First, the obligatory map of the day:

 

Now I need to make a note about maps, as some clearly struggle with the concept.  Okay, first, a map is NOT a faithful representation of reality.  But it is just that, a REPRESENTATION.  Which means that depending on the author of the map and the intended public, two different maps representing the same situation on the ground can look very different.

That, my friends, is *normal*.

When preparing a map, the first thing you need to ask yourself is what is your goal.  A military map will typically be more accurate, but it will be confusing to most people.  Now a “what happened today” like the one above does not have any other purpose than to give you, the non-specialized reader, an idea, a feeling for what is going on.

Check out this map for example:


And, finally, please check this Western map (which I already posted yesterday):

These three maps do not contradict each other, at least not in a significant way or, should I maybe say, not in a significant way for you.  The top one is the “general trend”, the middle focuses on Ukie positions while the third one is a projection of kind of territory the Russians are likely to want to control, they are, therefore, Russian forward subunits are quite likely already roaming most of what this maps shows in red.

The top map shows the cauldron in the eastern Ukraine

The second map also shows it, but does not show it at fully locked, instead, it shows the main axis of advance of the Russian/LDNR froces

And the third map has already “buried” the huge Ukie operational forces in the east, because in the mind of its author, that force is done, spent and basically gone.

It just so happens that today I got the confirmation that the last road leading out from the eastern Donbass towards the direction of Dnipropetrovsk (aka “Dniepr”) is now closed by Russian armor.  No, NOT by Russian artillery and close air support like for the past week or so, that is what is called “closed by fire”, but close like we imagine it, two armored columns moving towards each other, soldiers coming out, hugging, etc.

So while the reality on the ground is one and the same, the maps show/stress different things.

I also hasten to add that the 2nd map, from this excellent website, has the following pinned message, in bold and red.  Here is a machine translation: (emphasis added!)

ATTENTION! Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law criminalizing false information about the Russian Armed Forces (AF). In connection with the foregoing, I bring to your attention that: 1. The purpose of the blog for the duration of the special military operation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine is information and moral support for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as well as the troops of the People’s Militia of the DPR and LPR. 2. To create the maps published on this blog, information is taken only from open sources, including official communications from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, as well as official bodies of the DPR and LPR. 3. Data on the points of deployment, composition, organizational structure, command, its plans and decisions, the tasks of the troops, the level of their training, routes of movement, the timing of operations and hostilities, losses of personnel and equipment, as well as any other information, having a closed nature, and / or the publication of which may bring any harm to the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and the troops of the DPR and LPR, will be immediately deleted, and the persons who published such information will be banned forever, and the data on them will be submitted to the competent authorities. 4. The blog will also immediately remove knowingly false information about the actions of the troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, NM DPR and LPR. The authors of comments containing such information will also be permanently banned, and the data on them will be submitted to the competent authorities. 5. In addition, the author of the blog reserves the right to delete comments and ban the accounts of any people who simply do not like him

So, I would submit that it is rather self-evident why the maps coming from that blog, while much more detailed than the “red maps” (which come from this website: https://readovka.news/) in what concerns showing Ukrainian forces and rather very vague about actual Russian position.  Well duh!  Did you really expect a Russian map to actually give out exactly the positions for the Russian forward echelons?!?!

Instead what we get is various pseudo pro-Russian websites dismissing all the “Russian propaganda” maps while promoting other, putatively not pro-Russian propaganda, maps.  The truth? These websites are run by civilians with exactly no relevant education or experience and their goals are purely financial (clickbaiting) and ideological (serving the interests of the 5th or 6th, depending on the case, columns).

As for the real owners (and masters) of these websites they are, of course, Western PSYOPs.  Until just about now, the Western PSYOPs mission was simple “flood the Internet with info showing the Russians have failed, the Ukies are winning, Putin is sobbing and hugging a pillow under his bed“.

If that means declaring that 3000 Russian aircraft have been shot down – no problem.

