"Back in late 2022, when "Western democracies" bombastically unveiled theatrical sanctions against Putin, capping the price at which imports of Russian oil were permitted to no higherthan $60, we said that this was one of the biggest farces in modern history, not only because it was an optical play that was made entirely for public consumption (as nobody in the west actually wanted to curtail Russian oil exports as the outcome would be a devastating surge of inflation as Biden now realizes), but also because there was no enforcement mechanism to cap the price at $60 and no more.
We were right, again, and today Bloomberg reports that "Russian oil is trading far in excess of a Group of Seven price cap that’s supposed to deprive Moscow of revenue for its war in Ukraine, suggesting significant non-compliance with the measure", which anyone with half a working brain would have expected to happen, which of course excludes virtually all "democratic" bureaucrats who implemented this idiotic sanction (which only ended up making the Vitol oil traders billionaires). Russian flagship Urals grade oil is now selling for $75 a barrel at the point it leaves ports in the Baltic Sea and Black Sea. A Treasury official told Bloomberg that US officials are tracking the price increase, which they attribute to broader geopolitical dynamics, as the alternative - admitting they are idiots, would be a bit too introspective." ZeroHedge
"Russia’s missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy system, the bombardment of its second-largest city and advances along the front are stoking worries that Kyiv’s military effort is nearing breaking point.
A dire shortage of ammunition and manpower along the 930 mile front and gaps in air defense show that Ukraine is at its most fragile moment in over two years of war, according to Western officials with knowledge of the situation. Zelenskiy called the military’s lack of air defense “the biggest challenge” in the hours after the attack.
Russian forces have also unleashed their firepower all along the frontline and made marginal gains since capturing the eastern city of Avdiivka in February. Kremlin troops are seeking to close in strategically key spots, such as the town of Chasiv Yar, west of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
After months of stalling, Zelenskiy and Ukrainian lawmakers have expedited contested legislation to bolster the ranks of fighting forces, approving a lower conscription age and tightened rules for the draft." MS
"Russian forces have unleashed a wave of powerful high-precision strikes on Ukrainian energy and oil facilities across the country....the overnight large-scale attack had involved long-range air- and sea-based weapons, as well as drones. Ukrenergo, the national power grid operator, said the barrage had damaged energy facilities in Odessa, Kharkov, Zaporozhye, Lviv, and Kiev regions. It added that Kharkov Region, which borders Russia, had been affected by an emergency shutdown." RT
"Fifty-five combat engagements occurred on the battlefield in Ukraine in the past 24 hours, with enemy forces launching most attacks in the Bakhmut sector.
Russian air strikes targeted Derhachi, Lyptsi, Vovchansk, Kurylivka and Kruhliakivka in the Kharkiv region, Bilohorivka and Serebrianske Forestry in the Luhansk region, Spirne, Verkhniokamianske, Ivanivka, Oleksandropil, Semenivka, Novokalynove, Berdychi, Netailove, Krasnohorivka, Kostiantynivka, Vuhledar, Urozhaine and Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region, as well as Mala Tokmachka and Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region.
More than 120 settlements in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions came under artillery fire.
The operational situation in the Volyn and Polissia sectors remains largely unchanged.
In the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna sectors, the enemy maintains his military presence in the border areas, conducting subversive activities to prevent the deployment of Ukrainian troops to dangerous sectors and increasing the density of minefields along the state border.
The enemy did not conduct offensive (assault) operations in the Kupiansk sector.
In the Lyman sector, Ukrainian soldiers repelled three enemy attacks outside Terny in the Donetsk region, where the enemy tried to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops.
In the Bakhmut sector, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 23 attacks near Bilohorivka, Luhansk region, Vyimka, Rozdolivka, Chasiv Yar and Klishchiivka in the Donetsk region.
In the Avdiivka sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled six attacks near Keramik, Berdychi, Umanske, Netailove and Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region.
On the Novopavlivka axis, Ukraine's defense forces continued to hold off the enemy near Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka and Novomykhailivka, where the enemy, supported by aircraft, made 16 attempts to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops.
In the Orikhiv sector, the enemy once attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders near Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region.
In the Kherson sector, the enemy did not abandon his intention to dislodge Ukrainian units from the bridgeheads on the east (left) bank of the Dnipro. In the past day, the enemy launched six unsuccessful attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops.
At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continued to inflict losses on the occupation forces and their equipment, wearing down the enemy along the entire front line.
