Summer Potpourri 2025

Russian Special Ops Forces capture “Three British Soldiers” near Odessa

Quite amazing news were emerging some days ago in many sources like Borzzikman, Times Now World, Mirror Now, Eurasia Daily, sonar21.com (by Larry C.Johnson) and in number of posts on X-platform. If true, this adds a new dangerous phase to the war in Ukraine. The received information seems to be credible. Reportedly, British Lieutenant Colonel Richard Carroll and Colonel Edward Blake, both active-duty officers of the British Army, along with an unidentified agent of British MI-6 (Intelligence) were captured during a daring raid by Russian Special Forces, in the city of Ochakov. 

Larry Johnson said that “A source from French intelligence provided additional confirmation: My longtime intelligence colleague, whom I know from working in the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and whom I fully trust, told me that Russian special forces landed from several ships and infiltrated the command center of the Ukrainian armed forces. They captured British soldiers who coordinated the use of British missiles and drones against Russian troops and civilian targets.”

At night, Russian special forces landed in Ochakov on several boats and penetrated the command center. They captured British soldiers who coordinated the use of British missiles and drones. Among the captives are Colonel Edward Blake, an officer of the special psychological operations unit; Lieutenant Colonel Richard Carroll, an official of the British Ministry of Defense, who was significantly involved in operations in the Middle East; and an unidentified employee, probably an officer of the MI6 intelligence service, who was present as an advisor on cybersecurity.

The operation of the Russian special forces lasted about 15 minutes. Within a few hours of the operation, diplomatic relations between London and Moscow deteriorated sharply. Representatives of the British Foreign Office turned to the Russian Ministry of Defense with a request to return the British officers who had “lost their way” to Ukrainian territory.

The official version from London: the detained officers were heading to Ukraine for tourist purposes and accidentally ended up in Ochakov. They were probably interested in naval history and wanted to visit the coast where battles took place during World War II.

However, the detainees were not found with beach towels or cameras, but with maps with strategic objects on Russian territory, plans of Russian air defense, secret instructions for interaction with Ukrainian drone operators, as well as disks with encrypted data and records of negotiations with the British General Staff. Quite unusual propriety for tourists.

Russian Defense Minister Belousov allegedly told the British that the British soldiers were not subject to exchange and that the West would not return them by Red Cross planes. Russia intends to put them on trial for participating in military actions against Russia.

Operation “Skat-12” was, as stated, prepared for almost two months. Technical surveillance and an agency network were used to collect data on location and movement routes. The action, according to those reports, ended with a quick evacuation from the scene using boats.

Russia Cracks NATO’s Secret War Room, British Command Post Falls in Ochakov Raid | Times Now World

Times Now World August 6, 2025

In a stunning overnight raid on Ukraine’s Ochakov naval base, Russian special forces reportedly struck a British-run command hub in just fifteen minutes — seizing sensitive maps, encrypted data, and recordings that Moscow claims expose NATO’s direct role in guiding Ukrainian missile and drone strikes against Russia. Portrayed by the Kremlin as proof of Western battlefield command on Ukrainian soil, the operation shines a spotlight on Ochakov’s role as a foreign-staffed training ground for assaults on Russian-held Kherson, raising new diplomatic tensions as rumors swirl that high-ranking British officers were captured in the covert raid.

Moreover, Russia also accuses the UK of other serious conspiracies.

In early August, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said in a statement that the UK’s secret services are planning to enlist NATO allies in a large-scale operation targeting the “shadow fleet,” which could lead to an environmental disaster in international waters. British secret services are planning ecological disaster in international waters. According to London’s plan, the impetus for such a campaign should be provided by “a resonant incident involving one or more tankers.”

“The plan involves organizing a major act of sabotage the losses of which would allow the transportation of Russian oil to be declared a threat to all international shipping. This would untie Western countries’ hands in choosing methods of counteraction,” the document said.

