Ukraine – 7/28/2023 Sitrep
By: Robert Homans & Bohdan Chomiak
July 28, 2023
This is another organization supporting Ukraine, in which a friend of mine is involved. Please consider.
Timothy Snyder, Elina Svitolina & Olga Kharlan, and Russia’s Cancerous Influence on Western Policymakers and Institutions/by Robert Homans, with thanks to the FT, the Atlantic Council & the Guardian, respectively
There is a thread that runs through the comments made by Yale historian Timothy Snyder in his FT interview, and the principled actions of Ukrainian athletes Elina Svitolina and Olga Kharlin by their refusal to shake hands with their Russian and Belarusian opponents which, in Kharlin’s case, resulted in her disqualification from the World Fencing Championships, and the positions so often taken by athletic federations in effectively ignoring Russia and Belarusia’s use of their athletes in their propaganda. The orientation toward Russia displayed by the Fencing Federations governing bodies in other sports also exists within many of our policymaking institutions and universities, but things are beginning to change.
The title of Snyder’s FT interview is “Our mis-reading of Russia is deep, very deep.” In his FT interview Snyder states –
“In the analogy we’re talking about, Russia is [Nazi] Germany. And I think that is generally productive as a comparison, but it’s also generally taboo. And the fact that it’s generally taboo has been one of our problems from the beginning.”
“People are “weirdly hesitant” to call Putin’s Russia fascist, he says. “But there are many levels on which the analogy [with Nazi Germany] holds.” “
“For Snyder, the west’s lack of historical clarity on Russia has been a deadly mistake, and continues to be at the core of our misreading of Putin.”
The connection between what Snyder said in his FT interview and the integrity shown by both Svitolina and Kharlin comes into focus with this exchange –
“So, I (the interviewer) ask, is this Putin’s war, or is this Russia’s war? “This war is being fought by a lot of people who are not called Vladimir Putin,” Snyder says. “The person who pushed the button to fire that missile at Kramatorsk that killed Victoria (Amelina) and those children . . . the tens of thousands of Russian soldiers fighting and killing in Ukraine now . . . ” “
“It is a moral as well as an empirical point, he adds. “Putin is going to die, and when he does, does that mean everything else is forgiven? All of the crimes? The deportations, the kidnappings of children, the rapes of women, the castrations of men, the murder of Ukraine’s elite? How can any of that be processed according to the idea that this is his war alone?” “
The Russian athlete who actively goaded the Fencing Federation into disqualifying Kharlin may still be competing after Russia loses and Putin is gone. She’ll be just as guilty of complicity with the crimes committed by her country in Ukraine in the future, as she is now.
There is not a shred of difference, between the actions of the Fencing Federation that disqualified Kharlin, and the U.S. Olympic Committee under Avery Brundage who, at the suggestion of Josef Goebbels, prevented Marty Glickman, a member of the U.S. Track & Field Team in the 1936 Berlin Olympics from running in the 4x100 meter relay final. Glickman was Jewish.
Svitolina’s interview, conducted by Margaret Brennan host of CBS New’s “Face the Nation,” is very moving. Because Elina Svitolina is a star in a high-profile sport, women’s tennis, she has become the most-recognized spokesperson for the stand that Ukrainian athletes are taking. However, the WTA is not sanctioning Svitolina, and other Ukrainian women tennis players, for not shaking hands with their Russian and Belarusian opponents.
Most Western policymakers are captured by the Soviet and now Russian orientation and narrative that pervades our university curricula, public policy and positions taken by most of our think tanks. It has only been recently that academics like Timothy Snyder and Serhii Plokiii, Head of the Harvard Ukraine Research Institute, are beginning to change the narrative. The Atlantic Council is doing the same among think tanks. Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go in marginalizing Russia’s influence in these institutions.
The stands taken by Svitolina and Kharlin should take place in every other venue, commercial, academic, and public-sector, where Ukrainians might interact with their Russian and Belarusian colleagues. A Ukrainian friend of mine recently said that he’ll be participating in a professional conference next month, in Florida, where he expects Russians and Belarusians to attend. He won’t shake hands with any Russians or Belarusians.
As Snyder aptly pointed out in his interview, the crimes perpetrated by individual Russians during this war will still be crimes, long after Putin passes from the scene.
