1310 KWIA
19 Tanks
42 APVs
59 Artillery systems
2 Anti-Aircraft systems
119 UAVs
179 Vehicles & Fuel tanks
2 Special equipment
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Good hit đ„đ„. Suddenly many tanks and APCs. Not something you see every day, but now and then.
Sometimes he says too much and reveals how he thinks
Would be for below
Instead of concluding that Ukraine needs all the support they can get, Trump believes they should never have received any weapons at all. “Russia’s attack on Sumy ‘terrible,’ military aid should never have been ‘allowed,’ Trump says. Russia’s attack on Sumy was “terrible,” but the U.S. should never have “allowed” Ukraine to receive billions of dollars in military aid, U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 13.” Source
Since it was a mistake, we will soon see Putin go out and apologize for the mistake and explain what they were actually aiming at? Of course, that will never happen.
Biden may have been a real coward, but he wasn’t stupid and he didn’t try to apologize for the Russians when they killed civilians.
“Trump calls the Sumy missile strike a “mistake” and labels the Russia-Ukraine War, which started in February 2014, as “Biden’s War.” When asked to clarify why he considered the Palm Sunday Sumy Massacre a mistake, he said they would have to ask “them.” (Russia)”
https://bsky.app/profile/malcontentnews.bsky.social/post/3lmqjj66atc2a
Those of you who believe that Trump is smart and has a plan that the rest of us don’t understand, and who do not believe that he is actually siding with Russia (whatever the reason may be).
How does his flattery towards Russia, and his anti-Ukraine behavior fit into such a plan?
It is hardly likely to lead to a quicker end to the war if that is indeed the top priority (for him to be able to shift focus to China or whatever it is that makes it urgent).
I believe one should rather look at what Trump does than what he says. Is the sharing of intelligence and the delivery of military equipment still ongoing? Has he lifted any sanctions against Russia or has he extended them?
What the USA/Trump wants is probably not what Ukraine wants or what Europe wants. But Trump will not criticize Russia if he believes it stands in the way of what he wants, because Russia won’t care anyway, they have killed civilians before and will do it again regardless of what Trump says or doesn’t say.
However, it is good that Europe condemns the attack.
If Trump is to achieve a peace agreement, he must make Russia look like the winner, especially in Russian propaganda, and Ukraine as the loser. This should be distinguished from who the actual winners and losers are. He must therefore provide Russia with a way out of the war. The problem for Trump is that Russia, so far, does not want a way out of the war, they want to win. And probably win again in a few years.
There is a certain logic in what you are writing, but it is also clear that he misreads Putin (and/or underestimates Europe’s willingness to support Ukraine to a fair victory even though the USA has no problem giving a win to Russia).
He should realize that what he is trying to do will not work, Putin does not want peace on the terms Trump is trying to give him, so the question is what Trump’s next step will be.
Personally, I believe that even what is being said is important, driving Russia’s narrative, for example, has led to Ukraine’s population now being furious with Trump, and they will probably only become more and more unwilling to cooperate in the peace efforts that the USA is trying to push forward.
He actually temporarily stopped deliveries and intel.
What he doesn’t do also says a lot.
For example, I haven’t seen anything about budgeting for future support to Ukraine, when current funds run out, weapon deliveries will cease.
Considering how he constantly undermines Ukraine and cuts all other expenses, will he even be able to turn around and try to get 50-60 billion USD approved to continue with weapon deliveries?
What he says, his one-sided rhetoric, in a way limits his own freedom of action.
Admittedly, he seems to waver back and forth on many issues, but when it comes to Ukraine, can he suddenly change his stance without completely losing credibility. Words thus have meaning, not just actions.
We’ll see what he comes up with in the future, but for now, one might as well say that he has not succeeded at all in bringing the war in Ukraine to an end.
This (and below) thus comes after Trump had delegates in St. Petersburg where NN met Putin for the nth time this year. Third?
Not easy to understand Trump, but in the absence of action, one must take him at his word. Which is not flattering.
Idiot Krasnov really doesn’t make any secret of being bought by the KGB đ€ź
Somewhat confusing, are there exceptions or not?
