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1996’s Privatization of Government Background Screening has Been a 29 Year Dumpster Fire

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Recent failures in background checks of new and existing service members have been thrust into the spotlight with the arrest of Air National Guardsmen Jack Teixeira for the leaking of hundreds of classified Pentagon documents and former U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Sarah Bils for engaging in what she called hybrid warfare against the United States since 2014. Despite rising demand for security clearance background checks by the U.S. government and military, the process to protect America’s secrets has been dismantled piece by piece over a 29-year period.

Before 1996, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) did most of the background screening for the United States government and military. The Department of Defense was a secondary agency. Through 1994, OPM had a quality assurance staff of 80 employees that reviewed 100% of all investigations for errors. Due to budget cuts, 50 jobs were eliminated in 1995, and OPM moved to spot screening of 10% of background checks.

Former Senators Richard Shelby (AL-R) and Paul Simon (IL-D) led a committee to investigate and ultimately approve an OPM plan to privatize security clearance background checks. In 1996, U.S. Investigation Services (USIS) was created. Approximately 5,000 employees were given shares in the new company and additional responsibility for conducting a larger portion of background checks for the Department of Defense (DoD).

The transfer of most DSS screening to USIS was fueled by the events of September 11, when members of Congress, including former Senator Slade Gordon (WA-R), had his background investigation held up for months, preventing him and other Congressional leaders from reviewing sensitive documents related to the 2001 terrorist attacks. At the time, the FBI claimed it had lost Gordon’s paperwork, but the bottleneck wasn’t resolved until media reports shined a spotlight on the delays. In 2003, most DoD screenings were moved to USIS. While it appeared the company had earned the trust of government leaders, OPM was already facing criticism for using USIS as an exclusive provider.

Within four years of its spinoff from OPM, USIS attracted the interest of private equity. In 2000, the Carlyle Group invested $172 million ($307 million in inflation-adjusted dollars), followed by Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe purchasing a controlling interest for $545 million ($895 million in inflation-adjusted dollars) in 2003. In 2007, Carlyle sold their stake to the private equity firm Providence Equity Partners for $1.5 billion. Two years later, USIS was folded into a new firm called Altegrity, which included background screening providers HireRight, Explore Information Services, and Labat-Anderson, purchased shortly after Altegrity was formed. In August 2010, Altegrity purchased Kroll, Inc. for an all-cash transaction of $1.13 billion.

While private equity firms were reaping large profits, by 2008, USIS couldn’t keep up with government demand for screening services. In the four years that followed, the company utilized computer software called Project Blue to purge 665,000 background checks for security clearances as completed, even though no activity had been done. Allegedly, the faked background checks included National Security Agency whistle-blower and now Russian citizen Edward Snowden and 2013 Washington Naval Yard mass shooter Aaron Alexis. In the case of Alexis, USIS missed a 2004 Seattle, Washington arrest for malicious mischief where he shot out the tires of another man’s car during a “blackout.” Alexis was never prosecuted for the incident or another arrest in DeKalb County, Georgia in 2008. In Congressional testimony and through their public relations arm, USIS denied that either background check was part of Project Blue and called the claims a “myth.”

In January 2014, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against USIS alleging fraud for submitting fake background checks to the U.S. government. Five months later, USIS discovered it had been hit in 2013 by a cyberattack resulting in the leak of highly sensitive information for 25,000 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees. In 2015, Onapsis Research Labs determined that the hack was conducted by China using what cybersecurity experts call a lateral attack. The hack used SAP software linked between USIS and a third-party vendor but wasn’t discovered until almost a year later and wasn’t publicly revealed until July 2014. After the breach, the U.S. government suspended background screening and announced on September 9 of the same year it would not renew its contracts.

In 2015, USIS’s parent company, Altegrity Risk International, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Altegrity settled with the United States government for $30 million and reorganized under Kroll Inc. On October 16, 2016, Carlyle Group-owned LDiscovery purchased Kroll for an estimated $410 million and, in 2018, sold Kroll to Duff & Phelps for an undisclosed amount.

In January 2016, the Obama Administration returned background screening to OPM, creating the Federal Investigative Services (FIS). However, years of missed reports, legal wrangling, and an increasing demand for security clearances created a growing backlog that, for some personnel, was stretching beyond a year. In September 2019, the Trump Administration liquidated FIS and moved background screening to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency within the DoD. An additional requirement was the maximum amount of time permitted for a background screening was shortened from 150 days to 80.

When COVID-19 struck, many local, county, and state courthouses became virtual, causing delays in providing information to background screeners and preventing in-person review of court records, which are needed in edge cases.

During this period, Teixeira was denied a firearms identification card by the Dighton, Massachusetts Police Department twice because, in 2018, he was suspended from high school for making racist threats and had talked about attempting an attack using firearms and Molotov cocktails. In 2021 after joining the Massachusetts National Guard and receiving his government security clearance, he applied for a third time, citing his government responsibilities as a reason he should be approved. Dighton officials gave Teixeria a gun permit.

U.S. Navy non-commissioned officer Bils would have received her security clearance during the Project Blue era at USIS and could have faced a renewal screening between 2019 and 2022, depending on when she gained her original clearance. A 10-second Google search shows that Bils created a personal YouTube channel in 2008, with one video implying the use of recreational drugs. The video is still public today. While views on marijuana use have changed significantly in the last decade, at the time Bils would have received her first security clearance, it would have likely disqualified her. In interviews with the Wall Street Journal and Russian state media agency Russia Today, she professed she was engaged in information warfare against the United States since 2014. Bils, also known as the “Donbass Devushka,” has not been charged with any crime but is under investigation by the Department of Justice and NCIS for her conduct during and after her time with the Navy.

In 2023, security clearances are still the responsibility of the DoD, and while the backlog has shrunk since 2019, it remains in the hundreds of thousands.

Breaking News, Local, National

FBI Interviews Sarah Bils, the Donbass Devushka, as the DOJ and NCIS Probes Her Past

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[Oak Harbor, Wash.] – WBHG/MTN – Former United States Navy Chief Petty Officer Sarah Bils, better known as the Russian propagandist Donbass Devushka, was interviewed by FBI agents at her Oak Harbor, Washington home on Sunday, according to a report by Newsmax, and is also under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).

An open-source intelligence investigation spearheaded by NAFO, a loosely affiliated group of pro-Ukrainian social media users who are united in their fight against Russian disinformation, identified Bils as the person behind a Twitter and Telegram disinformation empire that started in 2014 while she was in the U.S. Navy, and exploded after Russia expanded its war of aggression against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Malcontent News was the first to report on Ms. Bils’s alter ego and was able to verify the self-declared “Russian Jew” Donbas maiden was actually born in Voorhees, New Jersey, according to her 2011 marriage license.

On Monday, Bils told the Wall Street Journal, after an exclusive interview with the newspaper on Saturday, that she was “forthright and honest with the FBI and NCIS in regards to what my clearances were and what I had access to, which was literally nothing.” The FBI interviewed her on Sunday.

In early April, investigators with Bellingcat determined the Donbass Devushka Telegram channel was the first to publicly leak edited secret and top secret documents from the Pentagon allegedly distributed by U.S. Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeria on a private Discord server called Thug Shaker Central. Teixeria, who has no connection to Bils, was arrested without incident by federal officials on April 13.

On Monday, an unnamed source with the U.S. Department of Justice said that “she is actively under federal investigation, but the circumstances of the content of the investigation is unclear at this time.”

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh was peppered with questions about Bils during a Monday press briefing. When asked if the Department of Defense was aware that the former Navy chief petty officer had been posting Russian propaganda since 2014 and if she had been under investigation prior to the revelation of the document leak, Ms. Singh replied, “Because this investigation is ongoing, I would refer you to the DOJ for that.”

