Day 1080 War in Ukraine

Georgian protesters being busted for a 30-minute protest in front of a judge’s house.

More important stuff on Kash Patel. There are several ways to tell if someone is open to being compromised by hostile agents. “money, ideology, compromise, ego” or MICE. Not sure if Patel is being compromised, but the other three factors are definitely prsent and definitely make his a very extreme risk.

One of the people in Elon Musk‘s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was previously fired for having past association with cybercrime communities. No one ever really leaves such communities.

North Korea is benefiting from its alliance with Russia by getting new war technologies that its bringing back to Asia.

Policemen in Georgia are now wearbg masks and using clubs on demonstrators, who are filling up Rustaveli avenue anyway.

Imprisoned journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, on her 28^th day of fasting, is taken to the hospital. The Prime Minister is demanding that she “show remorse” (for slapping a policeman).

Georgian protesters decide they should centralize and are deciding how.

Private house in Huliapole hit with guided aerial bomb.

North Korea lose a company’s worth of soldiers against the Ukrainian-occupied Kursk region.

Ukraine hits headquarters of the 35^th Brigade that was hidden in an underground bunker.

https://balloon-juice.com/2025/02/08/war-for-ukraine-day-1080-that-didnt-take-long/

 

Day 1078 War in Ukraine

The Georgian Rezo Kiknadze told the court that he had a book by Mario Vargas Llosa, it contained the passage “In the end, everyone abandons the dictator - even his own people."

Who has benefited from the shutdown of USAID? “new reporting shows USAID was actually investigating equipment from one of Musk’s companies at the time that he attacked the agency.“

Musk had a direct and personal reason to shutter USAID.

Very cool! Ukraine gets both French Mirage jets and more F-16s!

It was six months ago that the Kursk operation was launched. So far, it has cost Russians enormously to try and drive Ukrainians back to their own territory.

In the pouring rain, Georgians STILL block Rustaveli Avenue! “The Public Defender formed a group of doctors to assess the medical care provided to Mzia Amaglobeli” She has been fasting 26 days.

Brutal and vicious: “Activist Nancy Woland, member of ‘Daitove’ team says police forced her to strip naked and do squats during a Feb 1 house police search.”

Russian ballistic missile explodes on Russian soil.

One of Kharkiv’s largest markets, heavily damaged but still partially open, was hit again by Russian missiles. About 250 stores and pavilions were damaged.

City of Toretsk is uninhabited as all buildings are uninhabitable.

The Russian attack on Pokrovsk cost them more casualties in January then they lost in the Second Chechen War.

https://balloon-juice.com/2025/02/06/war-for-ukraine-day-1078-who-benefits/

 

Day 1077 War in Ukraine

Zla Mavka, a all-woman guerrilla group is keeping things hopping in occupied Crimea.

Kharkiv’s been under drone attack for most of the say. Sure hope THIS is true! “Russia’s attacks on civilians are not strength, but the convulsions of collapse.“

150 POWs returned!

Protesting Georgians sing “Chakrulo,” a polyphonic song about overthrowing a greedy lord.

Okay, Mzia Amaglobeli has had her hospital stay and now wishes to return to prison. She’s on her 25^th day or her hunger strike.

Temur Katamadze has been on a hunger strike for 20 days and is doing very badly.

Georgian police are freeing up prison space by mass pardons.

Marika Mikiashvili summarizes how things are going in Georgia right now an d how elites were caught off-guard.

The remainder of the aid that Biden promised to Ukraine has indeed arrived, that of course means there are currently no other shipments pending.

Ukrainian Jews are translating the Torah into Ukrainian language for the first time. There are texts in Russian, but no one wants to use the language of the aggressor.

Russians recruited a man, suited him up with explosives and then remotely detonated him. ISIS used that tactic.

More Russian oil depots blown up.

Launch site for Russian Shahed drones struck.

https://balloon-juice.com/2025/02/05/war-for-ukraine-day-1077-another-night-of-drone-swarms/

 

Day 1073 War in Ukraine

Sofia Yavorska’s home in Poltava was struck by a Russian KH-22 missile.

“In total, last night alone, the Russians launched 165 missiles and drones”

Zelenskyy mentions gain the many thousands of components that missiles such as Iskanders and Kalibr missiles and Shahed drones use, man of which come from China, Europe and the US.

