People have asked me where I have been getting my information about the ongoings of the Russo-Ukrainian War so I figured I'll list them out and why I rely upon them, as of July 2023.
I'll start off by saying who I don't rely upon as sources: either side's Ministry of Defense, anyone affiliated with the NAFO brigade (if you don't know what NAFO is, consider yourself lucky), people with sunflower or Ukrainian flag emojis, and Western government sources. Most of these sources are followed by people that scream and shriek the second you refuse to follow or acknowledge the comments or narratives made by the original poster as 100% correct. Any devation turns quickly into "You must love genocide....You like Putin's dick....Shut up Vatnik.....blahblahblah...." To be fair, that happens on the places I go to and I have been called a Russian and Ukrainian shill within 15 minutes by different people, so I must be doing something right.
Honorable Mention: Knightsbridge Research
Aside from having been on Future Conflicts, these guys provide a wide range of intelligence to their clientele that have interests all over the world. Their twitter feed is worth the follow.
Speaking of Future Conflicts, I didn't include the Future Conflicts guys because I am a part of it, and it's not fair to pit the rest of these guys against the prophecies of Joe and Stan.
1. Armchair Warlord (Twitter)
Former Army artillery officer and has offered explainations to many military theories and their applicaitons. Never right 100% of the time, but is a good wealth of knowledge. Also, doesn't block or run off those that disagree.
2. Big Serge (Twitter) 
Appears to be an American of Russian descent. Does a good job of accumulating statements and claims made on Russian telegram channels and the current situation. Eloquent writer about historical topics on his substack page (warning: his articles can exceed 10,000 words!) and is very mild mannered in regards to not sounding like a lunatic.
3.Mikael Valtersson (Twitter)
Former officer in Swedish Armed Forces. Knowledgeable in air defense topics especially. Also a dearth of knowledge in mining (like pick and shovel) in Sweden. Labelled as a "Fascist" by left-wing groups in Sweden is good indicator that he certainly isn't a political lunatic. Offers very balanced takes and is very neutral on either side of the conflict. Hasn't been active since the Prighozhin Affair of June 25/26.....maybe he's on holiday.
4. Rybar (Twitter)
I included these guys because their claims and takes aren't that bad, even when it sounds like they are being told what to say. They may be a day behind at times, but overall their map making is their biggest asset when in English.
5. Suryiak Maps (Twitter)
Have seen this guy's mapping and reporting since the Syrian Civil War and he's been faily accurate. Maps are east to read and detailed. People allege him to be "Pro-Russia"
6. DeepState (Twitter)
Accurate mapping and location of Russian positions and units. Leans towards the "Pro-Ukrainian" side of things.
7. Weeb Union (YouTube)
I ran across this guy during the early days of the Battle for Bakhmut and he does fairly detailed videos on a daily basis (sometimes multiple vidoes a day if things start moving super fast) about what's going on across the whole theatre.
His reporting is balanced (even if his titles are click-bait) and doesn't show changes on a map unless he can confirm it through sources on both sides of the conflict. His work with arrows on MSpaint isn't that bad either.
8. The Duran/Alex Mercouris/Alex Christoforu (YouTube)
Delivering well researched and poingant pieces on geopolitics, economics, and conflicts on three separate channels, Alexander and Alex are my main sources of information and I listen to them as I drive around since they don't rely upon visual aids. To be honest, if you want the abridge and quick version of what Mercouris says, which can take nearly 60-85 minutes, listen to Christoforou as he rips through his content in a well organized manner.
9. Patrick Lancaster (YouTube)
An American reporter who started out covering the Donbass kerfluffle back in 2014. Back then he was able to transverse the frontlines but for a long time now has only been covering things from the Russian side of the conflict. Since 2022, his reporting has been better but his real contribution is that the filiming is very interesting and revealing. You can tell at times he is being sent to film a controlled and sterile environment.
The most recent example of this is in a recent video where he spent a day in May with an DPR SOF unit that was holding the line in Vuhledar back in May 2023. His reporting and interviews aren't as important as the ability to view the trench networks and fortifications.
Not sure why, but he can't figure out how to wear a helmet to save his life. and it annoys the fuck out of me when whenever I see it.
So that's where I leave this for now. If you guys want me to discuss more stuff like this, leave a comment or a like!
-Sean
