Dear Readers:
The main breaking news in the war today, is the Ukrainian attempt to seize the Zaporozhie Nuclear Energy Plant. I have this story by reporter Alyona Zadorozhnaya, to give us the Russian perspective and help us figure out what the heck is going on.
It seems the Ukrainians timed their “desant” perfectly to match the arrival of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). A rapidly-aging Vladimir Rogov, whom we have met many times before, heads the Zaporozhie Civil-Military Administration for the Russian side: “Zelensky and the Ukrainian Armed Forces wanted to seize control over the Zaporozhie Atomic Energy Plant (ЗАЭС) before the arrival of the IAEA inspectors. But this was a suicide mission on their part. They were not going to be greeted with bread and salt, offered by Ukrainian girls wearing their traditional kokoshniki headgear.”
Rogov continues with his narrative of events: “The massive shelling began around 5:30 AM, and then about a half-hour later, 3 kilometers from the plant, the Ukrainian commandos disembarked on the shore of the Kakhovsky reservoir. This group consisted of around 60 soldiers. Our guys quickly picked them out, and the battle is still ongoing. The enemy are under thick fire, they don’t have the opportunity even to lift their heads. A majority of them have already been killed.
“We have enough force to repel them. Our aviation is working, we have helicopters, we have grenade-launching units, we have our Spetznaz. We have the dominance, there is no doubt about that. We have both the technology and the people to defend the plant.”
Rogov goes on to state that 3 Ukrainian rockets landed within 400 meters of Block #1 of the Nuclear Power Plant. “This is very close. According to our preliminary information, we are talking about 155-mm calibre rockets of the Western type. As per tradition, the missiles were launched from the side of Marganets or Nikopol.”
Rogov confirms that, yes, this was a real attempt to seize the power station. Just in time for the weapons inspectors. “Currently the situation in Energodar is very tense. Mass shellings have been going on for several hours. Some residential homes have suffered, and two kindergartens were hit; also some stores. People are obviously scared and anxious. As for the nuclear power plant itself, it continues in working order, the surrounding radiation levels are normal.”
[According to an UPDATE in the piece: It was revealed that a second set of commandos had landed to the Northwest side of the plant. “But the armed forces of Russia drowned these militants in the Dniepr River.”]
More communiques were forthcoming from the highest levels of the Russian Ministry of Defense: “Today Ukrainian soldiers, consisting of two commando groups, comprising up to 60 men in 7 [motor] boats, disembarked on the shore of the Kakhovsky Reservoir, around 3 kilometers Northeast of the Zaporozhie Atomic Energy Plant, and attempted to seize the power station. Measures were taken to eliminate the enemy, including the use of army aviation.”
This happened, as mentioned, around 6:00 AM this morning (Moscow time, Thursday, September 1). A couple hours later, around 8:00 AM Moscow time, the Ukrainians launched artillery shelling against the very place where the IAEA inspectors are due to arrive, namely the town of Vasilievka, not to mention the plant itself. Meanwhile, Reuters confirmed that the IAEA inspectors did actually arrive in Energodar while all this excitement was going on. Well, they will have a story to tell their grandchildren.
Awful Avalanche 
Thanks.
1. These sound like precisely the kind of Ukrainians Russia (and those of us intereseted in a long term peace) most want dead.
2. Presumably Ukraine high command expected Russian armed forces to leave ZNPP in advance of the arrival of the IAEA.
Since Ukraine’s PR bs gets out faster that the reasoned reporting from Russia, I presume there has been no departure – we would be certain to see satellite “proof” from the US.
Whether that means it has stayed or that there never was a Russia presence – we don’t know yet.
3. ” A couple hours later, around 8:00 AM Moscow time, the Ukrainians launched artillery shelling against the very place where the IAEA inspectors are due to arrive, namely the town of Vasilievka, not to mention the plant itself. ”
What is going on here? Is this meant to be some kind of false flag to blame Russia for killing the IAEA inspectors?
They need to read the western media. In particular the news reports beyond para 5 (and not the opinion pieces). They might have got away with this in March, but the reporters that do all the real work have long started explaining both points of view (Russian and Ukrainian) and while they quote the Ukrainians in full, the Russia version invariably carries more credibility.
The days of MH17 where Russia was condemned purely on Bellingcat and John Kerry’s statement of satellite pictures never shown are long gone.
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3 cont. I guess the argument that Russia faked an attack on Vasilievska to delay the IAEA visit is difficult to refute – other than it would be a strange time for Russia to start making up lies.
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Well, the Russian theory is that the Ukrainians have been playing a game of make-believe, saying THEY control the plant and it’s the Russians who are shelling it.