“Trump denies exceptions
Donald Trump denies that any exceptions from tariffs were announced on Friday in a new post on the president’s social media app Truth Social. The U.S. customs authority then stated in a release that around 20 electronic products such as phones and computers would be exempt from the so-called reciprocal tariffs, Bloomberg reported.”
https://omni.se/trump-fornekar-undantag-fran-tullar-byter-bara-kategori/a/gwAn2A
I wonder if it will be accompanied by a buy or sell recommendation?
“Donald Trump is set to announce new specific tariffs this week, reports TT.”
This concerns electronics such as phones, and semiconductors that will receive their own tariffs. The president does not comment on the percentage it will apply to.
– “The tariffs will be in place in the not too distant future,” Trump said according to AFP.”
https://omni.se/trump-kommer-med-nya-tullbesked-i-veckan/a/alo94E
Confusion is just the beginning. The uncertainty prevailing in the customs area risks causing shortages of goods in certain sectors, with prices of specific items increasing while the number of employees decreases.
And thus increased prices beyond the customs costs themselves.
I wonder if Trump hasn’t shot the USA in the foot with a tank shell this time, and unfortunately it affects the whole world.
The you đł
The total number of attacks in Pokrovsk is on the rise again. The southern sector of Huliaipil, which was low and inactive yesterday, saw a larger number of attacks in the last 24 hours (Today’s high armor?). Kursk remains consistently quiet. Only a few AFRFđ·đș vehicles managed to move yesterday, according to MXT in yesterday’s thread. More artillery shelling than usual, along with sky-high Russian artillery losses as indicated in today’s loss report. As well as unprotected vehicles.
Operational information as of 08.00 on 14.04.2025 on the Russian invasion
In total, 158âïž (120) combat engagements took place over the past day.
#Kharkiv 3
#Kupyansk 4
#Lyman 21đ„
#Siverskyi 2
#Kramatorsk 6âïž
#Toretsk 21đ„
#Pokrovsk 54âïžđ„đ„đ„
#Novopavlivka 10âïžđ„
#Huliaipil 11âïžđ„
#Orikhivsk 4
#Prydniprovsky 2
#Kursk 18đ„
In the Lyman sector, the AFRFđ·đș attacked 21 times. AFRFđ·đș tried to advance in the areas of Serhiivka, Katerynivka, Ridkodub, Novomykhailivka, Zelena Dolyna, Hrekivka, Torske, Yampolivka, and Novyi.
In the Toretsk sector, the AFRFđ·đș carried out 21 attacks near the localities of Toretsk, Ozaryanivka, Druzhba, and Leonidivka.
In the Pokrovsk sector, AFUđșđŠ stopped 54 aggressor attacks in the areas of Sukha Balka, Tarasivka, Vodiane Druhe, Yelizavetivka, Kotlyne, Novosergiivka, Bohdanivka, Andriivka, and in the direction of Stara Mykolayivka, Zvirove, Udachne, and Oleksandropol.
In the Novopavlivka sector, the AFRFđ·đș tried to break through ten times in vain near Kostiantynopil and Rozlyv.
In the Huliaipil sector, 11 firefights took place in the areas of Novopil, Novosilka, Pryvilne, Vilne Pole, and Shevchenko.
In the operational area in Kursk region, Ukrainian Defense Forces đșđŠ repelled 18 attacks by the AFRFđ·đș yesterday. In addition, the AFRFđ·đș launched 37 air strikes using 58 guided bombs, and also fired 505 artillery shells at the positions of our troops and settlements, including 18 from MLRS.
The AFRFđ·đș launched one missile and 128 air strikes against the positions of Ukrainian units and settlements, using two missiles and dropping 213 guided bombs. In addition, the AFRFđ·đș carried out about seven thousand artillery attacks, including 149 from MLRS, and used 3,462 kamikaze drones.
Over the past day, the aviation, missile forces, and artillery of the Defense Forces đșđŠ hit 16 areas of concentration of personnel, weapons, and military equipment and six artillery pieces of the AFRFđ·đș.
đ
Thank you 205 đ
We can only hope it won’t be long!
“Germany is willing to send Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine, the countryâs chancellor-in-waiting has said, as he stressed the need to put Kyiv on the front foot and force concessions from Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
Looking forward to the coalition of the willing becoming the coalition of the doing.
Yes, it’s time to move from words to action!
Especially new production, RU is slowing that down too
“Ryskt drönarattentat skadar 5, orsakar brĂ€nder i Odesa. Enligt borgmĂ€stare Hennadii Trukhanov skadade attacken Ă€ven taket, fönstren och operationsrummet pĂ„ en medicinsk enhet i Odesa.”
