Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Gabriel]

I wouldn’t trust this private army not to turn on Ukraine publicly after being positioned or privately sabotage Ukraine and then sit back and watch. Find out of them have ties to Russia and is using the position to feed Russia Intel while feeding Ukraine and NATO false information.

And Ukraine and NATO should know this by now too.

I think their purpose would be purely to guard US investments in Ukraine a glorified private security force that has looser ROE than regular security.

[Corvus]

The Flamingos have flown. Three of Ukraine's new cruise missile have been tested in action, destroying a FSB barracks in Crimea and six hovercraft.

It was a lot shorter than its advertised range, but Crimeas air defences have been heavily attrited and results were more easily observed there, which is why it might have been chosen.

[PhaelixWW]

The Flamingos have flown. Three of Ukraine's new cruise missile have been tested in action, destroying a FSB barracks in Crimea and six hovercraft.

- Russia, probably.

[alach]

Apparently putin told Xi jin Ping at the SCO that they reached an agreement with trump to reach peace in Ukraine and he would share the details with the other members later.
I have many questions...

[Flarelaine]

Hard to maintain economic growth when you send an entire generation of potential earners out to die in a war of aggression.

Also when winter might find you with no fuel.

[PhaelixWW]

Also when winter might find you with no fuel.

I was going to rebut this statement with doubt that Russia would ever have difficulties supplying their own fuel, despite the numerous attacks on their facilities...

...but I would have been wrong, apparently.

I would guess a part of this is that, due to sanctions, Russia is extremely reliant on their export commitments, and therefore are more likely to push their shortfalls to the domestic side.

[alach]

Apparently the other day, while traveling, Ursula Von D's plane was attacked by jamming devices.
It has now been confirmed by multiple sources to have been from Russia.
Hybrid war is still war, and attacking the head commissioner of the EU should be responded to harshly.
But whatever, we're liberal, we're pussies.

[Elder Millennial]

I was going to rebut this statement with doubt that Russia would ever have difficulties supplying their own fuel, despite the numerous attacks on their facilities...

...but I would have been wrong, apparently.

I would guess a part of this is that, due to sanctions, Russia is extremely reliant on their export commitments, and therefore are more likely to push their shortfalls to the domestic side.

Which is EXACTLY the same thing the USSR was doing. One of the many many unexpected "benefits" of the Soviet legacy for Russia is that it has a surprisingly solid rail infrastructure and urban public transportation system in major urban areas that is not very energy reliant. Also something like 40% of the more rural areas are still primarily using fire wood for winter time heating.

So even with severe fuel shortages, the Russians are likely going to be "OK".

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17njr88ge4o

Meanwhile Kim Jong Un is joining Putin and India's Modi in Beijing for the big Chinese victory over Japan celebrations.

Trump is successfully aligning India with China, Russia and North Korea...while also still antagonizing the Europeans and signalling the possibility of a brand new Brush War in Venezuela, pulled straight out his glory days in the 1980s when the US was fucking around in Nicaragua and shit.

[Flarelaine]

Meanwhile Kim Jong Un is joining Putin and India's Modi in Beijing for the big Chinese victory over Japan celebrations.

Remind me, what big Chinese victory over Japan are they celebrating?

[Elder Millennial]

Remind me, what big Chinese victory over Japan are they celebrating?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_over_Japan_Day

Being perfectly honest, China's role in the whole thing has very much been ignored by the rest of the world.

The Chinese have been fighting the Japanese, often with surprising amounts of success for a long ass time.

It's also true that most of the actual "fighting the Japanese" bit was done by Chiang Kai-shek and his Nationalist forces...who exhausted themselves in the process allowing the Communists to pull themselves together and make a come back after they were once completely wiped out also by Chiang Kai-shek , but that's a whole other point of discussion.

The CCP is trying to reframe the narrative, getting China its deserved recognition, but also rewriting history a bit, taking credit for the efforts of the Nationalists.

[Wilian]

Apparently the other day, while traveling, Ursula Von D's plane was attacked by jamming devices.
It has now been confirmed by multiple sources to have been from Russia.
Hybrid war is still war, and attacking the head commissioner of the EU should be responded to harshly.
But whatever, we're liberal, we're pussies.

There are weekly incursions into Europe, attacks against military targets, critical infra and even people. Not calling it what it is is spineless sniveling yet here we are, listening about "hybrid attacks".

[Gorsameth]

A reminder that Russia has committed chemical weapon attacks upon European/NATO soil.

The moment to grow a spine was decades ago.

[alach]

Ive been out of the loop for the last week, so its time to catch up.
As the Western world pushes for peace for one party of the conflict not only shows zero interest in, but actively undermines at progress for it, yesterday saw many of Ukraine allies get together and actually agree on a multi-national peacekeeping force to help patrol. As per Putin's wishes, this force would not be under NATO authority because to him thats a big scary boogey-man, but made up of countries that are actual members of NATO. But not NATO.
From CNN.

Following the call, French President Emmanuel Macron said that 26 countries have promised to contribute to a potential peacekeeping force if a ceasefire deal is finalized – though US support for security guarantees is seen as central to lending the Europeans’ actions credibility.

Macron acknowledged as much on Thursday, saying that alongside strengthening Ukraine’s armed forces and deploying European troops to Ukraine, the third component of Ukraine’s security guarantees ought to be an “American safety net.”

