Putin preparing to use a nuclear bomb may now turn out to be true.

Deborah Haynes, Mark Stone and James Matthews report that,
...
"Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is on a hastily-arranged visit to Washington to talk with his counterpart and White House officials about "shared security concerns" including Ukraine and Russia, a source and an official said. (Sky News : 19 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Critically, they continue,

"The secretive, last-minute nature of the trip and a comment by a second defence minister, James Heappey - who said the conversations that Mr Wallace would be having on Tuesday were "beyond belief" - suggested particularly sensitive and serious issues would be discussed." (ibid Deborah Haynes, Mark Stone and James Matthews)

This sudden rush by the UK's Minister of Defence to Washington follows on from reports that Putin's new military 'top dog', General Sergei Surovikin (right), who was "nicknamed General Armageddon" for his ruthlessness in Syria, 

"... says the situation in the southern city of Kherson is "difficult" and residents are to be evacuated.

General Sergei Surovikin said Ukrainian troops using Himars rockets were hitting the city's infrastructure and housing. He spoke on Russian state TV.

"The Russian army will above all ensure the safe evacuation of the population" of Kherson, he said.

His rare admission of big problems was echoed by a top local official.  (Laurence Peter (left): BBC News : 19 October 2022) (my emphasis) 

The critical question is, "Why is Putin's General "Armageddon" evacuating the whole city of Kherson?"

Having 'carpet-bombed' Allepo in Syria, is this 'evacuation' of Kherson a military prelude to similarly carpet-bombing Kherson?

Guardian News : Drone Footage of Allepo devastation: YouTube: 2 years ago

Furthermore, as reported by Sean Meleady,

"There are increasing fears that the Russian President could be about to detonate a nuclear weapon in a show of strength.

It comes as Defence Secretary Ben Wallace cancelled giving evidence to MPs at short notice to head to the US capital to talk to his American counterparts for crisis talks. US President Joe Biden has claimed that the world is closer to nuclear war today than it has been at any point since The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962." (Express : 19 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Let us also remind ourselves of South African born and raised into late teenage-hood during the 'apartheid' era, Elon Musk,  after his recent 'chit-chat' with Putin.

Musk 'warned' about Putin using a nuclear bomb if Ukraine's Crimea was ever attempted to be re-taken from Putin's Russia by Ukraine's army.

He is now also pushing the long dead Minsk2 protocols, of which Merkel and Putin were the central authors, as a way to appease Putin and thus end his war with Ukraine.

 Hindustan Times : 18 October 2022

 Andriy Zagorodnyuk (left) is correct in arguing that,

"With his armies in retreat and his invasion of Ukraine rapidly unraveling, Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently resorted to nuclear saber-rattling. This has caused widespread international alarm and is fueling mounting calls for Ukraine to reach a compromise with the Kremlin (cf. Elon Musk) in order to avert World War III.

The current rush to appease Moscow is deeply unnerving and reflects a shortsighted failure to appreciate the appalling security implications of bowing down to Russian intimidation. Giving in to Putin’s nuclear blackmail would not end the war in Ukraine. What it would do is set a disastrous precedent that makes a future nuclear war far more likely while encouraging dozens of countries to acquire nuclear arsenals of their own. (The Atlantic : 18 Otober 2022) (my emphasis)

We now learn from John Varga (right) that,

"Vladimir Putin is facing a serious Chechen crisis, after army refuseniks and Kadyrov loyalists engaged in a major armed confrontation over the weekend. The fighting has raised fears that the Islamic republic may be sliding back into civil war and bloody strife, that afflicted the country for a large part of the 1990s." (Express : 18 October 2022) (my emphasis)

With

• Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on a hastily-arranged visit to Washington
• General Sergei Surovikin asserting that the Russian army will above all ensure the safe evacuation of the population" of Kherson
• Chechen army refuseniks and Kadyrov loyalists engaged in a major armed confrontation over the weekend and, above all,
•  Putin's armies in retreat and his invasion of Ukraine rapidly unraveling,

Putin has nowhere to turn to.