China’s exports surged unexpectedly in March as companies try to preempt Donald Trump’s tariffs through earlier deliveries, CNBC reports.
Exports increased by over 12 percent compared to the previous year, according to Chinese customs authorities.
https://omni.se/kinas-export-rusar-bolag-skyndade-pa-leveranser/a/PpAJnp
“China has halted the export of rare industrial metals.
China has halted the export of certain rare earth metals and magnets crucial for the global automotive, semiconductor, and aerospace industries, the New York Times reports. Shipments of magnets used in everything from cars and drones to robots and missiles have been halted at several Chinese ports while Beijing develops a new regulatory system, the newspaper writes.”
https://omni.se/kinas-svar-stoppar-export-av-metaller-viktiga-for-bilindustrin/a/LMxEOV
The shipping of containers has decreased dramatically in China. In the long run, this could become a problem, as ports do not have unlimited space to store empty containers. The system relies on a certain number being in motion on ships.
đ€Łđ€Ł
Weak of Trump to call the Sumy massacre a mistake. What I dislike most about Trump is his Ukraine policy with the strange approach to Russia. He just wants to stir away from the war. It only costs, he thinks. Or has cost the USA. Then he has a vague trade policy where I don’t think much will materialize. Much ado about nothing. He just wants to stir the pot and be in the center. However, I think his administration is right domestically when it wants to put an end to the Democrats’ leftist project DEI and try to do something about the large budget deficit.
I completely agree with you about the budget deficit.
Addressing it and reducing the debt should have been prioritized over the past 20 years.
Unfortunately, it seems to be the politicians’ desire to get elected that messes things up.
It will come at a cost, and no one wants to worsen the economy because they know they won’t win the next (or upcoming) election.
Trump now believes he can solve it through DOGE and tariffs, but I am doubtful if it will lead to any noticeable improvements overall. We’ll see.
Extremely bad from McDonalds Ghsndi
Accentmannen about how the Ukrainian Army takes control over the completely devastated village of Kotlyne at the tip of the Pokrovsk Inlet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd6ExPVj8IE
Positive! đ
Pokrovsk is a real honey trap where the UA picks bit by bit while the Russians lose a huge amount of KWIA.
ââđ„
“At night, đșđŠUkrainian military shot down 40/62 đ·đșRussian UAVs, another 11 UAVs were lost in location due to EW action”
“The Ru economy has begun to collapse. Thread. Federal budget revenue growth has been slowing for 5 quarters in a row and in Q1 25 it was only +3.7%. Look at the chart, the last 5 quarters the revenue growth rate was
+54%
+25%
+25%
+11%
+4%
If we look at the rate of income growth on a monthly basis, we will see that the situation is even worse. Over the past 15 months, the growth rate has fallen from +77% to 0% The situation became especially catastrophic in Q1 25:
Jan 25: +11%
Feb 25: +2%
Mar 25: +0%
Now let’s look at the structure. About 1/3 of revenues are oil, 2/3 are non-oil. Oil revenues grew by 60-90% at the beginning of 2024, in Feb-Mar25 they fell by 20% due to the fall in oil prices, and this does not even take into account the fall in the last week.”
The major collapse in oil prices did not occur until April, which means that the Russian economy is rapidly heading straight down to the basement.
Very pleasing.
They also seem to prefer hiding the low oil price. You can find articles mentioning 53 USD, etc., but all sites presenting graphs still have 25/2 as the latest data point (65.5). Previously, they were a few days up to a week behind, but now Russia has probably completely stopped reporting anything officially.
“Ukrainian soldiers from the 17th Poltava Brigade repelled a major đ·đșRussian offensive in the Zaporizhia direction”
Has been in the works for a while to finally get started there – peculiar timing though
“Toretsk and “Russian World””
https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3lmr6gmn5d226
“Nowadays, everyone lives for today. Because you don’t know when there will be a strike, whether you will live tomorrow or not.” â Chief of Staff of the Hospitallers Medical Battalion Hanna Fedianovych This is how most people in Ukraine live today, and it is taking its toll, of course.”