Ms. Singh did confirm that Bils had not been under investigation by the U.S. Navy “while she was in uniform,” adding, “as far as I am aware,” and referencing additional questions to the Department of the Navy. On Tuesday, an NCIS spokesperson told the South Whidbey Record that the NCIS “is continuing to work jointly on an investigation of her activities with the Department of Justice.”

On April 5, four poorly edited top secret Pentagon documents were posted on her Telegram channel, with Bils claiming that she was not responsible for the post, that it was done by another admin who was “disciplined,” and the documents removed. However, on April 14, the documents, which have since been deleted, were still available contrary to her claims during her Wall Street Journal interview.

Over the last two days, a clearer picture of Bils’s life has started to form. At the end of 2020, she was promoted to E7, chief petty officer, which is a senior non-commissioned officer rank. But just under the surface, her life was falling apart. She was already involved in a bitter divorce battle over custody of her daughter, and in court papers reviewed by the South Whidbey Record, Bils declared she was suffering from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a “substance abuse disorder.”

In 2021, court papers show the U.S. Navy sent Bils to a substance abuse treatment program in Utah. In September 2021, she was in a serious car accident where she rear-ended another vehicle while traveling at a high rate of speed. Drugs and alcohol were not a factor in the daytime crash, and Bils was cited by the Washington State Patrol for speeding. According to her mother, the Donbass Devushka was seriously injured in the crash, and she traveled to Washington to help her daughter recover.

Two days after the accident, Bils posted on Twitter that she totaled her car and lost custody of her child. She was honorably discharged from the Navy on November 27, 2022, with a demotion to E5, petty officer second class. In the U.S. Navy, a petty officer is a non-commissioned officer and would be equal to a sergeant in the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Space Force.

Bils had previously filed for divorce in 2014 and requested a temporary restraining order, which was delivered to her husband by the Island County Sheriff on June 13, 2014. The 14-day temporary order was not extended by the court. In 2016, Bils withdrew her petition for divorce.

Since she left the Navy, Bils has made various claims on why she was discharged, including telling the Wall Street Journal that she was suffering from PTSD, writing on social media it was due to her “leftist views,” and, in another Twitter thread, claimed she stopped showing up for duty. In a series of Tweets on Monday, which are currently protected from public view, Bils, or one of up to 15 people that she claims helps run her social media empire, posted a Tweetstorm defending her actions, declaring that no laws had been violated, while calling out numerous news agencies for sharing and analyzing the top secret documents released by Teixeria. At the time of publication, the Donbass Devushka Telegram channel remained active, posting dozens of times a day.

The investigation by the FBI and NCIS comes at a time when the U.S. government appears to be cracking down on Russian influence in American politics. In a separate case, the DOJ announced on Tuesday that four U.S. citizens and three Russian nationals have been charged with “conspiring to covertly sow discord in U.S. society, spread Russian propaganda, and interfere illegally in U.S. elections.” A federal grand jury alleges that Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) agents recruited, funded, and discredited U.S. political groups to act as unregistered Moscow agents. Omali Yeshitela, Penny Joanne Hess, Jesse Nevel, and Augustus Romain Jr. of St. Petersburg, Florida, have been charged with violating the 1938 Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), and each faces up to five years in prison.

Moscow resident Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov was one of the three Russians charged with a FARA violation. He’s accused of using foreign influence to “create the appearance of American popular support for Russia’s annexation of territories in Ukraine.”

Malcontent News’s research for our initial report on Bils included potential legal consequences; a legal expert advised that an area of potential trouble for the Donbass Devushka lies with FARA.

FARA requires certain agents of foreign principals who are engaged in political activities or other activities specified under the statute to make periodic public disclosure of their relationship with the foreign principal, as well as activities, receipts and disbursements in support of those activities.  Disclosure of the required information facilitates evaluation by the government and the American people of the activities of such persons in light of their function as foreign agents. 

United states department of justice

Bils’s social media work is endorsed by the Telegram channel Rybar, which has over 1.1 million followers and is one of the most influential Russian military-aligned social media brands on the planet. Rybar is led by computer programmer Denis Shchukin and former Russian Ministry of Defense press officer Mikhail Zvinchuk, according to Kung Chan of the Chinese thinktank ANBOUND. The pair are alleged to be connected to the FSB, although they insist that they receive minimal funding from the Russian government and have an operating budget of $20,000 a month.

On social media, the Donbass Devushka frequently praises and defends the Private Military Company (PMC) Wagner Group led by Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin. In November 2022, Prigozhin opened a new headquarters for PMC Wagner in St. Petersburg, Russia, which included plans for material and financial support for journalists and bloggers. Prigozhin has bragged publicly about interfering in the 2016 and 2020 United States elections and was using his company, Concord Management and Consulting, as early as 2014 to manipulate U.S. elections. 2014 is the same year Bils became more active in posting anti-Ukrainian and anti-United States content, and is the same year the DOJ alleges Ionov first violated FARA.

Bils has periodically complained about financial trouble on social media; for years she solicited donations of cash and cryptocurrency through CashApp and Buy Me a Coffee, claiming the money was going to support Russian causes. Online and in her interview with the Wall Street Journal, she claimed that no money went to Russia, and what little funds were raised went to cover her personal technology and equipment costs.

A critical question that the Department of Defense needs to answer is how an individual with a documented history of substance abuse, mental illness, financial problems, and a troubled marriage involving custody battles and restraining orders was able to maintain their top security clearance.

Bils has blocked us on social media and did not respond to a request for comment.

Mental illness and substance abuse are sensitive topics that can release strong emotions. If you are depressed, despondent, or having suicidal thoughts, there is help available. In the United States, you can dial 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Hotline. You can also call 800-273-8255 24 hours a day. If you’d rather not talk to a person, you can text 741741, and for U.S. veterans, you can text 838255.

Editor’s Note: It is Malcontent News’s editorial policy to use an individual’s most current legal name. Sarah Bils changed her legal name to Lyudmila Mikhailova Karakova on March 31, 2023. Given the particular circumstances of this story, we chose to use her previous name for clarity.

Breaking News, National, Russia-Ukraine War

A Russian Disinformation Empire in Oak Harbor, Washington

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Updated April 16, 2023 – Sarah Bils Naval NOS and rank were verified.

Updated April 17, 2023 – NAFO involvement in this investigation was clarified. Story has been lightly edited for clarity.

In late 2021, a nascent social media influencer based in Oak Harbor, Washington, embarked on a clandestine career spreading Russian propaganda. Starting on Twitter under the moniker Donbass Devushka, they would eventually expand to Telegram, a podcast, and a YouTube channel. Donbass Devushka gained a much larger following after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The person behind the social media account made incongruous claims. They were born in Russia. They were born in the Ukrainian city of Luhansk during the Soviet era. They were born in Gaza. They immigrated to the United States at a very young age. None of it was true.

Things started to unravel for Donbass Devushka when reputable members of the pro-Ukrainian online movement “NAFO” collaborated with reporters from Malcontent News. Our investigation into Donbass Devushka included analyzing open-source material, conducting interviews with multiple sources, and obtaining public records. We confirmed the true identity of the mysterious woman born in three places: former United States Navy Legal Clerk Sarah Bils. She was recently released from active duty.

Bils was born not in Russia, Ukraine, Gaza; less exotically, she was born in the United States. Nor were her parents abroad; they grew up in South Philadelphia. Bils now lives in Oak Harbor, Washington, in the shadow of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island where she once served. According to public court records, she legally changed her name to the more Russian-sounding “Lyudmila Mikhailova Karakova” on March 31. Bils could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.

