Putin's desperation is now on full view for all to see.

 Miriam Kuepper (left) reports that,

"Vladimir Putin is allegedly putting out feelers to see if America is ready for talks on ending the war in Ukraine.

The Russian president is also 'prepared to drop opposition to Kyiv joining Nato', according to a new Bloomberg report.

He approached senior US officials last month via an unnamed intermediary as he was 'testing the waters' to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, two people close to the Kremlin claimed. (Mail Online : 26 January 2024) (my emphasis)

 As also reported by Bloomberg News,

"Vladimir Putin is testing the waters on whether the US is ready to engage in talks for ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.

He’s put out feelers to the US via indirect channels to signal he’s open to discussion, including potentially on future security arrangements for Ukraine, according to two people close to the Kremlin.

US officials say they’re not aware of the supposed overtures, which may amount to a trial balloon, and see no indication the Russian president is serious about looking for a way to end the fighting, which has settled into a deadly stalemate as the war heads into a third year. (Bloomberg News : 25 January 2024) (my emphasis)

But, as reported by Mark Trevelyan and Alison Williams (right),

"The Kremlin on Friday denied a Bloomberg report that President Vladimir Putin was "putting out feelers" to the United States for possible talks on ending the war in Ukraine and might consider dropping key demands on Ukraine's security status.

The Bloomberg report said Putin was "testing the waters" on whether Washington was ready to engage in talks, and had reached out to the United States via indirect channels." (Reuters : 26 January 2024) (my emphasis)

And whilst US officials state that Putin [Pu-truschev] may be flying a "trial baloon" to end his war with Ukraine, this "trial baloon" may just have something to do with the fact that,

"Ukraine appears to be targeting Russia's oil and gas industry with small, cheap drones as it seeks to disrupt Russian supply lines.

Fires have broken out at several energy infrastructure locations in Russia over the last few weeks following suspected drone strikes, including at a Rosneft oil refinery in Tuapse, a Rosneft storage facility in Klintsy, and Novatek's Baltic Sea Ust-Luga terminal.

Videos posted on social media appeared to show the fires at the facilities in Tuapse and Klintsy.

Ukraine is likely targeting the facilities in an attempt to disrupt Russia's military operations." (Alia Shoaib (left) : Business Insider : 27 January 2024) (my emphasis)

Joe Blogs : 23 January 2024 : YouTube

And as reported by Ukrayinska Pravda,

"Ukraine’s defence forces killed 770 Russian soldiers and destroyed 15 armoured combat vehicles and 3 artillery systems over the past day.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook" (Ukrayinska Pravda on Yahoo News : 27 January 2024) (my emphasis)

And on the economic front,, as reported by Charter97,

"Last year, Russian exports amounted to $422.7 billion — $169.4 billion (almost 30%) less than in the record year of 2022 ($592.1 billion) — this is the preliminary assessment of the Central Bank. This is the minimum since 2020, and if we exclude the pandemic year, since 2018.

At the same time, imports increased by $27.9 billion (10%) and returned to the pre-war level — $304.4 billion, as in 2021. This was the main factor in the collapse of the current account balance of the balance of payments — almost 5 times from $238 billion in 2022 to $50.2 billion." (Charter97 : 28 january 2024) (my emphasis)

And as now reported by Amy Walker (left),

"In Russia, the government and central bank are arguing about how best to protect the currency.

Putin considers his measures to be the best - the head of the central bank denies this.

Moscow : In Russia, a public dispute is emerging between President Vladimir Putin and central bank chief Elvira Nabiullina. (right)

This is about capital controls that are intended to stabilize the ruble.
...
Putin introduced capital controls to prevent currency collapse

The Russian government ordered the capital controls by decree in October 2023; they were initially limited to April.

According to the government's wishes, the regulation should run until the end of the year (i.e. 2024), as it announced on Tuesday (January 23) in the messaging app Telegram.

It obliges exporters to convert their foreign exchange earnings into the local currency, rubles.

In the summer of 2023, the ruble collapsed massively; at times there were 101 rubles for one dollar." (The Limited Times  : 26 January 2024) (my emphasis)

As the Russian economy continues to head South, and Ukraine continues to inflict serious damage on Putin's [Pu-truschev's] oil refineries and oil storage facilities, the very backbone of Russia's economy, is it any wonder that Putin [Pu-truschev] is now "flying 'peace' balloons"?

