Tag Archives: Ukraine

Team Kimberlin Post of the Day

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During the 2020 election season, Brett Kimberlin’s Protect Our Elections/EMPR Inc promoted the crackpot idea that the Russians would rather see Donald Trump be reelected than have to deal with Joe Biden. The TKPOTD for three years ago today took note of this from the Twitter account associated with empr dot media.

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The only actively updated Kimberlin-related Internet accounts appear the empr dot media “news” site and its related Twitter account. It’s still trying to peddle the idea of significant Russian interference in the election because the Russians are afraid of Joe Biden.

I must confess I hit the Like button for this tweet because I enjoyed the laughing at it.

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I wonder if Kimberlin still thinks that having Biden in the White House has kept Putin in check, especially with respect to Ukraine.

Team Kimberlin Post of the Day

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I read on the Interwebz that the first load of M1 Abrams tanks has been delivered to Ukraine. That reminded me of this post from ten years ago today about #BillSchmalfeldt, Abrams Tanks, and the Second Amendment.

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I was going spend the entire day ignoring Cabin Boy Bill Schmalfeldt, but someone sent me a link to his latest waste of bandwidth over at Digital Journal (No, I won’t link to it.). It’s called Op-Ed: If Abrams tanks are outlawed, only outlaws will have Abrams tanks. Schmalfeldt seems to believe that ownership of an Abrams tank by a U. S. citizen is (or should be) illegal.

Other than nuclear, biological, and most chemical weapons, citizen ownership of weapons is not generally prohibited under federal law. Some are restricted. Some are taxed. But few are prohibited. Some states are more restrictive than the feds.

I don’t know how one would go about buying one, but I’m not sure that there is any federal law that bans private ownership of an Abrams tank.

There would be a lot of paperwork and tax filings involved in owning an Abrams. The two 7.62 X 51 mm machine guns and the .50 M2 machine gun would need to have the appropriate ATF tax stamps (and the guns would need to have been made before the 1986 ban). The main gun (either the 105 mm for early M1 or the newer 120 mm) would also have to be registered with the ATF as a destructive device and the appropriate tax stamp purchased.

Here in Maryland, the three machine guns would have to be licensed by the State Police, and the owner would have to pay a $10/year fee for each. The MVA wouldn’t issue tags, so the owner would be restricted to off-road use.

If the owner kept live rounds for the main gun, the ATF would impose requirements on the storage magazine, and, here in Maryland, the State Fire Marshal would get involved.

So, yes, the Second Amendment does protect a citizen’s right to possess arms.GE

Even an Abrams tank with the right paperwork.

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I haven’t bothered to check with Kimberlin’s Ukrainian news site (empr dot media which now forwards to ukrainefrontlines dot com) to check to see if Team Kimberlin believes that Ukraine should have those tanks.

Team Kimberlin Post of the Day

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Given the recent buzz about the Russia Collusion Hoax caused by the Durham Report, this is a good time to remind the Gentle Readers of Brett Kimberlin’s attempts to have a piece of that action.

In 2016, Kimberlin testified under oath that he was working with the Department of Justice to protect the election from Russian hacking. However, there is evidence that Kimberlin was tied to efforts by Ukrainian interests associated with the Democrats and the Poroshenko regime to affect the election.

In 2017, Kimberlin was involved in an attempt to use forged documents to attack the Trump Administration.

In 2018, Kimberlin was still running his now-defunct Russia Dossier website.

One of his corporate entities is called Protect Our Elections/EMPR Inc. EMPR stands for Euromaidan PR, an English-language Ukrainian news site, and the (at)EuromaindPR Twitter account describes itself as “Official Twitter of International PR Secretariat for HQ of National Resistance 2014.” Given that and Kimberlin’s activities since 2016, one might wonder whose elections Kimberlin wishes to protect.

BTW, empr dot media domain hosted on the same offshore server as most of the Kimberlin-related sites is now redirecting to ukraineforntlines cot com which is hosted in the U. S., and the EuromaidanPR twitter account is calling itself Ukraine Front Lines.

Hmmmm.

