Russia Holds 90% Bakhmut, Sweden Refutes 6 Guys in Boat NS Claim, Macron Accused of Betraying US

Russia Holds 90% Bakhmut, Sweden Refutes 6 Guys in Boat NS Claim, Macron Accused of Betraying US

Easter Greetings and Update on the War in Ukraine

In this section, the speaker sends Easter greetings to those celebrating and provides an update on the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Update on the Battle of Bachman

  • Reports from various sources deny that Bachman has been captured by Russian forces.
  • The Russian newspaper Radovka maintains that Ukrainian troops were trying to pull out of Mahmud and that the road leading into Bachman from Joseph Young had been cut. However, they concede that there is still fighting going on in the town itself.
  • Despite some reports claiming that other locations in Bachman have fallen under Russian control, Ukrainian channels have conceded that Ukraine now only controls 10% of the town around it.
  • The Russians are continuing to make significant advances towards taking every single part of this town under control.

Prediction for Bachman's Future

  • The speaker predicts that Ukraine has understood and accepted their loss of Bachman General Sirsky. There is even a rumor that General Circuit has finally admitted as much to President Zielinski.
  • Despite mounting fierce resistance within Batman itself, it seems like a rear guard operation to allow most of their forces to be withdrawn from the town.

Other Updates on Fighting

  • There are reports of continuing fighting with Russians pressing Ukrainians in surrounding villages such as Bogdanovka.

Reports from Washington Post

In this section, the speaker discusses various reports published by The Washington Post regarding ammunition shortages faced by Ukraine.

Ammunition Shortages Faced by Ukraine

  • According to The Washington Post, Ukraine is now so short of ammunition that they are having to create all kinds of substitute devices, such as makeshift bombs dropped from drones, because artillery fire is running down.

Heavy Artillery Shells Shortage

The Washington Post reports that Ukraine has intensified its shelling over the last few weeks, perhaps in preparation for an offensive. There is no explanation for why there has been a jump from about three to five thousand up to seven thousand rounds a day. The overall story was of continued very heavy shortages of artillery ammunition and Ukraine being very short of shells especially for its Soviet-era guns.

Ukrainian Defense Minister's Visit to Mediterranean Countries

  • Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexei Resnikov has been traveling around small countries in the eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans asking for shells.
  • He visited Bulgaria, Greece, and Cyprus to try and get deliveries of artillery shelves.
  • It is difficult to understand how the defense minister of Ukraine on the eve of the Ukrainian offensive is still running around small countries in the eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans asking for shells.

Big Document Dumps

The Washington Post reports on big document dumps related to Russian military dispositions. There have been two document dumps so far, with claims that they have been distorted by Russians to inflate Ukrainian casualties and reduce Russian ones.

United States' Information on Russian Military Dispositions

  • The United States is fairly well informed about Russian military dispositions through electronic intelligence systems, signals intelligence, satellites, etc.
  • Claims suggest that the United States has penetrated the Russian military and is able thereby to tip off Ukraine about where Russians are about to launch attacks.
  • Most information that the United States tipped off Ukraine about was already figured out from open sources. Clear indications were available regarding missile attacks coming from Russia.

Intelligence Agencies and Open Source Material

The speaker discusses the combination of genuine intelligence with open source material and spin in intelligence reports. They suggest that intelligence agencies scoop up information from various sources, including private ones, combine it all together, give it a certain spin, and pass it on to the White House as their intelligence summaries.

Intelligence Reports

  • Genuine intelligence is combined with open source material and an element of spin.
  • It's not unusual for this to happen in war.
  • Intelligence agencies scoop up information from various sources, including private ones, combine it all together, give it a certain spin, and pass it on to the White House as their intelligence summaries.

Refutation of Nord Stream Sabotage Story

The speaker talks about the refutation of the story about six men sabotaging Nord Stream. Swedish prosecutors have said that this was clearly a state-managed operation. The story has essentially collapsed after being discredited by actual investigators.

Nord Stream Sabotage Story

  • Swedish prosecutors have refuted the story about six men sabotaging Nord Stream.
  • The story appeared shortly after Chancellor Schultz and President Biden met for a mysterious meeting in Washington without advisors present.
  • The story was an exercise in disinformation created by someone in the US who was concerned by Seymour Hershey's account of events.
  • German investigators found explosive residue on a yacht but did not believe in the six guys and a boat scenario.
  • None of the senior people named by Seymour Hirsch as decision-makers behind the attack on Nord Stream were mentioned in the story.
  • The fact that the story collapsed does not prove or disprove Seymour Hershey's account, but the speaker believes that Hershey's account is true.

Conclusion

The speaker concludes by saying that the documents do not add a huge amount of detail to what we already know about the war. They caution against treating them as providing an accurate picture of casualty numbers or giving us any basis to predict outcomes. However, they are interesting in providing an image of the kind of information circulating within the Washington bureaucracy and may help explain some US decisions.