A Make-Believe Past and Present Masks a Strange yet Mundane Reality

A March 2011 marriage license shows that Bils was born in Voorhees, New Jersey, a world away from the Soviet Union. In a phone conversation, Bils’s mother denied any knowledge of her daughter’s online activity and was unaware of her recent name change. Her parents also refuted they were from Russia, or that Bils had any national connection to the former Soviet Union, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, or the so-called Luhansk or Donetsk People’s Republics.

Bils enlisted with the United States Navy in November 2009, according to the Department of Defense’s Manpower Data Center (DoDMDC). In November 2022, her active duty status with the Navy ended, but the DoDMDC did not list a discharge date. An archive of her LinkedIn page listed her Navy Occupational Specialty (NOS) as Legal Clerk, but did not provide her specialist code or additional details.

Update – A reader shared documentation that shows in Fiscal Year 2021, Bils was promoted to the rank of Chief Petty Officer with a NOS of ATC – Chief Aviation Electronics Technician. We have been advised this role would still require a security clearance.

Bils’s social media persona claimed that in 2014, she traveled between the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and the Ukrainian city of Luhansk “while Kyiv dropped shells and sponsored Nazi marauders.” Bils was certainly in a conflict zone, but it wasn’t in the Donbas. Instead, it was in an Oak Harbor courtroom where she was embroiled in a domestic court case with her husband of three years.

While serving with the Navy on Whidbey Island, Bils ran Cascadia Aquatics, selling tropical fish and specialized food imported from Poland. By 2018, within the tight-knit community of freshwater tropical fish enthusiasts, Bils’s had cultivated a reputation for being knowledgeable and trustworthy. COVID isolation and her prior interviews for Cascadia Aquatics would allow Malcontent News, years later, to expose her other side hustle: a Russian propagandist targeting a Western audience.

As a Legal Clerk, Bils would have been required to hold a security clearance and was obligated to report foreign contacts, including online friendships through social media and even her business contacts in Poland for the specialized fish food. It is unclear if she made the proper security disclosures to her chain of command.

In June 2020, she appeared on a since-deleted episode of the Aquarium co-op Podcast. Recorded over Zoom, the video showed her face, voice, and accessories in her home. Open-source intelligence shared on Twitter would zero in on all three of these details. The accessories in her former home match the home décor to her current apartment. Bils’s face and voice match the face and voice of her alter ego. These three details outed Bils as the person behind a spreading and influential social media footprint.

On the morning of September 14, 2021, the Washington State Patrol reported that an Audi SQ5 driven by Bils at a high rate of speed rear-ended a Ford Econoline van as it attempted to turn onto Highway 20 in the sleepy town of Coupeville. Bils and the male driver of the van were injured and taken to the hospital.

In a Twitter Space with No Experts on Ukraine, a participant alleged that a former Navy co-worker claimed Bils was dismissed due to a drunk driving incident related to the 2021 crash. In a phone conversation, her mother denied that Bils faced drunk driving charges. A review of court records did not show a previous criminal case in Island County Superior Court for Bils under any of her current or previous names. Her mother added that Bils had suffered significant injuries, and she traveled to Washington to assist her while recovering.

Bils claims she was “kicked out” of the military due to her “leftist views.” Former associates expressed concern about Bils’ mental health and described her as a habitual liar. In talking with her mother, she indicated that her daughter frequently made up stories and that she was somewhat disconnected from Bils.

After the car accident, Bils started to express anti-American views more publicly, embracing a pro-Russian persona and claiming to be from the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. She presented herself as an expert on geopolitics and history, maintaining a profile on ResearchGate. Although the website is used for tracking academic publications, no publications to her name are listed. Bils’ profile, still active on publication, displays her photo, and claims she attends Arizona State University’s School of Politics and Global Studies. Her social media persona claims to hold two additional degrees, with her archived LinkedIn profile listing one degree earned while with the Navy. However, she was never promoted to the officer corps.

From Fish Food and the Navy to a Western-Facing Russian Propagandist

When Russia expanded its 2014 invasion on February 24, 2022, Bils created multiple personas on Twitter and, starting in April, added Telegram. By the summer of 2022, despite only having an audience in the tens of thousands, she started hosting a podcast that included Jackson Hinkle, Scott Ritter, Garland Nixon, and Russian state media journalist Fiorella Isabel as guests. Some of the interviews occurred while she was still on active duty with the Navy and would have required a foreign contact disclosure.

She cycled through several social media accounts on Twitter, which were reported and suspended for community guideline violations, before repurposing PeImeniPusha, created in July 2012. In a year, her small following grew into a small disinformation empire on Twitter and Telegram under her brand of Donbass Devushka: “a girl and a cat against the world.”

Her Telegram channel shares more graphic and offensive content, including memes, doctored and misattributed images, and ultra-violence. Posts include celebrating the killing of a retired United States Marine who went to Ukraine as a foreign volunteer, graphic videos of dead Ukrainians, and defending a video that showed a Ukrainian POW decapitated by Russian mercenaries with the Private Military Company Wagner Group.

The activity across these accounts and access to people like Jackson Hinkle, Scott Ritter, and Russian state media journalists indicates that Bils is part of a larger and coordinated organization targeting a Western audience with Russian disinformation, antisemitism, and racism. It is highly unlikely that one person could conduct all of this work independently.

A co-host on her podcast is the person behind the former social media channel, AZ Geopolitics. On April 13, they deleted their Telegram and Twitter accounts, claiming their Telegram was being mass reported. On the same day, Bils announced that going forward, AZ Geopolitics would align with her personal brand.

In a tangle of posts, videos, and graphics, Bils has claimed that English is either her first, second, or third language. She has claimed she was born and raised in Russia, eastern Ukraine, and was an immigrant to the United States during her childhood. With social media users alleging she has misappropriated solicited donations to help support Russian causes for her own use, she insisted on April 15 she never made any financial requests and disclosed what little money was collected was for herself and her work. Yet numerous posts across her social media profiles show requests to transfer money to her through cryptocurrency, CashApp, and Buy Me a Coffee so that she can donate the funds to support Russia. We cannot confirm any allegations of financial misconduct on the part of Bils nor if any money was transferred to Russia.

For now, her supporters are standing by her.

A Leak of Pentagon Documents, Doctored Photos, and Frozen Fish Stick Heir Tucker Carlson

As early as January 2023, the U.S. government alleges that hundreds of secret and top secret documents were shared by Airman First Class Jack Teixeria of the Massachusetts National Guard on his Discord server, Thug Shaker Central. Teixeria, who federal officials arrested on April 13, appears to have shared the documents to chase Internet clout, despite knowing up to a dozen members of his private server were foreign nationals – including from Ukraine, Brazil, and Russia. It is unclear which individual or individuals leaked the information from Thug Shaker Central to a broader audience, and at least two people who are among his inner circle are cooperating with federal authorities.

An investigation by Bellingcat traced the spread of the documents from Teixeria’s Discord to 4Chan, Telegram, and Twitter. Dueling versions of key documents were circulating, with one showing Russian losses far exceeded Ukrainian losses, and the other, poorly edited version showing the opposite. Bellingcat alleges the doctored versions originated on the Donbass Devushka Telegram channel on April 5, a claim Bils denies.

On April 13, Tucker Carlson, the host of the Fox News show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” claimed that Ukraine was suffering a 7-1 troop loss ratio and was “losing the war.” The doctored versions showing the 7-1 troop loss ratios for Ukraine were also amplified by other high-profile, anti-American propagandists such as Joe Flynn and Democratic Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was recruited by Steven Bannon to run as a spoiler in the upcoming 2024 election.

