NATO Prepares Ukrainian Army For Offensive
South Front, Mar 20 2023
The situation in the Zaporozhye region has sharply escalated recently. A major offensive of the Ukrainian military in the area aimed at smashing the Russian grouping in the Donbass and advancing towards the Sea of Azov is expected to begin in the coming weeks. On Mar 19, Ukrainian forces launched the combat reconnaissance operation to the South of Orekhov. They attacked Russian positions near Novodanilovka with up to two battalions fully equipped by NATO. The Ukrainian column was quickly detected by Russian drones. It was shelled by artillery and struck with ATGMs. The shooting battle broke out in the area. About 25 Ukrainian servicemen were killed, at least 3 tanks and 3 infantry fighting vehicles were destroyed. On the same day, Ukrainian forces attacked the Russian positions near Charivny, but it did not come to a direct clash. The Ukrainian grouping was scattered by artillery fire. Another Ukrainian attempted offensive took place to the east of Gulyaipole on Mar 15. It involved up to two infantry companies supported by two platoons of main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. As a result of the operation, Ukraine lost up to 30 servicemen, and all the heavy equipment involved.
Despite the losses, the Ukrainian military continues combat reconnaissance operations in order to identify soft spots in the Russian defense. According to the tactics developed by NATO, they launch attacks with tactical groups of up to 10 armored vehicles. The same operations were carried out on the eve of the Ukrainian offensive in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions. Preparing for a large-scale offensive, a large Ukrainian grouping is concentrating near the Zaporozhye front. Various sources estimate the main strike force of up to 50 thousand servicemen, and up to one thousand of military vehicles. Meanwhile, columns of NATO heavy equipment are already approaching the Ukrainian front lines. Most of them are claimed to be earmarked for the offensive on the southern Donbass front. German Leopard tanks are also expected to be deployed in this direction, as they are well suited for fighting in the Ukrainian steppes.
The main offensive operation of the Ukrainian Army is expected to begin in the second half of April, when the weather will allow heavy equipment to move easily across the fields, new units of mobilized soldiers will be transferred to the front and they will be fully provided with NATO equipment and weapons. The main strike is likely to hit the bridgehead near the towns of Pology and Tokmak. Control of them would pave the way to Berdyansk and Melitopol. In the case of success, the Ukrainian military would reach the Sea of Azov, cutting off the Russian grouping in the Donbass. The land road to Crimea would be cut off and Ukrainian forces could threaten the Crimean Bridge with NATO-made missiles.
ICC’s Putin Arrest Warrant Signals Long Overdue Unraveling Of So-Called ‘Rules-Based World Order’
Drago Bosnic, South Front, Mar 20 2023
On Mar 17, the so-called “International Criminal Court,” at this point no more than a glorified NGO financed by Brussels, issued an arrest warrant for President Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights, with the controversial institution citing alleged “war crimes” in Ukraine as the reason for the indictment. The announcement, first thought of as satire by many, unleashed a torrent of ridicule from the world, ranging from regular people (probably billions at this point) making memes and practical jokes at the ICC’s expense, to Russian and other officials mocking the decision in various, should we say creative, but hardly unexpected ways, including Dmitry Medvedev’s “environmentally friendly” advice to use the indictment for “hygienic purposes.” President Putin still hasn’t commented on the decision and who could possibly blame him, given the increasing irrelevance of organizations such as the ICC, as well as the fact that he has much more pressing concerns, such as visiting the newly-rebuilt Mariupol (barely ten months after it was destroyed by occupying neo-Nazi forces) and meeting his Chinese colleague Xi Jinping. Strictly legally speaking, Russia is in no way affected by the decision, as it simply doesn’t recognize any de jure or de facto jurisdiction of the ICC, making its decisions in regard to Moscow completely legally void. Thus, the Eurasian giant is quite unconcerned and mostly uninterested (albeit amused) by the actions and opinions of the Hague-based “court,” the pertinence of which is bound to become increasingly questionable, especially after this decision.
