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Slavyangrad.org — Nuestra Ira No Tiene Limites — There is No Limit to Our Anger — (c) V. M. Molotov
Yesterday's Geranium attack on an enemy target in Odessa.
Still no confirmation as of yet if these were Geran-3’s, but the sound has everyone wondering.
@Slavyangrad
🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦 'Joint Commission' Could Be Formed to Oversee Potential Ukraine Ceasefire — New York Post
- The issue of creating a separate force to monitor the ceasefire is being considered, which would look like a “joint commission” consisting of Russia, Ukraine and a third country that is not a member of NATO .
- According to the publication, Ukraine is ready to give up the territories occupied by the Russian Armed Forces, but will not recognize them as Russian.
- "While details of the plan are beginning to emerge, it is not yet clear what the parties' position is on the agreement, as both Kiev and Moscow are exploring possible terms," the publication writes.
@Slavyangrad
🚨 Find The Public Backup, Slavyangrad Director's Cut, Here
For now I am just backing up mostly the SMO progress posts with a few extras added. That way it at least has a current purpose of being a quick recap of the day.
⚡️ Notable achievement 😁
Only technical gas remains in Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities, which cannot be pumped out
According to the former head of the company "Operator of the Ukrainian GTS" Sergey Makogon, there are currently 0.66 million cubic meters of gas left in the underground gas storage facility, not counting the 4.6 billion cubic meters that serve as a buffer, the extraction of which is not provided for by the technology.
This is the lowest level in history. For example, in 2021 at the same time, the storage capacity was at 16 billion cubic meters.
Technical capabilities for gas import for Ukraine are no more than 50 million cubic meters per day. That is, in order to import at least the minimum required 6 billion cubic meters, it is necessary to pump gas from Europe continuously for 4 months with 100% network load
@Slavyangrad
💥💥💥Odessa was hit with a massive Geranium drone strike. But this is not an ordinary attack, but something unusual.
First of all, the use of a presumably reconnaissance version of the Geranium, which circled over the city for almost an hour, deserves special attention. Most likely, it could have been some kind of scout drone for spotlighting targets and linking routes. Drones of this type without a combat part, but with special sensors, have already been recorded in the skies over Ukraine. In parallel to its flight, the Geranium strike group was forming over the Black Sea - slowly, so as not to give away the scale of the attack.
Secondly, we are talking about not just a successful attack, but a clear demonstration of sustainable tactics of massive raids in conditions of saturated air defense. "Geranium" operated in full accordance with the principles of swarming - with reconnaissance, scouting, and redistribution of targets in flight and point-by-point approach to them. This means that coordinated massive attacks on rear areas are becoming not an exception, but a new norm against which the AFU has no sustainable means of counteraction.
Thirdly, a number of foreign experts note that Geranis with new engines could have been used in the strike. Thanks to them, the kamikaze drone's speed is 20-25% higher at the end of its flight than that of the conventional version, which further increases the probability of hitting the targets.
As for the targets themselves, estimates vary. But the port of Odessa has long been used for transshipment of military cargoes and the Russian Federation will certainly not spend 20-30 drones to strike into the void.
@Slavyangrad
Footage of a massive fire in Odessa after a nighttime raid by Geranium
Enemy resources report that the strikes were carried out on the industrial zone of the Storm Research Institute, where electronics for the Ukrainian Armed Forces were produced.
- RVvoenkor
@Slavyangrad
US markets plunged today as Trump lashed out at Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Truth Social.
At the lows of the day, Dow was down over 1,300 points. The S&P 500 fell 3.3%. Nasdaq, down 3.4%. Gold hit a record high, $3,450. The dollar tanked.
Investors were already spooked by Trump’s new tariffs and lack of progress in US-Japan trade talks. Then at 9:41 AM EST, Trump dropped a “TRUTH,” threatening to fire Powell.
The Fed chair first took office in 2018 after an appointment from Trump, and was later reappointed by Joe Biden in 2022. Though his term is expected to end in May 2026, multiple reports suggest that Trump is considering firing the chair before his term is up.
