Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Gaidax]

*scoff*, like how someone fears the wrath of kitten

How nice it is to write these things off a safety of thousands of kilometers away from the said kitten.

How many tens of thousands of people said kitten killed so far? How many towns and cities flattened, pillaged and flooded? Russia failed at its objective, but it still caused unbelievable destruction and death along the way and it still manages to control an area the size of an average European state.

But hey, Georgians should just go ahead and do it!!! I mean... what could ever happen.

[YUPPIE]

the most Putin can do is lob missiles at them.

that's not a joke or a bluff. That kills and terrifies innocent people.

For all the bravado Ukraine propagates of shooting down Russian missiles, I regularly see the terror and damage Russia still inflicts upon citizens with what gets through.

[D Luniz]

How nice it is to write these things off a safety of thousands of kilometers away from the said kitten.

How many tens of thousands of people said kitten killed so far? How many towns and cities flattened, pillaged and flooded? Russia failed at its objective, but it still caused unbelievable destruction and death along the way and it still manages to control an area the size of an average European state.

But hey, Georgians should just go ahead and do it!!! I mean... what could ever happen.

If being rid of Russia is worth it to them, yes they should

Should I not have been as gib in my statement, sure
But don't act like "fear of Russia's wrath" is some great break point for that decision for Georgia. There is nothing more Putin can do that he isn't or hasnt already done.

So if they want him out, this frankly is the best chance they may get for years.

[YUPPIE]

A civilian Ukrainian POW released in a prisoner exchange describes a year's worth of endless torture

What's worse is Russia still has hundreds of others like this in captivity.

[Kallisto]

So when are you signing up YUPPIE?

[YUPPIE]

I bring attention to things like this, albeit for ones that mostly hit top headlines, just to remind people of the brutality and inhumanity of Russians.

Nothing more, but it's important people don't become apathetic or indifferent to the suffering and death they inflict upon others.

[Benggaul]

I bring attention to things like this, albeit for ones that mostly hit top headlines, just to remind people of the brutality and inhumanity of Russians.

Nothing more, but it's important people don't become apathetic or indifferent to the suffering and death they inflict upon others.

No you don't. You're not bringing anything new to this thread besides Russian propaganda and fearmongering bullshit. You're not "reminding people" of anything they don't already know and expect, and you're just doing it because you're a drunk little sealion who desperately needs attention. Get help and/or get gone.

[Corvus]

And in actual proper news, the latest US aid package includes cluster rounds for artillery. The usual suspects are getting their panties in a twist about it, despite the fact neither the US or Ukraine has banned them, and nor has russia. And their complete lack of protests while russia indiscriminately fires cluster rounds into population centres far behind the frontline says a lot about their actual concern.

Meanwhile Ukraine will be using them in their intended role - to hit entrenched positions where they will be devastating for the defenders. It is why they want them. Regular artillery really needs a direct hit on a trench to work but cluster rounds spread their loads over a larger area making the accuracy of the rounds less crucial to digging the invaders out. And they are reportedly getting up to 100,000 rounds of it.

[Kaleredar]

And in actual proper news, the latest US aid package includes cluster rounds for artillery. The usual suspects are getting their panties in a twist about it, despite the fact neither the US or Ukraine has banned them, and nor has russia. And their complete lack of protests while russia indiscriminately fires cluster rounds into population centres far behind the frontline says a lot about their actual concern.

Meanwhile Ukraine will be using them in their intended role - to hit entrenched positions where they will be devastating for the defenders. It is why they want them. Regular artillery really needs a direct hit on a trench to work but cluster rounds spread their loads over a larger area making the accuracy of the rounds less crucial to digging the invaders out. And they are reportedly getting up to 100,000 rounds of it.

Ah the classic “Germans complaining that shotguns are war crimes while actively using chlorine gas”

If Russia doesn’t like it, they can always just leave!

[alach]

Visiting Bulgaria Ukrainian President Zelenskyy gives Radev a lesson on reality.

When the two men – the Bulgarian head of state, a former fighter pilot who has never seen combat, and the Ukrainian head of state, formerly a television personality who now repeatedly shows his personal courage, by among other things, visiting the front lines – the atmosphere was predictably tense.

“The fighting became more and more fierce, more and more people died, including Bulgarians from the large Bulgarian community in Ukraine. This is a sensitive topic, as is what is happening at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. And with every passing day, the risk to security and peace in Europe grows.”

According to Radev, “the conflict is turning into a war of attrition, a global economic clash that affects the economy of all European countries.”

“I continue to maintain that there is no military solution to this conflict, and the provision of more and more weapons will hardly lead to such a solution. And it is important to pay attention to consistent efforts for de-escalation, for a cease-fire, for seeking peaceful solutions through diplomacy,” he said.

Sternly and not without emotion, Zelenskyy challenged Radev: “You said you don’t support the supply of munitions, as commander-in-chief, so as not to weaken your army. Or is it that you don’t support the strengthening of Ukraine? Those are different things”.

“Your army and everything you have will be insufficient to fight Russia if its comes here,” the Ukrainian President said.