The Georgian government now declares that closing certain roads now warrants a criminal penalty.

Police are now going to plant drugs in the pockets of those who are arrested.

Police are planning to forcibly search “Activist Nancy Woland, the creator of the FB group 'Daitove,' which has almost 300K members” Numerous activists being kidnapped and interrogated for lengthy periods.

Police in Georgia demand that journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli apologize to the man who spat in her face. She is of course, refusing to do so.

Russian missiles take out power in seven oblasts (provinces).

“Between 00:50 and 01:40 last night, russia struck Zaporizhzhia with 16 drones”

“Russia carried out a KAB strike on a boarding school in Sudzha, where only civilians were present.” KABs are guided bombs, so Russians knew exactly what they were hitting. Zelenskyy made a statement. “This is a state devoid of civility.” They also hit a nursing home.

https://balloon-juice.com/2025/02/01/war-for-ukraine-day-1073-russia-pounds-poltava-zaporizhzhia-kharkiv/

 

Day 1069 War in Ukraine

Underground school in Kharkiv. Kids can study regardless of air raids and artillery fire.

Zelenskyy commemorates the 80^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Zelenskyy regrets that Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons, as having those might have prevented Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea and subsequent fighting.

In Georgia, over 300 media professionals demand that Mzia Amaghlobeli be released. She has been on a hunger strike for 16 days. The Ministry of Health did not answer reporter’s questions about this. Government isn’t even monitoring her health.

Trump’s suspension of aid to Ukraine has caused all kinds of disruption and chaos. Support of veterans was underwritten by US aid.

Film showing the effect of an anti-tank mine on an unarmored vehicle!

North Korean troops suffer such heavy casualties in one sector, they pull back.

North Korean troops appear to have been very poorly prepared, leading to very high casualties.

Film of “what the city of Avdiivka has turned into after being ‘liberated’ by the Russian army.”

18 Ukrainian drones attacked the refinery at Ryazan. Four got through and started the blaze. A facility for creating cleaning compounds was also damaged.

https://balloon-juice.com/2025/01/27/war-for-ukraine-day-1069-president-zelensky-commemorates-the-80th-anniversary-of-the-liberation-of-auschwitz-birkenau/

Day 1061 War in Ukraine

Russian officer assaults wounded Russian troops before sending them off to war. These are ethnic Tyvans, who are exploited by Russians.

Unfortunately, a Biden Administration figure has confirmed that they never intended for Ukraine to actually WIN against Russia! The objective was for Ukraine to simply survive, and of course, that meant continued war with devastation and casualties.

It’s highly implausible that a ship would accidentally drop anchor and then drag the anchor for miles and miles with all of the communications cable criss-crossing the Baltic Sea, but that’s what US intelligence agencies have concluded. The alternative, of course, suggests that we are in a World War. The blogger blames the system that intel professionals work under, which compels them to be very cautious. Finland has concluded that the anchor-dragging was deliberate.

Hmm, the Georgia Dream Party “president, Mikheil Kavelashvili, pardoned 613 convicts.” Plenty of suspicions as to why.

Georgian police claim two activists were “accidentally” arrested. Activists are still in police custody.

Woo hoo! $100 million radar station destroyed!

https://balloon-juice.com/2025/01/19/war-for-ukraine-day-1061-who-couldve-possibly-imagined/

 

Day 1060 War in Ukraine

 

 

 

Russia bombs a cathedral because, well of course they do.

Protesters in Georgia forced into a car and driven off. No one knows where they are.

Protesters are looking for new forms of protest.

The founder of independent media "Batumelebi" slapped a police officer and now face 4 to 7 years in prison as a result.

Ballistic missiles hit in Kyiv before air raid siren could sound.

Water pipe in Kyiv breaks, making commuting difficult. Grocery store opens up anyway because "People need groceries." Extensive descriptions of how people cope.

Russians assault the Pokrovsk front 84 times and lose 335 servicemen. Rundown on various parts of the front.