What may previously have been viewed as Putin 'bluffing' about using a nuclear bomb in his war with Ukraine may actually turn out to be true. 

 

 STOP PRESS!!

 (8:29 PM GMT+1) Mark Trevelyan (left) reports that,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he was introducing martial law in four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine that Moscow claimed last month as its own territory but is struggling to defend from Ukrainian advances.

In televised remarks to members of his Security Council, Putin boosted the security powers of all Russia's regional governors and ordered the creation of a special coordinating council under Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to step up the faltering war effort." (Reuters : 19 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Brendan Cole : Newsweek : 19 October 2022

Mark Trevelyan goes on to further report that,

"He [Putin] said the "entire system of state administration", not only the specialised security agencies, must be geared to supporting what Russia calls its "special military operation"."

Typically, the imposition of martial law accompanies curfews; the suspension of civil law, civil rights, and habeas corpus; and the application or extension of military law or military justice to civilians. Civilians defying martial law may be subjected to military tribunal (court-martial). (Wikipedia)

In effect, Putin is placing Russia on a war footing.

(to be continued)

Putin is being knocked out of the ring by the army of Ukraine.

Like Elon Musk, 

• who grew up in South Africa during the fascist 'apartheid' years,
• and whose father's wealth, the very bedrock of the the privileged life of a white South African that he lived well into his teenage years, was gained from his father's contracts with the then fascist apartheid South African regime ,
• should now spew out Putin's and Angela Merkel's Minks2 protocols of 2015 as the basis for ending Putin's war with Ukraine. (blog entry 4 October 2022),

we now have Angela Merkel,

• who, since three months old, grew up in the countryside of Communist East Germany just 90 km north of East Berlin,
• 
   who, in 1968, joined the Free German Youth (FDJ), the official communist youth movement sponsored by the ruling Marxist–Leninist Socialist Unity Party of East Germany.
• and who, at the Academy of Sciences of East Germany, became a member of its FDJ secretariat and, according to her former science colleagues, openly propagated Marxism when she was the secretary for "Agitation and Propaganda"
• and who said, "Life in the GDR was sometimes almost comfortable in a certain way, because there were some things one simply couldn't influence." (Wikipedia)

once again claiming, as reported by Reuters and Jack Newman that,

"Angela Merkel has said she has no regrets about her decision to wed Germany to Russian energy. " 

'In this respect I do not regret decisions at all, rather, I believe that it was right from the perspective of the time,' she said, adding that cheap Russian gas had allowed Germany to push ahead with phasing out nuclear and coal.???? (Mail Online : 13 October 2022) (my emphasis)

• Is it a coincidence that the Minsk2 protocols, of which Merkel and Putin were central authors, is now also being pushed by Elon Musk as a way to end Putin's war with Ukraine?
•  Is it a coincidence that, as reported by NV,
  
   "The Kremlin has said it might consider conducting peace talks with Ukraine through   mediators, Russian state-owned news agency TASS quoted a Russian Foreign Ministry representative, Alexey Polishchuk, as saying on Oct. 9.
  
   According to Polishchuk, Moscow is ready to accept intermediary services at peace talks on the terms that “Kyiv has already rejected.” (New Voice of Ukraine : 9 October 2022) (my emphasis)
•  Is it also a coincidence that, as reported by Brady Knox
  
  "Elon Musk's SpaceX said it can no longer pay for Starlink in Ukraine, which has become a critical satellite service apparatus as the country fights to fend off a Russian invasion, in a request to the Pentagon to take over funding the endeavor.
  
  To continue operations, the company asked for tens of millions in subsidies from the Pentagon monthly, according to a letter obtained by CNN. (Washington Examiner : 13 October 2022) (my emphasis)
  

 

Merkel, Musk, and Putin are now trying to resuscitate Putin's and Angela Merkel's Minks2 protocols of 2015, that gives Putin full control over the Ukrainian territories of Luhansk, Donbas, and Crimea

 

But the Ukrainian army continues with its successful and relentless push to rid the territory of Ukraine of Putin's army, aided by the principled stand of the vast majority of the members of the UN and the military support of the US, the UK, the EU, NATO, Australia, and Japan, amongst many others.

