Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Elenos]

I'm still baffled as to why we haven't "escalated" this. And I'm not even talking about sending soldiers..., just weapons. It would be the cheapest way to make use of our weapons, which were made to fight against exactly that enemy. It's the only reason why they exist in the first place.

Because there are too many imbeciles in charge in western countries that fall into any of these categories, or multiple.

- Oppose significant military spending. Because it's a waste of money.
- Oppose significant increases of military industrial capacity. Because evil Military Industrial Complex.
- Think that a few wonder weapons can win wars and we don't need a vast arsenal for something like Russia or China.

Etc. etc. etc. The mentality from 90s was proven so very very wrong. It's going to take years to even start recovering from it.

[alach]

About the ammunition manufacturing issues, not all the blame is should be shouldered on western governments.
Starting around 2010 ammo factories around Europe began to mysteriously explode. At the time it was considered by many, myself included, chalked up to incompetence, poor maintenance, and corruption. Here is a couple of them.

2014 Vrbětice ammunition warehouse explosions

Arms dealer ‘100% sure’ Russian agents behind blast at Bulgarian depot

Bulgaria probes possible Russian involvement in arms depot blasts

Bulgarian prosecutors said they are collecting evidence on the possible involvement of six Russians in four explosions between 2011 and 2020 at Bulgarian arms depots that were storing munitions for export to Ukraine and Georgia.

Also, not arms exactly, and more recent, but stacking evidence.
Russia is ramping up sabotage across Europe

There has been more as well, though my memory is hazy, I believe some were sabatoged in Hungary and Romania over the last decade.
It shows russia has been planning this for a very long time, and quietly reducing the production of weapons that the Ukrainians could use from potential allies.
I feel like I wrote this years ago, but can't be bothered to go back to the days they invaded Crimea and read my old posts.

[Kreuger]

https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-...ia-2024-11-17/

"Biden lifts ban on Ukraine using US arms to strike inside Russia"

Very very good

[Azadina]

https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-...ia-2024-11-17/

"Biden lifts ban on Ukraine using US arms to strike inside Russia"

Very very good

Finally! Get fucked mordor!

Next step is giving them any and all stuff they need to launch over.

[DarkAmbient]

Storm Shadows next please.

[Blur4stuff]

Alright Ukraine. You've got a few months still so make it count.

[PhaelixWW]

Storm Shadows next please.

IIRC, the only thing holding back Ukraine's free use of Storm Shadows was the fact that they had some US tech inside which meant that the US had to approve it, too.

[Kreuger]

Uk and France follows

"France and the U.K. have granted Ukraine permission to conduct deep strikes into Russian territory using their SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles, Le Figaro reported on Nov. 17.

This decision coincides with U.S. President Joe Biden’s authorization for Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles for strikes inside Russia, a significant shift in U.S. policy following months of hesitation."

https://kyivindependent.com/uk-franc...igaro-reports/

[alach]

Let's go?
Will I be infracted for hoping to see Moscow in flames this week?

Ukraine also signed a pretty hefty defense deal with Japan yesterday. Thanks lil kimmy.

[DarkAmbient]

Uk and France follows

"France and the U.K. have granted Ukraine permission to conduct deep strikes into Russian territory using their SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles, Le Figaro reported on Nov. 17.

This decision coincides with U.S. President Joe Biden’s authorization for Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles for strikes inside Russia, a significant shift in U.S. policy following months of hesitation."

https://kyivindependent.com/uk-franc...igaro-reports/

They're quoting Le Figaro but I can't find anything about it in Le Figaro's content anywhere. I mean it's probably going to happen but there's currently no other source.

[Kreuger]

They're quoting Le Figaro but I can't find anything about it in Le Figaro's content anywhere. I mean it's probably going to happen but there's currently no other source.

Yeah, checked figaro aswell now, cant see anything aswell, hopefully something will be released soon to clarify things

[Shadowferal]

They're quoting Le Figaro but I can't find anything about it in Le Figaro's content anywhere. I mean it's probably going to happen but there's currently no other source.

