First Major Ukrainian City Falls To Russian Forces In South As Warships Eye Odessa

"Following a day of conflicting claims and counter-claims over whether the strategically
important southern Ukrainian city of Kherson was in Russia's hands, the AFP is reporting just after 4am Kiev time that "Ukrainian officials confirm Russia's capture of southern city Kherson."

Kiev over the past hours had disputed Russian reports that Kherson had been fully captured by the invading forces. According to a breaking Newsweek report:

Kherson, a key strategic point along the Black Sea, has been captured by Russia, making it the first major Ukrainian city to fall to invading Russian forces.

As the fighting raged into its seventh day, throngs of the Russian military were seen advancing upon the city of approximately 300,000 people. By Wednesday, reports emerged that the city center had fallen to the Russians, with the Russian Defence Ministry saying that its military had "taken full control" of Kherson." AP

Russia's SWIFT Ban: EU Should Think Twice as It's About to Shoot Itself in Foot, Journo Warns

"The European Commission is seeking to block seven Russian banks from SWIFT with the
nation's largest Sberbank and Gazprombank being left off the draft list, writes Bloomberg. The absence of the two banks from the proposal shows the EU is concerned about the consequences of isolating Russia, according to the media outlet.

"Europe buys energy, grain and minerals from Russia. These three commodity articles are not the kind that can be easily found as an alternative. Trade with Russia is today an indispensable element of the economic foundation on which the West relies. SWIFT is a system of international payments. Disconnecting Russia from the SWIFT system will mean the actual cessation of trade," says Recep Ercin, an economic commentator and journalist." Sputnik

Sanctions Loophole: SWIFT Exemption Europe Lets Itself Pay for Russian Gas

"As the European Union looks to ban several banks from the SWIFT financial system, a bank
linked to the sale of Russian gas is said to be exempt from the ban.

However, at least two Russian banks will reportedly be exempt from the sanctions, including Gazprombank, the bank partially owned by Russia’s major energy corporation Gazprom, Bloomberg reports.

Gazprombank is said to be a “key bank for Russia’s energy conglomerates,” according to Bloomberg, which could exclude Russian energy from the proposed sanctions.

Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank that holds around half of the deposits in Russia and has over a hundred million customers and clients, is also exempt from the SWIFT ban." Breitbart

Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro Expresses ‘Strong Support’ for Russia in Call with Putin

"Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday held a phone call to plan strategy with
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, one of Putin’s few outspoken supporters during Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The Kremlin said Maduro expressed “strong support” for Russia’s war effort during the call." Breitbart

Putin is NOT crazy and the Russian invasion is NOT failing. The West's delusions about this war - and its failure to understand the enemy - will prevent it from saving Ukraine

"Sympathy for the outnumbered and outgunned defenders of Kyiv has led to the

exaggeration of Russian setbacks, misunderstanding of Russian strategy, and even baseless claims from amateur psychoanalysts that Putin has lost his mind.

A more sober analysis shows that Russia may have sought a knockout blow, but always had well-laid plans for follow-on assaults if its initial moves proved insufficient.

The world has underestimated Putin before and those mistakes have led, in part, to this tragedy in Ukraine.

Just two days into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Department of Defense briefers were quick to claim that failing to take Kyiv in the opening days of the war amounted to a serious setback.

DoD briefers implied that Russia's offensive was well behind schedule or had even failed because the capital had not fallen.

But U.S. leaders should have learned to restrain their hopes after their catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Allegedly, Putin believed that the Ukrainian government would collapse once Russian troops crossed the frontier and pushed to Kyiv, and that the operation has failed because the Ukrainian government remains in place.

Putin certainly hoped for a swift victory, but he clearly was not relying on his opening salvo as the only plan for success.

Rather, the Russian military was prepared to take the country by force if a swift decapitation strike fell short.

If Russian forces can take Kyiv and push southward to link up with forces on the Crimean front, thus splitting Ukraine in two, it would be a major blow to the Zelensky government.

What matters more than a handful of setbacks is that Russian forces have pushed 70 miles into contested terrain in less than a week and are on the outskirts of the capital.

This is not a sign of a disorganized, poorly assembled, and failed offensive.

The southward push from Belarus to Kyiv is supported by another Russian column, launched from the east in the vicinity of Kursk.

If this column can link up with Russian troops near Kyiv, it will envelop Ukrainian forces in most of Chernihiv and Sumy provinces, depriving the Ukrainian military of much needed soldiers and war material needed elsewhere, and cutting off the government from two northern provinces.

Further east, Russian forces have launched a broad offensive aimed at Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, which is now under siege.

In the south, Russian forces, supported by amphibious assaults from the Sea of Azov, have poured into Ukraine from Crimea.

On this front, Russian forces have branched out along two main axes, one northwest along the Pivdennyi Buh River, and another northeast along the coast and inland towards the Donbas region, which Russia declared independent shortly before the invasion.

If Russian columns from either southern front can link up with forces further north, they would cut off many Ukrainian troops from reinforcement—one of the two columns has already advanced roughly 160 miles.

