Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Barzotti]

Tankies and vatniks are going crazy with conspiracy theories - and pretty much all of them are blaming the West and the CIA for it, though they haven't decided on the why yet. Just that it is, like everything, the Wests fault. The craziest seems to be that the CIA paid Prig $6 billion to stage the coup, but they were inept and it failed to happen, so they blew him up. In russia. By not being inept. Yeah, not much point trying to figure out what they are thinking cause it makes no sense.

If the West and CIA are responsible for it (and I don't believe it at all), it would paint them as extremely competent to manage to kill the heads of a state-affiliated mercenary group in enemy territory so easily. So this conspiracy theory is basically admitting "our enemies are so much better and competent than us". Interesting.

[Gabriel]

If the West and CIA are responsible for it (and I don't believe it at all), it would paint them as extremely competent to manage to kill the heads of a state-affiliated mercenary group in enemy territory so easily. So this conspiracy theory is basically admitting "our enemies are so much better and competent than us". Interesting.

These people are not constrained by the burdens of logic.

[Barzotti]

These people are not constrained by the burdens of logic.

Yeah, the same people saying that sanctions don't work, while demanding to remove sanctions at the same time. Can't expect much from a nation of voluntary slaves.

In other news, the anti LGBT/women/trans/vax/migrants have been awfully quiet the last hours on social medias and the same thing occurred during the Prigozhin failed coup.

[Iphie]

Apparently Ukraine has landed a military force in Crimea...

https://liveuamap.com/en/2023/24-aug...representative

[Gabriel]

Apparently Ukraine has landed a military force in Crimea...

https://liveuamap.com/en/2023/24-aug...representative

So much for the territorial untouchability of Crimea under Russia.

[Corvus]

Special forces raid at the site of russian radars, right near where a s400 got blown up.

[alach]

Special forces raid at the site of russian radars, right near where a s400 got blown up.

And then did this...

Ukrainian forces hoisted the national flag during their night landing in temporarily occupied Crimea.

Also, in other good news...

Ukraine's Intelligence Chief says Russia has only 27 strategic bombers at its disposal

Ukraine’s latest operations targeting Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bombers have undermined Russia’s ability to launch Kh-22 missiles on Ukraine.

Source: Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, in an interview with Radio Svoboda

[DarkAmbient]

It's gone from falling out of windows to falling out of the sky. Next up, an unfortunate cosmonaut takes a tumble out of the airlock of the ISS.

[ghotihook]

It's gone from falling out of windows to falling out of the sky. Next up, an unfortunate cosmonaut takes a tumble out of the airlock of the ISS.

I mean they crashed into the moon last week. But it's not manned. Maybe next time.

[Muzjhath]

Putin certainly has his agendas. I'm not shying away from this war being instigated as an act of aggression. He wants Ukraine and seeks any excuse to get what he wants.

That makes what is happening here predictable, as well as not justifiable. And the US having meddled in Ukraine's politics IS a perceived threat in the eyes of Putin. That really can not be understated here.

Again, none of this is justifiable at all.



Yet we are talking about a country that Putin himself considers a part of Russia, both historically and in spirit. This is not just politics, it's personal. That is the difference. We're not talking about the usual political meddling in some random foreign country, this one is a former part of the Soviet Union. What do we really think was going to happen?



Putin basically sees Ukraine as a part of Russia the same way China sees Taiwan a part of China. They are looking at this through a historic lens. So yes, 1960+, hell go even further beyond that, because to these leaders in these countries with long histories, these things matter to them.

Ukraine adopting western ideals is what Putin believes is the true threat, and it's clearly predictable that he would not stand for them joining NATO.


Now, what I will also say is perhaps Putin would have planned to do this regardless. He already forcefully annexed Crimea after all. I don't discount that at all, but the difference in Ukraine seems to be a personal issue with a perceived ideological threat, and an appeal to NATO was just the 'last straw' to it.

And Putin is wrong.
Ukraine tried to become its own nation after the Russian Revolution of 1917.

[Breccia]

It wasn't us!
-- Ukraine, on the plane crash

We know

-- everyone else

[Twdft]

It wasn't us!
-- Ukraine, on the plane crash

I can just imagine it, a small crew of Ukranian ultra chads hooking an anti aircraft gun to a ZIS-5 they stole, driving on the highway between Moscow and Petersburg, downing the plane and retreat unseen to Kyiv.

[Kaleredar]

Putin certainly has his agendas. I'm not shying away from this war being instigated as an act of aggression. He wants Ukraine and seeks any excuse to get what he wants.

That makes what is happening here predictable, as well as not justifiable. And the US having meddled in Ukraine's politics IS a perceived threat in the eyes of Putin. That really can not be understated here.

Again, none of this is justifiable at all.