Final Thoughts

  • The documents do not add a huge amount of detail to what we already know about the war.
  • They should not be treated as providing an accurate picture of casualty numbers or giving us any basis to predict outcomes.
  • They are interesting in providing an image of the kind of information circulating within the Washington bureaucracy and may help explain some US decisions.

Alleged Involvement of US Officials in Syria

The speaker discusses the alleged involvement of US officials in a chemical attack in Syria and notes that none of the officials have personally denied their involvement.

Allegations of Involvement

  • None of the US officials accused of being involved in a chemical attack in Syria have personally denied their involvement.
  • The speaker notes that spokespeople for various departments have denied the allegations, but not the officials themselves.
  • Seymour Hirsch is mentioned as the source of these allegations.

Slovakia's Sabotaged Fighter Jets

The speaker discusses Slovakia's claim that Russian technicians sabotaged fighter jets intended for Ukraine.

Sabotage Claims

  • Slovakia claims that Russian technicians sabotaged MiG-29 fighter jets intended for Ukraine.
  • The speaker finds this story to be unlikely, as technical support from Russia likely ended before fighting began last February.
  • It is suggested that the jets were likely not in good condition due to age and previous use by Ukraine.

Ukraine's Purchase of Armored Vehicles from Poland

The speaker discusses Ukraine's purchase of armored vehicles from Poland and questions whether they are new builds or taken from existing stocks.

Armored Vehicle Purchase

  • Ukraine has announced its purchase of around 200 wheeled infantry fighting vehicles or armored personnel carriers from Poland.
  • It is unclear whether these are new builds or taken from existing stocks.
  • If taken from existing stocks, it is questioned how many vehicles Poland will have left at the end of this transaction.

Missile Attack on Crimea by Ukraine

The speaker discusses a missile attack launched by Ukraine on Crimea and the potential implications of this incident.

Missile Attack

  • Ukraine launched a long-range missile attack on the town of Philadelphia in Crimea.
  • The strike was likely not done with an attacker's missile, but rather some type of missile or cruise missile developed by Ukraine.
  • It is suggested that this incident may indicate that Ukraine is testing Russia's air defenses over Crimea or testing its own missiles in advance of an offensive.

Russian Glide Bombs Used Against Ukrainian Positions

The speaker discusses the use of Russian glide bombs against Ukrainian positions and their devastating effects.

Use of Glide Bombs

  • The Russians are increasingly using long-range precision-guided glide bombs weighing 500 kilos and 1,500 kilos against Ukrainian positions.
  • These bombs have had devastating effects on Ukrainian positions.
  • It is noted that these bombs are likely being used in conjunction with other military tactics.

Russian Aircraft Launching Bombs in Ukraine

The Russians are using Sukhoi 34 fighter bombers to drop bombs in the area of Uglada, and they have started to use their aviation to launch airstrikes on Ukrainian positions and air defenses. It is unclear whether the F-16 fighter jets would enable Ukraine to shoot down these Russian aircraft.

Russian Offensive

  • The Russians need F-16s to shoot down their own aircraft launching bombs.
  • Sukhoi 34 fighter bombers are dropping bombs in the area of Uglada.
  • The Russians have started using aviation to launch airstrikes on Ukrainian positions and air defenses.

Potential Outcomes

  • It remains to be seen what effect this will have on the situation.
  • Once Batman is cleared, the Russians may focus on Avdevka and Sevesque before finishing fighting in Marenka and Voglada.

Macron's Trip to China

Macron's trip to China has caused a contrast between how Chinese media is covering it versus Western media. There are talks that Macron has betrayed the United States by going to China, but this seems extraordinary.

Chinese Media Coverage

  • Chinese media is putting a positive spin on Macron's visit, implying that it consolidated China's relationship with the EU and achieved positive results.

Western Media Coverage

  • Western media is increasingly negative about Macron's trip, with some accusing him of betraying the US by going to China.
  • Daniel Johnson wrote an article complaining about Germany conducting a toxic love affair with Russia and China.

Macron's Position

  • Macron has put himself in an utterly false position by trying to maintain a good relationship with China while also harping on about Russia and Ukraine.
  • Despite the positive spin in Chinese media, it seems that Macron has pleased no one. The Chinese were not pleased with his comments about Russia and Ukraine, while the neocons are furious because he failed to shift Chinese policy on Russia and Ukraine.

Shirak's Independent Foreign Policy

In this section, the speaker discusses how Shirak ordered an independent foreign policy that is not aligned with the nearcons in the United States. The speaker explains that there is no midway between the two and that total loyalty is expected from Washington, London, and Brussels.

Pursuing an Independent Foreign Policy

  • Shirak ordered an independent foreign policy.
  • Total loyalty is expected from Washington, London, and Brussels.
  • Macron has an exaggerated view of his own intelligence and ability to handle things.