Four russian oil depots are currently engulfed in flames.

https://balloon-juice.com/2025/01/18/war-for-ukraine-day-1060-russian-bombards-a-cathedral-among-other-ukrainian-civilian-targets/

 

 

Day 1059 War in Ukraine

Dmytro became known over that infamous knife fight video from the war zone of Donbas

Russian aerial assault on Kryvyi Rih Many civilians dead. Kryvyi Rih resident lost a wife to a Russian attack in 2022. Now he’s lost ANOTHER wife to a 2025 Russian attack!

Ukraine I working hard to be independent of the US for arms to fight Russia with.

Head of Batumi police had restaurant workers beaten because they didn’t recognize him. Same fellow responsible for degrading the corporate director Mzia Amaghlobeli. Amaghlobeli then sentenced by a judge who never attended law school.

Ukraine doesn’t simply launch a few drones and/or missiles and hope for the best, they launch wave after wave in a highly coordinated manner.

Ukrainians assess Biden’s effectiveness. Very good in some respects, but late and slow in others. Took Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling for too seriously.

Ukraine adopting basic military training for everyone of school age. Man can be drafted after that, women can volunteer.

Ukraine’s newly formed brigades face devastating losses as poor leadership, inadequate training, and mismatched foreign support hinder their effectiveness on the battlefield

To endure on the battlefield, an infantryman must know how to camouflage, maneuver, set up positions, counter drones, provide medical aid, conduct surveillance, report accurately, and coordinate with comrades.

Engels 2 air base, Russia, was it by Ukrainian drones 10 days ago and is STILL burning! Lots of other oil refineries, etc. are hit.

https://balloon-juice.com/2025/01/17/war-for-ukraine-day-1059-russia-pounds-on-kryvyi-rih/

Day 1058 War in Ukraine

 

It’s illegal in Georgia to use a face covering or to shoot off fireworks, so Mariam Sitchinava is doing both! Authorities are getting embarrassed by the situation.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Ukraine. Starmer agrees to provide peacekeeping troops in the event of a peace agreement with Russia.

Authorities in Georgia are poisoning protesters with some unknown substance that’s causing a lot of physical problems.

The people of Georgia feel they must keep going or they can acquiesce in a dictatorship.

“The Russian TOR-M2 air defense system costs around $25–27 million” One system down!

Ukrainian Natalia Vlasova suffers horrible tortures and is now sentenced to 18 years in a Russian prison. She’s waiting to be exchanged.

27 Russians captured in Kursk operation.

“Human Safari” in Kherson continues.

Attacking on the Siversk front results in enormous losses.

Liski oil depot was covered in drone cages. It was burned anyway.

https://balloon-juice.com/2025/01/16/war-for-ukraine-day-1058-a-brief-thursday-night-update/

Day 1056 War in Ukraine

Ukrainians assist at the LA fires.

Russians launching strike fighters to try and get revenge for yesterday’s strike by Ukraine. It involved “drones, missiles, special operations, and intelligence” and hit targets as much as 1,100 km deep into Russia. More than 100 missiles spread across 12 regions.

Putin’s aide has extremely optimistic views concerning Ukraine and Moldova. He thinks both will soon cease to exist. Blogger thinks that If the aide takes over, he might even be worse than Putin.

Apparently, Russia deliberately provoked Trump’s interest in buying Greenland with a forged letter. The blogger describes the operation as a perfect Black PSYO. “The second point is how bad at their jobs Senator Cotton and his staff are.“

Sigh! Biden left $4 billion in aid that was allocated for Ukraine unused. “Drawdown” means we take from US stocks and then procure replacements from the US economy. That can only be done so quickly.

Fireworks and face coverings are both illegal in Georgia, which is why both used widely by protesters.

Georgians honor Sandro Akhmeteli (1886-1937), a theater director who died in Stalin’s purge.

Georgian opposition party member attacked and hospitalized.

Mzia Amaglobeli, CEO of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, is arrested on BS charge of assaulting a policeman. She was sentenced to “preventive detention,” which makes no sense, as she’s not violent.

Major pharmaceutical chain goes on strike for a symbolic five minutes.

Russia attacks with 80 drones. Only one hit its target. Ukraine is getting better at dealing with Russian strikes, in the meantime, Ukrainian effectiveness is improving.

Agree. It’s good to send recruits to experienced units rather than to create new units with them.

https://balloon-juice.com/2025/01/14/war-for-ukraine-day-1056-strike-hard/

Important dates for next few weeks

 Greetings. To paraphrase John Oliver, It has been a busy few weeks.

