THE CRISIS IN UKRAINE
Since essentially January 2022, I have lived exclusively Ukraine to document the war, the people, the history and culture and music of the country. It has been a humbling experience and it is far from over. Thank you to all of those people who supported the efforts to document and bring aid. The in country experiences and friendships will be with me forever. The support from abroad has been invaluable. We have so much more to do.
Your donation helps cover costs to travel, help Ukrainian fixers and translators and have more direct access to the news in country. We will not rely upon advertisements and or gimmicks to get the job done. Your help keeps us focused on the tasks. Thank you.
RUSSIA'S LT GEN FOR CHEMICAL WEAPONS KILLED IN MOSCOW
As 2025 arrives on us, Russia continues to show you that it will not let up in attacking and seeking to conquer Ukraine. More important, the Russians are seeking to undermine America and Europe by its repeated attacks on Ukraine. Without a more decisive determination from the American, European and Canadian population and thus the representative leadership, Russia will continue to kill and destroy as it seeks to crawl back to its supposed glory of the Soviet Union and Russian empire, no matter how many must die.
Ukraine Successfully Intercepts Ballistic Missiles and Drones in Overnight Attack
Ukrainian defense forces reported the interception of five ballistic missiles and 40 drones during an overnight assault that began at 7:00 PM on December 19 and continued into the early hours of December 20, 2024. The attack, launched by Russian forces, involved an “Iskander-M” ballistic missile from the Rostov region, guided X-59/69 missiles from the Kursk region, and 65 strike drones, including “Shahed” models, originating from multiple areas, including Bryansk, Millerovo, Orel, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk.
Ukraine’s response included contributions from aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare teams, and mobile defense groups. By 9:30 AM, air defense systems had confirmed the destruction of 40 drones across several regions, including Kursk, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia. Additionally, 20 drones, identified as decoys, failed to reach their targets.
Despite these efforts, missile debris caused localized damage in Kyiv, where five districts reported destruction to residential buildings, medical facilities, and other structures. Casualties were also confirmed.
The Ukrainian military emphasized the importance of public vigilance and urged citizens to heed air raid warnings promptly, noting the limited time available to seek shelter during ballistic missile attacks.
December 20, 2024, Russia attacks Kyiv with drones and missiles again, but this time with more intensity on the missile side.
MUSIC-THE HEART OF A NATION: A journey through the music of Ukraine
You can know a people through the music they play, dance to, celebrate with and mourn those who pass. Ukraine has a vibrant music tradition and the path across the country is loaded with variety and expression.
CRISIS IN UKRAINE: PART TWO - A day in Bucha: First hand account of atrocities in Ukraine
Days after the Russians invaded Ukraine, they descended upon the small town of Bucha, just west of the capital, Kyiv. For weeks the battle ensued in the town until the Russian forces withdrew on March 31, 2022. The Russians were under command of Gennady Bayur, commander of the VDV’s 234th Air Assault Regiment. Like many other commanders in this war, he died just days later in Bucha on March 11, 2022. The Russian digital sphere said he died of a land mine, but we may never know.
ATTACKS ON DEMOCRACY
BEFORE THE JANUARY 6, 2020 Insurrection:
On Tuesday, September 8, 2020, Katy Tur spoke with former FBI Special Agent Frank Figliuzzi and Chris Sampson about the pending threats around the 2020 Election. Online chatter and real world comments indicate there is a serious threat of retribution if Trump legitimately loses the election. As Trump consistently tells his supporters there is only one way he’d lose, rigged and stolen election, his supporters then feel no other possibility exists. This has created an unparalleled threat problem with talk of violence.
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PUTIN’S ASYMMETRIC ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY IN RUSSIA AND EUROPE: Implications for U.S. National Security
In Putin’s Asymmetric Assault on Democracy in Russia and Europe, we learn about Vladimir Putin’s rise to power through the KGB to mayor of St. Petersburg and eventually as head of the Russian state. We discover the history of how Putin used classic Cold War KGB tactics by weaponizing civil society, culture, ideology, and Russia’s criminal element against the nascent Russian democracy by cultivating and using ties to NGOs, thinktanks, extremist political groups, the Russian orthodox church, industrial and energy policy, and the Russian Mafia. We also see how the Kremlin then exported this political extortion, intimidation, and monetary corruption first to its Eastern European neighbors, then their western partners in the European Union, and how it has now landed on America’s shores.