State of Russian Economy

In this section, the speaker talks about the state of the Russian economy. The speaker mentions that inflation is falling, unemployment is falling, demand is rising, and industrial production is also rising. The speaker also discusses quarterly figures for the size of the budget deficit in January through March.

State of Russian Economy

  • Inflation is falling below four percent.
  • Unemployment is falling while demand and industrial production are rising.
  • Aggregate budget deficit over January through March was 29 billion dollars.
  • Prime Minister Mushutsin suggested a budget deficit of around 40 billion dollars in March.
  • Finance Minister Anton Silwanov said on last day of March they received a big payment of 32 billion dollars which reduced deficit further.

Russian Policy on Ruble Value

In this section, the speaker discusses how Russia lets the ruble fall in value to increase exports and decrease imports.

Dirty Float Policy

  • Russia has a policy of letting the ruble fall in value to increase exports and decrease imports.
  • This policy is known as a "dirty float" and involves letting the exchange rate of the ruble to the dollar and RMB fall.
  • The falling ruble makes exports cheaper, increasing their value in foreign currency. It also makes imports more expensive, which can help choke off imports.

Deficits and Ruble Movements

In this section, the speaker talks about why people should not worry too much about deficits or Ruble movements.

Deficits

  • People should not spend too much time stressing about deficits.
  • Major macroeconomic indicators point to a continued recovery.

Ruble Movements

  • People should not spend too much time stressing about Ruble movements.
  • Capital controls were imposed by the Russian government in March last year to prevent financial collapse due to sanctions.
  • Falling inflation rates and high interest rates would discourage people from rushing to banks to change rubles into dollars or RMB.

Conclusion

In this section, the speaker concludes his talk by wishing everyone a happy holiday season and providing information on where viewers can find more videos from his channel.

Happy Holidays!

  • The speaker wishes everyone a happy Christmas and Easter.

Where to Find More Videos

  • Viewers can find all videos on various platforms such as locals, Rumble, BitChute, Odyssey, Rockfin, and Telegram.
  • The speaker encourages viewers to support their work via Patreon and SubscribeStar.
  • Viewers can also check out the shop for merchandise such as mugs, hats, hoodies, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and backpacks.
  • Finally, the speaker asks viewers to click the like button if they enjoyed the video and check their subscription to his channel.
Video description

Russia Holds 90% Bakhmut, Sweden Refutes '6 Guys in Boat' Nord Stream Claim, Macron Accused of 'Betraying US' in China, Russian Inflation Unemployment Fall Output Rises Topic 813 *****LOCALS COMMUNITY***** https://theduran.locals.com 1 MONTH FREE TRIAL: https://theduran.locals.com/support/promo/DURANLOCALS *****THE DURAN SHOP***** http://drnshop.com 10% OFF COUPON. Use code at checkout​​​​: REALNEWS *****OUR OFFICIAL CHANNELS***** ALEXANDER: https://www.youtube.com/AlexanderMercourisReal ALEX: https://www.youtube.com/alexchristoforou *****CRYPTO SUPPORT***** BITCOIN: 3JvdnoyWMb93hSRgk58ZstUxg11PW9mKSr ETHEREUM: 0xF39BdFb41f639B82E3D2Bf022828bC6394F533A3 LTC: MGFiMC18ZViF6DcCixMqAAP11TG4tF6Acj ADA: addr1v94ayqu53uklgqnn6c4x4weu8zk4uw78km8capd5rjdc06q28j370 HEX: 0xD449694348B1D618ECa2829Bbc901782F5172689 EMC2: EXX4KK9pZLx7uiLWnCXtp7iMKjtq6o5b6R *****DONATE***** CREDIT CARD: https://donorbox.org/the-duran SUBSCRIBE STAR: https://subscribestar.com/theduran PATREON: https://patreon.com/theduran *****VIDEO PLATFORMS***** SUPER U: https://bit.ly/3hg1B3R RUMBLE THE DURAN: https://rumble.com/c/theduran ODYSEE: THE DURAN: https://odysee.com/@theduran ALEXANDER: https://odysee.com/@AlexanderMercouris:a ALEX: https://odysee.com/@alexchristoforou:7 BITCHUTE: THE DURAN: https://www.bitchute.com/theduran/ ALEXANDER: https://www.bitchute.com/alexandermercouris ALEX: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/izwNAdmMGIC7/ *****AUDIO PODCASTS***** SPOTIFY: https://spoti.fi/3pMrfPD iTunes: https://apple.co/2H9Hk0a Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/354ASQ9 *****FREE SPEECH PLATFORMS***** TELEGRAM: https://t.me/thedurancom GAB: https://gab.ai/TheDuran MINDS: https://minds.com/theduran PARLER: https://parler.com/profile/theduran/posts MEWE: https://mewe.com/i/theduran VK: https://vk.com/thedurancom OK: https://ok.ru/group/60904083488959 DISCORD SERVER: https://discord.gg/7qFhcjHaeF Amazing music contribution from Peter Brown. Follow Peter's music: https://soundcloud.com/peterboy100