Panicking Russia. 1st, ammo stored at biggest Nuclear power plant ; 2nd, Implosion of Russia Economy; 3rd Russian agents gaslight Trump supporters
A. First of all, Russian soldiers have stored ammunition at the biggest Nuclear Power plant in Ukraine, due to HIMARS blowing up ammunition dump
B. This is a war crime.
C. The destruction of Ammunition dumps will change the tide of Russia-Ukraine war in August, and the Russians know it.
D. Overall, Russia's industrial production index—a monthly economic indicator measuring real output in the manufacturing, mining, electric, and gas industries—dropped by 1.7 percent in May compared to the same month in 2021. That's higher than the decline of 1.6 percent year-on-year reported in April.
Mining dropped by 0.8 percentage points in May 2022 compared to May 2021, and manufacturing dropped by 3.2 percentage points.
The overall numbers seem quite modest, but they reflect a downward trend that is more obvious in the staggering drops affecting the production of specific products.
Above all, car production has suffered, and it's now down by 96.7 percent compared to 2021. Production of trucks plunged by 39.3 percent, that of diesel and gasoline engines by 57 percent, that of diesel locomotives by 63.2 percent and that of freight wagons by 51.8 percent.
E. Desperation is leading to the Russian Underground operating unrestricted in Trump country to frame the J6 Committee as a kangaroo count. While this may firm up support in 1/3rd of America for Trump, it makes the rest of the country despise Trump more. This is more information warfare by Kremlin agents and should be seen as such
F. The only way Russia can "win" is by reinstalling Trump which is becoming more and more unlikely.
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ammunition-equipment-nuclear-plant-1726725
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Russia Seeks to Stash Ammo at Nuclear Plant Amid Depot Attacks
BY?ISABEL VAN BRUGEN?ON 7/21/22 AT 7:47 AM EDT
Russian forces are seeking to stash ammunition and military equipment in Europe's largest nuclear power plant because they fear their inventory will be targeted and destroyed by Ukrainian forces, Kyiv's nuclear agency said Wednesday.
Ukrainian nuclear agency Energoatom said in a statement that Russian troops occupying the?Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant?are demanding that the plant's administration give them access to engine rooms because they want to store their military equipment there.
The nuclear plant, originally built by the Soviet Union in the early 1980s, is located on the Dnipro River in southeastern Ukraine and has been under Russian control since March 1, just days after Russian President?Vladimir Putin's?Ukraine invasion began. It is still operated by Ukrainian staff.
According to Ukrainian nuclear agency Energoatom, Russian troops are looking to store ammunition and military equipment at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant because they fear it being destroyed by Ukrainian forces. Pictured, a Russian serviceman patrols outside the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant.
ANDREY BORODULIN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
"Russian military forces are demanding that the administration of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant open engine rooms at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd power units so that they can store their entire military arsenal there," Energoatom said.
"It seems safer to the invaders, because they are terribly afraid of 'gifts' from the [Ukraine] Armed Forces," the nuclear agency said, noting that Putin's troops say they want to bring tanks, trucks, armaments with ammunition loads, and more to the engine rooms.
Energoatom said that should Russian forces move their equipment into the nuclear plant's engine rooms, it could pose a fire hazard, as specialized transport wouldn't be able to enter.
"Russian occupiers are violating all the standards and requirements concerning nuclear and radiation security at the nuclear power plant. They're planning to store armaments and explosives right inside the engine rooms of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe," the agency said.
Pedro Kotin, Energoatom's president, said last week that Russia was using the nuclear power plant to store weapons, including "missile systems."
"The occupiers bring their machinery there, including missile systems, from which they already shell the other side of the river Dnipro and the territory of Nikopol," Kotin said in a televised interview.
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It comes as attacks on Russian ammunition depots have ramped up in recent weeks.
Natalia Humeniuk, the head of the United Coordinating Press Center of Security and Defense Forces of the South of Ukraine, said in an interview with Ukrinform on July 18 that Ukraine has recently destroyed two of Russia's military ammo depots in Ukraine's southern Kherson region.
Humeniuk said these strikes resulted in the "enemy" lacking ammo to attack Ukraine's positions, adding that they saw "very good results." Such strikes "not only interrupt the logistic chains of the area, but it also affects the morale of the occupants," Humeniuk said,?Newsweek?previously?reported.
U.K.'s defense ministry?said?in an intelligence update on Thursday that?Russia?is prioritizing the capture of critical national infrastructure, such as power plants.
