Friday, May 30, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

How Russian pipeline operation cracked Ukrainian defense in Kursk

The war in Ukraine

Published 14 March 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Images from the operation in montage published on Russian RT.

Russian forces have managed to break through Ukrainian defenses in the Kursk region through a unique underground operation in a disused gas pipeline. According to RT reports, 12 villages and over 100 square kilometers of territory have been recaptured in the last 24 hours, including the Sudzhya industrial zone. The Ukrainian army has been forced to retreat, as confirmed by the country’s commander-in-chief, General Aleksandr Syrsky.

The strategic turnaround is attributed to the secret Operation Potok, in which 800 Russian soldiers made their way 15 kilometers through an abandoned gas pipeline to catch Ukrainian forces by surprise. Through a pipeline only 1.4 meters high, the troops moved under extreme conditions for over four days.

Months of preparation

According to Russian reports, preparations took around four months. The aim was to use sabotage to force Ukrainian forces to retreat from Kursk towards Sudzhya, where Russian units were waiting. The operation, which started on March 1, began with soldiers crawling through the pipeline in small groups, equipped with oxygen tubes and protection against gas residues. Ventilation was drilled under the road with the help of Russian engineers, and wagons were used to transport water and equipment.

Military blogger Alexei Zhivov, a volunteer in the Española Brigade, notes that lessons learned from a similar operation in Avdeyevka (January 2024) were used.

Image from the underground operation. Photo: private.

Extreme challenges

– The first 72 hours were the worst. Lungs were burning, heads were bursting – then came the fever and hallucinations, says a former Wagner soldier, according to RT.

On March 8, when the soldiers emerged from the line and went on the offensive, there was a calamity on the Ukrainian side. Ukrainian forces were fired upon by artillery and drones during the retreat. Military expert Yevgeny Klimov explained to RT:

– The enemy started shelling the pipe with cluster munitions, but by then we had already secured the positions.

Final battle in Kursk close

According to retired captain Vasily Dandikin, quoted in the Russian media, the liberation of Kursk is only a matter of time:

– With rain coming, it will be difficult for the Ukrainians to maneuver. We are surrounding them now.

Among the retaken villages are Malaya Loknya and Martynovka.

Kursk has been described as a card that Zelensky could have used in a future peace negotiation with Russia. However, there are now strong indications that the conquest of the land is largely over and will return to Russian control.

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Merz: Defiant EU nations could be hit with economic punishment

The globalist agenda

Published 28 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Merz at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year.

German Chancellor and former BlackRock executive Friedrich Merz is threatening to support a freeze on EU funding for Slovakia and Hungary if the countries continue to oppose EU leaders’ sanctions policy against Russia.

On Monday, Merz removed restrictions on Ukraine’s use of German long-range weapons deep inside Russia, a decision the Kremlin described as a “serious escalation”. Slovakia and Hungary have also taken a critical stance toward the West’s policy in the Ukraine war.

However, Merz does not appreciate the criticism and issued a clear warning to Bratislava and Budapest, stating that EU countries considered to be in breach of the rule of law could face infringement proceedings.

– Withdrawing European funds is always an option… If it is necessary, then we will deal with it, he added.

He also emphasized that “we cannot allow the decisions of the entire EU to depend on a small minority” and hinted that there could be “clearer words and possibly also harder conflicts” if the two countries do not change course.

“The end of democracy in Europe”

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have long criticized EU leaders for prolonging the war with military and economic support for Kiev without any visible progress.

Fico, who survived an assassination attempt in May 2024, has taken a more neutral stance than his predecessors since coming to power in 2023. Under his leadership, Slovakia has reduced its military support for Ukraine and promised to veto new EU sanctions that could damage the country’s economy. Fico has also visited Moscow twice since December to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which has sparked anger and criticism from both the EU and NATO.

The Slovak prime minister rejected Merz’s threat to withdraw funding and called the attack unacceptable.

– If someone wants to push a policy where only one opinion is allowed, that’s the end of democracy in Europe, he told reporters during a visit to Armenia on Tuesday.

“Not the path to unity and cooperation”

He argued that a policy where only one opinion is allowed is as dangerous for Europe as a third world war, and that German leaders must accept that not everyone shares their views.