Can Trump legally fire the Fed chair?
No, but things could change.
On Wednesday, Powell affirmed that the Fed’s independence “is a matter of law”.
“We’re not removable except for cause,” Powell said. “Fed independence has pretty broad support across both political parties and on both sides of the hill.”
But he also mentioned a case going through the supreme court that may alter the power the president has over federal agencies, going off Trump firing an official with the National Labor Relations Board. It’s unclear how the court will rule, but it allowed the firings to stand, overruling a lower court.
“I don’t think that that decision will apply to the Fed, but I don’t know,” Powell said. “It’s a situation that we’re monitoring carefully.”
@Slavyangrad
This is interesting: Justin Yifu Lin, former Chief Economist of the World Bank and a China's State Council Counsellor, explaining why in the trade war "the losses for the United States will be greater than those of China".
He essentially frames a trade war as an economic war of attrition where market size ultimately determines which side can maintain the R&D investments necessary for technological leadership.
As he explains the "U.S. is a high-income nation [that mainly relies] on high-tech industries. A defining characteristic of high-tech industries is that maintaining technological leadership requires substantial R&D investment.
The profits generated from R&D are determined by the market size. China constitutes a market twice as large [as the U.S.]. With [China's] market support, technology enterprises can achieve high profits. Without access to the Chinese market, [U.S. companies'] profits would be lower, potentially rendering them unprofitable.
Moreover these high-tech enterprises need to continuously invest in R&D. If profits remain low or nonexistent, they will be unable to sustain their technological leadership."
To sum-up, to him, China has effectively two key advantages:
1) it's less of a "one-trick pony" than the high-income US that heavily depends on high-tech industries, giving it greater resilience during trade conflicts;
2) and second its massive domestic market - now twice the size of the U.S. - means that in an economic "war of attrition", which is what a trade war is, China can both provide its own firms with higher profits than the US can with its own firms, and China can hurt American high-tech firms more than America can hurt Chinese firms.
Cutting trade with China risks America's tech dominance: Losing access to a market twice its size could starve US firms of R&D funds, warns Justin Y. Lin. A must-watch analysis on why tariffs may backfire.
STUPIDITY’ of US foreign policy drove Russia, China, and Iran together – fired Pentagon official to Tucker Carlson
Dan Caldwell was sacked for speaking out against war with Iran
Now he UNLOADS on the neocons and warmongers
- Via RT
@Slavyangrad
Good piece here from Michael Froman in Foreign Affairs. Rather than Chinese capitalism converging towards Western standards as optimists expected decades ago, Western capitalism is rapidly converging towards Chinese standards. Sobering final paragraph.
There has indeed been a fair degree of convergence—just not in the way American policymakers predicted. Instead of China coming to resemble the United States, the United States is behaving more like China. Washington may have forged the open, liberal rules-based order, but China has defined its next phase: protectionism, subsidization, restrictions on foreign investment, and industrial policy. To argue that the United States must reassert its leadership to preserve the rules-based system it established is to miss the point. China’s nationalist state capitalism now dominates the international economic order. Washington is already living in Beijing’s world.
The United States and others are imitating China in large part because China succeeded in a way that was unexpected. Its success in electric vehicles and clean technology did not come from liberalizing economic policies but from state interventions in the market in the name of nationalist objectives. Whether or not the United States can compete with China on China’s playing field, it is important to recognize a fundamental truth: the United States is now operating largely in accordance with Beijing’s standards, with a new economic model characterized by protectionism, constraints on foreign investment, subsidies, and industrial policy—essentially nationalist state capitalism. In the war over who gets to define the rules of the road, the battle is over, at least for now. And China won.
Zelensky has been finally pushed aside from the Russia-USA-Ukraine negotiations. All rounds, and the next one in London, are being held by Yermak. And in a civilian suit.
They don't want to see a shitty comedian in a suit the color of Ukrainian victory. So he will go into oblivion, extinguished, along with the streams from his office.
@Slavyangrad
Interesting sounds of the Geraniums landing on targets in Odessa.
