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Fakers from Moscow are highly accurate at “destroying” Western weapons and relying on the strength of “General Kholod.” The Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security has collected the main fakes and narratives of Russian propaganda for July 15-17.
- “High-precision” fake weapons awaiting M270
- Is Putin preparing a new Hiroshima?
- Occupiers searching for snitches and passport officers
- “Second Front” against the West
“High-precision” fake weapons awaiting M270
Before the beginning of a new phase of the war against Ukraine “in all operational directions,” which was solemnly announced by Shoigu on camera, Russian propaganda decided to clear the field of information battle from another HIMARS just in case.
Before that, let us remind you that there was a “successful destruction” of two systems of the American MLRS, and the fake sale of a third one for USD 800,000. The propagandists “struck” the fourth HIMARS with high-precision weapons in the Donetsk oblast.
Similarly, the storage warehouse of anti-ship Harpoon missiles was “hit” in the Odesa oblast.
IN FACT, the thing is not that a HIMARS does not actually have a transport and loading machine, which the Russian Ministry of Defence hit so “aptly.” And the thing is not that the Harpoon warehouse was, according to Serhii Bratchuk, spokesman of the head of the Odesa RMA, the place of storage for boards of one of the local furniture firms.
The fact is that the Russians, in the absence of an advantage on the front line, urgently need some, albeit fake, “victory” over high-tech Western weapons that strike their warehouses and in fact have already destroyed the entire logistics system, which they so carefully built after the failure of the blitzkrieg in the spring.
In addition, under the conditions of a catastrophic lag in the creation of high-tech MLRS (and not only) in Russia itself, so far, this is the only chance to somehow calm down their troops, which suffer greatly from both Harpoon and HIMARS even in the rear. Now the occupiers do not have a safe rear, which does not add to the creative burden of a variety of recruiters, who should tell tales to “volunteers” who will serve far from the front line.
According to the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksii Danilov, as of July 7, the Armed Forces had already received nine HIMARS and M270. A total of four more HIMARS and eight M270 are expected. Thus, the total number of these MLRS in the Ukrainian army should amount to 21 systems. For comparison: according to official data, France has 13 of them, Turkey — 12.
Therefore, Russian propagandists will still have something to “neutralize.” Let’s remind them in advance that a HIMARS has only six missiles, and a M270 has 12. After all, in the pursuit of medals, even what is not loaded into “transport and loading machines” will be “destroyed.”
Given that they have already learned how to “fight” with HIMARS and Harpoon, it can be expected that the next target of “high-precision” propaganda weapons will be the M270. It will be interesting to follow this “battle.”
Is Putin preparing a new Hiroshima?
After the missile attack on Dnipro, which cost Russia USD 78 mln (six X-101 missiles, each worth up to USD 13 mln), Russian groups began to disperse the fake that, allegedly due to the attack on “Pivdenmash,” there was a leak of heptyl (a highly toxic component of missile fuel).
IN FACT, this is done for one small purpose (to sow panic among civilians), which is a component of one big goal: to force Kyiv to Moscow’s proposal to choose “a bad peace, which is better than a good quarrel.” That is, to capitulate.
The Kremlin either stubbornly does not believe that Ukrainians are not Russians and that this will not happen, or strikes out of despair. Therefore, unfortunately, most likely, they will continue to terrorize peaceful Ukrainians.
Heptyl from “Pivdenmash” after the start of full-scale hostilities was urgently scrapped. Maybe the occupiers really didn’t know that. Probably, they thought that here it’s like in Russia, after all, a life of a person there is worth a penny, and perhaps they had a blind faith in sheer luck. Perhaps Putin wants to create his “Hiroshima” in Ukraine and solve the “Ukrainian issue” with a single blow to 100,000 peaceful people. What’s in his head, and how far he can go, no one knows. Even Putin himself. At least for now.
But the fact remains: X-101 was indeed used to strike an enterprise where there could indeed have been heptyl. And it really could have led to a massive disaster. And in this reality lies the whole truth about the “humanitarian” component of the “special operation for the liberation of Ukrainians.”
By the way, the X-22 missiles, which Russia regularly launches from Tu-22 strategic aviation aircraft (for example, in Odesa region and Kremenchuk), use the same heptyl as fuel. Neither does this upset the command of the “liberators.”
Let us remind you that at the stage of development of this Soviet cross-eyed “Burya” (Storm) in the event of war with the United States, it was supposed to fly with nuclear ammunition and serve as a “killer of aircraft carriers.” High precision was not required because the radius of the circular error of the missile was compensated by the radius of the guaranteed hit.