“Moldova aims to conclude EU accession talks by the end of 2027. “We want to conclude the negotiations by the end of 2027. This is a very serious and realistic plan. I truly hope we do not miss this chance,” Moldovan President Maia Sandu said.”
đ
“Iran, North Korea, China are already involved in the war, Putin has spent $1 trillion on it in 3 years,” â Zelensky.
âȘïžWe are stronger on the battlefield, but the imbalance of partners is happening;
âȘïžWe do not have enough air defense systems. We need at least 10 systems to cover only civilians.
âȘïžWithout the US, we will suffer great losses – human and territorial;
âȘïžUnder the Trump administration, US aid has practically stopped. Last month, the White House announced a partial ceasefire, but it never happened. And now Trump says he is losing patience with Putin.
Blade from the mouth
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces are now deploying German-made HF-1 dronesâplywood-built, AI-powered, and built for precision on the battlefield. READ to find out more”
“Iranian Shahed just destroyed another American Starlink in the frontlines of Ukraine, near Sumy.”
https://bsky.app/profile/dim0kq.bsky.social/post/3lmr4mqqp762t
Screenshot in the post with Trump’s entire post where he rants about 60 minutes. Whether it is related to the interview they did with Zelenskyy is unclear.
“Trump lashed out after Zelensky’s CBS interview, demanding 60 Minutes be stripped of its license. In a Truth Social post, he didnât name Zelensky but slammed the segment as âfakeâ and CBS as âliars.â The interview covered stalled U.S. aid and Trumpâs trust in Putin.” https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3lmr45nqkns2b
Darth Putin is often funny and accurate, here he is more sadly accurate because unfortunately, he is probably right.
Outraged condemnations are the immediate reaction, then not much more happens. Every time, of course, I hope that it will be the last straw and that Europe will seriously step up. Maybe this time can be different.
“In a week your leaders will have forgotten about Palm Sunday. Just like they forgot about the hospitals, kindergartens, shopping centers, theatres & playgrounds we bombed.”
https://bsky.app/profile/darthputinkgb.bsky.social/post/3lmr6wxezcs23
“On April 12, a fire broke out in Arkhangelsk, Russia, on the territory of the regional department of internal affairs – four departmental vans of âGAZâ type were destroyed, – GUR âïž The fire spread from the cars to the department building.”
Ukrainian detains instructor plotting killings of training base commanders on Russia’s behalf, SBU says. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained an instructor at a training center in Lviv Oblast who was planning assassinations of the base’s commanders, the SBU said on April 14.
“Russian propagandists are trying to spin the Sumy massacre as a staged ânew Buchaâ by Ukraine and the Westâdenying Russiaâs role in killing 34 civilians.”
A lot exploding right now…đ€
“An explosion has occurred at Ikea’s factory in Hultsfred, SmĂ„land, several media outlets report.
– There has been a dust explosion in a silo. There is heavy smoke development, says the emergency services’ operations manager to Aftonbladet.
There is no information about any injuries. A similar explosion occurred at the factory on April 5.”
https://omni.se/ny-explosion-pa-ikeas-fabrik-i-hultsfred/a/637Rdz
“An oil tank at a company in GĂ€vle has exploded, reports SVT GĂ€vleborg. The tank stores bio-oil and there was a strong fire during the morning.
It is unclear what caused the explosion and there is no information about any injuries.”
https://omni.se/kraftig-rokutvekcling-efter-explosion-i-gavle/a/vgK2j4
“Lithuania summons Russian diplomat over deadly missile strike on Sumy. “Those behind this attack will not escape justice. Responsibility is also shared by everyone working for (the) Kremlin’s criminal regime, including Russian diplomats,” Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry said.”
https://bsky.app/profile/kyivindependent.com/post/3lmrcmronfk2r
The dollar has lost 27.4% against the ruble (82.4 right now), 9% against the euro, and 12.4% against the krona so far this year but, on the other hand, is holding steady against the Yuan (only 0.08% down).
đđđ
I can inform you that it feels like
EU secures two-thirds of 2 million rounds for Ukraine, Kallas says
“I’m happy to see we already have two-thirds of my ammunition initiative together,” Kallas told reporters ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, referring to an initiative to provide Ukraine with 2 million high-caliber rounds worth 5 billion euros ($5.7 billion).”