You’d be surprised that some Westie outlets like Newsweek were still buying into that BS and just repeating verbatim whatever the Ukes say. However, the gig would have been up once the IAEA inspectors arrived at the plant and discovered that yes, the Russians were actually in military control of the plant; therefore had no reason to shell it.
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P.S. – also why Ukes tried to delay the inspection and maybe even try to kill the inspectors. That’s the Russian theory, I repeat. I kind of believe it, but I would like more proof.
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Well, clearly this is a desperation ploy (in more neutral language, an extremely high risk maneuver with an uncertain potential payout), similar to kicking over the game board when you’re losing.
An interesting question (to which, alas, we are unlikely to receive an answer any time soon) is who came up with this scheme? Ze and the Kvartal 1 crew? US State dept? Boris Johnsonchuk? MI6? It doesn’t seem like something any military type individual would concoct, but who the hell knows at this point… the mind, she boggles.
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I would have to guess that Boris Johnson is the mastermind behind this nutty plan. Either him, or maybe Arestovich, that would be his style too.
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Just plain zaniness. If they take the plant do they let the inspectors in? I’m guessing no, and that raises an interesting question given some Russian reports of illegal fuel storage at the sight and older IAEA reports indicating that Ukraine has tens of thousands of kgs of unaccounted for spent fuel. But now the inspectors are there, some of them are staying and the UN ended up having to thank Russia for ensuring the safety of UN staff, with a backhanded statement for Ukraine about participants’ responsibility for protecting UN staff.
It was never going to work. Besides the fact we were told repeatedly that Russia was not only militarizing the plant but firing artillery from it, how did NATO think a few hundred guys would capture the plant? Obviously it isn’t manned like that or militarized, hence it being worth a shot. It might end up like the movies or something.
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It wasn’t even a few hundred guys, it was just 60. They been watching too many Oceans 11 movies. Or maybe Mission Impossible, where a crack team of 5 commandos can get the job done.
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60 is the number of men who made it ashore. Another 200 were less fortunate.
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Yeah, I posted early in the morning before I saw the sequel about the “second desant” and the barges. That was awesome. I keep forgetting that old rule about “the first group is just the decoy…,” wait for the second wave!
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Wyatt gives a very good critique of the overall show here. his info is more up to date, and I missed that whole subplot about the massive barges:
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I am not a fan of the wars, but if you decide to wage war, it should be to win as fast as possible, it will save lives and money.
this comes to mind:
Sherman’s March to the Sea
Bombing of Dresden in World War II
The Bombing of Tokyo
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
was all this necessary — probably not, but that is how you wage war if you go to war.
otherwise you are going to have new, Vietnam, or Afghanistan.
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Depends on the goals. In this case, I don’t think Russia was seeking a total capitulation of the enemy; at least, not at first.
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Found the DP video here like most, a boring long-winded way of transmitting little information. A few paragraphs of well-written prose would do a better job in a two minute read. As with Martyanov, I’m continually saying, “For God’s sake, get on with it, man!” After 25 minutes of that herky jerky stuff and ums and ahs,, you forget the beginning! Boring as hell. That’s why I like the yalensis prose and style.
Anyway, so last week (wasn’t it?), a very portly Boris dePfeffel Plonkston, obviously no longer cycling, went to Kiev a second time and shambled in a fat man way in his shapeless suit across the tarmac to greet the Hero of The Moment HaHa, one Ze.
WTF Bozo was doing there when he’s out of his job next Tuesday made people wonder. Trying one last Bozo stunt to keep his job? As a person born in the UK with friends and relatives there, I feel completely entitled to call Boris and the UK a prime shit show of late. Bunch of born losers these days. Don’t even get me going on the way the powers that be there price electricity at the moment, to rip off their own citizens — my career was as a metering engineer and rates analyst persuant to available metering technology, then I got promoted.
So anyway, the ASB Military site told me what happened in this barge farce in a terse, concise manner before I came here to AA tonight. Ten minutes tops. All of which amounts to the likelihood that Brit MI6/SAS twits plotted this harebrained scheme, and trained the Ukies. The Ukies held up the IAEA people for three hours on the inspection trip to the plant, during which time a glorious seizure of the nuclear plant was supposed to occur, but it all went wrong, as usual. The Russians were ready. How, who knows but Ukie traitors abound as you’ve discussed previously on this blog. After a coupe hundred Ukies met their maker, then the IAEA tour proceeded normally. Apparently three hours was enough to see what they came to see. They must be whip smart folk. The IAEA had to thank the Russians at a press conference for their safety. The video is here:
https://t.me/s/asbmil
Like they say, won’t be seeing that clip on the CBC TV News tonight, I’ll be bound. Russophobia grips my government, so they’ll likely not even mention this entire farcical event. I believe Putin has asked the IAEA guys up for an all expenses paid trip to Moscow to have a chinwag about those lying Ukies. Of course, they won’t go. They know which side their bread is buttered on thanks to Old Slow Joe.