Therefore, Russian occupiers have no justification for the use of X-22 on peaceful Ukrainians whatsoever; this is just a part of the campaign to terrorize all citizens of Ukraine. And all this again testifies to the war crime — one of the many that Putin commits in the war not with the authorities in Ukraine, but with ordinary Ukrainians.
Occupiers in search of snitches and passport officers
Together with the “horrors” about life in an undefeated Ukraine, the Russian media draw a picture of “light and peaceful life” on the occupied territory.
Thus, on July 17, federal channels reported on the festivities in Mariupol on the occasion of Metallurgist Day. The main narrative: “forget about the past and look to the future with optimism.”
IN FACT, it is quite difficult to imagine who else from the Mariupol families, under the conditions of the destroyed Azovstal and Illich Steel and Iron Works, dreams of working as a metallurgist in the enemy-occupied hometown.
You won’t find anyone ready to work for the occupiers. It was officially reported that 250 electricians arrived in Mariupol from Russia. More than 700 more are expected in the near future.
In order to engage people from the “metropolis,” the Kremlin promises them the status of “special operation veterans” with appropriate benefits.
In Melitopol, too, the occupiers cannot find employees. A vacancy was announced for the position of de facto snitch with formal employment in the Information Security Department. The vacancy does not require either a diploma or experience. And here again, Putin made a mistake with the Ukrainians. It is in Russia that husbands snitch on their wives because of their disagreement with the war, or a mother snitches on her own son for hiding from the army (all these are real cases). There is no such thing in Melitopol.
It appears that it is difficult to find people in the city who agree to work for the occupiers. The “Job Fair” in Melitopol is open to anything from work in the resort business to the authorities. No people are lining up, inspired to build the Russian world in a “city liberated from the Nazis.”
And in the temporarily occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia oblast, Russians tried to restore the work of the local iron ore plant. Employees were promised to pay 60% of their salary as of February 23. Neither of them agreed.
In occupied Berdiansk, local collaborator Saulenko failed the pace of passportization and preparations for the pseudo-referendum. He’s been fired. A future “special operation veteran” from Russia is immediately sent to replace him.
In the Kherson region, it seems, they generally accepted the defeat and resorted to blatant threats — deportation outside the region.
All this indicates only one thing: the gauleiters did not expect to get such resistance among the people in the occupied territory. Therefore, everyone from Russia is being rushed there in an emergency order: from electricians to passport holders and “prime ministers.”
“Second Front” against the West
The picture of a “peaceful and happy life in a Nazi-free Ukraine” and missile terror against the rest of the Ukrainians, according to the Kremlin’s plan, should bring the negotiations closer. There is no need to delay because, as the Kremlin does not tire of repeating, “every subsequent Putin’s proposal is always worse than the previous one.”
Hence, the bet on the “second front” in the war with the collective West. His first direction was headed by “General Holod” (Hunger). In fact, he’s already lost. There won’t be any hunger, at least in the volumes that Putin has planned, and, accordingly, another wave of migrants into Europe.
The second direction is managed by General Kholod (Cold), who, according to the dictator, should lead to mass riots in Europe itself. Thus, local politicians who depend on voters should be more “flexible.”
A special bet on the “cold front” is made on Berlin. News about the forthcoming “apocalypse” in Germany is supplied regularly to the Russian propaganda market.
IN FACT, as of July 15, 70% of German residents are in favor of supporting Ukraine. According to the ZDF political barometer, 70% of all respondents want to continue supporting Ukraine in its defence against the Russian attack, even if it means an increase in energy prices. The percentage of support is very clear among the supporters of the main political forces of the FRG: the Greens (95%), the SPD (83%), the CDU/CSU (76%), and the FDP (69%).
Another sociological survey conducted by Deutschlandtrend shows that 61% of respondents agree with the application of EU sanctions, even if they will be associated with difficulties in energy supply.
59% of the survey participants expressed support for restrictive measures against Moscow, even if they lead to a deterioration of the situation of German companies (33% against), and 57% – if electricity prices rise as a result and the cost of living in general (38% against).
And these percentages clearly prove that Putin was once mistaken about Ukrainians who, according to his conviction, dreamed of United Russia party tickets, and he is now mistaken about Europeans.
The vast majority of them are not fools (as Putin considers them) and perfectly understand that the Russian dictator did not resort to blackmail by hunger and cold because of the success of the war in Ukraine.
Unlike Russians, Europeans directly link their payments to what is happening in Ukraine. But at the same time, they clearly understand one thing — this winter must be lived through. For if we now yield and bend to Putin’s conditions, another winter, nuclear, will be awaiting Europe very soon. Therefore, it is better to survive this Putin winter. So that spring would come. For everyone: from Crimea to Alaska.