Russian invasion of Ukraine

**Makabreska** · 2022-04-30, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by Gabriel

Russia should bring back decimation to boost morale with their troops.

Bring back commissars, with their "you retreat, you get a bullet" policy. Give them 40k uniforms for extra value!

**Breccia** · 2022-04-30, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by Gabriel

Russia should bring back decimation to boost morale with their troops.

I mean, Ukraine's kind of helped with that.

**Iphie** · 2022-04-30, 06:14 PM

Originally Posted by Fugus

That part is pretty easy, Trump was actively doing Putins bidding and the longer he waited the easier it would have become if Trump had a second term.

Trump was fracturing NATO from the inside and was trying to make headway into removing the US from it while having his cult listen to him and making them more sympathetic to Putins ideals with his rhetoric.

Putin was waiting for Trump to withdraw the US from NATO or at the least have enough headway into it that he blocked them from helping Ukraine.

If Trump were still in office, we would likely have been out of NATO now or at least refusing to honor out agreements like Trump threatened he would do to another member. And when Ukraine got bogged down there would be a good chance Trump would try to send US troops there to help Russia and sanctioning Ukraine over claims of Hunter Biden.

The whole reason why Russia didn’t attack was because Trump was making their job easier the longer they waited.

Understood, but, given that this didn't work out now, if Putin had waited until after the midterms in November the senate and congress likely would have been more favourable for him, wouldn't it? (or not, seeing as there's little support for the Russians beyond the usual suspects.)

Originally Posted by Breccia

Honestly, yes. Russia has already proven they can't handle the current situation and wants the number of variables to stay low until they can chew their own foot off.

Maybe, but they did bomb Kyiv while Gutteres was there.

**Ivanstone** · 2022-04-30, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by jonnysensible

after the push in donbas even if its successful Russia will have 0 conventional forces left, if china decided to take the entire east there would be nothing there to stop them.

What would stop China? Probably China itself. I’m not at all convinced China is ready to take on anything bigger than Tibet and Eastern Russia is inhospitable terrain at best.

**Breccia** · 2022-04-30, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by Iphie

Maybe, but they did bomb Kyiv while Gutteres was there.

Also true. In any event, if the UN sent in a bunch of peacekeeping troops saying "We are right here, we are helping civilians and nothing else" Russia would have to really think twice, thrice, etc. before launching cluster bombs or gas that way.

**Rasulis** · 2022-04-30, 06:27 PM

Transcript of Igor Girkin (Strelkov) take on the current situation in Ukraine. Who is he? He lit the spark that started the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and indirectly planted the seed of the current conflict. An article on his involvement in the 2014 invasion here.

The area south of Izyum:

fierce fighting continues along the entire perimeter of the Russian bridgehead. There are tactical advances everywhere.

According to incoming reports, the most fierce battles are taking place on the right flank - in the area of the village of Velikaya Kamyshevakha (and, possibly, directly in the village), as well as "on the edge" of the offensive - in the center of the bridgehead - in the area (possibly - and on the territory) of the village of Novaya Dmitrovka.

After taking the indicated villages our troops will approach directly the Barvenkovo-Slavyansk highway and create a threat of its interception (which will not be easy, since the settlements along this highway merge into an almost continuous agglomeration).

It should be noted that the battles are continuous "viscous" character. The enemy has enough manpower to - despite the lengthening of the front line in this area - nowhere to allow Russian troops to make deep breakthroughs.

At the same time, the enemy continues to withdraw his forces from the bridgehead he still has on the left bank of the Seversky Donets - from the Liman-Yampol region and the Severodonetsk ledge, leaving the most advanced positions to the east between Severodonetsk and Popasna (in which fierce fighting continued).

It is assumed that the enemy will soon (today or tomorrow) leave Liman and withdraw his troops to strengthen the flanks of the group - near Barvenkovo and Slavyansk.

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Armed Forces of the DPR were unable to prevent this and surround the enemy units.
In general, the enemy defends competently, stubbornly, controls the situation and his troops.

There is no panic in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is absolutely clear that their command is betting on WINNING TIME AND INflicting MAXIMUM LOSS ON THE STRIKING UNITS OF THE RF AF (LDNR AF) - due to the unhurried surrender of the territory.

Ahead of the Russian troops in this direction is the huge Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, which was prepared in advance for a long defense.

Its Armed Forces will definitely not surrender until the last opportunity - defending, if necessary, as a "besieged fortress". (In this regard, the fate of the remnants of the Mariupol garrison is of great importance - they should not be released or interned in any case - otherwise the garrison of Slavyansk-Kramatorsk will defend just as long and stubbornly, if not even longer and more stubbornly).

However, this "fortress" will still have to be surrounded, which is very difficult to do with the available limited forces and at such a slow pace - at which the enemy freely withdraws his units and prepares new defense units in advance.

In the south - in the area of Gulyai-Pole and Orekhov - the situation has not changed significantly. "Southern part of the offensive" have stalled.

In the central section - near Donetsk - the situation as a whole is unchanged. There is a lull in most areas, the fighting is only in the area north of Avdiivka, where the DPR Armed Forces have had minor tactical successes.