“Hamas is ready to release the rest of the Israeli hostages if Israel can guarantee that the war in Gaza ends and that all Israeli forces are withdrawn. This is according to Taher al-Nunu, a high-ranking source within the group designated as a terrorist organization, to AFP.
Israeli media reported on Monday that Hamas is said to have received a new proposal where the group releases ten living individuals from the hostage situation in exchange for the US guaranteeing that Israel begins negotiating a permanent ceasefire.”
Hamas still believes they have some power in negotiations. It might have been more reasonable if they asked for safe passage to Iran in exchange for releasing the hostage. With Hamas in Gaza, there will never be any peace. I also don’t think that the corrupt Fatah is a good solution. It would probably be best if Saudi Arabia/Egypt/Jordan, etc., took responsibility for the area for a few years to calm the situation.
Just like that, their goal is not a free Palestine, their goal is to obliterate Israel. If they continue on that path, the result will be an obliterated Gaza. Ariel Sharon was probably as part of the peace process tearing down Israeli settlements in Gaza, I think it was in 2007 or 8. Two weeks later, Hamas fired rockets from there.
“The former chief of the Norwegian Oil Fund, Knut KjĂŠr, warns that investors should consider a broader perspective on the risks surrounding the Trump administration. In its stress tests, the oil fund has identified a 40 percent stock market drop as a nightmare scenario. However, KjĂŠr sees a risk that it could be even worse in the event of a “regime change” â where the USA loses its leadership position in the global economy.”
Sigh, now we have been naive again. Ownership stakes below 10% are therefore not scrutinized, so it’s necessary to have 11 owners with equal shares so it doesn’t matter what background they have? It’s mind-boggling!
“A Swedish online bank called Intergiro has been used to channel millions of kronor from international fraud networks. Now, Uppdrag granskning reveals that several key individuals behind the bank have been convicted of various crimes.
This includes serious accounting fraud, serious weapons offenses, and serious tax offenses. However, the bank has not been examined by the Financial Supervisory Authority because all ownership stakes are less than 10 percent of the company, which is the threshold for review.”
https://omni.se/brottslingar-bakom-svensk-natbank-tvattade-pengar/a/QMAzKx
I have sometimes had cash for the past 10 years that I have exchanged for SEK and then wanted to deposit – never more than 10,000 SEK at a time as there was some limit.
The interrogation one is subjected to is not of God’s grace.
So nice to hear that criminals have figured it out đ
“Vladimir Putin mocks the goodwill of the USA by continuing his attacks on Ukraine at the same time as the USA has proposed a ceasefire. This is according to the Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, as reported by Sky News.
He points out that Ukraine agreed to the American proposal already a month ago.”
Last week’s strategic communication from the EU was not good – we’ll see what this week brings.
Trump we already know – unpredictable stock market manipulation.
Does anyone know what the Chinese export ban on magnets will mean?
It will contribute to the technological development, as the shopping list will be saved on the mobile phone instead of a note on the fridge held in place by a magnet with a flower.
đ€Łđ€Ł
Apparently high-tech industry such as our defense industry.
And no prize for guessing that China produces almost everything – different figures but 75-90%.
If all electronics become 25-30 percent more expensive, we will probably soon see a significant increase in inflation figures.
This is like Japan and they faced a 24% increase compared to the USA, but they surely have suppliers in China?
“The Japanese gaming giant Sony is raising the price of the game console PS5, the company writes on its blog. In Europe, the game console will cost around 500 euros, which is an increase of about 25 percent, according to Bloomberg.
Bloomberg’s analysts expect prices to increase by at least 30 percent in the USA due to increased customs costs.”
https://omni.se/sony-hojer-priset-pa-ps5-i-europa-infor-tullsmallen/a/kwOgJA
Good thing I’m too old for PlayStation đ
Read and think for a bit, and then look at the date đ§
I found this just now, it hasn’t been widely reported at all
https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/china-restricts-export-of-nitrocellulose-and-antimony.7232573/
And now they have stopped the export of some rare earth metals to the rest of the world after Trump imposed tariffs. Probably they know through themselves, i.e. they cannot just stop at the USA because then they will just find detours before entering the USA.
I do not want to put Trump and the USA on any pedestal, but I hope that our politicians are not naive in the face of the dictatorship of China just because they are upset with Trump, both must be dealt with.
They have probably succeeded well with their plan, we have allowed ourselves to become dependent on China, but at the same time, China has also become dependent on us.