Putin's desperation is now on full view for all to see.  

                              

    

(to be continued)

Putin's desperation to regain his Czarist stature in the minds of the Russian people.

The noose is beginning to tighten around Putin's [Pu-truschev's] neck as the EU, NATO, the UK, and the US, implement financial and military-support strategies to enhance their support of Ukraine in its war with Putin [Pu-truschev]. 

On the NATO front, the Turkish government has finally relented in supporting Sweden's accession to NATO.

 As reported by Arthur Parashar (left),

"Turkish MPs have finally given Sweden the green light to join NATO, clearing the biggest remaining hurdle to expanding the Western military alliance.

The key vote leaves Hungary as the only NATO member left to approve Sweden's application after 20 months of delays." (Mail Online : 23 January 2024) (my emphasis)

Mail Online : 23 January 2024

Wrong-footed by Turkey supporting Sweden's NATO accession Victor Orban, Putin's [Pu-truschev's] proxy in the EU, is now scrambling to try and make amends with Sweden over his vociferous call NOT to allow Sweden to join NATO.

 As reported by Stuart Lau (left),

"If you want to join NATO, come and talk to me — that's Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's latest message to his Swedish counterpart.

"Today I sent an invitation letter to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson ... for a visit to Hungary to negotiate on Sweden’s NATO accession," Orbán tweeted Tuesday.
...
Kristersson's office did not immediately respond to Orbán's invitation." (Politico : 23 January 2024) (my emphasis) 

 It is telling that Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (right) has not yet responded to Orban's sudden invitation, no doubt due to the fact that the EU, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda,

".... EU member states are ready to approve the aid package for Ukraine at the summit in Brussels on 1 February, regardless of whether Hungary supports it.

If Orban (left) continues to block the support package, the remaining 26 EU countries will decide to approve it, and preparations for such a scenario are already in full swing.
...
The sources stressed that if Orban decides to go this route, the EU could launch the next stage of punitive measures against Hungary, which could lead to the deprivation of its voting rights as a member state." (Ukrainska Pravda on Yahoo News : 23 January 2024) (my emphasis)

 If Putin [Pu-truschev] is jumping up and down in anger in his bunker at Sweden within a hair's breadth of becoming a full member of NATO, he is apopletic with rage at the EU deciding to approve its E50 billion financial package in support of Ukraine by simply side-lining his EU proxy, Victor Orban.

Putin's [Pu-truschev's] rage is evidenced by his recent missile onslaught against the people of Ukraine.

The Independent : 24 January 2024

 As reported by Maryam Zakir-Hussain and Tara Cobham (left),

"At least 18 people were killed and dozens wounded in a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said strikes throughout the country killed 18 people and injured more than 130 in his nightly video address." (The Independent : 24 January 2024) (my emphasis)

These assaults of Putin [Pu-truschev] against the civilian population of Ukraine has spurred on the military support of EU members and NATO to ensure that Ukraine can continue its devastating assault on Russia's military capabilities.

As reported by AP News,

" NATO signed on Tuesday a $1.2-billion contract to make tens of thousands of artillery rounds to replenish the dwindling stocks of its member countries as they supply ammunition to Ukraine to help it defeat Russia’s invasion.
...
“This is important to defend our own territory, to build up our own stocks, but also to continue to support Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (right) told reporters.

“We cannot allow President (Vladimir) Putin to win in Ukraine,” he added. “That would be a tragedy for the Ukrainians and dangerous for all of us.” (AP News : 23 January 2024) (my emphasis)

 Furthermore, as reported by Sabine Siebold (left),

"Germany will send six helicopters to Ukraine out of Germany's military inventory to be delivered from the second quarter of this year, its defence minister Boris Pistorius announced on Tuesday, the first delivery of its kind from Germany.

The helicopters, called "Sea King" helicopters, should help Ukraine with everything from surveillance of the Black Sea to transporting soldiers, Pistorius said." (Reuters : 23 January 2024) (my emphasis)

On the home front, Putin [Pu-truschev] is having to face escalating and dangerous criticisms, even in the face of,

"Russian lawmakers are weighing a bill that would grant the state power to seize property from people who criticize Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.  