Two scenarios and actors

According to the SVR, the British are working on “two potential casus belli.” “The first scenario implicates setting up an ‘unwanted’ tanker accident in one of bottlenecks of sea communications (for example, in straits). As it is believed in London, oil spills and fairway blocking would provide NATO countries with ‘sufficient’ grounds for establishing a precedent of ‘extraordinary’ vessel inspection under the guise of maritime safety and environmental regulations compliance,” the statement noted.

“The second one involves setting fire to a tanker at loading in a port of a state friendly to Russia. It is expected that the fire would cause significant damage to the port infrastructure and spread to other vessels, which would require an international investigation,” the SVR emphasized.

“London is going to entrust Ukrainian security forces with the implementation of both terrorist attacks. Their expectedly dirty work and inability to ‘cover up’ their tracks are considered by the British as a guarantee of impunity for themselves. The international investigation would hold either Russia or at worst Ukraine responsible for the accident, similar to the situation with the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosion,” the press bureau stressed.

Eying sanctions

The SVR pointed out that the timing of the UK attack is intended to be chosen so as to use the media effect from it to put pressure on the administration of US President Donald Trump. “The aim is to force Washington, in defiance of its national interests, to impose the most severe secondary sanctions against Russian energy resources buyers, making them seen as ‘indirect culprits of the tragedy’,” the statement said.

NATO & the US rhetoric and performance

This time it has also included the unprecedented coordinated calls that China and Russia could attack together—China launching an invasion of Taiwan as Russia does against Europe. In particular, NATO’s new Supreme Allied Commander of Europe Alexus Grynkewich stated this openly:

During the mid-July 2025, US General Christopher Donahue stated that NATO and US allied forces now have the capability to “neutralize” or “take down” the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad from the ground in an unprecedented and much faster timeframe than previously possible. He described Kaliningrad as being about 47 miles wide and surrounded on all sides by NATO countries, making it vulnerable to ground operations. This statement was made in the context of NATO’s “Eastern Flank Deterrence Line” plan, which aims to bolster ground-based military capabilities and readiness in the Baltic region.

Donahue emphasized the importance of the land domain in modern warfare and NATO’s enhanced ability to counter Russia’s “mass and momentum problem” using new capabilities developed based on lessons from the conflict in Ukraine. However, he did not provide specific operational details of how this capability would be executed. The Russian side views Kaliningrad as strategically vital and any NATO attack on it as a major escalation possibly provoking nuclear response.

Trump announced that two nuclear submarines were heading toward Russia, just because Dmitry Medvedev roasted him online. Medvedev was simply warning Trump that a decapitation strike on Moscow would still produce a retaliatory strike on the United States. Trump apparently took this as a Russian threat to launch a preemptive attack on the United States. The Russian “Dead Hand,” also known as the “Perimeter” system, is an automatic or semi-automatic nuclear command and control system developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War and is reportedly still operational today. Its purpose is to guarantee a retaliatory nuclear strike against an enemy even if Russia’s leadership and command structure are destroyed in a decapitating attack.

Words are one thing, but actions speak louder than words and Trump authorized an action that leaves the Russians with no alternative but to conclude that the United States is preparing to attack Russia… He ordered sending nuclear weapons to Europe, B61-12 Gravity Bombs.

Throughout the 1990s, the US closed or consolidated many bases. Weapons were withdrawn from some national bases and concentrated at fewer main air bases rather than fully returned to the US. All US nuclear weapons were withdrawn from Greece in the early 2000s, and the last bombs were removed from the UK’s RAF Lakenheath around 2007, ending more than 50 years of US nuclear presence there.

Now, in a major reversal, the United States has deployed the B61-12 gravity bombs to Europe. Deployment locations for these nuclear bombs in 2025: RAF Lakenheath (United Kingdom), Kleine Brogel Air Base (Belgium), Büchel Air Base (Germany), Aviano and Ghedi Air Bases (Italy), Volkel Air Base (Netherlands), Incirlik Air Base (Turkey).

