Days after widespread reports that Russia had erected Pantsir-S1 anti-air defense systems on top of some key buildings in Moscow, which triggered speculation that Russia is expecting more attacks from Ukraine on its soil, the Kremlin ramped up anti-air exercises outside Moscow.
The defense ministry confirmed in a Saturday statement, “In the Moscow region, a training session was held with the personnel of the anti-aircraft missile brigade of the Western Military District on repelling air attacks on important military industrial and administrative facilities.”
The combat exercise was centered on operation of a S-300 anti-aircraft missile system. “As they marched, soldiers repelled an attack by a mock enemy sabotage group on a military convoy,” the statement continued.
“Under the cover of a smoke screen, the air defense convoy was able to get out of the attack and continue fulfilling its tasks,” the defense ministry said in reference to the 150 soldiers that participated.
Russia has suffered several drone attacks on its soil coming from Ukraine, including multiple strikes in past months on Engels military airfield in the Saratov region, which lies 600km deep inside Russia.
While Moscow itself hasn’t seen any such ariel strikes, there has been speculation that key facilities in the region have been hit with sabotage attacks – but this has remained unconfirmed from the Russian side, which is unlikely to admit such attacks when they do occur.
⚡️Another "Pantsir-S1" was placed on the roof of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Moscow. pic.twitter.com/8mKzNF8CJY
As Russian forces make gains this month in the east and south of Ukraine, particularly in the southern Zaporizhzhia region as well as near city of Bakhmut in Donetsk, it appears the Kremlin could be making preparations for possible counter-attacks directly on its soil, and as NATO countries deepen their involvement in the conflict.
Video: Belarusian Tennis Star Calls Out Sports Reporters For “Dragging Players Into” Ukraine Conflict Talk
“I don’t know what’s the goal here that it’s continuously brought up.”
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1 day ago
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1 February, 2023
Steve Watson
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Belarusian tennis star Victoria Azarenka has called out sports reporters for continually asking players questions about the Russia/Ukraine conflict, noting “I don’t know what you guys want us to do about it.”
Azarenka was speaking during a press conference after a recent match at the Australian open, when she lost patience with journalists asking question after question about pro-Russia protests by some at the event, and accused the reporters of continuously “dragging players into” political issues.
“I don’t know what you guys want us to do about it,” Azarenka asserted, adding “Like talk about it? I don’t know what’s the goal here that it’s continuously brought up.”
The former world number one continued, “These incidents that, in my opinion, have nothing to do with players, but somehow you keep dragging players into it. So what’s the goal here?”
“I think you should ask yourself that question, not me,” she sternly added.
Azarenka also stated that whatever she says will be twisted by the reporters to suit their own narrative anyway, so why should she bother.
“Whatever the answer I’m going to give it to you right now, it’s going to be turned whichever way you want to turn it to,” the tennis star urged, adding “So does it bother me? What bothers me is there’s real things that’s going on in the world. And I don’t know. Are you a politician? Are you? Are you covering politics?” she rhetorically asked the sports reporter.
“I’m an athlete,” Azarenka further proclaimed, adding “and you’re asking me about things that maybe somebody says are in my control, but I don’t believe that. So I don’t know what you want me to answer. And if it’s a provocative question, then, you know, you can spin the story however you want.”
“Obviously it’s a topic you want to continue to bring up and up and up again,” Azarenka charged, telling the reporters “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
Watch:
Tennis star Victoria Azarenka is sick of Left wing journos asking her about Russia:
"Whatever the answer I'm going to give to you right now, it's going to be turned whichever way you want to turn it."
Azarenka is correct, there is a sustained effort by reporters, even non-politics reporters to involve sports personalities in narratives centred around the ‘current thing’ they obsessively use to sell newspapers and garner clicks.
Novak Djokovic has been repeatedly subject to such treatment, with tennis officials also guilty of dragging politics into the sport.
Former UK Defense Minister Says NATO May Need To Send Ground Forces To Ukraine
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1 day ago
on
1 February, 2023
Zero Hedge
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The “domino theory” was once used to great effect in order to manipulate the American public into supporting the Vietnam War, but will the same narrative work to get the west to support World War III with Russia?
Former UK Defense Minister Sir Gerald Howarth seems to think so as he uses this exact claim to justify NATO boots on the ground in Ukraine.
FORMER DEFENSE MINISTER OF UK SAYS NATO FORCES MAY NEED TO FACE RUSSIA ON THE GROUND pic.twitter.com/7LJ3Nksniq
It should be noted that a large percentage of the American populace and most of Europe have no interest whatsoever in engaging with Russia and possibly its allies in all out war, but the establishment appears intent on forcing the issue anyway. The delivery of NATO tanks and the possibility of longer range missiles will no doubt trigger a wider response from Russia, which will then be used by NATO as a reason to escalate further.
At the very least, Howarth does admit what many in the alternative media have been saying for some time – That Ukraine’s efforts have ground to a halt without further support from NATO troops. The deliveries of money and weapons are nothing more than a stop-gap; wars are won by men.
The former minister suggests that Ukraine is essentially too big to fail and that NATO cannot allow Russia to prevail in the region, otherwise they will be emboldened to strike other nearby nations. There is zero evidence to support this argument, but it is clear that NATO talking heads are desperate to drum up some kind of public fervor.
Are western citizens willing to fight and die for Ukraine? It’s highly unlikely.