V-J Day

 

Travel Bubble

From the BBC:

“Zelensky says airlines should avoid Russian airspace as Ukraine escalates drone operations”

Ukraine's president has told airlines that Russian airspace will be "effectively closing" as his country escalates its drone strikes. "We want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, everyone who still uses key Russian airports: the Russian sky is becoming completely dangerous," Volodymyr Zelensky said. Ukraine has since formally notified the UN of the risks to civilian aviation. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the comments amounted to a "declaration of state terrorism".

Most Western commercial airlines do not fly over Russia because of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, but carriers in countries like Turkey and China do. Explaining the elevated airspace risk in his nightly video address on Tuesday, Zelensky said that "Ukraine does not threaten civilian aviation as such - not a single civilian aircraft" and did not want the loss of innocent lives.

"There will simply be drones in Russia's skies on a scale that has to be taken into account," he said. Zelensky directed the warning to airlines continuing to operate flights to Russian airports, especially in major cities like St Petersburg and Moscow. In a statement on X, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Ukraine had officially notified the International Civil Aviation Organization that Russian airspace was not safe for civilian aviation. "We want to prevent unintended incidents," he said, adding: "The war is returning home to Russia."

On Wednesday afternoon, flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed many planes flying over Russia, including arriving and departing from the two main airports, which had some delays, but few cancellations.

Several airlines that fly through Russia told the BBC that they were carefully monitoring the situation. Qatar Airways, which flies into Moscow and travels through Russian airspace to get to the US west coast, said its flight planning was "guided by rigorous and continuous monitoring of airspace security, safety assessments, and geopolitical developments". Turkish low-cost airline Pegasus cancelled its flights to Russia on Tuesday and Wednesday, citing "technical and operational reasons", but said future flights "are operating as scheduled". FlyDubai, an Emirati government-owned carrier, told the BBC that it would "closely monitor the evolving situation in the region and adjust our flight schedules and routings as necessary".

Ukraine has targeted energy facilities deep inside Russian territory and there have been repeated attacks on depots belonging to Russia's two biggest online retailers, Wildberries and Ozon.

Its drone attacks have for months led to disruption at some of Russia's biggest airports, especially in Moscow where at times all four major airports have been forced to halt arrivals and departures.

Several cancellations were reported on Wednesday. Ukraine does not have to target airports to cause disruption. Under Russia's air defence "Kovyor" (carpet) plan, flights are suspended if a drone is detected in the relevant area. Aviation risk advisory firm Osprey Flight Solutions said in an alert to clients that while the majority of Ukraine's drone and missile strikes were likely to occur within 300km (186 miles) of the border, daily attacks deeper inside Russia were almost certain to continue this year.

 "There is also a realistic possibility that the frequency of Ukrainian strikes will continue to increase in the short term deep inside Russian territory," the alert added. "It is assessed that miscalculation and/or misidentification is likely in areas related to the Ukraine conflict." Speaking to reporters at the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, Putin said: "They are asking us to resume negotiations... but you don't negotiate with terrorists." His comments come as Russia's attacks on Ukraine continue, with heavy strikes killing 12 people on Tuesday and further attacks on Odesa, Sumy and Kyiv on Wednesday. Russia's military has said it is preparing to carry out "massive" strikes on Ukrainian power stations.

The Ukrainian capital and its surrounding region have come under attack for seven days in a row. A few weeks ago, Zelensky said Russia was attacking Ukraine every day, and Ukraine's military had "begun the process of bringing the war back to Russia". At the weekend he said the same, that Russia had to feel the war was "returning to where it came from". Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian strikes had damaged infrastructure inside Russia, while insisting that "only 10%" of oil refineries were left to repair.

Chinese, Turkish and Gulf state airlines are among those using Russian airspace, with savings in time and fuel on routes between Asia and Europe. Other carriers have largely avoided the eastern European region since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February, 2022. Ukraine has closed its airspace to civilian aircraft throughout that period. The risks of civil aviation during a war are clear. A few months after war broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014 between Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian military, a Russian-made missile brought down a passenger plane, killing all 298 people on board. Last year, the UN aviation agency ruled that Russia was responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014. The Kremlin has always denied any responsibility for the air disaster. In 2024, Putin apologised to the president of neighbouring Azerbaijan over the downing of a commercial airliner in Russian airspace, in which 38 people were killed.He said the "tragic incident" had occurred when Russian air defence systems were repelling Ukrainian drones. A thin, grey banner promoting the News Daily newsletter. On the right, there is a graphic of an orange sphere with two concentric crescent shapes around it in a red-orange gradient, like a sound wave. The banner reads: “The latest news in your inbox first thing.”