 

 

Mail Online : 13 October 2022 (most watched videos)

 

As reported by James Franey (left),

 

"Ukraine yesterday brushed off Putin’s latest strikes on its cities by seizing back five key villages in territory Russia has just annexed.  

Kyiv has vowed to retake the entire region of Kherson by the end of the year after launching its counter-offensive in August." (Mail Online : 13 October 2022) (my emphasis)

 

It is now interesting to now note that Macron has been shamed into now 'considering' helping Ukraine protect itself from Putin's 'doodlebug blitzkrieg' over Ukraine.

 

As reported by Chris Pleasance (right),

 

"Macron, speaking as NATO defence ministers were set to gather to discuss military aid to Ukraine, said France is considering sending air defence units capable of taking down Russian missiles, as well as more artillery." (Mail Online : 13 Octiber 2022) (my emphasis)

 

But still trying to appease Putin, and protect French investments in Putin's Russia, Macron then went on to pronounce that,

 

"Mr Macron also called on Putin to resume peace negotiations with Kyiv.

'Today, first of all, Vladimir Putin must stop this war, respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and come back to the table for talks,' Mr Macron told broadcaster France 2." (ibid Chris Pleasance)

 

 

Macron, it would seem, is rather desperate to follow in the footsteps of Angela Merkel and present himself as the 'political leader' of the EU!

 

Is Macron really unaware of the fact that,

 

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday signed a decree formally announcing the "impossible" prospect of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

 

Yahoo : 13 October 2022

The Ukrainian President still left the door open for negotiations with Russia, but that will not be conducted with Putin as its President." ? (Mint e-paper : 4 October 2022) (my emphasis)
 

Now Putin is trying to seduce Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by turning Turkey into the gas hub for Europe at the expense of Merkel's Nord Stream2 German gas hub.

 

As reported by Suzan Fraser and Dasha Litvinova,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday doubled down on his proposal to turn Turkey into a gas hub for Europe after deliveries to Germany through the Baltic Sea's Nord Stream pipeline were halted.

Putin floated the idea of exporting more gas through the Turk Stream gas pipeline running beneath the Black Sea to Turkey as he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a regional summit in Kazakhstan." (AP News : 13 October 2022) (my emphasis)

 

France 24: YouTube : 13 October 2022 

 

Will Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan be seduced by this offer of Putin?

 

Indeed, unlike the desperate attempts of Macron to paint himself as the 'mediator' between Russia and Ukraine, has President Recep Tayyip Erdogan not already filled this critical position of 'mediator' with Putin, especially given the central role that Turkey has played in resuming grain exports from Ukraine?

Notwithstanding Merkel and Musk trying to resuscitate Putin's and Angela Merkel's Minks2 protocols of 2015, or Putin trying to 'seduce' President Recep Tayyip Erdogan onto his side, Putin's army has nowhere to run to prevent being defeated by the army of Ukraine.

Putin is not simply helpless against the ropes.

Putin is being knocked out of the ring by the army of Ukraine.

 (to be continued)

Putin is about to reap the whirlwind.

In 1943, during WW2, 

"Hitler’s V-weapons, (otherwise known as "doodlebugs" in London) the V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket, were known as Vergeltungswaffen (‘revenge weapons’), designed to be used for terror bombing in retaliation for the increased Allied attacks on German cities during the latter stages of WW2. London was a primary target and the idea was to terrorise British civilians and undermine public morale to such an extent that Britain might capitulate from the war." (Sky History) (my emphasis)

Putin's "doodlebugs" are more sophisticated than the 1943 "doodlebugs" of Hitler. They can be precisely targeted and used as a "terror" instrument.

