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Mar 16, 2022·edited Mar 16, 2022Liked by Graham Seibert

Farida Rustamova reports that "Russian authorities change conscription rules amid conflict in Ukraine - Conscripts will have to come to the military registration and enlistment office without summons. The authorities may have decided to adopt new norms to make it easier to fulfill the conscription plan in conditions of military conflict." https://faridaily.substack.com/p/--a1a This would indicate to me that they're having a tough time getting conscripts, hence the need for Syrian and Chechen mercenaries. In this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD4fKDicTvI - there appears to be a generational gap in opinions about the war - the military age generation tends to oppose it, because of cultural ties, while the older generation, avid consumers of Russian state TV, tend to favor it. Most of the anti-war demonstrators are younger people as well. With reports of casualties hitting smaller towns - one town sent 150 and 18 came back - the resistance to conscription is likely to grow.

As for the no-fly zone, which would involve NATO (and mostly US) pilots shooting down Russian aircraft, the Pentagon seems to oppose it. I think they're right, besides which Russian air defenses are very good and a lot of those aircraft might wind up getting shot down. I think there's a big push on for some sort of negotiated settlement, and soon - both in Russia and Ukraine, crops are going to have to be planted pretty soon...

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Mar 16, 2022Liked by Graham Seibert

We are seeing reports in Western media that Russia nears its “culminating point” in Ukraine, and is close to running out of ammunition, missles and bombs. Some speak of days, not weeks.

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9:30 PM. The day was much quieter than yesterday. Our evening was not interrupted by explosions. I stepped outside just now for a listen and it is silent. Something brewing?

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I support and respect the Ukrainian resistance. I do have one question though. If the Russian military is failing so poorly in its invasion, then why is it that the Ukrainian president so desperate for the UN to enter into the war through the establishment of a no-fly zone?

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It's a negotiating ploy. Puts pressure on NATO to maximize help. I think it would be dangerous and is hence unlikely to happen.

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I discovered you recently through an acquaintance and subscribed. You are one interesting fellow and I enjoy your writing. Hoping and praying for you, your beauty queen and those 3 precious young ones.

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