Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Iphie]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...iv-2023-01-18/



According to finnish media right now, one of the victims was Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs, Denis Monastyrskyi. Waiting for international sources to verify or add his name to the casualties list. Don't know the reason of the crash, but just curious piece of news given the war and one casualty at least being an important political figure.

Dutch news confirms the minister's death as well as 14-15 others.

[zealo]

https://twitter.com/rusembswe/status...91927242719244

Someone should probably be real careful around windows, Russian embassy in Sweden tweeted a map showing Ukraine with it's internationally recognised 1991 borders in a map about 2023.

[Iphie]

https://twitter.com/rusembswe/status...91927242719244

Someone should probably be real careful around windows, Russian embassy in Sweden tweeted a map showing Ukraine with it's internationally recognised 1991 borders in a map about 2023.

Clearly they now need denazification at that Embassy... I'm sure it was a mistake.)

[Kallisto]

Why does Kazakhstan not fear Russia, in particular?

Today they formally announced not only will they no longer take Russian refugees (i.e, draft dodgers), but they also will not guarantee safe asylum to Russians as it is - nor will it be permanent.

Because China signed an agreement with Kazakhstan that is basically aimed at Russia called "Fuck around and find out.". Central Asia is China's playground now and they've done a ton of stuff in the past year since the war started to basically snatch the countries from Russia's sphere and actually built infrastructure with the intent of spiting Russia.

[Elder Millennial]

I doubt russia bought off Turkey, seems they genuinely have an issue with Sweden...not so much with Finland, but hey what's a little collateral damage eh? Hungary is clearly putin's man in Brussels (conveniently both NATO and EU HQ), well Orban is, Hungary may yet be redeemed.

Had someone asked me 15 years ago, who would be a bigger problem for European integration and security, Romania/Bulgaria or Hungary, I would have never said Hungary.

Hungary is a really weird one for me.

It always kinda existed in the same mental space as Czechia, Austria. You know the typical "small, but fairly well off and well developed central European country with some issues, but culturally and politically western."

Also, in the greater historical geopolitical landscape, this Hungarian sympathy towards Russia makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

2 of 3 of the Hungarian national holidays commemorate Hungarian independence movements crushed by Russians, their "Independence Day" is literally independence from Russia. They were invaded by Russians 3 times in the last 170 years. Fought the Russians in 2 World Wars....

So confusing.

[Gorsameth]

Had someone asked me 15 years ago, who would be a bigger problem for European integration and security, Romania/Bulgaria or Hungary, I would have never said Hungary.

Hungary is a really weird one for me.

It always kinda existed in the same mental space as Czechia, Austria. You know the typical "small, but fairly well off and well developed central European country with some issues, but culturally and politically western."

Also, in the greater historical geopolitical landscape, this Hungarian sympathy towards Russia makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

2 of 3 of the Hungarian national holidays commemorate Hungarian independence movements crushed by Russians, their "Independence Day" is literally independence from Russia. They were invaded by Russians 3 times in the last 170 years. Fought the Russians in 2 World Wars....

So confusing.

Nothing confusing about it imo. The country and culture has nothing to do with it.
They elected an Authoritarian that was aided by Russia, who then undermined democracy and ran the country headlong into wanting to become a Dictatorship. It can happen almost anywhere, it almost happened to the US a year ago.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. We are seeing what happens when that vigilance lapses for even a moment.

[Flarelaine]

Had someone asked me 15 years ago, who would be a bigger problem for European integration and security, Romania/Bulgaria or Hungary, I would have never said Hungary.

Hungary is a really weird one for me.

It always kinda existed in the same mental space as Czechia, Austria. You know the typical "small, but fairly well off and well developed central European country with some issues, but culturally and politically western."

Also, in the greater historical geopolitical landscape, this Hungarian sympathy towards Russia makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

2 of 3 of the Hungarian national holidays commemorate Hungarian independence movements crushed by Russians, their "Independence Day" is literally independence from Russia. They were invaded by Russians 3 times in the last 170 years. Fought the Russians in 2 World Wars....

So confusing.

Believe me, I cannot make heads or tails of it either and I live here.

[YUPPIE]

In a major victory for the Russians, Ukraine confirms Russia has finally taken control of the disputed Ukrainian town of Soledar

The Russian Army has occupied the last industrial zone on the outskirts of the disputed eastern Ukrainian city of Soledar, leaving it entirely in Russian hands, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement.

The Ukrainian confirmation comes days after the Russian Army had announced the capture, in one of the biggest military successes of Moscow forces in recent months.

The area has been the subject of intense fighting in recent days during which the parties to the conflict have offered contradictory versions, without it being clear who is in full control of this locality.

The Wagner Group, an alliance of mercenaries linked to the Kremlin, had already considered Soledar taken a few days ago, but Moscow had been more cautious and Kiev had directly denied the loss of the locality, where satellite images already show the effects of the destruction.

