield! Just imagine how happy these people are now, even if they look a little confused on the video, but this is from the surprise of such a gift. I hope that they will call all their relatives and friends at home and tell them about the unique action that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is holding for new citizens. I could be wrong, but I don't see a group formed in such a way as being particularly reliable for anything other than REMF type duties to free up others. I guess blocking troops would be busy, or they will be surrendering by the boat loads, but I'm not betting on them being hard core fighters. They'll give them a week of training on how to run an AK, send them to the front, make it clear that desertion results in a painful death, and have them conduct probing attacks with a few drones overhead while they micromanage them via radio. If they find a weak point in Ukrainian defenses, they'll assault it with troops that actually have decent training. If they get hammered with Ukrainian artillery or mortars, the Russians will have counter battery radars ready and will return fire. If they walk into a minefield or meet stiff resistance from Ukrainian infantry, the Russians will download that information and adjust accordingly. Or, if they opt to use these guys defensively, they'll just throw them in a trench and have them die in place in order to delay Ukrainian assaults. This is how the Russians have been treating all of their "disposable" manpower (L/DPR guys, convicts, etc.) since the beginning of the war. Someone posted yesterday(?) that the Russian radars are having issues spotting the Western systems for effective counter-battery fire. They've also lost quite a few radars as well. |
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Originally Posted By RockNwood: This could get interesting to see what this talking head has on her phone. Travels and investments in European countries she rails against? Or private rants opposite to her public statements? Video of her phone call
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/494438/IMG_3076-2922883.jpg View Quote Nudes? |
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Remorse is for the dead
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„From a place you will not see, comes a sound you will not hear.“
Thanks for the membership @ toaster |
Originally Posted By Jaehaerys: Originally Posted By 4xGM300m: Originally Posted By Jaehaerys: Originally Posted By AlmightyTallest:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3uE-QUXMAAE2jo?format=jpg&name=small Those would be nice, but there's not going to be any Wunderwaffen which drastically alter the course of the war, I don't think. All destroyed years ago. The boosters were being re used to make glsdb, when the standard M26 was taken out of inventory, so there is that. There might be some stockpiles of M-26A2 Extended Range, and possibly the M-30 dpicm version. |
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It's not stupid, it's advanced!!
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Originally Posted By Saltwater-Hillbilly: I find it more likely that a lot of missiles wouldn't follow their orders to launch, a lot of guidance systems wouldn't follow their orders to the correct target, or that a lot of the warheads wouldn't follow their orders to arm and detonate in the correct sequence. Considering the level of rot and corruption, as well as the quality control issues, the Orcs have demonstrated over the past year and a half, I have my doubts how well the majority of their Nukes are going to work. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Saltwater-Hillbilly: Originally Posted By borderpatrol: Originally Posted By 1saxman: In the conventional warfare sense, Russia is extremely vulnerable right now and could not handle any incursion - from the east or from the west. Its possible that their strategic nuclear deterrent would be ineffective too because of unwillingness of the operators to actually push the button. What gives you the idea that Russian ICBM crews would be unwilling to follow orders? I find it more likely that a lot of missiles wouldn't follow their orders to launch, a lot of guidance systems wouldn't follow their orders to the correct target, or that a lot of the warheads wouldn't follow their orders to arm and detonate in the correct sequence. Considering the level of rot and corruption, as well as the quality control issues, the Orcs have demonstrated over the past year and a half, I have my doubts how well the majority of their Nukes are going to work. Me as well, there are a lot of extreme tolerances and upkeep needed for those to work reliably. Even if they did, our Interceptors would keep the percentages down. |
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It's not stupid, it's advanced!!
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First video I have seen of these being tested. I wish Ukrainian forces had something like this.
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It's not stupid, it's advanced!!
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This fire will cause significant setbacks for producing Russian military equipment. View Quote |
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It's not stupid, it's advanced!!
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It's not stupid, it's advanced!!
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Definitely going for NASAMS.
The Swedish Parliament has supported the initiative to sell Rb 99 missiles (AMRAAM) to the US. Washington will donate them to Ukraine to strengthen its air defense capabilities. The Rb 99 missiles are a licensed version of the American AIM-120B (AMRAAM) missile. It can destroy targets at a distance of up to 70 km. The missile carriers are Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighters, but they can also be launched using NASAMS anti-aircraft missile systems. Ukraine has already received several such air defense systems from the allies. View Quote |
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It's not stupid, it's advanced!!