The Fog of War

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This bit from a Stephen Green at PJMedia post on a missile strike by Ukraine on a Russian troop housed dangerously close to an ammo dump shows how war reporting gets scrambled—often on purpose.

HIMARS is a fast-moving, hard-hitting missile system, designed and built in the United States, and known for its pinpoint accuracy. So far, Kyiv has received 20 of the truck-based missile launchers, of which Moscow has claimed to have destroyed more than 40.

When North Korea Is Embarrassed To Be Your Ally …

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The AP reports

North Korea says it hasn’t exported any weapons to Russia during the war in Ukraine and has no plans to do so, and said U.S. intelligence reports of weapons transfers were an attempt to tarnish North Korea’s image.

Really? Do the NORKS think being associated with Russia in the war with Ukraine would lower their standing in the world?

North Korea and Syria are the only countries other than Russia to recognize the independence of the occupied oblast Donetsk and Luhansk, and the NORKS have expressed interest in sending workers to help rebuild those “pro-Russia” regions.

But selling arms to Russia is a problem for them?

Hmmmm.

Team Kimberlin Post of the Day

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One of Brett Kimberlin’s corporate entities is called Protect Our Elections/EMPR Inc. It’s 501(c)(4) not-for-profit status was revoked by the IRS several years ago. Protect Our Elections, which is also registered as a trade name of Kimberlin’s Justice Through Music Project entity, has been involved in election-related activities, the exact nature of which are a bit unclear. Kimberlin has claimed under oath that he and his operation were involved with election security work with the Department of Justice during the 2016 election.

EMPR appears to stand of EuroMaidan PR, an English-language Ukrainian propaganda website. While the Mueller investigation was ongoing, Kimberlin ran a website promoting the Russian Dossier Hoax. Like so many of his web domains, it’s now long gone.

Protect Our Elections?

Our who?

Team Kimberlin Post of the Day

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Yesterday, I reported that the jtmp dot org website is back in operation and being kept more or less up to date. The same is true of the protectourelections dot org site.

Of course, the most important page supporting the grift is the DONATE page. It provides a link via Authorize dot Net to an EMPR account.Several years ago, Brett Kimberlin changed the corporate name of Velvet Revolution US to Protect Our Elections/EMPR Inc. One of the websites that entity operates is empr dot media, an English-language Ukrainian news/propaganda site. At best, POE donations going to EMPR would indicate that funds for “protecting” American election integrity are being commingled with funds supporting Ukrainian propaganda.

At worst … well, consider this information found at the top of the site’s ABOUT page—The second sentence is not true. Protect Our Elections has never been considered an 501(c)(3) entity by the IRS. At one time, it was registered under 501(c)(4), but that classification was revoked by the IRS.

I can understand why someone might believe something less than honest is a foot in an operation run by a convicted perjurer.

The Usefulness of Ammunition Control

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The Kyiv Independent reports that Ukrainian forces are working to offset Russia’s advantage in artillery by targeting Russian command posts and ammunition supplies.

Now that Ukraine has acquired advanced Western artillery and rocket systems, it has gradually begun a campaign to take out Russia’s key military infrastructure. Over the last four weeks, nearly 20 Russian ammunition depots in Russian-occupied Donbas and Ukraine’s south, including some of the largest, have been hit or completely destroyed.

As Russia continues with its slow but steady advance in Ukraine’s eastern region of Donbas, Ukraine’s military is working to undermine Russia’s overwhelming artillery power and disrupt its logistics deep in occupied territories.

Devastating strikes upon Russian command posts have become increasingly frequent since mid-June when Ukraine began using the first of four M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, provided by the U.S., nearly a week before their arrival in Ukraine was publicly announced.

On June 15, a massive explosion occurred near the city of Khrustalniy (formerly Krasniy Luch) in occupied Luhansk Oblast.

Explosions continued for days. According to satellite images, the blasts created a destruction zone spanning some 500 meters around the epicenter. The site was one of Russia’s largest ammunition depots, built after Russian forces occupied the area in 2014. In the Azotniy neighborhood in the northeastern part of Donetsk where Russia established ammunition depots through the city, successful attacks have continued on an almost daily basis.

