Putin desperate for a US Republican victory in November

True to form, General Sergei Surovikin (left), who was "nicknamed General Armageddon" for his ruthlessness in Syria, is now adopting his Syrian tactic of bombing Ukraine's infrastructure in his attempt to demoralise the people of Ukraine.

As revealed by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky,

"Russia has launched a "new massive strike" targeting Ukraine's

energy grid, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

He said the attacks were on a "very wide" scale, hitting Ukraine's regions in the west, centre,south and east.

Almost a third of Ukraine's power stations and other energy-generating facilities have been destroyed in a wave of air strikes since.." (Henri Astier & Yaroslav Lukov : BBC News  : 23 October 2022) (my emphasis) 

As also reported by Bartosz Brzezinski

"Ukraine’s air force said in a statement that Russia launched a “massive missile attack” at 7 a.m. local time, targeting “critical infrastructure in different regions of the country.” The air force said it had managed to shoot down 18 cruise missiles launched by Russian troops.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (right) urged foreign capitals to boost Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, tweeting: “There should not be a minute of delay in capitals deciding on air defense systems for Ukraine.”" (Politico : 22 October 2022) (my emphasis)

As reported by Hyder Abbasi (left),

"Russian-installed authorities in the occupied city of Kherson on Saturday urged residents to leave immediately in the face of a looming counteroffensive by Ukraine’s armed forces that aimed to recapture the southern city.

“Due to the tense situation at the front, the increased danger of massive shelling of the city and the threat of terrorist attacks, all civilians must immediately leave the city,” a statement on the Russian administration’s Telegram channel said Saturday." (NBC News : 22 October 2022) (my emphasis)

What is very disconcerting, as Ukrainian forces are on the verge of re-taking Kherson, is the danger of Russian forces blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam which not only will flood Kherson but, more dangerously, deprive the nuclear plant at Zaphorizia of cooling water.

NBC News and Sky News (YouTube) : 22 October 2022

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba's call for there, ".. not be a minute of delay in capitals deciding on air defense systems for Ukraine" now rings critical for Ukraine to defend itself against this rain of Iranian "UAV doodlebugs" against the infrastructure of Ukraine.

Specifically, Dmytro Kuleba was directing his call to Israel.

As reported by DPA and Jonathan Lis,

"Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz (left) said on Wednesday that Israel has no intention of providing Ukraine with weapons to help it in its war with Russia.
....
Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Wednesday that Israel has no intention of providing Ukraine with weapons to help it in its war with Russia. Gantz did, however, add that Israel has offered Kiev help in developing a smart warning system against aerial threats. Gantz's comments on the heels of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba's statement that his country will officially ask Israel for air defense systems." (Haaretz : 19 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Added to which, as reported by Aaron Blake (right),

"In a new interview, though, [Kevin] McCarthy is singing a significantly different tune. He says that if Republicans win back Congress, we shouldn’t take for granted that the United States will send further military aid to Ukraine.

“I think people are going to be sitting in a recession and they’re not going to write a blank check to Ukraine,” McCarthy (left) told Punchbowl News." (The Washington Post : 18 October 2022) (my emphasis) 

It is not only Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz and US member of Congress Kevin McCarthy who are distancing themselves from supporting Ukraine in its war with Putin.

As reported by Alessandra Scotto di Santolo,

"Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, 86, is a long-time friend of Putin and in a first leaked audio file released on Tuesday, he revealed to parliamentarians from his Forza Italia party that he was back in touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin and had exchanged "sweet letters" and gifts.
...
Mr Berlusconi also repeated an assertion that Putin had bowed to internal pressure and only invaded Ukraine to set up a new government "of decent people with common sense". (Express : 20 October 2022) (my emphasis)

However, the incoming Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni (left),

".... threw down the gauntlet to her right-wing coalition partners on Wednesday, saying her new government would be pro-NATO and fully a part of Europe.

In a sharply worded declaration, she said any party [read : Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party], that disagreed with her foreign policy line should not join the government, which is set to take office next week.

"Italy with us in government will never be the weak link in the West," she said.

Ms Meloni has staunchly defended Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion in February, and has supported Western sanctions against Moscow." (ibid Alessandra Scotto di Santolo)

The upcoming US elections in November will be critical for Ukraine.

Putin is wishing for a Republican victory, and a slowdown of US arm shipments to Ukraine that will prevent the complete collapse of his army in Ukraine.

URGENT STOP PRESS!! 24 Oct 2022

Jonathan Landay and Pavel Polityuk report that,
...
"Russia fired missiles and drones into the Ukrainian-held southern town of Mykolaiv, destroying an apartment block, and said the war was trending towards "uncontrolled escalation" in a flurry of telephone calls to Western defence ministers.
...
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the "rapidly deteriorating situation" in phone calls with British, French and Turkish counterparts, the ministry said.

He also spoke by phone with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for the second time in three days. The Pentagon said Austin told Shoigu he "rejected any pretext for Russian escalation."

Without providing evidence, Shoigu said Ukraine could escalate by using a "dirty bomb", or conventional explosives laced with radioactive material." (Reuters : 24 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Reuters : 24 October 2022 : CBS News : 24 October 2022

As I wrote in my blog entry (2 August 2015),

"In April of 2015 Putin threatened to use 'nuclear' weapons if anyone should try to reclaim Ukrainian Crimea.

As John Hall reported on 2 April 2015,

"Vladimir Putin is planning to exploit the threat of nuclear war to force Nato out of countries bordering Russia, it has been claimed.

A secret meeting between intelligence figures in Moscow and Washington reportedly revealed Putin will consider any attempt to return the Crimean peninsula to Ukraine as declaration of war and will take any necessary step - including using nuclear weapons - to retain control of the region." (MailOnline : 2 April, 2015) (my emphasis)

This is now coming true in the case of eastern Ukraine. As Taku Dzimwasha (right), International Business Times journalist, informs us,

"Pro-Moscow rebels in Ukraine building 'dirty' bomb with help of Russian scientists" published on August 1 that pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine are "building a dirty bomb" with the assistance of Russian nuclear scientists, according to a Ukrainian security service report seen by The Times." (UNIAN : 01.08.2015) (my emphasis)

Taku Dzimwasha further reports that,

"When the accusations were put to an unnamed DPR official, he initially denied that the factory stored radioactive waste, but eventually admitted to its existence, The Times reported.

"Everyone knows that there is a small repository with [radioactive] waste," he said. "But the story that we signed an agreement with Russia is fake."

Russia's state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom denied that its staff had travelled to Donetsk and challenged the idea that radioactive material was being stored in the area.

However, a spokesman did acknowledge that there were private companies and individuals in Russia capable of removing the material from the bunker, IBTimes wrote." (ibid UNIAN) (my emphasis) (Blog Entry 2 August 2015)

It is interesting to note that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is now confirming that in 2015, pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine were "building a dirty bomb" with the assistance of Russian nuclear scientists. 

IS THIS THE NUCLEAR BOMB THAT PUTIN WILL NOW UNLEASH ON THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE???

 

(to be continued)