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Anton Gerashchenko is an official advisor and a former deputy minister at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, ex-member of the Ukrainian parliament. Cooperation - @Tatiana_Pravda
Russian propagandists joke about nuclear weapons:
"Putin calls Trump and says, 'Donald, we've heeded your wish. We give up nuclear weapons. We've decided to give you everything we have. This is good news for you.'
Trump asks, 'What's the bad news?'
'In 10 minutes, it's all fly to you'."
Shares of Russian Gazprom fell to an almost historic low of $1 per share.
The fall comes amid a general decline in the Russian market.
At its peak, one share of the company was worth $8.5.
Many people wrongly call Russian Aleksandr Dugin a philosopher and thinker, but in fact he is not a serious intellectual and scientist, as evidenced by the sheer number of his books, interviews and other activities. This mass production points to him as the main Russian propaganda machine aimed primarily at intellectuals, or rather people who wish to appear intellectuals.
Moreover, the thoughts he presents are conjectural, full of contradictions, often anti-scientific, devoid of logic and sense.
Thanks to large amounts of money, persistence, and talent as a propagandist, Dugin is popular among certain circles.
Recently, Dugin gave an interview to Arab magazine Al Majalla. As always, Dugin’s rhetoric is revealing of Russia’s policy line and philosophy – but also full of contradictions. I've highlighted some of them for you, along with explanations of what's really going on.
▪️ "Biden has already escalated by giving Ukraine the green light to attack Russia directly. It is more than an escalation; it is aggression."
🔹 The only aggressor in this war is Russia.
Ukraine and the United States, acting in self-defense, cannot escalate this war, or suddenly become an aggressor.
▪️ "If we are talking about conventional weapons, Russia will undoubtedly win on the battlefield."
🔹 Russia planned to end the war in 2-3 weeks. But the war has been going on for almost three years, Russia is forced throw people into meat assaults to advance at a slow pace. Also Russia asks for arms supplies from North Korea, Iran and China, unable to cope on it's own.
▪️ "One more Ukrainian long-range missile strike on Russia backed by a European power could provoke nuclear strikes against NATO."
🔹 There have been multiple confirmed long-range missile strikes by Ukraine in the past few days already, including using missiles supplied by UK and France. No nuclear strikes – against Ukraine or against a NATO member – have been forthcoming. This is a clear example of Russian nuclear saber-rattling.
▪️ "We cannot control Trump's reaction, but the truth is that his country was the one to declare war on us. […] If we don't show strength, we will find ourselves in a position like the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank or Hezbollah in Lebanon. They will simply destroy and erase us."
🔹 Classic Russian tactic: shifting the blame. Russia is the one who has tried to wipe Ukraine and Ukrainians from the face of the earth. It did so without provocation or reason. By suggesting that the US, or the “collective West” is somehow responsible for the war, and even ascribing them the goal of “erasing” Russia, Dugin only reveals the real intentions of Putin in this invasion.
▪️ "We might have lost the West, but we are now discovering the Global South […] For the first time in Russian history, the Islamic world has become something of real importance."
🔹 Dugin is playing to his audience. Speaking to an Arab magazine, he emphasizes the “Islamic” world, and compares Russia to Palestine. This is calculated.
▪️ "Sanctions were a blessing in disguise in that they reduced Russia’s dependence on the West, boosted its domestic production and developed its industrial sector."
🔹 In fact, Russia remains dependent on Western products in much of its manufacturing, and has to try and smuggle weapon parts, microchips, and airplane components to keep its industry and military running.
Look at the state of Russia's economy, the ruble exchange rate, companies on the verge of bankruptcy and civilian airplanes falling down.
▪️ "Russian society is more cohesive and spiritual [since the beginning of the war]."
🔹 No comment.
Source: https://en.majalla.com/node/323211/politics/aleksandr-dugin-russia-has-lost-west-has-rediscovered-world
Russians will be able to join the Taliban, if it is removed from the list of terrorist organizations, according to Russian MP Ernest Valeyev. He was part of a group of MPs that submitted a draft law to exclude organizations that have “stopped the propaganda, justification and support of terrorism” from the list.
And it's almost certain that Taliban will be acknowledged in Russia as a respectable organization.
Will they recruit people from Afghanistan to join the Russian army, as well?
Local Telegram channels report that Belbek airfield in Sevastopol in occupied Crimea was attacked by drones.
It is reported that about 40 drones, Neptune missiles and Storm Shadow missiles were allegedly used in the attack.
The channels write about powerful explosions and post footage of smoke over the Nakhimov Naval School in Striletska Bay.
