The Ukrainians are kicking the shit out of the Russians! Pt.2

Afghanistan was a Biden miracle of removing over 120 THOUSAND people from a hot war zone as the Afghani military ran for the hills.

Ukraine will go down as another Biden success.

Can someone point out a modern war where the invading force was able to perform a large-scale withdrawal without leaving chaos in its wake?

US - WWII Europe - yes, didn't really leave

US - WWII Japan - yes, didn't really leave

US - Korea - kinda, didn't really leave

US-Vietnam - nope

US - Panama - yes

US - Grenada - yes

USSR - Afghanistan - nope

US - Iraq - nope

US - Afghanistan - nope

None of us have any idea what is truly happening.

It's all propaganda.

Afghanistan was a mistake from the beginning. It was always going to be a mess for the US to extricate. Nevertheless, Biden did what no president before him had the guts to do. The US needed to get out.

But back to Ukraine kicking Russia's ass!

R3 It's obvious that a sovereign country was attacked and is now fighting back with all they have. No amount of 'propaganda' can obscure that.

From the last thread:

[quote]This kind of support helps Ukraine to sustain strong resistance against what was previously the world's second best military.

More accurately, "what was previously *supposed to be* the world's second best military"—but turned out to be riddled with incompetence, corruption, and low-quality equipment.

The Chinese must have absolute contempt for Russia's empty braggadoccio combined with their glorification of materialism and rampant dissoluteness. They won't lift a finger to save Putin's bacon.

R6 Who would you say was the 2nd best military?

With the invention of camera phones, this is the most documented war in human history, but we're still getting statements here that we don't know the full truth.

Well, some in some country they are not getting the full truth, but the rest of the world knows what's really going on.

R8 How vague. You're coming across like a troll trying to instil doubt.

R9, I read R8 as implying that in *Russia* they're not getting the full truth, because of the authoritarian state-controlled media, not that the West is missing the truth about some glorious Russian victory. The phone cameras are picking up the signs of Russian atrocities, yellow-and-blue flags flying in recaptured towns, etc.

R10 You're right, my bad.

a document from January this year was leaked that it was the USA that triggered and planned the energy crisis for Europe

R12 That doesn't make any sense. How did the U.S. make Putin invade Ukraine?

media starts talking about it

R13 that does make sense

It’s pretty clear now that by cultivating support among conservative American and British elites—notably his obedient quislings Boris Johnson and Donald Trump—Putin was setting the stage for this invasion. But his attempts to undermine the EU and NATO failed, and Covid and the too grotesque inadequacies of Boris and Donald really fucked up his plans.

So this invasion turned out to be a last ditch effort rather than coming from a position of strength. He’s committed one fuck of a lot of war crimes and is flirting with creating another Chernobyl, which has only mage Ukraine and it’s supporters even more desperate to get the Russians out of there. In the end it’s just another doomed vanity war like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam.

Aleksander Dugin " The situation in Ukraine has turned into a war. This is no longer a special military operation. And not the war between Russia and Ukraine, but the war between the West and Russia.. It does not matter with whose hands America is fighting, but the Himarsi strikes against the nuclear power plant block in Zaporizhia can be interpreted as an attempt at a nuclear attack on our country. If the US and NATO, along with the entire collective West, had not begun to help Ukraine, all the goals of the special operation would have been achieved long ago. But the real war started. The West has crossed all the red lines. It is irreversible. What is happening requires, above all, reflection.

R16 Sorry but British conservatives have never supported Putin's war. Boris is in fact loved in Ukraine because he was an early supporter who provided them with weapons.

RUSSIAN Report Forecasts ECONOMIC COLLAPSE - Deep & Prolonged RECESSION for RUSSIA as SANCTIONS Bite

I thought I’d offer a few thoughts on why the Russians got handled so roughly.

Obviously the Ukrainians are highly motivated and were eager to finally launch a major offensive after so much defensive fighting. And Russian bad behavior (massacres, indiscriminate shelling) didn’t help. Even in Russian speaking areas, civilians wept with joy that Ukraine had retaken the village and now the baboonish Russians were gone.

But most of the reason the Russians got shifted so easily was the. Russians themselves.

First, their forces are highly disorganized and disjointed.

Most are Russian army. The motor rifle and tank forces have decent equipment (not great but not terrible). But they have no idea why they are there and no desire to be. Corruption and mistreatment are endemic. These units have largely limited themselves to shelling from a distance.

The elite paratroopers of the army, the VDV (pronounced vay day vay) are a bit better equipped with RATNIK infantry equipment but corruption and cruel mistreatment are just as bad and these troops haven’t performed much better than the motor rifles.

Then there are the militias, the LNR and DNR. Very badly equipped (especially the LNR, my god!) and used as cannon fodder. They SHOULD be fighting in their own zones but aren’t, being sent to other places they couldn’t care less about, Witt predictable results.

Then there are the Rosgvardia, the national guard of Russia, who include the initially-vaunted Chechens. Even if they are motivated to fight (like the chechens) they lack heavy weapons or equipment. These guys were defending Balakliia when the AFU blasted through them.

But let’s not forget the Wagners, Putin’s private army. These guys are the best equipped troops and the only ones who seem capable of taking ground (after it’s been completely flattened by artillery, that is). They do not answer to the army command, only to the kremlin.

Imagine a front defended by this polyglot of forces, who don’t care about each other and, even if they did, aren’t part of the same command and communications structure. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Second, and just as important, is the failure of supply. One thing the Russian military is indisputably good at is pummeling a zone with artillery. But since the USA gave the Ukrainians HIMAR, and intel on where Russian ammo dumps are (the ukis are good at finding these themselves as well), the Russian ammo dumps are being absolutely pounded by the Ukrainians, leading to the inability of the Russians to do the one thing they’re good at — artillery barrages. Where is the ammo resupply? Nowhere to be seen.

Until the Russians centralize their command structure, improve logistics, and call conscripts up, their situation won’t improve.

As to the morale of Russian ground forces, this video from a drone pretty much sums it up.

A platoon of motor rifles in BMPs. Two of the bumps got knocked out. So the entire platoon rushes to pile into the last remaining bump in a way that would make the keystone cops proud.

Most cram in — one guy runs after the bump but can’t get in.

At the end of the video you see that one straggler turns out to have been the lucky one.

It occurs to me that the Wagners are like Putin’s Waffen SS — if the Waffen SS hadn’t been particularly good.

The ultimate irony considering that Putin claims to be denazifying Ukraine. Lol!

R22 you re one big lol, moron. Better stick to baseball.

usa helps ukraine?? hahahahhahahhahha

Eight years ago as Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine, Ukraine's gold appeared to have been hastily shipped to the United States. Nobody in authority would deny it

Today the Ukrainian central bank acknowledged that $12 billion of its gold reserves recently was sold under pressure of the war with Russia that began this year:

The video of why the goal is to meet the residents of Izyum with representatives of Zelensky's office gives a clear explanation, the main "servant of the people" who came to the city on Wednesday did not want to reach the electorate.

Residents of Izjum at a meeting with representatives of zelensky A question from woman from Izjum:

I am asking who was shooting at us for 5 months?

The reporter changes the topic ...

Resident: No! When they were Russians it was safe. I am asking who shot us for 5 months?

Let’s bring Putin to surrender

French journalist Adrian Boke: "The doctor was ordered to transport 50 bodies towards Izyum." Ukraine is preparing a provocation in which it will accuse the Russian side.

God, more vatniki on this thread. Do you think if we give hem some vodka, krokodil, or beets, they'll go? Or, if it's Glenn, shouldn't he be getting pre-lubed, ready to troll favelas for underage cock?

Damn r21, that was crazy. Reminds one that war sucks for everyone.

R28, I blocked them from thread 1. There are only two of them. Block them both.

R23, you seem highly triggered by the observation that Putin is a Hitler wannabe.

How are things on the troll farm?

Donieck is constantly bombed by ukranians and nato ,people. 13 people killed TODAY what is wrong with you?

this is trolling for you ? 20 years old girls was hit in the spine with a fragment of a BSP missile...Girl was supposed to pay for the Internet and came under fire from NATO by fascist artillery ... they rushed to the rescue and heroically helped Inna, even though ukrainians missiles exploded nearby...The surgeons' prognosis turned out to be disappointing: despite many hours of surgery, the fragment caused serious damage to her spine and the girl would probably not be able to walk anymore

I blocked both of the troll farm employees.

R34 employees ? how trush you must be to SUPPORT KILLIN CIVILIANS! Thank god, there are not a lot of you, only a few stupid brainwashed faggots

Yup block them both, they’re obviously paid trolls and liars. Ignore them, seriously, you’ll lose brain cells reading their troll bullshit.

R36 prove it, ukrainian whore. i don't doubt we have some of them here.

The crude English though, lol.

These trolls are here defending Russian mass murder. In 1943 they’d be here talking about the way the Jews “victimize poor innocent German people.”

“What wrongg with few faggots with hatred poor germsn pepples?”

[quote] bombed by ukranians and nato ,people. 1

Lol!

Of course this could very well be mentally ill matt-fatso playing characters again. No life, all the time in the world. He’s a fascjst and loves Putin so it makes sense.

R39 there is no russian mass murder, it is not 1939. And THERE WERE NONE RUSSIA IN 1939 !!!! ONLY ZSRR SO UKRIANE AS WELL you re fucking moron and idiot hahahahahah Ukraine killed many jews, poles in 1939 . You dont know history , you re dumb american. Ukrainians were quardians in nazist german concetrations camps because they were known for their brutality. you know shit , man .so stop talking about history

So now I have to hate russians because they were killling us in 39, but ukrianes was doing it as well but I have to forget about it. Your logis is tremendous

R40 hi Vladimir, how’s it going?