China is posting a lot of this kind of stuff now – feels like they’ve launched a major influence operation?
https://x.com/tanyajunghans/status/1911307477162905604?s=46&t=Vah3JXV31B9lXwZOK5gF7w
They literally claim that all “luxury goods” products are produced in China.
And then offer to sell the exact same product at 30% of the price.
Is it to cut into the luxury goods industry in the West?
“Still, they churn out so many crappy products, why not raise the quality and sweep the floor with the Western brands?”
Interesting behavior. I do not doubt that a lot of branded products are manufactured in China according to Western instructions.
A brand stands for a certain quality and a certain lifestyle.
It’s a bit surprising that the Chinese have not acquired brands in the fashion industry in the same way as they have done in the automotive industry.
It is certainly possible to buy Chinese no-name products that have excellent quality, the problem is just that there are so many Chinese people selling goods that only focus on price. If there is no known brand, it’s like buying a pig in a poke.
Maybe what is the endgame, bankrupt the major fashion houses?
Among the biggest consumers of branded goods are the Chinese.
China should probably focus on building luxury brands in its own market and then expand them globally.
Yes, exactly – the big fashion houses go bankrupt and then have production and materials already, and either buy up the bankrupt estates or operate under a new name.
There was a very nice Hifi brand called Shangling Audio with fine tube amplifiers and CD players.
Found a crappy brand with cheap mobile music products.
“FPV drone attacked Zaporizhzhia for the first time, — State Emergency Service!”
https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3lmrgwrglxk2f
I had never understood this, but China has already, in September 2024 under Biden, stopped the export of Nitrocellulose to the USA, and the USA is having problems with its ammunition production in the link above that probably no one bothered to open đ
China has started making its first geopolitical moves here, and they came before Trump took office, it might be appropriate to clarify. And the countermeasures against Trump now apply to the whole world, so that includes us in the EU as well.
I find it a bit strange that this doesn’t get more attention because without nitrocellulose, no ammunition at all.
And without the magnets and the other critical minerals – no production of military equipment, as the product can be 99.99% complete but if that one component is missing, whatever it is, then it won’t work.
Yes, we have it in the ground in Europe, but the lead time to extract and refine it before it’s on the shelf, well, you can guess that one đ
And we can’t buy from Africa due to their mining activities being controlled by China and Russia. The USA won’t sell to us because they need it themselves, and the old – somewhere is controlled by RU and China.
I don’t think this looks very good for us in Europe, actually.
It went a bit under the radar that Ukraine recently had an acute shortage of nitrocellulose, but Finland managed to alleviate it.
If one were to be conspiratorial, did China wait until the EU and USA ran out of components and raw materials for military production that they control before they stopped it?
What I can gather is this:
The USA itself has both cotton fields and an expanded capacity to process it into nitrocellulose for gunpowder production. They have aimed to be self-sufficient. However, some nitrocellulose is imported for other purposes (as it is used for much more than gunpowder), so that’s probably why it hasn’t been written about much yet, except on a few enthusiast forums where there is a fear of an ammunition shortage.
It’s possible that there are companies importing for civilian gunpowder production, but as mentioned, they are self-sufficient for military purposes.
However, the situation is of course worse for Europe, but as far as I know, there have been no exports from China stopped so far. However, they have stopped exports to Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, and last fall to the USA.
This is what Google AI said that doesn’t completely agree with you?
The US currently faces challenges in ensuring a domestic and sufficient supply of nitrocellulose, also known as “guncotton,” a key component for ammunition and propellants. While the US produces a significant amount of cellulose nitrate (100 million pounds per year), the raw materials for it are no longer domestically sourced for military applications. Changes in the global cotton industry have led to this shift, and the US is now working to implement processes that allow it to produce quality nitrocellulose materials domestically,
Or this one, which is indeed an “enthusiast forum”
“DOD is scrambling to replenish 155MM artillery ammunition along with other propellants to refill those war bunkers. Every available defense contractor that can make munitions has been engaged. BAE Defense is the leading manufacture of heavy munitions for DOD, and they are saying it will be 2028 or later before we get back to where we were in 2000 with munitions stores. We are YEARS away from being ready.
Almost all munitions use nitrocellulose in some form or another. From gunpowder to rocket propellants, it is a key ingredient that is in short supply. And we don’t have nearly enough to meet our needs.
