Russian invasion of Ukraine

[diller]

Airlines should really stop sending planes over Russian airspace.
Seems like a good way to lose vehicles

They already are, western airlines do not fly over Russia.

[Iphie]

Honest question because I just don't know, but I obviously expect a certain answer already.

Did stuff like this happen before the war frequently?
Because if not, I have no idea why the heck we just take it all the time.
It's not like the repairs are cheap and unproblematic or whatever.

Finland<>Germany
Lithuania<>Sweden
Finland<>Estonia
Sweden<>Denmark

do we just wait until we are blind or something?
It's probably not like these lines themselves will result in a blackout or anything serious by themselves.
But I guess they are not there just for fun.

Can't wait for China to investigate our/othe ships etc. on a whim, while making shit up, and when we deny it, they'll do it anyway.

russia violated the airspace, did some shit with GPS and so forth but nothing like this in my 14 years in Finland.

[Corvus]

Seoul says Ukraine has captured its first NK soldier. Previous they have put nk losses at 1000, or 10% of the troops sent. Ukraine says it is 3000.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq62qe131d7o

[alach]

Since trumps first term Ive been telling myself, 'dont worry, self, it will get better soon.' Then covid hit, then russia, etc. etc. Its been a pretty bleak decade for nearly everyone. Well, apparently, this has all just been a warm up for whats to come.

End Times: Legendary oracle Baba Vanga's scary predictions for 2025

Baba Vanga, the blind mystic who supposedly wrote her premonitions up to the year 5079, is said to have foreseen what's to come in 2025. And it doesn’t look too good...

It’s nearly the end of 2024, and the year hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing...

Just wait for what next year apparently has in store for us. Spoiler: It’s not great. Apocalypse-triggering, in fact.
Legendary blind soothsayer Baba Vanga has reportedly revealed that the end times will commence in 2025. More specifically, that the start of our destruction will begin next year with a conflict in Europe that will devastate the continent’s population. It will be the kickstarting of events that will ultimately culminate in our doom.

Wonderful.

Distressingly, Baba Vanga’s 2025 prediction mirrors that of legendary seer Nostradamus, who also predicted war in Europe next year.
....
2025
A devastating war in Europe

The event that will spark humanity's demise will be an unspecified conflict in Europe which will decimate the continent's population.

The rise of Russia’s influence

Baba Vanga predicted that Vladimir Putin will be re-elected as Russia’s leader, solidifying the country’s dominance and continuing to shape the geopolitical landscape.

disclaimer: this post is not supposed to be taken 100% seriously... but still...

[Saradain]

Honest question because I just don't know, but I obviously expect a certain answer already.

Did stuff like this happen before the war frequently?
Because if not, I have no idea why the heck we just take it all the time.
It's not like the repairs are cheap and unproblematic or whatever.

Finland<>Germany
Lithuania<>Sweden
Finland<>Estonia
Sweden<>Denmark

do we just wait until we are blind or something?
It's probably not like these lines themselves will result in a blackout or anything serious by themselves.
But I guess they are not there just for fun.

Can't wait for China to investigate our/othe ships etc. on a whim, while making shit up, and when we deny it, they'll do it anyway.

Undersea cable incidents? As far as I recall, no. GPS signal jamming, airspace violations and weaponizing illegal immigration/refugees have been a constant thing as far as I can remember. Also ever increasing rate of DDoS attacks on finnish banks and other online services. It is Russia's modus operandi to flaunt their imagined superiority. When Russia doesn't get their desired political change or request done, problems will magically appear.

https://fiia.fi/en/publication/russi...finnish-border

Russia is directing migrants to the Finnish border in a hybrid operation rooted in its deep conflict with the West. Ensuring border security in the current situation is based on unilateral actions by Finland.

Russia has launched a hybrid operation against Finland based on instrumentalized migration. The operation is an example of a broader pattern whereby Russia is directing migrants to the borders of countries it deems unfriendly.

Before the situation came to a head, Russia directed migrants to Latvia via Belarus, prompting Latvia to close one of its border crossing points in September. Russia has also directed migrants to the Estonian border. The last instance of Russia using migrants for foreign influence in Northern Europe occurred in 2015–2016, when approximately 7,200 people were directed to the northern border crossing points of Norway and Finland. However, the current political context is different, as Russia is embroiled in a deep-seated conflict with the West, triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia’s actions are facilitated by its command structure, which is designed to convey the President’s orders to the operational level. At the heart of the system lies the practice of bypassing formal executive power on a case-by-case basis. The Russian Border Service is a part of the Federal Security Service (FSB), with its director also serving as the deputy director of the FSB. Within the command structure, the only person between him and President Vladimir Putin is the director of the FSB. The Border Service is a disciplined organization where command relations are tightly knit, orders are executed diligently, and the mode of operations remains unchanged unless orders are given by higher-ranking officials in the hierarchy.

