Ukraine

[Gavster]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64101437

It's really not a good time to be a wealthy Russian.

It might be unrelated to the war, he could have simply given Mia Wallace a foot massage.

[240PP]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64101437

It's really not a good time to be a wealthy Russian.

It might be unrelated to the war, he could have simply given Mia Wallace a foot massage.

He don’t be ticklin’ or nuthin.

[ZedLeg]

Big "I never thought it would eat my face" energy for all the people who got rich cosying up to Putin.

[jamcg]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-64178912

Putin requests 3 day ceasefire for Russian Orthodox Christmas, asks Ukraine to follow suite. Ukraine say no

[Beany]

Meanwhile, at the UKR/Belarus border, the UKR soldiers are teaching them the sign language for 'fuck about and find out'

[Sundayjumper]

I've not been spamming this thread with stuff because there's just so much of it, but two things caught my eye today.

First - Germany's irritating refusal to allow Leopard tanks to be sent to Ukraine.

Unrelated - which country builds the majority of the world's oligarch mega-yachts ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_m ... _by_length

[Sundayjumper]

Second - Russia is a poor country that thinks it’s a superpower. Ignore the glitz of Moscow and the rest of the country is desperately poor. I already knew this but it was eye-opening to see some numbers:

Russia household income per capita in Dec 2021 was $6,523.

UK was $35,231

By definition Russia is not a Third World country (clicky for etymology), but once we get the 2022 numbers, and then 2023 when economic factors really kick in, they might as well be.

Source:

https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/r ... per-capita

https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/u ... per-capita

[Sundayjumper]

And on a slightly lighter note:

Instead of Leopard tanks Olaf Scholz will offer Ukraine NFTs, Non Fungible Tanks.

Claims they're better than actual tanks because you can't destroy an NFT.

[mik]

Second - Russia is a poor country that thinks it’s a superpower. Ignore the glitz of Moscow and the rest of the country is desperately poor. I already knew this but it was eye-opening to see some numbers:

Have been to Russia (only Moscow, but city outskirts as well as city) several times over the last decade. I’m always struck by how miserable the vast majority of people seem. The depression is annoyingly infectious, and a million miles away from the vibe of somewhere like Warsaw. Life expectancy is Russia - particularly for men - is awful.

[jamcg]

Life expectancy is Russia - particularly for men - is awful.

I imagine that number will have taken a severe nosedive recently

[RobYob]

Interesting analysis of war economies.

[Sundayjumper]

Front line hot tub !

[Mito Man]

I wouldn't like to be in that what with the infrared signature it must give off!

[Beany]

I wouldn't like to be in that what with the infrared signature it must give off!

You're assuming the russians have anything that can reasonably detect IR left.

[nuttinnew]

Somebody needs to mash that into Hot Tub Time Machine.

[jamcg]

I wouldn't like to be in that what with the infrared signature it must give off!

You're assuming the russians have anything that can reasonably detect IR left.

You're assuming the Russians had anything that could reasonably detect IR in the first place

[V8Granite]

We are all assuming that half of the poor sods being sent there are untrained and basically cannon fodder, awful for all the people pushed to the front.

Dave!

[Simon]

[nuttinnew]

I'm surprised he didn't ban the women from wearing heels.

[Ascender]

So with aid continuing, the Russians getting nowhere and Putin presumably being madder than a dickless dog, what next? Is there any more chance of him doing something monumentally stupid or is it all just rhetoric which surely some of his allies and opponents in the government must be realising is just bluster? What are they now hoping to achieve given the way this conflict is going for them?