"The reality is this: Ukraine is fighting for us. It’s not just fighting for itself. The reason so many countries are involved in Ukraine’s defense is because the aggression being committed by Russia is not only an aggression against Ukraine and its people; it’s an aggression against the very principles that are at the heart of the international system and that are necessary for trying to maintain peace and stability," Antony Blinken said during a press availability in Italy following the meeting of G7 member countries.
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Russian propagandist Keosayan reminds his audience that Russians once took Paris... which happened in 1814.
He later celebrates the Taliban - an organization Russia is building relations with now.
I really was unsure whether to post this video of Russian propagandists mocking those who came to the G20 summit. My team was disgusted as they made subtitles on it.
But I decided you need to see what Russian TV says about Western leaders.
Proceed with caution.
⚡️Russian Telegram channels report a drone attack on Russian Bashkortostan.
A Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat petrochemical plant, the largest facility in Russia is under attack. It is located approximately 1200 km from Ukraine.
Earlier today, Russians launched an air strike on Sumy. Two people were killed, and there may be one more person under the rubble.
According to preliminary information, a Russian multiple rocket launcher system was used for the strike. The only real defense against this is the destruction of Russian weapons and Russian launchers on Russian territory, President Zelenskyy emphasized.
"That's why the ability to strike Russian territory is so important to us. This is the only thing that can limit Russian terror and Russian ability to fight in general today," the President added.
That's how people in Russia joke now:
"Well, you don't have to worry about the budget - there will be no deficit. If the exchange rate is doubled, there will be a hell of a lot of rubles. There will be no money, but there will be as many rubles as you want."
By the way, friends, what's the latest Russian joke you've heard?
Prigozhin is a project of Western special services - Russian MP Oleg Matveychev.
Actually, it would be a great idea for those who want to come to power in the Kremlin - to name Putin an agent who has been tasked by the West to destroy Russia.
Russian media report that the ambassador of the United Kingdom was summoned to the Russian foreign affairs ministry.
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A Russian soldier kept posting videos of Russian air defense as he described his days.
Then, a missile hit that place.
Good job, Russian soldier! Carry on.
Rich Russians and Russian officials are very concerned about the information that Cyprus is allegedly planning to join NATO. It is known that many of them have assets, real estate there, and many relatives of the Russian leadership live there.
This is what they write:
"More and more information is leaking out that Cyprus is planning to join NATO. It seems that "Cyprus region" beloved by Russians will finally cease to be friendly. It is worth considering the moving assets, as well as the sale of real estate. It is not known how things will develop further".
Peskov responded to a Russian journalist's question about the rise of the dollar exchange rate:
"In what currency do you receive your salary?"
"It is with pleasure that I have accepted the official invitation of the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin's invitation" - Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on his Facebook page that he would attend the May 9 parade in Moscow.
He may become the first official representative of Slovakia to pay an official visit to Moscow after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Is Mr. Fico aware that Russian soldiers who came from the war with Ukraine and who killed Ukrainians took part in the parade on Red Square last year? Does Mr. Fico plan to applaud these war criminals?
A new day, new images to enjoy. The ruble/dollar exhange rate continues worsening.
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Congressman Michael McCaul:
"The greatest sin and weakness of the Budapest agreement, which took all the deterrence away from Ukraine to give up all their nuclear weapons, had no enforcement mechanism. Then Russia moved into the Donbas, into Crimea, with no enforcement. We betrayed Ukraine. NATO betrayed Ukraine at that moment," McCaul said.
Russian MP Mironov came to Russian Duma wearing a T-shirt with the image of Putin. The T-shirt says "Hard Oreshnik" (allusion to Die Hard movie).
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China is taking advantage of Russia, bit by bit.
Moscow, weakened by sanctions, turned to Beijing for help – but this help comes with strings attached. The relationship between the two countries is a “friendship” on paper, but in reality, it is a way for China to get access to cheap raw materials, and export its surplus machinery and consumer goods back into Russia, turning a very good profit, and creating a dependence on its manufacturing capacity and economic power.
Russian oil and gas are the most obvious and common examples of this quasi-colonial relationship, but as sanctions tighten and the Kremlin’s coffers empty, China is expanding to other resources as well.
▪️China has become a “hub” for Russian gold. Russia, the second largest gold producer in the world, has resorted to using its sizeable gold reserves to avoid sanctions by offering gold as barter for goods they need. China might also be refining Russian gold, to “launder” it past sanctions.
▪️Exports of Russian diamonds to China via Hong Kong have increased 18x year-on-year in 2024. While partly this is done, once again, to avoid sanctions, there are signs that China might be processing and selling them back to Russia – about $12 million worth of diamonds were exported to Russia in August 2024 alone. The largest diamond transaction from China to Russia before this was only worth $200 000.
Beijing is exploiting Russia very smartly, as Moscow struggles to support its war effort.