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Originally Posted By Saltwater-Hillbilly: I find it more likely that a lot of missiles wouldn't follow their orders to launch, a lot of guidance systems wouldn't follow their orders to the correct target, or that a lot of the warheads wouldn't follow their orders to arm and detonate in the correct sequence. Considering the level of rot and corruption, as well as the quality control issues, the Orcs have demonstrated over the past year and a half, I have my doubts how well the majority of their Nukes are going to work. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Saltwater-Hillbilly: Originally Posted By borderpatrol: Originally Posted By 1saxman: In the conventional warfare sense, Russia is extremely vulnerable right now and could not handle any incursion - from the east or from the west. Its possible that their strategic nuclear deterrent would be ineffective too because of unwillingness of the operators to actually push the button. What gives you the idea that Russian ICBM crews would be unwilling to follow orders? I find it more likely that a lot of missiles wouldn't follow their orders to launch, a lot of guidance systems wouldn't follow their orders to the correct target, or that a lot of the warheads wouldn't follow their orders to arm and detonate in the correct sequence. Considering the level of rot and corruption, as well as the quality control issues, the Orcs have demonstrated over the past year and a half, I have my doubts how well the majority of their Nukes are going to work. Their moon mission will be interesting. They are orbiting the moon now. That’s halfway. Now they just need to be able to hit the Earth! It’s easy to say, oh yeah but nuclear forces are much better maintained than artillery shell storage or tank storage. But then you look at their premier “stealth” fighter Su-57 and realize the corruption and poor QC probably does invade every aspect of Russia’s defense apparatus. |
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Deplorable fan of liberty
“I don’t need a ride, I need more ammunition.” |
When does mud season start?
How will it affect that bulge? |
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Nice to see Sweden and Norway stepping up!
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Originally Posted By AlmightyTallest: First video I have seen of these being tested. I wish Ukrainian forces had something like this.
View Quote Wow, a Taiwan Harpy copy! Yes, this is exactly what Ukraine needs now. A swarm of these could overwhelm surface to air systems and open up huge gaps of airspace. When paired with HARMS, you'd be hard pressed to see anyone willing to keep their radars on for very long. |
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Originally Posted By AlmightyTallest:
View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By AlmightyTallest:
This fire will cause significant setbacks for producing Russian military equipment. So now it is (fiery) “red” October? 😎 good |
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Deplorable fan of liberty
“I don’t need a ride, I need more ammunition.” |
Originally Posted By AlmightyTallest:
View Quote There’s your Stuka dive bomber! Needs a siren. |
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Deplorable fan of liberty
“I don’t need a ride, I need more ammunition.” |
Originally Posted By Brok3n: Wow, a Taiwan Harpy copy! Yes, this is exactly what Ukraine needs now. A swarm of these could overwhelm surface to air systems and open up huge gaps of airspace. When paired with HARMS, you'd be hard pressed to see anyone willing to keep their radars on for very long. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Brok3n: Originally Posted By AlmightyTallest: First video I have seen of these being tested. I wish Ukrainian forces had something like this.
Wow, a Taiwan Harpy copy! Yes, this is exactly what Ukraine needs now. A swarm of these could overwhelm surface to air systems and open up huge gaps of airspace. When paired with HARMS, you'd be hard pressed to see anyone willing to keep their radars on for very long. Check the range on those things 1,000km That is crazy. |
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Originally Posted By AlmightyTallest:
First video I have seen of these being tested. I wish Ukrainian forces had something like this. [/quot e]Those are neat. |
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nothing of value here
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With all the available high tech, and the brainpower that Taiwan has, its heartening to see them making their own defensive and offensive weapons without relying on someone else. They know they are their own best ally.
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Originally Posted By AlmightyTallest: First video I have seen of these being tested. I wish Ukrainian forces had something like this.
View Quote That sounds pretty bad ass. |
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Not fly enough to be halal....