^Anyone (Russian or Foreigner) flying into, through or out of Russia should be very worried that their plane will be hit by a Ukrainian Drone.

Ukrainian Airspace has been closed since Russia started its War in February 2022.

Now it's time for those in Russia to feel the effects of their War not through Russian Government Controlled Media, but by bombings of Military Targets disruptions in Air Travel, Fuel Rationing and Shortages throughout Russia.

Russians don't care how many of their Boys and Men are being killed and wounded in Ukraine (over a Million and counting) but they do care about not being able to live in the safety bubble they created for themselves.

It's time for Ukraine to burst that bubble. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9v9yydy2wvo

87: WW 2

 

Kaliningrad

 

Kaliningrad City, Russia has been separated from the rest of Russia since the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991 (35 years ago.)

Kaliningrad, Russia was known as Königsberg, East Prussia, Germany until 1945.

1,029,966 People live in Kaliningrad Oblast (489,359 in the City of Kaliningrad.)

 

Now Kaliningrad is surrounded by:

Poland (a NATO and European Union Member Country)

Lithuania (a NATO and European Union Member Country)

 

The Airspace needed to go from Kaliningrad, Russia to Minsk, Belarus (an ally of Russia) is blocked by:

Poland (a NATO and European Union Member Country)

Lithuania (a NATO and European Union Member Country)

Latvia (a NATO and European Union Member Country)

Estonia (a NATO and European Union Member Country)

Finland (a NATO and European Union Member Country)

Sweden (a NATO and European Union Member Country)

Not only is the Airspace closed to Kaliningrad, but also the Land and Rail Borders through Poland and Lithuania because of Russia’s War in Ukraine and Belarus’ frequent Violation of NATO and EU Airspace and Land Borders since 2021.

 

Kaliningrad City is only 290 miles from Minsk by car (2 hours by plane), but now it takes several more hours to go by plane only.

So all People, Food, etc. have to be flown in from Belarus or Russia via Russia.

 

Belarus has been ruled by the Dictator, Alexander Lukashenko since 1994 (32 years.)

Russia has been ruled by the Dictator, Vladimir Putin, since 2000 (26 years.)

Note 1: The United States closed its Embassy in Minsk, Belarus in 2022 because Belarus allowed Russia to invade Ukraine from Belarussian Territory.

There has not been an American Ambassador to Belarus since June 2022.

American Citizens are told not to travel to Belarus and Belarussian Citizens can no longer get American Visas.

Note 2: The United States closed its Consulate in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 2018, its Consulate in Vladivostok, Russia in 2020 and its Consulate in Yekaterinburg in 2021.

The US Embassy in Moscow, Russia is open, but only to help American Citizens inside Russia.

There has been no American Ambassador to Russia since June 2025.

American Citizens are told to not travel to Russia.

The US Embassy no longer gives Russian Citizens American Visas.

 

Defenders Of Ukraine

 

Today is Memorial Day of the Defenders of Ukraine (Ukrainian: День пам'яті захисників України.)

Here are pictures (at St. Michael's Cathedral) in Kyiv, Ukraine of the Men and Women who died protecting Ukraine and the rest of the World from Russia.

43,000

 

Russia had 43,000 Soldiers dead or wounded in Ukraine in July 2026 alone.

Tim Curry

From the BBC:

“Rocky Horror star Tim Curry dies at 80”

English actor Tim Curry, best known for playing the outlandish Frank-N-Furter in film musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died at the age of 80. Curry first played the role on stage before the film version, which was released in 1975 and has remained a cult favourite. The actor also played fearsome clown Pennywise in the 1990 TV version of Stephen King's It, and was Long John Silver in 1996's Muppet Treasure Island. His other films included Annie, The Hunt for Red October and Home Alone 2, and he was nominated for three Tony Awards on Broadway.

Born in Cheshire in 1946, Curry's first acting job after university was in the original London production of groundbreaking rock musical Hair in 1968. In 1973, a fellow cast member, Richard O'Brien, asked Curry to audition for his new musical, and cast him in the role of the flamboyant lingerie-clad "sweet transvestite" Dr Frank-N-Furter. Curry first put his stamp on the character of the riotous scientist on stage in the upstairs theatre at London's Royal Court in 1973. The show's popularity snowballed and resulted in a big-screen adaptation, which also starred Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick and O'Brien. It was not an immediate hit at cinemas but became a fan favourite and holds the record for the longest-running theatrical release in film history.