Criticizing the invasion, which began nearly two years ago, is effectively a crime already. But the new bill aims to make penalties even harsher.

The draft bill, considered by Russia’s parliament on Monday, would allow for the state to seize the property of Russians who have left the country and have criticized the war but who continue to rely on revenue from renting out their houses or apartments in Russia." (Bradford Betz : Fox News on Microsoft Start: 23 January 2024) (my emphasis)   

As reported by Steve Rosenberg (right),

"In a function room on the edge of Moscow, something unusual is happening.

A group of women are publicly criticising the Russian authorities. Their husbands are among the 300,000 reservists mobilised by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the war in Ukraine in autumn 2022.

And they want them home.

"When will our husbands be considered to have discharged their military duty?" asks Maria. "When they're brought back with no arms and legs? When they can't do anything at all because they're just vegetables? Or do we have to wait for them to be sent back in zinc coffins?" (BBC News : 23 January 2024) (my emphasis) 

BBC News : 23 January 2024 : YouTube

Is it, therfore, any wonder that Putin [Pu-truschev] is, once again, threatening to use nuclear bombs against Ukraine?

As reported by Mark Trevelyan,

"The war in Ukraine has dented Russia's confidence in its conventional forces and increased the importance to Moscow of non-strategic nuclear weapons (NSNWs) as a means of deterring and defeating NATO in a potential future conflict, a leading Western think-tank said on Monday.
...
Moscow denies wielding nuclear threats but several of President Vladimir Putin's statements since the onset of the war in Ukraine have been interpreted as such in the West - starting on day one of the Russian invasion [of Ukraine] when he warned of "consequences that you have never faced in your history" for anyone who tried to hinder or threaten Russia. (Reuters : 22 January 2024) (my emphasis)

Is it any wonder that, as reported by Stacy Liberatore (left), that,

"Humanity is still in a 'time of unprecedented danger.'

That is the conclusion of scientists behind the Doomsday Clock, a symbolic timepiece which indicates how close the world is to ending.

The clock was updated today and remained at 90 seconds to midnight - the theoretical point of annihilation." (Mail Online : 23 January 2024) (my emphasis)  

Mail Online : 23 January 2024

As Putin approaches his public annointing as the Czar of Russia in the upcoming Russian presidential elections, it should come as no surprise that he ([Pu-truschev]) will do anything to retrieve his status in the mind of the Russian people as the 'saviour of Russia'.

Putin is now desperate to regain his Czarist stature in the minds of the Russian people.

But who will the people of Russia be annointing Czar of Russia in their upcoming Russian presidential elections? Putin or Pu-truschev.

 Perkin Amalaraj and Will Stewart : Mail Online : 3 January 2024 

UPDATE 25 January 2024

 Tom Porter (left) reports that,

 "Russia is struggling to break through Ukraine's defensive lines because when its troops gather to attack, they're targeted by Ukrainian drones, a think tank has said.

An influential Russian milblogger noted that Russian forces were struggling to work out how to break out of the current stalemate, according to US think tank, The Institute for the Study of War.
...
It added that even forces gathering far behind the front line are vulnerable to attack." (Business Insider : 24 January 2024) (my emphasis) 

Added to which, as reported by Kate Nicholson (right),

"Vladimir Putin has said the war in Ukraine is “not the best” right now, suggesting Russia is struggling to make any significant gains.

The Russian president, speaking at a meeting of participants in some nation-wide family contests on Tuesday, suggested he still believes southern Ukraine will join the “common Russian space”.

But, Putin acknowledged that “the situation” on the battlefield “now is not the best and far from calm”.

According to the Russian state news agency, TASS, Putin was talking about the  eastern Donbas region and “Novorossiya” – which translates to “New Russia” – in particular. (Huffpost UK on Microsoft Start : 24 January 2024) (my emphasis)

Putin [Pu-truschev] is finally having to admit that his raison d'être for his war with Ukraine viz. his delusions about “Novorossiya”, for illegaly invading and annexing Ukraine's Crimea in 2014, his subsequent illegal invasion and occupation of the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, and his current war with Ukraine that he started in 2022, is coming to an end in 2024.

                             

 

(to be continued)

Putin is unable to hold back the tide of Ukraine's victory in 2024

In my blog entry of 24 December 2014 I wrote that,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has attempted to assuage fears of economic collapse and promised rapid recovery as he faced hundreds of journalists amid the worst financial crisis of his rule." (Aljazeera :  18 Dec 2014)

As he boldly stated,

"Under the most unfavourable world conditions, such a situation can last two years," Putin said days after the Russian rouble fell to record lows, following a 60-percent dive in value since the beginning of the year." (ibid Aljazeera) (my emphasis)

Like the legend surrounding King Canute, Putin is ordering the waves of a disastrous Russian economic downturn to recede but, unfortunately, to no avail. (blog entry 24/12/2014)

In the words of Theodore Dalrymple,

"Political power or office often gives those who possess it the illusion that they control events. That, after all, is the reason why the story of King Canute retains, and will always retain, its relevance to the current political situation." (Wikipedia) (my emphasis)

Fast forward to 2023 and, in the wake of his current war with Ukraine, Putin [Pu-truschev] is, once again, having to learn the lesson of King Canute.

As reported by Jonathan Leake (right),

"With Russian forces stuck in a stalemate on the frontlines in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin is facing a drain on the Kremlin coffers that threaten to sink his war machine.

Russia’s oil and gas revenues have plummeted by 37pc in just one year, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
...
A surge in oil exports from Guyana, Canada, Brazil and, above all, the US, means Opec’s overall market share is steadily reducing. There may be no way back, say analysts." (The Telegraph : 19 January 2024) (my emphasis) 

 

CNBC Television : December 2023 : YouTube

Jonathan Leake further reports that,

"With their power diminishing, Opec+ has been riven with infighting. A November meeting was delayed at the last minute amid reports that African members, who heavily rely on oil revenues day-to-day, were reluctant to agree to Saudi plans to cut their output.

Shortly after, Angola, which had been an Opec member since 2007, quit." (ibid Jonathan Leake )

 As also reported by Giulia Carbonaro (left),
 
"China's state-owned banks are tightening curbs on funding to Russian clients as they fear being subjected to secondary sanctions from the U.S., according to a Tuesday report by Bloomberg.

At least two banks have ordered a review of their Russian businesses in recent weeks and plan to sever ties with clients on the U.S. sanction list. The banks will also stop providing financial services to the Russian military sector, according to sources familiar with the matter, and review companies including non-Russian clients doing business in Russia or sending critical goods to Russia through a third country." (Newsweek : 16 January 2024) (my emphasis) 

 Newsweek : 16 January 2024

On the military front things also seem to be going South for Putin [Pu-truschev].

As reported by Nathan Rennolds,

"Russian marines and paratroopers are refusing to launch certain types of assaults due to concerns over the huge losses other troops are suffering, a Ukrainian official said, the Kyiv Post reported.

 Nataliya Humenyuk, a press secretary for the Armed Forces of Ukraine's
Joint Command South, said that the soldiers considered "themselves 'elite    troops' " and did not "want to go into frontal assaults" that former felons and reservists typically carry out, the outlet reported." (Business Insider : 20 January 2024) (my emphasis)

It is not only his 'elite' troops that Putin [Pu-truschev] has to worry about.

As also reported by Chris Panella,

"A newly released photo shows the Ukrainian crew and the US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle that fought and won against one of Russia's top tanks.

The photo comes on the heels of a viral video earlier this week depicting an intense battle between a Bradley and a Russian T-90M, a heavily armored tank Russian President Vladimir Putin once bragged was "the world's best."

The Defense Ministry of Ukraine shared on Friday the photo, which came courtesy of the 47th Mechanized Brigade, of the Ukrainian M2A2 Bradley IFV crew responsible for defeating the Russian T-90M on the battlefield." (Business Insider : 19 January 2024) (my emphasis)

Metro : Microsoft Start : 20 January 2024

More disconcerting for Putin [Pu-truschev], just today Maxim Rodionov and Lidia Kelly report that,

"A fire at a terminal of Russia's largest liquefied natural gas producer Novatek (NVTK.MM) on the Baltic Sea was caused by two explosions, the state RIA news agency reported on Sunday, citing local officials.