Some suggest that these could be the new Geran-3 jets, the production of which the enemy announced back in February, but there is no evidence of this yet.
- Military Informant
@Slavyangrad
Zelensky has announced another "peace round" - the day after tomorrow, talks involving Ukraine, Britain, France and the USA will be held in London.
Formally, there will be a discussion of a settlement. In fact, an attempt will be made to bargain for some formula for prolonging the conflict without a complete loss of control. Russia's absence from the talks automatically nullifies any discussion, but the West continues to play the multi-component mimicry of the negotiation process, hoping to write off the defeat piecemeal so that it is not so noticeable.
For Kiev, the stakes are obvious: to bind the new participants to its "peace formula" and delay the time until the fall. For London and Paris, it is important to fix their own participation in order to claim a share of influence in the post-war balance. For the U.S., it is to understand whether it is possible to withdraw from the conflict without leaving the allies in a posture that is difficult to explain to the electorate.
The London meeting will have no practical impact. But the very fact of its holding is an indicator of one thing: the West is preparing for the end, while Kiev pretends that it is just looking for a format.
@Slavyangrad
Ukrainian channels report that a Saab 340 AEW&C airborne early warning aircraft operated over Lviv region for the first time today. It is capable of detecting targets at a distance of up to 450 km, directing air defense, supporting aviation and monitoring the maritime situation.
The appearance of this aircraft was expected. It is not to say that its appearance will change everything, but its work demonstrates Kiev’s increasing attention to improving its air control system, which is an important part of the strategy to counter the Russian army with
The appearance of the Saab 340 in the skies over the Lviv region can also be seen as a signal of increased coordination and integration with Western countries, which continue to supply high-tech surveillance and control equipment.
It is also possible that NATO reconnaissance aircraft may soon appear in parallel with these aircraft, not American ones, but British, French or Italian ones.
@Slavyangrad
🇷🇺🇮🇷Russia and Iran are now official allies - but not allies head-on, but allies against the enemy.
Putin signed a law ratifying a strategic partnership with Iran. The wording is tidy, but with a clear aim: in case of war - not to help the enemy of an ally, no sanctions against each other, strengthening political, economic and military coordination.
It's not a military alliance head-on - it's an anti-blocking treaty in crisis situations. In essence, if the US or anyone else starts a war against Iran, Russia will be obliged under this document not to be neutral in favor of the aggressor. And vice versa. It's not "Art. 5 NATO", but it is a formalized signal: your enemy is our enemy, even if he is still our "dialogue partner".
The context is not accidental: Trump is putting pressure on Tehran, trying to force it into a new "nuclear deal," while Moscow is simultaneously forming a sanctions-military axis of the inflexible.
Moscow in this case clearly shows that the world is divided into those who will wait for "partnership with the West" and those who are ready to unite in an alternative architecture.
@Slavyangrad
🇷🇺🇺🇦 Ukraine talks could fail if London starts developing a peace plan "from scratch"
- Putin's special representative Dmitriev writes about this, citing the media.
- It is emphasized that such a plan may prove completely unacceptable for Russia.
- "The participation of three close associates of Zelensky in the upcoming negotiations, to the roar of Big Ben, in addition to representatives of the US, Britain and France, threatens to nullify all previous American achievements," he writes.
@Slavyangrad
Grandpa in Kiev is not afraid to tell the truth. And in Russian, too.
What do you think about the fact that the United States is ready to recognize Crimea as Russian?
-Great.
Why? Please explain.
- Whose Crimea was it? Whose is it now?
Today it is under Russian occupation, but it used to be Ukrainian.
-It was not an occupation, but the liberation of Crimea.
Old people and young kids, tell you exactly what they think. 😂
@Slavangrad
🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦Trump has promised to reveal the contents of his peace plan for Ukraine this week
According to The New York Post's source, the plan could include the deployment of European troops if a cease-fire is reached.
There is also talk of a "resilience force" to be part of the security guarantees Kiev needs.
