Puppet MastersS


Attention

Ukraine threatens 'terrorist' attack on Crimean Bridge

Bridge
© AFP/Alexey NikolskyCrimean Bridge
Ukrainian official said if Kiev had the chance, it would have struck the Crimean Bridge long ago and would still do so, if the possibility arises

Russia has responded to recent threats by Ukraine's armed forces about a potential strike on the Crimean Bridge, which connects the peninsula to the rest of the country. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday:
"Such statements are nothing less than the announcement of a possible terrorist act. This is unacceptable. There are many signs here of deeds that are subject to legal verification and subsequent punishment."
It comes comes after Alexey Danilov, the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, stated on Wednesday that if Kiev had the chance, it would have struck the Crimean Bridge long ago, and that its armed forces would do it now if possible.

No Entry

Russia closes consulates of three Baltic states, expels staff members

Consolate closes
© file photoClosures of consulates and staff expulsions in three countries
Russia says it has shut down consulates of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia in different parts of the country and requested that their staff members leave in retaliation for recent diplomatic moves against Moscow by the three Baltic nations.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on April 21 that it has told Riga that the Latvian consulates in St. Petersburg and Pskov must be closed, while Tallinn was informed that the Estonian Consulate in St. Petersburg and its office in Pskov will be shut. Vilnius has been notified that the Lithuanian consulate in St. Petersburg is also to be shuttered, the statement said.

The announcement comes days after Latvia and Estonia each ordered the closure of two Russian consulates over Russia's ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, while Lithuania expelled Russia's ambassador over Moscow's aggression against Kyiv.

In March, Moscow expelled 10 diplomats from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia after the three Baltic nations joined other EU members in a move to expel Russian diplomats over the invasion of Ukraine. Earlier on April 21, Estonia joined Latvia and Lithuania in banning the display of the symbols "Z" and "V," which are used by supporters of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Lawmakers in Estonia and Latvia also adopted resolutions on April 21, accusing Russia of genocide against the Ukrainian people.

Brick Wall

Pepe Escobar on Big Tech's 'cancel culture' love affair

pepe escobar banned twitter
© Sharmine Narwani /Twitter
Cancel culture is inbuilt in the techno-feudalist project: conform to the hegemonic narrative, or else. Journalism that does not conform must be taken down.

This month, several of us - Scott Ritter, myself, ASB Military News, among others - were canceled from Twitter. The - unstated - reason: we were debunking the officially approved narrative of the Russia/NATO/Ukraine war.

As with all things Big Tech, that was predictable. I lasted only seven months on Twitter. And that was long enough. Contacts in California had told me I was on their radar because the account grew too fast, and had enormous reach, especially after the start of Operation Z.

I celebrated the cancelation by experiencing an aesthetic illumination in front of the Aegean Sea, at the home of Herodotus, the Father of History. Additionally, it was heart-warming to be recognized by the great George Galloway in his moving tribute to targets of the new McCarthyism.

Arrow Down

'Operation Thermostat': Energy rationing & the pivot from Ukraine to climate?

Power Plant
© Off-Guardian
Italy is officially becoming the first country to start rationing energy after cutting their supply of Russian gas and oil.

From next month, until at least March 2023, public buildings across the nation will be banned from running air conditioning at lower than 25 degrees, or heating higher than 19 degrees.

The plan, termed "Operation Thermostat" in the press, is being sold as a way for ordinary people to show "solidarity" with the people of Ukraine, with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi saying:
Do we want to have peace or do we want to have the air conditioning on?"
I'm not exactly sure how adjusting your thermostat is going to achieve 'peace', but hey we're living in the age of sentimental manipulation over reason, so - just believe.

For example, the Guardian is illustrating the story with pro-peace artwork allegedly done by Italian schoolchildren (in English, for some reason).

There's no talk yet of this kind of energy-rationing rule extending to private businesses or homes, but a marker has been set down. Expect other nations to follow suit.

After that of course will come the opinion pieces asking questions like "we rationed gas to fight Putin, why not climate change?", and headlines saying that "Europe-wide gas rationing was good for the planet" or something similar.

...Oh wait, it's already happening.

Compass

Russia makes another offer to besieged Ukrainian forces

Azovstal Steel Plant
© AP / Planet LabsA satellite photo of the destroyed Azovstal Steel Plant in Mariupol
Ukrainian troops and members of the Neo-Nazi Azov battalion, who remain at the surrounded Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, can still surrender to the Russian military, the Defense Ministry explained on Friday.

A day earlier, Moscow announced the capture of Mariupol, with President Vladimir Putin calling off the assault on Azovstal, which remains the last holdout of the Ukrainian forces in the strategic port city. Russian troops should "seal the area so that a fly cannot get through," he instead ordered.

In its fresh statement, the Defense Ministry pointed out that the offer to surrender for those inside the facility remained in place. "At any given moment, Russia is ready to introduce a ceasefire and announce a humanitarian pause in order to stage the evacuation of civilians (if they're really in the underground structures of the steel plant) and troops of the Ukrainian armed forces and nationalist battalions."