And so more lives are lost for no good reason.
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Thanks for that nice comment, and the ASB link, I was not aware of that site.
Yeah, I’d bet you any money that Boris and his MI-6 spooks helped design that disaster. They had watched too many James Bond movies.
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Yalensis, I actually learned about this news event first from your blog! I don’t consume much mainstream media, aside from listening to the Australian government-owned news station’s 7 a.m. headline report. (I intentionally haven’t owned a TV since the most recent ex-wife took the big-screen in 2012 with her when she left for San Francisco. Feh! to TV) Nothing on the radio, just a mention that the IAEA visit took place, and that “both sides have accused the other side of shelling the plant.” No date mentioned. I thought maybe I had misunderstood what you posted here, so I checked online versions of The Age (Melbourne’s slightly left-leaning newspaper) and the New York Times. Nothing in the local paper, a bit from the NYT with the “both sides” framing, but I couldn’t get too far in because of their paywall. I didn’t look further on the ‘Net because it’s not a major priority.
Still, what the actual F?!? Number one, how insane is it that the Ukie Nazis would launch a violent attack on a place where they’ve been begging inspectors to go to for months? It’s like trying to kill Red Cross staffers who are coming to check out war crimes that your side has accused the other side of causing. Number two, how can mainstream news providers look at themselves in the mirror when something so outrageous happens and they don’t even mention it, or just “both-sides” it? The mindset of media employees must be SO different from what it was when I was in that biz (1980s-early 90s). Thirdly, how can the Ukrainians keep getting men to go on fruitless. suicidal missions like this and the helicopter raids to rescue Azovstal hideouts? Wyatt has some theories, but (not criticising him) do the Ukrainians have any ability to project the likely course of future events? Even if the 60 commandos could get established on the grounds of the nuclear plant, how do they think they would get food, bullets, other support? Did they expect the Russians would just say “Oh, the AFU is here so we’ll just run away forever”?
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Hey, Bukko, if you actually learned something new from me, then my life has not been in vain!
🙂
(That actually gives me an evil thought: I could mess with your mind…)
As for what the Ukrainian commandos were supposed to do, this is my theory:
Their mission (should they choose to accept it) was to secure the plant and take everybody hostage while awaiting the IAEA inspectors (who had been deliberately detained at a checkpoint for 3 hours, to give the commandos some time to do their shtik).
Once the inspectors arrived, the Ukrainians would “prove” to them that they have been holding the plant all along, thus proving that it the Russians who have been shelling it. They might even have some time to plant some purely-Russian calibred shells here and there, just to prove their point.
During the inspection, the Ukrainian engineers would proclaim their loyalty to the Ukraine and beg the world to support them against the Russians. At the final press conference, the IAEA inspectors would thank the Ukrainian army for doing such an excellent job protecting the plant from Russian attacks. The UN would declare the plant to be a de-militarized zone, and the Russian army would be forced to retreat from Zaporozhie. That was the plan…
“Now go get’em boys and pile into those rubber boats! If your mission fails, then my secretary will disavow all knowledge of your actions… Am I right, Louella?”
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Rest assured, the MI-6/US-Security-State types will be rewarded and promoted for this “endeavor”. The wasted soldiers lives? Well, we all know their reward is in heaven, sans the 70 virgins bit.
And the Newsweek/WaPo/NYT types who waited with bated breath to file MI-6/US-Security-State’s narrative that this “endeavor” was yet another rousing victory for the fmr.- Ukrainia? Don’t cry for them Argentina, they can easily draw your attention to yet another Russian-Puppet story. Of course dear reader…it will be sprinkled with salacious speculation on developments of the Putin / Trump bromance.
Yes it doesn’t take much to be a US journalist nowadays, just a willingness to openly prostitute yourself…oh, and having a journalist’s degree, can’t let the riff-raff back in unless…they’re suitably burdened with an inescapable debt. A debt that effectively muzzles any who would consider speaking the truth to power.
Meanwhile, denizens of DC descend like demons to the Devils inner ring of hell. There is nothing hiding behind those wrought iron fences, DC’s demons brutal cruelty and venality is shamelessly paraded for all…who are willing to see. And while many are to blame, the evil so brazenly presented in this century’s Cheney/Obama/Biden-administration is simultaneously both banal and shocking. And so it goes.
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“Don’t cry for them Argentina.”
Haha, that’s actually a good one ’cause Rafael Grossi is an Argentinian!
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