R42 go back to school

The STING.

Yeah this is definitely Matt-fatso role playing

Meanwhile, Russia shelled a nuclear plant.

"@DefenceHQ

Russia has highly likely lost at least four combat jets in Ukraine within the last 10 days, taking its attrition to approximately 55 since the start of the invasion.

There is a realistic possibility that this uptick in losses is partially a result of the Russian Air Force accepting greater risk as it attempts to provide close air support to Russian ground forces under pressure from Ukrainian advances.

Russian pilots’ situational awareness is often poor; there is a realistic possibility that some aircraft have strayed over enemy territory and into denser air defence zones as the front lines have moved rapidly.

Russia’s continued lack of air superiority remains one of the most important factors underpinning the fragility of its operational design in Ukraine."

R47 what ukriane lost ? tell us. Or ukriane doesnt say anything about it. If russia lost 4 , ukriane lost at least 10.

R46 Thats not true, again ukriane does something and blame russia...Ukriane REALLY is pathetic.But this is very dangerous. Why russia would destroy something like that while russians are there?Do you realy THINK SOMETIMES? OR you buy everything what ukraine say. I repeat , ukriane lied about massive raping by russians. They ARE LYING all the time . Do you understand that they want to leave rusians without ELECTRICITY!!! Winter is coming, thats why!!you re so stupid.

R46 Why russians would bomb themselves?? The huge explosion thundered just 300 meters from the PAPP reactors. The shock wave damaged the buildings of the nuclear power plant, more than 100 windows were broken. One of the hydroelectric plants of the Aleksandrovskaya power plant, which is part of the South energy complex, has been shut down. Three high-voltage lines were also shut down. So russians are bombing themselves to shut down their nuclear power plant? IS that make sense?

They are really stupid if they are deliberately firing on nuclear plants. Maybe they can't aim for shit?

R50 Ukrainians do it because they want make nuclear power plants to stop working. IT is simple. For purpose they are aiming 300 m from the PAPP. They want russians (and ukrainians) sit in cold houses during winter. This is terrorism

Russian pop megastar Alla Pugacheva condemns Putin's war.

Apparently she's a really big deal in Russia - the biggest pop star in the past 50 years - and quite a few people are talking about it.

jesus christ

The nuclear plant is in Ukrainian-held territory. Russia wants to shut it down.

In Belweder Palace, Minister @JacekSiewiera met the heroic soldiers of the #Azow Regiment and the wives and mothers who came from Ukraine and are currently in captivity to the defenders of the #Azowstal metallurgical plant. this is polish twitter, 99,9999% comments are nagative and criticize( soft word) president.Polish people hate ukrianians and Azov. They show nazi pictures with azov soldeirs..They want presiden to hang(seriously) , they should be death penalty for it.Thats how it is in Poland. We dont trust ukrainians and we know they are nazi. The are not troll like idiots here call me. They are normal citizens who devastated whats going on

R54 so why bombs are coming from ukrainian side?

There's shutting it down and then there's causing a major environmental disaster. Russia is fucking crazy evil.

Russia attacked the plant - not Ukraine. God you NaZis are tiresome.

R57 WHY BOMBING COMES FROM UKRAINIAN SIDE , fucking brainless idiot?

I blocked the Russian apologist/troll and half the thread disappeared.

R58 you re nazi with your ukrainians, whore..ukriane attacked the plant , AS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM BEFORE. They are doing it for purpose

It would be nice if we could actually make people disappear as easily in real life.

ukriane bombs power plant

R62 heil hitler !

You're telling me, R62!

and good ,Chinese military equipment is already operational in Ukraine.

This is what the brain-dead NaZi vatnik trolls love. ALLAHU AKBAR

Yes, block the two trolls. I don’t see them at all, and saving some brain cells in the process. They are epically stupid.

Meanwhile, in the third world countries, the situation is under control. Black stabbed a policewoman and a policeman in central London trying to explain something to them ...

ROTFL at that pathetic attempt at deflection, r69.

You people have nothing. Nothing at all. Your beloved Putin will lose his war, and -hopefully - his life.

The Ukrainian Nazi regime again struck rockets at the detention center in Jeleniówka. One prisoner has been killed and four are injured. Zelensky said it russians work too?

R670 Uk is like US now. Live with it .This is real, no putin propaganda. You re so disgusting. You see putin everywhere? Maybe go to doctor

As I said on another thread, russia must be in really bad shape for all these trolls to be out en masse declaring victory and trying to badmouth Ukraine.

Greece, France, Moldova - great anti-government demonstrations. "Governments to resign, we want gas, not Ukrainian refugees" ...thousands of people is sick of ukraine and want to live normally. . WE HAVE bad situation in europe!! electricity bills are very high

R73 all ? I am just one here, you schizophrenic

Alla Pugacheva coming out against the war is a HUGE deal.

Nya Dagbladet is a far-right Swedish site supporting anti-vaxx, conspiracy, 5G cancer etc. Stupid bullshit isn't limited to just the US.

Most Europeans would rather freeze than live under Russian hegemony. Fortunately, Poles may not have to.

R78 you dont understans , poles(hmm"polish govenment") GAVE FOR FREE 400,000 tons of coal and NOW UKRIANE SELLS US OUR OWN COAL and it looks liek they are helping us ...please, dont post those shit western idiocy...we own citizen we know what it looks like . Ukriane is geven everything from poland, sugar, coal, food etc etc as humanitarian aid. Whta more Ukraine buy from russia GAS but zelensh forbidden Europe to buy gas from russia, could you explain it? Nowe poles we have no gas

Ukrainian authorities are investigating five reports of child sexual abuse by Russian soldiers. (Link is in Russian, but you naZis shouldn’t have any problem with that.

Ukrainian authorities. lol I repeat AUTHORITIES Russian ate those children too?hahah

The Baltic states are finally closing their borders to Russian citiZens - what took them so long?

R82 they are rusophobies, better keep nazist and lovers of bandera. Estonia is a country who have many,many russians, they speak russian there.It is impossible . It is Poland's idea ,because they want to start 3 WW, of course on usa commans of course. Poland seems to hate russians, but people dont. Stop with that bandera philosphy. Bandera hated every nation, russians, poles etc We cannot turn into banderstadt

If Russia is such a paradise, how come it isn’t full of American and European immigrants?

R84 what , who says russia is a paradise?ukraine is a happy paradise , go to work there for 100 dollars a month.

It's funny Steven Seagal immigrated there after making all those rah rah American he-man movies.

R86, he moved there because they have very lax rules for what he likes. (Hint, hint.)

R87 what he likes_ like zelensky sleeps with underaged children?

RASHA NAMBER ONE STRONK KONTRY!

R46 , they are playing Russian Roulette with a giant power nuclear plant!

[quote]Tonight the Russian occupiers shelled Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant. The missile fell 300 meters from the nuclear reactors, Energoatom reports.

[quote]President Zelenskyy published a video of a rocket explosion on the territory of the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant.

R90 russians uploaded it first, you loser

here This body, with fresh blood and clean ropes, was allegedly taken from the tomb in Izjum, what a clown zhelensky is

Russians complaining about war casualties is like Charles Manson complaining about handcuff chaffing.

If you don’t want war causalities, don’t start a war, dumbshit.

Better analogy than r92: Russia is like a rapist complaining his victim scratched him as she was trying to escape

The vatnik is literally saying the corpse found in Izyum is a “crisis actor.”

I wonder if it’s physically painful to be that stupid. I certainly hope so.

R95, it’s astounding. Block him, you don’t want to catch stupid.

Ukraine has recaptured its first village in Luhansk, a region that Russian forces took five months to bomb into submission and conquer.

Belogorovka village lies only a dozen or so miles from the towns of Lysychansk and Severdonestsk, key regional economic centres in the wider Donbas region that the Kremlin has promised to defend at all costs.

Serhiy Gaidai, the Ukrainian head of Luhansk, said that Ukrainian soldiers were now in “full control” of Belogorovka.

Russian propagandists on Russian TV seem to have resorted to bigging up how strong and powerful NATO, the US is and so on, to claim that they're actually fighting against NATO. It looks like setting things up to explain defeat.

Is that the line r98? Well, if they at least are admitting things ain't perfect and getting better, I guess that is all still a step in the right direction.

R98 proof? Links?

I watch Russian television occasionally r100 ( I am not r98). I have seen plenty of commentary about how the Russians are fighting America, and how American troops are fighting in Ukraine. They can’t admit that Ukrainians don’t want them there.

State Duma deputy on the air of a Russian propaganda dump said that "nuclear strike will not be against Ukraine, but against Germany and Britain."

"@IlyaMatveev_

Overall, I think three "plans" are brewing in the Russian leadership.

Medvedev's plan - "ending" the war by annexing all occupied territories and declaring that Ukrainian attacks on them equal attacks on the Russian soil, warranting a nuclear response.

This leaves significant parts of the Donbas, including many Donetsk suburbs, under Ukrainian control and will surely result in Russia being more isolated in the world than at any other time in its history...

...not to mention an obscene risk of nuclear annihilation. But this could be sold as a "victory" in Russia (and to the Kremlin itself - mentally).

Then there's Kadyrov/Zyuganov's plan - full mobilization, war economy and fighting to the bitter end.

Finally, there's the generals' plan: to try and defend the occupied territories while constantly striking critical infrastructure all over Ukraine in an effort to bring the Ukrainian government to the negotiating table.

All three plans are sure to cause immense further suffering, all carry insane risks and the first two are quite fantastical, while the third one will certainly result in failure - Ukraine will carry on and launch even more powerful offensives in spring-summer 2023."