In the past day, Ukrainian aircraft struck an enemy manpower and equipment cluster, an anti-aircraft missile system, an artillery piece and an EW station." Ukrin
"Russian air defense systems destroyed 12 Ukrainian drones overnight over the Kursk, Tambov, Belgorod, Bryansk, Lipetsk regions and Mordovia, the Defense Ministry said in a statement." Sputnik
"The U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS) is currently testing a Ukrainian language and culture course, which concludes on April 29. The course is one of 14 languages offered by the Language, Regional Education, and Culture Program (LREC), the final phase of the Army’s Special Forces training pipeline." MS
"Cmdr. Cameron Yaste, the Commanding Officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missiledestroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), was recently photographed shooting a 5.56×45mm M4 carbine with the optics installed backward.
The now-deleted image and press release on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service website featured Yaste shooting the M4 with the Trijicon VCOG scope installed backward while pointed at a giant target balloon.
Netizens mocked the Navy commander, and that's probably why the service deleted the image and text." ZeroHedge
"A Biden family-linked Ukrainian business has been named in a criminal probe into the financing of terrorism, Russia’s Investigative Committee announced on Tuesday. The industrial conglomerate Burisma Holdings, which employed Hunter Biden as a highly paid director in the 2010s, is included among several entities listed by investigators.The focus on the company stems from a complaint filed by a group of Russian MPs and public figures in the aftermath of the deadly Crocus City Hall attack outside Moscow last month. The original petition claims that the US and its allies have allegedly organized a string of attacks on Russian soil.
So far, investigators have “established that the funds, flowing through commercial organizations, including the oil and gas conglomerate Burisma Holdings, operating in Ukraine, have been used in recent years to carry out terrorist attacks in Russia,” committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said. Terrorist activities have also taken place in third countries, aimed at the “elimination of prominent political and public figures, as well as causing economic damage,” she added.
Biden’s father Joe was President Barack Obama’s vice president at the time and oversaw Washington’s Ukraine policy. He once famously bragged about getting a corruption prosecutor fired – which just happened to occur after the official began investigating Burisma.
The company also offered protection payments to the government in Kiev, according to former Ukrainian MP Andrey Derkach. Its co-founder Nikolay Zlochevsky paid some “800 million hryvnias [over $21 million] for terrorism financing” in “various jurisdictions,” Derkach claimed in January." RT
"Lebanese and Israeli sources are reporting that Hamas is open to releasing hostages as part of deal that would see IDF troops gradually retreat from the Gaza Strip, instead of its prior demand of full troop withdrawal as a precondition to letting the hostages go free. But any potential forward progress has been stymied by a significant complication revealed by Hamas to negotiators. The group is unable to identify and locate some 40 Israeli hostages which would be needed to complete the first phase of the ceasefire deal." ZH
"An Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip killed three sons and several grandchildren of Ismail Haniyeh, the chairman of the political office of Hamas. "The deaths of my sons will not affect the movement's demands for a ceasefire," Haniyeh said, as quoted by Sky News Arabia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he was still determined to enter Rafah as there was no other way to defeat the remaining Hamas forces, adding that he would do that with or without US support." Sputnik
"Maxar company has released satellite images showing the flooding in Russia's Orenburg Oblast. The Kremlin believes that the flood forecast is unfavorable and that the water level will continue to rise." Pravda
"The Russian army has launched 11 missile strikes, 108 air strikes and 149 MLRS attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements in the past 24 hours.
In the past day, Ukrainian aircraft struck 15 enemy manpower and equipment clusters and two anti-aircraft missile systems.In the past day, enemy air strikes hit Kharkiv, Potykhonove, Chaikivka, Hlyboke, Ivanivka and Borova in the Kharkiv region; Novoselivske and Tverdokhlibove in the Luhansk region; Yampolivka, Torske, Verkhniokamianske, Chasiv Yar, Spirne, Kostiantynivka, Bila Hora, Druzhba, Kalynove, Semenivka, Novobakhmutivka, Berdychi, Netailove, Yasnobrodivka, Karlivka, Krasnohorivka, Novomykhailivka, Vodiane, Yelyzavetivka, Antonivka, Kostiantynivka, Urozhaine and Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region; Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region; and Beryslav in the Kherson region.
More than 110 settlements in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions were under artillery fire.
In the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna sectors, the enemy maintains his military presence in the border areas, conducting subversive activities to prevent the deployment of Ukrainian troops to dangerous sectors and increasing the density of minefields along the state border.