“Ukraine – Solutions Need to be Found for Grain Exports”/Timothy Ash via Substack
Not long ago, Pres. Erdogan of Turkey indicated that if Russia backed out of the grain deal, that Turkey, Ukraine, and the UN would proceed, with grain carriers being escorted by the Turkish Navy. Unfortunately, Erdogan seems to have 2nd thoughts.
My own inclination is to resume exports by ship, perhaps with air cover from Romanian & Bulgarian bases, and the potential Ukrainian anti-ship missiles including the Neptune and Harpoon cruise missiles. An ancillary benefit might be the sinking of the Black Sea Fleet, whose missiles have been used to heavily damage Ukrainian grain handling infrastructure. In terms of Ukrainian coverage with their cruise missiles, the effort is assisted by Ukrainian control of Snake Island.
As Ash points out, there may already be enough damage to Ukraine’s port infrastructure as to make export by sea largely impossible. Regardless, the question continues to become how long will the West and the countries of the “Global South” tolerate Russia holding the world hostage by threatening to sink commercial shipping going to and from Ukrainian ports?
News From the Battlefield
Recently my friend Andrei reminded me that none of the news that are being reported by the Institute for the Study of War, the Latest Denys or “Reporting From Ukraine” appear in the Ukrainian media. Denys has said that the information in the tactical maps that he said he gets from the Defense Ministry, is usually 2 days old. I assume the same is true of “Reporting From Ukraine.” That being said, the news from both sources seems to be good.
7/28/2023 Sitrep
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon July 27 to 12:00 noon July 28, 2023
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration SBU = Security Service of Ukraine
RASHISTS = russian Facists/all russian invaders
INTERNATIONAL
Friday, July 28
12:16 am: Poland, Latvia and Lithuania may close their borders with Belarus due to the threat of "Wagnerians"
● According to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Poland, Mariusz Kaminski, if serious incidents involving mercenaries of the private military company "Wagner" take place on the borders of Poland, Latvia or Lithuania, the countries "will definitely start joint actions."
● "I do not rule out that if we decide that this is the right answer at the moment, we will lead to the complete isolation of Belarus," Kaminsky said.
12:31 am: Ukrainian counteroffensive gathers momentum after months of slow progress, - CNN
● Immediately, two US officials said that Ukraine had moved additional forces to the southeast of the country, a sign that the armed forces had identified potential weaknesses in Russian defense lines.
12:46 am: American Abrams tanks will probably arrive on the battlefield in Ukraine in September. This was reported by Politico.
8:31 am: China may transfer military technology to Russia and help circumvent sanctions, Reuters
8:31 am: The countries of the Persian Gulf insist on the need to restore the grain agreement, - Secretary General of the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Persian Gulf Jasem Muhammad al-Budaiwi at a meeting with the Ambassador of Ukraine to Saudi Arabia Anatoly Petrenko.
9:17 am: The Astoria Grande cruise ship carrying Russian tourists left Batumi two days ahead of schedule under pressure from local protesters.
● This is reported by Netgazeti.
● Residents of Batumi gathered near the cruise ship that arrived from Sochi a day earlier, at 21:00 Kyiv time. They chanted "Russian ship, go to y" and "Abkhazia is Georgia", and also brought photographs depicting Abkhazia and the events of the August war.
9:57 am: Japan expands sanctions against Russia, - Kyodo News.
● Japan has already banned deliveries of premium cars worth more than 6 million yen ($43,000) to Russia since last April.
● The latest decision by the Japanese government from August 9 will additionally include a ban on the supply of new and used cars with gasoline and diesel engines of more than 1,900 cubic centimeters, electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as tires for large vehicles.
Thursday, July 27
3:16 pm: Niger's military announced on national television that the regime of President Mohamed Bazuma had been overthrown and the borders closed, The Guardian.
● "This followed the deterioration of the security situation and unsatisfactory management in the economic and social spheres," Colonel General Amadou Abdurahman said in the address.
● The former president of the country was noted for his active pro-democracy path, and demanded help from the West in the fight against terrorists on the territory of the continent. He was one of the increasing number of African leaders who refused to participate in the Russia-Africa summit.