Curry's varied career also saw him appear on screen in 1982 musical film Annie as Miss Hannigan's con-artist brother, 1985 murder mystery Clue, fantasy Legend alongside Tom Cruise also in 1985, and 1995 gorilla thriller Congo. In 2012, Curry had a major stroke and had to use a wheelchair. He concentrated on voice acting and continued to appear at film conventions. He published his memoir, titled Vagabond, last year. Grand Central Publishing said: "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Tim Curry, a singular talent whose extraordinary career left an indelible mark on generations of audiences. "We are honored to have published his work and grateful for the stories, imagination, and joy he shared with readers. "Our hearts are with his loved ones and countless fans around the world."

The Los Angeles Police Department told BBC News officers had responded to a death investigation for an 80-year-old man at 23:23 local time on Tuesday.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yd92gkk7vo

82: Auschwitz Photo

 

82 years ago today (August 25, 1944) an American Air Reconnaissance Plane flew over the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland.

It took pictures of the Camp from 30,000 feet.

29 Photographs were taken in total.

This one shows Auschwitz 2 (Auschwitz Birkenau) the Death Camp.

This Picture shows the Women’s Camp; the Guard Towers; the Main Camp Gate; a Cattle Car with 33 Wagons; Four of the Gas Chambers with the Crematoria as well as a burning pit behind Gas Chamber 5 where bodies were burned; a Group of newly arrived Prisoners are also seen going to the Admission Building to be shaved, showered and tattooed with a Camp Number.

At the bottom of the picture you can also see Men, Women and Children who just arrived and are walking to their death at the Gas Chamber.

The US didn’t bomb the Auschwitz Death Camp or even the Train Tracks (or any Death Camps.)

The US, British and Soviet Governments knew about the Death Camps – especially by August 1944 when this Photograph was taken – but chose not to do anything to help the Victims.

1.1 Million Men, Women and Children were murdered at Auschwitz alone.

82: Parade

(American Victory Parade in Paris, France – August 29, 1944.)

82 years ago today (August 25, 1944) Paris was liberated from the Germans.

2,000 Parisian Civilians were killed during the Liberation of Paris.

1,600 French Resistance Members were killed.

130 Free French Soldiers were killed.

The 2nd Armored Division suffered 71 killed and 225 wounded.

12,800 Germans became Prisoners of War.

10,000 Parisians who had Collaborated (French Women had their heads shaved) with the Germans were arrested and tried, 8,000 were convicted, and 116 were executed by the Allies after the War.

General Dietrich von Choltitz was sent to London, England where he stayed for the remainder of the War and then he was transferred to Camp Clinton in Mississippi, USA until his release in 1947. He died in 1966.

General Charles de Gaulle became Chairman of the Provisional Government of the French Republic from June 1944 until January 1946 then the French Prime Minister from 1958-1959 and then the French President from 1959-1969. He died in 1970.

“Is Paris Burning” is a 1966 Film that shows the Liberation of Paris (blending acting with archival footage.

82: Paris

82 years ago today (August 25, 1944) Paris, France was liberated from German Occupation by the Americans, the British and the Free French during World War 2.

(As Allied Troops enter Paris on August 25, 1944, celebrating crowds on place De La Concorde scatter for cover from small bands of remaining German Snipers.)

Paris had been occupied by the Germans since June 14, 1940. A Curfew was in effect from 9 pm in until 5 am and at night, the City of Light went dark.

Rationing of food, tobacco, coal and clothing was initiated in September 1940. Every year the supplies grew scarcer and the prices higher. The French Press and Radio Broadcast only German Propaganda.

Jews in Paris were forced to wear the Yellow Star of David Badge and were barred from Professions and Public Places.

On July 16-17, 1942, 13,152 Parisian Jews, including 4,115 Children, were rounded up by the French Police, on orders of the Germans, and were sent to the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland (of the 76,000 French Jews deported from France.)

Following the Allied Invasion of Normandy on June, 6, 1944, the French Resistance in Paris launched an Uprising on August 19th, seizing the Police Headquarters and other Government Buildings.

On August 7, 1944 , Dietrich von Choltitz was appointed the Military Governor of the Garrison of "Greater Paris" (Groβ Paris) with 20,000 German Soldiers in Paris.

The French Resistance in Paris had 19,000 Members , but only 60 hand guns, a few machine guns, and no heavy weapons.

On August 20th Barricades were erected across Paris by the French Resistance and Ordinary Parisians. Fighting broke out between the French Resistance and the Germans from August 20th to 25th when the Resistance was joined by the Free French and the Americans.