It said that Russian forces are likely closing in on Ukraine's second biggest power plant at Vuhlehirska, near Donetsk in Ukraine's Donbas region, where Putin is focusing his war efforts.
Newsweek?has reached out to Russia's foreign ministry for comment.
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Why this war crime ?
https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/07/13/ukraines-new-rockets-are-wreaking-havoc-on-russias-army?utm_campaign=a.io_fy2223_q1_conversion-cb-sub_prospecting_nam-us_direct_na&utm_medium=digital-display.external-content.pd&utm_source=outbrain-outbrain&utm_content=conversion.content.non-subscriber.content_staticnative_np-native178-n-jun_na-na_article_1x1_na_na_na&utm_term=sa.lal-web-topsubperformingarticles-15&utm_id=341029782&dclid=CPGo1YycjvkCFQEGcQodbM8LJw
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Ukraine’s new rockets are wreaking havoc on Russia’s army
The American-supplied HIMARS is wiping out arms dumps and command posts
Jul 13th 2022?|?KYIV
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“R
ussian forward?ammunition dumps are quite possibly the most unsafe places in any war zone,” explained an American army handbook published in 2016. Munitions were not stored safely, it noted, and many dated from the Soviet era, close to their expiry dates, creating “a tinderbox ready to explode”. “Priority targeting of these areas will cause a serious logistics strain on the Russian system,” it concluded. Ukrainian generals are now putting that theory to the test.
On July 11th a Russian ammunition depot in Nova Kakhovka in southern Ukraine exploded in spectacular fashion. Satellite images showed that the entire facility vanished overnight. It is thought to be the latest victim of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (himars), which America began sending to Ukraine in late June.
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Next, the Sanctions are tearing up Russian economic structures, i.e. see this
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-economy-collapsing-data-reveals-1720532
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Russia's Economy is Collapsing, Data Reveals
BY?GIULIA CARBONARO?ON 6/30/22 AT 7:34 AM EDT
If Russia defaulting on its foreign debt for the first time since the Bolshevik revolution wasn't a clear enough sign of the impact Western sanctions are having on the Russian economy, a new report on the country's socio-economic situation leaves no margin for doubt that the Russian economy is gradually collapsing.
New statistics on the state of the Russian economy, produced by the country's Federal State Statistics Service, show production has plunged in multiple sectors, from vehicles to domestic appliances, as has retail confidence.
Russia's industrial production has dropped by 1.7 percent year-on-year in May. Above, people walk past a gift shop in central Moscow on May 17, 2022, next to T-shirts bearing the letter Z, a tactical insignia of Russian troops in Ukraine, and a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin. - The "Z", which has become a symbol of support for Russian military action in Ukraine, is widely used by Russian authorities and President Putin supporters, decorating building facades, bus doors, car windscreens and T-shirts.
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Overall, Russia's industrial production index—a monthly economic indicator measuring real output in the manufacturing, mining, electric, and gas industries—dropped by 1.7 percent in May compared to the same month in 2021. That's higher than the decline of 1.6 percent year-on-year reported in April.
Mining dropped by 0.8 percentage points in May 2022 compared to May 2021, and manufacturing dropped by 3.2 percentage points.
The overall numbers seem quite modest, but they reflect a downward trend that is more obvious in the staggering drops affecting the production of specific products.
Above all, car production has suffered, and it's now down by 96.7 percent compared to 2021. Production of trucks plunged by 39.3 percent, that of diesel and gasoline engines by 57 percent, that of diesel locomotives by 63.2 percent and that of freight wagons by 51.8 percent.
French automaker Renault, which controls Russia's largest carmaker AvtoVAZ,?suspended operations?at its Moscow plant in March, under pressure from Ukrainian leaders to act in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Renault later agreed to sell its Russian operations for a nominal payment.
Russia's industrial production has dropped by 1.7 percent year-on-year in May. A Lada car is seen parked in front of the administrative building of the Avtovaz automobile plant in Tolyatti, also known as Togliatti, on March 31, 2022. - For generations the Russian city of Tolyatti has been synonomous with the maker of one of the country's best-known brands -- the Lada automobile. But with the West piling sanctions on Russia over its military action in Ukraine, Tolyatti and the workers of Avtovaz are bracing for tough times.
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Air cargo is down by 86 percent year on year.
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Other products were also affected.
The production of fridges is also down by 58.1 percent compared with 2021 levels, that of washing machines by 59.2 percent, that of AC electric motors by 49.9 percent. TV sets were down by 49.7 percentage points.