Perhaps the most adequate way to describe the ICC is to paraphrase Voltaire’s definition of the so-called Holy Roman Empire and say it’s neither international nor a court. However, it certainly can be considered criminal given its history of blatant violations of actual international law, which also includes the horribly one-sided treatment of countries and groups targeted by the political West. This also refers to the brazen convictions of Yugoslav and Serbian generals and officers for mostly false flag “war crimes” or outright fabrications, while setting free all those working for the political West, including openly neo-Nazi regimes and terrorist groups who participated in the destruction of former Yugoslavia. And speaking of the Holy Roman Empire, we should note that its de facto successor state declared it would arrest President Putin if he were to ever set foot on German soil. At least that’s what the country’s top tabloid Bild is claiming, citing the Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann. Such rhetoric doesn’t only indicate the lack of diplomatic etiquette (to say the least), but is also completely unnecessary considering that Putin certainly isn’t planning to visit Berlin anytime soon. Especially not after the shameless comments of Germany’s (former) leadership which essentially admitted they’ve been lying to Russia for years just to “buy time” for the neo-Nazi junta. This admission alone should be enough for an actual international tribunal.
However, this would require a truly impartial international justice institution, meaning that the ICC is out of the question. In more recent times, the Hague-based “court” completely ignored the horrendous Kiev regime war crimes and mass murder of civilians and POWs (prisoners of war) in Donbass in the last nearly ten years. Virtually incessant shelling by the Neo-Nazi junta forces left approximately 15k dead and tens of thousands wounded and maimed for life (not including those killed in 2022 and more recently this year). And unlike the bogus charges against President Putin, there is very convincing and conclusive evidence to indict virtually all former and current members of the Kiev regime. If one is to ask what evidence is there for this, what more do we need than the former neo-Nazi junta frontman Petro Poroshenko openly stating:
Their kids will be hiding in basements, while ours will go to school?
Unfortunately, that threat was one of the few promises Poroshenko actually kept, as generations of Donbass children spent their entire lives knowing nothing but constant shelling, death and destruction. Many of them are teenagers and young adults now, but countless others were less “lucky,” never even getting the chance to grow up. Where was the ICC for nearly a decade while all this was happening? Where was the ICC when millions of people were being killed and tens of millions of lives destroyed by the US-led political West’s brutal and truly unprovoked aggression against Yugoslavia/Serbia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Venezuela and dozens of other countries across Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, etc? Considering their treatment of Arabs, Afghanis/Pashtuns, Africans, Latin Americans, virtually the entire world, the ICC and NATO as a whole (including the numerous vassals and satellite states) have been morally bankrupt since their very inception. And all these peoples and countries are perfectly aware of this, as they’ve directly experienced it. Thus, they will all immediately see through the blatant hypocrisy and the double standards of the so-called “international institutions.” The decision to issue an arrest warrant for Putin and Lvova-Belova for their key role in evacuating thousands of children from an active warzone will certainly backfire and cause the ICC and similar Western-dominated organizations to lose the little credibility they have left (provided they ever had any in the first place).
Perhaps the most hypocritical reaction to the announcement came from the US. Washington DC doesn’t only reject the ICC’s jurisdiction, but has even threatened to sanction, invade it and arrest its judges. Still, this didn’t stop the Biden administration from supporting the decision on Putin. In addition, considering this specific indictment, the US hypocrisy becomes even more glaringly obvious, as its own terrorist proxies in Syria are currently holding thousands of children in camps, against their and the will of their parents and legal guardians. Worse yet, consecutive US administrations have been starting wars for decades, but not a single one has ever been prosecuted, while one has even gotten a Nobel Peace Prize despite authorizing illegal invasions and thousands of drone strikes across the globe. No wonder the Russian embassy in the US dubbed the Biden administration’s comments “sluggish schizophrenia.” However, on the whole, this decision isn’t necessarily bad for the world, as it will ultimately prove completely self-defeating for the political West, signaling the inevitable (and long overdue) dismantling of the so-called “rules-based world order.“ It might very well prompt the rapidly expanding BRICS nations (soon to include virtually the entire actual world) to finally start creating truly independent institutions based on international law. This will leave the political West isolated and increasingly irrelevant, while also serving as a deterrent against further NATO aggression against the world. As we see this imperialist, neocolonialist system is finally unraveling, it gives hope to all truly independent nations that it’s still possible to create a world where cultures and civilizations can freely develop and cooperate without any foreign power being able to impose its own (often extremely damaging) societal models.