We are sharing a list of upcoming Actions, Trainings and Webinars we have been organizing and collaborating on.

You can go to two locations on our website.  

Below that - (at the bloom of this message) are a couple of ACTION ALERTS that we implore you to do right away!

1. Our webpage for online stuff here, and -- 
2. Our webpage for in person events and actions, here. (These are sometimes hybrid events but we strongly encourage direct participation.) 

Please take whatever precautions for your health you feel you should and PLEASE mask if you are sick (better yet, stay home and take care of yourself - we need you)

or use the online option if it is available.

Some of these are also available on our calendar

We hope you can take part in as many as you are able and spread the word to others.

--------------------

Please share any local events you may be working on if not in the Philly area.

Jan 18th

People's March Philadelphia 

Saturday, January 18⋅10:00am –3:00pm  

Location: Philadelphia City Hall, 1401 John F Kennedy Blvd, 

Philadelphia, PA, 19012, United States

EVENTS PAGE

Jan 20th

Possible Inauguration Day Actions 

Part of Trump Watch. The Peace & Justice Edition.

Stay tuned

Jan 25th

Grassroots lobbying 101

Sponsored by the Dviest Philly from the War machine Coalition

Saturday, January 25 at 2:00pm-4:00pm 

prepare for the struggles to come

Where: Independence Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia 

18 S. 7th Street) How to Join: Sign up here! 

Feb. 1st

2025 WILPF PHILLY PEACE and JUSTICE DOVE AWARD

Saturday, February 1⋅1:00 – 3:30pm 

Location: Germantown Friends Meeting at,47 W Coulter St, Philadelphia, PA 19144

Gather to celebrate and learn about the life-long commitments of two incredible local activists: Maati Yvonne Platts and Sylvia Metzler

Feb 2nd

Champions of Human Rights: Voices and Action for a Just World

Sunday, February 2⋅3:00 – 4:30pm 

Organized by Coalition for Peace Action

Register for the online event here.

Feb 16th

How Do Social Movements Win?

and What Does “Winning” Mean?

DATE: Sun, Feb 16
TIME: 1 PM—5 PM
Southampton Friends Meeting
 710 Gravel Hill Road, Southampton PA 18966
Childcare available on request
Co-Sponsored by
Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW!
and
Hold The Line Bucks County

Register here.

--------------------------------

ACTION ALERTS!!

# 1

Divest from Israel Bonds, stop funding genocide.

SIgn up for our campaign to divest Pennsylvania from Israel Bonds which help fund genocide in Gaza.

You can sign our petition here.

We are collaborating with a sister effort with Jewish Voice for Peace. You can sign their petition here.

# 2

And a new effort, Trump Watch, The Peace & Justice Edition

Since Trump is hard to pin down, this will be a moving target but ...

We pledge to do our best to respond and resist quickly and strategically as he continues to create chaos.

In particular, a real danger is this time he and his MAGA force are better organized. 

One urgent threat is a slew of really bad appointments as presidential advisors to head up the national security state. 

    Here is our first Action Alert for this effort:

    Here is our first Action Alert for this effort:

Day 1054 War in Ukraine

Fifth day of the Russian Engels air base burning.

“Serbian president offers to host Trump-Putin meeting in Belgrade.”

Zelenskyy says that they’ve captured two North Korean soldiers. One wishes to be returned, one does not. They’re being saved for prisoner swaps.

He also expressed an interest in sending 150 firefighters to California to help battle the fires there.

Ukraine is also willing to help Moldova with the recent cut-off of Russian natural gas.

German Foreign Minister advises sending more aid to Ukraine.

Not sure where the restaurant is in relation to where Georgian protesters were gathered, but it was quickly discovered that a judicial corporate banquet was being held there. Attendees fled, being pelted with eggs. Police respond with brutality. In response to reports of protesters spitting into the food of the judges, that behavior is blamed on Lithuanians.

Mzia Amaghlobeli was arrested for holding a certain sign. Protesters show solidarity by holding up similar signs.

Members of the administration know they’ll never be able to clear their names. “From today on, the judicial rot in Georgia knows that people want them all sacked.”

Ukrainian serviceman Volodymyr Demchenko feels that North Korean soldiers are formidable antagonists.