Production of elevators is down by 34.7 percent and that of excavators was down by 60 percent. Curiously, cigarette production also dropped by 24.5 percent.
Graphs show that retail turnover and retail confidence have also gone down compared to one year before and even from the beginning of 2022. Wholesale turnover has also plunged drastically, with consumer demand dropping in what is likely a reflection of lower wages amid high inflation in the country.
Even more significantly for the Russian population, pensions have also fallen in real terms, decreasing by 8.2 percentage points year-on-year in May, while salaries dropped by 7.2 percentage points in April compared to a year prior.
These data are a clear sign that the Russian economy is suffering, despite the fact that the rouble bounced back after collapsing in late February following the invasion of Ukraine and that the country has held up surprisingly better than expected after Western sanctions were imposed.
Russia's industrial production has dropped by 1.7 percent year-on-year in May. In this combination image, a burning Russian Armoured personnel carrier (APC) during fighting with the Ukrainian armed forces in Kharkiv, on February 27, 2022. - Ukrainian forces secured full control of Kharkiv on February 27, 2022 following street fighting with Russian troops in the country's second biggest city, the local governor said.and , Russian President Vladimir Putin (Inset) reacts during his press conference at the Ashgabat International Airport on June 29, 2022 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
SERGEY BOBOK/AFP/GETTY
The drop in industrial production is less than Western economists expected, but the economic contraction of the country is still undeniable.
Even the Russian central bank said it expected a fall in GDP of 7.8 percent this year, almost in line with Western predictions but not quite, as Western experts estimate that the country's economy will shrink by 15 percent by the end of the year,?according to the Institute of International Finance's (IIF).
One piece of unexpected good news for Russia came from the jobs market, with a record-low unemployment rate of 3.9 percent reported in May. And yet, as high inflation continues to cripple wages in Russia, it's unlikely this high employment will turn into higher consumer demand able to turn the tide of Russia's likely incoming recession.
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Finally, the Russian Federation is gaslighting Trump supporters by this meme, and this is due to Russia interfacing with Trump people
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/22/donald-trump-supporters-january-6-hearings?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1
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‘It’s a kangaroo court’: in key state, Trump backers dismiss January 6 hearings
Residents of rural northern Wisconsin, a key swing state, have not been shaken by slickly planned congressional testimony
A Donald Trump supporter holds a flag at a rally in Madison, Wisconsin, on 7 November 2020. The state’s Republicans have remained loyal to Trump despite the congressional hearings.?Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock
Chris McGreal?in Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Sat 23 Jul 2022 02.00 EDT
M
illions of Americans spent Thursday evening stunned, appalled and amused by the season finale of the congressional hearings into the storming of the Capitol in the waning days of Donald Trump’s presidency, and his part in the deadly insurrection.
The slickly planned primetime hearing showed Trump refusing to call off the insurgents for more than three hours as he watched Fox News coverage from the?White House dining room?on 6 January 2021. The House committee heard how Secret Service officers protecting the vice-president, Mike Pence, were telling their families they may not make it home alive.
Members of the committee said the evidence showed that Trump lied, betrayed his oath of office, and summoned a mob to Washington to try to overturn the presidential election. It was, said Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger, “a stain on our history”.
But in the heart of Trump country, there’s a different take.
“I looked up kangaroo court,” said Terri Burl, a Republican activist in rural northern?Wisconsin, a key swing state that Trump won in 2016 but lost four years later.
“I’m like, yes, that’s exactly what this is. What’s it supposed to prove?”
Burl’s loyalty to the former president – she was an early member of Trump for Women – has not been shaken by Thursday’s testimony from former Trump administration officials. She watched for almost an hour before giving up because she said that while “the violence and destruction is not OK as people forced their way into the Capitol”, the hearing was a one-sided attack on the former president rather than an attempt to get at the truth.
“There was an annoying and troubling Hollywood movie look to these theatrical hearings, as if they’re acting in a badly done B-list movie,” she said.
But Burl, a former social worker and substitute teacher, did tune in unlike other members of Oneida county Republican party and most other Trump supporters.
“I haven’t watched it,” said Kathleen Silbernagel, the party secretary and a retired programme manager for a Pepsi subsidiary. “It’s a joke. Most conservatives feel that it is a kangaroo court. Liberals already hate him so it’s not going to affect them. But how it will affect independent people, who are always in the middle, is hard to tell.”
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Opinion polls suggest that the hearings have not produced the devastating shift in public opinion against Trump that some Democrats hoped for. Nor have they slackened the grip of Trumpism on the Republican party. Even as evidence spilled out that the then-president “commanded an armed mob to overturn the election”, few Republican politicians have turned away from Trump. Those that do pay the price.