Russian generals have often chosen to bypass towns and cities that are putting up stiff opposition and isolating them to deal with later.

At the moment, the artillery and rocket attacks there have been limited, perhaps to send a message to the citizens as a warning of what may come.

Putin appears to want to take Ukraine intact, but will not hesitate to increase the level of brutality if needed.

The systematic nature of the Russian assault is at odds with speculation that Putin has lost control of his senses.

Nobody knows for sure, but Putin's actions appear to be that of a cold and calculating adversary." DM

Pictures show charred remains of Russian convoy blown to pieces by Ukrainian resistance near Kyiv

"Ukrainian authorities have said more than 5,800 Russian soldiers have been killed in the last
week as the country mounts a fierce resistance against Putin's forces.

The general staff claimed Ukrainian soldiers had also destroyed 61 aircraft, over 200 tanks, 862 armored vehicles, 85 artillery systems, nine anti-aircraft systems, 60 fuel tanks and had seized 40 Russian rocket launchers via a Facebook post. These statistics could not be independently verified. 

Earlier today, pictures emerged from the streets of Ukraine showing the smouldering wrecks of Russian tanks destroyed amid brutal urban fighting as Putin's invasion of his neighbor continues." DM

 

Biden CANCELS test of Minuteman III nuclear missiles to 'demonstrate restraint' and avoid angering Putin after his apocalyptic threat: Air Force puts on a show of force in Japan to deter China

"The Pentagon announced Wednesday it will delay its test of intercontinental Minuteman III
ballistic missiles scheduled for this weekend in the midst of Russian President Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine so he does not 'misunderstand' the move. Defense Department Spokesperson John Kirby said the move is a show of 'restraint' after the Russian leader put his country's nuclear forces on high alert and continues his assault on Ukraine.

The delay of missile testing comes after the U.S. Air Force flexed its military muscles Tuesday at one of its airbases in Japan, showcasing a fleet of more than two dozen warplanes in an apparent effort to deter Chinese forces from invading the self-governing island of Taiwan.

The display of military might at Kadena Air Base, which officials called a 'routine wing readiness exercise,' comes two days after President Joe Biden dispatched several former senior defense staffers to the island nation in a show of support, as many wonder whether Russia's invasion of Ukraine could trigger a Chinese invasion of the country." DM

Ukrainian Member of Parliament Says Biden's SOTU Was a 'Total Disappointment'

"A member of Ukraine’s parliament called Joe Biden’s state of the union speech a “total
disappointment.”

Oleksandra Ustinova, appearing on NBC’s Today Show, expressed frustration that Biden and NATO weren’t doing enough to protect Ukrainian air space." PJM

China Told Russia To Delay Ukraine Invasion Until After Olympics

"Senior Chinese officials "told" senior Russian officials in early February not to invade
Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, according to the New York Times, citing senior Biden administration officials and a European official who spoke of a Western intelligence report on condition of anonymity." ZeroHedge

Finland Parliament Debates NATO Membership in Wake of Ukraine Invasion

"Finland’s parliament discussed the possibility of the country looking to join that NATO
alliance after a citizens’ initiative demanded a debate on the issue.

The Finnish parliament discussed the issue of NATO on Tuesday despite Social Democratic Party Prime Minister Sanna Marin stating Monday on Twitter that ” There will be no broader discussion on Finland’s line on the relationship to military alliance or non-alignment.” Breitbart

Captured Russian soldiers cry as they tell relatives ‘I was sent to my death’

"Captured Russian soldiers broke down in tears as they told their families they had been ‘sent
to their deaths’ in Ukraine. The prisoners of war were interviewed on camera by Ukrainian forces and said they had been used as cannon fodder in the war. It comes after Ukraine claimed it had killed 6,000 Russian troops durning the first six days of the invasion. Now footage is being shared online showing some of the captured invaders complaining about the war. One captive was filmed speaking to his mother over the phone, telling her: “They sent us to death, everyone killed everyone.” The soldier then broke down crying and told his mum ‘I love you too’. In another clip, a different Russian prisoner said: “We came for training. We were lied to and that’s why I am here.” Mirror

Ukrainian farmers capture £12million Russian missile system and set fire to it in field

"The farmers from Bashtanka took and burned the state-of-the-art missile system worth
millions after its Russian crew abandoned it in a field This is the moment a £12million Russian missile system burns in a field after reportedly being seized and set ablaze by Ukrainian farmers. The victorious villagers who captured the vehicle said the Russian soldiers fled like “rats” abandoning the anti-air battery. The video was filmed near the city of Bashtanka in the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv Oblast on March 1." NYP

Ahead of State of Union, Manchin blasts Biden for allowing Russian oil imports

"Sen. Joe Manchin, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee,
launched a fresh broadside Tuesday against President Biden just hours before the State of the Union, demanding his party's president end Russian oil imports and expand U.S. energy production.

