RT News - November 10th 2022

Strategic regrouping: Reasons behind moving troops from Kherson. Russia says it is withdrawing troops from the city of Kherson amid fears that Ukrainian attacks on a local dam could cause catastrophic flooding. *

The majority of people in Donbass did not want AZOV fighters there and that's been confirmed by AZOV fighters themselves.

As the UN climate conference addresses rising pollution, Western countries come under fire for using Africa as a dumping ground for millions of tons of plastic.

US. President Joe Biden refuses to compromise on his controversial policymaking, despite public outrage leading to a burst of support for his political rivals in the midterm elections. Pres. Biden also confused Iraq with Ukraine this week. Also see **Uninterupted weapons, below.

High inflation rates and energy prices have led to a new round of protests in Greece and Belgium. Large Greek cities saw violent clashes between protesters and riot police. Both countries had major national strikes this week.

Pres. Macron (France) has finally announced the end of it's "operation" in Sahel but it intends to leave a "presence" there. In Mali, residents have growing safety concerns and ask the government to step in. Please see previous posts to catch up.

Ukraine has imposed sanctions on China and nationalised companies China has invested heavily into. (QueenStreet comment: the repercussions on this could be quite serious)

Ties between Russia and Iran in the energy sector continue apace with a new $40 billion investment into infrastructure and development of Iranian gas fields announced.
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* KEY POINTS for strategic regrouping

Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has ordered Russian forces to pull back from the city of Kherson and establish a new defense line along the Dnieper River. The minister made the decision on Wednesday following a report by Army General Sergey Surovikin, the commander of the country’s military operation in Ukraine.

One of the goals stated for the move is to assume better positions and save the lives of soldiers and civilians. Here are the key points of Surovikin’s televised speech to the top military brass on the latest developments in the conflict.

1) Kiev’s forces are targeting civilians

Ukrainian troops have been launching “indiscriminate strikes” against the city of Kherson, hitting schools and hospitals in particular, Surovikin said during his remarks on Wednesday. “People’s lives are in constant danger due to shelling,” he emphasized. Humanitarian aid centers and routes used by civilians for relocation across the Dnieper River are being struck as well, the general added.

2) Reasons for the pullout

Continued Ukrainian missile strikes on the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam located near Kherson also pose a serious risk to both the military and civilians on the right bank of the Dnieper, according to Surovikin. The dam has already been damaged in Ukrainian attacks, and another “devastating” blow could lead to “large areas” being flooded. It would also lead to massive civilian casualties and leave the Russian troops in the area cut off from the rest of the forces, the general argued as he suggested a pullout. Shoigu said he “agreed” with Surovikin’s arguments and ordered a regrouping of forces to the left bank of the Dnieper.

3) Successful defense and counter-offensives

Russian troops had earlier been able to successfully repel Ukrainian advances both in Kherson Region and in Donbass, Surovikin said. In particular, they managed to stop an offensive from the city of Kupyansk, which was seized by Kiev in September, into the Lugansk People’s Republic, he noted. The general said that a similar advance was prevented in the highly contested Krasny Liman area in Donbass. In some areas, Russian troops have launched counter-offensives, according to Surovikin.

4) Russian and Ukrainian losses

Ukrainian troops have suffered heavy losses in their attacks in recent months, according to Surovikin. Kiev’s forces are estimated to have lost more than 12,000 soldiers in October alone, along with more than 200 tanks and 800 other armored vehicles, as well as 18 combat planes. The general said that Russian losses were “seven to eight times lower.” Between August and October, Ukrainian attacks in Kherson Region alone cost Kiev more than 9,500 casualties, Surovikin said.

5) Relocation of civilians from Kherson

Russian forces have helped all civilians willing to leave the city of Kherson to relocate to the left bank of the Dnieper, the general said. More than 115,000 people had moved out of the city in recent weeks, he told Shoigu. “We have done everything possible to ensure their safety,” Surovikin said, adding that some civilians had moved to Crimea.

