Dmitry Orlov

[A free post — feel free to share.]

I have been finding it convenient to start my posts with a Donald Trump quote, not because what he says is true but because he is almost a perfect foil for the truth. For example, at a recent rally, Trump said of Russia's Special Military Operation in the former Ukraine: "Vladimir Putin should have won that war in a week. He's now entering his fourth year."

An obvious question to ask is, Why a whole week? Why wouldn't Putin just drop nukes on Kiev, Kharkov and Odessa? That would have finished "that war" in a split second! To understand why this would be impossible, it is necessary to understand the difference between a war and a war crime and, accordingly, between a warrior and a war criminal. Such distinctions seem to be nonexistent for a great many people in the no-longer-so-collective West — not just for Trump. As a result, these people do not understand what has been happening in the former Ukraine — moreover, are incapable of such understanding, lacking certain concepts that are rudimentary to it.

I therefore interrupt regularly scheduled blogging with this much needed homily on what it means to fight an honest war.

In most Russian folk tales, on which all Russian children are brought up, when a "bogatyr'" (a Russian folk hero, from Ancient Turkic "baɣatur" — a brave warrior) meets the enemy, he invariably says something along the lines of "you, dragon, bandit, invader... [insert your own epithet]... come and fight me in an honest battle to the death."

The surrounding scene from various distances and angles at the moment the target was struck are reflected in numerous video and photo evidence available for independent analysis on global social media, including official media outlets. According to the official investigation by the FBI, a lone gunman fired a single shot from a Mauzer rifle caliber .30-60 Springfield from a distance of 130 meters. The bullet was said to have remained in the victim's neck and would be presumed, according to the statutory investigative procedure, to have been removed for presentation by the prosecution as key evidence for the cause of death.

The victim's funeral took place on September 21, 2025. The only report directly associated with the bullet was "the coroner found a bullet just under Kirk's skin." This suggests that the autopsy was performed and its results should have been included in the investigation file before the funeral. The human neck does not pose a serious obstacle for a rifle bullet of the stated caliber. The bullet would have easily passed through muscles, the trachea, blood vessels (carotid arteries, jugular veins), and, with a high probability, even the cervical vertebrae, since at such a close range for its specification, the bullet loses very little of its velocity and energy. Depending on the bullet type (150 grains or 180 grains refers to the weight of the projectile, not the cartridge; a grain is the weight of a barley grain = 0.064 grams), its muzzle velocity ranges from 830 to 900 m/s or more. Its muzzle energy at the muzzle is approximately 3,500-3,800 joules. For comparison, the energy of a 9x19 mm pistol is approximately 500 joules. At this distance, the bullet would still have had a velocity of approximately 700-850 m/s and an energy of approximately 2,500-3,000 joules. The energy retained by a standard .30-06 caliber bullet with a standard propellant charge at a range of 130 meters, without interference or ricochet, is more than sufficient to guarantee penetration of the human body, including bone.

I took a week off to take care of some much needed home maintenance and to walk around the beautiful countryside before the weather around here turns wintery. Regular blogging will resume next week. A great deal of international silliness has piled up in the meantime. Please stay tuned!