R100 'JuliaDavisNews' regularly posts clips from Russian TV, just do a search for her username.

Okay, things might be getting interesting/stepping up a gear out of desperation...

1) Russian lawmakers in the Duma have just raised penalties on soldiers for "voluntarily surrendering" and for pillaging (to 10 and 15 years in prison, respectively). Duma deputies also legally defined the terms "mobilization," “martial law,” & “wartime” in Russia's criminal code.

2) Russian-installed officials in Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk have all now said they're going to hold referendums on joining RU imminently, with Zaporizhzhia expected to follow. This is despite that Russia doesn't fully control any of the four regions.

Putin is an expert at the long game - he should ‘generously’ offer an armistice, then fall back to the pre-February positions and freeze the war until after the U.S. election in 2024 to give him time to regroup and rebuild. People will gradually forget about Ukraine. Then, if the GQP wins (with his help!) then come 2025 Putin won’t have to worry about U.S. opposition anymore. And NATO without the U.S. won’t be much of a threat.

I know he’s supposed to be at death’s door, but that’s not the CIA’s assessment.

Trump being president wouldn't magically hand Ukraine over either - you're forgetting that the Ukrainians themselves won't, and that Europe would still be supporting Putin even if Congress supports Trump. What freebies can or would Trump give Putin anyway?

I can't say that I've ever thought that Putin was good at the long game either. He's a good tactician but a poor strategist. I've thought that he may have Asperger's, and they tend to not be good at seeing the bigger picture.

*supporting the fight against Putin

Russia is offering fast-track citizenship to foreigners who spend 12 months in its military. Moscow will even open a recruitment hub at a migration centre that most foreigners (typically labour migrants from Central Asia) have to go to when they arrive in the country.

Where are the patriotic Russians joining up? An army of convicts and migrants isn't very encouraging.

Okay migrants, big decision: fight for a year against the Ukrainian army, or get a red-eye to Massachusetts?

[quote]Russia is offering fast-track citizenship to foreigners who spend 12 months in its military

Wtf wants to immigrate to a shithole like Russia?

People from the Stans and Syria, mostly.

Also, you can’t be a citizen if you’re dead.

[quote]So this is what happened. "Wagner" recruited convicts and signed contracts with them: get out of prison if you fight Ukraine. They got several days training and were sent to Bakhmut. Then guess what? They surrendered.

The Armenia/Azerbaijan and Tajik/Kyrgyz conflicts are heating up, so those countries won’t be too keen to provide cannon fodder (or should I say surrender fodder) to Putin.

^ Like many in this thread, not a credible source.

This report gives a very different view, with a journalist in the battle zone. Whatever you think it's interesting. It at least gives (which other reports don't) the Ukrainian casualities. The point he makes is that the entire Karkov campaign appears to have been a trap laid by the Russians to maximise casualities for the mere gain of cow pasture.

^ Like many in this thread, not a credible source. Galloway is a notorious tankie.

Yeah, but it's not Galloway who is doing the reporting. This is a guy on the ground. ALSO, the fact that no Western media provide casualty stats for the Ukranian side is very telling - it makes it like propaganda. The fact he's suggesting that the Russians have decided to now wage a war of attrition is very interesting, and very believable...i.e. there will come a point where the Ukrainians simply don't have the manpower to continue on.

George Galloway has long been a paid Kremlin propagandist, regularly appearing on RT in the UK. Please find a better source.

r119 We know that the Russians have killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians. Do you not see the mass graves and the shelled out cities like Mariupol? It's constantly covered in the news. But Ukraine is a country with over 43 MILLION people and a much higher uptake for their army because they're fighting for their home and country. The Russians are the ones struggling to recruit motivated people.

Great!! Love ❤️ Ukrainians. Tough-ass people! Fighters!

The Mouse That Roared…

R199 That 'guy on the ground' is another obvious paid Kremlin propaganist. Your sources are HORRIBLE and come straight from the Kremlin mouthpiece. Try Reuters, AP for better sources.

I wish the Ukranians the very best: I hope they win resoundingly! But the Western news reports have been like propaganda in not giving casuality stats for BOTH sides. And the point this reporter is trying to make about the Kharkov campaign – which you obviously haven't bothered to view – is very believable. The Russians made a decision to pull out and regroup, pounded the Ukrainians coming in to open fields with artillery, and caused massive casualties. Maybe the Ukrainians would have been better using those resources to reclaim cities rather than open land.

R124 But it's Gonzalo Lira and George Galloway. I already know that they are Kremlin liars and propagandists. Maybe if you provided neutral sources dedicated to trying to find out the truth, I would take you seriously. So, where do you live? St Petersburg?

Here's another article about Gonzalo Lira.

Yes, downtown St Petersburg. In a dormitary in the Block 25 Special Internet Ops Unit. I'm just taking a break on this thread from the Harry Styles one.

Re: the plan to hold annexation referendums in Donetsk and Luhansk: so much for their precious sovereignty, which was one of Putin’s excuses for invading Ukraine in the first place. Has anyone asked the local warlords what they think of this plan?

The referendums are so full of shit. Online voting and polling stations *in Russia*. Yep, not even in Donetsk and Luhansk. I wonder why - is that because they know they don't control those regions fully or will face resistance...

I’m sure the vote will be 99.8% in favor of annexation… but on 3% turnout

"Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Russian President Vladimir Putin must return all land that Russia has occupied, including Crimea.

The Black Sea peninsula should be returned to its “rightful owners,” Erdoğan told PBS NewsHour on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in comments likely to provoke ire in Moscow."

Anyway, if Donetsk and Luhansk do become integral parts of Russia, and the fighting ends, then there’s no more reason to keep Ukraine out out of NATO.

There is no way at all that the fighting will end. Ukraine hates Russia at this point, and morale to fight is still high. Nobody in Ukraine believes those referendums are real.

Here's Ukraine's government saying as much:

"@DmytroKuleba (Ukraine government official)

Sham ‘referendums’ will not change anything. Neither will any hybrid ‘mobilization’. Russia has been and remains an aggressor illegally occupying parts of Ukrainian land. Ukraine has every right to liberate its territories and will keep liberating them whatever Russia has to say."

So what escalation will Putin order once it's clear that Ukraine does not accept the annexation? Mobilization? Nuclear? More cruel rockets and atrocities aimed at civilians?

It’ll be fun to see all the Russia-loving traitors in the US shrieking that the 98% pro-annexation votes are totally legit. Because they’re such experts on election integrity. Actually I wouldn’t put it past Putin to invite Sidney Powell, Kari Lake, Mike Lindell, Rudy Giuliani etc as “election observers.”

[quote] Maybe the Ukrainians would have been better using those resources to reclaim cities rather than open land.

They didn't reclaim "open land"; they reclaimed strategic supply points.

R131, it's interesting seeing the illiberal, autocratic leaders (Erdoğan, Putin, Orbán, Tokayev) falling out with each other when push comes to shove over territory.

Stay tuned for glorious oratory from Russian leader!

Thanks r137. Did this occur? It’s 9:30 pm Moscow time.

I bet Putin is going to threaten to use nukes if Ukraine tries to “invade” these territories after the referendums.

I don’t think he’s threaten that openly, but he’ll certainly promise to use “any means necessary”.

New plans! No glorious oratory from Russian leader! Go to sleep now!

Russia's stock market dropped 10% at the news of annexation referendums since it's been seen as a precursor to war. Searching for 'how to leave Russia' has spiked massively there. Rumors swirling. I wonder why the speech was postponed especially if it was pre-recorded as reported. Seems like maybe they're going back and forth on this.

Interesting r142, I didn’t know it was pre-recorded. I wonder if they’re having second thoughts. 10 percent is huge.

R143, there now is some thinking that Putin may not only declare war (up until now it’s just been a “ special military operation”) but also institute some form of draft.

He didn’t show up for his own speech.

Now the Kremlin's saying an announcement 9am Wednesday (2am EST, 7am BST).

Could be declaration of war, announcement of draft, or Swan Lake playing on a loop. Who the fuck knows.

Interesting that they moved it to the middle of the night. Must not be good. (As if he had anything good to say.)

It’ll be morning (actually it already is morning) in Moscow.

I expect it’ll be some sort of unilateral declaration that the four oblasts are now sovereign Russian territory- regardless of the facts on the ground, which they will to justify nuclear retaliation against Ukraine and maybe even NATO.

There’s nothing more dangerous than an insane dictator who believes his own propaganda.

I don’t think Putin will use nuclear weapons. Not because he has any morals, but because Biden has told him there will be consequences.

His spokesbitch has already mentioned the possibility of nuclear war.

Biden’s speaking at the UN General Assembly tomorrow… interesting timing for Vlad’s land grab.

Those spokespeople say lots of stupid and implausible things.

Do most Russians know how bad it’s going or only the ones with western news access. I can’t believe they would fall for all this propaganda once again. You’d think they wonder why they still can’t get Starbucks or go to the World Cup if they were truly winning

Breaking: Putin announces "partial mobilization" in Russia, starting today.

He also stated that the possible use of nukes is not a bluff, so that's still hanging over everything when the Ukrainians inevitably still try to take Donetsk and Luhansk after the sham referendums. Evil cunt.

I’d love to see Margarita Simonyan stomped to death by Ukrainian grandmothers on live TV.

AP.-BREAKING: Russian President Putin announces partial military mobilization before votes in four Ukrainian regions to join Russia as Moscow loses ground in war.

R119 it is all propaganda.

Biden wants to keep giving money to the Ukraine. To keep Americans supportive of the proxy war they must feel like they are winning. Wag the Dog extremus.