The commander of the Ukrainian marines, holed up at the plant, had earlier claimed that "hundreds" of civilians were trapped at the premises. He didn't explain why the people would voluntarily decide to hide out together with Ukrainian troops, who are under attack by Russian forces.

Comment: See also: Recent reporting from Mariupol, close to Azovstal:



This is the latest Russian MoD statement on Mariupol:
The situation in Mariupol has normalized. Residents of the city have been able to move freely through the streets without hiding from Ukrainian Nazi shelling. Humanitarian aid is being delivered: food, water and basic necessities. The authorities of the Donetsk People's Republic are organizing the clearing of streets from rubble and the removal of damaged Ukrainian military equipment.

All the remnants of the Ukrainian Azov Nazis, together with foreign mercenaries from the USA and European countries, are securely blocked on the territory of the Azovstal plant. Our demands to release women and children allegedly staying with them for free departure in any direction are ignored by the Nazis. The order of exit of civilians, if they are indeed there, from the territory of Azovstal for further evacuation is reported to the Nazis on an hourly basis. This information is also communicated to representatives of the Kiev regime through Deputy Prime Minister Vereshchuk.

The retention by the Azov Nazis and foreign mercenaries of civilian hostages, if there are any, proves that they are not "defenders" but utter terrorists.

In connection to this, the US State Department speaker's attempts to lie about the Nazi rabble's alleged retention of control over Mariupol are fake and direct aiding and abetting terrorists at the highest level of government. The State Department is habitually misinforming its own citizens and everyone else. Ukraine itself, its inhabitants in Mariupol and other cities, are of interest to Washington only in the profits from arms supplies and the fight against Russia at least "to the last Ukrainian", as Washington and all its satellites repeat with the help of the State Department.



Bulb

Johnson calls Russian takeover of Ukraine a 'realistic possibility'

Boris Johnson
© Justin Tallis / APPrime Minister of Great Britain, Boris Johnson.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson conceded a Russian takeover of Ukraine is a "realistic possibility" but added that the situation is "unpredictable."

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Johnson was asked if he accepted an assessment by Western intelligence officials that Russians winning the war in Ukraine was a possible scenario.

"I mean, look, I think the sad thing is that that is a realistic possibility, yeah, of course. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has a huge army. He has a very difficult political position because he's made a catastrophic blunder," Johnson replied.


Comment: This was obvious from prior to February, and every day since.


"He has — the only option he now has really is to continue to try to use his appalling, grinding approach driven — led by artillery, trying to grind the Ukrainians down, and he's very close to securing a land bridge in Mariupol now," he continued. "The situation is, I'm afraid, unpredictable at this stage."


Comment: He means predictable.


But Johnson claimed that such efforts by Russian forces would not quell the resistance of Ukrainians, who have already endured close to two months of fighting in their country.

Bizarro Earth

Best of the Web: US biolabs accused of creating migratory birds of mass destruction

The black-browed albatross is pictured at RSPB Bempton.
The black-browed albatross is pictured at RSPB Bempton.
The UN Security Council held an extraordinary event on April 6 under the rubric Arria Formula Meeting on Biological Security regarding the biological activities in countries including Ukraine. Predictably, the US and UK representatives didn't show up at the event and the western media also blacked out the proceedings. But that does not detract from the profound significance of what transpired.

The highlight of the Security Council proceedings lasting over two hours was the disclosure by General Igor Kirillov, chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defence Forces of the Russian Armed Forces, that Washington is creating biological laboratories in different countries and connecting them to a unified system.

He said the US has spent more than $5 billion on military biological programmes since 2005 and detailed that in territories bordering Russia and China alone, about 60 facilities have been modernised during this period. The Ukrainian network of laboratories is designed to conduct research and monitor the biological situation consisting of 30 facilities in 14 populated locations.

Comment: The Russians are not accustomed to making claims without being able to back them up.


Recycle

Russia captures Mariupol, Ukraine rejects offer of humanitarian corridor, yet another chance to surrender offered to 2,000 militants in last hold out

Bread distribution
© Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty ImagesFILE PHOTO: Russian soldiers and volunteers distribute bread in Mariupol • April 12, 2022
Russian forces have fully captured the key Donbass Black Sea port-city of Mariupol, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. However, more than 2,000 militants, loyal to Kiev, still remain entrenched at the Azovstal steel plant in the city, he added.

Putin dubbed Shoigu's plan of storming the area "inadvisable" and instead ordered him to "safely block" the area while extending to those inside another offer to lay down their arms. The last hold outs are cut off from supplies.

When Mariupol was encircled in early March, some 8,100 Ukrainian soldiers, foreign mercenaries, and nationalist militants - including members of the notorious Neo-Nazi Azov Battalion - remained inside, according to the minister's estimates.

Comment: RFE/RL reports on the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's comments about the situation in Mariupol:
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has called for the urgent evacuation of hundreds of civilians trapped at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol by Russian forces.