In 2015–2016, organized crime served as an intermediary, transporting individuals across Russia to border crossing points in Norway and Finland. During that period, Russia sought to obscure the role of its officials. This time it has acted more overtly, with Russian officials participating in the transportation of migrants to the border. Prior to this, there were unconfirmed rumours of links between Russian officials and organized crime. Now, both entities are openly involved in an operation aligned with Russian foreign policy.

Russia’s hybrid operation in 2015–2016 effectively served as a pilot project, which it used to test instrumentalized migration and to gauge the reactions of Finland, Norway, and the EU. The backdrop to these events was the occupation of Crimea, which marked the start of the war in Ukraine in 2014 and led Norway, Finland and other EU countries to impose sanctions on Russia and to limit their cooperation with the country. Despite the sanctions, Russia maintained functional relations with both Finland and Norway during this period. At the time, Russia could feasibly have sought to intimidate both countries into restoring bilateral relations. Indeed, Russia managed to get Finland to agree to a bilateral border agreement, instead of handling the matter through the EU.

This time, the context is Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in a long-running open conflict between Russia and the West. Russia has officially labelled Finland as an unfriendly country, which inevitably alters Russia’s motives compared to the events that unfolded eight years ago. At the current time, bilateral negotiations, putting a stop to the support for Ukraine, or advancing common economic projects are not realistic objectives for Russia. Furthermore, the 2015–2016 operation is not the only instance of Russia utilizing weaponized migration; the Belarusian intelligence services have been organizing migrant transportations to the EU’s eastern border since 2021. The Belarusian operation was launched as Russia was preparing to attack Ukraine, with Russia being a transit country.

In this new situation, Finland is in the same boat as Poland and the Baltic states, towards which Russia has been hostile for years. As a result, Russia has less reason to stop the operation than in 2016, although it can always choose to do so or to redirect the migrants to other countries, such as Norway.

Based on previous operations, it can be assumed that Russia has the capability to direct thousands of migrants to the Finnish or Norwegian borders throughout the winter. Russian missions abroad can grant visas to those who want them, and Russia can deport foreign nationals residing within its borders, as it did in 2015–2016. Back then, Russia hinted that there are millions of people that it can direct to the border if it so wishes. However, it is unrealistic to expect that it could accomplish such a task at speed. The larger the group of people, the more challenging it becomes for Russian officials to manage the migrant movement, both in terms of logistics and infrastructure. Instrumentalized migration always carries a risk: if crossing the border proves impossible, the migrants will remain on the Russian side. If the border stays open, the operation can proceed in a controlled manner.

[Flarelaine]

Russia denying they downed the plane is enough proof to me.

[Yunru]

Russia denying they downed the plane is enough proof to me.

There are videos on this plane landing and heck videos of people from inside where the plane lost pressurization. So yeah those people were pretty much frezzing inside plane. 38 people died.

[Flarelaine]

There are videos on this plane landing and heck videos of people from inside where the plane lost pressurization. So yeah those people were pretty much frezzing inside plane. 38 people died.

Oh, I never said I believe them. I've grown up in Soviet-occupied Eastern Europe and for much of my generation Russian officialdom denying anything means they did it.

[Corvus]

Just 2 days after shooting down a civilian aircraft, russia puts out a propaganda video showing them shooting down Santa (who is depicted as a NATO agent) as they 'don't like foreign objects in their skies'.

Well, they'd better get used to it as plenty more will be hitting their military and oil industry.

- - - Updated - - -

The Mayor of Moscow, in a broadcast report, said 600,000 russian soldiers are currently being rehabilitated due to wounds taken in the war.

https://bsky.app/profile/militarynew.../3le5f4tcvbs2e

[Iphie]

Just 2 days after shooting down a civilian aircraft, russia puts out a propaganda video showing them shooting down Santa (who is depicted as a NATO agent) as they 'don't like foreign objects in their skies'.

Well, they'd better get used to it as plenty more will be hitting their military and oil industry.

- - - Updated - - -

The Mayor of Moscow, in a broadcast report, said 600,000 russian soldiers are currently being rehabilitated due to wounds taken in the war.

https://bsky.app/profile/militarynew.../3le5f4tcvbs2e

600 000 CURRENTLY!? are they really trying to eradicate whole generations??

[Deus Mortis]

600 000 CURRENTLY!? are they really trying to eradicate whole generations??

They have apparently not learned history repeats itself. I am not sure how either of these countries will recover anytime the next several decades. I believe both countries were already in the negative for population growth before the war started. It is sad that all these lives are being wasted because of one fuckers wants of recreating the USSR.