Yesterday, Putin used his precision "doodlebugs" to "terrorise" the people of Ukraine as 'revenge' for the attack on his 'White Elephant' Kerch Bridge by Ukrainian forces.

Ian Collier : Sky News : 10 October 2022

Earlier (Thursday 6 October 2022), Jacob Paul (left) reported that,

"The world's largest warship which is set to carry a 9,000-troop NATO strike group has set out on a journey to perform military drills in the Atlantic in a huge show of force against Vladimir Putin as tensions with the Russian dictator soar." (Express : 6 October 2022) (my emphasis)

And immediately following Putin's 'revenge-blitzkrieg' against the people of Ukraine yesterday,  Jacob Paul further reports that,

• 
  French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have been called on to step up and send more lethal aid to Ukraine following a brutal barrage of damaging Russian missile strikes which rained down on multiple cities on Monday
• Now, it appears that Berlin has responded to the pleas from Ukraine and will deliver the first of four IRIS-T SLM air defence systems to Ukraine within days, according to its defence ministry.
• German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Monday: "The renewed missile fire on Kyiv and the many other cities show how important it is to supply Ukraine with air defence systems quickly.  
• François Heisbourg of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told Le Monde: "There is a gap between the ambitions displayed by France and the effort it provides to help Ukraine. According to figures from the start of the month, France had only given €233million (£205million) in military aid to Ukraine, compared to Britain's €4billion (£3.5billion) and the US' €25billion (£22billion).(Express : 10 October 2022) (my emphasis)
  

As a banker before becoming President of France Macron, it would seem, is miserly giving aid to Ukraine whilst carefully considering the oodles of Euros that French businessmen have invested in Putin's Russia.

The international outcry against Putin's 'revenge-blitzkrieg' must now be giving Putin serious cause for concern.

As reported by Mint,

"[India's] Foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi (left) said in a statement, “We reiterate that escalation of hostilities is in no one's interest. We urge immediate cessation of hostilities and the urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation." (Mint : 10 Octiber 2022) (my emphasis)

Similarly, as reported by the Jack Lau (right),

"China has offered a muted response to a blast that crippled the Crimean Bridge and the subsequent shelling of Ukrainian cities, calling for de-escalation of the war in Ukraine.
...
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said “we have noted the relevant reports”, when asked about the explosion and bombings across Ukraine on Monday. “We also hope that the situation can de-escalate as quickly as possible.” (South China Morning Post : 10 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, as reported by the Glasgow Evening Times (from: PA News Agency),

"[On October 6th Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia (left)] called for a secret ballot vote next week on a Western-backed resolution that would condemn its “attempted illegal annexation” of part of four Ukrainian regions and demand that Moscow immediately reverse its actions.

Russia apparently hope[d] it would get more support from the 193 nations in the General Assembly if their votes [were] not public." (Glasgow Evening Times: 6 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Unfortunately for Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, yesterday, as reported by Michelle Nichols (right),

"The United Nations General Assembly voted on Monday to reject Russia's call for the 193-member body to hold a secret ballot later this week on whether to condemn Moscow's move to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine.
...
The General Assembly decided, with 107 votes in favor, that it would hold a public vote - not a secret ballot - on a draft resolution that condemns Russia's "illegal so-called referenda" and the "attempted illegal annexation." (Reuters : 10 October 2022) (my emphasis) 

Angry Putin has now vowed that Ukraine, if it continues to push his soldiers out of ALL his illegally annexed parts of Ukraine, including Crimea, will continue to rain his "doodlebugs" upon the people of Ukraine.

As reported by Will Stewart and Charles Wade-Palmer,

" Russia will dip into its vast arsenal of missiles to relentlessly bomb Ukraine back into the 19th century, Vladimir Putin’s state TV has vowed in a chilling warning.
...
Putin’s relentless bombing of Ukrainian cities this week is seen as the dictator showing his
wrath over an alleged Kyiv attack on the Crimean Bridge linking the annexed peninsula to the Russian mainland." (The Daily Star : 11 October 2022) (my emphasis)

But like the British defences that scored many victories against Hitler's "doodlebugs", Ukraine's defences against Putin's "doodlebugs" have now been added to by the German IRIS-T SLM air defence systems .