4:11 pm: Poland does not plan to transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, but it is ready to participate in the training of Ukrainian soldiers.
● This was stated by the head of the Bureau of International Policy under the President of Poland, Marcin Pszydach, reports Polskie Radio.
● "Other allied countries can also show a little more desire to help and support Ukraine. Poland has already done a lot in this regard," said Pshidach.
5:12 pm: Ukraine has several "available options" for conducting a counteroffensive.
● This was stated by US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin, reports CNN.
● "They still have a few options, and we can expect them to continue to apply pressure," Austin told a news conference in Papua New Guinea.
10:26 pm: The United States and partners are not discussing the possibility of convoys to escort Ukrainian grain ships in the Black Sea, said John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator of the US National Security Council.
● According to Kirby, Washington wants Ukrainian grain to enter the foreign market. Ukraine's allies are looking for other ways to transport grain - by land or river.
NATIONAL
Friday July 28
12:00 am: Olga Harlan reacted to her disqualification and refusal to shake the Russian's hand after the match.
● "We understood that the country that terrorizes our state, our people, families, also terrorizes sports. Therefore, today happened what had to happen. I did not want to shake the hand of this athlete. I acted with my heart," she shared her emotions.
3:54 am: Activity of enemy tactical aircraft in the eastern direction. Do not ignore the air alarm signal, - Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
7:28 am General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Russian occupation forces continue to throw newly mobilized servicemen into battle without prior combat training.
● Thus, about 110 mobilized servicemen from the territory of the Russian Federation arrived in the settlement of Rogove, Luhansk region, to the training camp of one of the divisions of the Russian troops. When they were issued with equipment and weapons, the Russian command informed the newly arrived personnel that they would be included in the assault units and soon would be sent to the area to perform combat missions on the contact line.
● During the day, the aviation of the defense forces made 7 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel, weapons, and military equipment of the Russian Federation, 1 - on anti-aircraft missile complexes and 1 - on the control post. During the past day, our defenders destroyed 8 Shahed-136 type strike UAVs and 5 operational-tactical reconnaissance UAVs.
● During the day, units of missile forces and artillery hit 1 control post, 1 area of concentration of personnel, 5 artillery pieces in firing positions, 1 warehouse of fuel and lubricating materials and 1 station of radio-electronic warfare.
11:58 am: Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Ukrainians on the Day of Ukrainian Statehood:
● "Ukraine's choice is to be a force in world history. To have the right to one's national history - one's people, one's land, one's state. And our children - all future generations of the Ukrainian people. We will definitely win!
Thursday, July 27
12:38 pm: Volodymyr Zelenskyi met with doctors during a working trip to Dnipropetrovsk region.
● "You are the same heroes as the soldiers on your front. Thank you for saving our boys and girls.
● For the fact that you give all your time and energy to restore the health of our soldiers," the president wrote.
1:06 pm: Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan refused to shake the hand of her Russian rival Anna Smirnova.
● Harlan defeated Smirnova at the world championship with a score of 15:7.
● According to FIE rules, the athlete could be disqualified for refusing to shake hands. But the judges did not change their decision and the Ukrainian fencer advanced to the next round.
1:21 pm: The Verkhovna Rada terminated the parliamentary powers of People's Deputy Aristov.
1:35 pm: The Verkhovna Rada dismissed Minister of Culture Tkachenko.
● 321 People's Deputies voted for the relevant decision, reports Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
1:47 pm: The Verkhovna Rada extended martial law and mobilization for another three months, Zheleznyak.
2:33 pm: The President of Ukraine awarded the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny with a personal weapon.
3:01 pm: Kirovohrad, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk regions - threat of enemy use of attack UAVs.
3:02 pm: Ukrainian fencer Harlan was disqualified after refusing to shake hands with a Russian.
● This was reported by Eurosport journalist Marco Arcari.
● "At first, the scoreboard of the championship indicated that the Ukrainian athlete passed to the next round and will compete with the Bulgarian fencer Ioana Ilieva. However, Olga Harlan's name disappeared from the scoreboard, and her opponent automatically passed to the next round," the message reads.
3:48 pm: President of the Ukrainian Fencing Federation Mykhailo Ilyashev commented on the situation with the disqualification of Olga Harlan:
● "We are preparing a protest, we will appeal. But we cannot talk about returning her to these competitions."