St. Marks Powder in Florida used to be the largest manufacturer of commercial propellants and last year St. Marks announced no commercial powder production would be scheduled outside of existing commitments.
So we are looking at years of shortages. Not months.
Making gunpowder is not easy, and not just any company can do it. Lake City Ammunition Plant has been making small arms ammunition since World War 2, and even with their process controls that are state of the art at any given time, they still have explosions during manufacture. It was just a few years ago that the primer huts had a devastating explosion there. Making ammunition/ordnance is not an attractive business for many companies and for good reasons.”
Overall, the picture I’m presenting is quite different from what you’re portraying, we’ll see who is right in the future.
Yes, Europe has expressed concern that China has “choked” exports quite a bit to Europe, but you are right that it is not an export ban.
But one doesn’t really need cotton plantations for nitrocellulose from what I understand, regular cellulose from paper mills is what is mostly used. Some varnishes are also made of nitrocellulose, and celluloid, which they used to make movies with before, and which had a tendency to catch fire.
Where did you read about cotton plantations in the text above, I can’t find it?
However, it is quite interesting that the USA had a major explosion at the factory that manufactures the propellants đ§
MXT mentioned cotton cultivation above.
Yes, it was in mxt’s text, but in the Ai text it also mentioned “global cotton industries”, but that probably refers to “guncotton”.
For military gunpowder production, cotton is used since the nitrocellulose obtained from wood is not pure enough. For certain simpler civilian ammunition, nitrocellulose from wood is also used on a small scale but then mixed with nitrocellulose from cotton.
The USA is the world’s fourth largest producer of cotton and manufactures about half as much as China. Despite this, they still import cheap nitrocellulose from China for the production of varnishes and other products.
The issues are more related to bottlenecks in domestic nitrocellulose production and final ammunition production than to imports from China on behalf of the USA.
In Europe, Rheinmetall has been proactive with factories in several countries, but for the rest of the manufacturers, the dependency on imports from China is greater.
One must consider that they are trying to multiply ammunition production several times over. It is not surprising if they encounter problems in the USA when scaling up, but so far, it has not been China’s fault. However, if they were to stop completely, as mentioned, many manufacturers in Europe would face significant problems.
This could affect the USA to a lesser extent, as domestic production would then also have to replace the more impure and cheaper nitrocellulose that is actually imported today.
Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky did a “completely lousy job” in preventing the war in Ukraine, writes US President Donald Trump in a post on his own platform Truth Social. The president claims that Vladimir Putin respected Trump between 2016 and 2020 and that there were “so many ways” for his predecessor Joe Biden to prevent a Russian invasion. “The war between Russia and Ukraine is Biden’s war, not mine,” writes Trump.
It was absolutely not Putin’s fault that the war started đ€Ż
I thought this had died out with peace in Ukraine but now our friend Trump is back with a bang apparently.
He will probably continue to nag about it being Biden’s fault, he is probably starting to realize that he will not have succeeded in creating peace, and then it becomes even more important to shift focus.
There probably won’t be a Nobel Peace Prize this year either.
He makes up everything else so surely he will have a ready story about how he actually also received the Nobel Peace Prize?
Sigh đ€Żđ€źđ”đ«
Someone should ask him to change the record, that one. has a scratch and skips.
Vietnam appeared to be heavily affected before Trump put the tariffs against the world on hold. Now, instead, the country is strengthening ties with the United States’ main opponent in the trade conflict, China. During Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam on Monday, the countries signed a number of trade documents, which included topics such as supply chains and infrastructure, according to several media sources.
https://omni.se/a/OoAOKl
Now, trade agreements are starting to be written between a bunch of countries affected by US tariffs. Suddenly, it may turn out that the center of the world has shifted due to Trump’s tariffs.
Will the USA keep quiet and let the world move on without them, that is the big question đ
There is a risk that the cherished non-escalation doctrine from Biden and McDonald’s Gandhi’s constant mantra of peace in our time will go down the drain when it is the USA itself that has to take the hit.
The question is if anyone dares to tell the emperor that he is naked.
Is it before or after it has gone to hell?
