Ukraine

[Gavster]

Best lines so far

Russian warship, go fuck your self”
From above - “Need a tow… back to Russia”
President to US after they offered to extract him “I need ammunition, not a ride”

Fucking brilliant!

Also the women who walked up to the Russian soldiers and tries to give them sunflower seeds “so that when you die on our land, sunflowers will grow”. That’s stone cold OG

[Nefarious]

Sanke island border guards may still be alive

I so hope this is true.

[Beany]

Unpleasant reports of massive racism at the polish border, with anyone black getting told to fuck off to the back of the queue

Might want to sort that out before requesting EU membership....

[Gavster]

More videos of stranded Russian soldiers

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLBWYhTA/

[Beany]

There's too many videos of abandoned Russian military equipment for these to be isolated incidents - and even if they are isolated incidents, it doesn't stop Russia looking all kinds of militarily incompetent to the rest of the world.

They can have 200,000 troops at the border, but if they can't reliably be moved anywhere once the action starts it's a bit of a moot point really.

[Broccers]

Quite a good article
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/we-s ... -fssbp2k5d

[MikeHunt]

Large queues for cash machines in Moscow.

[Sundayjumper]

There's too many videos of abandoned Russian military equipment for these to be isolated incidents - and even if they are isolated incidents, it doesn't stop Russia looking all kinds of militarily incompetent to the rest of the world.

They can have 200,000 troops at the border, but if they can't reliably be moved anywhere once the action starts it's a bit of a moot point really.

Quite. None of the vehicles in the videos are intended to operate individually, autonomously. Armour is supported by infantry and the whole lot is supported by a *lot* of logistics. If a convoy runs out of fuel they'd circle the wagons and dig in until support arrives. Leaving individual crews stranded like this makes them utter sitting ducks. Which makes it all the more amazing that the only attack on them is a trolling by passers-by !!

[Sundayjumper]

Re: ATMs and a run on Russian banks, this fits with what I've been thinking in the last 24h, that this will be ended internally, by popular protest and unrest at home and a tipping point within the army when enough Russian troops just say "no". Putin just needs a face-saving exit strategy. It might need to be provided by the west.

[Explosive Newt]

There's too many videos of abandoned Russian military equipment for these to be isolated incidents - and even if they are isolated incidents, it doesn't stop Russia looking all kinds of militarily incompetent to the rest of the world.

They can have 200,000 troops at the border, but if they can't reliably be moved anywhere once the action starts it's a bit of a moot point really.

Quite. None of the vehicles in the videos are intended to operate individually, autonomously. Armour is supported by infantry and the whole lot is supported by a *lot* of logistics. If a convoy runs out of fuel they'd circle the wagons and dig in until support arrives. Leaving individual crews stranded like this makes them utter sitting ducks. Which makes it all the more amazing that the only attack on them is a trolling by passers-by !!

Interesting article with some shared Ukranian intel. Supposedly the reason the air strikes that were going to rain down on Kyiv and other cities haven't really materialised is that the Russians actually don't have many missiles and are using them sparingly. Can't say I'm suprised given the Soviet era appearance of their armoured vehicles; they mustn't have the budget to make loads of expensive missiles.

Putin is perhaps discovering that this is the problem of being surrounded by Yes Men: when they tell you you have the military prowess to squash Ukraine in a few days, perhaps they are just telling you what you want to hear.

The person who is coming out of this INCREDIBLY well is Volodymyr Zelenskyy - staying resolutely in his capital, having coffee with his soldiers, saying badass things on social media while Putin hides in a bunker stewing. I understand the reason Russians have been allowed to remain on the International Space Station is that it is the only place from which the size of his balls can be fully appreciated.

[Gavster]

Ukraine soldiers still making TikToks

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLBWsHVm/

[McSwede]

Quite a good article
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/we-s ... -fssbp2k5d

Matthew Syed is always a good read.

With regards to Newts comments on russian military tech, I'd have to agree. This is what I'd been thinking. Russian military might may just be in terms of manpower alone (if you exclude nuclear weapons). Their tanks, helicopters and armoured vehicles look pretty old and a bit shit.

[MikeHunt]

Another good read, no paywall.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... victimhood

[Beany]

This is a bit rich coming from Mr "make up an investigation into my bosses political rival or we'll withhold $350m of military aid" Giuliani.

[V8Granite]

Dave!

[jamcg]

The nutters put his nuclear deterrent on “special alert”

[Beany]

Almost certainly a predicate to the upcoming negotiations on the Belarus border, to 'show strength'.

Non preconditioned negotiations, which is noteworthy as you know Putin wanted to have a 'no talks without a surrender' clause in there.

Interestingly, there have been ugly discussions in the last decade or so about installing anti ICBM materiel in Poland, with Russia stating that it would be an implicit act of aggression against them to do so.

I think this weekend is rather knocking that argument into a cocked hat. Putin may have just literally played himself in a very bad way with this little excursion. Nukes were always, well, the nuclear option. If they install anti ICBM munitions in eastern Europe then short of launching then all at once, his nuclear arsenal, as far as Europe and the Balkans in concerned, is neutered. And all he has is gas and oil and a rather shit military.

A bit like how Iraq only had gas and oil and a rather shit military...

[V8Granite]

It might just be a plane but it was a huge source of pride for Ukraine. Hopefully the spare airframe is still intact.



Dave!

[Gavster]

Good article about the economic sanctions

https://theconversation.com/just-short- ... omy-178000

[nuttinnew]

Dave!

The Ukrainians no doubt have a version with the caption;
Old man in pyjamas getting up says "oooh, me knee".