(These do look pretty lethal and kind of cool)

9 Jan, 2024 10:15

Russia using ‘glide bombs’ to devastate Ukrainian bunkers – NYT

One of Kiev’s troops compared Moscow’s strikes to “the gates of hell”

The Russian military is increasingly using ‘glide bombs’ to destroy strong Ukrainian fortifications, some of which date back to 2014 when hostilities first erupted in Donbass, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing Kiev’s troops.

Ukrainian frontline soldiers told the newspaper that while they had become accustomed to constant artillery attacks, since the spring they had suffered “the additionaldevastating power” of glide bombs dropped by Russian warplanes. The weapons, which contain up to half a ton of explosives, arecapable of obliterating Ukrainian underground bunkers, they added.

While it is unclear which specific type of bomb was being referring to, in recent weeks the Russian Defense Ministry has reported the deployment of FAB-500 bombs equipped with a gliding and correction module against Ukrainian defenses. Russian military experts and Western media estimate the range of the bombs at about 40km, although the figure may vary.

One Ukrainian soldier ==compared the glide-bomb strikes to “hell’s gates.”

“They would send them two by two by two, eight in an hour==… It sounds like a jet coming down on you,” he told the NYT.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph in May, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yury Ignat admitted that glide bombs posed a “very serious threat.” He described the weapon as a cheaper option compared to various types of rockets. “The S-300s [missiles] we can sometimes intercept, but these bombs are a problem,” he said.

Ukrainian service members told the NYT that it “has never been so dangerous” to be near the front line. They noted that Moscow’s forces are now also making extensive use of first-person view (FPV) drones to hunt down targets or coordinate artillery strikes. This has significantly hampered the maneuverability of Ukrainian troops, who now have to mainly move on foot or hide in shelters, the newspaper said.

Kiev’s soldiers claimed they were the first to start using the tactic, but that Russia quickly followed suit. “My impression is Russia is interested in drones at the state level,” one service member told the outlet. He complained that Ukraine, in contrast, has to rely on donor programs, and urged the government in Kiev to ramp up its efforts in this area.

https://www.rt.com/russia/590321-russia-glide-bombs-ukraine-bunkers/

9 Jan, 2024 19:55

Ukraine pegs cost of corruption in its military

A Ukrainian Defense Ministry audit has exposed over $262 million in improper expenditures (that’s a fucking lie, it’s much higher than that.)

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has claimed that an internal probe of the country’s military procurement practices revealed $262 million in theft-related costs; the alleged perpetrators may be criminally prosecuted amid a crackdown on corruption.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Monday announced the results of an investigation that began when he took the job four months ago. He said the ministry is working to cleanse the country’s military of “unscrupulous participants, inside and outside the institution,” as well as collaborating with law enforcement agencies to hold corrupt officials accountable.

“We are eradicating corruption,” (KEK, yeah right!) Umerov insisted. “The system resists, but we will overcome it.” He added that news of corruption arrests and prosecutions will become more common, and a new “procurement architecture,” based on NATO standards, will help prevent future theft.

Ukraine consistently ranks as one of the world’s most corrupt countries, according to Transparency International. A CBS News report in August 2022 indicated that waste and corruption were preventing about 70% of the Western weaponry being donated to Kiev from making it to the battlefield. When Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky introduced Umerov as the country’s new defense minister last September, he identified curbing corruption as one of the five key priorities for the job.

Umerov said the Defense Ministry worked with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) last month to foil a corruption plot involving a $39 million ammunition transaction. Changes in procurement practices helped save about $92 million, or 20%, on non-weapons purchases. For instance, negotiations on the purchase of headphones cut the price by more than $300,000.

“We are rebuilding procurement mechanisms to ensure the continued delivery of weapons and non-lethal supplies to the armed forces,” Umerov said. “From now on, the Defense Ministry sets the rules of the game, forms policy and controls bidding.”

The Ukrainian military saw multiple corruption scandals under Umerov’s predecessor, Aleksey Reznikov, including food purchases at inflated prices and the acquisition of jackets that reportedly almost tripled in cost between when they were shipped and when they were delivered. Zelensky fired the directors of Ukraine’s 33 military recruitment centers in August because they allegedly took bribes to sign off on bogus medical exemptions for would-be soldiers who were desperate to avoid conscription.

https://www.rt.com/news/590358-ukraine-audits-military-corruption/

(That pictures shows exactly why Macron appointed him, seems like a personal relationship between them, creepy eh? The guy looks like he wants to jump the bones of Macron)

9 Jan, 2024 13:41

Macron appoints openly gay 34-year-old as new French PM

Gabriel Attal is the youngest-ever French premier and is tipped to revitalize the presidency of Emmanuel Macron

Gabriel Attal has become the youngest-ever prime minister of France after President Emmanuel Macron appointed him to succeed Elisabeth Borne. The 34-year-oldhad previously served as education minister.

Attal was chosen to shake up the Macron presidency, which has struggled since losing its absolute majority in parliament in 2022. He is the country’s first openly gay premier, having entered a civil union with a French MEP.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Macron said he was counting on Attal’s energy and commitment to achieve the political goals of his presidency.

Borne, 62, stepped down with the rest of her government on Monday in the face of adverse public opinion. Last year, her cabinet pushed controversial pension reforms through parliament without a vote, triggering mass protests.

The French public also blamed her for failing to tackle inflation and illegal immigration. The latter issue caused a surge in popularity for the right-wing, pro-border-control National Rally party, led in parliament by Marine Le Pen.

Borne’s resignation letter hinted that she would have preferred to remain in office, stating that she “must” present her decision to quit to the president despite retaining a passion for the job, according to Associated France Presse.