[quote]"@olliecarroll On Putin’s “bluff”: Ukraine is bombing military facilities in Belgorod, Kursk, Crimea — all legitimate defensive operations. It has pushed border Russian guards kilometres into Russia, and is likely mining inside the border. What changes with these sham referenda and new threats?"

[quote]"@OAlexanderDK Shoigu has announced that Russia will call up 300,000 reservists. The number of bodies able to be called up was never Russia's problem. It is effectively readying and equipping these reservists. Russia already has problems equipping its professional armed forces."

[quote]"@x1skv 300k males is about 1% of all 🇷🇺 males between 20 and 55"

R158 That's the Kremlin line and denies the Ukrainians any agency over whether they want to fight or give up their country. Shameful on your part. Also, the Ukrainians ARE winning - Putin has had to give up his initial aim of taking over all of Ukraine, especially Kyiv and regime change. He has had to postpone declaring victory more than twice now e.g. there were plans to do so on Russia's Victory Day. And the Ukrainians recently took back a significant portion of land in the Kharkiv oblast.

For the Kremlin trolls who are super-sad that we don't talk about how many Ukrainian soldiers have been killed by the mighty Russians: Shoigu has just said that they have killed 61,207 and wounded 49,368 out of 201-202k Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Shoigu also says that officially 5,937 Russian soldiers have been killed by the Ukrainians.

So there you go. The Mighty Russian Forces have killed over 10x soldiers than the Ukrainians have killed. Truly impressive.

R160 we have no idea.

It is all propaganda on BOTH sides. Unless you are there you have no idea what is really happening.

R162 Aha yes, it's known to be the Russian troll strategy to try to make people believe that they can't believe anything, that 'everything's propaganda' and 'nothing can be trusted'. But I definitely don't buy that. There are plenty of good and trusted sources and news sites, vaccines and so on out there. I do have to employ discernment which is why I don't post stuff put out by most Ukrainians unless it's relevant but I do have news sources whom I trust a lot more than others and it's clear to me what is roughly going on here. And it was an illegal invasion of a sovereign country. And that what has happened in Bucha, Mariupol, Izium and countless other places in Ukraine makes it clear that the neo-Nazis here are the Russians. And even the Russians themselves admit that the Ukrainians won Kharkiv back, so who's advancing and who's losing here?

So Russia's gonna do its old throw as many bodies at the problem as possible. They've done it before. It's sort of worked, however, Russia doesn't have enough equipment. When you're buying arms from Iran and North Korea, you've got problems. While Russia prides itself on the Soviet defeat of the Nazis, what they forget is that they were getting that nice American gear at the time. This time, the Ukrainians are getting the good stuff.

R162, Yes, and it drives the Russians crazy that Ukraine is good at PR. However, NATO, particularly the Americans, know quite a bit--and the figures that the Ukrainians give tend to align reasonably close to the estimates made by the Americans.

In other words, Russians out-and-out lie on general (lack of) principle; the Ukrainians don't, though they put a pro-Ukraine spin on things. The two sides aren't the same.

What a shit show!!!

How convenient you have 'trusted sources' and whatever I say is 'Russian' what bullshit.

There are no trusted sources in a propaganda war.

R166 Do I trust Reuters and AP more than Gonzalo Lira? Absolutely, 100% yes. And if you look at the Bulwark article I posted about him, they have a list of things he was flat out wrong about and even admits that he was wrong about, such as that that Russia would not invade Ukraine. Or he claimed that the Moskva wasn't sunk by the Ukrainians but then backpedaled on that one too. So much for someone on the ground being more reliable... He's an anti-vaxxer even though Russia's leadership isn't anti-vax and have a vaccine of their own. It's crazy that you think Lira is equivalent to Reuters and AP as a source.

Here's the main reason why Reuters and AP are reliable: They sell their reporting to everyone. That's right, they sell it to Russian state TV as well as to CNN and Fox News. The news stations then can put their spin on it. But what's fundamental is that the reporting is trying to get the basic state of things.

I believe that you believe that R168

It's a hell of a lot more reliable than Gonzalo Lira who is fairly obviously a covertly Russian-funded troll working to try to sow doubt and divide the West, amplify extremist factions (he moved from incels and antivaxxers to this invasion - quite a jump!) When you are selling your reporting to both the right and the left, and to multiple countries, you don't have a lot of incentive to try to put out propaganda for someone or the other.

And I believe that you believe that you are intelligent r169.

R171 That's not a very good argument is it, mate?

[Quote]What a shit show!!!

Well, I suggest they all keep away from open windows.

Even on the ground floor.

Oh man, Lira believes that women who've gotten vaxxed have been rendered sterile. No journalism background. I mean did it even occur to the poster flogging this guy as legit that real journalists have *sources*. Why would you think this guy would be the one person who has access to Ukrainian casualty figures? When did he develop these amazing sources?

He's one of those Incel admirers of Putin, basically.

Hi trolls

Russian TV's Olga Skabeyeva is a good villain. She looks so cold and hard.

"Next week four regions will join Russia," declares Olga Skabeyeva this morning.

(Not even pretending that 'votes' have to be counted first.)

"Don't believe anything, it's all propaganda, both sides do it" isn't just a Russian troll talking point, it's a deeply held Russian belief, and in Russia itself it's probably true.

Anyway, the Russian defense minister is currently promising the 300,000 conscripts that they won't be sent to the "special operations zone." I think we can all agree *that's* a lie.

How much actually useful equipment is Russia going to have to even arm these guys? If they're going to North Korea for shit now the stockpile of guns that don't blow up in the operators face must be quite low. Plus isn't it about now Ukraine and Southern Russia turn to mud and snow for the next 6 months?

This "proxy war" bullshit completely erases the Ukrainians themselves as agents and even as people, just as the crap about Russian imperial claims over Ukraine does. Ukraine is fiercely fighting against the Russians in their own interests—it's also in American interests (and Polish, and Baltic, and Turkish, and Finnish, and German, etc.) to give them material support.

The Putin-lickers claim that supporting the Ukrainians against the Russians makes you some kind of reactionary neo-cold-war hawk, but by abandoning liberal principles of self-determination and anti-colonialism—by completely erasing the Ukrainians as having any voice or action—they give away their reactionary, authoritarian bias.

^ 🙄

You disagree that Russia is a reactionary regime, r180?

Why should Ukrainians be forced to submit to Russia?

Trolling by emoji does not deserve a response

The nazi trolls reallly think “🙄” is a real argument

Traitor trolls will try anything to help the enemy. Even emojis.

It'll be interesting to see how much this conscription widens the fractures in Russian society.

R181 to R184, there would be no war if America, and NATO, didn't have an interest.

And there would be no Ukrainian defence without Western arms.

Unfortunately, and fortunately, that's the only agency Ukraine has.

If that doesn't fit the definition of a proxy war, well, I am a troll, I guess, or a realist.

[quote] there would be no war if America, and NATO, didn't have an interest

= Ukraine should have capitulated and been absorbed into Russia back in February (and then the Baltics, and then Finland ....)

So, R186, you support an avowedly colonialist power seizing its neighbor's territory. No population has the right to self-determination if a stronger power wants control. Agency inheres in military power? Might makes right? That imperialist logic might eventually bite your Russian friends in the ass.

[quote]And there would be no Ukrainian defence without Western arms

And now, apparently, there would be no Russian offense without North Korean arms.

Neither side can be believed, military force is the only arbiter of policy—what cynics our trolls have become!

To the extent it is a proxy war, It’s China’s proxy war. Russia is just the unwitting pawn of the CCP.

"GDANSK, Sept 21 (Reuters) - One-way flights out of Russia were selling out fast on Wednesday after President Vladimir Putin ordered the immediate call-up of 300,000 reservists.

Google Trends data showed a spike in searches for Aviasales, which is Russia's most popular website for purchasing flights.

Direct flights from Moscow to Istanbul in Turkey and Yerevan in Armenia, both destinations that allow Russians to enter without a visa, were sold out on Wednesday, according to Aviasales data.

Some routes with stopovers, including those from Moscow to Tbilisi, were also unavailable, while the cheapest flights from the capital to Dubai were costing more than 300,000 roubles ($5,000) - about five times the average monthly wage."

R187, I was rejecting the assertion in R180's that it's not a proxy war.

Not that the Ukrainians shouldn't fight.

The world is not binary.

Unless, of course, you're anti-trans.

Are you trying to say that there are more than two sexes and that homosexuality is transphobic, r191?

Just because other countries see an interest in Ukraine's sovereignty and send them aid doesn't make it a "proxy war." Ukraine isn't Diem's South Vietnam; the country is united and determined to resist (so far with a fair degree of success). Was the Battle of Britain a mere proxy war before Dec. 7, 1941? Or does Britain have some higher status because it had an empire?

[Quote]Just because other countries see an interest in Ukraine's sovereignty

They didn't always. Or, at least, not willing to support a war for it, R193.

That's a good point - Putin miscalculated by thinking he could take over all of Ukraine. He would have been much smarter to just focus on annexing the Donetsk, and then sometime later, Luhansk, and so on. Piecemeal would have worked better. I guess hubris got to him.

He couldn't stop with a few pieces of eastern Ukraine; his ambition is to take back the Baltics and other former imperial/Soviet territories. Kazakhstan can see that as well as Estonia, Poland, et al. can.

Putin's rhetoric is making me nervous. He is being made the fool by the Ukrainians. Russians are amoral, cruel and vicious by nature, he will respond like a trapped rat. It ain't gonna be pretty.

He has no real allies, R197--none who will defend him or aid him against the rest of the civilized world, certainly not aid that will have any effect. China won't. North Korea? Iran? What a joke. He's an isolated dictator rattling his hollow tin sabre, and if he attempts any escalation that involves nuclear weapons, Russia will be buried by the West and the rest of the world. And then he will truly be over.