[Iphie]

In a major victory for the Russians, Ukraine confirms Russia has finally taken control of the disputed Ukrainian town of Soledar

The Russian Army has occupied the last industrial zone on the outskirts of the disputed eastern Ukrainian city of Soledar, leaving it entirely in Russian hands, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement.

The Ukrainian confirmation comes days after the Russian Army had announced the capture, in one of the biggest military successes of Moscow forces in recent months.

The area has been the subject of intense fighting in recent days during which the parties to the conflict have offered contradictory versions, without it being clear who is in full control of this locality.

The Wagner Group, an alliance of mercenaries linked to the Kremlin, had already considered Soledar taken a few days ago, but Moscow had been more cautious and Kiev had directly denied the loss of the locality, where satellite images already show the effects of the destruction.

"Major victory"....yes, not pyrrhic at all, no not at all.

[Strange One]

Even Wagner people are fleeing this fuck up.

[Elder Millennial]

In a major victory for the Russians

"Major victory"...you mean a 3-5km advance and a small town that before the war had like a population of 10k?

[Kallisto]

In a major victory for the Russians, Ukraine confirms Russia has finally taken control of the disputed Ukrainian town of Soledar

The Russian Army has occupied the last industrial zone on the outskirts of the disputed eastern Ukrainian city of Soledar, leaving it entirely in Russian hands, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement.

The Ukrainian confirmation comes days after the Russian Army had announced the capture, in one of the biggest military successes of Moscow forces in recent months.

The area has been the subject of intense fighting in recent days during which the parties to the conflict have offered contradictory versions, without it being clear who is in full control of this locality.

The Wagner Group, an alliance of mercenaries linked to the Kremlin, had already considered Soledar taken a few days ago, but Moscow had been more cautious and Kiev had directly denied the loss of the locality, where satellite images already show the effects of the destruction.

Welcome to 5 days ago. Keep up.

Soledar falling is bad, but it's still strategically unimportant and it took Russians months to get that far basically doing ww1 tactics.

[Corvus]

Russia lost 20k men to advance a couple of km and take a town that used to have 10k population and now no longer exists, leaving the russians holding it badly exposed. There is a lot of footage of artillery and drone strikes hammering the russians there.

I suppose if you reduce victory conditions so far down you could claim it as a Vic.

[YUPPIE]

it's still a huge loss. Also, this week has been a defeat for Ukraine in general, as Ukraine's interior minister among 18 were killed in a chopper crash near Kyiv.

Even though that was pointed out last page, one should consider that even if Russia throws thousands to their deaths to inch closer, that's a victory to them. That's their strategy.

[jonnysensible]

it's still a huge loss. Also, this week has been a defeat for Ukraine in general, as Ukraine's interior minister among 18 were killed in a chopper crash near Kyiv.

Even though that was pointed out last page, one should consider that even if Russia throws thousands to their deaths to inch closer, that's a victory to them. That's their strategy.

not really. the Russian strategy is to say to the west we are in this for the long haul are you really going to keep supporting ukraine? to which the west has answered in 'yes, here have some more weapons and cash'.

Ukraine are still doing fine, the lines are pretty much the same as they have been since their last successful offensive. And they have spent the lull in the winter sending their troops to the UK/USA to get training whilst Russians have been sitting in holes and training with airsoft guns lol.

[Strawberry]

This is a perfect opportunity for Serbia to take Kosovo back.
Russia should send a nuke to Serbia and Russian nukes in the middle of Europe would mean check-mate to the west and free road to Kosovo.

[Edge-]

This is a perfect opportunity for Serbia to take Kosovo back.
Russia should send a nuke to Serbia and Russian nukes in the middle of Europe would mean check-mate to the west and free road to Kosovo.

How incredibly on-brand for you to suggest some of the worst ideas imaginable.

[Saradain]

This is a perfect opportunity for Serbia to take Kosovo back.
Russia should send a nuke to Serbia and Russian nukes in the middle of Europe would mean check-mate to the west and free road to Kosovo.

You're not even trying anymore, are you?

The day Serbia takes over Europe with a nuclear strike, is the day Yugoslavia comes back. Which is never. Why don't go you back to glorious Serbia if living in the West offends you so?

[Strange One]

This is a perfect opportunity for Serbia to take Kosovo back.
Russia should send a nuke to Serbia and Russian nukes in the middle of Europe would mean check-mate to the west and free road to Kosovo.

America should nuke everything and we'd win.

Dumb af, but thats what you sound like.

[Strawberry]

You're not even trying anymore, are you?

The day Serbia takes over Europe with a nuclear strike, is the day Yugoslavia comes back. Which is never. Why don't go you back to glorious Serbia if living in the West offends you so?

Do you see Russia using nukes to take over Ukraine?
No. Same tactics can be used by Serbia. Take back what's ours not by nukes but by the fear of nukes.