Didn’t turn out quite as he had imagined. đ
Our time’s Romulus Augustulus đ±
Russia’s Lavrov says NATO ‘should have been dissolved.’ Sergey Lavrov, the top diplomat of a country that launched the greatest war in Europe since World War II, accused NATO and OSCE of failing to prevent conflicts.
https://bsky.app/profile/kyivindependent.com/post/3lmrituddfc26
It gets more exciting when you add Darth Putin’s post
If you want to know what excuse Donald will give for our atrocities tomorrow, listen to what Kremlin says today.
https://bsky.app/profile/darthputinkgb.bsky.social/post/3lmrlgpyebc2s
Klockrent av Darth as usual!
The usual Russian 180-degree lie. What he is actually saying is “Russia should have been dissolved”
đđșâđșđŠđȘđș SzijjĂĄrtĂł: “Hungary will block the deployment of EU military instructors in Ukraine.”
âȘïžHungary will not support sanctions against the Russian nuclear industry and on the purchase of Russian energy resources;
âȘïžHungary will veto Ukraine’s rapid accession to the EU.
https://bsky.app/profile/theukrainianreview.bsky.social/post/3lmruymhrk22e
Putin’s lackey steams on as usual.
When should we throw them out?
It’s the election in Hungary in April 2026, we might have to wait for the result.
Unfortunately, we must stay within the democratic framework.
It would be democratic if we voted on whether to kick them out or not, right?
đ€âïžTrump: “Miljontals mĂ€nniskor döda pĂ„ grund av tre personer. LĂ„t oss sĂ€ga Putin nummer ett. Men lĂ„t oss sĂ€ga Biden, som inte hade en aning om vad han höll pĂ„ med, nummer tvĂ„. Och Zelenskyy.”
https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3lmry6mqwh22e
Yes, now this is going to totally spiral out of control too đ
Damn, Trump is really out of place here. Okay, maybe he has ignorant people on his side in his own country and in the third world. But in the democratically minded West, it doesn’t work.
But placing Putin as number one is something, right?
As someone wrote in the comments,
1 out of 3 correct… not bad
And Putin as number 1, clearly unexpected
This is how Google AI summarizes the availability of cellulose in Germany.
However, AI got stuck on cotton, it should read the thread đ
And that environmental considerations have been a factor – something I couldn’t find any information about.
“Yes, the German industry, along with the broader European defense sector, faces a shortage of nitrocellulose. While some companies, like Rheinmetall, are actively securing their supply chains and building stockpiles, the situation highlights a growing reliance on external sources for raw materials like cotton, particularly from China. This dependence, coupled with high energy costs and environmental regulations impacting domestic production, has created a situation where Europe struggles to meet the demand for nitrocellulose and other explosives precursors.”
Hm, high energy costs and environmental regulations, there we have the greens again, always on the Russian side… Well, not always, but they have a bit of poor consistency in thinking, and maybe a bit of bad luck sometimes when they think.
A mix of paid engagement, ideological belief, and useful idiots.
Since Germany is the country that has increased ammunition production the most
Do you remember that Ukraine wanted to buy American weapons for 50 billion USD?
Trumö said no.
MIC must have built voodoo dolls of him by now – that was a new purchase đ€Łđ€Ł
Trump is therefore pissed off at Zelensky after CBS 60 minutes, that’s what you hear now all the statements
Interesting clip with Peter Thiel. Unlike Trump, I don’t think there is as much smoke screen from that man. He says that the main opponent is China, and that all Western countries must prepare to turn towards China.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCsW1snWed8
Of course he thinks that now when Trump has caused the trust in the USA to plummet and as a result, several are turning to China. China is the only one that can match the USA economically, so why buy expensive from the USA when they argue about tariffs when most things are manufactured in China anyway? (However, it’s obviously not that simple since design, construction, etc. largely take place in the USA).
China is outing all luxury brands right now. Completely flooded with videos on Twitter.
What does it mean? Example?
They have made a lot of movies where, for example, they talk about how most luxury brands are produced in China and how this is hidden from the end customer by completing the final step themselves, by attaching the logo and not revealing that it is made in China, and a few other variations.
The Gucci handbag for 50,000 that you thought was from Italy is actually made in China.
Aha, okay, so it’s cheating for real. Good advertising for China then, that they can produce quality if they want to. They have obviously made the same journey as Japan, which was also considered junk in the beginning when they ramped up their industry.
That’s at least what they are pushing hard now, if it really is true to the extent they are trying to make it sound, one can of course not be 100% sure.