An image of the wildfires in Rhodes, taken on July 23rd, showing the flames and the plume of smoke.
Greece, in late July, faced a heatwave in which over 8 million people experienced temperatures about 41C, with some areas reaching above 45C - all in all, both the longest heatwave in Greek history, as well as some of the highest temperatures on record.
Due to these high temperatures, Greece was then struck by hundreds of wildfires this summer, affecting nearly 200,000 hectares. About half of the total burned area was in the north-east of Greece, in the Dadia national park near the city of Alexandropoulis - the single largest blaze that the EU has recorded. Other parts of the country were also struck, such as Attica, Magnesia, and islands like Corfu and particularly Rhodes; the last one prompted an evacuation of 20,000 people, the largest evacuation operation the island had ever seen. Of course, this is just one country of many that have been caught in the European wildfires this year, of which the total burned area approached 500,000 hectares - the only consolation is that this was less than last year.
Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkiye were impacted in early September by flooding caused by massive storms bringing a deluge of water - in Greece, this mainly impacted Thessaly, in the centre of Greece.
Luckily for Greece, despite being a very earthquake-prone country, they have experienced no significant quakes lately to round out the four (I hope I haven't jinxed it) - though, of course, earlier this year, a major earthquake struck nearby Turkiye, killing 60,000 people and injuring 120,000.
The Country of the Week is Greece! Feel free to chime in with books, essays, longform articles, even stories and anecdotes or rants. More detail here.
Here is the map of the Ukraine conflict, courtesy of Wikipedia.
This week's update is here!
Links and Stuff
The bulletins site is down.
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Add to the above list if you can.
Resources For Understanding The War
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Telegram Channels
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
Pro-Russian
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
Last week's discussion post.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/27/revealed-europes-role-in-the-making-of-russia-killer-drones
Ukraine is pressuring the west to launch missile strikes on Syria and Iran, and say they will do it themselves if given the missiles. This isn't "Russian disinfo" its in a fucking Guardian article, and they have documents proving these conversations happening between Ukraine and western governments.
Ukraine is freaking off the rails. They want to open up a front against fucking Iran? How do they think this goes for them?
It all makes sense now why ATACMS and Taurus missiles were dangled in front of Ukraine for a bit and then suddenly the western governments unceremoniously retracted their offers to provide them. They must have realized what Ukraine will actually do with them once they get them, starting WW3 by roping in Syria and Iran (and thereby pulling in Israel and the US most likely).
Putting aside the western propaganda of le weak nation, are Syria and Iran even in a state to respond to an attack by Ukraine? Syria has like 3 civil wars and an occupation going on, and Iran is well - Iran.
One thing I should note is that if the west provides long range missiles to Ukraine, and Ukraine simply pushes the launch button, Iran will see that as a declaration of war from not only Ukraine but from the western nations who provided the missile. They will see this as a full NATO attack.
Syria is unable to extend much power outside of its borders, in fact they're still struggling to mop up the last of the jihadists and get the Turks/Americans out. They definitely just need to hold it down at home, but they can definitely ramp up against the American and Turkish proxies if provoked, as they don't attack Americans directly currently. They could start.
Iran has an extremely strong military, I'm not sure what you're implying. These have some of the largest stocks of missiles and drones on earth and an extremely powerful network of asymetrical militias and proxies. They help control a large sector of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and their reach even extends as far as Yemen.
Currently Iran has a North-South land route into Russia via Armenia/Georgia, which are friendly to Iran. Azeris are slowly trying to cut that land path off to create a East-West land route connecting themselves to Turkey. These are mutually exclusive goals and I think the fact we're seeing a lot of movement and pressure in the region right now is related to this, and NATO/Turkey are all quietly giving the Azeris the nod and giving them diplomatic cover as this is a strategic attack against an Iran-Russia alliance.
If WW3 really starts ramping up and multiple states are getting involved all at once in the Ukraine crisis, I imagine the first thing Iran will do is attack Azerbaijan if the Azeris overstep and try to take the east-west land channel. They need to secure their land route to their military ally Russia and can attack the Azeris with massive drone and rocket strikes. There's lots of Shia in Azeri territory as well they could say they are liberating, because Azeris do oppress the shia majority. They likely wouldn't strike Ukraine directly outside of providing more rockets, drones and men for Russia. However, Russia is holding back. If NATO is getting involved in the crisis then Russia will release its controls and let slip the dogs of war. Kiev leadership is getting decapitated, no more EU diplomat visits to Kiev.
If the Azeris show restraint and don't lunge for the land corridor, Iran may instead just apply additional pressure to NATO forces in Syria and Iraq - forcing them to commit or withdraw, and allowing Russia to more fully withdraw from Syria to focus on Ukraine. They may start fulling purging the entire region of any NATO forces or NATO-aligned forces.
They shot a few missiles near a US base after the assassination of their general and gave some soldiers a headache. Obviously they cannot outright kill Americans, but if it’s as strong as you suggest I’d imagine they would’ve done something more proportionate. Or when their scientists are murdered by Israelis and Americans. No proportionate response. I’m not familiar if their proxies engaged with Americans and Israelis more effectively but if you know then I’d like to learn more. Basically what I’m trying to say is that there isn’t much for me to base my understanding of their strength
Iran doesn't want a full scale war with NATO so it holds back. You don't think the insurgents who destroyed ISIS in Syria could kill a couple of burgerfed American dipshits sitting in a trailer if they wanted to? They have to make a symbolic gesture for domestic appearances, but they don't actually want to provoke a war.
Iranian proxies in Yemen have basically dabbed on the Saudi western mercs there, stealing all their tanks and using cheap drones to shut down billion dollar tankers and refiners. That's like... their weakest proxy
“Potential production site?” So they’re not even positive it’s a military site and they’re willing to bomb it?
I don’t even like Assad, but I cannot fathom being a president with like 5 different nations invading me and propping up terrorists, only for some annoying cuck all the way up north who isn’t even relevant to my conflict threatening to bomb my people. I guess that’s why I’m not president, because I would angrily calling Putin and telling him to destroy everything so I can have an ounce of peace.
Considering the US has been wanting to invade Syria and especially Iran for some time now, Ukraine might be hoping it prompts them to and starts WW3. Because as far as their goal of reclaiming all territory including Crimea is concerned, WW3 is about the only way it could happen.
Which definitely would mean Ukraine is off the rails.
The US is definitely not willing to go fully into a world war right now because they were going to give ATACMs to Zelenskyy until these conversations started happening, after which the offer was rescinded. Even Biden and the neocons in the state department think Ukraine is going a bit too crazy
That's good to hear. But if Ukraine had their way that's probably what they want to happen.
It's not too surprising with how unhinged their propagandists have been. It'll just be frustrating when libs turn on them and pretend they knew all along how deranged the Ukrainian leadership was.