The Russian military has suffered casualties, and some soldiers have ended up captured by the opposing forces during the ongoing military operation in Ukraine, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov acknowledged on Sunday during a press briefing, as he provided a daily update on the conflict.

"Since the launch of the operation, [Russian military] has destroyed 254 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 31 aircraft on the ground, 46 multiple launch rocket systems, 103 pieces of artillery and mortars, 164 pieces of special military vehicles," Konashenkov stated.

In the weeks leading up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, those warning of the possible dangers of U.S. involvement were assured that such concerns were baseless. The prevailing line insisted that nobody in Washington is even considering let alone advocating that the U.S. become militarily involved in a conflict with Russia. That the concern was based not on the belief that the U.S. would actively seek such a war, but rather on the oft-unintended consequences of being swamped with war propaganda and the high levels of tribalism, jingoism and emotionalism that accompany it, was ignored. It did not matter how many wars one could point to in history that began unintentionally, with unchecked, dangerous tensions spiraling out of control. Anyone warning of this obviously dangerous possibility was met with the "straw man" cliché: you are arguing against a position that literally nobody in D.C. is defending.

Less than a week into this war, that can no longer be said. One of the media's most beloved members of Congress, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), on Friday explicitly and emphatically urged that the U.S. military be deployed to Ukraine to establish a "no-fly zone" — i.e., American soldiers would order Russia not to enter Ukrainian airspace and would directly attack any Russian jets or other military units which disobeyed. That would, by definition and design, immediately ensure that the two countries with by far the planet's largest nuclear stockpiles would be fighting one another, all over Ukraine.

This article was written more than 6 years ago, documenting the existence of a Neo-Nazi agenda in Ukraine which both our governments and the media categorically deny.

Ironically, Ukraine's MSM, namely the Kiev Post has documented the Neo-Nazi Summer training Camp of young children.

We are at a dangerous crossroads. What is happening in Ukraine has serious geopolitical implications. It could lead us into a World War III Scenario. The use of nuclear weapons are contemplated.

It is important that a peace process be initiated with a view to preventing escalation.

Global Research does not support Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A bilateral Peace Agreement is required.

Michel Chossudovsky, February 27, 2022

Unknown to most Americans, the US government is channeling financial support, weapons and training to a Neo-Nazi entity -which is part of The Ukraine National Guard- The Azov Battalion (Батальйон Азов). Canada and Britain have confirmed that they also are providing support to the National Guard.

The Azov Battalion - which "officially" displays the Nazi SS emblem- (below left) is described by the Kiev regime as "a volunteer battalion of territorial defense". It's a National Guard battalion under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the equivalent of America's Homeland Security.

Officially based in Berdyank on the Sea of Azov, the Azov battalion was formed by the regime to fight the opposition insurgency in the Donbass region. (Eastern and Southern Ukraine).

"No matter who tries to stand in our way... they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.... I hope that my words will be heard." Vladimir Putin issues warning to any country that tries to stop Russia's "Special Operation" in Ukraine​.

In a move that can only be regarded as a major escalation, NATO officials announced on Friday that they would deploy troops from its Combat-Ready Response Force to support the Ukrainian regime in its war with Russia. The Alliance will also send additional weapons which will be used to blunt the Russian offensive that has already seized large parts of the country and obliterated most of Ukraine's defensive capability. It is impossible to overstate the gravity of NATO's action which assigns such importance to preserving its 'junta regime' in Kiev that they would willingly pit NATO against a nuclear-armed Russia in what could become a much broader regional war. Clearly, the strategic objectives of this murky conflict go far beyond the mere control of an ethnically-divided, failed state situated between Europe and Asia. Ukraine is no longer just a geopolitical trophy for western elites, but a last-gasp effort for Washington to prove it still controls the levers of global power. Here's the story from Reuters:

"NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday the alliance was deploying parts of its combat-ready response force and would continue to send weapons to Ukraine, including air defences, while saying that Russia was trying to topple the Ukrainian government.

"We see rhetoric, the messages, which is strongly indicating that the aim is to remove the democratically elected government in Kyiv," he told a news conference following a virtual meeting of NATO leaders. "NATO allies to provide more weapons to Ukraine, Stoltenberg says," - Reuters

Stoltenberg's decision gives Russian president Vladimir Putin no choice but to locate and destroy whatever weapons or troops enter the country that could be used to kill or injure Russian servicemen. Naturally, the killing of NATO personnel could be used to further escalate the conflict plunging the region into a much wider and more violent conflagration.