R197 "He is being made the fool by the Ukrainians" How is that?

Actually, R194, NATO and the US did mount sanctions against Russia and supplied substantial military training and funding after the 2014 invasion of Crimea (and other regions). They just have ramped up that support since Russia ramped up its invasion to include the rest of Ukraine in Feb. 2022.

A Navalny activist pretended to be a military enlistment officer and called Putin's spokesman's son (Peskov) who is in the military to report to the military enlistment office. The son said that he wouldn't be going. "You must understand how wrong it’s for me to be there. I’ll deal with it on another level," he said, thinking he was speaking with a military enlistment officer.

IF Putin plans to use a nuke, he’ll have to figure out how to plausibly blame it on Ukraine - because as everyone knows, Ukraine gave up its nukes to Russia upon its independence in exchange for Russian promises to respect Ukrainian sovereignty.

No one except the vatnik retards here will ever believe that Ukraine used a NATO nuke on itself.

R202 putin will use a nuke and blame it on ukriane? sorry ,how old are you? how would it be even possible? Putin will use it only when nato attacks russia, so donieck soon.

NATO isn’t going to attack Russia, you complete moron. Not unless Russia attacks NATO first.

R204 donieck will soon become russia, IF NATO attacks it even one racket or bomb((american's, polish's, british's whatever) russia WILL BE ATTACKED, you get it?

Just a reminder, fellow DL’ers, we have two trolls on the thread that should be blocked. They’re obvious shills and trolls for Russia and Putin.

They are hateful cunts who get under the skin like a chigger.

R207 you are talking about hate? funny

Why a Pole would lick Putin’s boots is beyond me, but here we are.

But anyway, if Ukraine uses an American rocket against Donetsk, that doesn’t mean America is “attacking Donetsk” - otherwise would that mean Ukraine should bomb Iran for providing drones to Russia?

R209 why as pole I should lick ukraina's boots? Tell me. Have you heard about Wolyń?

Block, block, block! And when in doubt… block! Your brain cells are too precious to waste on the drivel of Putty boot lickers.

Unfortunately, blocks take about 24h to work, at least in my experience.

Blocks are instant for me.

I rejoice to say that I can't see the obviously preposterous posts some of you guys are responding to. I can, however read the delightful news that "Putin’s vague threats against the 'collective West' have been met with more shrugs and yawns in the United States and Europe. If anything, there is more panic in Russia ... The president’s ukase (edict) has been met with chaos and confusion in the streets."

Mica salis, of course, but certainly rings true.

Me too, r213.

"@christogrozev

Russia's ultranationalist and mercenaries, who had briefly been appeased by Putin's mobilization announcement, are getting a heart attack now hearing that he also exchanged all Azov commanders and dozens more for Medvechuk - whom they despise."

Who are you to tell whom they want to belong to? Who are you??? Ukraine if it is democratic country, should do referendum

Big prisoner exchange - 215 Ukrainians including 108 Azov fighters (5 commanders included) for Medvedchuk and 55 Russian soldiers.

[quote]@VolodyaTretyak "Pro-#Russian channels are exploding after #Azovstaldefenders have been released from captivity"

When the Azov fighters were captured the ultranationalists on state TV and in blogs were all baying for their executions and arrests for treason. This is going down like a lead balloon.

[quote]@ChristopherJM Russian war propagandists also having a fit. Medvedchuk is liked by nobody. His wife once joked to me that she’d leave him if it weren’t for his Crimea mansion. I actually think she may have been serious.

Meanwhile Ukrainians are happy their brave defenders are freed.

[quote]@lapatina_ I have absolutely no idea how Ukraine managed to do this, and how the Kremlin will explain this swap to the public, after threatening Azov fighters with terrorism charges and execution. But right at this moment Ukrainians are crying from happiness

Hey R210, how many of the invasions, and atrocities Russia committed against Poland would you like me to post?

R219 ZSRR , you mean.. and ukraine also belonged to ZSRR. There were no thing like Russia

Ile ci płacą?

Russian stocks crash on signs Putin may escalate Ukraine war with military mobilization and Ukraine annexation

R221 Z dobroci serca to piszę, bo tak uważam. Dajcie ludziom normalnie życ na wschodzie,chcą mieć spokój.

This is what is happening now on the border between Russia and Georgia:

The Pole Troll does not represent the vast majority of his countrymen. To szkoda.

it is the same in poland..500,000 men from ukraine are in Poland who ran away

R225 do you really think what POLSIH people think is in this article? Are you kidding me? Fake , fake, fake, ask any man on the street

Mateusz, which of the three Partitions of Poland was your favorite. The first one?

The second one?

Or the third and final one, during which your country ceased to exist for 120 years?

R229 Putin never said that he wants Poland, stop making me laugh. We have no russians here who want to be part of russia

And yet you're kissing Putin's ass. Why?

R233 is there a rule that I have to criticize everything what putin does? Russia is no worse than usa

Releasing the Azov soldiers for a busted old man everyone hates seems like a strange thing to do. Russia said they were evil Nazis they had to liberate Ukraine from, but on the flip side they are such a symbol of resilience and heroism for the people in Ukraine. Well, nobody said Russia was smart.

They're about to get NUKED.

Russia also said it invaded Ukraine to preserve the glorious eternal sovereignty of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.

How fares the glorious sovereign Republic of Transnistria? Wasn't so long ago they had high hopes of joining the Motherland.

[quote]Biden wants to keep giving money to the Ukraine.

Our vatnik troll has an interesting linguistic tell. Nobody has referred to "the Ukraine" since it was territory of the USSR.

Pro tip: Putin doesn't own Ukraine. He's finding that out the hard way. When will you?

That's amazing R224. I've heard also that all one-way flights out of the country are booked at huge costs.

That's called voting with your feet.

In the past day, Russian forces have launched nine missiles on Zaporizhzhia, damaging infrastructure objects and residential buildings, one person has been killed, Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Oleksandr Starukh reported.

And Putin expects us to acknowledge that in a few days time the his referenda will declare Zaporizhzhia wants to be part of Russia..

Russia has also shelled Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, with a Grad multiple launch rocket system, damaging 17 houses and killing a man, according to Valentyn Reznichenko, the governor of this oblast.

Hey, here’s something I didn’t know. Here we were thinking the dishwasher theft was just poor Russian troops pilfering for themselves, but the Russian army has been reduced to using the chips from them in its military equipment.

Yet the Russian army still controls about 20% of Ukraine, r242.

At least our governments have stopped with the nonsense claims that the Russian economy is about to collapse because of sanctions or that Putin is terminally ill. In another 6 months, when this war is still continuing and the Russians still control a large chunk of Ukraine, will you still receive the "information" the White House puts out in exactly the way the White House intends you to receive it, or will you start to wonder why the war is dragging on for so long, even though the Russian army allegedly has to use chips from washing machines?

R243 Wait, when has the government said either of those things? I don't remember them saying those things. It was rumors and opinions by journalists and commentators, not from any governments.

r242, not surprising

as far as materiel - russia seems underequiped and ill-served logistically. it's highly likely that somewhere in Russia there is a stockpile of chips, but there is such poor logistics that they would never get to the front

R243 is one of our Boris trolls. Shouldn't you be fighting for the glory of Mother Russia, R243?

[quote]In another 6 months, when this war is still continuing and the Russians still control a large chunk of Ukraine, will you still receive the "information" the White House puts out in exactly the way the White House intends you to receive it, or will you start to wonder why the war is dragging on for so long, even though the Russian army allegedly has to use chips from washing machines?

I'm confused, vatnik whore. Putin told us Ukraine would fall in 3 days. It's been 7 months. Now you're trying to spin the delays as the fault of the US White House?

It still makes me laugh that they had such hubris that they took uniforms for their victory parade and booked restaurants in Kyiv to celebrate.

Okay, this is interesting. The 7th paragraph of Putin's mobilization order is classified, meaning that we can't see what it says.

The Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta claims that according to sources they have, it allows for the mobilization of *one million* men and not just the 300,000 that Putin and Shoigu talked about.

Well, R249, I guess that cat's out of the bag!

If Russia “annexes” the four oblasts, you vatniks will have to pretend that territory is actually Russian - so technically Russia won’t be occupying ANY part of Ukraine.

Video: "In Dagestan locals clearly don't want to go to war with Ukraine. The recruiting officer argues they have to fight for the future. – We don't even have a present, what future are you talking about," replies a Dagestani man."

Imagine if the Russian government actually invested in regional infrastructure, diversifying industries and helping its people instead of invading another country. There are millions of rural Russians who still live without indoor plumbing. But I suppose turning all the village men into cannon fodder will lessen the demand.

It's not even clear that Russia can pay its current troops, much less take on 300k more. Dissension in the ranks is already rampant from them not getting paid.

Glorious troops fight for Motherland on salary of beets!

omg, some of these videos are good: "The Russian Far East has already reported the first casualties among the mobilised. "We haven't even arrived yet, and one man is already having a stroke," says a guy filming the scene."

And: "Meanwhile, it only took a few hours for another group of mobilised Russians to get dead drunk. "What are we going for? Where are going? F*ck knows!", one concludes."

[quote]Who are you to tell whom they want to belong to? Who are you??? Ukraine if it is democratic country, should do referendum

Ukraine, a sovereign nation, took that referendum after dissolution of criminal Soviet Block in 1991.

We know whom they want belong, Hilarion, NATO/EU, and we also know vat a cunt chew are.

Go back to Olga in HR and tell her that you have learned to butcher the objective case of "who" in print. Technically correct is a tell.

