From their Youtube talk April 12 2026
“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFJ5NsLaoy0“
After the CEASEFIRE, Ukraine will start LOSING CITIES: target No. 1 is KYIV! — Dudkin.
Александр ШЕЛЕСТ 921K subscribers
Pretty much business as usual. Nothing new here. It serves mainly to show that nothing has changed.
Apparently they see ever more clearly in Kiev Ukraine but still fail to see that there are 10million of their own compatriots over there which they are trying to kill and whose land they occupy.
They never mention it/them and still talk as though they and they only are ‘ukraine’ and ‘the ukrainians’. All part of the total lunacy, the Orwellian lunacy of our times, courtesy of that country between two oceans.
Translation
Host: …ings to you, dear friends, distinguished guests, and subscribers to my channel. Yuri Dudkin is online right now. Yuri Anatolyevich, greetings.
Yuri Dudkin: Hello, Alexander. Happy upcoming great holiday of Holy Easter to you.
Host: And to you too. And to you, dear viewers, happy upcoming holiday as well. Today is Holy Saturday. We’re talking about great things, you see, negotiations. I propose we begin with the negotiations between the US, Iran, and Pakistan in Pakistan, in Islamabad. And everyone has arrived there.
Yuri Dudkin: Iran was traveling, or rather, traveling by plane, on board, where, on the seats inside the passenger compartment, they displayed, well, photographs of murdered children, yes, with flowers, basically, how can I say, for edification. Yes, yes, that, in general, betrayal and surrender will not be a wound. Vance is quite confident before the negotiations, speaking quite vividly, demonstrating confidence that everything will be fine. Trump wishes him luck. It’s a moment of truth, after all. But observers are seeing equipment, forces, and resources being transferred, all while the negotiations are ongoing. And, of course, information has leaked to the press that, more precisely, Iranian assets will be unblocked, but Israel continues to strike Lebanon. So, two preconditions for these negotiations are, well, money and, of course, Israeli attacks on Hezbollah. And only half of them have been fulfilled. Should we expect any breakthrough or success at this point? Right now, we’re talking about negotiations, the Holy Fire descending. But will the Holy Fire illuminate the Islamist battalion with its grace, its light?
Host: Yes, you asked a good question, so to speak, and applying today’s date of the descent of the Holy Day to the most dangerous point on the globe today, of course, the Middle East, the Persian Gulf. Of course, I’d really like these negotiations to be successful, because the entire world is literally reeling from what’s happening there. And that’s not just a nice phrase. It’s true. The entire world is reeling from the situation in the Middle East. Yes, the meeting in Islamabad was supposed to take place on April 10, but it was postponed for 24 hours. And that’s understandable. Because there’s no point in looking for someone to blame and so on. Before that, all sorts of consultations are taking place at some low level, at the diplomatic level, all sorts of exchanges of messages, both online and in person, between countries. And this, naturally, is all part of the preparation for this meeting. The only thing I want to say is that you shouldn’t expect anything special from this meeting. Why? Because at this meeting, again, I won’t undertake to analyze, predict, or assign blame. There’s a third party not present—Israel. That’s it. And this leads me to the idea that, as I understand it, Israel is represented by the United States, because the Israeli leadership, uh, has been on the hook, financially, of the United States, and the state of Israel itself, since time immemorial. Therefore, I think that the full share of responsibility for what the Israeli leadership is doing today, killing thousands of civilians, women and children, falls on the American side. As for, as you correctly noted, the external aspect of this meeting, indeed, at the beginning, Iran categorically refused. This, apparently, is related. The postponement of this meeting by 24 hours. It categorically refused to meet with American representatives, and especially with, as was previously stated, comrade Witkoff and Zyatkoff. That’s it. But when it finally became clear that US Vice President Jadis would participate in the meeting, and with him the comrades I mentioned, the Iranian leadership agreed. So, uh, I would like to talk a little about the Americans. We understand everything. Who represents the United States there? Everything is clear. The most effective negotiator, a man who does not hold any government official status. This is, uh, Mr. Stephen Witkow. There. And the president’s son-in-law, who has joined him. Jadis, of course, represents the president. But it should be noted here that Vance, at the very beginning of the aggression against Iran, warned, uh, Trump that the consequences could be dire, not only for the United States, but for the entire planet, because he also warned—to his credit, Iran would immediately block the Strait of Hormuz. Well, naturally, no one believed his words, especially the president, since Vance is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States under the Constitution. And what happened happened. So, I still want to focus on the Iranian delegation, because it’s also very important. Iran is taking a very tough stance in the negotiations. And the Iranian delegation consists of seventy-one people. Just imagine that number. And the presence of so many negotiators not only means that these people will not be directly involved in the negotiations. They are, of course, technical specialists who will promptly advise the chief negotiators on various points. And, in particular, the Wall Street Journal reports and asserts that Iran sent hardliners against the United States to these negotiations. For example, one of these representatives is Ali Akbar Ahmazian, a member of the Supreme National Security Council, who authored the decision