Yet we are talking about a country that Putin himself considers a part of Russia, both historically and in spirit. This is not just politics, it's personal. That is the difference. We're not talking about the usual political meddling in some random foreign country, this one is a former part of the Soviet Union. What do we really think was going to happen?



Putin basically sees Ukraine as a part of Russia the same way China sees Taiwan a part of China. They are looking at this through a historic lens. So yes, 1960+, hell go even further beyond that, because to these leaders in these countries with long histories, these things matter to them.

Ukraine adopting western ideals is what Putin believes is the true threat, and it's clearly predictable that he would not stand for them joining NATO.


Now, what I will also say is perhaps Putin would have planned to do this regardless. He already forcefully annexed Crimea after all. I don't discount that at all, but the difference in Ukraine seems to be a personal issue with a perceived ideological threat, and an appeal to NATO was just the 'last straw' to it.

Who gives a rat’s ass what Putin thinks Ukraine is or isn’t.

[Iphie]

Dutch news is now reporting that putin confirmed prig's death

[YUPPIE]

Wagner vows vengeance

Wagner mercenaries were on Thursday reported to be trying to head back into Russia after threatening retaliation over the suspected killing of their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash on the orders of Vladimir Putin.

Reports from Ukraine’s national resistance centre said sources in Belarus, where some of Prigozhin’s fighters have been based, had seen mercenaries dismantling camps and forming convoys to leave the country.

“The convoys are likely heading towards the border with Russia,” the centre said.

The report followed the posting online of a threatening message by a masked man claiming to be a Wagner fighter.

“There’s a lot talk right now about what the Wagner Group will do,” he said. “We can tell you one thing. We are getting started, get ready for us.”

At the same time, a Russian news site with links to Prigozhin — who staged a mutiny against President Vladimir Putin in June over the Kremlin’s faltering war effort in Ukraine — claimed that the Wagner Group had “a long-established approved mechanism of action in the event of the death of Prigozhin” or his key ally Dmitry Utkin, who is also believed to have died in yesterday’s plane crash.

The reports came as mystery continued to surround the cause of the crash, 190 miles north west of Moscow, which appears to have killed Prigozhin and other Wagner leaders.

US President Joe Biden has said that there is little that happens in Russia that Putin is not behind and former MI6 boss Sir John Sawers today said it appeared that the Russian leader had ordered the strike.

“All the indications point to the fact that Putin has taken him out… he is making clear to everyone both inside Russia and outside that he’s not going to brook any challenge,” Sir John said. “I would have thought there was some device on board that brought the plane down suddenly and killed all those on board. It was a way of taking out the entire Wagner leadership in one go.”

[Edge-]

We've had first coup attempt, but have we had second coup attempt?

Wagner Part Deux: Electric Boogaloo?

[Gorsameth]

We've had first coup attempt, but have we had second coup attempt?

Wagner Part Deux: Electric Boogaloo?

They are mercenaries. Their loyalty is to money, and a dead man isn't writing their checks.

[Makabreska]

They are mercenaries. Their loyalty is to money, and a dead man isn't writing their checks.

Sure, but killing the leadership throws entire enterprise into a disarray and jeopardizes their income. Not saying they will go aggressive, but I doubt they are happy about current developments.

[YUPPIE]

Reading about international reactions to Prigozhin's death illustrates the aforementioned terror that is Putin.

No world leader believes Prigozhin died naturally; instead, they cite it as what happens for going against Putin, and how he is a sadistic monster that revels in brutality.

In response to news of Prigozhin's apparent death, officials from the United States, including United States National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson and President Joe Biden, remarked that it did not come as a "surprise". When asked about the attribution of responsibility, Biden added, "There is not much that happens in Russia that Putin is not behind, but I don't know enough to know the answer." CIA Director William J. Burns commented that "revenge is a dish Putin prefers served cold".

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called Prigozhin's apparent death a "demonstrative elimination" and a signal from Putin to Russian elites against disloyalty ahead of the 2024 presidential elections, adding that "Putin does not forgive anyone for his own bestial terror." Zelenskyy himself denied Ukraine's involvement in the crash but said "everyone understands" who did it.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas called the crash a reminder of Putin's ability to eliminate opponents and scare off dissent, while Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, said that those who threatened Putin's power do not "die naturally" and expressed strong doubts about the crash being accidental. The French government expressed "reasonable doubts" about the cause of the crash.

[Triceron]

Who gives a rat’s ass what Putin thinks Ukraine is or isn’t.

Well, obviously you and everyone else here does, because his actions are a result of what he's (projected as) thinking what Ukraine is.

The whole reason anyone is in this thread is because of his thoughts being manifested. We all care about his thoughts, because his thoughts become actions, and his actions are dangerous.