Colonist Russia: "@b_nishanov Everything I’ve seen on this mobilization so far points to Yakutia, Saha, Buryatia, Dagestan, Chechnya being mobilized in disproportionately large numbers. If this bears out, no question this is a systematic effort to deploy Russia’s ethnic minorities as cannon fodder."

Found a lively discussion on Twitter as to how much the current clusterfuck resembles 1917 Russia: collapsing economy, huge mobilization for an unpopular war, restless crowds of conscripted soldiers.

Russia has a serious alcohol problem, especially among young men. These are the people Putin is mobilizing. As if they need another reason to drink. This will backfire bigly.

Honestly, why y'all haven't blocked the Russian troll(s) claiming to be Polish is beyond me.

R262, I blocked him back from the original thread. He’s seriously whacked. Kind of sad actually. He’s not Polish, he’s just a peon probably being paid in vodka.

Military experts are saying it'll take one full year to get this many soldiers prepared for combat.

If of course they intend to use them for anything besides cannon fodder.

CNN:

"Russian President Vladimir Putin is himself giving directions directly to generals in the field, two sources familiar with US and western intelligence said– a highly unusual management tactic in a modern military that these sources said hints at the dysfunctional command structure that has plagued Russia’s war from the beginning.

Intelligence intercepts have captured Russian officers arguing among themselves and complaining to friends and relatives back home about decision-making from Moscow, one of these sources told CNN.

And there are significant disagreements on strategy with military leaders struggling to agree on where to focus their efforts to shore up defensive lines, multiple sources familiar with US intelligence said."

[quote]Russian President Vladimir Putin is himself giving directions directly to generals in the field

Hitler used to do the same thing. Didn't work out well for him either.

R266 And Tsar Nicholas II. I tried to imagine it happening in my country and couldn't. It is just weird and obviously doesn't work when someone with no personal military training and experience does it.

More manpower just means more combat fatalities.

The only sensible strategy for Putin now is for him to go directly to the front lines. Leading every charge. Equipping him with comm equipment that broadcasts his precise location 24/7. For security reasons.

R268 He will be 70-years-old on October 7th... Going to the front line seems a bit much for a pensioner...

Nonsense, R269! He needs to be in charge, most manly strong leader surrounded by hundreds of thousands of pissed-off, drunk, highly-armed conscripts. A most assured path to victory!

(while broadcasting his GPS location at all times)

R270, I approve that plan!

R257, that video makes me very sad, imagining how many of them are going to be wounded or dead this time next year.

Or this time next month.

Prisoners, malcontents, the stroke-prone elderly: Russia has evidently entered the Volkssturm phase of this war about six years sooner than Germany did.

It’ll be absolutely nauseating to watch Putin’s foreign bootlickers (Greenwald, Carlson, Gabbard, etc) celebrating the illegal annexation of the four oblasts and then demanding an end to the war.

Why aren't any of Uncle Vlad's MAGAt supporters here in America, including Erik and JuniorMint, rushing over to Russia to help their dear strong man leader out?

What about it, Promise Keepers? How 'bout putting your money and life where you big mouths are?

Kevin Sorbo, Chuck Woolery, Scott Baio: time to put on your big boy pants and stand up for what you believe in.

R276, I'm 62 years old!

[quote]I'm 62 years old!

A prime candidate for our best regiment! Note that the new order blocking all men of service age from leaving Russia includes men up to 65.

65. Just letting that sink in. it's desperate, isn't it?

It was a stroke of genius back in 1945 and it still is today, R279.

They have to do this, unlike most other large developed countries, Russia has a dearth of young men of fighting age.

Compare to the US

New recruits.

Video: prime sexy Russian beef! "In Russia's Yuzhno-Kurilsk, drunken mobilised would-be soldiers are already fighting each other. Morale through the roof."

Sorry, this is the right link

"An aviation expert has become the latest Russian official to fall to his death in mysterious circumstances.

Anatoly Gerashchenko, the former head of Moscow’s Aviation Institute (MAI), died in a mysterious fall inside the institute’s headquarters in the Russian capital on Tuesday."

Kim Jong Un to Putin: No weapons for you!

[quote]Anatoly Gerashchenko, the former head of Moscow’s Aviation Institute (MAI), died in a mysterious fall

He believed he could fly.

Ugh, look at the difference between a released Ukrainian POW and a Russian POW.

R289, is this that POW transfer that was agreed to recently?

R290 Yep.

If that's accurate it's as vivid an illustration of Russia vs. "the West" as anyone could ask for.

"@ABarbashin Talked to my mother back in Russia, says she has been on the phone with a few friends who have kids (my age). All are working on ways to hide their kids. Some already got mobilization notes. Previously my mom wasn't able to talk to them because they supported SMO (Special Military Operation). Not anymore."

r289 that's horrific. That's got to be included in the war crimes investigation.

funny you should mention since today an UN-mandated investigation confirmed that Russia has committed war crimes, including the rape and confinement of children and evidence of torture and executions. They are next going to investigate the claims of filtration camps and illegal forced transfers of people.

This one made me laugh.

@BBCSteveR Mobilisation is worrying many Russians. But not Vera: “I’d be much happier if my son got wounded fighting in Ukraine than die of alcoholism here,” she tells me.

Russia is using Iranian-supplied drones so Ukraine has severed diplomatic relations with Iran.

NYTimes is saying that Putin is "rejecting requests from his commanders on the ground that they be allowed to retreat from the vital southern city of Kherson. A withdrawal from Kherson would allow the Russian military to pull back across the Dnipro River in an orderly way, preserving its equipment and saving the lives of soldiers."

It sounds as if the Ukrainians have a chance with the Kherson front. Russian troops there have been cut off many of their supply lines and fear that they could be left stranded against Ukrainian forces. But Putin doesn't want to hand what would look like a win to Zelensky rather than retreat and reinforce his forces.

It's long past time to split the baby along the Dnieper River. Absolutely no blood, and no more fucking money to this useless war, Not a drop, not a penny.

R299 Pretty sure that because of what the Russians have done to the Ukrainians, they won't agree. They now want everything back and aren't going to stop fighting. You don't get to decide what they do either.

[quote]It's long past time to split the baby along the Dnieper River.

Not your call to make, shithead. The Russians didn't invade YOUR country, bomb YOUR cities and kill YOUR people, all without any remotely justifiable cause, so just STFU.

The Warsaw Pact didn't push into Mexico, shithead R31.

I'm so tired of people with bumper sticker level politics.

Hey comrades, as a thought experiment, what would you do with 44 BILLION dollars?

R303 Spend it on developing Russia - giving people indoor toilets and asphalt roads - instead of invading Ukraine?

"Sean Spoonts, editor-in-chief of the military news outlet SOFREP, told Newsweek in early May that Russia may be spending around $900 million a day to sustain its war efforts.

Several factors play into that heavy price, according to SOFREP's estimate. That includes paying the Russian soldiers who are fighting in Ukraine; providing them with munitions, bullets and rockets; and the cost to repair lost or damaged military equipment. Russia also must pay for the thousands of critical weapons and cruise missiles that have been used during the war, which run about $1.5 million apiece, according to Spoonts."

[QUOTE]The Warsaw Pact didn't push into Mexico, shithead [R31].

I don't even know how this no sequitur came up? OMG, the battle of crazies in West Hollywood before they WERE TOTALLY SLOW ON THE UPTAKE. Total fucking shit heads known.

"@biannagolodryga

According to ⁦@faridaily_’s sources, Putin left for a week’s long vacation shortly after the release of his pre-recorded mobilization announcement. Though he reportedly has several pre-taped appearances to show otherwise."

Say what you will about Hitler, he never wandered off the battlefield to take a vacation.

Join the Russian army, become cannon fodder.

Kazakhstan, Serbia and Turkey have officially said that they don't recognize Putin's sham referenda.

Wow…I never would have expected Serbia to turn against Russia.

Is okay, we are still in stronk anti-Nazi alliance with great Belarus, Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela!

Russian losses continue to climb.

Reports are that Russia has now lost almost 100% of their available logistics trucks and are having to resort to using commercial vehicles to carry ammo and troops. So they can expect all kinds of additional disruptions to domestic supply due to trucks being diverted to the war.

I said it in March, and I'll say it again now: one good thing about this horrific invasion is that it makes Cold War satire relevant and usable again.

Boris Badenov looks disturbingly like Jason Alexander.

Wow Putin really, really miscalculated and in doing so revealed Russia is a paper tiger. I'm betting no money has actually been spent on his military in years and he's been hoarding it for himself and his buds. He thought the threat of the mighty Russian army would save his ass and force capitulation. He's toast and now no one will take Russia seriously when they threaten and throw tantrums. They are reduced to the joke that NK and Fat Fuck Kim is.

R317 It's mostly corruption within the military.

Russia is what America would have become if dump had won re-election

Interesting that Russia is running out of $ the same time the RNC is, too.

Did they spend all their $ on cyber warfare against us and the EU thinking they would never fight a “traditional ground war” again?

That they’re propaganda machine and cyber fuckery would just allow them to take over sovereign nations and HOLD THEM?

Gross miscalculation on their part. Nobody wants to live like the shithole Russia. Even MAGAts want indoor plumbing.

Russian twink conscript in custody for killing his mobilization officer

"Volodymyr, Can You Hear Me?"

There's a huge line of Russian traffic waiting to get into Mongolia

Mongolia ...

In R322 it looks like he's wearing a tall wizard's hat and getting ready to weave a spell.

Putin is back from his vacation and went to visit Lukashenko his tin pot dictator buddy. They have declared that they will not tolerate "humiliation" from the West.

