Day 170 Roundup: Zelenskyy Condemns Military Leaks; Fresh Attacks on Nuclear Power Plant

    Image copyright: Ukrainian Presidential Press Office [via AP News]

    The Facts

    • In his nightly address on Thurs., Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a stern word to officials from his government, stating that those who divulge military tactics and information with the media were being "frankly irresponsible." He said: "War is definitely not the time for vanity and loud statements. The less concrete details you give about our defense plans, the better it will be for the implementation of those defense plans."

    • The statement comes after a series of unnamed Ukrainian officials spoke to Western reporters and stated that Ukrainian forces had a part to play in the blasts that rocked the Russian air base of Saky in Crimea on Tuesday. Kyiv officially denied attacking the air base, but satellite imagery later confirmed that at least eight Russian war planes were damaged or destroyed in the incident. One person was killed and 14 more were injured.


    The Spin

    Pro-establishment narrative

    Making sure Ukraine continues to be well armed is the only way to fend off Putin and Russia in this unprovoked war of aggression. The US and NATO must not simply offer up their latest and most hi-tech weapons however; combat is about supply lines and the West must ensure basic equipment and ammunition are kept flowing as needed.

    Establishment-critical narrative

    Multi-billion dollar weapons packages will make little difference in the outcome of the war. The US has been meddling in Ukraine since the end of the Cold War, and what we're witnessing is a geopolitical ponzi scheme to benefit those aligned with the military-industrial complex. War is a lucrative racket.


    Metaculus Prediction


    Establishment split

    CRITICAL

    PRO

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