In the latest major escalation, late on Saturday European nations together with the US have issued a joint statement in which they announce the following restrictive economic measures things:

1. Commit to ensuring that "selected Russian banks" are removed from the SWIFT messaging system: "This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally."
2. Commit to imposing "restrictive measures that will prevent the Russian Central Bank from deploying its international reserves in ways that undermine the impact of our sanctions."
3. Commit to "acting against the people and entities who facilitate the war in Ukraine" by taking measures to limit the sale of citizenship, so called golden passports, that let wealthy Russians connected to the Russian government become citizens.
4. Commit to launching "a transatlantic task force that will ensure the effective implementation of our financial sanctions by identifying and freezing the assets of sanctioned individuals and companies that exist within our jurisdictions."
5. Stepping up or coordination against disinformation and other forms of hybrid warfare.

With the price of oil pushing above $100 per barrel, the U.S. stock market opening with heavy losses, more global economic challenges looming, the real potential for significant loss of life, and the international community in complete disarray with feeble attempts to condemn what was totally avoidable, we face the onset of another very grave and historic period of tension between competing ideologies and worse, the onset of WWIII.

This "invasion" was totally avoidable.

As one friend told me, President Joe Biden and his failed foreign policy team set the table and sent the invitation and Russian President Vladimir Putin came and spoiled the dinner party.

Clearly, there are fault lines on both sides, but for now, we must pray that those affected, without the ability to decide their fate, are able to survive this extraordinary period of world history unfolding (for many, unraveling) on the world stage. Civilians and military forces will be killed, wounded and displaced; those are the real consequences of war.

Pray that this conventional war is limited in scope, purpose and intent.

What I am about to say should be self-evident to anyone following closely the move of Russian forces into Ukraine and having a recollection of what the same Russian general command did in Crimea and then did again in their Syrian campaign. Regrettably, Western audiences do not find these observations on CNN, the BBC, The Financial Times and The New York Times, not to mention on the still less reputable television channels and print media that provide 99% of the (mis)information which the public receives daily on the Ukrainian conflict and on much else. Their producers and editorial boards, their journalist staff all are looking at one another or just contemplating their belly buttons. They have for some years now been living in a virtual world and paying little heed to the real world. I can only be surprised that an astute observer of commercial opportunities like Zuckerberg took so long to launch Meta.

I have three points to make today about how the Russians are conducting their military campaign in Ukraine.

The first point is a generalization from the remarks I made yesterday about their humane treatment of the enemy's servicemen. This approach to the military tasks results from awareness that the military is a handmaiden to diplomacy and to politics, not vice versa, as has been the case in each of the major wars that the United States fought and ultimately lost in the past thirty years. That is why the Russians are not practicing "shock and awe," which is the American way of war.

The World Economic Forum, the exclusive talk shop that meets yearly in Davos, is at it again, this time looking to drive a wedge between the races. This begs the question: Why are capitalists so gung-ho about 'Marxist' ideology?

Once upon a time, in some mythical 'golden age', the only thing common folk had to fear whenever the robber barons met for a weekend of cocktails at some remote resort was that a further deterioration of living standards would quickly ensue. Those happily predictable days are over.

Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum (WEF) - the same movers and shakers who informed the planet that by the year 2030 we'll "own nothing and be happy" - are now singing the praises of 'Critical Race Theory' (CRT), a controversial concept that lays blame for global inequalities squarely at the feet of white people.

Betraying a glaring lack of neutrality and objectivity, the short WEF explainer video tilts heavily in favor of the CRT crusaders. For example, when arguing that people of color face racial inequality due to their "historical subordination," the only evidence given for that sweeping generalization is that "black Americans are imprisoned at five times the rate of white people."

China has announced it is fully open to Russian wheat imports, in the latest sign of their strengthening bilateral ties as the Ukraine crisis is unfolding before a global audience and in the wake of fresh sanctions being imposed on Moscow.

The announcement by China's General Administration of Customs was made public on Thursday, hours after Russian troops launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine. However, the agreement was part of a package of deals made during Russian PresidentVladimir Putin's visit to Beijing early this month.

China had previously restricted imports of Russian grain due to phytosanitary concerns - measures for the control of plant diseases, especially in agricultural crops - and China's latest customs statement also said Russia would take all measures to mitigate infestation risks.

China began allowing large-scale wheat imports from Russia's far east region in October, with China's largest agribusiness firm, the state-owned Cofco, buying the first batch of 667 metric tonnes (1.47 million pounds).

European Commission president announces bloc-wide ban on Russian media outlets

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Sunday that the EU will ban the Russian media outlets RT and Sputnik accusing them of spreading "harmful disinformation." She did not specify whether this ban will apply solely to television broadcasts, or whether RT and Sputnik's websites will be affected.

In what she called an "unprecedented" step, von der Leyen announced that "we will ban in the European Union the Kremlin's media machine."