British "doodlebug" defences: Eddie : YouTube : 10 June 2016

Threatening to relentlessly bomb Ukraine, Putin is about to reap the whirlwind.

STOP PRESS!! 

Edith M. Lederer (left) of the Associated Press yesterday reported that,

"The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to condemn Russia’s “attempted illegal annexation” of four Ukrainian regions and demand its immediate reversal, a sign of strong global opposition to the seven-month war and Moscow’s attempt to grab its neighbour’s territory.

The vote in the 193-member world body was 143-5 with 35 abstentions.

It was the strongest support from the General Assembly for Ukraine and against Russia of the four resolutions it has approved since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24.

The Western-sponsored resolution was a response to Russia’s announced annexation last month of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions." (Belfast Telegraph: 12 October 2022) (my emphasis)

This result follows Monday's result at the UN when,

"The United Nations General Assembly voted on Monday to reject Russia's call for the 193-member body to hold a secret ballot later this week on whether to condemn Moscow's move to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine." (ibid Michelle Nichols)

And now Putin is suddenly offering to boost gas supplies to the EU.

As reported by MSN (AlJazeera article),

" Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow is ready to resume gas supplies to the European Union via a link of the Germany-bound Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea – an offer quickly rejected by Berlin.

Speaking at a Moscow energy forum on Wednesday, Putin said that one of the two links of the pipeline remained pressurised despite a series of ruptures last month which caused major leaks, sending gas spewing out off the coast of Denmark and Sweden. (MSN : 12 October 2022) (my emphasis)

That Berlin IMMEDIATELY rejected this offer from Putin must have rather shocked him. 

 (to be continued)

Is Putin's temptation to press his 'nuclear' button increasing?

The international community's continued condemnation of Putin's war in Ukraine has reached a new level of crescendo.

As now reported by Jon King, even Angela Merkel, the late Chancellor of Germany, who 'appeased' Putin since his illegal invasion of, and annexation of, Ukraine's Crimea in 2014, 

" has warned the West should not dismiss Vladimir Putin's threats over the war in Ukraine. The former German Chancellor said Western powers should not view Putin's threats as a bluff.

Her remarks came after the Russian dictator repeated a threat last month to use nuclear weapons to defend his country"

The former Chancellor emphasised that lasting peace in Europe can only happen with the inclusion of Russia, adding: "As long as we have not really achieved that, the Cold War is not really over either." (Express : 7 October 2022) (my emphasis)

True to form, as Putin' 2022 war with Ukraine continues to rage on, and without daring to mention Putin, she continues her 2014 'mantra' of appeasing Putin, whilst completely ignoring the fact that Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has categorically stated that,

"Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) rejected Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s call for “dialogue and diplomacy” with Russia during their phone call on Tuesday, saying that “Ukraine will not conduct any negotiations” with Russian President Vladimir Putin in lieu of the “sham” referenda held in the four Russian-occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia." (State Craft: 6 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Added to which, as reported by Robert Moore,

"For weeks, officials in Washington have been supremely cautious in discussing whether President Putin might use a low-yield tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine.
...
President Biden last night abandoned all such moderate language and issued by far the most alarming assessment of the risk of a disastrous escalation in the war.
...
At a private event in New York, Biden appeared to suggest that the Russian leader might detonate a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, declaring: "We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis." (ITV : 7 October 2022) (my emphasis)

 Biden Warning - nuclear war: MSNBC : Alex Wagner : 7 October 2022

As also reported by Will Stewart,

"'The cause is the Russian president Vladimir Putin who seriously intends to demonstrate the capabilities of nuclear weapons - tactical nuclear weapons,' he [Valery Solovei] said. 'Putin cannot allow himself to be defeated. He has two tools left in his sleeve - mobilisation, which he is using [and] nuclear weapons.'" (Daily Mail : 6 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Daily Mail : 6 October 2022

Hugo Bachega and John Simpson also report that,

"Speaking in English at the president's office in Kyiv, President Zelensky said: "They [Russia] begin to prepare their society [for nuclear war]. That's very dangerous.