The agency said that the fire has since been contained to a 100-cubic-metre fuel depot." (Reuters : 21 January 2024) (my emphasis)

 This follows on from a report by  Paul Kirby (right) that,

"Fire has broken out over a large area of an oil storage depot in southern Russia after officials say it was hit by a Ukrainian drone.

Russian media say four oil tanks caught alight and the fire then spread over an area of 1,000 sq m (10,763sq ft).

Russian authorities in the Bryansk region say no-one was hurt.

The Bryansk governor said the drone was intercepted near the town of Klintsy and its explosives then fell on the oil depot.

The drone strike is the second on Russian oil facilities in two days.

An unprecedented attack targeted a major oil loading terminal in Russia's second city, St Petersburg, on Thursday." (BBC News : 20 January 2024) (my emphasis)

And just in, Oliver Slow (left) reports that,

"An explosion has occurred at a gas export terminal near the city of St Petersburg in Russia, officials say.

The blast caused a large fire, state-owned RIA Novosti news agency said. It said the fire had been contained, and there were no reports of injuries.

The cause of the fire is not known, but local media have reported that drones had been seen in the area." (BBC News : 21 January 2024) (my emphasis)

BBC News : 21 January 2024

Putin [Pu-truschev] has now been forced into the arms of Kim Jon Un to supply him with yet more North Korean armaments as he suffers from the critical onslaught of the Ukrainian army, and his economy decidedly points South in the coming year.

As reported by Hyunsu Yim (left),

"Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his willingness to
visit Pyongyang soon when he met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui in Russia last week, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported on Sunday.

Putin also thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for his invitation to visit, KCNA said, citing North Korea’s foreign minister’s assistant office.

It would be the Russian leader’s first trip to North Korea in more than two decades." (Reuters : 21 January 2024) (my emphasis) 

Like King Canute, Putin [Pu-truschev's] is unable to hold back the tide of a Ukrainian victory in 2024.

 

(to be continued)

Putin [Pu-truschev] is now beginning to running on empty

Once again Putin's glove-puppet, Dmitry Medvedev, has raised his head above the Rusian 'nuclear parapet' and threatened Ukraine and its allies with nuclear war.

As reported by Guy Faulconbridge (right),

"A senior ally of President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that any

Ukrainian attacks on missile launch sites inside Russia with arms supplied by the United States and its allies would risk a nuclear response from Moscow.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said that some Ukrainian military commanders were considering hitting missile launch sites inside Russia with Western-supplied long-range missiles." (Reuters : 11 January 2024) (my emphasis)

 Kanal13 : 13 January 2024 : YouTube

This threat of Medvedev was followed by Rishi Sunak, UK Prime Minister,

"...  [vowing] that Ukraine "will never be alone" as the UK announced £2.5bn of military aid to Ukraine over the coming year.

It is the UK's largest annual commitment since Russia's full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The PM made the announcement as he met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and signed the new agreement." (BBC News : 12 January 2024) (my emphasis)

Upon his arrival in Ukraine, Rishi Sunak stated that,

“I am here today with one message: the UK will also not falter. We will stand with Ukraine, in their darkest hours and in the better times to come,” he said, shortly before he arrived by train in an icy Kyiv." (Luke Harding and Jamie Grierson : The Guardian : 12 January 2023) (my emphasis)

 Luke Harding and Jamie Grierson go on to report that,

"The two leaders held talks and signed a new UK-Ukrainian security treaty."

10 Downing Street UK : 12 January 2024 : YouTube

Putin, no doubt, spurred on his 'glove-puppet' Medvedev to threaten of nuclear war aginst Ukraine and its allies as Ukraine's army continues to inflict heavy losses on his soldiers in Ukraine.

