"So the free west has a conspiracy which controls the media and gives the illusion of freedom? Russia has a state controlled media which tells the truth and all of the hampering is because of the United States?"

- If you don't see it or get it not much I can do about it.
Everything's controlled in it's own way, that's how it's built.
If you don't support the government narrative you don't press passes, access, or to to ask questions.
- If you ask the wrong questions, your press pass gets revoked.
Everyone must tow the line.

Baldrick,

I also see that the Ukrainians' new Patriot system shot down the hypersonic Khinsal missile. Also, Russia shot down its own aircraft more than once.

As for Western propaganda, I don't see the West punishing journalists for publishing pretty much whatever they want. However, you get 10 years in Russia for saying this is a war.

Russia's army has culminated and is desperately trying to prepare for the Ukraine offensive.

Russia is losing this war.

Hi AC

"The incompetent morons shot down their own Bayraktar drone over Kiev and Ukrainians cheered."

My understanding is that the drone became unresponsive to manual control and had to be shot down after circling over Kiev for a time. You could be excused for thinking it was a Russian military drone as it was a threat to civilians.

"Everyone must tow the line."

In an authoritarian kleptocracy like Russia you have to be careful of what you say lest you end up in jail. Fortunately much of Russia's youth is too smart to be brainwashed by authoritarian propaganda. I guess you must believe in the "Freedom is slavery" dictum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMGQpSZ27yM

Russia is losing about 1000 troops per day and two btgs of mechanised equipment per week. The Ukrainians have been hitting a lot more Russian artillery and counter-battery radar of late, as well as turning Prilepin's Mazda 2 into a Mazda 0.5.

So Armchair, it seems you've decided to ignore the message from Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Good idea! the only way to sustain a failing narrative is to ignore everything that explains why its a failing narrative.

"In an authoritarian kleptocracy like Russia you have to be careful of what you say lest you end up in jail. Fortunately much of Russia's youth is too smart to be brainwashed by authoritarian propaganda. I guess you must believe in the 'Freedom is slavery' dictum."
- No they're not too smart, they're too dumb.
Too dumb to understand that the West uses their ignorance in relation to causing civil unrest in foreign countries to overthrow leaders and that they are merely pawns selling out their nations sovereignty (for western interests), and that their leaders must act the way they do to prevent said civil unrest that those same young dumb citizens will cause.

"Russia is losing about 1000 troops per day and two btgs of mechanised equipment per week."
http://twitter.com/squatsons/status/1654956098586316800
- If you say so, I'm thinking those under this are probably faring worse than those not under it.

Maybe you should watch some of this and get a different perspective.
http://www.youtube.com/live/qwRF7FYWIyI?feature=share

Hey mhaze,
"So Armchair, it seems you've decided to ignore the message from Yevgeny Prigozhin."
- Which one, this one?
Wagner boss slams Russian officials from a field of corpses
http://youtu.be/j-bALDPCp4w
- I'm not sure it was his last video.
http://twitter.com/MyLordBebo/status/1654796024269946882
- Few different things I've heard here and there, (Wagner fighters tired, Prigozhin has PTSD, Arguments over distribution of weapons and ammo, They're quietly trying to relocate Wagner to other parts of the battlefield...)
- I can't get a full handle on what's really going on tbh, been kinda busy today, but Prigozhin's got more weapons and ammunition now so the situation may already be resolved, if it ever even was a situation.

https://ria-ru.translate.goog/20230507/vagner-1870304016.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

- And Kadyrov's Akhmat fighters are going to go in and provide support to Wagner to try and finish Bakhmut off, not really sure what's going to happen with Wagner there on the 10th.

Ukrainian counteroffensive could happen anytime, Russia is evacuating about 70k people from Zaporizhzhia, and something seems to be planned with the NPP, the west seem to have an obsession with it.

AC,

I see that Russians are fleeing Crimea like rats from a sinking ship. Apparently, even the Russians believe that Russia is losing the war.

The Russians are running out of ammunition and hardware while Ukraine has received 240 tanks, 1500 armoured vehicles 2 million howitzer shells new artillery new aircraft and new missile systems.

Russia might even lose Crimea by the end of the year.