There were reports this morning of an imminent attack in Kiev that would target the SBU, which is the Ukrainian intelligence service. According to TASS news agency, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated:
“In order to thwart informational attacks against Russia, [Russian forces] will strike technological objects of the SBU and the 72nd Main PSO Center in Kiev. We urge Ukrainian citizens involved by Ukrainian nationalists in provocations against Russia, as well as Kiev residents living near relay stations, to leave their homes,” the Ministry said.
Increased attacks in Kiev would be consistent with RT reports from yesterday stating Russia had warned residents of the capital to evacuate and that a corridor for safe passage out of the city was open. The Kiev mayor Vitaly Klitschko in recent days had said the city was encircled but later backtracked on that statement. An Asia Times report, citing European intelligence officials, suggested that Russia has been making progress on its plan to encircle major cities, like Kiev, and then give an ultimatum of talks or an attack.
A TV tower in Kiev has also purportedly been bombed by Russian forces today leading to the end of local television channel broadcasting.
Lots of people had a scare with Clint Ehrlich’s Sitrep 5, but it was later reported that Poland will not be sending fighter jets to Ukraine and NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg reiterated NATO would not be participating in any fighting.
Sanctions
There are a slew of western companies divesting from and stopping business exchange with Russia. These include Shell, following the example of BP, exiting its joint venture with Gazprom worth about $3 billion. BMW is ending shipments of automobiles to Russia, and Apple will do the same for its electronics.
However, there are a significant number of countries that are declining to sanction Russia: China and India (2 most populous countries of the world), Mexico and Brazil (I’m not aware yet of any Latin American country agreeing to sanctions so far, but feel free to correct me if there are), no countries in Africa or Middle East that I’m aware of either. Additionally, the countries on/abutting the European continent that are declining are: Georgia, Moldova and Turkey.
Media Suppression
Russia’s communications regulator has confirmed that independent radio station Echo Moskovy and independent television station TV Rain have been taken off the air. Interfax News is reporting that both will be appealing those decisions.
Russian Public Opinion
State-sponsored polling in recent days indicates that Russians generally support Putin’s military operation in Ukraine so far and support for the Russian president has increased:
VICOM: “Most Russians (68%) have spoken in support of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, while 22% said they do not support it, according to a poll conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) obtained by Interfax on Monday.”
FOM: Putin’s approval rating has risen from 60% on 2/20 to 71% on 2/27 (survey by FOM)
Again, these polls are state sponsored so some skepticism may be warranted. However, it’s not unusual to see a rally-around-the-flag jump in support for a wartime leader, especially at the beginning of military engagement.
The delusional 12% western bubble. The other 88% of the global population – 6.5 billion people – have learned the hard way that the West and particularly the UK and US are not friends, They are unreliable, brutish and lie to maintain advantage. If we look only at the last 150 years, this 88% have almost all been subject to some kind of invasion, war, regime change, genocide, slavery, theft, infrastructure destruction and coercive internal violence by one or both of these entities. They have learned that it is better to be the US’ enemy than its friend. We are indeed seeing the stirrings of a new world order as many of these countries will coalesce with China, Russia, Iran, India et al to establish a real alternative and put their economies beyond western sanctions in future. The West isolates itself more every day with its failed military incursions and propagandistic foreign policies, the truth being that Europe and the US are ineffective both politically and militarily. This is definitely civilisational in nature as many people perceive the ongoing degradation, amorality and emptiness of the western ‘ideology’ its hatred of religion and worship of inanimate objects as materialistic ‘success’. We live in massively interesting times and the Ukraine and what its outcome is will define how quickly this ‘breaking away’ from the West gathers pace. I can only wish luck to those who stand against the genocidal hypocrisy of the demented, or dementiad, crumbling Western facade.