These bombs are now distributed across these six main bases in five NATO countries, with around 100–150 US B61-12 bombs forward deployed in total. The deployment to RAF Lakenheath in the UK represents a significant strategic signal, as it marks the first return of US tactical nuclear weapons to British soil in over 15 years.

NATO has significantly expanded its intelligence-gathering activities in the Black Sea. The alliance is actively upgrading its military infrastructure in Bulgaria and Romania. The European Union is also showing increasing levels of activity, having recently adopted a new strategy for the region. Its goal is to turn the Black Sea into a theater of direct confrontation with Russia. Experts emphasized that militarization in the area threatens maritime navigation and international trade, while also increasing the risk of a direct military clash between Russia and the West.

“NATO’s military presence in the Black Sea region is expanding, and it is, of course, being justified by the so-called ‘Russian threat.’ NATO claims the Black Sea falls within its area of responsibility. The alliance has significantly stepped up its reconnaissance and surveillance efforts in the Black Sea and plans to expand satellite monitoring of the area.

Security concerns stem not only from NATO but also from the European Union. In late May, the European Commission unveiled a new EU strategy for the Black Sea region. It outlined plans to enhance the EU’s geopolitical role as a reliable player in the Black Sea region, among other goals.

“This strategy explicitly states that it is based on a geopolitical project aimed at ensuring the region’s security and democratic consolidation along Western values. The coastal states in this context serve merely as a platform for the EU’s political ambitions to effectively push Russia out of the region.

Some recently released interesting and important videos by prominent international experts

Russia’s Deadline Approaching /Lt Col Daniel Davis & Andrei Martyanov

Daniel Davis / Deep Dive, August 4, 2025

The discussion is a scathing critique of U.S. foreign and military policy, especially as it relates to the conflict in Ukraine and the approach toward Russia. The key speaker—Andrei Marti—argues that: Washington lacks strategic understanding: U.S. policymakers and military leaders, brought up in a disconnected environment, do not understand real war, war economies, or long-term strategy. They rely on flawed analysis and unrealistic assumptions. Sanctions backfiring: Russian resilience has increased under Western sanctions. Many Russians even joke that sanctions accelerate their independence from the West. Countries like India and China are watching and adapting, with China actively reducing its U.S. Treasury holdings.

INTERVIEW: The British have painted a target on every national sent into Ukraine

George Galloway, August 5, 2025

Scott Ritter tells George Galloway, on August 4th, that Dmitry Medvedev’s insult to Trump provoked Trump to send two Ohio-Class U.S. nuclear submarines to move and position close enough to Moscow to pose the possibility of a blitz-nuclear decapitation of Russia’s central command (The Kremlin). Ritter explains how and why Russia’s “Dead Hand” system of automatically releasing all of the thousands of Russia’s nuclear weapons if such a decapitation-strike occurs, is real — not mythology, that system DOES exist — and that in his former role of being a U.N. nuclear-weapons inspector, he inspected a key part of that system. So, Trump is turning out to be the most extreme of all of the neoconservatives who have occupied the White house, such as George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Until now, no U.S. President has done anything like this. The fact that Trump does it in response to a personal insult is displaying to the public what type of person now actually occupies the U.S. White House.

“Nobody Expected Russia to Do This…| Alastair Crooke”

Unfiltered Minds August 5, 2025

Former British diplomat Alastair Crooke breaks down a dramatic shift in Russia’s war strategy following a failed U.S.-linked operation. Crooke reveals that Putin is furious and now fully committed to ending the conflict on Moscow’s terms, with no trust left for Trump or the West. From reclassifying the Ukraine war as a counterterrorist operation to changing the political mood inside Russia, Crooke explains how public sentiment has hardened and why any talk of ceasefire now risks being seen as betrayal. He dives into the deeper consequences of failed diplomacy, the legal framework Russia is invoking, and how the West continues to misunderstand Russian resolve. This isn’t just a battlefield update—it’s a strategic and psychological turning point that may define the next phase of the war.