Bils’s channel has also been endorsed by Russian milblogger Rybar. The leaders of Rybar are two former Kremlin information officers with an operating budget of over $20,000 per month. Rybar runs a social media empire documenting and praising Russian military activity around the world, including the Middle East and Africa.

In a series of Tweets and two long posts on Telegram, Bils confirmed some of the details of her past. She also claimed that an admin of her Telegram channel shared the top secret documents. She added that the images had been removed once discovered by her, and the person who posted them was “disciplined.” However, on April 14, images of the documents, and a denial that she had edited them, were still on her Telegram channel.

Ironically, if the intent was to damage Ukrainian and United States credibility by editing the materials distributed by Teixeria, it created deep mistrust in the integrity of all the documents among the Russian milblogger community and the Kremlin. Publicly, the Kremlin has mostly dismissed the documentation as a psychological operation.

A Cloudy Future

It is unclear if any laws were broken by sharing the secret and top secret documents on the Donbass Devushka Telegram channel. If Bils was fully discharged from the Navy when they were posted, it is highly unlikely she would be subject to the UCMJ. Even if she never made appropriate disclosures to her foreign contacts while serving with the Navy, even the casual fish food business contacts back to 2018, typically, the punishment would be the loss of security clearance.

Experts we talked to said that if federal agencies investigate Bils, they will likely look at when the documents were acquired, her role in the distribution, and her broader connections in the anti-American and pro-Russian information space. There is no evidence of any direct links to Teixeria.

In Washington, D.C., a bi-partisan chorus of American politicians is asking how the lower ranks of the United States military can be so compromised after the revelation that an Air National Guard E3 had such easy access to sensitive information. In comparison, Bils’s anti-American and pro-Russian work was out in the open while she continued to serve in the Navy and likely held a security clearance. The American justice system has determined that a military uniform does not negate Constitutional protections for Americans, but at least one legal expert we talked to who examined her content suggested that Bils may have legal exposure.

It is ironic that if Bils, now going by her new, more Russian-sounding name, had taken the same actions in the Russian Federation with Russian military plans, she would be charged under the so-called “don’t say war laws,” and would be facing criminal charges for discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. The sentence for this crime is up to 15 years in a Russian penal colony. The very freedoms she claims are part of a global conspiracy to take away freedom enables her to maintain her public illusion of just a girl and a cat fighting for her life in the Donbas.

Meanwhile, detached from Voorhees, New Jersey, or Oak Harbor, Washington, the Ukrainian people continue to fight for their existence, while the damage caused by the leaked Pentagon information remains unknown.

Breaking News, Health and Lifestyle, National

Investigation Into COVID Test Firm Lab Elite Leads to Federal Indictment for Co-Founder

[CHICAGO, Il.] – (MTN) A January 2022 investigation into Chicago COVID-19 testing firm Lab Elite resulted in the federal indictment of Zishan Alvi, 44, of Inverness, Illinois, on ten counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government funds.

The federal indictment alleges Alvi “knowingly devised, intended to devise, and participated in a scheme to defraud the government by causing Laboratory A to submit fraudulent claims and delivering inaccurate and unreliable test results to the public.  The fraudulent claims sought reimbursement for purported tests when Alvi knew that (a) Laboratory A had not performed a test for COVID-19; (b) Laboratory A had modified a test for COVID-19 such that the results were unreliable; and (c) Laboratory A already had collected payment from the individuals who purportedly had been tested.”

On February 4, 2022, Malcontent News released its investigation into Lab Elite, co-owned by Nikola Nozinic and Zishan Alvi. Our investigation found that Lab Elite was stepping in to provide lab services at former Center for COVID Control and FCTS locations operating under the Testative brand. The Center for COVID Control closed while under multiple state and federal investigations, and Testative was closed by Northshore Clinical Labs when the company caught the attention of state and federal regulators.

Our investigation found that Nozinic and Alvi used a series of shell companies and acquired struggling testing firms to secure NPI and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) numbers required to receive over $80 million in federal reimbursement for COVID testing through the HRSA Uninsured Program created by the CARES Act. According to the Testative website and our investigation, Lab Elite was providing lab services for pop-up testing firm Testative. A second investigation by Malcontent News, published on February 5, 2022, found that Testative sites in Delaware had “deficiencies including not having a CLIA number.” The test sites were ordered closed by a Delaware judge and never reopened.

The indictment alleged “Alvi directed Laboratory A employees to falsely indicate in Laboratory A’s records that COVID-19 tests had been performed for these individuals when Alvi knew that the test specimens had been discarded at his own direction and had not been tested. It is further part of the scheme that, in order to conceal the fact that tests were not performed, Laboratory A did not release positive COVID-19 results on specimens where tests were eventually performed because a purported negative result had already been released.” 

“The charges, in this case, allege that the defendant disregarded public health concerns in favor of personal financial gain. Doing so by compromising taxpayer-funded programs intended to fight the spread of coronavirus was particularly reprehensible,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual. “I commend the work of our law enforcement partners who investigated this complex fraud scheme. Our office will relentlessly continue to bring to justice those who defrauded the government’s pandemic relief initiatives.”

Alvi is accused of redirecting federal funds “for personal expenditures, including for vehicle purchases and investments in stocks and cryptocurrency.” The federal government is seeking the forfeiture of at least $6.8 million in allegedly ill-gotten gains, in addition to five luxury cars and funds from trade and investment accounts.

A promotional video created by Lab Elite showed multiple violations of United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) lab and testing protocols. The video showed the door to the lab open to the reception area, no sinks or handwashing stations in the lab area, unmasked technicians, including one person in a designated BLS2 area, and people administering COVID tests without wearing eye protection and using ill-fitting masks that were not N-95 rated.

“The defendant defrauded the American people at a time when we were most vulnerable, in the midst of a global pandemic. This indictment shows that the FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, is continually working to keep Americans safe and uphold the Constitution as our mission demands of us,” said Special Agent in Charge Wheeler.

Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, and the count of theft of government funds is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison.

Russia-Ukraine War

PMC Wagner High Recruiting Standards Include Chronic Masturbators

[Moscow, Russia] – Akrom Chorshanbiev was arrested in the Odintsovo district of Moscow, Russia, on suspicion of possession of weapons. According to Russian state media, two Kalashnikov assault rifles and ammunition were found in his car. Chorshanbiyev told law enforcement officials that he was an employee of the Private Military Company Wagner Group.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the PMC, declared innocence, responding to an inquiry by Russian State media agency RBC, “We checked carefully. There has never been such a character in PMC Wagner, and there is none. For the future, in order not to confuse an ordinary offender with a Wagner fighter, pay attention to the…characteristic features of PMC Wagner fighters.”

Sometimes the comedy writes itself. On the same day that Prigozhin extolled the high standards of PMC Wagner, an American with a self-admitted chronic masturbation problem reported he saw a recruiting ad on Pornhub for PMC Wagner.

Giggity.

In another inquiry by Russian state media, Prigozhin was asked if the story was true and said, “I don’t know on which sites, but advertising PMC Wagner on porn sites is a very good idea from our marketers. I absolutely completely agree with them, and this advertisement says: ‘Go to fight in the Wagner PMC and stop jerking off.’ Who can disagree with this argument?”

Giggity.

Later in the day, Newsweek confirmed that Wagner recruiting ads were running on Pornhub, and the company had pulled the ad campaign from its website.

Sad giggity.

