In 2018, I visited Bakhmut, bought some soda from this decommissioned German DHL delivery truck re-used as a mobile shop, and got a digital award for staying in “Hotel Bakhmut” in the city center. Now the city does not exist anymore because of the Russian terror.
There was a stadium behind the hotel - I tried to make my jogging exercise there, but it was extremely hot at noon in July, and I gave up after 3 km (instead of planned 10). Neither the hotel nor the stadium exist anymore.
Next day, we went to Mayorske checkpoint about 40 km from Bakhmut - the last Ukraine-controlled position before the Russia-occupied territory. People could cross the contact line there. Of course on the days when the Russians did not shell the checkpoint (they did it regularly).
The way to the checkpoint and back was quite depressing. But it was nothing compared to 2023.
There were signs warning about landlines everywhere. Street signs were pierced by the Russian bullets - as the Russians shot at “Kharkiv” name after they realized they will not get the city. Now there is much more mines and UXOs, and Kharkiv ist still free. #RussiaUkraineWar
On that 3,500-km trip around Ukraine we also visited Mariupol, including the Illicha steel plant (the older one, out of two: Illicha and AzovStal).
I jogged in Mariupol too, up to AzovStal steel plant from my hotel Reikartz (the pic). Neither the plant nor the hotel exist anymore. Where you see “8” at my map, it was the theater which the Russians bombed killing hundreds of civilians #RussiaUkraineWar#RussiaisATerroristState
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A fact which many ignore: Kyiv was a capital city already in the 9th century at least, with Ukrainian trident being used as a coat of arms by Volodymyr the Great in the same century. This makes Ukrainians one of the oldest nations in Europe with the same capital and emblem.
Ukraine's SpecOps forces use a two-spikes-version of the trident, attributed to Svyatoslav the Brave (938 - 972), a Kyiv prince whose bravery and gallantry were legendary. Before raiding his enemies, he always sent them a message: "Idu na vy", literally "on my way to you".
Germany's intelligence agency BfV says, islamist terrorists had entered Germany under cover of Ukrainian passports, pretending to be Ukrainian refugees. These terrorists can attack soft targets amid the EURO football cup. Most probably, this is a Russia-run operation. THREAD: /1
Amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russia has seized thousands of authentic Ukrainian passports. The seizure was so massive, even Russian private persons were selling Ukrainian passports online stressing that this helps to enter the EU. Of course, the GRU used them too. /2
It is clear, that Russian intelligence services have infiltrated a lot of agents into the EU under cover of "Russian oppositional refugees" but also "Ukrainian refugees". It is also clear that Russian intelligence actively uses fake flag attacks, including "islamist attacks". /3
The Ukraine-US security agreement is not a mutual defense agreement (see the title). It's a security agreement, and as such, it creates very broad fundament for cooperation in all possible fields: from intelligence to weapons development. Let me elaborate in this short THREAD: /1
The mutual defense mechanisms are clearly linked to the NATO future of Ukraine, as reaffirmed in the Preamble. The same Preamble stresses the goal of restoration of Ukraine's full control of its territory and a right for self-defence in accordance to the Art. 51 UN Charter. /2
The aims of the Agreement themselves are not of the mutual defense character though, but linked to a broad number of cooperation areas. It foresees extensive exchange of intelligence information, cooperation in area of army modernisation, arms development, reforms, training... /3
Social Democrats' top candidate for the European Parliament @katarinabarley enjoys a clear parallel to "Catharine the Great" ('Katarina die Große' in German), a Russian tyrant of German origin, @EFDavies points out. Putin's Merkel was also Catharine-obsessed. More in this THREAD:
Catharine II, self-named "the Great", was a Russian-German tyrant. Catharine was a murderer, usurper and authored the the most cruel slavery laws for Russia. She was also admired by both Angela Merkel, who had her portrait on her table, and Putin. /2 faz.net/aktuell/feuill…
Catherine came to power after having killed her husband, Peter III. She usurped the throne and was seen by the aristocracy as an illegitimate ruler. That is why she has done everything to please the aristocracy. She has wiped out any right of serves they had in serfdom system. /3
One third of the sum - and even more, over €10,000! - raised within 2,5 hours. And who says that the Germans are not on Ukraine's side, or that our chancellor represents the public opinion! So proud of the Germans. You want to donate more?
. paypal.com/donate?campaig…
Ok, I observe Varwick at a panel discussion in Hamburg (will debate with him later today). Within the first 30 minutes, he manages to say that:
1) Russia has legitimate security interests, and the West hat massive violated these interests; 2) There is nothing bad in German economic cooperation with Russian high-tech companies which develop surveillance device in Russia, because economy. International trade with dictatorships is necessary. Otherwise Russia buys it from China anyway; 3) NATO with all its 10-times higher military resources comes closer to Russia's borders, "invaded Kosovo against Russia's will", bombarded Lybia etc.
And this looks to be just an appetiser.
4) praised Nord Stream 2 as a tool of mutual dependencies and improved climate policy; 5) smears opponents as "activists" and names himself an expert and a scientist;
Allegedly, some Germans are afraid, someone (who?) tries to forbid them reading Pushkin. I tell you: if there is nothing scary around, a German would invent a scare crow to be scared. A sort of masturbation on fear.
PS The guy says he supported Anna Netrebko’s performance in GER