General von Choltitz had been ordered by Hitler to leave the city a "heap of burning ruins", but he also realized the battle was lost, and he did not want to be captured by the Resistance.

Through the offices of the Swedish Consul-General, Raoul Nordling, he ignored Hitler's orders and arranged a truce. In the afternoon of the 25th he traveled from his Headquarters in the Hôtel Meurice to the Montparnasse Train Station, the Headquarters of General Leclerc, where he signed the Surrender.

The Occupation of Paris was officially over.

General Charles de Gaulle held his Free French Victory Parade in Paris on August 26, 1944.

America held its Victory Parade in Paris on August 29, 1944.

Pet Massacre

The British Pet Massacre

(British Pet Owners waiting in line to euthanize their healthy Pets between September 1939 and September 1940.)

The British Pet Massacre took place in the first days of September 1939, after the United Kingdom declared War on Nazi Germany and again during the first days of the Germans bombing British Cities in September 1940.

A Quarter of all the Cats and Dogs in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) were euthanized by their Owners for fear that they couldn’t feed them during Wartime or that they would be hurt or killed by a German Bomb.

400,000 Healthy Cats and Dogs were euthanized across the United Kingdom from September 3-7, 1939.

It was caused by War Panic.

A British Government Pamphlet was later created (after the fact) advising Pet Owners on Wartime Animal Care provided some encouragement for the killing, noting euthanasia an option for People unable to take their Pets with them when evacuating.

The National Air Raid Precautions Animals Committee (NARPAC) was formed to decide what to do with Pets during Wartime.

The Committee was worried that when People evacuated, they might leave their Pets behind. In response to that fear, NARPAC published a Pamphlet titled "Advice to Animal Owners."

NARPAC's messaging was primarily focused on evacuation, suggesting moving Pets from the big Cities and into the Countryside; but a line at the end noted that "if you cannot place them in the care of Neighbours, it really is kindest to have them destroyed."

Many Veterinarian Groups such as the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) were against these drastic measures, but their Hospitals were still flooded with Pet Owners in the first few days of the War.

PDSA founder Maria Dickin reported: "Our technical officers called upon to perform this unhappy duty will never forget the tragedy of those days."

Hilda Kean wrote that lines for London Clinics stretched a half mile.

The event triggered a shortage of Chloroform and a waste management challenge.

(British Pamphlet about how to euthanize your Pets)

A Book about the British Pet Massacre was published in 2017.

It’s called “The Great Cat and Dog Massacre” and goes through the Initial War Panic that led Pet Owners to euthanize their healthy Cats and Dogs and the Grief of their decision after the fact.

When the Germans started to bomb London and other British Cities  - The Blitz - a year after the War began (in September 1940) more Pet Owners decided to euthanize their Dogs and Cats.

300,000 Cats and Dogs were euthanized at this time.

The Blitz lasted 8 months (September 7, 1940-May 16, 1941) and saw 43,000 British Civilians killed, 139,000 British Civilians wounded and 2 Million Houses destroyed.

Battersea Dogs Home, against the trend to euthanize healthy Cats and Dogs , managed to feed and care for 145,000 Dogs during the course of the War and provided a field in Ilford as a Pet Cemetery, where about 500,000 Animals were buried, many from the first week of the War.

In total 750,000 healthy Cats and Dogs were euthanized across the United Kingdom in September 1939 and September 1940.

The Number is much higher and doesn’t include the Pet Owners who euthanized their own Pets themselves.

After 1945 the British Pet Massacre was all but forgotten until the 2017 Book about it was published.

Black Ribbon

Black Ribbon Day

Today (August 23rd) is Black Ribbon Day. It is the day the European Union, Georgia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States remembers the Men, Women and Children murdered by both the Nazis and the Communists. The date was chosen because it was when the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact between the German Nazis and the Soviet Communists was signed in 1939.

The Nazis murdered 24,826,424 Men, Women and Children (Non-Military Civilians) from 1933-1945.

That number also includes those in Targeted Groups that the Nazis specifically went after:

 Jews:   6 Million Men, Women and Children;

Non-Jewish Polish Civilians: 3 Million Men, Women and Children

People with Disabilities: 270,000 Men, Women and Children (doesn’t include the 375,000 Disabled who were Forcibly Sterilized)

Roma and Sinti (Gypsies): 500,000- 1.5 Million Men, Women and Children

Jehovah's Witnesses:  5,000 Men, Women and Children

Homosexuals:  9,000 Men and Women in Concentration Camps (Doesn’t include the 50,000 Men and Women held in Regular Prisons)

 

 The Communists murdered 149,469,610 Men, Women and Children (Non-Military Civilians)  Worldwide since 1917 and the Communists in China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos and North Korea continue murdering Innocent People.