Opinion polls suggest the January 6 hearings have not slacked the grip of Trumpism on the Republican party.?Photograph: Mark Hertzberg/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock
Representative Liz Cheney, who broke with her party leadership to serve as one of Trump’s chief accusers on the House select committee, is facing a drubbing in next month’s primary for her seat in Congress at the hands of a rival who has positioned herself as defender of the former president.
But while the hearings may not have shaken the commitment of the faithful, the weeks of testimony have compounded a sense of doubt among some?Republicans?that, even as Trump touts the idea of running for president again, he carries too much baggage to win another election.
A poll by the Wisconsin’s Marquette law school released on Thursday showed that nationally most Republican voters have heard about the January 6 hearings only?“a little” or “nothing at all”. Just 35% of Republicans have been paying attention compared to a clear majority of Democrats.
It is no surprise then that opinion on Trump’s culpability divides along partisan lines with Republicans overwhelmingly clearing him and Democrats certain of his culpability.
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Oneida county Republicans make many of the arguments heard across Trump country to disparage the?January 6 hearings.
“They’re painting Trump as though he incited this riot,” said the county Republican vice chair, Peter Biolo, who has also avoided watching the hearings. “They got to the Capitol and the Capitol police let them in. They didn’t storm the Capitol as is being reported. And the one person that was shot, that female veteran, was shot by a Capitol police officer.”
The hearings are instead viewed as part of a broader witch-hunt against the former president, alongside official investigations into whether his company fiddled taxes and fraudulently inflated property values to obtain cheaper loans.
The bad news for those who want to see Trump run again is that a key part of the electorate does not see it that way. Two-thirds of those independent voters who are following the hearings closely say Trump bears “a lot of responsibility” for the storming of the Capitol, according to the Marquette law school poll. Even among independents not paying close attention, a majority say he bears some responsibility.
Burl describes herself as heartbroken that Trump is not still president even if she was critical of his style when he was in the White House, particularly his aggressive tweeting. “I miss him. I’ve never felt that way about really any other Republican president, except maybe Ronald Reagan,” she said.
But Burl looks at her own state where both Trump’s victory in 2016 and loss four years later were each decided by a little more than 20,000 votes, less than 1% of the ballot. “I’m a Trump supporter all the way. But he has too much baggage now, just piled up and up. Baggage that makes it harder for him to win over those middle of the road voters,” she said.
Silbernagel agrees. Biolo does not. He wants to see Trump run again because he doesn’t think anyone else can keep Trumpism alive. “There are probably people like Trump out there but would they have his qualities? Would they be as direct, as confrontational?” he said.
Donald Trump attends a campaign rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on 30 October 2020. Most Republicans want to see him run for office again.?Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters
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That divide is heard across Wisconsin where the commitment to Trumpism remains strong but there are creeping doubts about whether Trump is the man to continue to lead it. While most Republicans want to see the former president running again, a significant minority oppose it.
They warn that “he alienated a segment of the voting population that he’s unlikely to get back” and say it is “time to move on from Trump. He had his day, did much good, and exposed a great deal. But his level of chaos and divisiveness should be left behind. We need a younger guy with less baggage and fewer scores to settle.”
Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette poll, said his surveys reflect that gap.
“We continue to see Donald Trump is very popular within the party but more Republicans like him than want him to run for election again. A difference – both in the state and the national polling – is somewhere between 75% and 80% of Republicans say they have a favourable opinion of Trump. But it’s more like 60% of Republicans that would like to see him run again,” he said.
“In theory, 60% is plenty to win a primary so it hardly means that they’re abandoning him. But you are seeing some slippage between looking back on him and having a favourable view and looking to the future.”
That raises fears among some Republicans who suspect that while Trump might walk the primaries, particularly if others fear the political cost of running against him, he has already lost once against Biden by a massive 7m votes in the popular ballot. They also fear that the House committee hearings are providing an abundance of material for the Democrats to flood the airwaves with clips showing former Trump loyalists accusing him of leading an attempted coup.
Still, any Republican running against Trump had better feel sure of beating him or risk killing his own political career.
For now, in Wisconsin as elsewhere, loyalty to Trump continues to be a litmus test for most Republican voters in who they vote for. Franklin said that includes buying into the claims that the 2020 election was stolen and that the January 6 hearings are part of the plot.
“If you want to be a good Republican in the current party, you have to signal to the voters who have bought into the election fraud story,” he said.
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