As Timothy Sigsworth (left) reports,

"Ukraine is inflicting “significant losses” on Russian forces attacking its bridgehead over the Dnipro river.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based think tank, said Russia’s attempts to push Ukrainian soldiers back over the river are failing because of “persistent command and communication problems” that are causing large numbers of casualties.
...
Ukrainian forces have therefore been able to maintain their positions in the face of repeated “heavy attritional attacks”, it said." (The Telegraph on Microsoft Start : 11 January 2924) (my emphasis)

 Further disconcerting for Putin [Pu-truschev ], Alexander Bolton reports that,

"Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) (right) is stepping up his personal efforts to secure a deal on border reform and aid for Ukraine and Israel, which colleagues are characterizing as a major test of his leadership.  
...
The GOP leader reminded colleagues at a closed-door lunch meeting Tuesday not to lose sight of the nation’s pressing national security challenges presented by Russia, Iran and China." (11 January 2024) (my emhasis)

Let us recall that,

"Having succeeded in their bid to block aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, amongst other measures, the Republicans in the US Senate have not only given Putin [Pu-trushev] the best Xmas present that he could ever have wished for, but may also have laid the groundwork for a possible modern-day "Pearl Harbor" to be set in motion that will involve NATO." (blog entry 6 December 2023)

This euphoria of Putin [Pu-truschev] and his Kremlin 'siloviki' clique was rather short-lived, more so since, as reported by Bloomberg news on the Financial Post that,

"Russia’s budget deficit widened more than expected last year, as oil and gas revenues fell by almost a quarter and the Kremlin increased spending amid its war in Ukraine.
...
The deficit widened as spending exceeded projections by 11%. Taxes from oil and gas — a key source of funding for the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine — slumped 24% from a year ago, but still accounted for almost a third of total budget revenue last year, according to Finance Ministry figures." (Bloomberg News on Financial Post : 11 January 2024) (my emphasis)

Putin [Pu-truschev] and his Kremlin 'siloviki' clique, together with 'glove puppet' Medvedev, are now beginning to run on empty.

How the current Iranian military support of the Houthi in Yemen will affect Iranian military support of Putin's war with Ukraine now remains to be seen.

UPDATE 13 January 2024:

Oli Smith (right) reported that,

"Vladimir Putin has resorted to desperate measures to recruit more soldiers into his flagging army.

The president reportedly personally approved of a plan to cut off heating in Russian prisons to force prisoners to join the army.

President Putin wants to exploit the -35C temperatures in some parts of the country to bolster his weakened troops on the frontline in Ukraine.

This comes as an ex-military chief warned that Russia will run out of troops in weeks.

German tabloid Bild heard from human rights activists who revealed that conditions in Russian prisons were becoming so "unbearable" that fighting in Ukraine was the better option.

... The military's recruitment in Russian prisons has seen Russia's prison population drop from around 420,000 before the war to about 266,000 last month." (Express : 13 january 2024) (my emphasis)

UPDATE 15 January 2024:

Oliver Slow (below) reports that,

 "Ukraine's military says it has shot down a Russian military spy plane over the Sea of Azov, in what analysts say would be a blow to Moscow's air power.

Army chief Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi said the air force had "destroyed" an A-50 long range radar detection aircraft, and an Il-22 air control centre.

The A-50 detects air defences and coordinates targets for Russian jets.
...
Russian officials said they had "no information" about the attacks, but prominent pro-war Russian commentators have said the loss of an A-50 would be significant." (BBC News : 15 January 2024) (my emphasis)

BBC News : 15 January 2024 : YouTube

                          

 

(to be continued)

 

Winter has descended upon Putin in his war with Ukraine.

The first week of the New Year has ended and, already, as reported by AP News,

"Ukraine came under strong Russian missile attacks early Monday that struck near the front lines of fighting in the east as well as in central and western parts of the country, killing one person and injuring at least 30.

The heaviest casualty toll was in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where a woman died in a missile attack outside the city of Kryvyi Rih and 24 were injured in a strike on the town of Novomoskovsk. In Kryvyi Rih itself, more than 20 houses and a shopping center were damaged in a missile attack, said regional governor Serhii Lysak." (AP News : 8 January 2023) (my emphasis)

 

PBS News Hour : 5 January 2024 : YouTube

This attack by Putin [Pu-truschev] using North Korean missiles and Iranian drones come as the day before,

"Vladimir Putin staged a lavish Orthodox Christmas Eve dinner for children of soldiers killed in Ukraine as he attempted to present himself as a caring leader by ordering officials to do more for the country’s troops.