[PhaelixWW]

Russian-Linked Oil Tanker Suspected Of Sabotage Was Brimming With Spy Equipment: Report

The Eagle S – a tanker ship carrying Russian oil and suspected of severing the Estlink 2 power cable running under the Baltic Sea between Finland and Estonia – was reportedly brimming with spy equipment. The cable incident is the latest in a series of such events in this strategically important region as tensions with Russia have mounted in the wake of its war on Ukraine.

After being seized by Finnish Police, the Eagle S was found to be “kitted out with special transmitting and receiving devices that were used to monitor naval activity, according to a source with direct involvement in the ship,” Lloyds List reported. That equipment “effectively allowed it to become a ‘spy ship’ for Russia.”

“The hi-tech equipment on board was abnormal for a merchant ship and consumed more power from the ship’s generator, leading to repeated blackouts, a source familiar with the vessel who provided commercial maritime services to it as recently as seven months ago,” the publication noted.

The “listening and recording equipment was brought on to the 20-year-old tanker via ‘huge portable suitcases’ along with ‘many laptops’ that had keyboards for Turkish and Russian languages when calling at Türkiye and Russia,” Lloyd’s List reported. “The equipment was kept on the bridge or in the ‘monkey island,’ the uppermost portion of the ship.”

“The transmitting and receiving devices were used to record all radio frequencies, and upon reaching Russia were offloaded for analysis,” the outlet added. “They were monitoring all NATO naval ships and aircraft. They had all details on them. They were just matching their frequencies.”

The equipment was being operated by “Russians, Turkish, Indian radio officers,” Lloyds List stated.

”Eagle S also dropped ‘sensors-type devices’ in the English Channel during a transit,” the publication’s sources claimed.

The War Zone cannot independently verify these claims, however, a shipping industry security source told us that they “are plausible.”

[Iphie]

They have apparently not learned history repeats itself. I am not sure how either of these countries will recover anytime the next several decades. I believe both countries were already in the negative for population growth before the war started. It is sad that all these lives are being wasted because of one fuckers wants of recreating the USSR.

Yeah, their demographics are shot to all hell, but only one country can be blamed for that and it ain't Ukraine.

[PhaelixWW]

Yeah, their demographics are shot to all hell, but only one country can be blamed for that and it ain't Ukraine.

To be fair, they've been experiencing population decline for a long time now.

Like I said at the start of the full-scale invasion, one of the purposes of the war was an attempt to shore up the power of the government in the face of long-term instability.

History repeats itself.

Back in the early 1900s, Vyacheslav Plehve was Russia's Minister of the Interior:

Plehve’s foreign policies backed aggressive ventures that helped provoke the Russian-Japanese War of 1904 - 1905. This conflict grew out of the rival imperialist ambitions of the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over Manchuria and Korea. In January 1904, Russian General Alexey Kuropatkin reproached Plehve for instigating the Russian-Japanese war and cooperating with political crooks. Plehve responded: “Alexey Nikolaevich, you don’t know Russia’s internal situation. To avert a revolution, we need a small victorious war.” His quote is often cited as an ironical commentary about the governmental policy of trying to distract people’s attention from the failure of internal politics through an external war.

And history has, indeed, repeated itself, because this war has turned out to be anything but short or victorious, just like the Russo-Japanese war that originated the now-famous quote.

Just look at how top-heavy Russia's population pyramid is:



They've been in decline since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and it was getting worse even before the effects of the war.

[Corvus]

Pootie offered a non-apology for the downing of the plane. Basically blamed Ukraine for staging a drone attack in the region, which russian air defences were responding to, but never admitted russia actually did it.

[George]

An analysis of the Azerbaijan E190 crash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQEghJ8UVWk

[Corvus]

The Azerbaijan president has said pootie's non-apology isn't enough. He wants russia to admit it's guilt publicly, punishment for those responsible and compensation for the victims.

[Gabriel]

https://yle.fi/a/74-20133881

The ship dragged their anchor for up to 100 km.

We should just execute the ship's captain and all the officers tbh.

[PhaelixWW]

https://yle.fi/a/74-20133881

The ship dragged their anchor for up to 100 km.

We should just execute the ship's captain and all the officers tbh.

Charging them with terrorism would be plenty.

[Saradain]

https://yle.fi/a/74-20133881

The ship dragged their anchor for up to 100 km.

We should just execute the ship's captain and all the officers tbh.

Just do what russian trolls keep being afraid of in any youtube video discussing the case.

"Blockade is an act of war". Clearly, a blockade preventing russian ships or their shadow fleet from using the Baltic Sea is needed. Perhaps these cable severings drastically decrease after that.