While it still isn’t clear that the Russians have bitten off more than they can chew, if they do manage to swallow all or part of Ukraine, the resulting indigestion will last for a long, long time.

 

The Lens of Experience

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It appears that when our Disinformation Governance Board’s Executive Director referred to Hunter Biden’s laptop as “Russian disinformation,” she may have had inside knowledge of the situation. This is from her LinkedIn profile—This is the same time period when a loan guarantee had been used to influence the Ukrainian government’s decisions concerning criminal investigations.

In other news … the chocolate ration will be increased from 30 to 20 grams per week.

Changing Geopolitics

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The Russian Army has lost substantial amounts of irreplaceable (on any short term) equipment and a large number of irreplaceable professional soldiers during Putin’s adventure in Ukraine. As the war continues, the Russians will have to move more of their remaining cadre of professionals from around the country to the active war zone, and that will require staffing other garrisons with inexperienced, poorly trained conscripts.

If I were a senior commander in the Peoples’ Liberation Army, the view to the North across the Amur River might become more tempting than the view to the East across the Taiwan Strait.

Don’t Know Much About History

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Drone footage shows that the Russians set up a field camp and dug trenches in the Red Forest near Chernobyl. The forest got its name when the trees there turned from green to red as they died from radiation poisoning. They were bulldozed, a layer of sand spread over them, and new trees planted. After more than 35 years, the place is still so radioactive that the Ukrainians stay away.

It appears that the young Russians were unaware of what had happened at Chernobyl in 1986. It’s not something that fits into approved State History in Russia. (You’ve got to be carefully taught.)

Of course, the senior military leaders who were alive in 1986 would have known, but they didn’t tell the men under their command—yet another leadership failure.

Warfare: 20th Century v. 21st Century

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My podcasting partner Stacy McCain has a post up about the Russian casualty figures that were “leaked” yesterday. If true, they indicated that the Russians are taking around 1,000 casualties (400 killed) per day. I’m skeptical. That the figure seems high, but, considering the Russians’ general incompetence, their losses could be that bad.

While the Russians have improved the technology of their weapons since the Second World War, they made few significant changes in the structure of their army. It is in many ways the same force Zhukov led almost 80 years ago, mostly a bunch of poorly trained conscripts led by corrupt NCOs and inept officers. The equipment may be more technologically advanced, but that makes it more susceptible to poor maintenance. However, today’s Russian army is very different from the Zhukov’s force—it is not repelling an invader; it is not fighting a Great Patriotic War. For now, the Russians are losing senior officers to snipers and drone strikes. How long will it be until the fragging begins? If it hasn’t already.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is fielding a highly motivated force armed with some of the be best weapons of the 21st century. The best Western technology backed by the West’s manufacturing capacity isn’t being sent as aid to Russia but to Ukraine. The Javelin and other anti-tank weapons are doing to Russian armor what the machine gun did to Infantry in the First World War. And Western intelligence service are clearly providing real time information.

The Russians may still win through brute force and sheer numbers, but the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. Sometimes the victory belongs to the smart and the brave. That’s beginning to look more like the Ukrainians than the Russians.

Keeping Warm and Fed

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One of the reasons the Russian advance had gone more slowly than Putin expected is that the Russians are having trouble getting food, fuel, and other support to their troops.They clearly lack the assets to maintain a reliable supply train. Poorly maintained trucks running on cheap, unreliable Chinese tires may be the undoing of their campaign. While the Russians may not be able to keep their soldiers fed, the Ukrainians are helping them stay warm by the fires of vehicles set alight by Javelins and Molotov cocktails.

Of course, the Russians may still pull off a costly win via overwhelming numbers, but the war in Ukraine shows the truth of the principle that amateurs study tactics and professionals study logistics.

I’m Not Making This Up, You Know

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Justin Trudeau has announced the following in response to Russian activity in Ukraine:

Canada and our allies will defend democracy. We are taking these actions today in a stand against authoritarianism.

The actions he is taking against authoritarianism include sending 460 soldiers, a frigate, and a patrol aircraft to Europe. Apparently, horse units will be retained at home for domestic authoritarian operations.

