Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Iphie]

I'm scratching my head at this one as it doesn't seem likely, but there is a lot of chatter that after taking Kherson, Ukrainian troops have crossed the Dnieper and ate liberating settlements there.

It could just be a SOF raid designed to keep pressure up and they found russian forces had pulled back further than first thought.

I've seen chatter about the peninsula below Mykolaiv, which has me scratching my head as well.

I mean if Ukrainians are liberating across the Dnieper then they are also going to be behind the prepared lines.

[jonnysensible]

I'm scratching my head at this one as it doesn't seem likely, but there is a lot of chatter that after taking Kherson, Ukrainian troops have crossed the Dnieper and ate liberating settlements there.

It could just be a SOF raid designed to keep pressure up and they found russian forces had pulled back further than first thought.

not seen anything about this, next logical step is taking Melitopol'

[Iphie]

As Denys says: maybe not 100% certain, but something seems to be going on.

[jonnysensible]

As Denys says: maybe not 100% certain, but something seems to be going on.

yea not sure about that at all, crossing from ochakiv with your only supply line being ribs seems like a stupid thing to do, and crossing the river into 2 lines of defense seems also bad.

again Melitopol' is the logical next target to separate the russians into 2 sectors and cut the supply lines in kherson/crimea.

[Iphie]

Yeah, I mean I'm not disagreeing with you that Melitopol would be more logical but then you do risk ending up between two russian armies, furthermore the psychological effect of a breakthrough at Kherson this quick should not be underestimated.

We'll find out in the coming days.

[Corvus]

It could be the russians got chewed up in Kherson worse than thought, and with their supplies issues on top of that, pulled back further than thought. Or it could be the Ukrainians launching raids against unprepared russian positions, not allowing time for them to dig in.

Right now nobody is sure and the Ukrainians won't say until after it is done.

[YUPPIE]

A few

yeah but those few, like Trump and Orban, are some of the most influential and important people in the world - a great threat.

[Orange Joe]

You are free to have no value nor morals and I am free to say I do not agree with that.

defends nazis.... claims moral high ground.... shit just doesn't get better on mmo lmfao....

[Corvus]

yeah but those few, like Trump and Orban, are some of the most influential and important people in the world - a great threat.

Bwahahaha. No. Orban is barely relevant in Europe, let alone in the rest of the world. And Trump? Yeah, he is gone. The republicans are turning on him.

[Kallisto]

Bwahahaha. No. Orban is barely relevant in Europe, let alone in the rest of the world. And Trump? Yeah, he is gone. The republicans are turning on him.

While Orban is barely relevant he unfortunately still holds a veto in both NATO membership for Sweden and Finland and also basically everything major for EU things.

[Iphie]

While Orban is barely relevant he unfortunately still holds a veto in both NATO membership for Sweden and Finland and also basically everything major for EU things.

Re: NATO, he's said he'll behave and not object.

Now, apparently there's a lot of activity going on in the southern part of Kherson, or at least more activity is being reported, anyone got more reliable updates than personal discords and telegram channels of YouTubers?

[Corvus]

Orban had been relying on Poland having his back in disputes with the EU, but that ran headlong into the fact Poland really doesn't like russia.

As for kherson, it's all just social media chatter so far. Lots of theories but nothing definitive and the Ukrainian authorities are very good about opsec so they aren't saying anything.

[Elenos]

Yeah regarding Kherson it would fly against every solid military principle for Ukraine, which has just barely taken over the west bank and thus needs time to set up forward logistical areas, to rush across the river.

Also how exactly? The bridges are destroyed. Pontons and barges are very vulnerable and create a bottleneck. I cannot see this ending well for Ukraine if they do it.

Most likely social media BS.

[Iphie]

Yeah regarding Kherson it would fly against every solid military principle for Ukraine, which has just barely taken over the west bank and thus needs time to set up forward logistical areas, to rush across the river.

Also how exactly? The bridges are destroyed. Pontons and barges are very vulnerable and create a bottleneck. I cannot see this ending well for Ukraine if they do it.

Most likely social media BS.

Unless russia took more casualties than expected of course, which we know didn't happen as russia suffered no casualties during the retreat ... Ehm, right.

[jonnysensible]

Unless russia took more casualties than expected of course, which we know didn't happen as russia suffered no casualties during the retreat ... Ehm, right.

the retreat was pretty orderly to be fair. walking across a pontoon bridge in the daylight.

saw the 'Putin signs decree that allows Russian army to mobilize foreigners that are just VISITING Russia.' seems mad if confirmed.

Mr snowden to the front.

[enigma77]

the retreat was pretty orderly to be fair. walking across a pontoon bridge in the daylight.

saw the 'Putin signs decree that allows Russian army to mobilize foreigners that are just VISITING Russia.' seems mad if confirmed.

Mr snowden to the front.

lmao what?

[jonnysensible]

lmao what?

https://news.yahoo.com/putin-signs-d...182700037.html

not sure if its just 'allows foreigners to fight in army' or 'allows foreigners to be conscripted/mobilized'.

[Corvus]

Its already been happening. A number of central Asian citizens have been 'mobilised' even though they shouldn't have and Zambia is now wants explinations as to how one of their citizens who went to Russia on a scholarship to study ended up dead in Ukraine, having been by the looks of it 'recruited' by the Wagner SS after he ended up in prison.

[Saradain]

https://news.yahoo.com/putin-signs-d...182700037.html

not sure if its just 'allows foreigners to fight in army' or 'allows foreigners to be conscripted/mobilized'.

I saw just mentions that Russia allows foreigners to fight in russian army, not that they forcibly conscript them...like:

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/11/14/7376300/

But then...

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/14/a...ntl/index.html

CNN
—
A Zambian student, jailed in Russia was killed during a battle in Ukraine, Zambia’s foreign ministry said Monday.

The student was a 23-year-old student the Zambian government had sponsored to study nuclear engineering at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute.

The man was identified as Lemekhani Nathan Nyirenda by Zambia’s Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo in a statement.

Russia dangles freedom to prisoners if they fight in Ukraine. Many are taking the deadly gamble.
Nyirenda was convicted in 2020 of unspecified crimes in Russia and sent to prison for nine years and six months. He was serving his sentence at the Tyer Medium Security Prison on the outskirts of Moscow,” according to the statement.

The Zambian foreign ministry said it was informed of his death “on 9th November, 2022… at the battlefront of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.”

The ministry said it had urgent questions for Moscow about how the Zambian ended up fighting for Moscow.

“In view of this very sad development, the Zambian Government has requested the Russian authorities to urgently provide information on the circumstances under which a Zambian citizen, serving a prison sentence in Moscow, could have been recruited to fight in Ukraine and subsequently lose his life.”

I would not be surprised if anyone not-russian suddenly ends up in Ukraine, totally out of their "free will".

[Iphie]

I saw just mentions that Russia allows foreigners to fight in russian army, not that they forcibly conscript them...like:

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/11/14/7376300/

But then...

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/14/a...ntl/index.html

I would not be surprised if anyone not-russian suddenly ends up in Ukraine, totally out of their "free will".

You know, if it wasn't for the fact that the guy was black I'd think Wagner recruited him...In any case a disturbing development. Seems I'll be postponing my trip to russia indefinitely. (Going from not this lifetime to never EVER in this or any other lifetime.)