This is a true test.

Ukrainian forces mounted a major attack early Thursday in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, as Ukraine’s Army went on the offensive on multiple fronts in an operation that carries high stakes for Kyiv and its Western allies.

A senior U.S. official said that Thursday’s attack appeared to be a main thrust of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. For months, Kyiv officials have been mobilizing new units, gathering advanced weapons and training for what its leaders have billed as a major attack aimed at pushing Russian forces back and retaking occupied territory.

The advancing Ukrainian forces in Zaporizhzhia included German Leopard 2 tanks and American Bradley fighting vehicles, a strong indication that the counteroffensive was underway in several locations, according to the official, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential briefings on operational details.

LOL

Vladimir Putin was never the Soviet super spy he'd like us to believe. He was merely a KGB 'errand boy,' report says
Nathan Rennolds
Mon, June 5, 2023 at 1:47 AM GMT+2·2 min read
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has been portrayed as an elite KGB intelligence officer in the 1980s.

But a new report from Der Spiegel suggests he was never the super spy he was thought to be.

His role involved mainly "banal" administrative tasks such as sorting through travel applications.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was likely never the elite Soviet spy that the world has been led to believe, an investigaton by the German news outlet Der Spiegel has revealed.

Stories of Putin's exploits as an intelligence officer during the 1980s vary, and it is an era somewhat shrouded in mystery, as he has never commented on the period himself.

But many stories have painted him as a heroic figure, who, among other things, single-handedly defended the KGB's offices from looters and carried out top-secret secret missions such as meeting with members of the Red Army Faction, a terrorist group that wreaked havoc in West Germany and committed a series of kidnappings and assassinations.

But according to Der Spiegel's report, the majority of Putin's work was actually limited to "banal" administrative tasks.

Citing one of Putin's former colleagues at the KGB's Dresden office, it says his "work consisted primarily of endlessly reviewing applications for West German relatives' visits or searching for potential informants among foreign students at Dresden University."

The report says that Putin is rarely mentioned in Stasi — the name of the East German secret police — records. In those that do reference him, it is only in regards to things like his birthday or administrative tasks, none provide evidence to back up the stories mentioned previously.

Horst Jehmlich, a former Stasi officer who also worked in Dresden, told Der Spiegel that Putin was nothing more than an "errand boy."

Putin worked for the KGB, the Soviet Union's intelligence service, for nearly two decades. He moved to Dresden, in East Germany, in 1985 — a time when the country was on its last legs.

Just four years later, the Berlin Wall fell, marking the beginning of the end of the Cold War and taking a big step towards the reunification of Germany in 1990.

Officially he retired from active KGB service with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

But Oleg Kalugin, a former high-ranking KGB officer and fierce critic of Putin, told an interview with RFE/RL in 2015 that the would-be leader of Russia had lied and was "just a major."

Scholz plans to speak to Putin 'soon'
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Scholz made the comments while speaking at the German Protestant Church Congress.
The chancellor said that he already spoke with Putin before the start of the war and intended "to do so again soon."
Scholz reiterated Berlin's position that the withdrawal of Russian troops would be a precondition for negotiations with Moscow, saying that this would be the only way to ensure a "fair peace."
"It's not reasonable to force Ukraine to approve and accept the raid that Putin has perpetrated and that parts of Ukraine become Russian just like that," Scholz added.
The chancellor said that he considered that Berlin had made the right decision in acting "in a coordinated manner" with its partners on Ukraine. He added that Germany felt committed to this principle since the start of the war early last year.
Responding to shouts from the crowd urging the chancellor to "negotiate," Scholz said: "Negotiating is OK. The question is: who negotiates with whom and about what?"

Dutch intelligence tipped CIA on alleged Ukraine plan to attack Nord Stream -NOS
Reuters
June 13, 20234:42 PM GMT+2Updated an hour ago

The logo of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project is seen on a pipe at the Chelyabinsk pipe rolling plant in Chelyabinsk, Russia, February 26, 2020. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

AMSTERDAM, June 13 (Reuters) - A Dutch intelligence agency tipped off the CIA about an alleged Ukrainian plan in June 2022 to blow up the Nord Stream pipeline, Dutch national broadcaster NOS reported on Tuesday.

The NOS report, which was compiled with help from leading German media outlets, did not identify its sources.

It said that the Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD had warned the CIA of the existence of such a plan, leading to a warning from Washington to Kyiv not to attack the pipeline.

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Unexplained explosions ruptured both Nord Stream 1 and the newly built Nord Stream 2 pipelines, carrying gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, in September.