3:57 pm: The Verkhovna Rada supported the renewal of e-declaration in the first reading.
● People's deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak reports this.
4:26 pm: The court seized the property, money and bank accounts of Yevhen Borisov, the former head of the Odesa Regional TCC and SP, and his family members.
● This is reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General and the State Bureau of Investigation.
● It is reported that Borisov's relatives tried to take part of the property abroad, namely the Porsche Macan GTS. The car was registered to Borisov's daughter-in-law, but it was not possible to take it away.
4:55 pm: Soldiers of the SSO of Ukraine destroyed the enemy in the southern direction and took new prisoners, reports the press service of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
● "Convicted Russians, who were promised to have their prison terms revoked for murdering Ukrainians, were once again captured by our soldiers," the message reads.
5:26 pm: The Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine seized 650 million UAH worth of counterfeit alcohol in half a year.
● "Since the beginning of the year, BEB employees have registered 59 criminal proceedings related to the illegal production of alcoholic beverages and alcohol-containing liquids," the message reads.
● Based on the results of pre-trial investigations in criminal proceedings, 17 persons have already been charged with suspicion, 9 proceedings have been sent to court and 8 sentences have been handed down.
7:56 pm: Volodymyr Zelenskyi visited a hospital in Mykolaiv.
● "In the surgical department of the hospital, I spoke with children who are being treated after mine-explosive injuries they suffered during the shelling of the region," the President of Ukraine said.
8:23 pm: According to the materials of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine, a member of the People's Deputy of Ukraine, who was vacationing in the Maldives during the war, was informed of suspicion.
● The SBI established that the former People's Deputy made notoriously inaccurate information in the official documents regarding the period of his stay abroad, the purpose of the business trip, the country of residence and the time of his return to Ukraine.
MORDOR - RUZZIA
Friday, July 28
7:12 a.m.: Moscow Mayor Sobyanin announced a night drone attack on the Russian capital
● According to him, at night, an attempt was made to attack an enemy drone, which was shot down by the forces of the Ministry of Defense. There were no damages or injuries.
Thursday, July 27
12:08 pm: Mi-8 helicopter crashed in the Russian Republic of Altai, six people died and seven were injured — rosZMI
● According to preliminary data, the cause of the accident was electric wires.
12:53 p.m.: The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia has announced a search warrant for ICC judge Tomoko Akane, who issued a warrant for the arrest of Putin and the children's ombudsman of Lvova-Belova, — rosZMI.
● She is wanted "under the article of the Criminal Code of Russia." By what exactly - the search card does not indicate.
● In May, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation also announced a search warrant for the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan.
2:21 pm: In the coming months, the Russian Federation will supply 25-50 thousand tons of grain to African countries for free and will provide free delivery, Putin said during the Russia-Africa summit.
● We will remind that the Russian Federation withdrew from the "grain initiative" and is systematically destroying Ukrainian port infrastructure, as well as Ukrainian grain stocks.
● At the same time, according to the estimates of the Ukrainian Grain Association, since the beginning of the invasion, Russia has exported about 4 million tons of grain from Ukraine.
8:56 pm: Another convoy of "Wagners" with armored vehicles arrived in Belarus - the "Belarusian Gayun" monitoring group
● The convoy includes at least 50 vehicles, including 5 "Pike" ("Chekan") armored vehicles, 3 fuel trucks, a bus and 17 vans.
REGIONS
KYIV
Thursday, July 27
9:43 pm: Two officials of PJSC "Kyivvodokanal" and the head of a commercial firm were informed of the suspicion of embezzlement of more than UAH 1.7 million of budget funds, the press service of the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office reports.
● "In order to embezzle budget funds, officials of Kyivvodokanal involved in the illegal scheme the manager of a controlled and closely related enterprise and signed a contract with him for the supply of submersible pumps at prices significantly higher than the market prices," the report says.
SUMY
Friday, July 28
11:25 am: At night and in the morning, 6 shellings of the Sumy region (33 explosions) were recorded, the OVA reported.
● 5 settlements in 5 territorial communities were shelled: Bilopolska, Khotynska, Novoslobidska, Seredino-Budska, and Znob-Novgorodska.