“It is not because you have a weak army, it is powerful, your people are good. A powerful army means above all people. But it would not be enough to fight against a country of 160 million people.”

Zelenskyy told Radev: “It is your right to express this position, but Ukrainians must defend themselves so that the war does not come to Bulgaria, Poland or elsewhere.

Again, he challenged Radev: “If, God forbid, a tragedy happens and you are in my place, and if you are not helped with weapons by people who share your values, what will you do?”

“You will say: ‘Putin, take Bulgarian territories?’ No, I am sure that you will not do that and allow a compromise with the sovereignty of your country,” Zelenskyy said.

Owned.

[Iphie]

And in actual proper news, the latest US aid package includes cluster rounds for artillery. The usual suspects are getting their panties in a twist about it, despite the fact neither the US or Ukraine has banned them, and nor has russia. And their complete lack of protests while russia indiscriminately fires cluster rounds into population centres far behind the frontline says a lot about their actual concern.

Meanwhile Ukraine will be using them in their intended role - to hit entrenched positions where they will be devastating for the defenders. It is why they want them. Regular artillery really needs a direct hit on a trench to work but cluster rounds spread their loads over a larger area making the accuracy of the rounds less crucial to digging the invaders out. And they are reportedly getting up to 100,000 rounds of it.

To be honest I had no idea cluster munitions were being used, so you know, but in general I'm against their use as they are unpredictable and lead to greater danger to civilians if used indiscriminately (which we all know russians do).

[Gorsameth]

The only real military threat to the EU is Russia. Every round of ammo send to Ukraine to kill an invading Russian soldier is a round spend in direct defence of Europe.

The argument that sending more aid would weaken our own armies holds no practical weight.

[Poopymonster]

The only real military threat to the EU is Russia. Every round of ammo send to Ukraine to kill an invading Russian soldier is a round spend in direct defence of Europe.

The argument that sending more aid would weaken our own armies holds no practical weight.

Even tastier for the EU, It's a round spent with ZERO RISK to a soldier in a European country.
It should boil down too: I can kill X enemy soldiers, with Y weaponry, by giving it to a third party, and NONE of my lil dudes get killed.

[Makabreska]

"Ukraine deserves to have NATO membership, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of the alliance's key summit beginning Tuesday in Vilnius, Lithuania."

Is it me, or they guy keeps bouncing from side to side?

[Iphie]

Even tastier for the EU, It's a round spent with ZERO RISK to a soldier in a European country.
It should boil down too: I can kill X enemy soldiers, with Y weaponry, by giving it to a third party, and NONE of my lil dudes get killed.

Nitpick: Ukraine is an European country so there's risk to soldiers in an European country...

"Ukraine deserves to have NATO membership, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of the alliance's key summit beginning Tuesday in Vilnius, Lithuania."

Is it me, or they guy keeps bouncing from side to side?

But Sweden can get bent apparently...

[Makabreska]

But Sweden can get bent apparently...

Who knows. Elections are over, after all.

[enigma77]

"Ukraine deserves to have NATO membership, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of the alliance's key summit beginning Tuesday in Vilnius, Lithuania."

Is it me, or they guy keeps bouncing from side to side?

Well that's his thing. He's playing both sides, because that's what he (correctly) thinks is in the best interest of Turkey.

There's a lot to hate about the guy: his idiotic economic policies and authoritarian impulses. But this is him playing it smart.

- - - Updated - - -

But Sweden can get bent apparently...

Ultimately Sweden's membership is irrelevant. Norway and Finland are Nato members physically surrounding it, making a land based Russian invasion impossible. The only way Russia could invade Sweden would be through an amphibian assault from the Baltic Sea. Good luck with that.

And Sweden would likely be defended anyway, as an EU member.

- - - Updated - - -

Even tastier for the EU, It's a round spent with ZERO RISK to a soldier in a European country.
It should boil down too: I can kill X enemy soldiers, with Y weaponry, by giving it to a third party, and NONE of my lil dudes get killed.

Exactly, it's the sweetest deal ever. The best tax money that we will ever spend, slaughtering Russians by the tens of thousands.

[YUPPIE]

I'm fucking shocked that regardless of whether it's sincere, Erdogan said that in public where we can hear it. That is a direct insult to Putin.

To illustrate, Putin needs to maintain his strongman image and he started this war for 1) territorial gain and 2) to intimidate NATO. Erodgan saying Ukraine deserves to join NATO is a huge deal that compromises Putin's image. And he's killed people for far less, so politicians like Trump are completely terrified into not saying anything about him in public.

[D Luniz]

To be honest I had no idea cluster munitions were being used, so you know, but in general I'm against their use as they are unpredictable and lead to greater danger to civilians if used indiscriminately (which we all know russians do).

The biggest issue with cluster munitions is they can end up being like land mines.
They didn't explode on initial detonation and then explode later when it's civilians in the area.

[diller]

The usual suspects are getting their panties in a twist about it

What a dumb thing to say.

Cluster bombs will be an issue for civilians after the war is over, that is why they are typically warned against.