Victory Chronicles
-DAY 194

INFORMATION EMBARGO TO PROTECT UKRAINIAN DEFENDERS

Above: “Kherson Oblast Welcomes You”.  Photo via Unian

• The government of Ukraine has asked media including social media posters not to share any information that could compromise the security and effectiveness of military operations across Ukraine. Here is an example of a content warning on Reddit: DO NOT SHARE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT EXPLOSIONS, MOVEMENTS, ASSETS, LOCATION OR IDENTIFICATION OF ANY OF THE UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES.
• Ru propagandists are madly boasting of Ukrainian annihilation in southern Ukraine, taking advantage of operational silence.  However, open source information and local reports contradict reports of any enemy success.  On the contrary, all indications are that Ukraine continues to take out strategic enemy targets in occupied territory, make small advances along the line and remove significant enemy combatants from action.

RUSSIAN ENERGY BLACKMAIL: GAS PIPELINES TURNED OFF UNTIL SANCTIONS LIFTED; PRICES SOAR

Photo via NPR

• Reuters reports that Russia has shut down the Nord Stream-1 gas pipeline to Europe until sanctions are lifted. On Monday, Kremlin mouthpieces blamed EU, UK and Canadian sanctions for the gas cut off, reversing the lies from Friday that claimed technical failures.  For some weeks, ru has been flaring or burning off excess natural gas that it won’t sell to Europe.
• BBC reported that wholesale gas prices shot up more than 25% on news of the ru gas shut off.  Most analysts agree that ru is trying to foment public unrest over potential sacrifices this winter in the scenario of low levels of stored fuel, and thereby reduce political will to maintain sanctions.
• G7 countries agreed to cap the price of Russian oil in an effort to deny war financing to the aggressor country. The price cap means countries that agree to the policy will only purchase Russian oil and petroleum products transported via sea that are sold at or below the price cap. Kremlin responded that it won’t sell oil to countries with a price cap.
• The EU aims to impose an ru oil embargo in early December, applied to crude shipped by tanker and most pipelines.  Most analysts believe that China and India will be among those countries that will bid just higher than the price cap to buy ru oil at bargain prices.