North Koreans launch assault lasting eight hours. No Ukrainians harmed.

https://balloon-juice.com/2025/01/12/war-for-ukraine-day-1054-those-boots-wont-lick-themselves/

 

Day 1051 War in Ukraine

 

Not at all surprising. The closer a country is to Russia, the more money they’re willing to send to Ukraine to hold Russia back.

The Ukrainian Contact Group has been meeting since the full-scale war broke out in February 2022. With Trump taking over, Zelenskyy attends what is likely their final meeting.

Secretary of Defense Austin is right that tremendous damage has been done to Russia’s military resources, but Russia shows no signs of slowing down.

Trump has extended his pledge to end the war in Ukraine from a single day to 100 days. .

If Trump withdraws support for Ukraine, the EU says it is ready to pick it up again.

Denmark & Norway purchase arms directly from Ukrainian manufacturers for immediate, local use.

Canada pledges $305 million to Ukraine. That includes $138 million for large-caliber ammunition.

Salome Zourabishvili claims to be the only legitimate president of Georgia and will attend Trump’s inauguration and conduct diplomacy while in the US.

Protesters in Georgia risk fines by wearing face masks.

Million dollar Russian BM-21 Grad MLRS destroyed by an FPV drone that costs from $200 to $500.

Ukraine repels massive assault in Kursk region.

“Russia launched an airstrike on residential neighborhoods in Kherson in broad daylight.”

Russian forces only two km from Kupiansk. Russia conducted 12 attacks in one day.

Gifts were distributed to children in a village in Kherson that hardly ever sees visitors.

https://balloon-juice.com/2025/01/09/war-for-ukraine-day-1051-president-zelenskyy-addresses-what-is-likely-to-be-the-last-ukraine-contact-group-meeting/

Day 1046 War in Ukraine

When a guided bomb hits a residential building, that means the Russians knew EXACTLY what they were aiming at!

How the Ukrainian air defense did in 2024.

Germany’s “Chancellor Olaf Scholz could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin before Germany’s parliamentary elections on Feb. 23.” Ukraine does NOT wish to be the subject of their conversation.

The Georgian singer Nutsa Buzaladze performs in a heavily government subsidized concert, with protesters shouting “Shame!” at her.

Beatings of woman Georgian protesters has begun. Foreign nationals who take part in Georgian protests are being expelled. Nationwide general strike scheduled for 15 January for three hours.

Carnegie Endowment does an assessment of the war in Ukraine. Many areas have improved, but Russia is gaining ground. The Kursk offensive has helped, but has not changed the basic trajectory of the conflict. Drones serve as a force multiplier. “Given observed constraints, Russia can’t sustain this intensity of combat operations either, and faces significant headwinds in the latter half of 2025.”

Russians using soldiers disguised as civilians to bypass Ukrainian positions.

A Ukrainian photographer documents what has happened on one park bench over a decade.

Ukrainian drones target sea port in in Leningrad Oblast. Most are shot down.\

Russian factory that produces solid-fuel rocket motors was attacked by drones.

https://balloon-juice.com/2025/01/04/war-for-ukraine-day-1046-sumy/

 

Day 1040 War in Ukraine

Blog post shows the extent of the many cables and pipelines crisscrossing the seabed of the Baltic Sea. Yeah, the only way to protect them from ships dragging their anchors is to immediately take on ships that drag their anchors. “Since autumn 2023 11 cables and pipes have been damaged by ships dragging their anchors in Baltic Sea.“

The off-going President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, will take the legitimacy of the office wih her. She plans to have a very active post-presidency, including meetings with other nations.

Georgian police are roughing up protesters.

In just one week, Russia launched “more than 280 KAB guided bombs, nearly 370 attack drones, and over 80 missiles” at Ukraine.

A while ago, I gave figures on Ukraine’s “Ruta” drone. Figures are more accurate here, but the basic point is the same. It costs much less to hit targets at a considerable distance with a Ruta or a Trembits than with a full-blown cruise missile. This also means that the American refusal to permit Ukraine to hit targets in Russia (a ban that was very recently mostly lifted) becomes irrelevant. Trump’s ability to tell Ukraine not to do something therefore shrinks a great deal.