"They are not ready to do it, to use it. But they begin to communicate. They don't know whether they'll use or not use it. I think it's dangerous to even speak about it." (BBC News : 7 October 2022) (my emphasis)

 BBC : YouTube: 7 October 2022

Having constantly threatened to press the 'nuclear' button since the start of his current invasion of Ukraine, is the 'nuclear' button becoming 'toxic' for Putin himself?

Merkel's retort that, "... Western powers should not view Putin's threats as a bluff [to use a nuclear weapon against Ukraine]" should now include the fact that US President Biden himself is warning Putin that he WILL face serious consequences should he press his 'nuclear' button.

We now also learn that,

"President Joe Biden deemed the disagreement between the Russian leader and a member of his inner circle significant enough to include in the US daily intelligence briefing.

... Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged there has been disagreements among Russian officials around crucial decisions taken such as mobilisation. (Rosie Jempson (left): Express : 7 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Has this development within the Kremlin increased the toxicity of Putin's 'nuclear' button for himself?

Or is it, as Will Stewart reports,

"Putin 'wants to take the world with him when he dies' and 'the decision about using tactical nukes has already been made', says political expert (Valery Solovei) behind claims over Vladimir's health" (ibid Will Stewart) (my emphasis)

 As Ukraine's army continues to accellerate the pace at which it is gaining ground over Putin's forces in the Russian occupied territories of Ukraine in the south and the east, (cf. eg.: Express : 5 Oct 2022, Yuliya Talmazan : NBC News : 5 Oct 2022,  ABC News (Aus) : 4 Oct 2022) is Putin's temptation to simply press his 'nuclear' button increasing?

STOP PRESS!!!

11.24 am BST: Reports are just coming in of an explosion on Putin's "White Elephant" Kerch Bridge.

Alexandra Fouché and Hugo Bachega report that,

A large fire on the only crossing between Ukraine's occupied Crimean peninsula and Russia was caused by a lorry explosion, Russian officials say.
...
Road and rail traffic across the bridge has been suspended. Local authorities in Crimea say they will organise a ferry service between the Russian mainland and the peninsula.
...
Russia has used the bridge to move military equipment, ammunition, and personnel from Russia to battlefields in southern Ukraine.
...
As such, Ukrainian authorities said it was a legitimate target, as they vow to retake the peninsula." (BBC News : 8 October 2022) (my emphasis)

TRT World Now : YouTube : 8 October 2022 

DW News : YouTube: 8 October 2022 

 

CRUX : YouTube : 8 October 2022

(to be continued)

Is Putin's 'nuclear' threats now coming to fruition?

It should not come as any surprise that Elon Musk,  

• who grew up in South Africa during the fascist 'apartheid' years,
• and whose father's wealth, the very bedrock of the the privileged life of a white South African that he lived well into his teenage years, was gained from his father's contracts with the then fascist apartheid South African regime ,
• should now spew out Putin's and Angela Merkel's Minks2 protocols of 2015 as the basis for ending Putin's war with Ukraine. 

Elon Musk's privileged upbringing during the fascist apartheid years in South has soaked him in the fascist totilitarian ideology of apartheid South Africa in much the same way as the Russian people are being soaked in the totalitarian fascist ideology of Putin. 

Are we therefore surprised that Elon Musk has a somewhat "soft spot" for Putin?

As Christina Wilkie reports, Andrij Melnyk (right), former Ukraine ambassador to Germany, rather aptly responded to Elon Musk's tweet.