The government reshuffle comes months before the Olympic Games are hosted by Paris and a European Parliament election takes place in June. Polls expect the Macron-led centrist forces to lose many of their current seats in the EU legislature.

The incumbent president won his second term two years ago, beating Le Pen in the second round, but could not capitalize on the success during the race for seats in parliament several months later.

https://www.rt.com/news/590337-attal-prime-minister-france/

9 Jan, 2024 22:01

Pentagon chief had cancer – doctors(Has cancer, so it wasn’t an elective surgery then, they are still lying.)

The US military medical center has revealed the reason for Lloyd Austin’s absence

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was treated for prostate cancer in early December and hospitalized last week for complications from the procedure, the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center revealed on Tuesday. The hospital stay was kept secret from both the White House and the American public for several days.

The Pentagon first mentioned Austin’s absence last Friday, telling reporters he had resumed his duties. Over the weekend, it emerged that the former general was still at Walter Reed, working remotely, and that he hadn’t informed

President Joe Biden or the National Security Council of his absence.

A Pentagon spokesman described the cause of Austin’s hospitalization as complications from an “elective surgery,” which were not disclosed due to privacy concerns. According to a statement posted by two Walter Reed officials, Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer during a screening early last month and went in for a “minimally invasive surgical procedure” called prostatectomy on December 22.

He was under general anesthesia but “recovered uneventfully” and went home the next morning, said the statement signed by Trauma Medical Director Dr.

John Maddox and Dr. Gregory Chesnut from the Center for Prostate Disease Research.

On January 1, however, Austin was readmitted with a urinary tract infection that had caused fluid accumulation in his stomach and intestines and severe pain.

He was placed in an intensive care unit (ICU) the following day. The infection has since cleared, he “continues to make progress,” and the doctors anticipate a full recovery, though they noted “this can be a slow process.”

Maddox and Chesnut insisted that Austin “never lost consciousness and never underwent general anesthesia” during the second stay at Walter Reed.

Although Austin finally spoke with the president on Saturday, he apparently hadn’t disclosed his condition at the time. Asked when Biden found out about the cancer, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday that “he was informed today.” The Pentagon was informed of the diagnosis on the same day, according to Major General Pat Ryder, the Defense Department spokesman.

“As far as the situation in terms of what the elective surgery was, and the Secretary’s condition, we’re providing that information to you as we’ve received it,” Ryder told reporters.

Ryder would not say whether Austin’s chief of staff knew about his condition. Kelly Magsamen, an Obama administration veteran who came to the Pentagon from the Center for American Progress, was on sick leave last week with the flu.

Even Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who was approached on her vacation in Puerto Rico to handle some “routine” Pentagon business, apparently did not know about Austin’s hospitalization until January 5, per CNN.

https://www.rt.com/news/590360-pentagon-austin-cancer-hospital/

Now they are trying sympathy to distract from the danger he put the country in.

UMich now has more than 500 jobs dedicated to DEI, payroll costs exceed $30 million

Jennifer Kabbany - Fix Editor •January 9, 2024

ANALYSIS: ‘UM has become a DEI ideological complex with a university attached’ The University of Michigan continues to exponentially grow the number of staffers dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, withat least 241 paid employees now focused on DEI and payroll costs exceeding $30 million annually, according to an analysis conducted for The College Fix.

The payroll costs are $23.24 million for salaries and $7.44 million for benefits, or $30.68 million, an amount that would cover in-state tuition and fees for 1,781 undergraduate students.

Thirteen DEI staff members earn more than $200,000 and 66 earn more than $100,000 when factoring in benefits.

In addition, 76 faculty or staff members work part-time as “DEI Unit Leads” advancing diversity efforts in one of UM’s 51 schools, colleges, and units, bringing UM’s core DEI headcount to 317, said economist Mark Perry, who conducted the analysis.

The number of positions at Michigan’s flagship university advancing DEI exceeds more than 500 when including those who work full-time or part-time on DEI and factoring in open and unfilled positions, as well as employees who serve as “DEI Unit Leads” and others who serve on dozens of DEI committees, Perry said.

“That brings the total number of UM employees who advance DEI on either a paid or unpaid basis to well more than 500 and possibly as high as 600,” said Perry, a paid consultant for The Fix who used public salary and website data for the analysis.

University of Michigan disputes the findings, arguing in a statement to The College Fix they are “flawed and misleading” since they include employees whose primary duties are not solely DEI-related.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are core values at the University of Michigan. As such, there is not a specific budget set aside for diversity outreach and recruitment,” said Colleen Mastony, university spokesperson, in an email Monday to The College Fix.

“Most employees working on DEI are not solely dedicated to DEI efforts but do so in addition to their other roles and responsibilities.”

“…The university’s DEI efforts are appropriate to the size, scope, and complexity of our university – spanning the university, including 51 units over our three campuses, our academic medical center, and our over 100,000 students and employees. Although some work is done centrally, much of it is done at the unit and department level,” Mastony said.

Today, the public university employs at least 241 paid staff members whose main duties are to provide DEI programming and services as a primary job responsibility, according to Perry.

As part of UM’s ambitious five-year Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) 2.0 Plan, the university’s 19 academic schools and colleges and its 32 non-academic units must now also implement DEI plans. Non-academic units include the school’s three libraries, art museum, botanical gardens, IT department, athletics, development, audit services and more.

“UM’s five-year diversity central plans are reminiscent of the Soviet Union’s and Communist China’s five-year central plans to achieve ‘Ideal Communist Societies’ which are examples of top-down oppressive bureaucratic blueprints to socially engineer outcomes decided by the top leadership of the dictatorial regimes,” Perry said….

https://www.thecollegefix.com/umich-now-has-more-than-500-jobs-dedicated-to-dei-payroll-costs-exceed-30-million/