Kherson Region To Become The Second Front Of Upcoming Ukrainian Offensive
South Front, Mar 20 2023
Amid the ongoing combat reconnaissance operations of the Ukrainian military in the Zaporozhie region, Ukrainian forces are also operating on the islands in the Dnieper River. The Ukrainian assault groups continue their regular attempts to cross the river and land on the islands in the area of the Kakhovka reservoir and along the Dnieper which is under the fire control of the Russian military. Usually part of the Ukrainian watercraft is destroyed in the water, the rest are fleeing. On Mar 19, Crimean reconnaissance units detected the group of Ukrainian special forces landing on the islands in the Kherson region. The Ukrainian assault group crossed the Dnieper River, disembarked from their small boats and hided in the houses, where they attempted to establish the stronghold. Russian forces detected and followed the enemy. They catched the Ukrainian group in the so-called fire pocket with artillery fire. As a result of the operation only one Ukrainian boat managed to cross the river back. On the same day, Russian missile struck Ukrainian hangars near the village of Otradokamenka located on the right bank of the Dnieper. The hangars were used for storage of artillery pieces, including missiles for US-made HIMARS MLRS, armored fighting vehicles etc.
On March 17, another failed attempt of the AFU to cross the Dnieper River was reported. The Ukrainian assault group was detected when preparing to the operation. Russian forces allowed the Ukrainian servicemen to land on the eastern bank and ambushed them. As a result, the Ukrainian assault operation failed. At least 4 servicemen of the AFU were killed, five others were captured. On the same day, the Russian governor of the Kherson region reported that the Russian military sank a barge with Ukrainian troops, which was trying to cross the Kakhovka reservoir. According to the local official, this was the largest operation among the recent attempts of the AFU to cross the Dnieper, although this was the most effective Russian operation in terms of losses among the Ukrainian military. According to reports from the front, Russian troops also recently prevented an assault operation by Ukrainian underwater saboteurs on the shore of the Kakhovsky reservoir.
So far, Russian forces have been preventing the AFU from landing on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River. All the Ukrainian assault operations resulted in failure. Despite losses in manpower, the Ukrainian military command continues its attempts, preparing to conduct assault operations aimed at diverting attention of Russian forces from other areas. While the main strike group is preparing to launch the large-scaled offensive in the Zaporozhie region, the Ukrainian military is pulling reserves to the Kherson region as well. According to various sources, up to 15k servicemen are deployed along the western bank of the Dnieper. They mainly include unprofessional fighters of the territorial defense and recently mobilized servicemen. The upcoming Ukrainian offensive in the Zaporozhie region will be accompanied by a series of attacks on other front lines aimed at distracting the Russian military and prevent it from sending the reserves to strengthen the defense in the area of the main Ukrainian strike. The simultaneous assault operations on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River in the Kherson region are likely to be launched in the coming weeks.
Polish Embassy In France Denies Words Of Its Own Ambassador
South Front, Mar 19 2023
On Mar 19, the Polish Ambassador to France, Jan Emeryk Rościszewski, claimed that Warsaw would come into conflict with Russia if Kiev is defeated. In his opinion, the Ukrainian crisis is a battle for the basic values and culture of the West, which is why “it is so important to win.” He said:
If Ukraine fails to defend its independence, we will have no choice but to enter into conflict.
On Mar 20, the Polish Embassy in France denied the statement of its own ambassador. The diplomatic mission believes that the statement was interpreted by the media “in isolation from the context.” The embassy claims that these words were “a warning about the possibility of Russia attacking or dragging into the war other countries of Central Europe: the Baltic States and Poland.” When the head does not know the way its tail is wagging, it is hard to expect any wise actions from it.