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Page 4700 epic thread
Fail |
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Originally Posted By Jaehaerys: Speaking of gas supplies... Copied from another forum: European natural gas storage has now hit its winter 90% target almost three months early. They could hit 100% in a month's time. In lieu of that, traders started pumping excess into storage in Ukraine. It looks like they're indeed utilizing the Bliche-Volytsko-Uherske facility on the Polish/Slovakia border. This facility can store 17bcm, which is 4x larger than the largest storage site in Germany, and almost double the amount Ukraine has offered to Europe. The expectation is that 3.5bcm could be stored there by the end of November, which is a substantial swing amount. Given the spread in spot/futures prices, and the fees the Ukrainians are charging, this looks like a lucrative trade. Europe is still dragging its feet though, because while pipeline/compressor infrastructure risks remain, indemnification and RE from Brussels could speed up the process. As it stands, 20 TWh could flow to Ukraine on a monthly basis, which, nonetheless, is a significant chunk to meet swing demand in Europe during winter months. China's tepid recovery and moribund economy have kept a decent lid on nat-gas prices, but pumping more to Ukraine, despite the risks, would make sense to provide a buffer against an especially cold winter. View Quote Thats good news. At least Europe doesn't have to worry about winter again. And that will likely fuck russia more as they can't transit more gas to china and other places. |
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Germany: Secret Messages Document Moscow Contacts with Staffer of Far-Right AfD - DER SPIEGEL
Click To View Spoiler Secret Messages Document Moscow Contacts with Staffer of Far-Right AfD A pro-Russian activist who works for a politician from the far-right AfD party, sought support from Moscow for a lawsuit against the German government, DER SPIEGEL has learned. They aim of the legal complaint was to delay German arms deliveries to Ukraine. Two days after his arrival at Russia's Vnukovo airport, Vladimir Sergienko contacted a mysterious person. "I'm in Moscow," the pro-Russian activist, who is also a staffer for a German parliamentarian from far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, wrote on a Friday back in March. "Let's meet next week," his contact responded. When Sergienko returned to the Russian capital the following month, he again wrote to his contact. They arranged to meet at 3 p.m. in a cafe. Sergienko asked the contact if he should order dessert for him before he arrived at the meeting. "No, I'll have a tea," the contact answered. The exchange, written in Russian, is part of a record that includes Sergienko's emails, documents and messages. The documents were leaked to DER SPIEGEL and the investigative platform The Insider. At first glance, the communication seems like harmless banter between acquaintances. But before long, formulations begin to appear that even Western intelligence agencies may find interesting. "Has anything happened in terms of active measures?" the mysterious contact asked a few weeks later. "Not easy, but we're getting there," Sergienko replied. "Active measures" is the term Russia has used for clandestine attempts to influence the policies of other countries through disinformation, propaganda and other dishonest methods since Soviet times. And that is precisely the kind of operation described in the documents supplied to DER SPIEGEL. They indicate that Germany was the target. The documents indicate that Sergienko, together with members of the AfD parliamentary group in Berlin, was apparently preparing a legal complaint against German arms deliveries to Ukraine – and was hoping for Russian help. His messages also state that "financial support" would also be welcome. The goal of the action is stated bluntly in the documents: "The government's work is to be made more difficult. It's a win-win situation." Even if the lawsuit fails, he said, German tank deliveries could perhaps be delayed by a month or two. It would be easy to dismiss the messages between Sergienko, who lives in Berlin, and his Moscow contact as some kind of wacky fantasy were it not for the fact that the AfD made a strikingly similar move only four months later. On July 4, the parliamentary group of the far-right party filed a complaint against the government in the Federal Constitutional Court. The AfD justified its move by saying that the government should never have supplied tanks and other war equipment to Ukraine without the agreement of the federal parliament, the Bundestag. Speaking at a specially scheduled press conference, senior AfD parliamentarian Stephan Brandner described the government's action as being "highly problematic." The rule in the past, he said, had been "no arms deliveries to war and crisis zones." Lawyer Ulrich Vosgerau, who is representing the AfD parliamentary group in the case before Germany's highest court, sat next to him. Although there are certainly coincidences in life, this one would be pretty big. The incident also evokes memories of a similar case: Years ago, a young AfD politician named Markus Frohnmaier drew attention to himself because of his close ties to Vladimir Putin's Russia. DER SPIEGEL and other media reported on documents from the Moscow power apparatus indicating that the Russians had high hopes for him in the 2017 election year. "We will have our own absolutely controlled MP in the Bundestag," one document stated. Another document that fell into the hands of a European