The Peanut Gallery: Ukraine Hits Three More Russian Refineries - Sets Putin' Budget Ablaze
March 16, 2024
Welcome to the Peanut Gallery! Today we’re playing a new game.
Please remember that I know nothing.
Folks, this is getting serious.
The Ukrainian State Security Service (SBU) reportedly conducted a series of successful drone strikes against three Russian oil refineries in Samara Oblast on March 16.
Three—yes, I said three—more refineries. All of them very deep in Russia’s interior. Regardless of what the Kremlin claims, Ukraine’s drones appear to be hitting with impunity. I mean if they’ve struck or knocked out...what? Six? Seven? Of Putin’s oil refineries? In like the last week?
I feel like we should start to keep count. /r/NonCredibleDefense had a convenient suggestion: Bingo! So I figured we’d all play together. Witness my art.
Yes, I am aware, it's fabulous, but we needn’t restrict ourselves to my work’s aesthetic glory, for I acknowledge there is still much left to do. My masterpiece...she is not complete. For starters I haven’t verified anything in that photo, so keep that in mind. And I don’t know what the funny-little-symbols mean.
The important takeaway from all this, however, is that Ukrainians are a bunch of cool kids doing cool kid shit, and Putin’s crew are a bunch of lame-o, limp-dick losers. And it should be mentioned that Medvedev is a human chode.
Like look at this—Ukraine's straight-up stylin’:
All-Russian pro-Ukrainian volunteers continue limited cross-border raids into Belgorod and Kursk oblasts. (...) The RDK posted footage of alleged Russian prisoners of war (POW) that it recently captured and called on Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov to meet in order to negotiate the exchange of 25 Russian POWs.
The jury’s still out on whether these raids are just that: raids; or if they’re meant to take and hold territory. Personally I’m beginning to lean more towards the former, but real news is sparse as both sides are keeping quiet on details.
I find Ukraine’s silence odd, however. Russia I get, but Ukraine is a mystery. If the separatist attacks were just raids, wouldn’t they broadcast & report on everything? Why not broadcast a blow-by-blow? The point of a raid is to maximize disruption to the enemy, and I can’t think of anything more disruptive than random explosions in Belgorod during an election. I mean folks are evacuating, and apparently the Kremlin is just marching along as usual. The more the Russians see, the more trouble the Kremlin will have maintaining their nonchalant facade.
Honestly, though, it doesn’t seem like the Russians need Ukraine’s help in seeing through the Kremlin’s charade.
Russian authorities threatened Russian election disruptors and some Russian citizens’ continued attempts to disrupt voting in the Russian presidential election on March 16.
Man, this election is a disaster, even by the Kremlin's recent rock-bottom standards. We're talking protestors pouring ink into ballot boxes; folks lighting them on fire; dismal turnout--it's a clusterfuck. I don’t think there’s more than a bare handful who believe this thing’s legit (there are grown men who think wrestling is real).
I mean Putin murdered Navalny. That just happened.
A Russian insider source claimed on March 16 that Rosgvardia Director Viktor Zolotov revoked a reported agreement allowing former Wagner Group units to operate independently within Rosgvardia.[53] The insider source claimed that Zolotov disbanded the former Wagner base in Kazachi Lageri, Rostov Oblast, which Wagner reportedly retained control over when operating as part of the Rosgvardia Volunteer Corps. Rosgvardia authorities reportedly assured former Wagner personnel that there would be “a new gathering” following the Russian presidential election, but that their units would no longer be considered “separate and independent.”
Oh...Wagner...the orchestra truly is silent now, isn’t it? There might be a few buskers left in Belarus or parts of Africa, but by and large they seem to be finished as an organization.
Oh well.
¯\_ (ツ) _/¯
Russian opposition outlet Mobilization News reported on March 15 that Russian officials are no longer providing combat veteran certificates for veterans of Russian “Storm Z” convict units in the Southern Military District.
Dick move, Putler!
Storm-Z units fight and die for their country. They deserve recognition from their nation, at the very least. Surely their sacrifice earns them even that pittance.
No?
Let that be a lesson to Storm-Z units, I suppose. Or any Russian soldier reading this: Putin doesn’t care about you. He doesn’t think your sacrifice is worthy. You are dying for nothing. Putin’s war is not your war. Throw down your arms and surrender. Ukraine and the West will treat you fairly.
Russian authorities in Moscow Oblast created “training programs” for people potentially considering adopting illegally deported Ukrainian children in Russia.[80] The program reportedly falsely conflates Ukrainian and Russian culture. The program reportedly tells participants that their main objective is to create a “second homeland” for Ukrainian children in Russia and that they will need to overcome “difficulties in international differences.” Participants of the training program must undergo interviews in which Russian authorities ask if they have Ukrainian friends and relatives. ISW continues to assess that the forced deportation and adoption of Ukrainian children likely amounts to a violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Please give Ukraine what they need to bring this war to an end.
‘Q’ for the Community: /r/TheNuttySpectacle!
Ukraine struck another three of Putin’s oil refineries last night. At least one looks to be permanently offline. How do you think this is affecting the average Russian's day-to-day life?
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