The enemy may try to capture Mariupol during the counter-offensive — Khodakovsky

Alexander Khodakovsky (Skif), deputy head of the National Guard’s department for the DPR, commander of the legendary Vostok battalion and first-wave militiaman, said in his author’s Telegram channel that the enemy could try to capture Mariupol during a counteroffensive.

“In the place of the enemy, assuming to attack, I would focus on Mariupol. Climbing into the canonical Russian territories, hoping to arrange a “barter” is, among other things, to get a population that, for the most part, will meet the occupiers not with bread and salt. Yes, and in the minds of everyone who is able to hold a weapon in their hands, everything will immediately fall into place: the special operation will quickly turn into a Patriotic War with all the consequences.

But Mariupol, if you reach it somewhere from Volnovakha, is both an instant threat to Donetsk, and an inestimable political effect, and cutting off the land corridor to the Crimea ...

They know the city, the population remembers them, they know how to gain a foothold quickly, and we may not quickly find offensive forces to re-take Mariupol ... Can you imagine the picture of how we storm the once taken city for the second time?

The unfortunate Pavlovka, who left us in half a day, then cost us unreasonably dear ... So I would strengthen this direction, if possible. Of course, I’m still a strategist, but now, in principle, there are not a lot of strategists.”

Translated from Skif

Join us 👉 @TrFormer 💤
Become a member of the @TransFormerChat

Powerful fotage: an attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to storm the Russian position "Cyclops" near Bakhmut/Artemovsk

▪️An enemy drone recorded the failure of the assault group of the 54th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which was trying to capture the positions of Russian fighters.
▪️The footage shows close combat in the trenches. At 01:38 a militant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the left receives a bullet exactly in the head and remains lying down.
▪️At 01:43, the Russian fighter was obviously born lucky. Having used up all the hand grenades, the Ukrainian military retreated, having lost at least one killed.

Translated from RVvoenkor

Join us 👉 @TrFormer 💤
Become a member of the @TransFormerChat

FOX NEWS: Tulsi Gabbard calls US gender policy in schools crazy

Former US presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard said on Fox News that Washington, spreading gender ideology in schools, has gone so far as to slide into real madness.

In her opinion, the American authorities want to convince children that objective truth simply does not exist. Gabbard admitted that, looking at what is happening, she always waits for someone to jump out from around the corner and shout that this is a prank.
👉Join us @TrFormer💤

I see the goal,
I see no obstacles.
Good night 😴
@TrFormer💤

Police in Ivano-Frankovsk (Western Ukraine) oversees the work of representatives of the Ukrainian military enlistment office. Everything is fine.

Translated from Kedmi

Join us 👉 @TrFormer 💤
Become a member of the @TransFormerChat

Uday Kotak news: Uday Kotak, the MD and CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank, on Friday, made a huge statement against the US Dollar. Speaking at a panel discussion at the ET Awards for Corporate Excellence 2023, he called the greenback "the biggest financial terrorist in the world." He also he highlighted a once-in-a-hundred-years opportunity for India to make the Indian Rupee the reserve currency for the world.

Substantiating the comment, he said, "all our money is in nostro accounts and somebody in the US can say — you cannot withdraw it from tomorrow morning — and you are stuck. That is the power of the reserve currency."
Juxtaposing this grim situation in the present context, where the world is desperately looking for an alternative reserve currency, he highlighted a big, once-in-a-hundred-years opportunity for India to make the Indian Rupee the reserve currency for the world.

"I don't think Europe can [make their currency the reserve], because it is the disunited states of Europe. I don't think UK or Japan have the heft to be taking that position, though both the British Pound and the Yen are free currencies. China, I think, has a major issue of trust with many many countries around the world," he said.
Kotak went on to list out the requirements India must fulfil to build the rupee as a reserve currency. It is a long, sustained walk and run, he said, adding that the country "has to build strong institutions. It has to build a strong framework that is not dependent on the whims and fancies of anyone. India has to be trusted."