Russia-Ukraine War

Vysokopillya liberated as Russians retreat in Kherson

September 4, 2022, Russia-Ukraine War Update

[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,111 days since Russia occupied Crimea on February 27, 2014. Here is our latest update. You can visit our Russia-Ukraine War Center to find more news about Ukraine. You can also listen to our in-depth podcast, Malcontent News Russia Ukraine War Update, hosted by Linnea Hubbard.

Kherson & Mykolaiv

Ukrainian forces liberated the strategic town of Vysokopillya in northern Kherson, breaking through the main defensive line of Russian forces and pushing them back 12 kilometers across open wheat fields. The Russian Ministry of Defense acknowledged the defeat, claiming they withdrew from the settlement to prevent encirclement and to protect the civilian population.

Ukrainian forces took control of Arkhanelske and blocked the Russian withdrawal through Novopetrivka, putting the Russian garrison at risk of encirclement, forcing the withdrawal. Videos show that Ukrainian forces took POWs and captured military equipment and ammunition.

Ukrainian forces also liberated Blahodativka, expanding the bridgehead along the Inhulets River. There were reports that Bilohirvka was secured, and troops were pressuring the Russian garrison in Bruskynske. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that troop positions in Kostromka and Bezimenne were hit by air strikes, confirming that Ukrainian forces have pushed at least 10 kilometers into Kherson since August 29.

Ukraine began setting conditions to collapse the Vysokopillya salient on July 27, when it began closing in on Russian positions, attacking supply lines, and destroying Russian air defenses. Despite claims from the Kremlin of devastating losses, an anonymous official said that losses were “lighter than expected.”

Russian artillery hit a warehouse full of ammonium-nitrate fertilizer on the southern edge of Ukrainian-controlled Partyzankse, causing a massive explosion. The blast obliterated the facility, with only a large crater remaining.

Ukrainian forces captured a defensive position near Myrolyubivka after Russian troops fled. A video showed an abandoned BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), an extensive network of shallow trenches, scattered ammunition, and stolen cars and motorcycles. A HIMARS attack destroyed a Russian ammunition depot in Tomnya Balka.

Geolocated photos indicate that Ukrainian forces are moved back into the northern edge of Kyselivka, recapturing the checkpoint on the M14 highway.

In Kherson, the Lost World Hotel and Resort, which was being used as a military barracks by Russian troops, was destroyed. Video taken from the Russian military ferry crossing the Dnipro River captured a HIMARS attack on the Antonovsky Bridge and ferry landing. Another attack destroyed the Russian ferry crossing at Lvove.

Dnipropetrovsk & Northern Zaporizhia

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was disconnected from its main 750 KW power line, with power supported by a 330 KW backup line. Due to the failure, the International Atomic Energy Agency was informed that Reactor 5 was disconnected due to power grid restrictions. The IAEA applauded Ukrainian cooperation and the actions of Energoatom employees in a press release.

“Our team on the ground received direct, fast, and reliable information about the latest significant development affecting the plant’s external power situation, as well as the operational status of the reactors,” Director General Rafael Grossi said.

“The great value of finally having the IAEA permanently present at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is already abundantly clear. It is a game changer,” he added.

On September 2, investigative journalists recorded video from the north bank of the Dnipro River, which conclusively showed Russia is firing rockets from MLRS immediately west of the main complex at ZNPP.

Nikopol was shelled and hit by Grad rockets fired by Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS). The overnight attack damaged five homes and several barns. There were no injuries.

Southern Zaporizhia

South of Orikhiv, Ukrainian forces have advanced on Nesterianka, Kopani, and Robotyne, while fighting near Poholy continued. The airport outside Melitopol was hit by HIMARS for the tenth time, with five rockets striking the base.

Donetsk

Northwest of Donetsk city, Novobakhmutivka was liberated, and Ukrainian forces are contesting the control of Novoselivka.

A day after the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed Pisky was captured, Russian sources reported Ukrainian troops had recaptured strong points on the E-50 Ring Road. Given their location, it is highly likely that Ukrainian troops have regained a toehold in the northern part of the tactically important village, which has been the site of fighting since July 22.

The 1st Army Corps of the DNR attempted to advance on Avdiivka and Pervomaiske but could not change the tactical situation. Russian forces also attempted to advance on Marinka and were unsuccessful.

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Bakhmut

The Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade reportedly launched a counteroffensive in Soledar and was able to push Russian forces back from the gypsum mine area. Geolocated video showed Ukrainian forces clearing the southwest corner of the mine in close combat against Russian troops. Russian forces remain in the KNAUF-GIPS sheetrock factor that straddles Bakhmutske and Soledar. However, Ukrainian forces were able to capture defensive positions on the northern edge of Povoroske.

In the Svitlodarsk Bulge, fighting continued in Kodema, with the Private Military Company (PMC) Wagner Group regaining some lost ground. Kadyrovites with the 141st Akhmat failed to advance on Zaitseve.

Northeast Donetsk and Luhansk

Ukrainian forces crossed the Siverskyi Donets River and liberated Ozerne, defeating Kadyrovites with the 141st Akhmat Batallion. Russian forces denied the claims, saying the advances were a publicity stunt for a photo opportunity. President Volodymyr Zeleneskyy verified the capture in his evening television address.

Serhei Haidai, exiled Luhansk Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported that up to 300 Russian soldiers were killed in Kremennya after a barracks and a concentration of equipment was hit by rockets fired from HIMARS in multiple attacks.

Izyum

Russian forces launched an offensive on Pasika, 14 kilometers southeast of Izyum, indicating that Ukrainian forces had again pushed deep into occupied territory. Russian forces also attacked Dolyna and Bohorodychne, with intense fighting for the latter.

Kharkiv

A Russian S-300 antiaircraft missile used for an air-to-surface attack hit a group of restaurants in the Kyiv district of Kharkiv, destroying the structure and businesses. Over 2,200 square meters of commercial property were destroyed. The missile struck overnight while the popular eateries were closed. Pictures clearly showed the area that was destroyed. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed the location was a barracks for the Kraken Battalion after claiming the Battalion was completely destroyed in fighting near Siversk three weeks ago.

Sumy and Chernihiv

Dmytro Zhyvytsky, Sumy Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported the hromadas of Bilopillia and Krasnopillia were hit by mortars and artillery shells fired from across the international border. There were no casualties reported.

In Chernihiv, at the historical center, an outdoor display of captured Russian weapons went terribly wrong. A grenade launcher was apparently still armed and somehow misfired. Four children were injured, with one in critical condition. Two people have been arrested.

Daily Assessment

  1. Russian disinformation about the counteroffensive in Kherson has permeated all Russian sources. There are growing signs that Russia’s defense is not going as well as the Kremlin wants the world to believe.
  2. Russian disinformation appears to be setting conditions for explaining the yet-proven failures in Kherson on NATO weapons and rumors of looming chemical and biological attacks.
  3. Ukraine has quietly launched smaller counteroffensives in Zaporizhia, Donetsk, and Kharkiv over the last 72 hours, in addition to the counteroffensive in Kherson, supporting our previous assessment that the Russian military has reached a theaterwide state of combat destroyed.

To read the rest of our report, become a Patreon! For as little as $5 a month, you get access to the daily Russia-Ukraine War Situation Report. The report provides analysis, maps, detailed information about all the axes in Ukraine, international developments, information about war crimes and human rights, and economic news. As an added benefit, you get access to flash reports, breaking news, and our Discord server.

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Russia-Ukraine War

Ukraine makes slow progress in Kherson as counteroffensive continues

September 2, 2022, Russia-Ukraine War Update

[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,109 days since Russia occupied Crimea on February 27, 2014. Here is our latest update. You can visit our Russia-Ukraine War Center to find more news about Ukraine. You can also listen to our in-depth podcast, Malcontent News Russia Ukraine War Update, hosted by Linnea Hubbard.