Slovakia is not a little schoolchild that needs to be lectured. Slovakia’s sovereign positions do not stem from vanity, but are based on our national interests“, Fico stated, continuing:

When you hear such aggressive remarks, it feels like we are not heading into good times. The words of the German Chancellor are absolutely unacceptable in modern Europe. If we don’t obey, are we to be punished? This is not the path toward cohesion and cooperation”.

Russia plans large buffer zone in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

  • Russia declares its intention to establish a deep security zone on Ukrainian territory to protect its own regions from Western weapons.
  • Meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine report record drone and missile attacks over the weekend - with significant casualties and material destruction.
  • Here's the latest we know about developments.
Published 27 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Russian FPV drone destroys Ukrainian Armed Forces pickup truck near Kolodiazne. Source: X/@MilitarySummary

In a statement on Telegram, Russia’s former president and current Security Council member Dmitry Medvedev declared that a Russian victory would require Ukraine to effectively cede a large part of its territory. A proposed buffer zone would extend up to 60 kilometers into Ukrainian territory – with the aim of eliminating the threat from long-range missiles such as Storm Shadow and ATACMS, according to information from sources including voiceofest.

– A demilitarized zone must be created that makes it impossible to use even long-range weapons against our territory, Medvedev himself commented via Telegram.

The proposal comes as the Russian army continues its advance in the Kharkiv region – an area that, according to Moscow, is not intended to become part of Russia, but will be included in the buffer zone.

According to Business Insider, there are also reports of a much larger buffer zone, a zone that essentially encompasses the whole of Ukraine. It is unclear whether these reports represent official Russian policy or are rather propaganda and speculation.

Largest air strike since the war began

On Saturday night, Russia launched what is said to be the largest coordinated air strike against Ukraine to date. According to the Ukrainian Defense Staff, a total of 367 drones and missiles were fired in a massive attack targeting Kiev, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, and Dnipro, among other locations.

The Ukrainian air defense claims that 266 drones and 45 cruise missiles were shot down, but the attacks still resulted in civilian deaths, including three children in Zhytomyr. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as “terrorism” and demanded further sanctions from the West.

Any silence after such attacks means complicity in terror, he said in a speech.

Patriot batteries destroyed and Ukrainian drone offensive

In a follow-up attack on Thursday, two American Patriot systems were reportedly destroyed in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. An AN/MPQ-65 radar station is also said to have been destroyed.

Images and satellite data from the site suggest that an Iskander-M missile may have hit the site, leading to speculation about weaknesses in the Ukrainian air defense network. Ukraine has not yet confirmed the loss, but several explosion clouds were observed in the area on the same day.

Ukraine responded with extensive drone attacks against Russian territory. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, at least 96 Ukrainian drones were shot down on Monday night, several of them in Belgorod, Kursk, and even over the Moscow region.

Several of the attacks targeted infrastructure, including oil refineries in Krasnodar and oil depots in Kaluga.

A notable incident occurred during President Putin’s visit to the Kursk region, where a Ukrainian drone exploded near the helicopter that was taking him to a meeting. The incident was confirmed in Russian media, but Putin is not believed to have been injured.

Possible Russian summer offensive?

The much-discussed buffer zone shows what a potential Russian security zone could look like, depending on which information is considered reliable. Regardless of the version, a security zone would in practice make large parts of present-day Ukraine uninhabitable for Ukrainian military activity.

Several military analysts believe that the intensity of this weekend’s attacks – combined with the statement on the buffer zone – could signal an imminent escalation on the Russian side.

A summer offensive against the city of Zaporizhzhya, combined with an expanded bridgehead across the Dnieper, or alternatively a pincer movement on the city of Pokrovsk, are two possible scenarios.

The ability to knock out US defense systems and extend the range of drones and ballistic missiles appears to have strengthened Russian operational confidence. However, Ukrainian forces continue to hold certain front lines in Donbas and north of Avdiivka, although resources there are severely strained.

The situation in Ukraine remains very serious, with escalating attacks and strategic maneuvers on both sides. A potential buffer zone and intensified offensives could definitely influence the development of the conflict during the summer of 2025.

USA signs mineral deal with Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

Published 1 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The newly signed US-Ukraine mineral agreement may be the first sign that the hatchet between Zelensky and Trump is at least temporarily buried.

The US and Ukraine have formally signed a comprehensive mineral agreement that gives Washington access to Ukraine’s strategic mineral resources. The agreement can be seen as a deepening of cooperation between the countries in the wake of the high-profile and aborted meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in February.