“In the coming days we will finalize the American support for these security guarantees,” the French president said.

And of course today, Putin comes out and says, "I'm a dickhead!" and,
Foreign troops in Ukraine would be 'legitimate targets for destruction,’ Putin says

The Russian president said on Friday it is "practically impossible" to reach an agreement with Ukraine on key issues, and also reiterated Moscow’s resolute rejection of a Ukrainian membership in NATO.
Moscow will consider any foreign troop deployment on Ukrainian soil as “legitimate targets for destruction”, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

I imagine this guy is feeling pretty good about life right now. He had the President of the United States beholden to him less than a month ago, and this week stood shoulder to shoulder with the world's best and brightest dictators and China unveiled a slew of advanced and shiny new tools for killing innocent civilians by the thousands over there. --->

China has unveiled a range of new weapons, drones and other military hardware in a massive parade that many see as a clear message to the United States and its allies.

The event saw Xi Jinping host more than 20 foreign heads of state, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, both of whom rely on China for economic support and more.

It was a display of Xi's growing power on the world stage, and of China's military prowess - the show included the "Guam killer" missile, the "loyal wingman" drone and even robotic wolves.

Nice, not threatening at all right? My only question was, why wasn't Netanyahu there? Sounds like he would have fit right in.
The good news is, trump has the answers and totally isn't dead or sick in the slightest.
Trump and Putin both agree: Blame falls on Europe as Ukraine peace effort languishes

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are on the same page again.

The US and Russian presidents are now both singling out Europe as stasis envelops efforts to end the Ukraine war three weeks after their high-profile but low-impact summit in Alaska.

Trump called on Europe to do more in a call with European leaders on Thursday — even though the only incremental diplomatic activity to do with the war is coming from US transatlantic allies as they try to work out security guarantees to protect Ukraine after any peace deal.

The latest twist in the president’s erratic Ukraine diplomacy came a day after he told reporters he planned to speak with Putin again soon so he could work out “what we’re going to be doing.” He refused to say whether he’d sign off on severe direct sanctions on Russia if Putin continued to slow his peace initiative after the Russian president ignored repeated two-week deadlines, the latest of which expires on Friday. “Whatever his decision is, we’ll either be happy about it, or unhappy. And if we’re unhappy about it, you’ll see things happen,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

Uh ok?
By the way, anyone seen any cats or dogs from Springfield lately or have the immigrants ate them all?

[Corvus]

russia has launched its largest drone strikes of the war, with more than 800 used. For the first time they also deliberately targeted Ukrainian government buildings.

[Odinfrost]

russia has launched its largest drone strikes of the war, with more than 800 used. For the first time they also deliberately targeted Ukrainian government buildings.

Can Ukraine finally retaliate in kind?

[Gorsameth]

Can Ukraine finally retaliate in kind?

I would much prefer Ukraine didn't waste resources on terror bombing campaigns which have been shown time and time again throughout history to not work.

If Russia over the past 3 years had used their drones and missiles on strategic military targets instead of 'wasting' them on cities the war might well be in a much worse state.
No reason for Ukraine to make the same mistake. Keep hitting military targets like factories, depots and refineries.

[Odinfrost]

I would much prefer Ukraine didn't waste resources on terror bombing campaigns which have been shown time and time again throughout history to not work.

If Russia over the past 3 years had used their drones and missiles on strategic military targets instead of 'wasting' them on cities the war might well be in a much worse state.
No reason for Ukraine to make the same mistake. Keep hitting military targets like factories, depots and refineries.

With in kind, I mean hit the governmental palace and the kremlin.
You know.
The actual legitimate targets

[Gorsameth]

With in kind, I mean hit the governmental palace and the kremlin.
You know.
The actual legitimate targets

their actual value is very low, and their air defenses will be considerable.
Waste of missiles.

[Nilinor]

their actual value is very low, and their air defenses will be considerable.
Waste of missiles.

Maybe not, in most cases you are right, but Russia is the big bully fighting the tiny kid in school. This time the tiny kid isn't backing down. Giving a punch, albeit weak, to the face, would be a giant morale hit.

Now, not saying doing more than once or twice, but that kind of hit DOES actually work. In WW2 the british bombed berlin, that ego hit led to a lot of dumb mistakes and mispriorities on the german side. The bombing itself wasn't all that much damage, but on the psychological side, it showed that they weren't invincible and could be hit at any time.

Constant doing it (as russia is doing) is a waste of time and resources for little gain, so after the first time, probably wont need to again.

[Deus Mortis]

Maybe not, in most cases you are right, but Russia is the big bully fighting the tiny kid in school. This time the tiny kid isn't backing down. Giving a punch, albeit weak, to the face, would be a giant morale hit.

Now, not saying doing more than once or twice, but that kind of hit DOES actually work. In WW2 the british bombed berlin, that ego hit led to a lot of dumb mistakes and mispriorities on the german side. The bombing itself wasn't all that much damage, but on the psychological side, it showed that they weren't invincible and could be hit at any time.

Constant doing it (as russia is doing) is a waste of time and resources for little gain, so after the first time, probably wont need to again.

Even one time is a complete waste with the resources it requires. A lot of drones/etc get shot down to get that one or two hits on a target, and in this case your asking to hit the most guarded target in Russia. Those resources are currently very limited for Ukraine and are better spent hitting what Russia's army runs on and that is those refineries.