Also being considered is the creation of a peacekeeping force to monitor the ceasefire - a "joint commission" involving Russia, Ukraine and a third non-NATO country that would monitor the front lines. The US could be involved, but not as a military force on the ground, source says.
@Slavyangrad
Ukraine needs to mobilize new forces
This was stated by Ukrainian MP Yuzhanina. According to her, the situation with the wounded and deserters is especially catastrophic.
@ukr_leaks_eng
On April 21, the Sever group of troops destroyed enemy manpower and equipment in the Krasnoyaruzhsk border area and continued the liberation of the Kursk region
In the first half of the day, the enemy repeatedly tried to infiltrate in the direction of Popovka, Demidovka and Goptarovka. Crossing the state border was not allowed - the enemy's manpower was destroyed by the Northerners.
▪️ Four times, assault groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces tried to break through to the territory of the Krasnoyaruzhsk district through forests in the vicinity of Miropolskoye . As a result of fire damage, including by Russian aviation, the enemy personnel were destroyed.
On this section of the front, “motivational groups” (blocking detachments) of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, consisting of former prisoners from the 225th separate regiment , continue to operate.
▪️In the direction of Goptarovka , the enemy tried to bring an assault group from the 225th separate regiment into our territory, which was promptly exposed and destroyed by drone drops.
The enemy's attempt to expand the front line along the border with the Belgorod region does not bring success to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The enemy can approach the state border only on foot or on mobile equipment, the movement of which is also promptly revealed by our scouts.
▪️Two Ukrainian servicemen expressed a desire to lay down their arms, writing about it in a chatbot . After receiving the order to cross the state border, the Ukrainian servicemen, under the control of the North UAV operator, ran to the positions of the Russian troops. The Ukrainian soldier, who was able to move independently, is safe. The evacuation of the wounded enemy, who decided to surrender, is still ongoing.
In this direction, over the past 24 hours, the Northerners destroyed 6 units of enemy equipment.
In the Sumy direction , during fierce battles, the Northerners advanced in the area of the Nikolsky Monastery and the village of Gornal .
▪️Fearless marines, having broken the enemy's stubborn resistance, drove the enemy out of several strongholds in the south of the Sudzha district, and are consolidating their positions.
▪️In the forest belts south of Guevo, our marines are also destroying enemy special forces sabotage groups, which have been supplemented by servicemen from assault units.
▪️The enemy transferred a group of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers (over 100 people) trained in Great Britain from Poltava to Sumy Oblast . The enemy reserves that arrived were hit by fire. The enemy suffered losses in manpower and equipment.
▪️The group's engineering units continue to demining the Sudzha border area. Over the past week , 54,660 explosive objects have been defused.
The total advance of the Northerners in the Sumy direction was over 1200 meters , 4 units of enemy armored vehicles were destroyed.
In the Liptsy direction , as a result of a complex fire strike, an enemy combat group and an ammunition depot were destroyed.
In the Volchansk direction, North artillerymen and UAV operators destroyed two enemy combat groups, howitzer crews and electronic warfare stations.
Over the past 24 hours, the enemy's losses amounted to over 210 people (of which over 160 in the Sumy and over 20 in the Krasnoyarsk directions). Also discovered and destroyed:
In the Krasnoyaruzhsk direction:
▪️Acacia self-propelled guns and D-30 howitzer;
▪️mortar;
▪️electronic warfare station "Bukovel";
▪️robotic platform ;
▪️three pickups and two ATVs.
In the Sumy direction:
▪️two M-113 armored personnel carriers (USA);
▪️Bradley IFV (USA);
▪️SPG "Akatsiya", howitzers "D-20" (3 units) and "M-119" (USA);
▪️SAM "Osa";
▪️electronic warfare station "Anklav";
▪️five units of automotive equipment;
▪️four UAV launch sites;
▪️five fixed-wing UAVs and seven copters of various types.
Victory will be ours!
North Wind
@Slavyangrad
"Harvard sues Trump administration over $2.2 billion funding freeze": The school accused the White House of trying to force the university to change its governance system and overhaul its academic programs.