The general conclusion, unfortunately, is bleak: the attack of the Russian group on the encirclement and encirclement of the Donetsk group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which did not come as a surprise, met with fierce resistance and almost certainly will not lead to a complete encirclement and defeat of the enemy. additional tank corps in order to abruptly break through the front and connect deep in the rear of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "Cannes" just didn't work out.

In the best case, the enemy will “squeeze out” from the Donbass for many weeks and even - it is possible - for several months, with heavy losses (mutual, of course). That will allow him to create, train and massively introduce strategic reserves into battle in any chosen area without much haste by the summer. And also - to crush Transnistria, gathering sufficient forces for this and not risking defeat near Donetsk during the operation.

Gloomy sort of chap.

**Forogil** · 2022-04-30, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by Iphie

Understood, but, given that this didn't work out now, if Putin had waited until after the midterms in November the senate and congress likely would have been more favourable for him, wouldn't it? (or not, seeing as there's little support for the Russians beyond the usual suspects.)

Some see it as indication that Putler isn't the master strategist - others that he was rushing things due to some health issue.

**zorkuus** · 2022-04-30, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by Forogil

Some see it as indication that Putler isn't the master strategist - others that he was rushing things due to some health issue.

Or he's rushing things because he feels his power threatened within russia.

**Makabreska** · 2022-04-30, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by Forogil

Some see it as indication that Putler isn't the master strategist - others that he was rushing things due to some health issue.

He rushed things due to other factors as well. Russia declining demographic and Ukraine going more and more towards west, for example. Guess he realized it is now or never with getting hold onto Ukraine.

**Deus Mortis** · 2022-04-30, 07:15 PM

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarV...major_general/

It is being reported that Russian Major General Russian Simonov killed near Izyum.

Haha, another one bites the dust. Hopefully it is true.

**Rasulis** · 2022-04-30, 07:28 PM

Biden Seeks to Rob Putin of His Top Scientists With Visa Lure

The Biden administration has a plan to rob Vladimir Putin of some of his best innovators by waiving some visa requirements for highly educated Russians who want to come to the U.S., according to people familiar with the strategy.

One proposal, which the White House included in its latest supplemental request to Congress, is to drop the rule that Russian professionals applying for an employment-based visa must have a current employer.

It would apply to Russian citizens who have earned master’s or doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics in the U.S. or abroad, the proposal states.

A spokesman for the National Security Council confirmed that the effort is meant to weaken Putin’s high-tech resources in the near term and undercut Russia’s innovation base over the long run -- as well as benefit the U.S. economy and national security.

Specifically, the Biden administration wants to make it easier for top-tier Russians with experience with semiconductors, space technology, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, advanced computing, nuclear engineering, artificial intelligence, missile propulsion technologies and other specialized scientific areas to move to the U.S.

Biden administration officials have said they’ve seen significant numbers of high-skilled technology workers flee Russia because of limited financial opportunities from the sanctions the U.S. and allies have imposed after Putin’s invasion on Ukraine.

The provision would expire in four years. There would be no changes to the vetting process, fees or other rules in the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Russian professionals began leaving the country after the invasion began on Feb. 24.

Konstantin Sonin a economist at the University of Chicago tweeted on March 7 “that more than 200,000 people fled Russia during the last 10 days. The tragic exodus not seen for a century.”

An Interfax report, citing an estimate from the Russian Association for Electronic Communications, said that between 70,000 and 100,000 information technology specialists might try to emigrate in April.

The U.S. and some of its Group of Seven allies have also in recent weeks discussed giving protected status to Russian scientists, including those working at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

CERN, which runs the largest particle physics laboratory, suspended most of its work with Russia after the war began.

The news caught my eyes because our firm sponsored a dam engineer (Ph.D. from Moscow University) from Russia to come to the US in the early 90s when we were working on the Domenigoni Dam project. I learned a lot from her.

**Fugus** · 2022-04-30, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by Iphie

Understood, but, given that this didn't work out now, if Putin had waited until after the midterms in November the senate and congress likely would have been more favourable for him, wouldn't it? (or not, seeing as there's little support for the Russians beyond the usual suspects.)

An invasion like this is also one of those things where you couldn't just do it without any preparation. Even with Putin keeping his own soldiers in the dark till the end, the other parts they were setting up for the quick blitz into the place still took a little bit to setup.

Part of me wonders if it happened this late because it was the soonest they really could. Otherwise they would have had opportune times both right after Trump lost but before he had to step down or when Biden honored the American Surrender, I mean withdraw, that Trump signed with the Taliban. Both times America was massively distracted with the Taliban one having the world's attention.

But overall, Russia knew that without Trump and company in charge, America would jump in as the majority of the GOP was still against him without Trump sitting there to continue telling them sweet little lies. So the most he could hope for was Trump and the GOP running as much interference to make Biden look bad for their own power as possible and the GOP did exactly that, just not enough to stop this as Putin pretty much telegraphed this a mile out while underestimating the global response to it.

**PhaelixWW** · 2022-04-30, 07:52 PM