Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Iphie]

Oh no, whatever will we do, if african nations are dumb enough to think Russia is a friend, not an exploiter. With South Africa, Russia will surely be unstoppable...

Meanwhile in reality:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...el-2023-01-24/



Your move, Putin.

Hurry up though pooty, the US is joining in the gift giving fun.

[Saradain]

Hurry up though pooty, the US is joining in the gift giving fun.

So is Poland, now that Germany approved the idea of re-exporting Leopards! And apparently scandinavian nations as well, including Finland!

2023 is going to look great at some point.

[YUPPIE]

do you mean continent of Africa?

its literally morocco not really polarizing is it.

Good that the Germans are done talking themselves into doing the right thing. Putin will do fuck all hes pulled all of his levers already.

I meant the state of African affairs. They go back and forth often so it's hard to tell how much of it swears allegiance to Putin.

Also

"Putin will do fuck all"

Never underestimate him given his track record. Note that doesn't mean competency, I just mean what abhorrent levers he might pull since you believe he's exhausted all of them.

[jonnysensible]

I meant the state of African affairs. They go back and forth often so it's hard to tell how much of it swears allegiance to Putin.

Also

"Putin will do fuck all"

Never underestimate him given his track record. Note that doesn't mean competency, I just mean what abhorrent levers he might pull since you believe he's exhausted all of them.

whats he got left? sending more mobiks to their death?

[Huehuecoyotl]

I meant the state of African affairs. They go back and forth often so it's hard to tell how much of it swears allegiance to Putin.

Also

"Putin will do fuck all"

Never underestimate him given his track record. Note that doesn't mean competency, I just mean what abhorrent levers he might pull since you believe he's exhausted all of them.

"Say the line Bart!"

Go on, you know you want to.

[Corvus]

Good to see the Leopards have been freed to stalk their traditional prey. And there is talk of 40-50 Abrams as well. All these different weapon systems are going to be hard to keep supplied, maintained etc but you'd rather have that problem than not have tanks.

And with he tank issue done with for now, there is talk that discussions about new fighters are being worked on. Could we hear about F16s soon?

[kaid]

Good to see the Leopards have been freed to stalk their traditional prey. And there is talk of 40-50 Abrams as well. All these different weapon systems are going to be hard to keep supplied, maintained etc but you'd rather have that problem than not have tanks.

And with he tank issue done with for now, there is talk that discussions about new fighters are being worked on. Could we hear about F16s soon?

Basically they are getting a more and more full mix of standard nato military equipment. In any kind of nato operation abrams fighting alongside leopards would likely be pretty normal.

[Veggie50]

In before yuppie with “but ze nukez!”.

I more and more doubt Russia’s nuclear capabilities. Not because they haven’t pushed that big red button, but because Russia sucks at maintenance.

Most nukes use tritium to start the reaction. Tritium has a 12.5 year halflife. Every 10-20 years it needs to be replaced, or the nuke becomes worthless.

Tritium is freaking expensive, and it would be SO easy for some aparachik to go “well hmmmm… i just got 10 billion to maintain these warheads that we’re never gonna use, ooooooor….”

Boom, 200 meter yacht.

Considering how the rest of Russias defense maintenance has gone… yea……..

Expanding just a bit; it might even be government policy not to maintain them. America committed to the space race partly to bankrupt the USSR. Russia claiming they have working nukes does:

1) serve as a HUGE deterrent because nobody wanna find out if the big stick is real.

2) move the USA to spend billions upon billions to maintain their stock.

[jonnysensible]

Good to see the Leopards have been freed to stalk their traditional prey. And there is talk of 40-50 Abrams as well. All these different weapon systems are going to be hard to keep supplied, maintained etc but you'd rather have that problem than not have tanks.

And with he tank issue done with for now, there is talk that discussions about new fighters are being worked on. Could we hear about F16s soon?

how useful are f16's tho?

both sides arent using airpower for much more than long range missile fire because of the risk of being shot down.

- - - Updated - - -

In before yuppie with “but ze nukez!”.

I more and more doubt Russia’s nuclear capabilities. Not because they haven’t pushed that big red button, but because Russia sucks at maintenance.

Most nukes use tritium to start the reaction. Tritium has a 12.5 year halflife. Every 10-20 years it needs to be replaced, or the nuke becomes worthless.

Tritium is freaking expensive, and it would be SO easy for some aparachik to go “well hmmmm… i just got 10 billion to maintain these warheads that we’re never gonna use, ooooooor….”

Boom, 200 meter yacht.

Considering how the rest of Russias defense maintenance has gone… yea……..

i think its because russia isnt suicidal. There is no threat to its territory (not counting the pretend annexed regions). Putin wants to be rich, powerful, famous etc not dead.

[YUPPIE]

whats he got left? sending more mobiks to their death?