intelligence agency requested "material and media support" for Frohnmaier's election campaign from Moscow. At the time, the AfD politician denied receiving any assistance from Russia, saying he had no explanation for the compromising formulations. He is still a member of the Bundestag today. DER SPIEGEL's investigation into the Sergienko case is now once again raising the question of whether the AfD has allowed itself to become Putin's tool. If the far-right group has indeed received support from Moscow for its lawsuit – in the form of ideas or financial assistance – it would represent a new dimension of proximity to Russia. And it would mean the AfD has allowed itself to be enlisted as part of an influence operation designed to give Russia an advantage in a war it has waged in violation of international law. The party would finally be exposed as what many have long believed it to be: A Moscow proxy. Full Access To the German Parliament Vladimir Sergienko, 52, has been in the sights of Germany security authorities for some time now. The author and activist, who was born in Ukraine during the Soviet era, can be seen spreading propaganda during frequent appearances on Russian state television. The Ukrainian authorities placed him on a sanctions list earlier this year in response. Sergienko is nonetheless free to come and go as he pleases at the Bundestag in Berlin. As a staffer for pro-Kremlin AfD parliamentarian Eugen Schmidt, he has full access to parliament. Reporting by DER SPIEGEL shows that Sergienko has established a dense network of contacts with Kremlin apologists in Germany in recent years. The network also includes Jürgen Elsässer, the editor and publisher of the far-right magazine Compact and an ardent Putin admirer. At Elsässer's "Peace with Russia" congress planned for this coming autumn, Sergienko is slated to be one of the keynote speakers. "No sanctions, no weapons, no NATO troops," reads the subtitle of the conference. Sergienko also apparently plans to report from Moscow for the right-wing extremist magazine in the future: A request for his accreditation has been submitted to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Elsässer didn't answer a request for comment on the matter. Sergienko has particularly close ties with Ulrich Oehme, an AfD member in the eastern state of Saxony who employed him in his constituency during his time as a member of the Bundestag between 2017 and 2021. On Telegram, Sergienko refers to Oehme as "my friend." Hardcore Putin Apologists Oehme is among the most hardcore of the AfD's Putin apologists. A few months after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, he, Schmidt and other politicians with the far-right party founded the Association for the Defense Against Discrimination and the Exclusion of Russian Germans and Russian-Speaking Fellow Citizens in Germany (VADAR). He opposes allegedly widespread "Russophobia" in Germany and denies Moscow's war atrocities on Telegram. Sergineko is also active on that front. What seems even more remarkable is the people Sergienko has connections with in Russia. In July, he reportedly met with representatives of the Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad, an organization established through a decree issued by the Russian president. The organization has been on the EU sanctions list since the end of June for its attempts to divide societies in other countries. In its reporting, DER SPIEGEL found that Sergienko's network includes important propagandists like Margarita Simonyan, the head of the television channel RT, and Vladimir Solovyov, the host of one of the nastiest and most inflammatory shows on Russian state television. But he also appears to maintain contacts with numerous members of the Russian parliament, the Duma, including Maria Butina, who was convicted in the United States as an agent of Moscow and later deported to Russia, where she began a political career. It's a rather dazzling circle of acquaintances. The closeness of Vladimir Sergienko's connections to Russia is also shown by Russian border-crossing data. It shows that he has traveled to Russia about two dozen times in the past three years. He also flew to Moscow the day before Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Since then, he has visited the country at least 17 times, traveling mostly via Turkey, since no direct flights are permitted from Russia to the European Union. In Russian documents, Sergienko also appears to have a residential address in the Moscow's Zamoskvorechye district. The "employer" listed is a Russian Defense Ministry propaganda station on whose shows he sometimes appears by video from Berlin, with the Bundestag in the background. When traveling to Moscow, Sergienko now often uses his Russian passport, issued three months after the start of the war, a document the German authorities are also now interested in. When Sergienko became a naturalized German citizen in November 2022, the officials were only aware of his Ukrainian passport; they knew nothing about his apparent Russian citizenship. Sergienko also used his Russian passport to travel to Moscow in the spring, ahead of meetings with the ominous contact person who has now made his case so explosive. It isn't clear who the person is or which Russian authority the individual is acting on behalf of. In the exchanges, the person is referred to in some instances as "Alena," but the contact is more likely to be a man. Western intelligence agencies suspect it could be a Russian spy who is acting as Sergienko's handler. This is also supported by telephone records from a Russian database showing the contact apparently communicates