Biden, Putin, Burisma, and Ukraine

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I’m seeing reports that the Ukrainian government is unhappy with Joe Biden’s remarks about “minor incursions” and the like during his press conference this evening. Of course, now that Hunter is off the board at Burisma, the Bidens probably have no real assets worth protecting in Ukraine.

It’s been suggested that some folks would be useful to have the records of certain investigations disappear, which could happen in the tumult of a war. OTOH, having them fall into the hands of the ФСБ, …

It may be that certain people haven’t considered all the angles.

Hmmmm.

Team Kimberlin Post of the Day

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The TKPOTD for the 20th was about a post at the empr dot media site by Alexandra Chalupa. That website appears to be operated by Protect Our Elections/EMPR Inc., an entity run by Brett Kimberlin which has had its 501(c)4 status revoked by the IRS. Ms. Chalupa was involved with Ukrainian-related aspects of the Russia Collusion Hoax. Her post at the EMPR website, which had be recycled from her Substack page, contained the patently false claim that “Putin planted and managed in the White House for four years – Donald J. Trump.”

Her post has received no comments on Substack, but it has snagged one at EMPR.

EMPR’s coverage of Trump was never friendly or even neutral. I wonder if they think Biden is really better for Ukraine.

Hmmmm.

Team Kimberlin Post of the Day

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Kimberlin’s empr dot media website continues to muddle along, but almost all of the news stories seem to relate to the quasi-war between Ukraine and Russia and COVID in Ukraine. Both are reasonable stories to be tracking, but … well, I’ll need to do a bit more research before I say more.

Team Kimberlin Post of the Day

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Not all of Brett Kimberlin’s interactions with Ukraine have been successful. The TKPOTD for seven years ago dealt with one failure.

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It seems as if The Dread Pirate Kimberlin has a great deal of difficulty with the truth and that this is not a new problem. Beginning on page 360 of Citizen K, Mark Singer tells the story of a June, 1996, trip to Ukraine he took with Brett Kimberlin. The purpose of the trip was to develop business deals for Lada Express, a company that TDPK founded as he was being released on parole. The tale paints of a picture of Kimberlin cutting significant business deals.

Hindsight cuts through the smoke and mirrors. By November, 1997, Kimberlin’s parole was being revoked. There were two reasons given. First, he had failed to make any restitution payments to a victim of one of his bombings which was one of the terms of his release on parole. Second, he had committed fraud on a mortgage application.

He was bankrupt. If the hundreds of thousands of dollars of profits on those deals ever existed, they could not be accounted for, and his company Lada Express became defunct. In 1998, the Maryland Department of Assessment and Taxation revoked its corporate charter for failure to file paperwork due in early 1997.LadaExpress

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Failing failures gotta fail.

Team Kimberlin Post of the Day

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Brett Kimberlin has failed at almost everything he’s tried. He got caught smuggling drugs. He got busted as the Speedway Bomber. He’s failed as a pro se litigant.

The TKPOTD for six years ago today dealt with one of the instances of his failure as a musician.

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Gentle Reader, do you ever wonder what the Dread Pro-Se Kimberlin does when he isn’t involved in vexatious lawsuit? He’s got himself a rock-and-roll band called Op-Critical. One of the sca … uh … promotions he’s attempted for the band was trying to get a performance by Op-Critical included in the soundtrack of the Twilight movie Eclipse.Op-Crit TweetsEar-plugsIt shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with Op-Critical’s body of work to learn that Twilight Angel isn’t on the album. You can listen to The Dread Performer Kimberlin singing Twilight Angel on YouTube, but I don’t recommend doing so. Normally, folks with TDPK’s level of talent are advised not to give up their day jobs, but I’m not sure which causes more harm in Kimberlin’s case.

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Almost all of Kimberlin’s business entities show some sort of paperwork deficiency when you run checks on them. One exception is Actup Enterprises Inc. On 17 July, Kimberlin took the steps necessary to restore it to good standing status with the State of Maryland. Actup has variously referred to itself as an artist representative and as a record label.

The Actup Enterprises web domain is gone, but while it was active, it only listed one performer as an artist—Kelsie Kimberlin. BTW, her recent music videos appear to have ben produced in Ukraine.