We should also remember the Ukrainian Men, Women and Children being murdered by the Russian Nazi Zs since 2022.

True State

The True State of Russia

( A Screenshot taken of the Nova Gazeta’s Map of Russia showing the area of Russia bombed at 3:30 pm EST on August 22, 2026. The Map updates every 15 minutes.)

Russia is crumbling from the inside out.

4 ½ years of War in Ukraine with little to no advances since 2024 mean that Russia has not only lost in Ukraine, but is losing at home too.

Beginning in January 2026 Russia switched from having 2 Annual Military Draft Call-Ups (one in the Spring and one in the Fall) to a Year-Round Military Draft Call-Up.

Russia currently Drafts 40,000 new Soldiers (aged 18-30 years old) every Month so in 1 year that means Russia Drafts 480,000 new Soldiers.

With 26,000 Russian Soldiers killed or wounded in Ukraine every single day that means in 1 year Russia loses 780,000 Soldiers – which is more than they replace with Drafted Soldiers in a year and more than they have in their Regular Military.

Those are only the new Conscripts and doesn’t include Former Conscripts 31-72 years old who are now forced to fight and die in Ukraine.

Russia will literally run out of Men to send to die in Ukraine soon and will be plagued with an imbalance between Women and Men for Decades to come.

Since September 2022 Russia has sent both Volunteers and Conscripted Soldiers to fight in Ukraine.

Putin has forced Boys as young as 16 and Men as old as 72 to fight inside Ukraine after 20 days of Military Training.

58,000 Russian Men and Boys (from aged 16 to 72) have fled Russia in the last week because of more Forced Mobilizations.

Not only that, but Russia is bombed and burning.

An Average of 1,000 Drones regularly strike Russian Cities (Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Krasnodar, Yaroslavl, Perm, etc.) destroying Factories, Oil Processing Plants, etc.

Russia has been bombed 41,000 times since February 2022.

56 of Russia’s 83 Regions have imposed Gas Rationing with People in Moscow being forced to wait in lines of 12-36 hours just to get the allowed 7 Gallons of Gas with a Gallow of Gas now costing $17 US Dollars.

Russia has lost $13 Billion US Dollars Revenue from its Gas and Oil in 2026 alone and has to import Gas from India.

It costs Russia $40,000 US Dollars to kill a Ukrainian Soldier or Civilian with 1 of its Drones.

It costs Ukraine $848 US Dollars to kill a Russian Soldier with 1 of its Drones.

Today, Putin’s Government has created Potemkin Businesses where there are no empty shelves, but the Average Russian can’t afford even the Basics (because everything is imported from China, India, and Central Asia.)

 

The Average Russian only makes ₽83,500 ($1,000 US Dollars) a month after Taxes.

(₽104,000 or $1,412 US Dollars before Taxes.)

Rent for a 1 Bedroom Apartment in the City Center costs $624 US Dollars a month.

Buying Groceries for 1 Person costs on average $407 US Dollars a month.

That means that the Average Russia earning the Average Monthly Wage will owe $31 US Dollars after Paying their Rent and Buying their Groceries every month and that doesn’t include things like the cost of Internet, Cell Phones, Public Transportation, Medicines, Cars, Gas, etc.

Russia's War in Ukraine has surpassed Nazi Germany's War in the Soviet Union.

The Eastern Front of the Second World 2 was from June 22, 1941 until May 9, 1945 (or 1,419 days.)

Russia's War in Ukraine has been going on since February 22, 2022 (or 1,642 days and counting.)

The Nazi Germans occupied 700,000 Square Miles of Soviet Territory at the height of the Eastern Front.

The Russians only occupy 44,600 Square Miles of Ukrainian Territory.

Putin’s Russia is currently at the point that Hitler’s Germany was in March 1945.

Soon Russia will run out of Money and Manpower and will lose their War in Ukraine.

https://novayagazeta.eu/en/articles/2026/06/18/interactive-map-attacks-on-russian-territory-updated-in-real-time-en

Russian Rape

Thousands of Russian Men returning from committing War Crimes in Ukraine are now committing Crimes across Russia.

(Roman and Olga Bykovskay)

All 46 Oblasts (Provinces), 21 Republics, 9 Krais (Regions), 4 Autonomous Okrugs (Autonomous Areas) and the 2 Federal Cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg have reported at least a 87% of Violent Crime committed by Soldiers and Returning Soldiers since Russia started its War in Ukraine in 2022.