Russia suffers a major loss of telecommunications equipment in occupied Ukraine.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/12/29/war-for-ukraine-day-1040-a-brief-sunday-afternoon-update/

 

Day 1038 War in Ukraine

Andriy Yusov explains to a reporter how drones can fly up to 2k km into Russia.

Summary of past few nights of War in Ukraine:

For comparison, an anti-tank mine carries 5.4 to 13.6 kg of explosives. A 155 mm shell generally has about 45 kg.

The American “Switchblade” drone travels at 113 to 185 km/h and carries 15 kg of munitions.

The American “Tomahawk” cruise missile travels at 920 km/h, with 450 kg of munitions.

The Ukrainian “Ruta” travels at 700 km/h, with 100 kg of munitions.

The REALLY important point is that the Ruta costs about $300k whereas the Tomahawk costs around $2 million. You can strike the bad guys with six Rutas for the same cost as a single Tomahawk!

Blogger on the next two incidents: “It appears that we are inching closer to awareness that there is an actual world war underway.”

Russians shot down a civilian airliner with a surface-to-air missile. How do we know it was deliberate? “the damaged aircraft was not allowed to land at any Russian airports despite the pilots’ requests for an emergency landing“

A Russian-linked oil tanker appear to have been dragging its anchor and thereby cutting an underseas cable connecting Finland with Estonia, was loaded up with spy equipment. “’They were monitoring all Nato naval ships and aircraft,’ Lloyd’s List was told. ‘They had all details on them. They were just matching their frequencies.’”

The opposition in Georgia is getting more and more together and organized. They are demanding that prisoners be released and new elections held. Different groups and professions are taking turns leading the nightly marches. The government is using a special organization called “Khareba” to violently suppress protests. Government is also firing any civil servants who criticizes them.

Russians release a video where they consciously, deliberately, with malice and forethought, shoot down Santa Claus.

Russians continue to absolutely rain down missiles and drones on Ukrainian civilians as well as on Ukraine’s power grid, so as to make heating homes very difficult.

North Korean soldiers woefully unprepared for fighting in Ukraine, running across open fields with no armor or air support. Losses are massive.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/12/27/war-for-ukraine-day-1038-inching-closer-to-awareness/

 

Day 1025 War in Ukraine

 

Crowd flying both Georgia and EU flags.

Ukraine sends food to Syria in order to prevent a crisis there.

Zelenskyy announces that North Koreans are taking part in assaults in Ukraine. “The Russians include them in combined units and use them in operations in the Kursk region.” This is an obvious escalation of the war. There are roughly 10k NK troops in the Kursk region.

“Friendly fire” incident between NK troops and Kadyrov’s Chechen soldiers.

Ukraine arranges for Trump to be able to take credit for an agreement that was the result of Biden’s actions. Ukrainians “have done a key leader/operational psychological assessment of him and determined the best way forward for dealing with him.” They’ve decided they need to play on his ego.

The Georgia Dream Party (the people are against them, but they have a majority in the parliament) is conducting a presidential election without the current incumbent. Young people make fun of the fellow running for president by playing with football (soccer) balls, “saying that Kavelashvili is as much a president as they are football players.”

Crowd prevents lighting of Christmas tree. Government couldn’t assemble enough pro-government people to convince anyone they were in the majority.

A central neighborhood in Dnipro suffers an explosion.

NK troops just attack in the open. No armor, no air support.

Ukraine reinforces Pokrovsk, which was beginning to crack. “The fighting is extremely fierce. The Russian invaders are throwing all available forces forward, trying to break through the defense of our troops.” It’s a serious problem that drones provide close intelligence on supply routes and troop positions.

Ukrainian saboteurs burn an Su-30 fighter jet. Railway locomotives also hit.

Many hours later, oil depot at Oryol still burning.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/12/14/war-for-ukraine-day-1025-a-brief-saturday-night-update/

 

 

 

 

Day 1023 War in Ukraine

Mobile air defense groups are small teams that battle drones with machine guns.

Zelenskyy visits a school built in a bomb shelter. It can hold 1k students. The frontline is only 30 km away, but students are studying.

Ukrainian lawmakers want an assessment of how Ukraine will cope if US cuts off aid.

