Image is the famous photograph Raising a Flag Over the Reichstag, taken during the Battle of Berlin.
On Friday is May 9th, which is the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, which Russia, among other places, celebrates as the day when the Soviets defeated the Nazis. Naturally, one of the current hotspots of fascism in the world today, Ukraine, is essentially threatening that they might strike Russia or even Moscow itself during that timeframe. Any such strike would almost certainly be symbolic and not aimed at anything too important, as I doubt even Zelensky and his American handlers would actually want to kill a world leader, not least somebody like Xi Jinping. But I would not be surprised if they tried something nonetheless, if only to disrupt the event in some way and not actually kill anybody.
And, as we’re on this topic, @EllenKelly@hexbear.net has reminded me that Tuesday is the anniversary of the Nazis burning the Institut für Sexualwissenschaf in 1933, an early institute advocating for the rights of LGBT people, and which also provided early forms of gender-affirming surgeries, as well as hormone therapies. We are currently seeing a crackdown on LGBT rights throughout swathes of the imperial core (as well as countries in the periphery, to the extent that those rights existed there already), and this Nazi-inspired movement will be similarly defeated in the future.
Last week’s thread is here. The Imperialism Reading Group is here.
Please check out the RedAtlas!
The bulletins site is here. Currently not used.
The RSS feed is here. Also currently not used.
Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel’s destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia’s youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don’t want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it’s just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists’ side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR’s former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR’s forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster’s telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a ‘propaganda tax’, if you don’t believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
He isn’t honestly.
Someone check if Soros is betting against the Dollar.
JDPON DON! JDPON DON!
Loving the trend of Trump bypassing Israel, first with Hamas, then Yemen, now Hamas again. Based precedent
I want to extend my congratulations to both Pakistan and India for Winning this War decisively.
Come on Don, you know ending a border dispute as difficult as this one is not the same as a ceasefire.
It would be easier to end the India-China dispute than this.
Zelenskiy says he will meet Putin after Trump tells him not to await truce – Reuters
Article text
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he would agree to meet Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump told him immediately to accept Putin’s proposal of direct talks.
The Ukrainian leader had responded guardedly earlier on Sunday after the Russian president, in a night-time televised statement that coincided with prime time in the U.S., proposed that Ukraine and Russia hold direct talks in Istanbul next Thursday, May 15.
It was not clear that Putin had proposed to attend in person, however.
“I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,” Zelenskiy wrote on X.
Putin’s proposal came hours after major European powers demanded on Saturday in Kyiv that Putin agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face “massive” new sanctions, a position that Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg endorsed on Sunday.
Zelenskiy too had said Ukraine would be ready for talks with Russia, but only after Moscow agreed to the 30-day ceasefire.
But Trump, who has the power to continue or sever Washington’s crucial supply of arms to Ukraine, took a different line.
“President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!”
Putin sent Russia’s armed forces into Ukraine in February 2022, unleashing a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and triggered the gravest confrontation between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
With Russian forces grinding forward, the Kremlin chief has offered few, if any, concessions so far.
In his overnight address, he proposed what he said would be “direct negotiations without any preconditions”.
But almost immediately, senior Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters the talks must take into account both an abandoned 2022 draft peace deal and the current situation on the ground.
This language is shorthand for Kyiv agreeing to permanent neutrality in return for a security guarantee and accepting that Russia controls swathes of Ukraine.
Putin also dismissed what he said was an attempt to lay down “ultimatums” in the form of Western European and Ukrainian demands for a ceasefire starting on Monday. His foreign ministry spelled out that talks about the root causes of the conflict must precede discussions of a ceasefire.
Trump, who says he wants to be remembered as a peacemaker and has repeatedly promised to end the war, earlier responded to Putin’s address by saying that this could be “A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!”.
Checking in on the news mega - and what the hell someone tried to impersonate this account?
I honestly don’t know what happened but if the vibe’s wrong, it’s not me lol.
And in case anyone is wondering, long story short, laptop died together with hundreds of sources/references/links and pages and pages of notes I’ve written up. No backup on the cloud. Decided to touch grass and forget about the site. May or may not return as a regular. Meanwhile, I hope everyone has been doing well. The world hasn’t been kind lately and certainly hasn’t to me in many ways. Hang in there, everyone.
Edit: also in case anyone wants to hear my thoughts about the recent events, I wrote a long comment in this thread. May not be everyone’s cup of tea, and if so, just treat it as an entertaining read. Happy to be proven wrong.
Apparently Palantir UK is run by the eldest grandson of Oswald Mosley. I did not know this until this morning when he was live on the BBC shilling Palantir to millions of people.
It is no accident that Peter Thiel landed on Oswald Mosley’s spawn as his man in the UK.