on a mobile phone that he uses almost exclusively for conversations with Sergienko. The phone is likely registered to an in-between, a common cover-up tactic used by Russian intelligence services. It's striking that Sergienko often sends information about pro-Kremlin members of parliament with the AfD. Money is also addressed in the communications. According to the documents, the AfD wanted to hire a renowned law firm that charges 450 euros an hour for its lawsuit against the German arms deliveries. All in all, one stated, there would likely be 25,000 euros per month in legal fees, plus another 10,000 euros. Members of the Bundestag prepared the legal action. Sergienko is described in the documents as a "trustee." He appears to be a kind of middleman between Moscow and the AfD. The data also could cast new light on an incident that took place at the German border. When Sergienko returned from a trip to Russia in April, customs officials inspected him and discovered 9,000 euros in cash. In June, Sergienko was reported to have been stopped at the border again on his return journey, and he is once again said to have had 9,000 euros in his baggage. With that amount, he was only just below the limit of 10,000 euros at which point a person is required to register the cash they are carrying with the authorities. Was the money earmarked for a Russian influence operation in Germany? Was the project described in the documents actually the lawsuit the AfD presented at a press conference in July? The AfD's parliamentary group in the Bundestag denies the link. They claim that their legal department and legal representative Ulrich Vosgerau prepared the complaint and that the parliamentary group covered the costs. Eugen Schmidt and other members of parliament with proximity to Sergienko, the AfD claims, had nothing to do with the proceedings. The parliamentary group said it was unaware of the events described by DER SPIEGEL. Lawyer Vosgerau provided the same account. He said that he introduced the idea to the parliamentary group of filing a complaint with the constitutional court, that he doesn't know Sergienko and has "absolutely nothing to do" with Russia or Putin. He also said that the legal complaint could not lead to a delay in arms deliveries – it would merely result in a ruling on whether the rights of the Bundestag had been violated. The question of how it came to be that Sergienko sought help at the same time from Moscow for an AfD lawsuit against German arms deliveries remains an open one. Sergienko left concrete questions unanswered. "Yes, I maintain diverse contacts with people of various stripes, but no, that does not make me a master spy," Sergienko informed DER SPIEGEL. "Yes, I was present in Russian media, but I'm not a mouthpiece for any propaganda." He denies having provided financial support to the AfD, as well as the suspicion that he is acting on behalf of Russian state agencies. AfD politician Schmidt, for whom the pro-Russian activist works in the Bundestag, said he could not "comment on conjectures about Mr. Sergienko and his alleged Mo |
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Deplorable fan of liberty
“I don’t need a ride, I need more ammunition.” |
Originally Posted By RockNwood: Germany: Secret Messages Document Moscow Contacts with Staffer of Far-Right AfD - DER SPIEGEL Click To View Spoiler Secret Messages Document Moscow Contacts with Staffer of Far-Right AfD A pro-Russian activist who works for a politician from the far-right AfD party, sought support from Moscow for a lawsuit against the German government, DER SPIEGEL has learned. They aim of the legal complaint was to delay German arms deliveries to Ukraine. Two days after his arrival at Russia's Vnukovo airport, Vladimir Sergienko contacted a mysterious person. "I'm in Moscow," the pro-Russian activist, who is also a staffer for a German parliamentarian from far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, wrote on a Friday back in March. "Let's meet next week," his contact responded. When Sergienko returned to the Russian capital the following month, he again wrote to his contact. They arranged to meet at 3 p.m. in a cafe. Sergienko asked the contact if he should order dessert for him before he arrived at the meeting. "No, I'll have a tea," the contact answered. The exchange, written in Russian, is part of a record that includes Sergienko's emails, documents and messages. The documents were leaked to DER SPIEGEL and the investigative platform The Insider. At first glance, the communication seems like harmless banter between acquaintances. But before long, formulations begin to appear that even Western intelligence agencies may find interesting. "Has anything happened in terms of active measures?" the mysterious contact asked a few weeks later. "Not easy, but we're getting there," Sergienko replied. "Active measures" is the term Russia has used for clandestine attempts to influence the policies of other countries through disinformation, propaganda and other dishonest methods since Soviet times. And that is precisely the kind of operation described in the documents supplied to DER SPIEGEL. They indicate that Germany was the target. The documents indicate that Sergienko, together with members of the AfD parliamentary group in Berlin, was apparently preparing a legal complaint against German arms deliveries to Ukraine – and was hoping for Russian help. His messages also state that "financial support" would also be welcome. The goal of the action is stated bluntly in the documents: "The government's work is to be made more difficult. It's a win-win situation." Even if the lawsuit fails, he said, German