Trump thinks the Middle East is n easier problem to solve than Ukraine-Russia. The blogger strongly disagrees. All that has to happen in Ukraine is that Russia withdraws. Boom, problem solved! Middle East is compromised by decades of failed strategies. Trump feels that for Ukraine to send missiles into Russia is “just escalating this war and making it worse.”

By using ATACMS and Storm Shadows (long-range missiles), the number of glide bomb attacks has greatly decreased as aircraft have to be moved still further away from the front line.

Biography written on Zelenskyy unlikely to be translated into other languages as it’s very heavy in Estonian references. According to the book, Zelenskyy believed that peace with Russia was possible.

In Georgia, the heat was turned off for the Presidential Palace. Lots of fighting over the legitimacy of the current president. The IT community blocks a street and makes demands.

Film om Ukrainian military medics.

Took 46 hours, but the effects of a missile strike on a medical facility are fixed.

A thread with a Ukrainian mobile air defense group.

November set a record of 83 Shaheds launched daily.

In Kherson, Russians bombed a fire truck that had arrived at a fire.

Streets of Kharkiv lit up with Christmas lights.

Ammunition depot near Mariupol targeted.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/12/12/war-for-ukraine-day-1023-russia-has-unleashed-its-drone-swarms/

 

Day 1015 War in Ukraine

Great weather with which to move around in Kherson as drones can’t hunt people during bad weather.

Russia launched 2,576 kamikaze Shahed drones against Ukraine in November. Putin wants to vastly increase the number of drones that Russia produces. As drones are inexpensive, Ukraine has developed inexpensive ways to fight them. “Using both mobile fire groups and EW, Borsari says that only around 5% of the drones” make it through to Ukrainian targets.

“House Speaker rejects Biden's request for additional $24 billion in Ukraine aid.” $2 billion of that would have gone to restocking US weapons so that we could give older weapons to Ukraine.

How does Trump plan to end the war in Ukraine? Getting Ukraine into NATO is “off the table.” Pressure on Zelenskyy seems very highly likely. People are highly skeptical as to how Russia can be pressured.

US insists that Ukraine draft more people. Blogger blasts this as hypocritical.

Russia used a missile on Dnipro that’s hypersonic and is capable of using nuclear warheads. It was a great propaganda success.

Tibilisi demonstrations – seventh night in a row. Calls for national strikes. Police going after opposition figures.

Russia assembling 300 boats to try and launch an amphibious assault on Kherson.

Russia trying to empty out Kherson using drones to attack civilians. Kherson civilians move around at night and during bad weather. Civilian casualty figures are horrible. Russians enjoy posting videos of drone attacks. The drones “have ranges up to 15km, fly at low altitudes and zip around at speeds of more than 100km per hour, making them difficult to track and take down.”

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/12/04/war-for-ukraine-day-1015-a-brief-wednesday-night-update/

 

Neighborhood meeting on proposed 76ers arena

The meeting concerning the proposed 76ers arena was held in a neighborhood church. Lack of parking meant it pretty much just got a local crowd of people who had walked to the meeting. Mayor Cherelle Parker played a very active role in presenting information and answering questions. Very lengthy meeting. I got there around 5:30pm, left after 8:00 and there were still many questioners left. A great deal of time, maybe an hour & a half, was taken up by the city administrations presentation. At one point during the presentation, an audience member made an accusation and the administration took about five minutes to explain that everyone would get their turn and that they would stay as long as necessary to answer everyone’s questions.

During the questioning, a member of a community group complained that the mayor had never met with her group. Parker went through a list of the groups that she had met with and suggested that somehow, the questioners group had been inadvertently left off the list. One of the problems that the questioners had was that they carried on at great length, were able to ask just one question and weren’t allowed any follow-ups. This was especially aggravating to one fellow who got an answer he didn’t like, tried to clarify his question and was told that he had used up his one question.

My recommendation is that questioners write their questions down beforehand, not so much to get every point in, but to make sure that their questions are as concise and as to-the-point as possible. Yes, it would be nice to have follow-ups. Perhaps a group could arrange for member #1 to ask a question, then for member #2 to say “Y’know, a previous audience member asked (---) and I’d just like to get a clarification about your answer…”

The city administration tried very hard to make the case that the area in which the arena would be built really needed the economic boost and that as the area was at the center of city traffic and as games would end after the regular traffic had departed anyway, that it was a good investment.