to stop, to block, and to stop oil transportation in the Strait of Hormuz. Well, you can imagine, yes, uh, what kind of person he is. Well, also present at these negotiations from the Iranian side is Abolfazl Samouei, the initiator of the law on increasing uranium enrichment. So, the talks will obviously also focus on the uranium nuclear program. So, uh, the delegation is headed by some pretty tough politicians. These are Mohammad Bagher Ghalib and Abasarakchi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Abasarakchi is generally a highly respected person in the world. The spiritual leader of Iran was also a similarly respected person today. Uh, therefore, Abasarakchi will represent Iran with a 100% commitment to protecting national interests. And Iran’s national interests, of course, lie in the fact that at the outset of these negotiations, Abasarakchi will voice theses about US reparations to Iran, about the material damage inflicted on Iran, about the absolutely unconditional aggression of the United States. The position against Iran is absolutely categorical. That is, the US currently has only general statements about how Iran has threatened the United States. But the US still cannot back this up with real, not circumstantial, examples. Therefore, Iran’s leadership and foreign ministers are focusing on material issues, uh, those that primarily relate to material damage to Iran. The second issue, incidentally, is the payment of monetary compensation to all Iranian victims. This is something new, so to speak, in these negotiations. The second issue, also very important, which is being brought up in these negotiations is, of course, Iran’s absolute sovereignty. That is, no pressure, and this will be stated if any declaration is adopted. Iran does not accept any influence from the United States, Israel, or any other country, and therefore has the right to create and develop its nuclear program for peaceful purposes, as they emphasize, including uranium enrichment. Therefore, this is the second point that Iran will defend in this regard. And the third, perhaps also important, very important point is Lebanon. Without a ceasefire in this state, in southern Lebanon, uh, without the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon, and the same kind of material compensation for the disfigurement of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, Iran will certainly not make any compromises or concessions. Incidentally, previously, the United States did not want to meet with the Iranian leadership at negotiations that brought up the issue of Iraq, the issue of Lebanon. That’s it. But the Iranians nevertheless insisted on a separate discussion with the Americans on Lebanon, and they exerted corresponding pressure on the Israeli leadership to agree to a ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops from that country, the occupation forces. That’s why we’re waiting today; there are many other details there. I could talk about this at length, but we’re waiting and waiting. Of course, the negotiations are scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM European time. We’re certainly looking forward to the start of these negotiations. There will be many very interesting moments, primarily related to purely external factors. Those who study physiognomy and psychology will be very interested to see the meeting of the delegations at the hotel in Islamabad where this historic meeting, I believe, will take place. Well, there were some timing issues. That’s all. It’s really hard to count the moments, of course. It’s hard. Everyone’s just counting time zones, and time is slipping, you know? Negotiations are already underway, they’ve already announced it. So, as we speak, negotiations are already underway. Let’s wait for the results. Of course, we understand that this is a very important milestone, but I would ask this question: how will this affect the Ukrainian negotiating track, as they say? Look, Budanov has been coming out lately, saying sensible things, like, imagine, that drones won’t win the war, we need people, while there’s war, there’s mobilization. He’s saying that everything could be over very soon, so we need some kind of unity. We’re on the brink of some kind of historic decision, and we need to stop arguing and be united. So, unity around whom? Around Zelenskyy. It’s clear, and it kind of gives us a little bit of a boost for some kind of epochal decision. Everyone’s talking about, well, we’ll see next week, how the likes of Witkoff and Zyadkov arrive, as you put it. Yes, they promised to visit Ukraine, it’s unclear what’s going on. Again, it all depends on Iran. But nevertheless, as soon as there was a whiff, a whiff of at least some, well, more or less a ray of hope, even though Zelenskyy, of course, is kind of seasoning it, sometimes he wants bases, sometimes he’s crying about NATO, sometimes he’s crying about nuclear weapons. Well, that’s all there is to it. It’s a standard story. Zelenskyy is trying to play out something with Budanov similar to Trump with Vance. Good cop, bad cop. And that’s roughly how it plays out. But as soon as they started talking about peace, Boris Johnson came out in Ukraine—they published photos today—and said: “I’m confident of Ukraine’s victory over Russia,” Boris Johnson declared. He came to Zaporizhzhia and made a film about himself. It’s called Boris Johnson in the Killzone. Well, it’s like Boris Johnson is in the line of fire. Listen, this isn’t even surprising after Istanbul in ’22. As soon as something is brewing, or some kind of statement, or some kind of background noise, he’s right there. Or, for example, the British officials, older, less senior. Right there. Will it be possible, given today’s positive news—it’s positive in any case—182 people have returned to Ukraine, seven civilians, 175 military personnel, against the backdrop of the Easter truce, which was declared unilaterally by both sides. Everyone will act in a mirror-image manner from 4 PM until the end of the day, the 12th. Will it be possible to achieve peace?