tank deliveries could perhaps be delayed by a month or two. It would be easy to dismiss the messages between Sergienko, who lives in Berlin, and his Moscow contact as some kind of wacky fantasy were it not for the fact that the AfD made a strikingly similar move only four months later. On July 4, the parliamentary group of the far-right party filed a complaint against the government in the Federal Constitutional Court. The AfD justified its move by saying that the government should never have supplied tanks and other war equipment to Ukraine without the agreement of the federal parliament, the Bundestag. Speaking at a specially scheduled press conference, senior AfD parliamentarian Stephan Brandner described the government's action as being "highly problematic." The rule in the past, he said, had been "no arms deliveries to war and crisis zones." Lawyer Ulrich Vosgerau, who is representing the AfD parliamentary group in the case before Germany's highest court, sat next to him. Although there are certainly coincidences in life, this one would be pretty big. The incident also evokes memories of a similar case: Years ago, a young AfD politician named Markus Frohnmaier drew attention to himself because of his close ties to Vladimir Putin's Russia. DER SPIEGEL and other media reported on documents from the Moscow power apparatus indicating that the Russians had high hopes for him in the 2017 election year. "We will have our own absolutely controlled MP in the Bundestag," one document stated. Another document that fell into the hands of a European intelligence agency requested "material and media support" for Frohnmaier's election campaign from Moscow. At the time, the AfD politician denied receiving any assistance from Russia, saying he had no explanation for the compromising formulations. He is still a member of the Bundestag today. DER SPIEGEL's investigation into the Sergienko case is now once again raising the question of whether the AfD has allowed itself to become Putin's tool. If the far-right group has indeed received support from Moscow for its lawsuit – in the form of ideas or financial assistance – it would represent a new dimension of proximity to Russia. And it would mean the AfD has allowed itself to be enlisted as part of an influence operation designed to give Russia an advantage in a war it has waged in violation of international law. The party would finally be exposed as what many have long believed it to be: A Moscow proxy. Full Access To the German Parliament Vladimir Sergienko, 52, has been in the sights of Germany security authorities for some time now. The author and activist, who was born in Ukraine during the Soviet era, can be seen spreading propaganda during frequent appearances on Russian state television. The Ukrainian authorities placed him on a sanctions list earlier this year in response. Sergienko is nonetheless free to come and go as he pleases at the Bundestag in Berlin. As a staffer for pro-Kremlin AfD parliamentarian Eugen Schmidt, he has full access to parliament. Reporting by DER SPIEGEL shows that Sergienko has established a dense network of contacts with Kremlin apologists in Germany in recent years. The network also includes Jürgen Elsässer, the editor and publisher of the far-right magazine Compact and an ardent Putin admirer. At Elsässer's "Peace with Russia" congress planned for this coming autumn, Sergienko is slated to be one of the keynote speakers. "No sanctions, no weapons, no NATO troops," reads the subtitle of the conference. Sergienko also apparently plans to report from Moscow for the right-wing extremist magazine in the future: A request for his accreditation has been submitted to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Elsässer didn't answer a request for comment on the matter. Sergienko has particularly close ties with Ulrich Oehme, an AfD member in the eastern state of Saxony who employed him in his constituency during his time as a member of the Bundestag between 2017 and 2021. On Telegram, Sergienko refers to Oehme as "my friend." Hardcore Putin Apologists Oehme is among the most hardcore of the AfD's Putin apologists. A few months after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, he, Schmidt and other politicians with the far-right party founded the Association for the Defense Against Discrimination and the Exclusion of Russian Germans and Russian-Speaking Fellow Citizens in Germany (VADAR). He opposes allegedly widespread "Russophobia" in Germany and denies Moscow's war atrocities on Telegram. Sergineko is also active on that front. What seems even more remarkable is the people Sergienko has connections with in Russia. In July, he reportedly met with representatives of the Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad, an organization established through a decree issued by the Russian president. The organization has been on the EU sanctions list since the end of June for its attempts to divide societies in other countries. In its reporting, DER SPIEGEL found that Sergienko's network includes important propagandists like Margarita Simonyan, the head of the television channel RT, and Vladimir Solovyov, the host of one of the nastiest and most inflammatory shows on Russian state television. But he also appears to maintain contacts with numerous members of the Russian parliament, the Duma, including Maria Butina, who was convicted in the United States as an agent of Moscow and later deported to Russia, where she began a political career. It's a rather dazzling circle of acquaintances. The closeness of Vladimir Sergienko's connections to Russia is also shown by Russian border-crossing data. It