Patriarch Kirill: "If somebody, driven by a sense of duty and the need to fulfil their oath ... goes to do what their duty calls of them, and if a person dies in the performance of this duty, then they have undoubtedly committed an act equivalent to sacrifice. They will have sacrificed themselves for others. And therefore, we believe that this sacrifice washes away all the sins that a person has committed."

^The Orthodox churches are batshit. Notice how all of the Euro countries with Orthodox religions are homophobic shitholes.

"Father Kirill" or whatever his name is, bears the oily sheen of the average Russian drunk, except he has a few decades apart from them due to his alleged "Holy Status" as Orthodox priests probe newcomers? Er, kidnapped guys on the street?

It's not funny to see Putin decimating Russia.

R328, Father Kirill has the youthful appearance of the average 35-year-old Russian.

Kirill must lead by example and swap his flowing robes and thruible for camo and an AK-12.

Patriarch Kirill is the religious oligarch of Russia. He's worth well over a billion dollars. He is like Trump as he fleeces the stupid.

The ROC is the sine qua non of Russian corruption, with centuries of patriarchs grifting off of the pravoslavnie, the true believers.

Why are theses borders so wide open for Russians? I don’t blame them but a cost benefit analysis would show they are no easier or cheaper to house and feed than Syrians. Their leaving destabilizes both Russia and Europe - not good for anyone. If anti Putin or anti draft Russians stayed, they might undermine putin and his ego driven war even more. Clearly the draft is not popular, and the war increasingly less so

Russia is on its way to becoming the new North Korea!

[quote]This video released by the Russian military police shows the gunman who shot his mobilisation officer.

This video shows a citizen engaging in a special conscription avoidance operation.

Self-immolation in Rayzan. "I don't want to go to war."

Interesting to see Putin losing the support of far right populists in European countries pretty much everywhere. He isn't coming across the amazing 'strong man' that they thought he might be.

I don't see Hungary on that chart, R337—maybe Viktor is still hanging in there for Daddy Poots.

Cue the Pole Troll insisting the 3% figure among PiS supporters is totally fake.

There seems to be an increasing fear that Putin may eventually be like a cornered rat and give the go ahead for a nuclear attack, which is more likely to be concentrated on Ukraine.

"@ClaraMarchaud

In Ukraine, I see more and more of these maps and tutorials on how to survive a nuclear bomb (plot twist: you often survive and die in mid-long term)"

On the bright side:

"@JimmySecUK

It seems the Ukrainians continue to slowly but surely encircle Lyman. Russian refusal to withdrawal make little sense - unless they've been given a Stalinesque "not one step back" order, and been refused permission to retreat."

Why would Putin use a nuclear weapon in a country so close to Russia? I thought that the threats were more toward further away NATO countries.

He probably figures a tactical nuke, which is smallish by nuke standards, might be worth the fallout risk.

And he might think, in his walled-in little brain, that a tactical nuke on Ukraine would unite Russia behind him and send western alliances into fragments—when in fact it would more likely isolate Russia and make it fizzle into a fractured failed state.

NATO no longer has tactical nukes in Europe - only Russia does, so if Putin thinks he can pull off a “false flag” attack, he’s even more stupid than everybody thought.

A nuclear attack - even a tactical one - against Ukraine should result in the immediate expulsion of Russia from the UN.

Give its Security Council seat to Ukraine.

Oh no! ^^^ Expulsion from the UN. Whatever will we do?

We nuke. You expel. That's rich.

Losing your permanent UN Security Council seat means you can no longer block every single thing the UN does.

So fuck you.

That'd be the minimum, R346. I'd be in favor of sinking the entire Black Sea fleet and subs.

Using *conventional* weapons, because unlike Russia, NATO is neither stupid nor suicidal.

If Putin does nuke Ukraine NATO will probably enter the war and will make Russia pay dearly.

Using any kind of nuclear weapon would send the whole situation sideways, to say the least. Russia has more so-called "tactical" nukes because it does not have some of the more advanced conventional weapons that NATO countries have. Using any nuclear weapon in Ukraine might very well poison at least part of Russia.

R351, I think that's what Biden told Putin.

Russia’s tactical nukes are located far enough away from Ukraine that they will have to be moved within firing distance, or onto planes. Either way, NATO intelligence will see it happening, and will let the world know.

Because of the way the wind blows if Russia nukes Ukraine (even with a small nuke) Russia will pay dearly. It’d be like New Hamster nuking Vermont.

Anyway a poster on a previous Ukraine thread pointed out, apparently correctly, that Putin can’t unilaterally launch a nuke. He doesn’t have the codes.

[QUOTE]Russia’s tactical nukes are located far enough away from Ukraine that they will have to be moved within firing distance, or onto planes.

Are the Russians afraid of preemptive NATO or Ukrainian strikes? Otherwise what sense does it make to keep these warheads far away?

R356, one of Putin's long-term goals was destroying NATO. Planting hundreds of nukes, even "tactical" ones, on Russia's European border would scare everyone, reinforce the importance of NATO, and probably would have persuaded countries such as Finland to seek membership in NATO. Yes, invading Ukraine ultimately did all of those things, but on paper it wasn't supposed to. It was supposed to go as neatly as Russia's annexation of Crimea.

WarGames 2022.

Nuclear War Simulation - NATO vs Russia

C'mooooooon assassination!

Nice article about the guy leading Ukraine's military forces.

[quote]Zaluzhny also respected and admired the institutions of his Russian counterparts. In his office, he keeps the collected works of General Valery Gerasimov, the head of the Russian armed forces, who is 17 years his senior. “I was raised on Russian military doctrine, and I still think that the science of war is all located in Russia,” Zaluzhny says. “I learned from Gerasimov. I read everything he ever wrote … He is the smartest of men, and my expectations of him were enormous.”

[quote]He knew Zelensky had never served in the military, and had no plans to school him in the tactical details of warfare. “He doesn’t need to understand military affairs any more than he needs to know about medicine or bridge building,” Zaluzhny says. To his surprise, Zelensky seemed to agree. “This has turned out to be one of [Zelensky’s] strongest features,” says Oleksiy Melnyk, a former Ukrainian Assistant Defense Minister. He has allowed his generals to run the show “without direct interference into military business.”

Putting aside the mobilization and the illegality and everything else, it's hard to imagine why anyone would be enthused about these areas being annexed. Crimea had Sevastopol, beautiful coastlines, etc. These new territories are little more than bombed-out grim shitholes (gee, I wonder why). The ceremony tomorrow is going to be utterly pathetic.

Most of those regions were very pretty.

Russia wanted the whole coast of the Sea of Azov (if they couldn't have all of Ukraine).

[quote]responsis horrent divum et Mæotia tellus

"@AndriyYermak

In the morning, the Russians fired at a humanitarian convoy near Zaporizhzhia. 25 people died, another 50 were injured."

Horrible aerial photo of it at the link.

The Russians captured and kept Sri Lankans as slaves in Ukraine for months who have just been released by Ukrainian troops.

BBC: "Seven Sri Lankans were captured by Russian forces in May. The group had just set out on a huge walk to safety from their homes in Kupiansk, north-eastern Ukraine, to the relative safety of Kharkiv, some 120km (75 miles) away.

But at the first checkpoint they came across, they were captured by Russian soldiers. The Sri Lankans were blindfolded, their hands tied, and taken to a machine tool factory in the town of Vovchansk, near the Russian border.

It was the start of a four-month nightmare which would see them kept prisoner, used as forced labour, and even tortured.

The group had come to Ukraine to find work, or study. Now, they were prisoners, surviving on very little food, only allowed to use the toilet once a day for two minutes. On the occasions they were allowed to shower, that too was restricted to just two minutes.

The men - mainly in their 20s - were all kept in one room. The only woman in the group, 50-year-old Mary Edit Uthajkumar, was kept separately.

The group also spoke of being beaten for no apparent reason - of Russian soldiers who would get drunk and then attack them.

"They hit me across the body many times with their guns," said 35-year-old Thinesh Gogenthiran. "One of them punched me in the stomach and I was in pain for two days. He then asked me for money."

"We were very angry and so sad - we cried every day," Dilukshan Robertclive, 25, explained.

"The only thing that kept us going was prayer - and family memories.""

Lyman is about to be recaptured! The Russians there are surrounded by Ukrainian troops.

"@Militarylandnet

🗺️Situation around Lyman - Sep 30 11:00:

- UA forces liberated Yampil and advancing north

- RU troops are reportedly abandoning its positions in Drobysheve

- The only exit route from Lyman is within the firing range of UA forces"

Russian war channels are confirming that the Ukrainians have surrounded Lyman.

Lyman is a town of strategic military importance in the Donbas. So the loss of Lyman just a day after Putin signed the annexation of "DNR" will be a major embarrassment.

The picture at the link shows how 15% of the territory Putin has formally 'annexed' today, mainly in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk oblasts, isn't even under Russian control.

"@CoalsonR

Putin said U.S. is "afraid" of Russian culture/wants to destroy it. Can any historians out there tell me which country has historically killed the most Russian writers, philosophers, composers, scientists, etc?"

Russians have had people like Pushkin, Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky, Dostoyevsky, but no real greats for the 20th century. Lenin even killed the entire Bolshoi ballet. And recently they raped a poet with dumbbells.

The ceremony of signing documents on the "annexation" of Ukrainian territories to Russia has begun.

Putin looks/vibes so much like Greta Thunberg to me. I think it's very likely that they are both on the autistic spectrum.

In his speech he says Russians don't want to have a bunch of genders and "Parent 1" and "Parent 2." Well, they won't have many parents at all after half the men flee abroad and the others are sent to their deaths in Ukraine.