● Shelling was carried out from mortars and artillery. 3 private residential buildings, a garage were damaged.
11:32 am Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Sumy region.
Thursday, July 27
12:07 pm: The air alert in the Sumy region is related to the activity of enemy army aviation along the border, — the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
12:25 pm Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Sumy region.
4:38 pm: The air alert in the Sumy region is related to the activity of enemy army aircraft along the border.
9:56 pm Sumy RMA: A man was wounded during enemy shelling of Sumy Oblast, — Sumy OVA.
● "A resident of the village of Loknya was injured during mortar shelling. In addition, a mine damaged the home of a 59-year-old man," the message reads.
KHARKIV
Friday, July 28
2:10 am: Kharkiv region - there is a threat of enemy use of attack UAVs, - Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
10:49 am Kharkiv RMA: Yesterday evening, around 21:15, the enemy shelled the village. Novoosynovo 2 residential buildings were damaged. 5 people were injured. A 61-year-old woman was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds. Men aged 84 and 75 and women aged 65 and 72 have minor injuries.
● During the past day, the Russians fired artillery, mortars and other weapons at the settlements of Kharkiv, Bogodukhiv, Chuguyiv, Izyum and Kupyan districts.
Thursday, July 27
10:12 pm Kharkiv RMA: the Russians have struck Kupyan district again.
● Around 21:15 as a result of the shelling of the village. 5 civilians were injured in Novoosynovo: 3 women and 2 men. One of the women was hospitalized with numerous shrapnel wounds, the other victims were treated by medics on the spot. The Russians hit a private residential building.
DONETSK
Friday, July 28
12:54 am: Footage of the liberation of Staromayorskyi by the 35th Marine Brigade.
3:02 am Social Networks: Explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Shakhtarsk of the Donetsk region.
10:14 am Donetsk RMA: the Russians shelled Vugledar artillery 31 times, under fire from Prechistivka. 1 person died and 2 were injured in Avdiivka, - the head of Donetsk OVA Pavlo Kyrylenko.
● Krasnohorivka, Kurakhove, New York, Chasovoyarsk and Zvanivsk communities, Pereizne, Yampol were also under fire.
● In just one day, the Russians killed 1 resident of Donetsk region and wounded 3 more.
11:09 a.m.: The SBU informed about the suspicion of the ex-leader of the Olenivska colony, who is involved in the torture of more than 100 soldiers of the Armed Forces
● It was established that from the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation until the end of July 2022, he organized the torture of more than 100 captured soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
● According to the investigation, the former head of the occupation colony turned out to be a local resident who, until 2014, was the head of the search department in the Horli district department of the disbanded militia of the Donetsk region.
Thursday, July 27
12:45 pm: Donetsk region - the threat of using ballistic weapons.
9:06 pm: Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated the village of Staromayorske in the south of Ukraine.
4:09 am: The so-called "administration" of the temporarily occupied Shakhtarsk of the Donetsk region reported that an oil depot in the city is on fire as a result of shelling.
ZAPORIZHIA
Friday, July 28
8:54 am Zaporizhia RMA: Over the past day, the Russians have fired 75 shots at 23 settlements in the Zaporizhia region.
● As a result of shelling by the Russian military, 24 buildings were damaged, including infrastructure facilities and residential buildings.
11:44 am: Explosions were heard near the Zaporizhzhya NPP, IAEA experts recorded them, Oleg Korikov, head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Thursday, July 27
4:42 pm: In the Melitopol direction, the National Guardsmen as part of the Defense Forces of Ukraine had a tactical success in the offensive, they are entrenched at the achieved boundaries.
● This was reported by acting Colonel Mykola Urshalovych, Director of the Department of Application Planning of the National Guard.
● He noted that in the Kherson region, the Russians continue to conduct active defense and indiscriminate shelling of populated areas.
5:14 pm: Explosions are heard in temporarily occupied Tokmak.
● Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov reported this.
8:36 pm Zaporizhia RMA: Russians hit Zaporizhzhia. Specialists are already working on eliminating the consequences of a terrorist attack on the regional center.
● There was no information about the victims.
11:44 pm: In Melitopol, invaders and collaborators are stealing the property of a kindergarten. This was announced by Mayor Ivan Fedorov.