Ukrainian Military Launches Suicide Attacks, Preparing For Offensive On Zaporozhie Front
South Front, Mar 19 2023
The AFU have recently increased their attacks on Russian military positions on the southern Donbass front lines. At the same time, large Ukrainian forces are accumulated in the Zaporozhie and Kherson regions. The ongoing military developments may mark the upcoming large-scale Ukrainian offensive aimed at slashing the Russian grouping in the Donbass and Ukrainian advance towards the Sea of Azov. On Mar 19, the AFU launched a counterattack near the village of Novodanilovka located to the south-east of the town of Orekhov. Two assault groups of the 128th mountain assault brigade of the AFU, reinforced by the units of the territorial defense attempted to bypass Russian strongholds from the flanks. Ukrainian forces used smoke before the attack. They cleared the passages in minefields in the area and remotely mined approaches to the Russian positions to prevent them from sending reserves and blockade evacuation. According to Russian military reporters, Ukrainian aircraft struck Russian military positions. The Ukrainian column was timely detected by Russian drones and immediately shelled by Russian artillery and struck with ATGMs. Shooting battle broke out on the right flank of the Russian positions. The Russian 291st regiment of the 42nd motor rifle division and the scouts of the 22nd separate special mission brigade repelled the attack and the AFU turned back towards Novodanilovka. According to preliminary reports, about 25 Ukrainian servicemen were killed, 3 tanks, 3 infantry fighting vehicles were destroyed. Several Russian servicemen were wounded.
The fighting filmed by the Ukrainian servicemen who was killed in the battle:
It was the second Ukrainian attack in the area this week. On Mar 15, units of the 56th and 58th motorized Infantry Brigades of the AFU attempted to attack Russian positions near the settlements of Krasnoe and Marfopol located to the east of GulyaiPole. A tank platoon and a BMP platoon, as well as up to two companies (200 servicemen) of infantry units took part in the offensive. The approach of the Ukrainian military was also detected by Russian UAVs and the column was stopped by Russian artillery. As a result of the operation, the AFU also reportedly lost up to 30 servicemen, at least 3 tanks and 3 infantry vehicles.
The following video shows the destroyed Ukrainian vehicles (18+):
The Ukrainian attacks are likely to repeat on the Zaporozhie front lines. The Ukrainian military continues combat reconnaissance, looking for soft spots in Russian defenses and assessing the reaction of Russian forces. All Ukrainian servicemen are equipped and likely trained by NATO. The Ukrainian command is preparing for a large-scale offensive, while the columns of Western military equipment are on their way to Ukrainian front lines.
Israeli Weapons Instructor Seriously Wounded In West Bank Shooting Attack
South Front, Mar 19 2023
On Mar 19, an Israeli man was seriously wounded after being shot by a Palestinian gunman while driving through the northern West Bank town of Huwara. An official photo from the scene of the attack on the Route 60 highway showed the windshield of the car riddled with bullets. The wounded man was identified as David Stern from the settlement of Itamar, a former United States Marines soldier who works in Israel as a weapons instructor. The Magen David Adom ambulance service said that Stern was taken to the Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikvah, where he remains in a moderate-to-serious condition. Stern’s wife, who was with him at the time of the attack, was also taken to a hospital suffering from traumatic shock. The IOF said the Palestinian gunman was shot by both Stern and soldiers immediately after the attack. Still, he was initially able to flee on foot. The wounded gunman was later located and detained. While fleeing the gunman dropped a makeshift “Carlo” submachine gun he used in the attack. The gun was also seized by Israeli troops. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was praying for the “wounded hero” who succeeded in shooting the gunman, adding:
Whoever tries to harm Israeli citizens — will bear the responsibility.
The attack came exactly three weeks after two Israelis were shot dead by a Palestinian gunman while driving through Huwara. It also came just hours after a senior commander and engineer of the Islamic Palestinian Jihad was gunned down near the Syrian capital, Damascus. The group blamed the Israel for the assassination and vowed to respond. The PIJ’s military wing, the al-Quds Brigades, welcomed the shooting attack in Huwara, without claiming responsibility. The attack was also hailed by Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for the Gaza-based Hamas Movement. Qassem said that the attack was “a natural reaction to the occupation’s crimes against our people in the West Bank and Jerusalem.” Israel will likely respond to the attack with a new series of raids in the occupied West Bank. This will only generate more tensions.
Niqnaq 