Ukraine’s Internet Army and Their Army of Drones

I have been researching the use of drones in modern warfare for some time now. My thoughts presently focus on their use in Ukraine of course, and their effectiveness there. I’ve also turned my focus to the fact that the war in Ukraine is like none other ever fought. Ukraine has a worldwide Internet Army online,  using social media, internet marketing, and worldwide networks to support, fund, and promote their free and sovereign country in its fight against Russian aggression. The effectiveness of the Ukrainian government and its Army- all facets of it- lies in their ability to mobilise people in support of their cause, it lies in their unity of purpose as a society, a nation, and a people in their fight against Russia. It is a battle they have been fighting for the last century, and far longer. The people of Ukraine know that now is the time for them to end the fight once and for all, as victors. This is why Ukraine is winning on the battlefield, and will win the war, and a big part of why Russia will lose. This is why the US, Europe, NATO, and the world must support them to the final victory.

If you are interested in helping fund the fight in Ukraine, a very effective way to help is to donate to the Ukrainian Army of Drones.  The link takes you to the page that outlines the requirements for direct donation of drones, and where to send them. You will also find a link on that page where you can donate funds to the cause.

Ukraine is winning. Russia is losing. Russian combat losses and war dead as of today:

Russian combat losses and dead in Ukraine as of 09 NOV. 2022.

 

 

 

 

 

Lies, Losses, and the Long Road Ahead

I often wonder these days if I should even make the effort to repost and refute Russian propaganda lies. One thing should be perfectly clear, for anyone who has eyes to see- every single word, phrase, statement that comes out of Russia is a lie, pure propaganda, and should only be taken for its value as a piece of propaganda to be added to all the rest in order to arrive at some shred of truth (most often the exact opposite of what is being stated.)

Remember this- dictatorships, authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, and the Russian mafia state all have a common leadership style- that of maintaining an unstable society, a society of division and shortages,  through terror and fear, in order to legitimise and necessitate their rule.

Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, their war crimes and crimes against humanity there, there inciting of anti-state, pro-Russian aggression in Ukraine and Moldova, and their desires in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia and elsewhere, along with their threats of nuclear war should be keeping the world awake at night. These facts should be prompting world leaders to do much more than they are doing. We are faced with an existential threat- our very lives are at stake.  The lives of everyone living, and for many generations ahead, hang in the balance. Every possible action that can be taken against Russia, Russian interests, Russian partners- any country with ties to Russia must be taken.

Putin must fall, the Russian state must fail, the Russian people must be freed. Only then will Ukraine and the rest of the world be safe again.

On to Russian combat losses for today. The following comes from the Telegram channel The Center for Countering Disinformation.

Russian combat losses as of 30 April 2022

From the same Telegram channel, the morning’s Fake/Fact post:

❌Despite the position of Western countries on the inadmissibility of nuclear blackmail and the prevention of nuclear war, russian foreign minister lavrov said that russia will never flirt with the topic of nuclear war, Zelensky spoke about it in Munich
🔻Caution: it’s a fake!

❌russia’s propaganda continues to spread the thesis of the return of peaceful life in the territories temporarily occupied by the russian army. Thus, the russian ambassador to the US officially stated that a peaceful life is being established in the territories liberated from the Nazis
🔻Caution: it’s a disinformation!

❌russia continues to influence the world community. In particular, in an interview with the Chinese news agency Xinhua, Lavrov said that the russian military in Ukraine does everything to avoid casualties among the civilian population
🔻Caution: it’s a manipulation!

Russia Needs Soldiers- New Conscription Order

From the Telegraph channel Ищи своих –

Here is the translation:

DECREE
PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
on the conscription in April – July 2022 of citizens of the Russian Federation for military service and on the dismissal from military service of citizens undergoing military service on conscription
Guided by federal laws of May 31, 1996 No. 61-FZ “On Defense” and of March 28, 1998 No. 53-FZ “On Military Duty and Military Service”, I decided:
1. From April 1 to July 15, 2022, call up for military service citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 27 years who are not in the reserve and are subject in accordance with Federal Law of March 28, 1998 N 53-FZ “On military duty and military service” call for military service, in the amount of 134,500 people.
2. In accordance with the Federal Law of March 28, 1998 N 53-FZ “On Military Duty and Military Service”, the dismissal from military service of soldiers, sailors, sergeants and foremen whose term of military service on conscription has expired.
3. The Government of the Russian Federation, executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and draft commissions to ensure the implementation of measures related to the conscription of citizens of the Russian Federation for military service.
4. Federal ministers, heads of federal services and federal agencies to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Federal Law of March 28, 1998 N 53-FZ “On military duty and military service” in relation to citizens of the Russian Federation who are not in the reserve and are subject to conscription for

The text ends there; only the one page was posted on Telegraph. But it says enough.

Russian Combat Losses as of 31 March, 2022

Latest combat loss update from the Telegram channel The Center for Countering Disinformation. Numbers in black show previous day’s totals, red are those added for yesterday.

Russian combat losses as of 31 March, 2022

 

If you are on Telegram a second channel to subscribe to is Ищи своих, or “Look for your…” assuming the videos and images following the title tell the rest of the story. This channel shows still images and videos of captured and dead Russian soldiers, equipment, ID cards, passports, and so on. Basically a site created so Russian families can look for their members who have been sent to fight for Putin’s mafia state.

Remember, the people of Russia are not our enemies. The people of Belarus are not our enemies. Putin, his cronies, followers, commanders in his nationalist mafia state army, and its mercenaries in Ukraine, Crimea, and Belarus are the enemies. The world must never let up if any of us are to sleep soundly at night, and be free.

🇺🇦 Glory to Ukraine!

Welcome to Ukrainian Land

As Russia continues to lie, and regroups for more killing- and death of their troops, Ukrainians will still stand firm.

Reposted from Інтернет Війська України (Internet Troops of Ukraine) Telegram channel.

Momentary Observation- Changes in Russian Posture

Russia seems to be backing off with its rhetoric, at least in the news sources I view. This tells me that Putin may be listening to those from his inner circle, something that is clearly a difficult prospect for paranoid, isolated dictators. The question is why? Is he threatened by the unity of the rest of the world against his criminal intentions? Is it because internal dissent is increasing and his rhetoric is backfiring internally? Maybe he is realising his tenuous situation and where his country is headed? Or perhaps he overstepped strategically, revealed to much information and all of these options are still on the table? Just guesses on my part.

Examples of Putin’s ranting from a few weeks back that are no longer at the top of the headlines:

• reports about nuclear capabilities
• talk of invading Poland, other NATO countries
• talk of retaliation “like the world has never known”
• the “de-nazification” of Ukraine

While we do not know precisely what is happening in Russia, we have a fair idea. There are clearly those who oppose the war- there is dissent. There is also endless disinformation that confuses Russians as well as westerners. What we must remember is this- nothing has changed in this geographic region. The former Soviet Union is alive and well, albeit rebranded, still controlling the media, manipulating its people through fear, threat of violence, terror, and isolation. Many Russians have not recovered from the Soviet era; they are still living under a dark, hopeless, depressing authoritarian state. Don’t be fooled by thinking otherwise.

Our only hope is that the younger generations especially, those who have felt freedom over the last 30 years, refuse to give it up. The only answer for a free Russia, and a free world, is for the removal of its current dictator and the dismantling, finally, of the Russian mafia state allowing the people of Russia to actually choose their path.

Russian Combat Losses as of 29 March, 2022

Latest combat loss update from the Telegram channel The Center for Countering Disinformation. Numbers in black show previous day’s totals, red are those added yesterday.

Russian combat losses as of 29 March, 2022

If you are on Telegram a second channel to subscribe to is Ищи своих, or “Look for your…” assuming the videos and images following the title tell the rest of the story. This channel shows still images and videos of captured and dead Russian soldiers, equipment, ID cards, passports, and so on. Basically a site created so Russian families can look for their members who have been sent to fight for Putin’s mafia state.

Unconfirmed Reports and Russian Combat Losses

There are so many “unconfirmed reports” these days, and so many of them are so promising. But I am cautious. Is “unconfirmed report” nothing more the psychological operations in action? We have to be careful what we believe, no matter how much we want to believe it.