Kherson & Mykolaiv

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continues its media blackout and press coverage restrictions until September 5. Ukrainian armed forces, the local population, and most press sources have honored the request. Gaining verified information while respecting operational security (OPSEC) has been a challenge.

Video emerged of a Russian forward operating base in Shyroka Balka that was destroyed in what appears to have been a HIMARS attack.

Ukrainian forces are finding the most success on the Inhulets River bridgehead. Pro-Russian accounts reported Ukraine had liberated Kostromka and was fighting for control of Bruskynske. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Lozove, Sukhyi Stavok, and Velyke Artakove were hit by air strikes, confirming that Ukrainian troops were present in all three settlements.

Pro-Russian account Rybar reported continued fighting for control of Arkhanhelske and claimed that Russian troops were pushed out of Olhnye and Vysokopillya but were able to push back into the southern parts, where street fighting continued. A video showed Ukrainian forces shelling Russian positions in the city’s southern tip.

The General Staff also reported that Ukrainian positions in Lyubomirivka and Petrivka were shelled, and Khreshchenivka was hit by an airstrike.

Operational Command South reported an additional strike on the Kakhovka and Dariivsky Bridges, including destroying a partially rebuilt pontoon bridge at Darivka. Ukraine claims to have fire control over the remains of the three bridges over the Dnipro. Satellite imagery shows only one ferry operating across the Dnipro at Kherson and no additional work on the barge bridge.

The Ukrainian air force carried out 24 air strikes, which is a significant increase from the 16 missions flown on August 30.

Dnipropetrovsk & Northern Zaporizhia

United Nations inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in Enerhodar and took an initial survey of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. IAEA Director General Mariano Grossi reported that a team of five inspectors would remain at the plant through September 2 for a deeper audit of the situation. Inspectors were filmed by Russian state media going through the plant and discovering military equipment stored by Reactor 1, as shown in previous undercover videos.

Earlier in the day, minutes after inspectors left Zaporizhzhia city to travel to the plant, heavy shelling of the green corridor started. Thirty minutes later, Russian officials claimed that Ukraine had launched a paratrooper attack on the plant using helicopters. Videos from Enerehodar showed Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters flying over the city – equipment the Ukrainian armed forces do not possess and would not be able to obtain from western sources.

Valentyn Reznichenko, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, reported that the Chervonohryhorivka hromada (an area of territorial control similar to a county or parish in the United States) was hit by several Grad rockets. A 56-year-old man attempted to escape by driving away, and his car was hit by a rocket. Amazingly he survived and is in stable condition. It was the only area shelled overnight.

Southern Zaporizhia

A HIMARS attack on the Russian-controlled airbase in Melitopol landed ten rockets on an ammunition depot. There were multiple social media reports of a large fire with secondary explosions.

Donetsk

Fighting increased in intensity west of Donetsk, but Russian forces didn’t make any gains. The 1st Army Corps of the DNR attempted to advance on Avdiivka, Nevelske, Pervomaiske, Pisky, and Krasnohorivka. All five advances failed. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed for the eighth time since August 5 that Pisky had been captured.

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Bakhmut

PMC Wagner and the 2nd Army Corps of the LNR relaunched their attacks on Soledar and Bakhmutske but remained unable to break through Ukrainian defenses. Wagner Group is suffering catastrophic losses after a month of repeated attacks on Bakhmut but continues to send reinforcements to attack the same Ukrainian positions. Ukraine was able to rotate defending units, with most territorial guards replaced with better-equipped and trained forces.

Further south, LNR separatists continued their attempts to advance on Vesela Dolyna and Zaitseve. Gains were made in Vesela Dolyna but measured in meters, and the attack on Zaitseve was unsuccessful.

In the Svitlodarsk Bulge, fighting for Kodema continued, with Russian forces establishing their positions in the eastern part of the village. Russian forces made a new attempt to advance on Mayorsk and could not break through the Ukrainian defenses.

Izyum

Russian forces attempted to advance on Dolyna and were unsuccessful. The Russian air force attacked Nova Dmytrivka and Bohorodychne.

Kharkiv

Russia fired a single S-300 antiaircraft missile at Kharkiv city. The missile successfully shot down four parked cars and left a large crater in the ground. There were no injuries.

Sumy and Chernihiv

Dmytro Zhyvytsky, Sumy Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported the hromadas of Krasnopillia, Nova Sloboda, Znob-Novhorod, Esman, and Kyrykivka, were shelled by Russian forces firing from across the international border. In the village of Maiske, two cars, a garage, and a home were damaged.

Russian forces fired across the international border and shelled Kamianska Sloboda, Zaliznyi Myst, and Senkivka in the Chernihiv oblast. There weren’t any reports of serious damage or casualties.

Daily Assessment

  1. There is enough available evidence indicating that Ukraine is making progress in the Kherson counteroffensive in three locations, despite Kremlin claims that it has already failed.
  2. Russian President Vladimir Putin has set September 15 as the new deadline to capture the remainder of the Donetsk oblast, and in our assessment, that is impossible.
  3. The Russian Ministry of Defense continues its aggressive disinformation campaign about the counteroffensive.

To read the rest of our report, become a Patreon! For as little as $5 a month, you get access to the daily Russia-Ukraine War Situation Report. The report provides analysis, maps, detailed information about all the axes in Ukraine, international developments, information about war crimes and human rights, and economic news. As an added benefit, you get access to flash reports, breaking news, and our Discord server.

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Russia-Ukraine War

IAEA inspects Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Russians surrender in Pravdyne

September 1, 2022, Russia-Ukraine War Update

[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,108 days since Russia occupied Crimea on February 27, 2014. Here is our latest update. You can visit our Russia-Ukraine War Center to find more news about Ukraine. You can also listen to our in-depth podcast, Malcontent News Russia Ukraine War Update, hosted by Linnea Hubbard.

Kherson & Mykolaiv

Fighting is ongoing in four areas: Arkhanhelske-Olyhne-Vysokopillya, south of the Kherson-Dnipropetrovsk border east of Vysokopillya, the bridgehead east of the Inhulets River, and northwest and west of Kherson city.

Geolocated video showed Russian troops surrendering in Pravydne. Soldiers were furiously waving white flags in a video recorded from a drone.

Ukrainian troops have expanded the Inhulets River bridgehead taking control of Kostromka and fighting for control of Bruskynske and Davydiv Brid. Both towns are located on the critical T-2207 Highway, the main Russian Ground Line of Communication (GLOC – supply line) into the northern regions of the Kherson oblast. Ukrainian forces have advanced 9 kilometers since August 29.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released multiple videos showing Bayraktar TB-2 drones attacking Russian positions and equipment, providing additional proof that Ukraine holds air superiority over the battlefield.

Operational Command South reported that targeting Russian troop concentrations, command posts, ammunition depots, and antiaircraft systems were prioritized. Ammunition warehouses in the areas of Beryslav, Heniches’k, and Kherson were destroyed.

Ukraine continued to target the Antonovsky Bridge, the Kakhovka Bridge, and the Dariivsky Bridge. Operational Command South reported that the pontoon bridge adjacent to the Dariivsky Bridge was destroyed, severing the GLOC that connects western and eastern Kherson over the Inhulets River.

The Ukrainian air force carried out 24 air strikes, which is a significant increase from the 16 missions flown on August 30.

Dnipropetrovsk & Northern Zaporizhia

United Nations inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Association arrived in Enerhodar and completed their initial inspection of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Video provided by Russian state media showed inspectors walking past Russian military equipment located in the Reactor One complex. A tentative agreement to leave four to eight inspectors at the plant appears to have been reached, and additional review will continue.