There are 23 Independently-Verified Accounts of Russian Military Wives who gave their Soldier Husbands permission to rape Ukrainians (Boys, Girls, Women and Men.)

One such Military Wife is Olga Bykovskaya whose phone call with her Husband, Roman, was intercepted.

In the Phone Call Olga tells her Husband;  “Rape them, yeah, ... Don't tell me anything, understand? Yeah, I allow you—just use protection."

Roman replies: “Uh-Huh. 'So I should rape and not tell you anything?”

Olga: “'Yes, so that I wouldn't know anything. Why do you ask?”

Roman: “Can I really?”

Olga replies, with a giggle: “Yeah, I allow you. Just use protection.”

Roman: “Ok.”

Roman and Olga Bykovskay are Russians from Oryol Oblast in Russia who moved to Russian-Occupied Crimea in 2018.

Roman, a Paratrooper, was part of Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Olga has been tried in Absentia, found guilty of violating Article 27.2 of the Convention on the Protection of the Civilian Population in Time of War and the Geneva Conventions and sentenced to at least 5 years in Prison.

Of course she is living in Russian-Occupied Crimea and Putin and the Russian Military allow (and encourage) Russian Soldiers fighting in Ukraine to rape, torture and murder Ukrainians to “Get it out of your system before you return to Mother Russia.”

Men like Roman, who commit War Crimes in Ukraine, are returning to Russia and continuing their Rape, Violence and even Murder against Russian Citizens.

Any Russian Victim who complains or files a Police Report is sent either to a Mental Hospital against their will  or to a Forced Labor Penal Colony for 5 years for “spreading misinformation against the Great Russian Military.”

These attacks inside Russia will only get worse as more Soldiers return from Ukraine.

Giving the Soldiers Official Permission to rape Ukrainian Boys, Girls, Women and Men is not new to the Russians.

Soviet Soldiers during World War 2 – with Official Permission from Stalin Moscow – raped at least 100,000 Polish Girls and Women as they “liberated” Poland in 1944-1945.

The Soviets saw the Poles as Anti-Communist and wanted to “put them in their place in the New World Order (Ie. Communism.)”

Soviet Soldiers also raped “liberated” Russian, Ukrainians and Belarussian Forced Laborers inside Germany.

The Official Soviet Stance on these Soviet  Forced Laborers (who were arrested or kidnapped by the Germans and forced to work inside Germany or be killed) was that the Soviet Citizens were Traitors who “allowed themselves to be captured by the enemy.”

Soviet Soldiers raped many German Girls and Women.

2 Million German Girls and Women (the youngest known was 4 years old and the oldest known was 89) were raped by Soviet Soldiers.

100,000 German Girls and Women and were raped in Berlin along from April 1945-June 1945.

The rest were raped in the German Areas of: East Prussia, Pomerania and Silesia.

It is estimated that 23% of those who were raped by the Soviet Soldiers were either raped over and over again by the same Soldier or were Gangraped by Soviet Soldiers.

An 11 year old German Girl was taken from her Parents in their Bomb Shelter in May 1945, brought to an abandoned Factory where she was raped by 40-50 Soviet Soldiers for 3 days until she bled to death.

When her Father tried to find his Daughter he was shot and killed by the Soviets.

When her Mother reported the rape/murder of her Daughter to the Soviet Commanders she was put on a train and shipped to any unknown destination inside the Soviet Union where her trail ended.

The Soviets even forbade the Americans, British and French Occupation Forces to enter Belin until July 4, 1945 (despite Berlin having surrendered to the Soviets on May 2, 1945) because the Soviets needed to remove the traces of their War Crimes (including rape) in Berlin first.

It was illegal in the Soviet Union (from 1944-1991), in Poland (from 1945-1990) and in East Germany (from 1945-1990) to mention the fact that Soviet Soldiers raped anyone.

Helmut Kohl (who was Chancellor of West Germany from 1982-1990 and then Chancellor of Germany until 1998) first Wife, Hannelore Kohl (née Renner) was Gang-raped by Soviet Soldiers when she was 12 years old and thrown out of a window when the Soviets were done with her.

She suffered a fractured vertebra and back pain for the rest of her life. She committed Suicide in 2001.

Soviet Soldiers who returned to the USSR from Germany continued to commit rapes and crimes on Soviet Citizens for decades  - although the Communists forbade any mention of these crimes just like the Russians do today.

60: Battle Of Long Dan

 

(Second Lieutenant Dave Sabben advances cautiously through the rubber plantation the day after the Battle of Long Tan in 1966.)