“F--- off is my very diplomatic reply to you,” Ukraine’s outgoing ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, wrote in response to Musk’s tweet. “The only outcome is that now no Ukrainian will EVER buy your f…ing tesla crap. So good luck to you.” (CNBC : 3 October 2022) (my emphasis)

And whilst Elon Musk exposes his tacit support for Putin, the Ukrainian army continues with its relentless 'pushback' of Putin's army on Ukraine's soil.

As reported by Andrew E. Kramer, Carlotta Gall and Anton Troianovski,

"Russian forces in Ukraine were on the run Monday across a broad swath of the front line, as the Ukrainian military pressed its blitz offensive in the east and made gains in the south, belying President Vladimir Putin’s claims to have absorbed into Russia territories that his armies are steadily losing." (IndianExpress (article originally appeared in The New York Times)): 4 October 2022) (my emphasis)

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh : YouTube : 3 October 2022

As also reported by Edna Mohamed and Farah Najjar (left),

"Ukrainian forces are advancing into Kherson, one of the four regions Russia formally annexed days ago despite widespread condemnation.

The gains come after Kyiv’s forces recaptured Lyman over the weekend in Donetsk, another region annexed by Moscow.

Meanwhile, thousands of newly mobilised Russian troops have been sent home as they were deemed unfit for duty." (Aljazeera : 3 October 2022) (my emphasis)
 
Meanwhile, as reported by Frances D'Emilio (right),

"Pope Francis on Sunday appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a cease-fire, imploring him to “stop this spiral of violence and death” in Ukraine and denouncing the “absurd” risk of the “uncontrollable” consequences of nuclear attack as tensions sharply escalate over the war.

Francis uttered his strongest plea yet about the seventh-month-old conflict, which he denounced as an “error and a horror.” (AP News : 2 October ) (my emphasis)

Ominously, as reported by David Averre (left),

"A huge freight train moving specialist military equipment associated with a nuclear-arms wielding division of Russia's Defence Ministry has been spotted on the move, prompting fears of an escalation in Putin's war.
...
Military analyst Konrad Musyka claimed the deployment of such units could signal a coming escalation in the conflict from the warmongering Russian president or constitute a precursor to large scale nuclear drills.
...
But he did suggest it could be a 'signal to the West that Moscow is escalating' the conflict, adding that Russia's Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN) are known to undergo extensive training drills in autumn." (Mail Online : 3 October 2022) (my emphasis)

 Halftone BTS : YouTube : 2 October 2022 (cf. also: Daily Mail : 3 October 2022)

 So the $64 question is, 

• Is the deployment of these specialist military equipment associated with nuclear-arms simply an autumnal Russian military drill OR
• Does this signal to the West that Moscow is escalating' the conflict.

As Russian forces in Ukraine are on the run across a broad swath of the front line, as the Ukrainian military presses its blitz offensive in the east and is making gains in the south, is Putin's 'nuclear' threats now coming to fruition?

STOP PRESS!!!

We now learn from Rozina Sabur, Verity Bowman and Josie Ensor that,

• "The Kremlin has thanked Elon Musk after the billionaire Tesla CEO for putting forward his own controversial peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, prompting a backlash from Ukrainian officials.

• Meanwhile, Mr Musk's input was welcomed by the Kremlin, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying it was “very positive that somebody like Elon Musk is looking for a peaceful way out of this situation".  

• Dmitry Medvedev, a key ally of Vladimir Putin who serves as deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, tweeted his: "kudos" to Mr Musk. 

• He predicted the billionaire’s next tweet would say that “Ukraine is an artificial state”. 

• In follow-up tweets, Mr Musk said Russia should leave the annexed regions “if that is the will of the people”. 

• He said he did not care if his proposal was unpopular, arguing that he did care "that millions of people may die needlessly for an essentially identical outcome". (Daily Telegraph : 4 October 2022) (my emphasis)

As I stated at the beginning of this blog, 

 

"Are we therefore surprised that Elon Musk has a somewhat "soft spot" for Putin?"

 (to be continued)