Earlier in the day, minutes after inspectors left Zaporizhzhia city to travel to the plant, heavy shelling of the green corridor started. Thirty minutes later, Russian officials claimed that Ukraine had launched a paratrooper attack on the plant using helicopters. Videos from Enerehodar showed Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters flying over the city – equipment the Ukrainian armed forces do not possess and would not be able to obtain from western sources.

Nikopol was targeted by Russian helicopters and artillery fire in four separate strikes. The city’s city council building was targeted and suffered significant damage.

Southern Zaporizhia

There wasn’t any fighting in southern Zaporizhia we can report without breaking operational security. Fighting in the direction of Polohy and Tokmak continued.

Donetsk

The combat ineffective 1st Army Corps of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) threw itself at Ukrainian positions west of Donetsk. Fighting occurred Avdiivka, Pervomaiske, Pisky, and Krasnohorivka. All four advances failed.

DNR forces fought positional battles in the eastern part of Marinka supported by the Russian air force, with surviving troops retreating to Oleksandrivka. They also attempted to flank Marinka from the south with a failed advance on Pobjeda.

Russian forces launched an offensive in the area of Vodyane, attempting to advance on Vuhledar from the east. The attack failed, and surviving troops returned to their previous defensive positions.

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Bakhmut

Private Military Company (PMC) Wagner Group, supported by the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR), continued attacks on Bakhmut, where the situation remains unchanged. The villages, towns, and cities around Bakhmut were shelled, but artillery fire was reduced compared to yesterday.

Further south, LNR separatists continued their attempts to advance on Vesela Dolyna. The attack was repulsed, and Russian forces retreated to their defensive lines.

In the Svitlodarsk Bulge, fighting for Kodema continued, with Russian forces making gains in the eastern part of the stronghold. Russian forces continued attempts to advance on Zaitseve and launched a new attack on Mayorsk – both were unsuccessful.

Kharkiv

North of Kharkiv, Russian forces launched an attack on Prudyanka, which was unsuccessful.

Pro-Russian accounts continued to spread rumors that Ukraine will or has restarted the counteroffensive north of Kharkiv. There was no evidence to support these claims.

Russia fired four Iskander-M missiles from Belgorod toward Kharkiv, with one failing after launch, going off course, and exploding in the Belgorod area. Oleg Syniehubov, the Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, reported a second missile suffered a catastrophic failure during flight. The last two landed in the Kyiv district of the city. Two people were injured, and a college was damaged.

Sumy and Chernihiv

Dmytro Zhyvytsky, Sumy Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported the settlements of Bilopillia, Shalyhyne, and Karsnopillia, were shelled by Russian forces firing from across the international border. About 50 mortar shells were fired, with more than half landing in Bliopillia. There weren’t any injuries or significant damage reported.

Russian forces fired across the international border and shelled Hai and Bleshnya in the Chernihiv oblast. There weren’t any reports of serious damage or casualties.

Beyond Ukraine

Reports of Russian artillery systems wearing out and ammunition shortages continue to grow. Andrii Morozov, milblogger and soldier in the Russian 2nd Army Corps of the Luhansk People’s Republic, reported that ammunition is becoming a critical issue. He additionally condemned the quality of the Russian 3rd Army Corps troop starting to arrive in the Donetsk area.

The Russian Federation retired the 122mm artillery systems in 2019, which have been heavily used in Ukraine. A lack of replacement parts is causing catastrophic failures, also known as banana peeling barrels, and a “hunger” for ammunition. DNR and LNR troops are transitioning to the 152mm D20 howitzers first designed in 1947.

Daily Assessment

  1. Russian military leaders are in disarray with rumors of Ukrainian counteroffensives imminent in Kharkiv and Donetsk without any evidence – Ukraine has initiative on the battlefield, and Russia is now having to respond.
  2. The Russian Ministry of Defense has started an aggressive disinformation campaign about the counteroffensive and realistic expectations for a counteroffensive – the MOD has already been forced to backtrack on false claims made on August 29.
  3. Russian forces are suffering from ammunition shortages and artillery equipment catastrophically failing, raising complaints from soldiers that requests for artillery support are going unanswered.

To read the rest of our report, become a Patreon! For as little as $5 a month, you get access to the daily Russia-Ukraine War Situation Report. The report provides analysis, maps, detailed information about all the axes in Ukraine, international developments, information about war crimes and human rights, and economic news. As an added benefit, you get access to flash reports, breaking news, and our Discord server.

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Russia-Ukraine War

Ukrainians push deeper into Kherson as counteroffensive continues

August 31, 2022, Russia-Ukraine War Update

[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,107 days since Russia occupied Crimea on February 27, 2014. Here is our latest update. You can visit our Russia-Ukraine War Center to find more news about Ukraine. You can also listen to our in-depth podcast, Malcontent News Russia Ukraine War Update, hosted by Linnea Hubbard.

Kherson & Mykolaiv

The opening phase of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kherson continued, with several settlements confirmed as liberated within the opening hours.

Ukrainian forces liberated Ternovi Pody, 30 kilometers north of Kherson. Sukhyi Stavok was liberated on August 29 during the counteroffensive’s open hours, expanding the Inhulets River bridgehead and likely severing a critical Russian Ground Line of Communication (GLOC – supply line). Geolocated video showed Arkhanhelske was liberated on August 29 by Ukrainian and Pro-Ukrainian Chechen forces. Olhyne and Vysokopillya find themselves in a technical encirclement, with Ukraine establishing complete fire control south of both settlements and Arkhanhelske liberated. We are aware of other settlements liberated but are respecting operational security.

Ukrainian forces hammered Russian positions across the entire line of conflict with artillery, rockets from MLRS, and HIMARS strikes. The Antonovsky Bridge in Kherson, the partially constructed barge bridge adjacent to it, and the ferry were repeatedly attacked. The Antonovsky Mist Railroad Bridge was also struck, along with the Dariivsky Bridge that crosses the Inhulets River. Satellite images show the bridge is heavily damaged with a large hole. The pontoon bridge adjacent to the Dariivsky Bridge was destroyed.

Multiple Russian milbloggers independently reported that Russian requests for artillery support and air strikes went unanswered. Ukraine established air superiority over Kherson, and there were already signs that ammunition supplies were becoming an issue in mid-August.

Dnipropetrovsk & Northern Zaporizhia

Early on August 31, Director General Mariano Grossi reported that the IAEA team was departing Kyiv to Zaporizhzhia and planned to stay for “several days” to evaluate the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Shortly after departing Kyiv, The Russian occupation head of the Zaporizhia region, Yevhen Balytskyi, said that the IAEA would only be allowed to stay at the plant for a day. The IAEA convoy arrived in Enerhodar late on Wednesday.

Nikopol suffered its heaviest barrage in over a week, with Ukrainian officials claiming that over 40 Grad rockets were fired from MLRS launchers located within the nuclear plant compound.

Southern Zaporizhia

Rockets fired from HIMARS destroyed an ammunition depot in Russian-occupied Tokmak in southern Zaporizhia.

The General Staff also reported that elements of the newly formed 3rd Army Corps had arrived in Zaporizhia for deployment to the front. The Russian occupation head of the Zaporizhia region, Balytski, reported that due to “family circumstances,” he has moved from Melitopol to Crimea.

Donetsk

There were only reports of positional fighting and reconnaissance in force west of Donetsk. DNR forces tried to improve their positions in Optyne, Pervomaiske, and, Krasnohorivka. All three advances failed, and DNR units suffered heavy losses.