60 years ago today (August 18, 1966) The Battle of Long Tan took place in Phước Tuy Province, South Vietnam.

It took place during the Vietnam War (1965-1973) between Australian and New Zealander Soldiers (of the  D Company, 6th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment) and the North Vietnamese and Vietcong Communists.

108 Australian and New Zealander Troops faced 2,800 North Vietnamese Communists with Americans providing Air Fire for the Australians and New Zealanders.

 

The Battle of Long Tan lasted until August 21, 1966 with the Australians and New Zealanders winning. 

18 Australian and New Zealander Soldiers were killed and 24 were wounded.

500 North Vietnamese and Vietcong Communists were killed.

 

The Long Tan Cross Memorial which was erected by the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment on August 18, 1969 to mark the site of the Battle of Long Tan, which was fought three years earlier.

After the North Vietnamese Communist Victory in April 1975 the Cross was removed.

The Cross was found by the  Đồng Nai Province Museum in 1984 and gifted to Australia in 2017 where it has been on permanent display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra ever since.

For the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 2016 a Ceremony was held on the Battlefield; where 1,000 Australian Veterans and their Families travelled to Vietnam to participate.

In Australia hundreds attended the Australian War Memorial and Vietnam Forces National Memorial in Canberra.

Commemorations were also held at Sydney's Cenotaph, Brisbane's ANZAC Square, Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance.

 

 

61,000 Australian Men and Women served in South Vietnam from July 1962 –  December 1972.

521 Australian Soldiers were killed and 3,000 were wounded during the War.

Australia had Military Conscription until 1972 and sent Draftees to fight in Vietnam.

 

3,890 New Zealander Men and Women served in South Vietnam from June 1964-December 1972.

37 New Zealander Soldiers were killed and 187 were wounded during the War.

New Zealand had Military Conscription until 1972 and sent Draftees to fight in Vietnam.

 

2,709,918 American Men and Women served in South Vietnam or Cambodia from August 1964-April 1975.

543,000 American Soldiers were in South Vietnam at the peak in 1969.

 58,148 American Soldiers were killed and 303,644 were wounded.

The United States had Military Conscription until 1973 and sent Draftees to fight in Vietnam.

Peter Fechter

Peter Fechter

Peter Fechter was born on January 14, 1944 in Nazi Germany.

He was the third of four Children and the only Son.

His Father was a Mechanical Engineer and his Mother was a Saleswoman.

After World War 2 his District of Berlin (Weißensee) was in the Soviet Occupation Zone (ie East Berlin.)

Peter finished School when he was 14 years old and started working as a Bricklayer.

Being a Bricklayer was in high demand with all the Post-War Construction going on in East Berlin and East Germany.

Peter’s oldest Sister married and lived in West Berlin and was regularly visited by Peter and his Parents.

From 1945-1961 East Berliners and West Berliners could easily visit each other.

On August 13, 1961 the East German and Soviet Communist Governments built the Berlin Wall, closing the last loop-hole East Germans had to visit or flee to the West.

Overnight, Peter and his Parents were cut-off from his Sister/Daughter in West Berlin.

Peter, not wanting to be locked inside Communist East Germany and wanting his Freedom had long planned to flee to the West.

The East German Government had recently rejected Peter’s application to temporarily visit West Berlin even though his Work wrote:

“Colleague F. is a willing and hard-working Craftsman. Loafing and absenteeism are not a problem with him.”

On August 17, 1962 Peter and his Friend, Helmut Kulbeik, decided the time to flee was now.

Peter and Helmut had met in early 1962 they were both involved in rebuilding the former Kaiser-Wilhelm-Palais, a Palace on the Unter den Linden Boulevard.

(Peter dying after being shot.)

The plan was to hide in a Carpenter's Workshop near the Wall on Zimmerstrasse and, after observing the East German Border Guards from there, to jump out of a window into the "Death-Strip" (a strip running between the main wall and a parallel fence which they had recently started to construct), run across it, and climb over the 6.5 Foot Wall topped with barbed wire into the Kreuzberg District of West Berlin near Checkpoint Charlie.

Peter and Kulbeik made it to the last Wall when the East German Border Guards started firing at them.

The East German Border Guards were ordered to Shoot-To-Kill anyone trying to flee East Berlin or East Germany.

Kulbeik was successful in making it over the Wall.

Peter was shot in the pelvis while he was still climbing over the Wall.

Even while wounded the East German Border Guards continued to shot at him.

It was in full view of hundreds of West Berliners watching from the other side.

Peter fell back into the Death Strip on the East German side.

Peter screamed in pain for 1 hour. 