Some heartwarming content:
Officers of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine conducted an evacuation of 15 cats and kittens from Zmiinyi (Snake) Island.
This was done because "the approach of cold weather complicates the carefree life of numerous cats and kittens living on Zmiinyi Island."
The cats were taken to one of the largest animal shelters in Ukraine, Sirius.
📷: Defense Intelligence of Ukraine
"I mean, without a doubt, Putin, whether he's a great leader or not, is a gangster... Russia is an incredibly suppressive place."
This is what Joe Rogan said in 2014.
Opinions change. But it's useful to talk to Ukrainians. Many of us, e.g., Klitschko, can explain things.
The Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 that ignited in Turkey over the weekend may soon be grounded permanently due to serious design flaws making its continued operation increasingly unsafe, Russian sources report. Repeated failures of critical systems like autopilot, hydraulics, and air conditioning have led to numerous incidents.
Rostech blames the “human factor”, but the near-fatal crashes have become too systemic to overlook:
▪️In Antalya, a minor overload during landing caused the rear landing gear to puncture the fuel tanks, and the plane caught fire. Rostech says the pilot is at fault – allegedly, he did not account for wind during landing. But in fact, Russian Telegram channels report that there was a failure of the autopilot systems.
▪️Last February, a plane rolled off the landing strip in Saransk, and only cold weather prevented another fire due to the puncture of fuel tanks.
▪️In July, a repaired Superjet crashed shortly after takeoff due to incorrectly installed speed sensors, allegedly a worker’s mistake.
Despite years of development, the Superjet relies heavily on foreign components, and the rollout of a domestically produced version has been delayed until at least 2026. With safety risks mounting and maintenance costs soaring, Russian airlines are reportedly seeking to replace the Superjet with secondhand Western aircraft—cheaper, safer, and more reliable.
📸Reuters
Attention, US, Great Britain, and France!
Russian propagandist Mardan says Oreshnik is a "direct threat" to European cities and US army bases, and adds: "These missiles are not made to with a conventional non-nuclear warhead."
They will not stop at Ukraine.
Russian business has started to prepare for the ruble to further devalue to 120 rubles per dollar.
Since the beginning of November, the ruble has lost 7% against the yuan, the same amount against the dollar, and about 3% against the euro. The wave of devaluation hit the market after November 21, when the U.S. announced new sanctions against the Russian financial sector, blacklisting five dozen banks, including state-owned Gazprombank. The bank still retained access to the SWIFT system and euro-denominated transactions and remained one of the last major banks to provide the Russian economy with foreign currency inflows.
Meanwhile:
◾️ China stopped accepting Gazprombank's UnionPay cards;
◾️ Banks in Tajikistan stopped servicing UnionPay cards issued by Gazprombank;
◾️ In Mongolia, Gazprombank's cards of the UnionPay payment system stopped working;
◾️ Banks in UAE, Turkey, and Kazakhstan stopped servicing UnionPay cards.
Is this Putin's multipolar world?
Russian defense ministry confirmed attacks on the military airfield and air defense system in Kursk region with ATACMS missiles.
They indirectly admitted that an S-400 system was damaged ("one of the missiles reached its goal," they wrote).
❗️The United Kingdom has announced a new sanctions package, the most extensive ever imposed on Russia's "shadow fleet," which has transported billions of pounds worth of oil and oil products over the past year alone, the government's press service reported.
The sanctions are aimed at limiting "the Kremlin’s ability to fund illegal war in Ukraine and malign activity worldwide". The total number of oil tankers sanctioned by the UK is 73, more than any other nation. The list includes such tankers as Belgorod, Bratsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kemerovo, Kolomna, Antarktika and others.
AlfaStrakhovaniye and VSK, the insurance companies that serviced this fleet, were also sanctioned.
The British government emphasized that 46 countries and the EU supported the initiative against the "shadow fleet".
"Russia’s oil revenues are fuelling the fires of war and destruction in Ukraine. We will work with our G7 partners and beyond to exert relentless pressure on the Kremlin, disrupt the flow of money into its war chest, erode its military machine, and constrain its malign behaviour worldwide," Foreign Secretary, David Lammy said.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-imposes-new-wave-of-sanctions-choking-russian-oil-revenues-with-foreign-secretary-arriving-in-italy-for-g7
"It looks like Putin uses the red pencil more often than any other" - Kremlin-accredited journalists noted.
Putin likes drawing red lines.
Russia categorically rejects any options for freezing the conflict in Ukraine - Sergey Naryshkin, director of the foreign intelligence service of Russia.
He added that Russia wants to "establish a solid peace around Ukraine for years to come."
By "solid peace," he means Ukrainian capitulation and Russia's victory, obviously.