Yuri Dudkin: Well, I don’t see any, let’s say, basic attempts from Ukraine to achieve peace. Well, not in any way, from either side. You called them good cop and bad cop. Well, who can be called good cop? Uh, Budanov or Zelensky? Well, Budanov says, wait. In his last two or so interviews, Budanov has been saying things like the UOC isn’t the Moscow Patriarchate, that everything we have with drones is pre-fabricated. That’s what many experts say: don’t talk about drones being made in China, with Western technology, assembled here, don’t delude yourself. So he’s bringing all this rabid propaganda down to earth. And everyone’s noticed. Well, my God, listen. A man who planned to kill and was directly involved in planning terrorist operations in Russia, and in Moscow in particular, saw the top leadership of the Ministry of Defense and four generals directly under his command killed. I’m not even mentioning the other operations he planned and carried out. What other words could he possibly use to describe his actions? I honestly don’t understand. The question is, is he recognized as a terrorist in the Russian Federation? That’s why I’m surprised the Russian delegation even sat down with him at the negotiating table. It’s sheer nonsense. On the one hand, declaring a terrorist a terrorist—well, admittedly, Yeltsin and Chernomyrdin also spoke with Chechen terrorists from the unrecognized terrorist republic of Ichkeria, as a Chechen court recently acknowledged. Perhaps there really was some kind of super-necessity to it at that time, but today, as they say, all the cards are on the table, and who’s who has long been clear. And can you really call Zelensky, a terrorist, a good policeman, who, you know, even has such a pro-fascist attitude? A remnant of Jewish nationality currently holds power in Ukraine, and in a completely unconstitutional manner. Well, for me, this is also a very clear marker, by which I determine that it’s as bad as one. And in the near future, this is my opinion, the Russian leadership, no matter who it is, will not sit down at the negotiating table with such people. That’s it. And by the way, Istanbul and the cities where the Russian delegation met with Budanov, and not only with him, very clearly showed that these conversations, these negotiations, these deals, these get-togethers, led to nothing. Well, that’s a very clear example. Well, how many of these conversations have there been already? As for this external context, as you say, yes, that the British immediately rushed to inspire the Nazi regime in Ukraine to victory. Well, my God, they could and can do this not just because someone somewhere said something. The British are now neck-deep in Ukraine. Their presence is practically visible to the naked eye. And it’s also clear how the British are planning terrorist attacks against Russia. The same narratives, for example, that British intelligence is spreading in Ukrainian diplomacy are also visible. They are voiced by Sybiha, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister. That’s it. As for the United States, I can give a very, uh, clear and, you know, comprehensive message to the Americans, against the backdrop of, as you said, the events in Islamabad, yes, and including the conflict in the Persian Gulf: they don’t give a damn anymore about Ukraine. It’s clear that they’ve invested huge sums of money in this suitcase. And, of course, they’re abandoning Ukraine so suddenly. Ukraine is a kind of hostage to the Americans. And they’ll continue to haggle with Russia for a very long time, just as they are now. This is simply not being written about anywhere. Well, I’m sure they’re bargaining with the Russian Federation over international influence. That’s it. And Ukraine is a bargaining chip where the Americans can exert significant influence on the Russian leadership in terms of weakening their influence elsewhere in the world, be it Venezuela, Cuba, or even Iran. Do you understand? That’s why Ukraine is now completely worthless. Except, as I say again, everything about Ukraine has somehow turned into some kind of materialism. Everything materialistic has no significance whatsoever for the West, the greater West, in terms of upholding pro-Western values. No one there is even talking about Ukraine being a sovereign state, only in rare, rare cases. Well, mind you, yes, by the way, that’s a good observation. Few people, not a single Western media outlet, are talking about Ukraine’s sovereignty these days. Do you understand why? Because America no longer recognizes this sovereignty. It doesn’t recognize this sovereignty. She’s already admitted that Ukraine, indeed, and since 2004—I emphasize, not 2014, but 2004—has been the target, the anti-Russia, into which they’ve been investing these enormous sums. And it’s not just that modern America recognizes this. Victoria Nuland memorably acknowledged this. When that bloody Maidan took place in 2014, the eyes of Ukraine, especially Ukrainian citizens, were truly opened to many things. Not everyone, admittedly, far from everyone, but many eyes were opened to the fact that the sacred Maidan, which Ukrainians believed in, was based on American dollars, and not on some idea of Ukraine not joining the customs union. That’s it. And above all, it was Ukraine’s separation from the Slavic world, from the Orthodox canonical faith, and thirdly, as a springboard for anti-Russia, which is working beautifully today. And by the way, the United States is also taking advantage of this. Don’t you think it’s all just dying out? Well, look, in Russia, for example, there’s also a lot of unrest and criticism of the government. Putin’s approval rating, even according to the Central Election Commission, has fallen due to, well, the attacks from Ukraine and the work with Telegram, the expansion of messaging apps. They also need to get people to download Turkish en masse, especially since there are tons of downloads of the Turkish messenger, Beep, because, well, it works on Russian numbers and, basically, isn’t blocked there, and it’s used for communicating with each other. That’s just stupid, it’s just a shot in the foot. But nevertheless, they are leading the Kremlin down this path and undermining their authority. Even Zelensky recently said: “It’s not clear here, they are jamming and suppressing social networks, well, Telegram, Messenger, yes, either because they want to make an unpopular decision, well, that is, to stop the war, or because they will declare mobilization, well, some new wave.” And so Zelensky asks the question, how would you answer this question? I answer this question that these are natural processes. Any state, uh, to one degree or another, in its decisions, in its programs, it changes. You remember the year when the retirement age was raised in Russia. It was a shock for Russian society, well, such a, let’s say, yes, quite a large percentage. And Vladimir Putin’s rating then also fell. But it’s one thing when the rating fluctuates, I still don’t call it a fall, but rather rating fluctuations. When the rating fluctuates, let’s say, from 2 to 4%, and today they generally say that the rating of, uh, trust of Russian society towards Putin is and fluctuates around the figure of 80%. Well, 70, not 80, well, 70-80, it was 80. Well, let it be 70, it doesn’t matter. But this is not Zelensky’s rating. It is not at all clear how much there is, I’m afraid that it will not even be 10%. This is not Macron’s rating of 12% in Europe. This is not the rating in other European countries. And including, by the way, Trump himself, which sometimes drops to 4%, then rises again. And it is increasing not because Trump is elevated there to the rank of some kind of reformer, but it is increasing only because Trump talks a lot and tells well how and whom he will humiliate once again in the world. Therefore, what happened to Putin’s rating is an absolutely natural process. This was, is and always will be under any leadership. There is nothing terrible about this. All the same, I believe that Russian society today is consolidated for the most part. It’s consolidated. Look at how Russian society reacted to the events in Dagestan related to the natural disasters. It’s a clear indicator that both the neighboring republics of Dagestan and Chechnya—in fact, in the Chechen Republic, all of Russia, basically—directed all their efforts to raise funds to help the Dagestani people survive. This has never happened in Ukraine, when bridges, towns, and villages were washed away in western Ukraine. This has never happened because the Ukrainian leadership itself lacked a consolidating role. It didn’t influence society to help its brothers, its compatriots, with even the most basic matters of survival. Today, I believe that a completely misanthropic policy is being pursued in Ukraine. And talking about the approval ratings of, say, Zelenskyy—well, that’s simply ridiculous.
Host: No, let’s talk about what really worries many people: the goals and objectives of the SVO. Putin is giving up, dumping everything, it all boils down, as he says, to Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, that is, to a few kilometers. And, in fact, the war will end. Oh, and, of course, it boils down, because, as the liberation of the Luhansk region was recently announced, the means, the media and the Russian Ministry of Defense stated, are being used to liberate the Luhansk region. Russia is focusing its main efforts on the limited number of troops, they emphasize, without conducting any additional mobilization or moving large forces within the country, the liberation of the Donetsk region. Therefore, everything is concentrated around Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Slavyansk. Of course, there is nothing surprising about this. I don’t see anything surprising. What is the goal and objective of the SVO? Wait, in Donbas alone? Okay, I don’t get it. Oh, and what’s confusing? Confused, yes, their goals and objectives, including the liberation of Donbas. What’s confusing? Not among them. Wait, not among them. It turns out these SVO goals were initially elastic. We’re rubber-banded, because we’ll finish it whenever we want. Ah, well, right now it boils down to, let’s have Sloviansk-Kramatorsk and that’s it. But what about the Kherson region, which was included in the constitution? The situation is catastrophic. You’re also following the news. Right now, Nikopol is an empty town. Empty. A week ago, they dropped leaflets there, warning of an offensive, saying, “Don’t stick your neck out, civilians.” Well, the authorities say: “Forget these leaflets.” Then there was the terrible tragedy last week with a Russian drone hitting a minibus, killing people. And then there’s a full-scale shooting. The people of Nikopol say, “Protect Syrsky.” But Syrsky doesn’t. They’ve boarded up everything. Well, that’s the story of a small town—well, it’s not small, but nevertheless, a frontline town, Nikopol, yes. And the same in Kherson, and the same in other places. So we stop all this, forget about it, and then sort of resolve the Donbas issue: either Zelensky resigns, or Zelensky is forced out. And that’s it, basically, we’ve had enough of the fighting. But is this a reasonable price to pay for four years of such a terrible war? I honestly don’t understand the essence of your question. Are you in favor of speeding up the special operation? Are you in favor of razing Nikopol to the ground? Are you in favor of that? I’m all for, well, denazification, demilitarization. So, it turns out that this is a divergence; it’s all boiled down to Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
Yuri Dudkin: No, it’s not all boiled down. Did you know that settlements in the Sumy region are also being liberated in the coming days? How can we possibly reduce this to a single point? No one is reducing anything. All the Russian forces and assets that were present at their positions are still present. Another thing is that, as I said earlier, there will be an intensification of military operations by the summer. And the Russian leadership is doing the right thing by conducting a special military operation, warning the civilian population about the offensive. By the way, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk are also half-empty. It’s not just Nikopol. And very active efforts are being made to minimize civilian casualties. Russia is doing this. But why isn’t Ukraine doing this? An evacuation has been organized to locations where people will be provided with housing, food, and preschools. Why isn’t this happening in Ukraine? Why isn’t the so-called Ukrainian president personally directly involved in these issues? My question here is more about understanding the general situation than why forces are concentrated near Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. Because the Ukrainian leadership has long since stopped caring about its citizens. It travels abroad, spending this so-called government, the people’s money, on its flights, its voyages with numerous delegations. But I have never seen anywhere, not in the Ukrainian media, much less in foreign media, that Zelenskyy has convened the governors or, as it is now more correct to say, the heads of administration of Ukrainian frontline cities to discuss the evacuation of the population or the protection of the population from a Russian invasion. I have never seen such reports. Incidentally, Putin, yes, is directly involved in these issues. I’m not saying this to justify the Russian leadership. It’s just an example. Everything is relative. Why isn’t Zelenskyy, I repeat, being a self-proclaimed leader, concerned about Ukrainian citizens? Why is that? The exchanges of bodies, prisoners of war, even civilians, are being carried out by second-rate officials, I assure you of that. Those who don’t appear in front of the cameras. But that’s why, and by the way, all this is happening based on previously reached agreements, thank God.
Host: I went to Zakarpattia yesterday, the day before, and the day before yesterday, and listened to the community there, and talked to representatives of the communities there. Everyone is preparing for next winter. However, the funding and how they are preparing are unclear. 90 billion. Everyone, of course, is confident that they will give it, but that’s a strange certainty. Because they promised to launch the friendship by the end of spring, supposedly something had been destroyed there, but no one saw it. And, of course, everyone is placing some kind of bet on it, and everyone is watching very closely, except for the holidays, except for the Holy Fire that has already descended, yes, that is, everyone is looking to tomorrow with apprehension, because it is unclear what will happen to Hungary. And there are a lot of insider reports, they are shouting that Ukraine is practically preparing a Maidan in case Orban suddenly wins in Budapest. How do you feel about this news? Especially since completely different pictures are coming out. For example, yesterday they gathered 100,000 against Orban, the opposition set the scene. It’s a fierce struggle, in which the opposition is directly involved. Vance. Then Trump writes, “Vote for Orbán or you’ll lose.” And in general, we’ll shower you, Hungarians, with gold if you elect Orbán. And Zelensky, whose entire infrastructure is working to knock Orbán out of office. Will it succeed?
Yuri Dudkin: Well, first of all, Zelensky is playing the role of a tool in the case against Orbán. He’s a tool, not an object of influence, but a tool to influence the non-election of Orbán and his Fidesz party to parliament. Brussels, the European Union, and, by the way, MI6, are the driving force here, of course. That’s how it is. Therefore, Mr. Zelensky is just a cog in this whole mechanism. Of course, tomorrow will be, let’s say, a special tomorrow for Hungarians, not just World Cosmonautics Day. This includes elections for power in Hungary. And the Hungarians will be, so to speak, a litmus test for whether Hungary itself wants to remain in the European Union. I’m not afraid to say it. Because everything is moving towards the conclusion that the European Union is more than just a burden on Hungary’s shoulders. It’s a stone in its shoe that’s preventing Hungary from following its own path of development. And this stone, it’s in its shoe, can’t be removed; it’s growing, because today, for example, the EU wants, and this is being stated quite openly, to deprive Hungary of its voting rights. And how can that even be? These are also European values. If one of the EU members has its own point of view, defends its national interests, it should be deprived of its voting rights. The same applies to Slovakia. That’s why everything that’s happening in Hungary today is, again, a litmus test for how far Hungary will go. Either it will receive energy at the lowest prices in Europe, at the lowest prices. Russian energy resources, naturally, or will it experience economic decline at such a rapid pace under, say, the TISZA party, which is oriented primarily toward the West and the EU, where energy prices have risen exponentially, and, consequently, the prices of everything else are rising. And the decline of the Hungarian economy, as Hungarian experts themselves are already predicting, will be simply unstoppable. Unstoppable. Therefore, tomorrow will be a testing time for Hungarians. God willing, that will actually happen. I am not advocating for anyone for Hungarians to understand and look a little further east, to see what is happening to their neighbor, who once embraced the same European values, imaginary ones. And what has this led to? Much bloodshed and a major war. The summer campaign will begin after Easter. The Kremlin rejects extending the ceasefire. Zelensky has already hinted twice, first a couple of days ago, then today, that it could be extended. Russia has a chance to prolong it. The attacks are actually escalating. Fierce. We mentioned Kramatorsk. FABs, or at least a guided bomb, or an aerial bomb, landed on Kramatorsk. And the situation is escalating. Then, as I understand it, there will be a respite and then we’ll see what happens. And what will happen? In your opinion, how would you characterize the situation in the lead-up to this offensive? Some say the Ukrainian Armed Forces will rush forward somewhere. Others say there’s a clear plan, no one has deviated from it. This includes Zaporizhia, and of course, Donbas. Zelenskyy, however, has made some very interesting statements about how if Donbas is lost, then Kharkiv will be next, and Dnipro. Well, that’s a bold move. What do you think about this phase of the frontline confrontation, specifically the situation on the ground?
Host: I would say, yes, I would say that everything you’ve listed is, in principle, possible. It’s possible. Again, I won’t attempt to predict the course of future events, but, incidentally, as Russian military correspondents have noted, a certain delay, yes, as you mentioned earlier, in conducting a special military operation, is contributing to the fact that, uh, Ukraine’s unmanned aerial vehicle forces are being strengthened. Currently, according to some sources, 20,000 drone operators, so-called, 20,000 people are involved in similar operations in the Ukrainian armed forces. And this, incidentally, is confirmed by Russian media, which say that, uh, Ukrainian drones are now firing at more than just isolated incidents; they are also firing at strategic facilities, and at facilities in Russia’s energy system. They, of course, are spontaneous, unplanned, and have little impact on the Russian economy, but nevertheless, today there are dozens of drones per day. Yes, there are cases, not cases, but a trend, where Russian air defense systems are also improving their performance. And these drones are being shot down in large numbers, before they even reach their programmed targets. But still, this delay in military operations and the conduct of military operations directly on the front line is having an impact. And again, as you say, whether Dnipro and Kharkiv will be captured or not, Alexander Sladkov—there’s a Russian war correspondent who confidently states that the Russian leadership’s main goal is Kyiv. Therefore, I don’t rule out the possibility that this year we can expect some dramatic, significant changes along the entire front line. Specifically, with the capture of major cities like Dnipro, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. I don’t rule it out. That’s it. Because, again, the main goal that Russia set for itself was to bleed the Ukrainian Armed Forces dry with a small force. You know about the forces, of course; Zelenskyy was the one who made that claim, of course. Well, as a military man, if you saw it, you probably also smiled when you said that, basically, we’re killing as many Russians as they recruit per month. Like, 30,000 or so. That’s it. But the number of Russians on the front lines is growing. It’s just not working out that way, you know, it’s not working out. And so Zelenskyy came up with the idea that the Russians have some kind of strategic reserve of manpower somewhere, which is being transferred to the front lines. But that’s a joke, of course. Uh, no one has ever come up with that. Well, I mean, we’re killing more, or at least the same number as they recruit per month, but their numbers are increasing. So, there’s some kind of stash somewhere. Where are they getting all this from? What kind of piggy bank is this? It’s completely unclear. But, of course, this math looks very interesting when it doesn’t clash with the Defense Minister’s math, with the math of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which no one even really pays attention to anymore. Remember, they add up some figures every day—over a million Russians killed, a ton of equipment burned, and so on. And then we noticed after Fyodorov’s supposed statements. Nothing matches up at all. Another point is interesting. Yesterday, Fyodorov reported that he would look into the erroneous registration of women. Today, the Defense Ministry actually issued a statement about a hotline. If you’re a woman and you’ve been added to the TCC database, call. These issues will be resolved by the end of April. So, there’s a deadline, a decision, and so on. But no one’s talking about the situation in the Ukrainian army. And no one’s discussing this correlation. On the contrary, everyone’s saying, “You’ll be a drone pilot, a kill zone, basically sitting there 500 kilometers away, like in a computer game, so to speak, defending.” You’ve also noted this, the increase in drone troops. But what will this occupation of cities or the time of taking large cities, which we’re so close to, be like? Well, what kind of siege will they use to take them head-on? Some other, shall we say, forces and resources. So, you see, here’s the thing? They tell us it’s impossible for Ukraine to lose another regional center. But you claim that with this campaign, we’ll begin to witness advances on such cities.
Yuri Dudkin: Well, you know, you practically called Zelensky a strategist. I even laughed, because this guy has no clue about military affairs. And as for his remark, “We kill more than they recruit.” There’s no TCC in Russia. There’s no one beating anyone over the head, tying them up like sheep, or stuffing them into buses. I emphasize, there’s a very high percentage of volunteers recruited into the armed forces today, especially with the creation of unmanned aerial vehicles. A very high percentage. I don’t even want to give figures, because I doubt anyone would believe me. Of course, I use Russian sources, but I know for sure, because I have relatives living in the Russian Federation, that this percentage is high. Mr. Zelenskyy needed to emphasize this, but he gave himself away by saying that Russia is recruiting, not capturing, those who are supposed to fight on the front lines. As for, Sasha, how they will seize or liberate or deploy troops to certain regional centers—you can call it whatever you like. But note a few important points. In the settlements where Russian troops are entering, there is no active resistance from Ukrainian citizens—I emphasize, from Ukrainian citizens. On the contrary, I repeatedly see that the civilian population is tired of the Ukrainian government. They want peace, they want bread, they want an end to the fighting. And Russian troops are absolutely essential for them, I’m speaking frankly, I’m not prevaricating or playing the fool here. For them, Russian troops are the panacea for this peace. Again, the second point, which is also important, is that nowhere in the Ukrainian media, where they invite people to their studios, uh, at some fortified, you know, military training centers, well, and so on and so forth, where they talk about the current state of affairs in the Ukrainian armed forces, I see anywhere that the military is inspired, that their morale is uplifted. They only talk about the problems of the Ukrainian armed forces. I’m not even listing the problems today. They only talk about this. For three years now, by the way, if we take the first year of the military operations in Ukraine, everything was truly uplifting. These videos and these reports were very uplifting. Today, Ukrainian journalists, war correspondents, who talk to Ukrainian soldiers, but you can see it in their faces. You don’t have to be a genius to do this. No. But all this is compensated for by the persecution of the thugs. The swindler will be to blame. Good Lord, I’m talking about different things.
Host: Alexander, no, no, look, we have a compensating factor here. We also see that morale in the Ukrainian armed forces is declining, but nevertheless, well, the front isn’t collapsing, you know? And what’s being done? Well, the front isn’t collapsing. There are no active advances, just a few dozen kilometers at a time. On whose side? On the Russian side, on the Russian Federation side, I repeat, there is a planned advance. Do you understand that or not? So, what’s the plan anyway? That is, there are current combat tactics, and, by the way, the same tactics have been developed on the Ukrainian side. Fighting is not done by a front, but by combat assault groups. These are completely different things. Firstly, it’s much slower in time, but it’s a natural process than advancing an entire front with tank divisions, and so on, and so forth, and frontline aviation. But I can’t tell you why this isn’t being done, because I’m not just the commander-in-chief, but simply the commander of some unit, either Ukrainian or Russian. But I’m talking about what’s happening, what the trends are, and what natural processes are occurring. So, assault groups are advancing along the front. Incidentally, this tactic is very effective in advancing forward. Dozens of populated areas—I won’t even list them all; they’re all online and posted online. Over the past week, dozens of Ukrainian populated areas, both small and large, have been occupied by Russian troops using this tactic. Well, again, Zelenskyy comes out and says this small assault group entered this, let’s say, populated area. They stayed there for three days, then left, and the populated area simply remained painted over on the map. But in reality, we have this huge kill zone growing there, where I don’t think there’s anyone at all and nothing under control. According to Zelensky, Kupyansk is still Ukrainian, you see? Oh, wait, whose is Kupyansk? So, basically, I’m saying that all these Ukrainian cities are in serious question. That’s it. And according to Zelensky, as you often appeal to him, how to defend them further, Zelensky doesn’t know. He says all this in the spirit of his professional artistry. You see? The fact is, that, say, Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, and the former Donetsk region of Ukraine as a whole will soon be occupied by Russian troops, there’s no doubt about that. Well, It’s all a question of time and tactics for waging such military operations, nothing more.
Host: You think that, with modern weapons, modern air defense systems, aviation, and so on, the Russian Federation could have razed to the ground Kostiantynivka, Slavyansk, and Kramatorsk. Well, Kostiantynivka was practically razed to the ground. Wait a minute, there’s fighting going on there. Of course, there’s fighting going on there. So, stop, what about the fate of these cities? Let’s figure it out.
Yuri Dudkin: The fate of these cities is clear, Alexander. Instead of preserving its troops and withdrawing them from these settlements, the Ukrainian government continues to cling to every inch of this land, knowing that, firstly, these are Russian cities. There was never even a hint of Ukrainianness there to begin with. That’s the thing. I know Slavyansk; I’ve been there many times. So, instead of preserving the manpower that the Ukrainian army is currently short of, they’re dispersing it, moving it into all sorts of fortified positions. On the other hand, Zelenskyy—if we’re talking about Zelenskyy, he also gave a lot of interviews this week, which was necessary—and he clearly acknowledged that we can’t retreat from Donbas because Kharkiv and Dnipro are threatened there, and because it would take a year or two to build some kind of fortifications there. And where to build them? In the open field. It takes time, it’s expensive, it’s… But Sloviansk and urban development, city defense, Kramatorsk—it’s not so expensive. That is, essentially admitting that for him, this is no longer a city, but some kind of ditch with crocodiles or some kind of watchtower, that is. But then he gives the example that I can’t leave because there are 200,000 people—what 200,000 people—well, on this perimeter of Donbas. So there’s a clear contradiction here regarding the air defense. Yes, I haven’t paid attention to what Zelenskyy says for a long time. A very long time, because everything he says, in total, during the four years of the conflict, 50,000 people have died, or whatever he said, 44, whatever. This man is completely out of touch with reality. He’s a liar like no other, and he does it for his own benefit, not for the benefit of the Ukrainian people. Instead of truly, uh, creating a situation that would facilitate the speedy establishment of peace in Ukraine and preserve the remaining patch of Ukrainian land and the Ukrainian state, Ukrainian statehood, which, for better or worse, still exists today, Zelenskyy continues to escalate, escalate, escalate, escalate. Well, it’s clear why. Because if peace comes, his days are numbered, but today he survives by fighting and is even trying to build his significant status as head of state in Europe. I believe this benefits Europe, especially the European Union. Why? Because everything there is truly geared against Russia. Expecting something, uh, let’s say, Zelenskyy will speak differently and you and others will quote him in some peace-making light, but that won’t happen. Zelenskyy only talks about peace to, um, let’s say, flaunt it. Yes, I’m ready to meet with Putin. Yes, I want him to come see me there. Well, in that spirit, you understand? That’s it. But nothing more, nothing more.
Host: Let’s conclude our conversation today with a question from a viewer, where many are also asking questions, and rightly so, about where Ukrainian skies are not adequately protected. Whatever statistics they write, we ourselves have also touched on this topic repeatedly, when everyone saw Geranium 5 flying and hitting an object in the Sumy region. Uh, well, in the footage, yes. And this, by the way, is also a very big mystery. I think that if there had been so much footage from the official Russian side, yes, and it had been transmitted promptly, then it’s still completely unclear what kind of war there would be. Here’s how it all looks here. Look, a Ukrainian drone hit Admiral Grigorovich. They showed it, it hit. And then The Guardian writes, two days later he’s escorting this Grigorovich tanker from Novorossiysk. And there are many such moments. This week, by the way, became such a revelation. Everyone’s already reacting to these pictures somehow. The video that Genno posted. And note that these ships transited the English Channel. And the West, most of all. What was irritating was that no one tried to stop either the tanker or the Russian military vessel. That’s what irritated them. And this is truly becoming ridiculous given the insults and threats the West has made against Russia’s shadow fleet. And today, by the way, there’s no definition of what a shadow fleet is. So, of course, I believe the West will gradually acknowledge that they’ve really taken on a burden they can’t handle. That is, they’ll lift the weight that Europe has shouldered in order to destroy Russia, to tear its economy to shreds, as one US president put it. But this project failed. And exactly the same thing is happening with the Ukrainians in the Persian Gulf. Kaja Kallas comes out and says, “Oh, my God, the Persian Gulf isn’t helping us in the war with Ukraine. That we should be helping them.” And Zelensky, you see, is helping out there with all sorts of PR. The press, well, it’s so lacking in baseline data. Well, really, there’s an article in the European press that, ah, they kicked out, well, or something, asked to leave, the Ukrainian air defense specialists who are Zelensky’s. This, of course, has already been called fake, although, well, it’s very difficult to verify. The viewers are asking you a question for the finale of our program today. Alexander, good afternoon. After the sheikhs kicked out the worthless Ukrainian air defense after hitting two skyscrapers, can we say that this practice in Ukraine has a business interest in rebuilding housing, and the more destroyed, the more they can steal? After all, it’s not for nothing that NATO curators are proposing to place air defense systems in residential buildings, and clearly not for protection, but for greater destruction. There is no investigation. And they don’t look for whose drone, whose missile hit the house or the factory. The main thing is that Russia is shooting. And Russia is shooting with this, as if they’re covering up.
Yuri Dudkin: Well, our viewer’s question is, of course, relevant, but I’d like to correct it. We’re not talking about Western money being invested in the construction of housing or the restoration of housing. As of today, I have completely up-to-date data. Around Kupyansk, Kharkiv, especially Kharkiv, Sumy, defensive fortifications are being built, on which precisely that Western money is being spent, and is being laundered from this construction. This is the most important direction in, let’s say, laundering the financial resources that Europe is investing. True, not much today. These are not the billions that were under Biden, but nevertheless, they are there. They are there. And Europe is giving money today precisely for the construction of concrete defensive fortifications. These are not some kind of wooden concrete fortifications. There is even footage on the Internet. This is being filmed, I assume, as an excuse for Look, Brussels, we’re building, but it’s not restoring Ukraine’s housing stock, which has undoubtedly suffered significant losses because the war continues. They’re currently restoring housing in, say, Kostiantynivka. But that’s pointless, that’s clear. Even Ukrainian idiots, thieves, and scoundrels wouldn’t do that. It would be better if they were restoring the housing stock in, say, Kyiv. That would be better. Where many displaced persons from eastern Ukraine—tens of thousands, if not hundreds—are in Kyiv today, by the way, Ukraine still isn’t providing them with any housing. They live wherever they can. Those who can rent apartments are crammed together in one-bedroom apartments, two or three families at a time. You see, all of this should be controlled by the Ukrainian state. I’ve already said this and I’ll repeat it. That’s why today they’re spending Western money on defensive fortifications, which, I assure you, will play absolutely no role in Ukraine’s future defense. And Ukrainian cities. With modern weapons, this is irrelevant. A 3,000-pound FAB can simply reduce such fortifications to dust for kilometers. Therefore, Ukraine should, I repeat, focus on other issues—diplomatic and humanitarian. But under the current Minister of Foreign Affairs, one only has to look at his appearance. It’s clear that this is impossible. He’s absolutely obsessed with war, just like this president, because it’s their means of survival. War is their means of survival.
Host: Yuri Dudkin was my interlocutor today. Thank you. Thank you very much for your time and thoughts. And happy upcoming holidays. All the best.
Yuri Dudkin: All the best, Alexander. Happy upcoming holidays. Take care, friends. Goodness and light to all. See you.
Synopsis of Points Made
This transcript is a conversation between a host and Yuri Dudkin, a commentator, covering geopolitical negotiations, the war in Ukraine, and related domestic and international issues. The following key points were made:
1. US-Iran Negotiations in Islamabad:
- Talks are taking place between the US and Iran, with Israel notably absent but represented by the US.
- Iran is taking a hardline stance, demanding US reparations for material damage, compensation for victims, recognition of Iran’s absolute sovereignty (including its right to a peaceful nuclear program), and a ceasefire in Lebanon with Israeli withdrawal.
- The Iranian delegation includes tough politicians and technical experts. The talks are seen as critical but unlikely to produce a major breakthrough due to the absence of a direct Israeli role.
2. Impact on the Ukraine Conflict:
- Ukraine’s negotiating position is linked to the US-Iran talks, with Ukraine feeling increasingly abandoned by the US, which now views Ukraine as a “bargaining chip” in broader geopolitical negotiations with Russia.
- There is a “good cop, bad cop” dynamic between Zelenskyy and Budanov, mirroring the US approach. Budanov is seen as making more grounded statements about the war’s realities.
- The arrival of Boris Johnson in Ukraine is portrayed as an attempt to undermine peace efforts and inspire Ukraine to continue fighting.
3. Criticism of Ukrainian Leadership:
- Zelenskyy is repeatedly criticized as an illegitimate, ineffective leader who is out of touch with reality, lies for personal benefit, and has no military acumen.
- The Ukrainian government is accused of pursuing a “misanthropic policy,” failing to care for its citizens (e.g., no evacuations, poor housing for displaced persons), and using war as a means of political survival.
- Western aid is alleged to be laundered through the construction of defensive fortifications, which are deemed useless against modern Russian weaponry, rather than being used for genuine humanitarian purposes like housing restoration.
4. Russian Military Strategy and Goals:
- The stated goal of Russia’s “Special Military Operation” (SVO) is not limited to Donbas; the ultimate objective is claimed to be Kyiv.
- A summer offensive is anticipated, with potential for the capture of major Ukrainian cities including Dnipro, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.
- Russian tactics involve slow, planned advances using assault groups, minimizing civilian casualties (in contrast to Ukraine). The civilian population in captured areas is described as welcoming Russian troops as a path to peace.
- Ukrainian claims of inflicting disproportionate Russian casualties are dismissed; Russia is said to have a high number of volunteers, not conscripts.
5. Declining Ukrainian Morale and Sovereignty:
- Morale in the Ukrainian armed forces is described as low, with soldiers only discussing problems, a stark contrast to the first year of the war.
- The US is said to no longer recognize Ukraine’s sovereignty, viewing it solely as an “anti-Russia” project since 2004. Western media is noted to rarely discuss Ukrainian sovereignty.
6. European Politics and Hungary:
- The Hungarian elections are presented as a litmus test for the country’s future in the EU. Zelenskyy is portrayed as a tool used by Brussels and MI6 to prevent Viktor Orbán’s re-election.
- The EU is criticized for wanting to deprive Hungary of voting rights for defending its national interests, highlighting a contradiction in “European values.”
7. Western Failures and Double Standards:
- Western sanctions and efforts to destroy the Russian economy have failed, as evidenced by Russian ships transiting the English Channel without interference.
- The West is accused of hypocrisy, especially regarding its inability to define or stop Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
- Claims that Ukrainian air defense specialists were expelled from a Gulf country after failing to protect skyscrapers are mentioned, leading to allegations that Ukraine benefits from destruction to secure reconstruction funds.