● In particular, he said that hospitals for wounded Russian soldiers are being set up in kindergartens, military personnel are being accommodated in pre-school education institutions.
● And now the residents of Melitopol informed him that the invaders announced the sale of the property of one of the city's kindergartens. In order to sell more expensively, they chose a preschool that was renovated a few years before the war, with new furniture and equipment.
KHERSON
Friday, July 28
9:39 am Kherson RMA: Over the past 24 hours, the Russians have launched 28 shellings, firing 181 shells from mortars, artillery, Grads, aircraft and UAVs. 35 shells were fired in the city of Kherson.
● They aimed at the residential quarters of the settlements of the region; object of critical infrastructure of Beryslav district; to warehouses and the territory of the garage cooperative of the city of Kherson. 1 person was injured.
Thursday, July 27
● 12:23 pm Kherson RMA: Over the past day, the Russians carried out 40 shellings of the Kherson region, firing 243 shells from mortars, artillery, Grads, aviation and UAVs.
● "Residential quarters of populated areas of the region were targeted, [...] there are no victims or wounded among the civilian population," writes Prokudin.
3:30 pm Kherson RMA: the Russians shelled Odradokamyanka of the Tyagin community,
● "A 57-year-old local resident was hit by an enemy attack in his own home. He was diagnosed with injuries to his leg and arm," OVA writes.
MYKOLAIV
Friday, July 28
10:32 am: In the Mykolayiv region, two tractor drivers were blown up by a projectile: one was killed, the chief of the police of the Mykolayiv region, Serhii Shaikhet.
● "A tragic incident happened near the village of Lepetikha of the Berezneguvat community. Two tractor drivers came to the field to prepare straw for the livestock for the winter. In a moment, one of the villagers stepped on a cluster projectile
VINNYTSIA
Thursday, July 27
2:43 pm Vinnytsia RMA: Two Kalibr rockets were shot down in the suburbs of Vinnytsia at approximately 2:00 p.m. Yesterday, five people were injured by the debris.
● "All of them were provided with the necessary medical assistance in a timely manner. Nothing threatens their lives," Borzov writes.
RIVNO
Thursday, July 27
2:02 pm: In the Rivne region, the SBI exposed the heads of regional and district military committees who beat a military officer: drugs were found in one of the officials.
● "8 bags with a white substance, which may be amphetamine, were seized from the head of the Rivne district TCC and JV," - writes the press service of the DBR.
● He was charged with illegal possession of psychotropic substances for the purpose of sale in large quantities.
● The head of the regional TCC and SP, who was on video beating a military serviceman, has been charged with abuse of authority or official powers by a military official, committed under martial law.
Comparing Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to Russian invasion of Ukraine using Wikipedia and Ukraine Ministry of Defense Daily Bulletins. Soviet and Russian military losses not including captured equipment.
SOURCES
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/
https://espreso.tv/
https://cutt.ly/Blyskavka
https://t.me/uawarinfographics
https://t.me/svoboda_radio
“In the analogy we’re talking about, Russia is [Nazi] Germany."
This comparing today’s iteration of the Moscow power to “Nazi Germany” is bullshit. And it’s being pushed by people who want to hide something.
The current occupiers of the Kremlin are just unreconstructed Communist Party hacks plain and simple. The need is to call the whole upper echelon of Russian society to account for their communist crimes—to jail hundreds, if not thousands of them—not to compare them to the preferred villain of academics and foreign policy elites. That they were never given their Nuremberg trials and never subject to a thorough de-communization tells you all you need to know about the fix being in and the real agenda.
Snyder, three of whose books I’ve read, and company have to hide the fact of the left’s massive collaboration with the commies—I especially call out their support for Ho Chi Minh, which helped us lose that war and vitiated the sacrifices of my comrades in arms—and one proven way to do this is to keep the focus on “Nazis” and “fascists”, so as to maintain their sacrosanct position as history’s unique villains, always at hand as a weapon with which to quash any contemporary nationalist or other proscribed tendencies of their foes on the right.
It’s time for the left to leave dead Nazis behind and to focus instead on the living and still powerful communists running the Kremlin. That this will involve some embarrassment to them will correct many historical errors, make for better policy decisions today, and be good for their souls.