Ukraine

[DaveE]

Yup, the general hope/plan is that other people high up in the Russian political structure will see the shit that's going down with their economy and standing in the world, and will pull Putin aside and stick a knif...I mean, advise him to pull out and step down. Eventually, even internally, his position will become untenable.

That approach has worked well elsewhere, like in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, the US (under Trump) etc

Oh, hang on...

(Not a dig at the OP, but it's not exactly a pro-active approach is it? And surely anyone like this has already ensured that they've insulated themselves sufficiently with people who won't do this, making themselves largely untouchable.)

[Beany]

The problem is that any other, more proactive approach would involve direct conflict.

If NATO member states star a shooting war on the ground, then things get very dicey as Putin The House Twat would have the internal domestic support he'd need to really start pushing the military around against other NATO member states. Remember, half the population only have access to state controlled news, and many of them believe it. Just look at the sort of people who think Fox News is an impartial, legitimate source of info in the US.

Keeping it firm, but without actually firing a round in anger is about all 'The West' can do without risking a very, very serious shooting war with a nuclear power.

[Sundayjumper]

That approach has worked well elsewhere, like in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, the US (under Trump) etc

Oh, hang on...

But to be fair, the approach of going in and blowing stuff up hasn’t worked too great either.

[Beany]

That approach has worked well elsewhere, like in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, the US (under Trump) etc

Just as aside, remember that Trump was impeached for withholding aid to Ukraine unless they fabricated an investigation into the Bidens. That 52 out of 53 republican senators voted to not convict (IIRC) doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Trump has had longstanding ties with Russia (his sons are quoted as saying that's where loads of their money comes from). Trump spent a lot of time tearing down NATO and sewing discontent among european partners.

It appears Putin thought that the EU/NATO states would be so cut up in their own arguments about that (and that they expected Trump to be in office again, where he is noted as saying he'd try to pull the US from NATO) that they'd be in too much disarray to provide any sort of response as he steamrollered into Ukraine. The pulled state media piece noted earlier in the thread supports this hypotheses - stating what a mess the EU/NATO are in, how there's no 'real west' any more, etc.

Once this is all blown over one way or another, I suspect a lot of shit about Russian political influence (cash for questions/cash for policies/cash for entire party political standpoints etc) is going to come out.

And I mean a lot. It sounds like a conspiracy theory but by Christ things line up really, really nicely for it, don't they?

[Beany]

Visa and Mastercard have, allegedly, removed themselves from Russia as a payment method.

I imagine that'll get some attention among the populace.

Edit: Oh, also the Russian campaign to denazify Ukraine dropped ordnance on.....a holocaust memorial.

Is Armando Iannucio scripting the Russians battle movements or something, because this is ludicrous.

[Mito Man]

Here we have a rat

[Sundayjumper]

Was anyone else watching BBC just now ? An interview with a Russian billionaire and just behind him the absolute spitting image of Larry David. I thought I was watching Curb Your Enthusiasm.

B1D4EA5D-504F-43AD-8937-ABF8E9ED826C.jpeg (85.53 KiB) Viewed 1661 times

[Beany]

Curiously, I've noticed the number of random-word+random-digits with shitty opinions on COVID initially dried up as they started posting Russian propaganda.

Now even they've gone quite quiet. Which I'm sure had nothing to do with them not getting paid....

[Beany]

Well, this is embarrassing. And entirely predictable.

https://inews.co.uk/news/government-acc ... ts-1490017

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced last Thursday that the state-owned VTB Bank, which is the second-largest Russian bank and its largest investment bank, was the subject of a “full and immediate” asset freeze in the UK as part of the Government’s attempts to help derail Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine by targeting key finance houses.

But the following day the Treasury unit in charge of enforcing the UK’s sanctions quietly issued a 30-day licence granting permission for any individual or entity to “wind down any transactions” with VTB until 27 March

.

[Swervin_Mervin]

https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics ... sian-bank/

Doh!

[Jimmy Choo]

There's now a movement to take down Russian internet access. Take away pr0nhub and Putin will be out by the morning.

[Beany]

I think you mean 'ahahaha'

Jimmy, Russian IPs already can't get PornHub - they've been blocking Russian addresses since before the weekend.

[240PP]

Was anyone else watching BBC just now ? An interview with a Russian billionaire and just behind him the absolute spitting image of Larry David. I thought I was watching Curb Your Enthusiasm.


B1D4EA5D-504F-43AD-8937-ABF8E9ED826C.jpeg

I did a double take at that too One of my favourite shows evar.

[Jimmy Choo]

I think you mean 'ahahaha'

Jimmy, Russian IPs already can't get PornHub - they've been blocking Russian addresses since before the weekend.

[Sundayjumper]

So pretty much every sporting body in the world has booted Russia out. Not the FIA. I guess they really really do quite like the money.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/60581292

[Mito Man]

I have a feeling that the new FIA chap is about as bent as they come and this just adds to it.

[Beany]

Saw reports of Russian troops using mobile phones and civilian two way radios the other day, and assumed it was probably Ukraine propaganda.

Err, apparently not. There seems to be very limited modern, digital encrypted Comms on the ground - loads of analogue, unencrypted gear - to the extent that thousands of people are reliably listening in using software defined radio, locals are jamming frequencies in battle causing confusion and forced retreats etc.

What the fuck is Russia doing? A thread worth looking at.

[Beany]

At this stage, I'd genuinely think it's worth calling Russia's bluff on the nukes because the command and control endpoints are probabky on a coin op meter for power to save electricity costs.

And no one's put a 1 ruble coin in there for twenty years...

"But think about it Ivan, if we don't put the coin in the meter, that's an extra ruble a day for us!"

[Mito Man]

There’s some staggering stuff coming out. Russians with expired MREs, soldiers punching holes in their fuel tanks and selling fuel for money, they’re wearing gear from the 70’s. Russian soldiers started stealing mobile phones off civilians to get some form of communication.
Seemed to be loads of Russians who just ran off into the woods last night and left perfectly good equipment - tanks in good condition which even had fuel!

[jamcg]

There’s some staggering stuff coming out. Russians with expired MREs, soldiers punching holes in their fuel tanks and selling fuel for money, they’re wearing gear from the 70’s. Russian soldiers started stealing mobile phones off civilians to get some form of communication.
Seemed to be loads of Russians who just ran off into the woods last night and left perfectly good equipment - tanks in good condition which even had fuel!

It all comes back the previously discussed impression Putin is surrounded by yes men.

Are we the greatest military ever? Yes!
Do we have the best equipment ever? Yes!
Are we still the best even though most of our stuff is stamped “made in the ussr 1982”? Yes!