(An East German Border Guard finally removing Peter's dead body.)

The East German Border Guards refused to help him.

Standing on a ladder the West Berlin Police asked him his name and threw bandages across the Wall to him, but he couldn’t reach them.

Members of the US Military at nearby Checkpoint Charlie were ordered not to intervene since it would have started World War 3.

After an hour of screaming Peter bled to death.

He was 18 years old.

As a result of Peter’s death a spontaneous Demonstration erupted with hundreds of West Berliners shouting “Murderers” to the East German Border Guards.

(Peter Fechter Memorial Cross at Checkpoint Charlie.)

The East German Border Guards finally retrieved his dead body,

The Chief Propagandist of East Germany, Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler, justified the Border Guards’ brutality as being good for and in the interest of the State.

In his commentary he dishonored the Victim with the following words:

“And when this kind of element […] is wounded directly on the border and not retrieved immediately – then a huge fuss is made. […] The life of each one of our brave young men in uniform is more important to us than the life of a lawbreaker. By staying away from our state border – blood, tears and screams can be avoided.”

This Commentary was broadcast on the East German Radio Program “Schwarzer Kanal” on the same day that Peter Fechter’s Funeral took place at the Cemetery of the Resurrection Congregation in Berlin-Weissensee.

In addition to losing their Son, Peter’s Parents suffered reprisals from both the East German Government and Ordinary East German Citizens for Decades as Peter was considered an “Enemy of the State.”

Shortly after his death a Cross was placed on the Western Side near the spot where Peter Fechter was shot and bled to death.

American News Magazine “Time” in August 1962 headlined Peter Fechter.

In this article, the expression "Wall of Shame" (German: Mauer der Schande) was coined, and this would become a synonym for the Wall.

After German Reunification in 1990, the Peter-Fechter-Stelle Memorial was constructed on Zimmerstraße, at the precise spot where he had died on the Eastern side.

It has the inscription: "… er wollte nur die Freiheit." ("… he just wanted freedom.")

(Memorial to Peter Fechter on Zimmerstraße.)

In March 1997, 7 years after the Reunification of Germany and 35 years after Peter’s death, 2former East German Border Guards, Rolf Friedrich and Erich Schreiber, faced Manslaughter charges for Peter’s death.

 Both admitted to the shooting after an intense investigation.

They were both convicted and sentenced to 20 and 21 Months' Imprisonment on Probation.

Due to a lack of conclusive evidence, the German Court was unable to determine which of three Gunmen (one of whom had already died) had fired the fatal bullet.

After pleading Guilty to the crime, during sentencing, both Guards apologized for killing Peter Fechter, saying that if they could take it back, they would, and that they were honestly remorseful for their actions.

Moscow Bombed

 

Ukraine launched 1,478 drones on Russia (including 600 on Moscow) today August 16, 2026.

It is in retaliation for Russia launching more than 1,550 attack drones, nearly 1,560 guided aerial bombs and 62 missiles on Ukraine (including Kyiv) this week.

Russians are not allowed to write or post about the bombings inside Russia or they risk being sent to a Forced Labor Prison for 3 years by Putin.

Nazi Germany did the same thing back in World War 2.

Putin’s Russia = Nazi Russia.

Picture: Moscow bombed today.

975: Pechersk Lavra

 From the Ukrainian Embassy in Canada’s Facebook:

It may be hard to comprehend what 975 years means.

 Not just the changing of seasons, but generations of People, societies, technologies and even empires coming and going.

Yet some places have stood through it all – and today, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra marks its 975th Anniversary.

Established in 1051, the Lavra is a Christian sacred site and a witness to the continuity of Ukraine’s history and tradition of statehood.

Over the centuries, it became a center of chronicle writing, book printing, theological thought, education, medicine, architecture, icon painting, engraving, music and the arts.

It was part of the European and Byzantine world long before the emergence of the Russian Omperial tradition, which later sought to appropriate and erase its Ukrainian heritage.

Restoring the Ukrainian voice of the Lavra today means restoring these historical connections — from its founders, Anthony and Theodosius, to the princes, hetmans, scholars, artists, benefactors, museum professionals and restorers who shaped and preserved it across the centuries.

Yet this nearly thousand-year-old complex, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, is still endangered today by Russia’s War against Ukraine.

On June 15, 2026, during a massive Russian attack on Kyiv, a strike drone deliberately hit the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, damaging around 80% of its roof.

After 975 years, the Lavra’s history is a powerful reminder of why it must be protected – as a part of Ukraine’s national memory and of the world’s shared cultural heritage.