shows that he has traveled to Russia about two dozen times in the past three years. He also flew to Moscow the day before Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Since then, he has visited the country at least 17 times, traveling mostly via Turkey, since no direct flights are permitted from Russia to the European Union. In Russian documents, Sergienko also appears to have a residential address in the Moscow's Zamoskvorechye district. The "employer" listed is a Russian Defense Ministry propaganda station on whose shows he sometimes appears by video from Berlin, with the Bundestag in the background. When traveling to Moscow, Sergienko now often uses his Russian passport, issued three months after the start of the war, a document the German authorities are also now interested in. When Sergienko became a naturalized German citizen in November 2022, the officials were only aware of his Ukrainian passport; they knew nothing about his apparent Russian citizenship. Sergienko also used his Russian passport to travel to Moscow in the spring, ahead of meetings with the ominous contact person who has now made his case so explosive. It isn't clear who the person is or which Russian authority the individual is acting on behalf of. In the exchanges, the person is referred to in some instances as "Alena," but the contact is more likely to be a man. Western intelligence agencies suspect it could be a Russian spy who is acting as Sergienko's handler. This is also supported by telephone records from a Russian database showing the contact apparently communicates on a mobile phone that he uses almost exclusively for conversations with Sergienko. The phone is likely registered to an in-between, a common cover-up tactic used by Russian intelligence services. It's striking that Sergienko often sends information about pro-Kremlin members of parliament with the AfD. Money is also addressed in the communications. According to the documents, the AfD wanted to hire a renowned law firm that charges 450 euros an hour for its lawsuit against the German arms deliveries. All in all, one stated, there would likely be 25,000 euros per month in legal fees, plus another 10,000 euros. Members of the Bundestag prepared the legal action. Sergienko is described in the documents as a "trustee." He appears to be a kind of middleman between Moscow and the AfD. The data also could cast new light on an incident that took place at the German border. When Sergienko returned from a trip to Russia in April, customs officials inspected him and discovered 9,000 euros in cash. In June, Sergienko was reported to have been stopped at the border again on his return journey, and he is once again said to have had 9,000 euros in his baggage. With that amount, he was only just below the limit of 10,000 euros at which point a person is required to register the cash they are carrying with the authorities. Was the money earmarked for a Russian influence operation in Germany? Was the project described in the documents actually the lawsuit the AfD presented at a press conference in July? The AfD's parliamentary group in the Bundestag denies the link. They claim that their legal department and legal representative Ulrich Vosgerau prepared the complaint and that the parliamentary group covered the costs. Eugen Schmidt and other members of parliament with proximity to Sergienko, the AfD claims, had nothing to do with the proceedings. The parliamentary group said it was unaware of the events described by DER SPIEGEL. Lawyer Vosgerau provided the same account. He said that he introduced the idea to the parliamentary group of filing a complaint with the constitutional court, that he doesn't know Sergienko and has "absolutely nothing to do" with Russia or Putin. He also said that the legal complaint could not lead to a delay in arms deliveries – it would merely result in a ruling on whether the rights of the Bundestag had been violated. The question of how it came to be that Sergienko sought help at the same time from Moscow for an AfD lawsuit against German arms deliveries remains an open one. Sergienko left concrete questions unanswered. "Yes, I maintain diverse contacts with people of various stripes, but no, that does not make me a master spy," Sergienko informed DER SPIEGEL. "Yes, I was present in Russian media, but I'm not a mouthpiece for any propaganda." He denies having provided financial support to the AfD, as well as the suspicion that he is acting on behalf of Russian state agencies. AfD politician Schmidt, for whom the pro-Russian activist works in the Bundestag, said he could not "comment on conjectures about Mr. Sergienko and his alleged Mo View Quote Attached File |
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It's not stupid, it's advanced!!
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It's not stupid, it's advanced!!
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NATO official apologises over suggestion Ukraine could give up land for membership.
Ukraine alone decides when conditions are right for peace talks - NATO's Stoltenberg NATO leadership seems to be retreating from comments made a few days ago. IMO, the idea that Ukraine should cede territory in order to join NATO has always struck me as being unrealistic. It would be absurdly difficult to pull off on a legislative and constitutional level, it would take quite a bit of time and require the approval of all members (Hungary alone would derail this), etc. Overall, I could easily see Ukraine being forced to acquise to Russian demands (Donbas and land bridge to Crimea) and still not getting into NATO. |
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