In the Kupiansk sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled three enemy attacks near Kyslivka and Ivanivka in the Kharkiv region and Andriivka in the Luhansk region.
In the Lyman sector, Ukrainian soldiers repelled three enemy attacks outside Terny in the Donetsk region, where the enemy tried to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops.
In the Bakhmut sector, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 29 attacks near Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region and Verkhniokamianske, Vyimka, Rozdolivka, Chasiv Yar, Novyi, Klishchiivka and Andriivka in the Donetsk region.
In the Avdiivka sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled 14 attacks near Novokalynove, Berdychi and Umanske in the Donetsk region.
In the Novopavlivka sector, Ukraine's defense forces continued to hold off the enemy near the settlements of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka, Vodiane and Urozhaine, where the enemy tried to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops 28 times.
In the Orikhiv sector, the enemy launched five attacks on the positions of Ukrainian defenders near Staromaiorske, Donetsk region, and Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region.
In the Kherson sector, the enemy did not abandon his intention to dislodge Ukrainian units from the bridgeheads on the east (left) bank of the Dnipro. In the past day, the enemy launched an unsuccessful attack on the positions of Ukrainian troops.
At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continued to inflict losses on the occupation forces and their equipment, wearing down the enemy along the entire front line." Ukrin
"The invaders engaged a local woman to work for Russian intelligence. She was tasked with identifying and marking on Google Maps the geolocations of minefields, long-term defense points, and as systems of trenches and dugouts. She was monitoring the railway tracks used by the Ukrainian military, especially those to transport heavy armored vehicles and artillery. The Russians planned to carry out cruise missile and anti-aircraft missile attacks using the coordinates she provided. The goal was to weaken Kharkiv’s defenses and destroy railway routes for transporting personnel, weapons, and ammunition to Ukrainian soldiers at the front. The evidence collected was enough for SBU investigators to charge the woman with disseminating critical information during martial law under Article 114-2, Part 2 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code.
She faces up to 8 years in prison." VU
"Two drones attacked the Borisoglebsk Aviation Training Center in Russia's Voronezh Oblast. Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence say this was an operation undertaken by Ukrainian defense intelligence." Pravada
"Over the past day, 56 combat engagements took place at the frontline..... air strikes hit Bilopillya, the city of Sumy (Sumy region), Petropavlivka, Nesterne, Lyptsi, Ternova, Malyi Burluk (Kharkiv region), Stelmakhivka, Makiivka, Serebryanske forestry (Luhansk region), Terny, Verkhnokamyanske, Ivanivske, Rozdolivka, Kostyantynivka, Velyka Novosilka, Novobakhmutivka, Novoselivka Persha, Ocheretyne, Netailove, Semenivka, Memryk, Novokalynove, Krasnohorivka, Berdychi, Umanske, Yasnobrodivka, Oleksandropil, Vodyane, Urozhaine, Paraskoviivka, Staromaiorske (Donetsk oblast), Robotyne, and Mala Tokmachka (Zaporizhzhia region).
Around 120x settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions came under artillery fire.
Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes.
Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: the adversary maintains its military presence in the areas of russia bordering Ukraine. The enemy troops conduct subversive activities in order to prevent the deployment of Ukrainian troops to threatened axes. The adversary increases the density of minefields along the state border. Kupyansk axis: the enemy did not conduct any offensive (assault) operations.
Lyman axis: the Ukrainian troops repelled 1x attack of the adversary in the vicinity of Terny (Donetsk region). With the air support, the enemy attempted to breach Ukrainian defense in that area.
Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian troops repelled 14x attacks in the vicinities of Bilohorivka (Luhansk region), Verkhnokamyanske, Spirne, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, and Stupochky (Donetsk region).
Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 6x attacks in the vicinities of Berdychi, Umanske, and Nevelske (Donetsk region). With the air support, the invaders attempted to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions.
Novopavlivka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the vicinities of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, and Novomykhailivka. With the air support, the invaders made 26x attempts to breach Ukrainian defense in that area.
Orikhiv axis: the enemy launched 2x attacks on the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinities of Staromaiors’ke (Donetsk region) and northwest of Verbove (Zaporizhzhia region).
Kherson axis: the enemy does not abandon its intention to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnipro River. For instance, on April 8, the invaders launched 6x unsuccessful attacks on the positions of the Ukrainian troops.
At the same time, the Ukrainian soldiers continue to actively inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupation troops, and exhausting the enemy all along the line of contact." Ukrin
.png)