The blasts occurred in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark. Both countries said the explosions were deliberate, but have yet to determine who was responsible. Those countries and Germany are investigating.

Washington and NATO called the incident "an act of sabotage". Moscow accused investigators of dragging their feet and trying to conceal who was behind the attack. Ukraine denies responsibility.

How military control of Ukraine has changed

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/c..._control_quad_13_06_23_2x640-nc.png.webp

NATO and USA shouldn't fuck around fuck those Russians we could end this war in a few weeks lol.
Bomb the shit.

bomb that shit ?!
if the west will take action then you risk iran and china getting involved too
which may results in III World War.
it's not a game.

Just kidding Meyer but that sort of talk you hear on the Russian side like bombing the port of Rotterdam.

they just don't know how to take the humiliation of this defeat.
russia being exposed as the biggest bullshit it's hard for them to take....
the longer the war continues the better it is for the world
because russia will slowly get worse by all means.
they are just a country with nuclear weapon that's all.

iran and china are the biggest concern to the west.

I agree, China wants world influence but doesn't want a big conflict with the West. European investments in China are gigantic and Chinese interests in Europe ever growing, a whopping 71 percent of German companies plan to expand their investments in China. Volkswagen, for example has more than 40 factories in the country.

China doesn't even have a single nuclear aircraft carrier. They have no oil, they get most of their oil from the middle east through the Straits of Malacca, which the US could shut down at will. The United States ensured, after WWII, that we would remain the premier power on the planet for a long time. Saudi Arabia is protected by US Patriot missile batteries, despite all this bluster about BRICS, the Saudis know exactly who affords them the protection for then to sleep at night. China is watching the Ukrainian conflict, and is taking notice of the superiority of the Wests arsenal and the likely cost of invading Taiwan.

Daily update on the War in Ukraine.
Russian ntrenchements hamper progress in the south, Reports of the nuclear reactor in Zaporizhzhia cooling system being mined for demolition by the same Russian commander who ordered dam destroyed, 2 weeks ago.

What a coalition has Zelensky build even Pakistan, Cambodia and Sudan are helping.

List of military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_military_aid_to_Ukraine_during_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War

Daily update on the War in Ukraine. Ukraine launches cruise mussile to blow hole in Daryivskiy bridge to Crimea resulting in a 130 Km diversion in the logistics supply train to the Russian occupied region of Dnipro. Meanwhile, Prighozian continues to bemoan the lack of adequate supplies of munitions as he continues to attempt to build support in Moscow.

Investigation for Prigozhin mutiny

The Russian security service FSB starts a criminal investigation against the boss of the mercenary army
Wagner, Prigozhin. He is accused of calling for mutiny. Prigozhin has been raging for months against the top
bosses in the Russian military, including Defense Minister Shoigu. He says they are incompetent.

Just today, Prigozhin said that Ukraine and NATO posed no threat to Russia at all and that the war
was started under false pretenses.

Prigozhin, who started out as Putin's cook, has not personally attacked the president in any of his outbursts .

Russia on edge after threats from Wagner boss Prigozhin: military vehicles ready in Moscow
Updated 3 min ago
44 minutes ago

Russia is on high alert following news that Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is being prosecuted for mutiny. The army command in Moscow calls on the notorious mercenaries to comply with President Vladimir Putin's orders, as can also be seen on Russian state television. Kiev is undoubtedly watching the chaotic situation in the neighboring country, where soldiers are stationed at government buildings.

Russian TV interrupts regular programming
Earlier, Russia's state-run Channel 1 interrupted regular programming to broadcast an "emergency news bulletin".

The announcement recapped earlier official statements about Prigozhin and Wagner and said that Prigozhin's video of the alleged strike was fake and that the defence ministry denied attacking Wagner.

The emergency announcement also said that FSB - Russia's domestic intelligence agency - had launched a criminal case against Prigozhin and that President Putin was being kept informed.

What is the Wagner boss claiming?
Lets recap what Prigozhin has been saying.

He posted a series of furious recordings online on Friday, accusing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu of ordering a rocket strike on Wagner’s camps in Ukraine on Friday.

"Today they carried out a rocket strike on our rear camps, and a huge number of our comrades got killed," he said.

“They have treacherously cheated us,” he added.

The Russian defence ministry denied carrying out a rocket attack on Wagner forces.

Prigozhin then said his troops would oust Shoigu, and called on the Russian army to stand aside.

“This is not a military coup, but a march of justice,” he said.