"The situation on Azovstal is desperate. Hundreds of civilians, children, injured Ukrainian defenders are trapped in plantʼs shelters. They have almost no food, water, essential medicine," the ministry said in a tweet on April 21.
Azovstal
Smoke rises above the Azovstal iron and steel works in Mariupol.
"Azovstal is being constantly bombarded by Russia, despite large number of civilians sheltering there. Ukrainians don't trust Russian troops, are afraid of being deported, killed. An urgent humanitarian corridor is needed from the Azovstal plant with guarantees people will be safe," it added.


As you'll see below, Ukraine's military have rejected the offer of a humanitarian corridor, twice, they want to leave with their weapons via an unnamed 'third party'.


The plea for the safe passage of civilians and wounded came after Moscow claimed it had full control of the port city, except at the sprawling iron and steel plant.

Russian troops were planning on storming the facility, but President Vladimir Putin called the operation off on April 21, saying it would cause too many Russian casualties and that instead, forces should seal off Azovstal so tightly that "even a fly can't get out."
Evidently any civilians that remain trapped is likely due to the Ukrainian military preventing them from leaving, because, as even propaganda outlet RFE/RL admits, Russia is doing its utmost to evacuate civilians so that it can finish the job.

RT reports:
Putin calls off assault on Ukraine's last Mariupol hold out

"We always need to think about preserving the lives and health of our soldiers and officers," Putin told the defense chief, adding that, in this particular case, they should not be sent to assault the steel plant.

"One should not get into those catacombs and crawl there underground, in these industrial facilities," the president said. Built back in Soviet times, the Azovstal steel plant has a vast network of well-fortified underground tunnels built to withstand heavy bombardments. An aide to the government of the Donetsk People's Republic, Yan Gagin, had once described these tunnels as an underground city.

Retreating Ukrainian forces, including the notorious Neo-Nazi Azov regiment, have entrenched themselves in these tunnels and have since used them as their last line of defense. On Thursday, Shoigu told Putin that Russian forces and the Donbass republics' militias have fully seized the city of Mariupol, except for the Azovstal plant complex.

Shoigu has also said that a military operation at the plant could be finished in three to four days, apparently planning to storm the facility.

The president has also offered those entrenched at the plant another chance to surrender. "Offer anyone, who has not laid down their arms yet, to do that," he has told Shoigu, adding that Russia "guarantees them their lives as well as decent treatment under all international norms." Those injured will also get "qualified medical treatment," the president added.


Meanwhile those captured by Ukraine are suffering beatings, torture; and some of those that have been murdered have then been used in their false flag operations.


Russia has twice sought to organize humanitarian corridors for those willing to exit the Azovstal plant over the past few days, but both attempts failed. Instead, the Azov militants and the Ukrainian forces demanded they be allowed to leave through the assistance of an unnamed "third party" while also keeping their personal weapons. Kiev has also blamed Moscow for the fact that attempts to create humanitarian corridors had failed.
RT reports that Zelensky has said that they're still 'hoping for a victory at Mariupol'... they just needs foreign help to resuce the encircled neo-Nazis:
"There is a military way" to unblock Mariupol, Zelensky told local media during a press conference with the prime ministers of Spain and Denmark in Kiev.

"We need to prepare for it. We are preparing to be strong, but here we need the help of our partners. It's difficult, by ourselves," he added.

Some 8,100 Ukrainian troops, militants and mercenaries were in Mariupol when it was surrounded last month, the defense minister said, and 1,478 of them have surrendered.

Mariupol was the stronghold of "Azov," a volunteer regiment created after the 2014 coup in Kiev that openly embraced Nazi symbolism. It was subsequently integrated into the National Guard of Ukraine and has units across the country.
Also check out SOTT radio's: NewsReal: Shanghai Lockdown - Moskva Hit - Escalation in Ukraine?




Bad Guys

Fauci decrees that CDC should be above authority of courts re: masks on planes

dr anthony fauci
"Fauci is saying that unelected CDC bureaucrats should be able to impose their will on the country without question or pushback."

Anthony Fauci emerged from under his bridge Thursday in an appearance no one saw on the hilariously soon to be trashed CNN+ to declare that the CDC and scientific 'experts' like himself should be above the jurisdiction of courts.

Fauci suggested that a federal judge who struck down the mask mandate as "unlawful," should not have the authority to do so.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle ruled that the mask mandate "exceeded the CDC's statutory authority, improperly invoked the good cause exception to notice and comment rulemaking, and failed to adequately explain its decisions."

Comment: See also:


TV

Trump SLAMS CNN+ after platform folds in just 21 days

trump CNN+
Former President Donald Trump "congratulated" CNN on their failed streaming platform, in a statement released on Thursday.

The former president has a long and well documented feud with the network and its ownership, and held back no punches in his statement.


Comment: This project seemed doomed from the get-go. Why would anyone pay for a streaming platform from a free content provider that no one is watching? Maybe CNN should try practicing journalism to up their numbers instead of offering more ways to consume the same old garbage.

See also: