Judging Freedom - Patrick Lancaster: Latest on the Ground in Russian Ukraine

Episode Date: June 5, 2024

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Thank you. Hi, everyone. Judge Andrew Napolitano here for Judging Freedom. Today is Wednesday, June 5th, 2024. The intrepid, the fearless, the bold Patrick Lancaster joins us now, not from the wilds of the battlefront, but from the comfort of his hotel room in Moscow, where Patrick and I had planned to meet up and spend a little time together and do a broadcast together, but events canceled my trip. But Patrick, welcome here. And before we we start with all the dynamic tape you've given us including you being right there under live fire how are you and why are you in me in moscow uh hi judge um as normal it's uh great to be on with you again. Thanks, as always, to you and your team for bringing me on and helping me spread my reports and messages to the world. Because it's hard to get everything out across the world.

And I'm glad we have people that are, you know, not trying to hide certain things like a lot of the media. And we can actually get information out on both sides. All right. You have given us some dramatic video. Let's go right to it. The first of these shows you present at the explosion of a Russian mortar after the Russians received, I think, incoming fire from a drone. Do I have that right? Well, basically the situation here on this latest report of mine is I traveled to Russian forces at a military position on the last, basically the last front line of the Lugansk area or the Lugansk People's Republic area, depending on what side of this conflict you favor, is what you call these areas.

But the fact is, this area is the Lugansk region that the Ukrainians in the West calls the Lugansk part of Ukraine, and Russian law calls the Lugansk or Lugansk People's Republic region of Russia. So where you sit is depending on how you call it. The local people that live there call it the Lugansk People's Republic as part of Russia. But this front line is the Belogorovka front line, which is the last stronghold of Ukrainian forces in this Lugansk area. Basically, the last few areas that are still controlled by Ukrainian forces. And this area, Matt, is the battle, basically, of Russia trying to force Ukrainian forces, the last Ukrainian forces, out of the Lugansk area, Lugansk People's Republic area.

And I'm documenting them attacking Ukrainian forces with 122 millimeter mortar shells. And that's what we're going to see here, I believe. Okay, so in a moment, we're going to see a Ukrainian drone attacking Russian troops in what Ukraine says is Ukraine and Russia says it's Russia, and you're right there. And then we're going to see a Russian mortar propelled in the direction of the Ukrainian troops. Do I have that right? Yes, exactly. While we were there on the position, going through the process of Russia attacking the Ukrainian positions with mortars, the Russians were identified by Ukrainian reconnaissance, and what I was told was a Ukrainian kamikaze drone came in at the positions.

Now, it didn't hit us, but I could hear it. So it was a little bit scary. All right. I can see. And the audience will see in a minute. You were not comfortable there. You are dressed in full military protective gear. So, Chris, cut number one, the situation here.

Drones overhead and outgoing artillery, mortars. For the situation this is, it's almost surreal. Almost surreal, my dear friend. You're so courageous. Is that the closest you have come to live fire? No, no. I've been actually shot at many times and have had shells explode about 10 meters, a little over 10 yards from me in the past.

There's bullets, rockets, and things like that whizzed by my head. All right. I've had quite the experience with being fired at over the years. But, yeah, so it is what it is. Before we get to the clip where you are running with troops through the field, and before we show Russian artillery being prepared for use, let me ask you some big picture questions. Do the Ukrainians stand a chance in stopping the Russian onslaught?

Russians say they don't. The Russian morale is pretty up right now because of the constant advances by Russian forces from Ukrainian control. So, you know, as I've been saying since Avdivka was taken control of by Russia, it's a new war now. Russia has bumped it up to the storm or assault mode and is just taking territory one step at a time. Now, some channels out there, some reporters will say, oh, well, they're taking fields and all this non-strategical stuff. Well, the fact is that, yeah, they're taking fields, but they're also taking settlements, towns, and villages. So anybody that tries to get you to believe that 180 square kilometers taken control of by Russia from Ukraine isn't a strategical gain, they're lying to you. And I think the

viewers out there can understand that themselves. That when the media is trying to say these gains are not important, but minor villages being held by Ukraine are, I think the people out there can think

that it's for themselves. As I say in all my videos, get as much information as possible and try to understand when somebody's trying to pull the rug over your face. Okay, let's go to the next clip. This will show you and we will hear you narrating as you're running through a field with Russian troops. да да ну подлетает подлетает слышу all right so heard from the... so orders are coming from the leadership so we heard from the commander here on the ground of this position that was a Ukrainian kamikaze drone that we were hearing just overhead and it seems like

they might have hit the neighboring position or something along those lines is what I understand but we're gonna stay here in this bunker underground for a few minutes. And then, as I assume, the soldiers are going to move out and continue to engage Ukrainian forces. Were you afraid

for your life when you made that clip? Well, yeah. At the beginning, for sure. Once it got down in the hole in the bunker, it felt quite a bit better. It's amazing how such old technology works so well on the battlefield. But yeah, once I, just before that clip started is when I heard the drone. And as soon as I heard it, they heard it as well. It just started saying run. And I clicked the drone. And as soon as I heard it, they heard it as well.

It just started saying run. And I clicked the camera on. And before we had gone to the pit, before they had started firing, they had showed me the hole, the bunker, where in the events of a drone, they said, you dive in this hole. And that's exactly what we did. Everything worked exactly as they said. And luckily, I was not hit by the kamikaze drone. Why do you call it? I know what the word means, at least in American culture. But why do you call it a kamikaze drone?

Aren't all these drones kamikaze drones? There are some of them surveillance drones that are just taking pictures and then leaving. Okay, well, basically what we've got is on both sides, Russian and Ukrainian, three types of drones, or three general types of drones. Of course, there's a thousand different brands and variants, but the major three types is one, as you said, reconnaissance, which is used to find new locations, to target artillery. I mean, specifically, like during this mortar attack, the people on the radio that they're talking to is someone at a different position who's got a drone in the sky watching in real time the location that those mortar shells are landing on Ukrainian positions and telling them how to correct their fire. And that's a common use of reconnaissance

drones. Another type is the kamikazes, or FPV drones, as I said. And those are little hobby drones that cost about $500 to make that they use to fly into people, equipment. And, I mean, they can use a $500 drone to take out a $2 million tank. And it works extremely well on both sides. And then we've also got the drones that are mainly like DGI drones where they have special attachments that they dropped directly on top of whatever they're trying to eliminate. war that has really used full-on drone warfare to this high of a level, where drones are a huge factor in this war on both sides. And that's why I try to report so much on them. Since we last spoke, the president of France announced that whatever equipment the French have given to the Ukrainians, they can use to strike inside of Russia. The prime minister of Great Britain, the chancellor of Germany Russians or the morale or the attitude of the Ukrainians? That Western offensive weaponry in the hands of the Ukrainians, but operated by Western out-of-uniform troops can target inside Russia.

It's just infuriated both the military, the government, and the people. I mean, because especially the people that live in the Belgorod region of Russia who have been under daily attack in Russia, not a disputed area. But let's say the Russian city of Belgorgrade, which I did a report or a full film on not long ago. And this city has thousands of civilian residents, thousands, not hardly any like some sources might try to lie to you and try to pull the rug again over your eyes. These cities, particularly the Belgrade, I've seen hundreds of thousands of civilians living there, children, women. And the West is trying to say that it's okay for Ukraine to attack these Russian cities with

Western-supplied weapons. It's not okay to attack these civilians. As Western-supplied weapons. It's not okay to attack these civilians. As I showed in my report, these rockets coming from the border of the Kharkov region of Ukraine into Russia and just landing randomly across the city. It's not okay at all. And that's what is being done with Western people's tax money, the weapons that are being supplied to the West, to Ukraine by the West. And it's not okay. And something needs to be done to get people to stop dying on both sides. Americans operating Ukrainian equipment, soldiers out of uniform, intelligence officers, obviously

they don't wear uniforms, or outside contractors, as far as you know. I ask this because we are told that some of the American weaponry is so sophisticated that it requires a person with a top-secret security clearance, an American top-secret security clearance, to download data from a satellite. Have you come across any American who, in your view, was doing that? Obviously, I don't report much on the Ukrainian positions, but as far as information that I've been told by refugees and other locals, civilian locals, there are foreigners, mercenaries that are working with Ukrainian forces, as we all know, specifically about operating this equipment. I can't really comment. Of course, I've heard through the grapevine

there has been Americans captured, but me as a journalist trying to stick to all the areas of the Geneva Convention, not going into gray areas, I make it a point to kind of steer clear of any prisoners of war, just to keep the, you know, keep all on the right path of journalism, just, as I said, no gray areas, to show the people and continue to show the people what I see with my own eyes, and not run the risk of doing anything that might hurt someone, particularly on either side. And that goes for the POWs as well. So unfortunately, I don't have a lot of experience

with working with the foreigners that have been captured by Russia. But I think now we can move on to this. All right. So tell us what we're looking at here. This is film with which you provided us, Patrick. All right. Now, this is the position commander, the high-ranking person on the positions where they were attacking the Ukrainian positions from. And that's what he was showing us was their cache of 120, 20 millimeter mortar, Soviet made Russian made mortar shells. And that's exactly what we were seeing being shot out of that tube to

Ukrainians and what they're trying to that particular position, their jobs to fire those when called upon, when they have the targeting information to kill Ukrainian soldiers and destroy whatever equipment they might be using. So obviously the Russians do not have a problem with an American journalist photographing their equipment and showing it as you have just done with us. Yeah, I mean, I've been doing my best to show the West what's really happening. And I mean, you're not going to see the other Western journalists come here.

And I think it's understood that I really show the truth of what I see. I don't try to spin it in some way that fits the Western narrative. I try to make hit pieces or something like this, which is, as you know, pretty much the standard for the Western media now, unfortunately. You know, I am totally independent I just put what I see on my own YouTube channel Without having to submit it to anyone Or give any type of edits Because of what narrative it might show I just show the facts that I see And try to show the world the other side

Of what their eyes are trying to be closed to Patrick, you're a brave man, courageous man, and a patriot. And I thank you for all the time you've given us and all the knowledge and the tape that you've shared with us. I know you're in Moscow and you're traveling. When you're back and you're ready to come on the show, you know how to reach us. We'll put you right back and you're ready to come on the show, you know how to reach us. We'll put you right back on. I appreciate you personally as a colleague and as a courageous friend.

And I know the audience appreciates you. I can tell from what they're saying about you in the chat room. And I can tell from the numbers that are watching you now. And we'll watch you once this is posted and streaming, which it will be in just a moment. All right. Well, thank you very much, Judge. I really appreciate it always being on. And for your viewers, if you want to see the extended versions of that report and other reports, my YouTube channel, Patrick Lancaster,

can be seen in the comments below, I believe. And also, you know, I'm able to do this independent work because of only being funded by my viewers. So if you want to help support my work, you can also see the link in the comments. I'm only commented by my, supported by my viewers. So you can support my work with the link in the comments below, I believe. Thank you, Patrick. God bless you. All the best. We'll see you again soon. Thank you very much, Judge. Sure. So our schedule for today has changed since it was originally posted. Phil Giraldi will be on with us next week. He was originally scheduled for three o'clock today. Instead, we have Kyle Anzalone from Antiwar.com, a young man with a vast knowledge of all the excesses of government war making throughout the world. And Max Blumenthal, instead of being on today at four o'clock,

is on tomorrow at two o'clock. Tomorrow, a great day, 11 in the morning, John Mearsheimer, Professor Mearsheimer, two in the afternoon, Max Blumenthal, four in the afternoon, Aaron Matej. Max and Aaron were just attacked viciously by the Washington Post. They will present as only they can their very unique, very vociferous, very articulate defenses tomorrow. For today, Kyle Anzalone at 3 Eastern. Judge Napolitano for Judging Freedom. Hey, dude, he had to run because he's got to hit on RTTV. I do have the link on there, and I'll dress it up a little bit. So everything. Okay.

So you got both links. Yeah. Yep. Good to go. Nice. Nice. Nice. Well,

thanks a lot, Chris. And like I said, hopefully next week I'll be in a China. We're waiting on my visa right now. My wife's already got hers, but mine's a little bit more complicated. But yeah,

maybe we can do some in China. Maybe not. We'll have to you know just see is comfortable for you guys yeah absolutely I mean we took Professor Sachs from China several times so absolutely nice nice yeah hopefully I'll get a few things

I mean like I don't know if I told you but the main one I'm interested in is you know is China is Taiwan part of China the Chinese perspective you know is china is taiwan part of china the chinese perspective you know and then all over that yeah and then like an overall life in china thing whatever doesn't fit the the you know the first reports right and you know walk along the great wall and stuff like that narrative of life in china exactly Yeah. All right, dude. Safe travels. Take care.

All right. Thanks, Chris. Bye. you