“This Is WAY Worse Than I Thought… NATO’s Collapse Has Begun | Alex Krainer”

Unfiltered Minds, August 5, 2025

In this powerful breakdown, Alex Krainer unpacks the accelerating decline of NATO and the European Union, arguing that both institutions have outlived their original purpose and are now scrambling for relevance. He explains how NATO’s expansion post-Cold War has undermined its legitimacy, and how growing dissent among member states signals a potential collapse from within. Krainer also explores how economic pressures, incoherent EU policies, and the rise of BRICS are pushing European nations toward a multipolar world. With historical parallels to the Soviet Union’s fall and the Weimar Republic’s economic unraveling, he warns that a major geopolitical realignment is already underway—and most people don’t see it coming.

Col. Macgregor: Ukraine Headed for COLLAPSE, U.S. NOT Ready for WAR with Russia

Rachel Blevins August 6, 2025

Will Kiev Fall? Russia Poised to End the War! | COL. Douglas Macgregor

Süper Kaya, August 7, 2025

Putin & Witkoff Meet in Moscow /Lt Col Daniel Davis & Larry Johnson

Daniel Davis / Deep Dive, August 7, 2025

Steve Witkoff made his fourth visit to Russia, meeting with Putin for three hours in hopes of progress before Trump’s August 8 deadline to decide on further tariffs and secondary sanctions aimed at pressuring Russia into an unconditional ceasefire. Initial Russian readouts sounded cautiously optimistic, hinting at possible concessions, such as a partial air-war ceasefire, but optimism faded after Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian imports of Russian oil. The move angered India, which called the action unfair and hypocritical given the EU’s ongoing large-scale trade with Russia, for which Trump has not imposed similar penalties. Analysts suggested Russia remains calm and firm, with Putin stressing the lack of tangible U.S. goodwill gestures—no ambassador, continued sanctions, property seizures, and military aid to Ukraine—while Russian forces advance rapidly on the battlefield. India’s retaliation risk and Trump’s selective targeting raised doubts about his ability to balance sanctions policy without alienating key partners, with some viewing the actions as political theater rather than a genuine strategy toward ending the war.

Prof. John Mearsheimer has something important to say. He is an international relations scholar at University of Chicago. He is one of the most influential and controversial thinkers in the world on the topics of war and power.

U.S. Will NOT Accept Ukraine Defeat /John Mearsheimer

Daniel Davis / Deep Dive, July 31, 2025

In this discussion, Professor John Mearsheimer argues that the West appears to be preparing for a prolonged or “frozen” conflict with Russia, even after the Ukraine war ends. He emphasizes that Russia’s core demand—security from NATO expansion—doesn’t seem unreasonable and there’s no evidence Russia intends further territorial expansion into Europe. Yet, the U.S. and its allies refuse to recognize or accommodate Russia’s security concerns. Mearsheimer and the host both express discomfort at finding Russian narratives more coherent than their own government’s. They believe the U.S. is headed for a humiliating defeat in Ukraine and, rather than accept it, will double down—looking for ways to undermine Russia and regain leverage. This refusal to accept defeat raises the risk of re-escalation, especially in flashpoints like the Arctic, Kaliningrad, Belarus, Moldova, the Black Sea, and the Baltics. Asked what President Trump could do differently, Mearsheimer says even if Trump tried to reverse course and negotiate a peace deal with Putin that accepted Russia’s demands, it would be nearly impossible to get Ukraine, Europe, or the U.S. foreign policy establishment to agree. However, one “less bad” option would be for Trump to broker a deal with Russia, withdraw U.S. military support, and leave Ukraine and Europe to accept or reject it on their own terms. While this could de-escalate the war, Mearsheimer doubts Trump would actually follow through or succeed in overcoming institutional resistance.

Professor John Mearsheimer: Great Trouble ahead for Europe & The US | John Mearsheimer LATEST 2025

True Divine Wisdom August 6, 2025