"The United States is still importing more than half a million barrels per day of crude oil and other petroleum products from Russia, with imports up over 20% in 2021 over 2020," Manchin said in a statement that directly criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"It makes no sense at all for us to rely on energy from a country that is actively engaging in acts of war against a freedom seeking democracy – Ukraine – when we are blessed with abundant energy resources right here in America." JN

Nearly 1 Million Refugees Flee Ukraine As Russia Warns NATO 'Stay Out'

"Refugees have continued fleeing, mostly across borders leading West, with the UN's High
Commissioner for Refugees announcing that since last Thursday's (Feb.24) start of the invasion, it's counted 835,928 refugees who have fled. "More than half of them (453,982) fled via Poland. Another 116,348 went to Hungary, according to the UNHCR," CNN cites a new report as saying. 

Additionally the organization counted 96,000 refugees who fled into the Russian Federation from the breakaway republics Donetsk and Luhansk. This occurred between February 18 and 23rd - this makes almost one million total refugees who fled the war-torn chaos by the first week's close." ZH

Japan's embassy in Kyiv to temporarily close

 "Japan said Wednesday it will temporarily close its embassy in Kyiv as Russia's invasion of
Ukraine escalates, with many civilians desperately fleeing the country." JapanToday

Reluctant Russian troops are punching holes in their vehicle gas tanks to get out of fighting

"In some cases, entire Russian units have laid down their arms and surrendered without a fight
after encountering stiff resistance from Ukrainian troops, a senior Pentagon official said, according to the New York Times. The official indicated that a significant number of Russian troops are young recruits who have been poorly trained and were not prepared for the full-scale invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. There are even reports that some Russian soldiers have deliberately punched holes in their vehicles' gas tanks, in an attempt to avoid combat." Blaze

Biden lost ‘vital leverage’ over Putin by allowing Nord Stream pipeline to move forward: Kristi Noem

"We have lost our ability to counter Russian energy policy because we are significantly
weakened from an energy production standpoint,’ stated South Dakota’s Kristi Noem.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, whose state sustained immense financial damages when Biden killed the Keystone XL pipeline project that would have crossed its rolling plains, said that was one of two catastrophic moves by Biden that gave Putin the tools to invade Ukraine.

Biden’s twin pipeline decision failures created the pathway for Putin’s deadly attacks.

“When it comes to both foreign policy and his liberal energy agenda, President Joe Biden has embarrassed our nation. I can sum up President Biden’s incompetence in these areas with one simple story: a tale of two pipelines,” she wrote.

On one hand, Biden blocked the crucial Keystone XL Pipeline, signaling to the world that American energy independence is no longer a priority. On the other hand, he green-lit the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, strengthening Russia’s energy hold on Europe. And in the process, he gave Russia the leverage to create the crisis that we are witnessing unfold in Ukraine.

Biden did perform a flip-flop on Nord Stream 2, moving to restore sanctions in recent days even as the Russia military took aim at Ukrainian targets." Lifesite

Ukraine foils assassination attempt on Zelensky by Chechen special unit

"Kyiv claimed it received intelligence from FSB agents who "have no desire to take part in
this bloody war."

A unit of Chechen special forces sent on a mission to assassinate Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was "eliminated," head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov announced Tuesday on Ukrainian parliament's official television station Rada TV.

Ukraine received intelligence on the assassination attempt from agents of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), he said." JP

 

Russian airborne troops land in Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv, Kherson surrounded

"Russian airborne troops landed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Wednesday and
claimed to have surrounded the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson as the war entered its seventh day." France24

Lukashenko accidentally revealed MOLDOVA will be invaded next?

"Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko appears to have indicated Vladimir Putin’s
forces have plans to invade Moldova.

Putin’s war-mongering sidekick addressed security officials today while standing in front of a battle map that seems to show a planned operation from southern Ukraine into its tiny neighbor.  

The map also showed proposed battle plans for Russian troops across the country.

It detailed Russian lines of attack heading into Ukraine, some of which have materialised in the first few days of the invasion – such as forces storming towards Kyiv from the north, and towards Kherson from Crimea.

But they also showed off several attacks that have yet to come to pass – with one even appearing to point from the port city of Odessa into Moldova, suggesting Russia plans to march troops into Ukraine’s neighbor." DM

Russia Says Heightened Nuclear Alert Was Entirely The Fault Of UK's Foreign Secretary

"According to BBC, the Kremlin later explained its change in nuclear forces posture was due
to comments made by UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss:

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "unacceptable" remarks were made about possible "clashes" between Nato and Moscow over Russia's attack on Ukraine.

It is unclear precisely which comments by Ms Truss Russia objects to.

On Sunday, she said if Russia was not stopped, other states may be threatened and it could end in conflict with Nato.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office source told the BBC: "I don't think anything Liz has said warrants that sort of rhetoric or escalation."

Peskov said Monday: "Statements were made by various representatives at various levels on possible altercations or even collisions and clashes between Nato and Russia." ZH

State of the Union: Biden Refers to Ukrainians as ‘Iranians’

"U.S. President Joe Biden incorrectly referred to Ukrainians as “Iranians” during his State of
the Union address broadcast live on Tuesday night.

“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin may circle Kyiv with tanks but he’ll never gain the hearts and souls of the Iranian people,” Biden said live on the evening of March 1 at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C." NW