For those unaware, Mosley founded the British Union of Fascists and was the subject matter of the Battle of Cable Street
Edan Alexander, the last POW in Gaza with American citizenship, will be released by Hamas soon. Whilst officially this is being reported as a “good will gesture” from Hamas, it’s very likely they made a backdoor deal with Trump’s admin.
We know Hamas has been in talks with the US directly, having failed to get a deal with the Israelis, and we know Trump has evicted a few of the warhawks from his circles. The deal might involve some attempt to rein in Netanyahu for good before they spiral the region out of control.
Norway’s Largest Trade Union Votes for Boycott of Israel
$22 billion value divestment from stocks the fund has and a complete trade ban
94% for, 6% against
In a historic deal, Hamas agreed to release the zionist American captive and IOF soldier Edan Alexander, in unprecedented direct communications with the United States and with zero input from “israel.”
The US is asking the zionist government to stop military activity, including drone flights, to secure Alexander’s release, which is expected to take place on Tuesday.
Zionist media has not neglected to take notice of their absence from the agreement or the negotiations preceding it.
Trump says India and Pakistan have agreed to a ceasefire
Article text
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire” after a fourth day of strikes and counter-strikes against each other’s military installations.
Pakistan’s foreign minister also said both countries had agreed to a ceasefire “with immediate effect”.
“After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence,” he said in a post on Truth Social.
The announcement came on a day when fears that the countries’ nuclear arsenals might come into play spiked as the Pakistan military said a top military and civil body overseeing its nuclear weapons would meet.
But the Pakistani defence minister later said no such meeting was scheduled.
Putin has finally started speaking, coinciding with the possible launch of Geran-2/Shahed 136 one way attack drones on Ukraine.
RT has it live with English translation, you’ll likely need a VPN for this if you live in NATOland
AMK Mapping, reporting on drone launches
Putin wants Russia to hold direct talks with Ukraine in Turkey again with regards to a ceasefire.
Speech over, that’s it. An offer to negotiate in Istanbul directly with Ukraine again on May 15th, presumably. A rejection of the EU’s plan for an unconditional 30 day ceasefire before any talks begin. War continues now.
India has really damaged its international reputation as being the more ‘rational’ one compared to Pakistan. BJP is straight up criticizing the previous liberal-left alliance Government for being too ‘passive’ and not responding militarily after 26/11 attacks.
Another way this India/Pakistan confrontation benefits the US is that it provides more precedent for the possibility of hot conventional war between nuclear powers.
This could make US intervention over Taiwan more plausible, increasing deterrence, while also diverting the Chinese military industrial complex to replace and reinforce exports to Pakistan (particularly air defense).
Pakistan has started it’s retaliation against India, they have named it Operation Bunyan Al Marsoos.
Goverment of Pakistan statement
India and Pakistan are at war.
Pakistan has fired Fatah-1 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket systems (GMLRS) and Fatah-2 Short Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBMs) at military bases in India. All conventional missiles at this time. India is responding with air operations against Pakistan.
Pakistan is responding with air operations of its own, reporting that their fighter jets have crossed into Indian airspace to carry out strikes inside India.
Unconfirmed reports of both sides shooting down each other’s fighter jets. Remember all 4th generation of 4.5 generation aircraft, no fifth generation stealth aircraft for both sides, and both sides have poor suppression of enemy air defence capabilities. In an all out war like this, there will be a lot of losses until a zone of control is established. Pakistan had the advantage in the initial engagement, but that doesn’t mean it’ll hold all the way through.
Srinagar being attacked by Pakistani fighter aircraft according to NDTV, Indian media.
Both sides reporting within visual range engagements, known as dogfights, between the Pakistani and Indian Air Forces.
Indian media reports that two Pakistani Air Force fighter jets have been shot down.
Pakistan Prime Minister Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calls urgent National Command Authority meeting, the government body overseeing nuclear weapons.
Pakistani sources say that their JF-17 aircraft targeted India’s S-400 air defence system using “hypersonic missiles”. That would explain the reports of Pakistani aircraft entering Indian airspace, none of their anti radiation missiles have the rage to hit Adampur from within Pakistan, so they would have to perform some kind of Wild Weasel mission within Indian airspace. As for the hypersonic claims, I guess the closest thing is the LD-10 anti radiation missile, a PL-12 missile converted to an air to ground anti radiation role with a top speed of Mach 4+. Anti radiation here means homing in on the electromagnetic radiation produced by radars, nothing to do with nuclear weapons.
Again, everything unconfirmed at this time.
There are a lot of questions about the potential nuclear aspects of such a war, the article I’ll link below covers that quite well, despite the title it’s not just about missile defeat strategy, and yes I’ll repost it for a third or fourth time, if anyone has a better source describing it feel free to share:
Decker Eveleth, 26 April 2025 - Pakistan and Missile Defense Defeat Strategies
Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