More severe bombings of civilians. Every time he bombs Ukraine with this, it escalates, and he always reiterates "this isn't even close to what we can fully do" to try to make them lose faith

[jonnysensible]

More severe bombings of civilians. Every time he bombs Ukraine with this, it escalates, and he always reiterates "this isn't even close to what we can fully do" to try to make them lose faith

wow hes going to kill a 3 year old and an old lady, thats a good use of resources and will help at the fronts! What does it change except furthering Ukranian resolve and ruining some individuals lives?

[Elder Millennial]

DW (pretty reliable) claims their sources inside the German government have finally agreed to tank deliveries.

Still unconfirmed and whether it's just Germany allowing Poland and such to hand over tanks or its tanks directly from Germany still remains fuzzy. But some official announcement is to be expected probably tomorrow.

[YUPPIE]

wow hes going to kill a 3 year old and an old lady

I mean, that's HORRIFIC AS FUCK and not something to just brush off. Not only the fact he does that, but gets away with it.

[Gorsameth]

In before yuppie with “but ze nukez!”.

I more and more doubt Russia’s nuclear capabilities. Not because they haven’t pushed that big red button, but because Russia sucks at maintenance.

Most nukes use tritium to start the reaction. Tritium has a 12.5 year halflife. Every 10-20 years it needs to be replaced, or the nuke becomes worthless.

Tritium is freaking expensive, and it would be SO easy for some aparachik to go “well hmmmm… i just got 10 billion to maintain these warheads that we’re never gonna use, ooooooor….”

Boom, 200 meter yacht.

Considering how the rest of Russias defense maintenance has gone… yea……..

Expanding just a bit; it might even be government policy not to maintain them. America committed to the space race partly to bankrupt the USSR. Russia claiming they have working nukes does:

1) serve as a HUGE deterrent because nobody wanna find out if the big stick is real.

2) move the USA to spend billions upon billions to maintain their stock.

This has been discussed many times before, yes Russia's nuclear arsenal is probably largely scrap, but no one wants to find out just how badly it has been maintained and it even if 90% fail, it doesn't take a lot of them working to screw humanity.

And no Russia's nuclear capacity, or lack therefor, has no bearing on US's nuclear arsenal. Even if no other nuclear power exists the USA would want a large nuclear capacity, because it renders them practically immune to direct war by any other country

[jonnysensible]

I mean, that's HORRIFIC AS FUCK and not something to just brush off. Not only the fact he does that, but gets away with it.

yup it is horrific but what does it change? its like a ISIS attack in europe, wow you murdered 20 people and ruined their lives and the lives of their families but so what in the big picture?

so what else can putin do?

[zealo]

More severe bombings of civilians. Every time he bombs Ukraine with this, it escalates, and he always reiterates "this isn't even close to what we can fully do" to try to make them lose faith

The one and only word that actually matters in that sentence you wrote is try.

Terror bombing civilians doesn't have the effects Russia so desperately wants it to.

[Kallisto]

how useful are f16's tho?

both sides arent using airpower for much more than long range missile fire because of the risk of being shot down.

Honestly, they're really not useful in this situation. They're air superiority aircraft and Russia isn't bringing in their aircraft into Ukraine for obvious reasons. If that changes then F16 could be helpful.

[YUPPIE]

yup it is horrific but what does it change? its like a ISIS attack in europe, wow you murdered 20 people and ruined their lives and the lives of their families but so what in the big picture?

so what else can putin do?

it's not 3 or 20 people. They don't report estimates, but civilian casualties in Ukraine, up to the deportation genocide ongoing, are well over 100k+

He's killed or ruined that many people and because we're waving an olive branch (i.e, just surrender and return to the international political stage) he'll keep doing this.

And yes, Joe Biden is still trying to control the situation to where Russia isn't overly cornered.

[Forogil]

In before yuppie with “but ze nukez!”.

I more and more doubt Russia’s nuclear capabilities. Not because they haven’t pushed that big red button, but because Russia sucks at maintenance.

Most nukes use tritium to start the reaction. Tritium has a 12.5 year halflife. Every 10-20 years it needs to be replaced, or the nuke becomes worthless.

Tritium is also often used in the 2nd stage in fusion bombs; i.e., the really big ones.

As I recall the Sum of all Fears had a nuke fizzle due to lack of Tritium (checked - hmm.. slightly differently - it fizzled due to decay products from the Tritium) - but even a fizzled nuke is a pretty big deal - and in the unlikely event that Ruzzia uses them in Ukraine it's hard to know whether such a device was set to low yield or it fizzled.

[jonnysensible]

it's not 3 or 20 people. They don't report estimates, but civilian casualties in Ukraine, up to the deportation genocide ongoing, are well over 100k+

He's killed or ruined that many people and because we're waving an olive branch (i.e, just surrender and return to the international political stage) he'll keep doing this.

And yes, Joe Biden is still trying to control the situation to where Russia isn't overly cornered.

its 30,000 people without the deportations to russia proper.

uhh no ones waving an olive branch. Russia isn't cornered because at any point it can leave Ukraine and that would be the end of military fighting on Ukranian land. It could still be annoying by blockading Odessa or something but how realistic is that?

Russia will be a outcast afterwards regardless.