"Harvard University has filed a federal lawsuit against the Donald Trump administration after the White House blocked $2.2 billion in federal funding for the school and threatened to withhold $1.1 billion in additional grants.
In a court filing, the school sought to invalidate the $2.2 billion freeze, as well as any funds withheld because of “unconstitutional demands” contained in the Trump administration’s letters to Harvard. Harvard said the administration is trying to force the university to change its governance, academic programs, and employment practices, which violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech.
"The tradeoff that Harvard and other universities have been asked to make is clear: Allow the government to micromanage your institution, or jeopardize its ability to achieve medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries, and innovative solutions," Harvard lawyers wrote in the lawsuit.
@Slavyangrad
Ukrainian monitoring channels report the entry into the Black Sea of six Russian Kalibr missile carriers, with a potential total salvo of up to 46 cruise missiles.
@Slavyangrad
War with Iran INCREDIBLY costly — Dan Caldwell after being FIRED from Pentagon
TUCKER: ‘American lives and dollars?’
‘Lives of Americans, Iraqis, Saudis, Iranians, Israelis…’
- Via RT
@Slavyangrad
Indian media reports that India has delivered the second battery of the BrahMos Block I mobile coastal missile system to the Philippines out of three on order. The first battery was delivered to the Philippines in April 2024. In January 2022, the Philippines signed a contract for three land-based batteries of the BrahMos Block I system with the Indian-Russian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited for 18.9 billion Philippine pesos ($374.9628 million). This was the first and so far only export sale of the BrahMos missiles from the Indian-Russian joint venture.
- BMPD
@Slavyangrad
The first container train that traveled along the Novorossiya railways arrived in Crimea. This was reported by the Federal Agency for Railway Transport on its Telegram channel.
As explained by Roszheldor, the train arrived from the Sverdlovsk Railway on a specially developed schedule, having covered more than 3 thousand kilometers in less than five days. After arriving in Crimea, the train will go to Sevastopol, where the containers will be reloaded onto sea vessels.
In the future, it is planned to use railway routes through new regions more widely, since this significantly reduces the delivery time of goods to Crimea. Container deliveries are planned from the stations of the Kuibyshev, Oktyabrskaya, Gorky and Severnaya Railways for the export of Russian manufacturers to the ports of Sevastopol and Crimea.
@Slavyangrad
'Ukrainian Catholics still angry at Pope Francis for not siding with Ukraine in its war with Russia'
- Reuters
Ukrainian Catholics for some reason thought the Pope was supposed to cheer on the Ukrainian war effort and help them assemble FPV drones in the Vatican.
@Slavyangrad
‼️🇷🇺🇺🇦 Fighting on the Belgorod Front: The Enemy Again Trying to Break Through to Demidovka and Popovka
- The enemy continues its creeping offensive on the border, sending infantry and armored vehicles into the attack in the direction of Demidovka and Popovka.
- Fighters of the 34th brigade are destroying occupiers in the border area.
@Slavyangrad
A strike by a FAB-1500 (or FAB-3000 ) glide bomb on Ukrainian positions on the territory of the Gornalsky Monastery in the village of Gornal, Kursk Oblast. Video: @russian_airborne
Reports are Russian forces withdrew during the ceasefire and Ukrainians occupied the monastery and then….
@Slavyangrad
About 63 thousand people are listed as “missing” in Ukraine, of which about 10 thousand are in captivity , said the Ukrainian commissioner for missing persons, Artur Dobroserdov.
According to Dobrosedov, this registry includes both military personnel and civilians, as well as foreign citizens.
Those captured are confirmed both by the International Committee of the Red Cross and by the testimonies of returning prisoners of war, as well as by data from Internet sources. The bodies of Ukrainian soldiers received during the exchange undergo genetic testing.
- Military Informant
Note: Open source data from UALosses notes there are 60,257 soldiers missing. They have 6,213 people in their database as soldiers who are POWs, though I can’t confirm if numbers are adjusted during prisoner exchanges.
@Slavyangrad
Fire at a facility in Odessa after landings.
@Slavyangrad