Prigozhin also claimed that Shoigu had personally directed the purported strike and then fled.

“The evil embodied by the country’s military leadership must be stopped,” he shouted.

He has since claimed his forces have crossed from Ukraine into Russia, without providing evidence.

Earlier he released a video saying Russia had had no reason to invade Ukraine and the war had been a disaster.

In the audio, Prigozhin said, without providing evidence, that Russia’s military leadership was responsible for the deaths of 2,000 fighters. He pledged to hold them to account.

Within hours, Prigozhin said in another message that he and his fighters had turned their backs on Ukraine and crossed back into Russia. He warned that “if something stands in our way, we will destroy everything that will try to stop us.”

Russia on the brink of Civil War as Wagner Forces seize control of Rostov on Don and Voronezh with about 25,000 troops and heavy weapons. Russian military carrying out necessary measures in the region according to the governor of Voronezh as troops in the southern command seem to be rallying towards Prighozhin and the Wagner forces. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are said to be massing in preparation for their counter offensive while they observe developments across the border.

Wow this is first time Putin faces a serious internal crisis.

What's been happening in Russia?
Things have been developing quickly in Russia.

Here's what has happened in the past few hours.

President Putin made a televised speech calling the challenge by the Wagner mercenary force "high treason" and a "stab in the back". He appealed for unity and said authorities were acting quickly to contain the situation
Rebelling Wagner mercenaries say they have taken control of the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, a key military site.
BBC sources also say Wagner forces have now seized military facilities in a second city - Voronezh, which is halfway between Rostov-on-Don and Moscow.
Prigozhin has said he will march on the capital if top military figures don't meet with him.
Prigozhin appears to have responded to Putin in an audio message, saying his troops were not committing treason, but rather were "patriots" fighting for the future of the Motherland - calling out "corruption, lies and bureaucracy"
And the international community is starting to respond. Some countries that border Russia are building up security, while NATO says it is monitoring the situation closely.

Russia: A bunch of dump trucks full of sand are being placed at all entrances into Moscow.

More and more private jets with no declared destination or Turkey as destination appear over Moscow.
They are making a run for it

The Russian regime army has started to target random civilian cars in Voronezh. It is hell.

Girkin: "The rebels successfully bypassed Voronezh and are moving through the territory of the Lipetsk region. They boast that they shot down the forward outposts of the "Rosgvardia" and took trophies."

Strelkov says that Wagner forces passed through Voronezh and have entered Lipetsk Oblast, moving towards Moscow on the M4 highway.

Putin is at risk of losing his iron grip on power. The next 24 hours are critical

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/24/europe/russia-putin-wagner-prigozhin-analysis-intl/index.html

Wagner mercenaries enter Lipetsk region en route to Moscow

The governor of Russia's Lipetsk province said Saturday afternoon that Wagner Group mercenaries had entered the region, some 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Moscow. Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Wagner mercenaries of "treason" in a live address to the nation after the group's chief Yevgeny Prigozhin called for an armed uprising to oust the defense minister on Friday.

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/...f-mutiny-he-says-his-forces-enter-russia

Haha what an insane turn of events

LIVE Wagner chief says mercenaries turning back to 'avoid bloodshed'
Wagner Forces 'Halt Advance' on Moscow BBC News

Posted at 20:0420:04
What was in the agreement and how was Belarus involved?
Abdujalil Abdurasulov

Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine

Belarus strongman Aleksander Lukashenko has conducted talks with Evgeniy Prigozhin.

As a result of the negotiations that lasted for the whole day, Prigozhin has agreed to de-escalate.

Lukashenko’s press service reports the negotiations took place with Vladimir Putin’s agreement.

“Prigozhin has agreed to stop the march towards Moscow and take further steps to de-escalate the situation,” the statement says.

As part of the agreement, Wagner fighters get security guarantees.

What else was offered to Prigozhin and mercenaries is not clear.

Russia has been using the territory of Belarus to launch attacks on Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion, effectively erasing Belarus’ sovereignty.

And any signs showing that Putin’s grip on power is weaking threatens the regime in Minsk that is heavily dependent on Moscow.

Earlier today, Svitlana Tikhanovskaya, the opposition leader who challenged Lukashenko in 2020 presidential elections, said the Wagner’s rebellion “is the best chance to kick the Russian military out from [Belarus]”.

“If we miss this chance,” she said in her video appeal, “Russia will do to us exactly what they did to Ukraine.”

Zelensky claims Putin left Moscow, Lukashenko is reported to be in Turkey.