6) Situation on the frontlines

Russian troops have managed to “stabilize” the situation on the frontlines despite the continued Ukrainian attacks, Surovikin said. The general also stated that the partial mobilization carried out in Russia between late September and early November allowed Russian forces to build up reserves and greatly enhance combat capabilities. Troops that will be pulled out from the right bank of the Dnieper could also be sent to support offensive operations in other parts of the front, he added.
https://www.rt.com/russia/566243-pull-back-kherson-save-lives/
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Via RT website 10 Nov, 2022 02:26

Biden comments on ‘blank check’ for Ukraine

**The US leader insists on “uninterrupted” weapons supplies to Kiev

US President Joe Biden said he expects American aid to Ukraine will continue indefinitely, but argued that the assistance to the country has limits, after Republican critics slammed the billions in arms shipments and cash transfers authorized by his administration.

Asked whether the aid would continue “uninterrupted,” Biden told reporters “That is my expectation,” while going on to respond to charges from some GOP lawmakers that US assistance to Ukraine has been excessive.

“And by the way, we’ve not given Ukraine a blank check. There’s a lot of things Ukraine wants that we didn’t do,” he said on Wednesday, noting that Kiev had requested American aircraft to defend its skies.

“I said ‘No, we’re not going to do that. We’re not going to get into a third world war, taking on Russian aircraft and directly engage,” he continued, adding that Washington had also refused certain long-range weapons “because I’m not looking for them to start bombing Russian territory.”

Ahead of this week’s midterm election, Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy vowed that Kiev would no longer receive a “blank check” if his party took control of Congress. Biden, however, said he would be “surprised” if the lawmaker “even has a majority of his Republican colleagues who say they’re not going to fund the legitimate defensive needs of Ukraine.”

At one point during the press conference, the president said Russian forces were “pulling back from Fallujah,” apparently confusing the Iraqi city for Ukraine’s Kherson before correcting himself.

Moscow announced a withdrawal from the city on Wednesday, to establish a new defense line along the Dnieper River in order to save the lives of soldiers and civilians, according to military officials.

Biden was also asked about recent comments in which he appeared to suggest Kiev could make territorial concessions as part of a peace deal, but denied making such a proposal.

“That’s up to the Ukrainians. Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” he said, echoing a common refrain from his administration. He added that while he previously spoke of “compromises,” he didn’t have any specific ideas in mind.

“I said… they’re going to both lick their wounds, decide what they’re going to do over the winter and decide whether they’re going to compromise. That’s what’s going to happen,” Biden went on. “I don’t know what they’re going to do. But I do know one thing, we’re not going to tell them what they have to do.”
https://www.rt.com/news/566250-biden-ukraine-uninterrupted-aid/
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Via RT website 9 Nov, 2022 23:09

US threatens traditional Russian values – Putin

The president has signed a decree to counter the “destructive ideology” spread by Washington

The actions of the US and other “unfriendly nations” – as well as transnational corporations, NGOs, and media outlets – pose a threat to traditional Russian values, President Vladimir Putin said in a decree on Wednesday.

The document calls for the preservation and protection of the values that allow the country to defend and strengthen its sovereignty, while “preserving the people of Russia and developing their human potential.”

The traditional values rooted in Russia’s cultural and historical experience have enabled the nation to effectively face new challenges and threats while keeping its identity intact, the decree said. Among the values named, are human dignity, human rights, life, patriotism, moral ideals, the traditional family, historical memory, the continuity of generations, and the unity of all peoples who live in Russia.

The document also says that all major religions – including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism – had a “profound impact” on the development of Russia’s values, which are shared by both the religious and non-religious.

Putin’s new policy is aimed at “preserving and strengthening traditional values… through generations,” as well as “countering the spread of destructive ideologies.”

Among the ideologies that are “alien to the people of Russia,” the document lists the “cult of egoism, impunity, and amorality,” the “denial of patriotism and family values,” and LGBTQ+ propaganda.

The actions of extremist and terrorist organizations, certain media outlets, as well as the actions of the US and other unfriendly nations and some transnational corporations… pose a threat to traditional values,” the document states.

According to the decree, this threat should be countered through policies targeting the youth, education reform, and support for literature, art, film, and media outlets that promote traditional values. The decree also instructs the government to work with civil society, preserve the historical memory of the peoples of Russia, and support the Russian language, both in the country and abroad.
https://www.rt.com/russia/566246-us-russian-traditional-values/
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