The Russian leader vowed to back those “with arms in hands” as he hosted Saturday evening’s heavily choreographed event at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence on the outskirts of Moscow." (James Kilner (left): The Telegraph on Yahoo News : 7 January 2023), 

nothwitstanding the fact that,

"Russia is on course to have lost a total of 500,000 soldiers by the end of this year if casualties continue at their current rate, the UK Ministry of Defense said.

The average daily number of Russian casualties in Ukraine has risen by almost 300 during the last year, the department noted, citing data from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense." (Alia Shoaib (right): Business Insider : 7 January 2024) (my emphasis)

Let us recall that in September of 2023, following on from the report of James Callery (left) that, "Vladimir Putin is scrambling to draft mercenaries from Armenia and Kazakhstan to plug the gaps in troop numbers fighting in Ukraine.", Alarabiya News informed us that,

"Cuba has identified an alleged human trafficking ring aimed at recruiting its citizens to fight in Russia’s war in Ukraine, the foreign ministry said Monday.

The government was working to dismantle a “trafficking network that operates from Russia to incorporate Cuban citizens living there, and even some from Cuba, into the military forces involved in military operations in Ukraine”, the ministry said in a statement.

The Cuban government had initiated criminal proceedings against those carrying out the trafficking, it added." (Alarabiya News : 5 September 2023) (my emphasis)

Andrew Roth (right) now also reports that,

"The government of Nepal has banned its citizens from travelling to Russia or Ukraine for employment after 10 young men were killed and dozens more reported missing while fighting, predominately in the Russian military.

More than 200 Nepali soldiers are believed to have enlisted in the Russian army since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Nepal’s foreign ministry had said, and more than 100 of them have gone missing. A smaller number are believed to be fighting in the Ukrainian army.

“Work permits for Russia and Ukraine have been temporarily halted until further arrangements are made to minimise potential risks and losses for Nepali nationals entering these war-ravaged countries,” Kabiraj Upreti (left), a director at the department of foreign employment, told the state broadcaster RSS." (The Guardian : 5 January 2024) (my emphasis)

In repose to Putin's [Pu-truschev's] recent wave of heavy air strikes against the civilians of Ukraine, 

"NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg (right) will convene a meeting between NATO diplomats and officials from Ukraine on Jan. 10, following a recent wave of heavy Russian air strikes on the country, the transatlantic defence alliance said on Thursday.

The meeting, taking the format of the newly establish NATO-Ukraine Council, was being convened at Kyiv's request following missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians, cities and towns, a NATO spokesperson said.

Russia has intensified attacks over the New Year period, with President Vladimir Putin warning that a Ukrainian air strike on the Russian city of Belgorod, which Moscow said killed 25 civilians, would "not go unpunished". (Andrew Gray and Tassilo Hummel : Haaretz : Haaretz on MSN : 4 January 2024) (my emphasis)

Added to which, Pavel Polityuk (left) reports that,

"Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, forced into a bomb shelter by an air alert in Kyiv on Sunday, pledged millions of dollars to NATO to help Ukraine avert Russian drone strikes and announced donations of generators and transformers.

"Russia has continued threats and attacks with missiles and drones in various locations, even on New Year's Day," Kamikawa said through an interpreter, after her news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was moved underground.
...
Kamikawa said Japan would allocate $37 million to a NATO Trust Fund that supports equipment such as a drone detection system.

She also announced donations of five mobile gas turbine generators and seven transformers. Russian air strikes caused frequent power cuts across Ukraine last winter, and its two main cities experienced cuts due to a major attack on Jan. 2." (Reuters : 7 January 2024) (my emphasis)

 Jon Brady : Daily Mail : 7 January 2024

And whilst Putin's [Pu-truschev's]  current attempt to bomb the Ukrainian people into submission, Gergana Krasteva (left) reports that,

"As Vladimir Putin is spending billions of pounds on his war in Ukraine, people across Moscow have been left freezing without heating or hot water.

Temperatures in the capital plummeted to -30°C, and the old heating network is reportedly unable to withstand the weather.

This has meant that more than 20,000 residents have been abandoned freezing in sub-zero temperatures recorded in their own homes for days." (Metro : 7 January 2024) (my emphasis)

Winter has descended upon Putin in his war with Ukraine.

Perkin Amalaraj and Will Stewart : Mail Online : 3 January 2024 

 

                                 

 

(to be continued)