On Sunday Uday Kotak clarified his remarks wherein he had referred to the dollar as the biggest 'financial terrorist' in the world. In a tweet, Kotak said that what he meant was that 'a reserve currency has disproportionate power, whether it is nostro account, 500 bps rate increase', or emerging countries holding dollars for liquidity.
"In a recent discussion on US$, I inadvertently used the words “financial terrorist” which I would like to correct. What I meant was that a reserve currency has disproportionate power, whether it is nostro account, 500 bps rate increase, or emerging countries holding $ for liquidity," he said in the tweet.

#India
Join us 👉 @TrFormer 💤
Become a member of the @TransFormerChat

India and Russia agree to boost longstanding defence ties

At a meeting with his colleague, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, Sergei Shoigu said that all Russian-Indian projects in the field of military-technical cooperation (MTC) are being successfully implemented, none of them has been curtailed. Rajnath Singh himself wrote on his social networks that the negotiations with Shoigu "were excellent." Against the background of the rapidly developing political and economic cooperation between Russia and China, which is in the centre of the painfully hysterical attention of the West, the Russia-India axis in the global media space is not so noticeable, although in fact Russia is systematically and actively moving both east and south, expanding its own room for manoeuvre and strategic expansion.

India has refused to publicly blame Russia for the military operation in Ukraine and has increased its trade with Moscow to a record high, driven largely by the import of Russian oil.

Several Western leaders have criticised India's proximity to Russia as they try to isolate Moscow since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. New Delhi says it defending its interests in buying Russian oil and has pushed for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
#India
Join us 👉 @TrFormer 💤
Become a member of the @TransFormerChat

London wants long-range rockets for Ukraine. And not only

The United Kingdom wants to buy modern weapons for Ukraine as part of a special fund. The equipment sought includes long-range rockets and equipment ensuring mobility of troops, including bridges and mine lanes.

The UK Ministry of Defence has published a request for information on military equipment intended for use by the Ukrainian army, financed under the Ukraine Support Fund. This fund is a UK-led initiative with contributions from Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Lithuania to rapidly purchase military equipment for Ukraine. Entities from other countries may also participate in projects under this initiative . Companies from over 40 countries applied for the first — already completed — edition of the fund.

The total value of the fund is currently over 520 million pounds, or about 2.7 billion PLN. Of this amount, already 200 million pounds has been allocated, among others to unmanned aerial vehicles and reconnaissance systems as well as air defence capabilities, as well as spare parts for existing vehicles of the Ukrainian army.

The second round of recruitment for the fund is currently underway (Urgent Bidding Round 2). At the moment, offers can be made in two areas: long-range impact systems and military mobility support, until May 4 and 9, respectively.

Of course, the first one raises the most interest. The British accept quite open formula of requirements because the "key requirements" apply to: a missile or rocket launched from land, land, sea, with a load of 20 to 490 kg and a range of 100 to 300 km. In practice, therefore, it can be offered almost any rocket system with a range of at least 100 km. Of course, in addition to the "key" requirements, "desired" were also included, including interference resistance, mission planning ability or low probability of being intercepted by air defence, as well as the level of technological readiness (Technical Readiness Level) minimum 8.
...

Join us 👉 @TrFormer 💤
Read the complete version in automated translation here ⬇️⬇️⬇️

President Biden is preparing for the eventuality that Ukraine’s “spring counteroffensive” is not the victory they’ve sold to the American people. This was the plan to re-take land that is now part of Russia, namely Crimea and the Donbass region. The President has been telling the American people that continued financial support in Ukraine is necessary for Ukraine to “win” but recently leaked documents show that the administration knows that this is all smoke. They are lying about the extent of U.S. involvement and they are selling us a failed storybook ending.
Will this help or hurt his re-election ambitions? We look at how Libya was not the quick win that Hillary Clinton had hoped it would be for her 2016 election.

Join us 👉 @TrFormer 💤
Become a member of the @TransFormerChat

Biden’s team fears the aftermath of a failed Ukrainian counteroffensive
Behind closed doors, the administration worries about what Ukraine can accomplish.

The Biden administration is quietly preparing for the possibility that if Ukraine’s spring counteroffensive falls short of expectations, critics at home and allies abroad will argue that America has come up short, too.

Ukraine’s ever-imminent counteroffensive will attempt to retake Russian-seized territory most likely in the east and south, though for operational reasons no senior officials from Kyiv have detailed specifics.