So, for the first two weeks, the point of maps from the point of view of western PYSOPs was simple.  Now that the “map wars” are coming to an end (at least in the mind of those who can read a map), the main theme will change.  It won’t be “the heroic Ukie cyborgs destroyed 3 Airborne Divisions” but it will be “drunken Russians bombing a maternity hospital, murdering all the innocent babies and raping nurses” (the more cliches, the “better”).

And, who knows, I would not be surprised if tomorrow’s CNN’s or BBC’s would be “Russian invaders toss all the babies from the incubators in Volnovakha”!

Wait, what?  Did we not see that already?

Oh yes, I guess we did, at least the older ones who remember the Gulf War…

You catch my drift :-)

So, the map wars are coming to an end and welcome to the gore wars!

***

There is another topic I want to mention tonight.

The West, I am talking about BOTH the political leaders of the Empire of Lies AND many MILLIONS of their followers want to, I kid you not, “cancel Russia“.  This desire is so sincere that Instagram and Facebook lifted their ban on “hate speech” if that hate is directed at Russians.

I have lived in Europe for about half my life and about half in the USA.  I have never seen so much hate, especially so much SPONTANEOUS hate.  And for every ONE Roger Waters out there (see Roger Water’s interview for RT and following by the following (Israeli) headlines:Roger Waters Latest Disgraceful Shilling for Russia, Roger Waters Heaps Love on Russia and Assad In Latest Disgraceful Remarks and Roger Waters’ Hypocrisy on Full Display) there 10 Dave Gilmours out there too (and he dares to call himself “Pink Floyd” to boot!).

All that hate is spewed not so much by politicians, though there is plenty of that too, but by corporations.  See for see yourself, this is from today’s CNN:

But there is much more.  It’s not just the leaders of the Empire of Lies, or their IT giants, it is also millions of individuals and small businesses.  Their “noble support” of the Nazi ranges from cancelling “Russian sauces” (à la French fries becoming “Freedom Fries”), to smashing storefronts, to making millions of AK bullets to send to the Ukraine.

The hatred for everything Russia is very palpable if you are Russian and probably just “normal background noise” if you are not.  So here is what happened, is happening and will continue for a long time:

The rulers of the Empire told their serfs “hate and lynch everything Russian” and the serfs enthusiastically obeyed.

So remember that great Ukie slogan “the Ukraine is Europe”.

I agree with this slogan.  But only because the entire West became one big Ukronazi Banderastan.

Is that “just” human nature?

I don’t think so.

I think that was we are all witnessing is the climax of a genocidal hatred against Russia which dates from at least the Northern Crusades.

And here is the bad news: thousands, tens of thousands, or even more completely innocent Russians will suffer from these persecutions all over Zone A (including many kids, students, artists or athletes).  And there is nothing Russia or anybody else can do about it.

But there is also good news.  Russians in Zone B will mostly be safe (though the risk of kidnapping and subsequent torture by CIA/DoD gangs is always a possibility!) and, crucially, there is nothing at all that the “Cancel Russia” culture can do to Russia and Russians in Russia other than make them shed their stupid delusions about the West and make them more mature in their understanding of Western PYSOPs.

It is better for Russia to learn the hard way than never to learn.

The West wants to “Cancel Russia”?  Okay.

Let’s make sure that this reality gets to every single Russian out there, and then to every single person living in a sovereign country.  To those who live in Zone A but not in Russia I will say this:

The Empire of lies does not want to “just” cancel Russia.

It wants to cancel all of Zone B.

It wants to cancel *YOU*.

Think!

Enough for today and, following two weeks of nonstop work, I am taking tomorrow Sunday off (barring some huge development, of course).

Tomorrow, Sunday, is the Day when we celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxy.

I extend my joyful congratulations to all my fellow Orthodox Christians, may this day give us all courage and hope in the victory of Love, Life and Truth over Hate, Death and Falsehood everywhere!

Andrei