Ukraine

[duncs500]

I can only imagine that he's hoping the war drags on and the west slowly lose interest and/or start spending more time focusing on their domestic issues. Then perhaps the support being provided starts being scaled back and eventually allows him to get the upper hand?

[duncs500]

Can this conflict ever end while Putin is in post? Given he's built his whole house of cards on his strong man image, I don't see walking away from it as an option.

[ZedLeg]

I don't think the support will go away, the US will keep funding Ukraine against Russia for as long as they need. Now that everyone is out of Afghanistan they need somewhere else to maintain their defence budget.

[duncs500]

I hear you, but at the moment there's a lot of good will towards Ukr from the voting public. If that erodes then policy can change very quickly.

As an example all it takes is someone to gain traction with a "we're spending £Xbn on Ukraine, what about our NHS" narrative and as soon as it looks like the government might lose some votes things can change.

Not there yet, but nothing lasts forever.

[ZedLeg]

Arms manufacturers are more important to the UK and US governments than voters. If they think we should be sending them stuff, we'll keep doing it.

[Sundayjumper]

Can this conflict ever end while Putin is in post?

In short, no. I have said as much right from the start. It won't be finished on the battlefield, it'll be finished by a military coup in Russia when high command finally gets fed up of throwing away all its men & equipment for absolutely nothing. Putin may or may not remain alive. Meh. He's not part of Russia's future either way.

I originally included public pressure / some kind of popular uprising as an option but there's no sign of that happening so I'm doubling down on the coup.

[IanF]

I agree with Zed, we’ve found a way to keep “our” (US & UK) military/industrial complex going without the inconvenience of dead bodies being flown back home.

[Sundayjumper]

Yikes. Three is the magic number when it comes to dropping mortars on Russian tanks. Watch.

[Zonda_]

A joke I saw on Facebook:

‘A Russian wife turned to her husband and asked, "What's this special military operation our glorious leader keeps talking about?" Her husband replied, "It's a war to stop America and NATO." "Oh, right” she says “How's it going?"

“Well” he replied “so far we have lost over 20 generals, 110,000 troops killed, countless injured, 3000 tanks, 300 aircraft, hundreds of helicopters, countless armoured vehicles, artillery and trucks, our flagship along with other naval ships, our army is being defeated in most areas and we have had to resort to conscription to replace our losses”.

“Wow” replied the wife “what about America and NATO”?

“They haven’t turned up yet.’

[mik]

[Mito Man]

I hope they release the video of the SU-27 dumping it's fuel over it in an attempt to down it

[mik]

Watch to the end to see damaged prop (after the pic goes off-line for a few secs)

That would appear to officially be an attack by a RU airplane on a US airplane…,

[240PP]

Why would you attack it by flying into it?

[ZedLeg]

I'm guessing they were trying to give themselves plausible deniability.

Mid air collision is easier to write off as an accident than a missile strike.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Why would you attack it by flying into it?

Because they're fucking lunatics.

[mik]

It'll be like Jeremy Vile :

"Whoah - that drone cut power and reversed into my nose(ski) !"

[Mito Man]

It's like "accidentally" bumping into someone standing at the edge of a train platform in the perfect moment to kill them. Less jail time than pushing them.

[MikeHunt]

Its kamikaze to ram this thing, it's not exactly small and lightweight.

[IanF]

That looks accidental.. and aircraft have nudged drones/cruise mussels since WW2. Still a dumb move and the pilot is probably fertiliser by now..

[mik]

That looks accidental.. and aircraft have nudged drones/cruise mussels since WW2. Still a dumb move and the pilot is probably fertiliser by now..

I'm not sure I even believe in cruise mussels - seems a bit fishy to me....