Biden also gave the go-ahead for US weapons to be used as well. Biden allows Ukraine to use US arms to strike inside Russia

President Joe Biden's administration has allowed Ukraine to use U.S.-made weapons to strike deep into Russia, two U.S. officials and a source familiar with the decision said on Sunday, in a significant reversal of Washington's policy in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Ukraine plans to conduct its first long-range attacks in the coming days, the sources said, without revealing details due to operational security concerns.

The move comes two months before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20 and follows months of pleas by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to allow Ukraine's military to use U.S. weapons to hit Russian military targets far from its border.

The change comes largely in response to Russia's deployment of North Korean ground troops to supplement its own forces, a development that has caused alarm in Washington and Kyiv, a U.S. official and a source familiar with the decision said.

The White House and the State Department declined to comment. The Ukrainian foreign ministry and president's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Russia has warned that it would see a move to loosen the limits on Ukraine's use of U.S. weapons as a major escalation.

While some U.S. officials have expressed skepticism that allowing long-range strikes will change the war's overall trajectory, the decision could help Ukraine at a moment when Russian forces are making gains and possibly put Kyiv in a better negotiating position when and if ceasefire talks happen.
It is not clear if Trump will reverse Biden's decision when he takes office. Trump has long criticized the scale of U.S. financial and military aid to Ukraine and has vowed to end the war quickly, without explaining how.

A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But one of Trump's closest foreign policy advisers, Richard Grenell, criticized the decision.

"Escalating the wars before he leaves office," Grenell said, in an X post responding to the news.

Some congressional Republicans had urged Biden to loosen the rules on how Ukraine can use U.S.-provided weapons.

Since Trump's Nov. 5 victory, senior Biden administration officials have repeatedly said they would use the remaining time to ensure Ukraine can fight effectively next year or negotiate peace with Russia from a "position of strength".

Poland's foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, also called the move a response to North Korea's involvement.

"President Biden responded to the entry of North Korean troops into the war and the massive Russian missile strike in a language that V. Putin understands - by removing restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western missiles," Sikorski said on X.

Kind of a big "fuck you" to Trump diplomacy.

[Huehuecoyotl]

Wow, this is really big news. I'm amazed that @Easo didn't see it coming and let us know.

[DarkAmbient]

Biden also gave the go-ahead for US weapons to be used as well.

I was referring to UK and France allegedly giving permission for the Storm Shadows. It was reported in Kyiv Independent but nowhere else.

What is it with Biden waiting too long to do the right thing...

[Liftbrul]

Wow, this is really big news. I'm amazed that @Easo didn't see it coming and let us know.

Something something fog of war.

[Vampiregenesis]

Dems are playing their final card, long range missiles inside Russia. They won't go down without triggering ww3 first.

[Doomcookie]

Dems are playing their final card, long range missiles inside Russia. They won't go down without triggering ww3 first.

Perhaps you should go chat with the country that started the war, and tell them to go the fuck back home.

[Worldshaper]

Dems are playing their final card, long range missiles inside Russia. They won't go down without triggering ww3 first.

Tell me, what kind of world do you think we'd have 20 years from now if Putin was allowed to do whatever he wanted, after Trump's "America First" isolationist foreign policy let him?

You're shielded behind your comfortable PC desk, but in your youthful ignorance you fail to realise that the world has been the most peaceful it has ever been these past 7-8 decades because or globalism and because of NATO/American deterrence.

[Fugus]

If only Biden had allowed them to do this last year, this might potentially have been over by now. Still find it sad we were willing to pussyfoot around with Russia because they have nukes. We know where appeasement and brinksmanship gets people and knew how this needed to go.

Saying we would be risking WW3 is a cop out honestly. If Russia would be allowed to achieve this, they just open the door to do it again later after they regrouped. Once it came down to them doing it intentionally to keep them from joining NATO, NATO should have taken it as the attack it was. Europe should already be more involved as well given that Russia has been launching operations directly on their soil as well.

Better late than never I guess, but given we are about to how Putin's puppet running the nation, we might end up with the US stopping all aid to Ukraine and potentially even giving it to Russia instead. Would suck to see US soldiers over there helping Russia after all this.

[Shadowferal]

Dems are playing their final card, long range missiles inside Russia. They won't go down without triggering ww3 first.

And how many times have you claimed that?