The General Staff and Pro-Russian accounts reported intense fighting south of Pisky on the E-50 Ring Road and other locations close to the village.

DNR forces fought positional battles in the eastern part of Marinka and retreated to Oleksandrivka after failing to gain new ground.

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Bakhmut

Private Military Company (PMC) Wagner Group, supported by the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR), continued attacks on Bakhmut, where the situation remains unchanged.

Further south, LNR separatists continued their attempts to advance on Vesela Dolyna. The attack was repulsed, and Russian forces retreated to their defensive lines.

In the Svitlodarsk Bulge, fighting for Kodema continued, with the town attacked from three sides. Russian forces continued attempts to advance on Zaitseve and remained unsuccessful. The railroad yards of Mayorsk were shelled.

Izyum

Russian forces attacked Shnurky, 12 kilometers from the known line of conflict south of Izyum.

Kharkiv

Pro-Russian accounts are full of chatter that Ukraine is preparing to restart its counterattack north of Kharkiv. The rumor was started by wanted war criminal and deputy information minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Daniil Bezsonov.

Russian and Ukrainian forces traded artillery and rocket fire along the line of contact northwest, north, and northeast of Kharkiv. Russian S-300 antiaircraft missiles slammed into the city center.

Sumy and Chernihiv

Dmytro Zhyvytsky, Sumy Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported the settlements of Khotyn, Richkivska, and Velykopysarivska were shelled by Russian forces firing from across the international border.

Russian forces fired across the international border and shelled Hai and Hremyach in the Chernihiv oblast. There weren’t any reports of serious damage or casualties.  

Daily Assessment

  1. Ukrainian forces have taken the initiative on the battlefield, with Russian military leaders moving assets around the battlefield concerned about a large offensive starting in Zaporizhia.
  2. Multiple Russian milbloggers are reporting that Russian troops in Kherson are not getting artillery support, and the air force is not operating along the line of conflict.
  3. Ukraine has liberated at least four settlements that we can reveal and have caused a technical encirclement of Russian troops in two towns.

To read the rest of our report, become a Patreon! For as little as $5 a month, you get access to the daily Russia-Ukraine War Situation Report. The report provides analysis, maps, detailed information about all the axes in Ukraine, international developments, information about war crimes and human rights, and economic news. As an added benefit, you get access to flash reports, breaking news, and our Discord server.

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Russia-Ukraine War

Exhausted Russian army struggles to make gains in Ukraine

August 27, 2022, Russia-Ukraine War Update

[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,103 days since Russia occupied Crimea on February 27, 2014. Here is our latest update. You can visit our Russia-Ukraine War Center to find more news about Ukraine. You can also listen to our in-depth podcast, Malcontent News Russia Ukraine War Update, hosted by Linnea Hubbard.

Luhansk and Northeast Donetsk

Russian forces attempted to advance on Hryhorivka from Bilohorkiva. They suffered heavy losses, and their defensive line was overrun as they retreated.

Settlements around Siversk were shelled by artillery and rockets, with the Russian air force attacking Siversk and Spirne.

The August 26 HIMARS strike on Kadiivka killed up to 200 Russian airborne (VDV) troops, according to Serhiy Haidai, exiled Luhansk People’s Republic Administrative and Military Governor.

In Staroblisk, Askyar Laishev, a Ukrainian defector and the head of security for occupied Luhansk, was killed when a bomb planted in his SUV exploded.

Russian forces have set up an airbase for Mi-8 transport and Mi-52 attack helicopters in Luhansk.

Bakhmut

Chechen Kadyrovites reappeared, claiming to have an active role in the fighting for Soledar. The Russian air force, PMC Wagner, the 2nd Army Corps of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR), with Kadyrovites taking the distant rear but claiming glory, launched a large attack on Soledar and Bakhmutske. Neither advance was successful, and it was reported that Russian troops suffered major losses.

A significant attack was also launched on Bakhmut from the east. It was reported that Russian proxy forces suffered severe losses.

In the Svitlodarsk bulge, Russian forces continued their attack on Kodema, supported by artillery and the Russian air force. Russian troops also tried to advance on Zaitseve. Fighting around the railroad yards continued in Mayorsk.

Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia

The Donetsk People’s Republic 1st Army Corps only tried to advance on Nevelske, making two attempts – positional fighting to improve their tactical positions and then an advance, which failed.

Marinka was shelled and repeatedly hit by air strikes. Video released by Russian state media shows that DNR separatists were pushed out of the center of Marinka, with Ukraine holding most of the city again.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, Donetsk Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported that Pisky was shelled. We maintain the settlement is contested.

Near the Donetsk-Zaporizhia administrative border, Russian forces tried to advance on Prechystivka and were unsuccessful.

In Berdyansk, gauleiter Alexander Kolesnikov, the deputy police chief and head of traffic enforcement, was killed when a car bomb exploded in his vehicle.

Kherson

North of Kharkiv, Russian forces attempted to capture Dementiivka – again – and ended with the same result as the last four attempts, returning to their starting point.

The Azov Battalion shelled Russian positions in Ternova, destroying an ammunition depot.

Russian missiles hit the central district of Kharkiv city and the suburb of Derhachi.

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Izyum

A small group of Russian infantry attempted to advance on Karnaukhivka, over 7 kilometers south of the established line of conflict. They were met with small arms fire and retreated.

The General Staff reported that Russian forces had reestablished electronic warfare arrays near Izyum that disrupt GPS signals.

Russian forces fired artillery and rockets south of Izyum from Brazhkivka to Tetyanivka, while the Russian Ministry of Defense claims that Ukraine fired rockets from HIMARS into Izyum.

Kherson

Ukraine struck the Kahkovka, Antonovsky, and Dariivsky bridges with rockets fired by HIMARS. The same section of the Antonovsky bridge has been repeatedly targeted by Ukraine, causing progressively worse damage. The Dariivsky bridge appeared cratered in a low-resolution satellite image, and Russia reinstalled the pontoon bridge across the Inhulets River.

The Kahkovka Bridge, which was already badly damaged, was struck while a Russian military convoy was crossing the structure. An extremely graphic video showed multiple body parts and torsos in Russian uniforms scattered across the bridge, with the smoking remains of military vehicles in the distance.

Russian forces have dug in defensive positions in Blahodatne [Mykolaiv] and are heavily shelling Ukrainian positions north of the Inhuletskyi Channel.

Dnipropetrovsk

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Ukraine shelled the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant twice but didn’t provide evidence.

Valentyn Reznichenko, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported that Nikopol was hit with seven artillery shells knocking out power to 5,000 and damaging a school and several homes. Marhanets was hit by 20 Grad rockets, and an area of dachas (second homes, typically a cottage) was badly damaged in Zelenodolsk.

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that they would be sending a team of inspectors to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the coming week.

Sumy and Chernihiv

Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, Sumy Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported that Russian forces shelled the settlements of Esman, Shalyhyne, Khotin, Myropillia, and Bilopillia. Four civilians were wounded in Bilopillia and required hospitalization.

Daily Assessment

  1. Our assessment in early July that Russia had an inadequate number of troops to provide security and administration in occupied Luhansk was accurate, as an increasingly violent insurrection across a third of the oblast is gaining momentum.
  2. The mood of the Russian milblogger community has notably shifted to quiet resignation in the last 24 hours after a series of devastating HIMARS attacks this week and the realization that the Russian military has no solution for their “as advertised” performance.
  3. We maintain that Russian forces within Ukraine are combat destroyed – two small attempted advances in Donetsk and Kharkiv ended in failure, and Russian positions were overrun when they retreated, resulting in a territorial loss.

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