Publicly, President Joe Biden’s team has offered unwavering support for Ukraine, pledging to load it up with weapons and economic aid for “as long as it takes.” But, if the impending fighting season yields limited gains, administration officials have expressed privately they fear being faced with a two-headed monster attacking it from the hawkish and dovish ends of the spectrum.

One side will say that Ukraine’s advances would’ve worked had the administration given Kyiv everything it asked for, namely longer-range missiles, fighter jets and more air defenses. The other side, administration officials worry, will claim Ukraine’s shortcoming proves it can’t force Russia out of its territory completely.

That doesn’t even account for the reaction of America’s allies, mainly in Europe, who may see a peace negotiation between Ukraine and Russia as a more attractive option if Kyiv can’t prove victory is around the corner.

Inside the administration, officials stress they’re doing everything possible to make the spring offensive succeed.

“We’ve nearly completed the requests of what [Ukraine] said they needed for the counteroffensive as we have surged weapons and equipment to Ukraine over the past few months,” said one administration official who, like others, was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive internal considerations.

But belief in the strategic cause is one thing. Belief in the tactics is another — and behind closed doors the administration is worried about what Ukraine can accomplish.

Those concerns recently spilled out into the open during a leak of classified information onto social media. A top secret assessment from early February stated that Ukraine would fall “well short” of its counteroffensive goals. More current American assessments are that Ukraine may make some progress in the south and east, but won’t be able to repeat last year’s success.

Join us 👉 @TrFormer 💤
Read the complete version here ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Mobilization in Ukraine continues.

Footage from APwagner

Join us 👉 @TrFormer 💤

A chance to rebuild the world.
ILO chief calls for equality and stability on May 1

Promises to reduce social stratification, raise wages, reduce poverty, which have been made many times in various countries of the world during the years of the coronavirus pandemic, have remained unfulfilled, says Gilbert Houngbo, Director General of the International Labour Organization (ILO). On May 1, which is known throughout the world as Labour Day, the head of the ILO called for making social justice the cornerstone of global recovery, a priority for political decisions and actions at the national, regional and global levels. As a result of such a global coalition for social responsibility, it will be possible to build a future where people with all their interests and needs will be in the centre of attention.

“Globally, we are seeing a decline in real wages, an increase in poverty, inequality that looks more entrenched than ever,” Ungbo lists. “Enterprises, especially small and micro-enterprises, have been hit hard, many of which have gone out of business. People who have sacrificed a lot to overcome COVID-19 feel like their efforts have not been recognized, let alone rewarded. Combined with a sense of lack of opportunity, this has led to an alarming level of mistrust in society. It shouldn't be like that."

The head of the ILO urged in making decisions and in all actions to be guided by the interests of people, to ensure that they are provided with the opportunity to build their material well-being and spiritual development in conditions of freedom, dignity, economic security and equality of opportunity. In addition, he called for a review and restructuring of economic and social systems so that they meet the interests of a new course of social justice, and not policies that lead to the continuation of a vicious circle of inequality and instability.

“We must breathe new life into the institutions and organizations of the world of work so that they can carry out social dialogue effectively and vigorously,” Ungbo added. “We need to rethink laws and regulations relating to the world of work, make them relevant, modern, capable of serving the interests of workers and supporting sustainable enterprises.”

We have a chance to rebuild the world in which we live, in all senses - economic, social, environmental, the ILO Director General assured and urged to use this opportunity to move towards the creation of a society of equality and stability, which will serve as the basis for lasting peace and social justice.

Translated from AIF
Join us 👉@TrFormer
Become a member of @TransFormerChat

Even despite the May 1 holiday, the hard work of the Russian military continues in the special military operation zone. At night, they delivered regular strikes on the objects of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In Pavlograd, this led to a huge fire, the glow from which was visible for many kilometres.

Vengeance strikes
Russian troops struck at the infrastructure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at night. Explosions sounded in Kyiv, Dnepropetrovsk, Pavlograd, Kharkiv, Sumy and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.