On April 30, the US and Ukraine signed an economic partnership agreement that gives the US access to Ukraine’s important mineral reserves, including rare earth metals, reports PBS News.

The agreement also means that the parties will create a joint investment fund to support Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal describes the agreement as “a strategic deal for the creation of an investment partner fund. This is truly an equal and good international deal on joint investment in the development and restoration of Ukraine between the governments of the United States and Ukraine”.

Trump: Repayment

The fund will be managed jointly with equal voting rights, with both countries contributing to the capital. Revenues from new licenses for critical minerals, oil, and gas will be shared, with 50 percent going to Ukraine’s treasury via the fund.

Donald Trump has described the mineral agreement as an important part of the US’s continued commitment to Ukraine. He has emphasized that the agreement gives the US access to strategic resources and can serve as a form of repayment from Ukraine for the military support Washington has provided to Kiev.

In his speech to the US Congress on March 4, 2025, Trump mentioned the mineral agreement and emphasized Ukraine’s willingness to sign it. He highlighted the importance of the partnership for US national security and stability in the region, without going into details about the content of the agreement.

Difficult negotiations

The agreement has been preceded by lengthy and at times difficult negotiations, in which security guarantees have been a key issue. During a meeting at the White House in February, a planned summit between Trump and Zelensky was abruptly canceled after disagreement over the terms.

Zelensky has emphasized the importance of security guarantees and said that negotiations are ongoing. However, Prime Minister Shmyhal has expressed optimism that the agreement will be signed and that it will strengthen Ukraine’s future.

Ukraine’s mineral resources include 22 of the 50 materials classified as critical by the US Geological Survey, including rare earth metals that are essential for electronics, clean energy technology, and certain weapons systems.

The agreement is also part of the US strategy to reduce dependence on China, which dominates global production of rare earth metals.

In parallel with the agreement, the US and Ukraine have discussed the possibility of including future military support as part of the investment fund, although previous military aid is not covered.

At the time of writing, no official comments from the Kremlin or Moscow have been published in connection with the agreement.

Putin: The entire Kursk region has been retaken

The war in Ukraine

Published 28 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
According to Russia, more than 76,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured during the Kursk offensive.

Over the weekend, the Russian president announced that the entire Kursk region had been liberated and that all remaining Ukrainian troops had been forced out of Russian territory.

At the same time, Moscow also confirmed that North Korean troops had participated and played a significant role in the fighting.

It was on Saturday that Putin announced that the last Ukrainian forces had been driven back from Kursk in connection with the capture of the small community of Gornal, 1 kilometer from the border.

– The defeat of the armed formations of the Ukrainian armed forces that invaded Kursk Region has been completed, confirmed Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, adding that Kiev’s plans to “create a so-called strategic bridgehead and to disrupt our offensive in Donbass have failed”.

It was in August last year that Ukraine launched a large-scale and initially successful offensive in the region, forcing Russia to focus on trying to slow it down.

Over time, however, the roles were reversed, with Ukraine finding it increasingly difficult to gain new ground and Russia instead regaining previously lost territory. The latest Russian counteroffensive began in early March, and it is this that is now said to have led to the collapse of the last Ukrainian forces in Kursk.

“Huge losses”

– The enemy’s complete rout in the borderline Kursk Region creates conditions for further successful operations by our troops in other major frontline areas and brings the defeat of the neo-Nazi regime closer, declared Russia’s leader, who has long argued that the “de-Nazification” of Ukraine is of utmost importance to Russia.

– The Kiev regime’s venture has failed completely while the huge losses suffered by the enemy, in particular, those among the most combat-fit, best prepared and equipped Ukrainian army units, including the formations provided with Western equipment – and these are assault units and special operations forces – will undoubtedly have their impact along the entire engagement line, he continued.

According to Russian figures, 76,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded during the offensive and thousands of tanks and other military vehicles have been lost.

Praise for North Korean soldiers

It is also noteworthy that Russia officially acknowledged that North Korean troops played a significant role in the fighting – and special thanks were extended to them.

According to Gerasimov, the North Koreans distinguished themselves and “demonstrated high professionalism, courage, and heroism in battle”.

Although the fighting in the region is over, the Russian army’s work in Kursk is not finished. The focus is now on searching for “individual Ukrainian armed forces service members attempting to hide on Russian territory”, according to reports.

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