With that said, below is an infographic posted today on the Telegram channel the Center for Countering Disinformation, which is part of the National Security and Defense Council of the Ukraine. The infographic gives the latest updates and Russian combat loses.

Putin: Hubris, Insanity, and a Misread History Book

It seems quite clear at this point that Russia is not planning to stop its anachronistic war of conquest and destruction on Ukraine any time soon. In fact, it would appear that bringing the rest of Europe, and perhaps the world into the war has not been ruled out, no matter what the negotiations may look like.

A number of facts become clear if we consider another European war as Putin’s goal. First, Putin is clearly beyond delusional, perhaps completely insane at this point. Anyone who would attempt to bring another total war to Europe and the world cannot be in their right mind.

Next, at this point only a few countries still side with Russia- Syria, which is really no longer a country, but a war zone; North Korea… nothing more to say there; and Belarus, which, if escalation continues will become nothing more than another front in Putin’s war- a landscape of leveled buildings, destroyed armor, and death. Depend upon it, Belarus in Putin’s eyes is not a country, but a front for taking his war against… whatever his demented mind tells him he is fighting against, a step further. Fortunately, not everyone in Belarus supports Russia- there are many there who understand what Russia is trying to do, and support Ukraine.

I have to believe that the majority of Russians do not want to be in a war against the country of Ukraine let alone the entire world. How does either of these benefit the average Russian? Not at all. (An Aljazeera article from 10 March, 2022 declares rising antiwar sentiment in Russia.) The only reason for this war against Ukraine is to satisfy Putin’s ego, to fulfill his delusional dream of a Greater Russia. There are so many holes in this prospect- the fact that this is the 21st century and not the 18th or 19th is a place to start. Wars for territorial conquest and of such a scale are a thing of the past (at least we thought they were) and no sane world leader would begin to think in engaging in conquest of a continent. We are back to insanity.

That this is a lost proposition in the first place is a given. Millions may die, if that is what Putin pushes this world into, and most of those will be Russians. In no way will Russia “win”, in no way will Putin’s goal be realised.

Recent history is one of the biggest factors that Putin has failed to examine. He rails constantly about how the collapse of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century. Aside from the fact that the Soviet Union was a doctrinal illusion and  failed experiment from the beginning, and that Greater Russia went out with the czars and all other empires, recent history is even more important. A deciding factor in the collapse of the Soviet Union was its war in Afghanistan in the 1980’s. War caused the public to doubt its leadership. The suffering of the Russian people reached a point, finally, after many years of war, where they had had enough. And that was after decades of authoritarian rule.  Recent generations of Russians have lived a different life, and have seen and felt freedom. They will not stand for this in the end. It is only a matter of time before the Russian people give us Putin’s head on a pike. And good riddance. Please make this happen soon!

 

 

Update From Ukraine-

From the Telegram channel The Center for Countering Disinformation.

The twenty-fourth day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to the Russian military invasion began.

🔹The situation and the nature of the actions of the defense forces have not changed significantly during the last day.
🔹Ukraine’s anti-aircraft missile forces and fighter jets hit 12 enemy air targets – 2 planes, 3 helicopters, 3 UAVs and 4 cruise missiles.
🔹During the day, Ukrainian defenders destroyed several columns of equipment of the occupiers in Mykolayiv and Sumy regions.
🔹The commander of the 8th All-Military Army of the Southern Military District of the Armed Forces of the Russian federation, Lieutenant General Andrei Mordvichev, was killed.
🔹It is likely that the military-political leadership of the Russian federation will decide to amend existing legislation and begin open mobilization to continue a protracted, exhausting war.
🔹The enemy continues to suffer significant losses. It has problems with logistics of units.

INVADERS website– (description directly from the English version of the site:) “Website “Invaders” is National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Aparathus information source about identified Russian prisoners of war, who invaded Ukraine starting from February 24, 2022. The website helps Russians who are looking for their relatives and friends find them and contact the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.“

For a list of identified Russian soldiers engaged in war with Ukraine, click here. Site contains images of soldiers, their identification cards, video interviews with them, as well as videos of surrendering troops.

Glory to the Ukraine! Putin, surrender yourself and save your people!