A huge fire in Pavlograd showed that this time the strikes were on ammunition depots and railway echelons of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The transport hub was used to supply and transfer resources. It is noted that there was a detonation of ammunition. At the same time, there was no information about the losses of enemy personnel. Ukrainian sources also wrote about the defeat of a certain industrial facility in Pavlograd.

According to military commander Alexander Kots, Pavlograd is an extremely important transport hub for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Motor roads run from it to Pokrovsk, Kurakhovo and Marinka, as well as towards the Kramatorsk-Slavic agglomeration. The railway, which has already been attacked by the RF Armed Forces before, leads in the direction of Avdiivka. This is not the first time the city has become a target for Russian troops. In autumn, the workshops of the defence enterprise for the production of fuel and rocket engines were destroyed there. In addition, this is a hub for the transfer of Polish mercenaries to the line of contact.

Translated from AIF

Join us 👉 @TrFormer 💤
Become a member of the @TransFormerChat

Goddess Kali meme: Ukraine defence ministry’s outrageous tweet proves its ‘cool’ to denigrate gods and beliefs of Hindus

Ukraine accepts humanitarian aid from India yet takes dramatic, performative moral positions in an attempt to force New Delhi into formulating its foreign policy based on morality, not self-interest.

On Sunday, Ukraine’s defence ministry, which represents the Volodymyr Zelensky regime, shared a meme via its official Twitter handle that mocked, denigrated, and ridiculed the faith of billions of Hindus around the world. Not only was the morphed image obscene and explicitly Hinduphobic, but also the fact that it was posted by an arm of the Ukrainian government should raise serious questions over Ukraine’s attitude towards India.

The now-deleted tweet juxtaposed an image of plumes of smoke emerging from a Russian fuel storage facility in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, which was allegedly hit by a Ukrainian drone on Saturday, alongside the purported image of Ma Kali in a risqué pose imitating Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe’s ‘flying skirt’ photo from 1954. It carried the caption, ‘work of art’.

It is not clear what the Zelensky regime in Kyiv, which has been at the receiving end of frequent accusations of Nazism even from friendly Western media was hoping to achieve through an image that demeaned a Hindu article of faith, stigmatized Hindus and sought to normalise Hindu hatred.

Despite its history of condemning India and voting against the country at the United Nations — not to speak of supplying weapons worth $1.6 billion to Pakistan — the Ukrainians have been demanding India’s support for Western sanctions against Russia and at the UN, and heaping moral opprobrium on New Delhi for its decision to keep purchasing Russian oil. A senior Ukrainian lawmaker had even urged the United States to impose secondary sanctions on India.

Dmytro Kuleba, a former Ukrainian ambassador to India who is now the country’s foreign minister, had accused India of profiting from “Ukrainian blood” and tying it to Kyiv’s assistance in the evacuation of Indian students.

Ukraine accepts humanitarian aid from India yet takes dramatic, performative moral positions in an attempt to force New Delhi into formulating its foreign policy based on morality, not self-interest. From that moral perch, for Kyiv to not know what causes hurt to the sentiments of billions of Indians who call themselves Hindu, and in effect, mock one of their most revered goddesses with a burlesque caricature that runs a Leopard tank over their faith is shocking, hypocritical and tragic.

Till the time of writing, no apology has come from Kiev except the deletion of the tweet. Ukraine recently sent its deputy foreign minister Emine Dzhaparova to New Delhi ostensibly to stop moralizing, take a more pragmatic view of India’s compulsions and build better ties with India. Sharing such a blatantly Hinduphobic image won’t help.

The image also raises a larger question. Is mocking Hindu gods and goddesses, and making fun of their cultural beliefs acceptable and not morally onerous because Hindus don’t impose costs on those doing it? The fact is that Ukrainians won’t dare to pull off such a stunt against, for instance, followers of Islam because steep costs are involved, including the possibility of violence, sanctions or both. Denigration of Hindu beliefs, and taking liberties with their gods is safer.

This duality, which has now been normalized in societies across the world, inadvertently incentivizes violence and encourages fundamentalism. It sends a message to Hindus that their pacifism makes it easier for others to play with their sentiments.

#India
Join us 👉 @TrFormer 💤
Become a member of the @TransFormerChat