By John Helmer, Moscow   @bears_with When Yevgeny Prigozhin (lead image, right) arrived at Southern Military District headquarters in Rostov, announcing to Lieutenant-General Vladimir Alexeyev that he was on his way Moscow to remove Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff, Alexeyev told him “Go get them.” Prigozhin didn’t take […]

by Editor - Wednesday, June 28th, 2023
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow   @bears_with For more than twenty years – that’s from the beginning of President Vladimir Putin’s term in office – the residents of Chelyabinsk have believed in the romantic story of how truth would triumph over deceit, law over criminality,  in their battle to breathe the city air, drink the city water, […]

by Editor - Tuesday, June 27th, 2023
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow   @bears_with In brief statements issued late last week in Moscow – their significance missed in the western press — President Vladimir Putin ordered a reality check of Russia’s war strategy. He then  answered himself by declaring the war will be over when no Ukrainian army will be left on the battlefield, […]

by Editor - Saturday, June 24th, 2023
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow   @bears_with Without the public support of any political figure in Russia, military or police unit, regional governor, or the officers of his Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin and his thousand rank-and-filers have agreed to return to their base camps on terms negotiated late on Saturday afternoon between Prigozhin and Alexander Lukashenko, the […]

by Editor - Saturday, June 24th, 2023
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow   @bears_with Since the Ukrainian abrogation of the  Istanbul non-aggression and neutrality agreement of March 2022, which President Vladimir Putin displayed to a delegation of African leaders last Saturday, one thing has been clear. The pact to end this war will be drafted and signed by Ukrainian soldiers who have been defeated […]

by Editor - Tuesday, June 20th, 2023
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow   @bears_with Jack Teixeira (lead image, left), the US Air Force national guardsman arrested on espionage allegations in April, is scheduled to appear in a Boston federal court for his arraignment on the prosecution’s charges this Wednesday, June 21.   Six counts were listed in the grand jury indictment filed in court […]

by Editor - Tuesday, June 20th, 2023
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow   @bears_with Until June 24 the combined air forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) are conducting their largest operation against Russia in the 74-year history of the alliance. The plan has been to disguise F-16 fighter jets as if they are piloted by Ukrainians, and pretend they are  launched from […]

by Editor - Saturday, June 17th, 2023
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow   @bears_with It’s religious to believe that a slight young man with a slingshot can defeat a heavily armed giant with a single stone. No general, head of government, or national electorate can rationally calculate risking their fortunes and fates on such a disadvantageous ratio of force;  on a lucky shot;  and […]

by Editor - Saturday, June 17th, 2023
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow   @bears_with The Black Sea is a small body of water by international sea standards. It is so small that when the navies of the shore states go to war, the battles tend to be brief, hit-and-run affairs, like the skirmishes between the Romanians, Germans and Soviets in 1941-42, and between the […]

by Editor - Thursday, June 15th, 2023
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow   @bears_with There’s an old Russian adage about swallowing too much and trying to talk at the same time – if  you don’t want to die of gastroenteritis, keep your mouth shut.  This isn’t an option for  understanding the  past week of the war, and preparing for the next. Bear in mind […]

by Editor - Saturday, June 10th, 2023
No Comments »