R372, I think Putin is a psychopath.

Look at pictures of him from youth. He is sitting with his parents and has a totally blank look in his face. Even pictures of him holding his newborn baby, he has a blank look and holds it as if it’s an inanimate object. If someone had such severe autism that they couldn’t even make a facial expression, they wouldn’t be such a success. It’s really obvious from his deadeyed look, this is something that’s been going on since birth. And I’ve never heard of an autistic serial killer who is also successful working in a government bureaucracy staying on task, while simultaneously having anyone who opposed him tortured and murdered without a thought. Those are obvious psychopath traits.

It’s seems pretty obvious the women he’s had kids with are extreme narcissists or sociopaths themselves, at best, because they care about nothing but their “success” of marrying a government official and don’t care if they’re reproducing with a horrible monster.

R374 You're right, his sociopathy/psychopathy probably supersedes anything else and he has got to be one.

I was talking to someone the other day who posed an interesting theory about Russian nuclear capabilities. He said that the Russians went for the old chernobyl plant first off to get materials because they've been bluffing for years about their nuclear arsenal.

R375, another thing that interests me about him is that he’s not a good military leader, he makes decisions based on gratifying his ego and not based on what’s good for the country or even what can physically be accomplished in real life. Hitler did the same. Hitler was endlessly psychoanalyzed and probably his diagnosis would apply here. Putin seems to suffer from disorganized thinking to some extent, but at the same time is a success, probably by using blackmail and violence to get his way, not so much actual skill.

He probably saw a like mind in Trump at first, not realizing a lot of his “fortune” was faked at first, but then realized he was the perfect blackmail target, so he could still be used to great effect anyway. People like this ruthlessly hunt for weakness in their adversaries. He’s like a perfect storm of mental disorder.

Putin says Ukraine is de facto part of NATO alliance. Zelensky's response: “Today, Ukraine is applying to make it de jure… We are taking our decisive step by signing Ukraine's application for accelerated accession to NATO.”

Problem is that you can't join NATO if you're currently under attack.

It's clear though that Zelensky/Ukraine has zero desire to give in.. I think that's the main message - that Ukraine will be defiant to the end.

As long as Russia confines its attacks to its “own” territory, namely the area that was just subjected to the Anschluss, then Ukraine isn’t “at war” at all. Not unless Putin continues bombing Odesa and Kharkiv and other areas outside Fake Russia.

Why hasn't anyone lit the Nordstream gas leaks in the Baltic on fire to burn off the methane before it escapes into the upper atmosphere? It's an extremely potent greenhouse gas -the last thing we need right now.

Someone has vandalized the Russian consul in New York with red spray paint.

"An US army major doctor and her wife, a civilian doctor, have been charged with a plot to leak information to the Russian government.

Jamie Lee Henry (first known active-duty US Army officer to come out as transgender) and Anna Gabrielian are accused of planning to share confidential information about patients at a military hospital.

The pair were charged with conspiracy and the disclosure of identifiable health information, in an indictment filed in a court in Baltimore, Maryland which was unsealed on Thursday after their arrest.

Prosecutors said the couple wanted to help the Russian government "gain insights into the medical conditions of individuals associated with the US government and military".

The indictment states that Maj Henry, 39, planned to use her security clearance to gain access to private medical records from the hospital at Fort Bragg, the large military base where she worked.

Dr Gabrielian, 36, is accused of planning to share information from where she worked, believed to be Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

She allegedly offered help to the Russian embassy in Washington several months ago, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In mid-August she was approached by a person claiming to work for the Russian embassy, who was in reality an FBI agent.

During the meeting, the indictment says she told the agent that "she was motivated by patriotism toward Russia to provide any assistance she could to Russia, even if it meant being fired or going to jail".

She is accused of offering to bring her wife into the plot, and telling the agent that she had access to medical information at the base and insight on how the US was training the military to provide assistance to Ukraine."

R382, Why? How much “patriotism” did Putin buy from her? Is she even Russian?

R383 Gabrielian (or Gabrielyan) is an Armenian surname. Armenia was in the Soviet Union so I am guessing she has ties.

[quote]"Father Kirill" or whatever his name is, bears the oily sheen of the average Russian drunk, except he has a few decades apart from them due to his alleged "Holy Status" as Orthodox priests probe newcomers? Er, kidnapped guys on the street?

Kirill (real name Vladimir Gundyayev) has been a KGB agent, same as his predecessor Alexei.

The ROC has been riddled with KGB agents since the KGB came into existence.

My husband is related to Alexei. He was NOT KGB, no matter what is reported otherwise. His family were nobility, very prominent in the Czarist empire, so even had he wanted to be in the KGB, it would not have happened.

Russian military blogger WarGonzo (note: a loyal Kremlin propagandist) says Ukrainian forces appear to have taken Lyman. Russian military blogger Rybar as well. Widely accepted as true.

This is just one day after Putin formally annexed Lyman. He talks a big game about how an attack on the annexed lands is an attack on Russia so over to you now, Poots.

Gazprom has cut off gas supplies to Italy and cuts gas to Moldova by 30% (a violation of signed contracts).

Russia rejects transgender! Except when they leak medical records to Kremlin!

R389 That is what stuck out to me as well. It is a very weird story. What is someone who is 'patriotic' to Russia doing marrying someone who is transgender? It made me wonder if there's more to this: like, maybe it's a set up to try to provoke culture wars but the story hasn't blown up. Or it really is all as it seems and that woman is just fucked in the head.

Yeah R387, multiple Russian and Ukrainian sources are confirming Lyman is back under Ukrainian control. It's unclear how many Russians might be left there but many were killed trying to escape.

There were about 5,000 troops who were surrounded. I'd imagine many died (at least if they tried to flee).

In answer to "how many," AlJazeera is saying that Ukraine is saying "up to 5,500 [Russian] soldiers" could be "encircled."

(Link is to their "update" feature, so its content may change.)

This is funny. Translated from Russian:

"@podluva LYMAN WAS ABLE TO HOLD ON AS PART OF RUSSIA FOR ONLY 12 HOURS, VORONEZH, FOR EXAMPLE, IS ALREADY ENDURING ITS 436TH YEAR. THIS SHOWS THE INHERENT WEAKNESS OF UKRAINIAN CITIES"

There's a video of a surviving Russian soldier calling his generals 'faggots' (the most offensive word in the Russian army's vocabulary). Morale is going well.

Ukrainians methodically targeted Russian logistics and command and control--by focusing on one town, Svatove, where the Russians had concentrated both:

[quote]@NLwartracker Last week the 🇺🇦 forces started an unprecedented #HIMARS campaign on the 🇷🇺 supply hub Svatove. In 2 days at least 5 seperate targets where hit in & around Svatove. This town was a supply hub for the Lyman & Kupiansk front. 1 strike took out the command of the 144th regiment. In addition to this strike which was a blow to the combat effectiveness of the 144th regiment, for other supply area's were hit. Two of those were located in Svatove itself the other 2 north & south of town.

R257, the guy in the video looks Asian. Probably from Siberia.

The fall of Lyman is a huge blow to Putin’s regime. A major supply and travel hub in the territories Putin claims are now Russia. Its fall to the Orcs in the spring was one of the few lasting accomplishments after the initial Russian attack collapsed.

Not to neglect the accomplishments of the brave, cunning Ukrainians at all, but there’s a US supplied weapon that’s really turning the tide in the war. The HIMARS.

This stands for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. It’s a pod of six rockets mounted on an FMTV truck so it is very mobile. When you’re artillery, you want to be able to shoot, then run away, because when you shoot, there’s ways to figure out where you shot from, and then it’s your turn to get shot.

The great things about the GMLRS (Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System) rockets this thing fires are:

They are just UNBELIEVABLY accurate, and guided to the target and

They have a very long range, so can fire from relative safety

So this thing can bring an incredible volume of extremely accurate high-explosive firepower to a target that’s very far away, and then immediately fuck off so it can’t be hit with retaliatory attacks. Say what you want about America, but we know how to blow things up and kill people — the Russians simply have little to fight back with, except air strikes or cruise missiles (which are extremely expensive, and even then how do the Russians know where to target them when the FMTV truck has driven away?).

This is an artillery war, although the Ukrainians have gone back to maneuver to retake territory. Even then, artillery is soeaking loudest, and in an artillery war, your cannons and rockets need ammo. The Ukrainians have been targeting Russian ammo dumps wjth HIMARS and absolutely blowing the shit out of them. Other targets are command and supply. (They use them against troops and vehicles too of course — but command, ammo dumps and other supply are the prime targets).

We recently sent 18 more HIMARS to Ukraine. The Ukrainians have been using a relatively small number of them so far.

The US-supplied HIMARS is the man of the match, at least in terms of weapons systems.

Ukraine will not end like Afghanistan R1. Ukraine wants democracy, Afghanistan never did.

Big difference!!

Kadyrov is blaming General Alexander Lapin for Ukraine's successful liberation of Lyman: "If I were in charge, I'd demote him to private, strip him of his medals and send him off to the front with a rifle in order to wipe away his shame with blood."

Nothing about Pootie.

Don't Russians understand that making bloodthirsty statements make them sound completely deranged and uncivilized in a modern world. It's not that I expect psychopaths to cease being psychopaths, but they don't even try to put on the mask of sanity.

Lukachenko and Putin

Very funny!!

R401, that kind of talk tickles the MAGAts, too.

whoa, look at how much vodka newly mobilized Russians have taken to drink on the coach.

I sympathise - alcohol numbs it and stops you from caring about being sent to the meat grinder.

Imprisoned dissident: “It continues to amaze me how many serious Western analysts buy the Kremlin’s propaganda on the ‘overwhelming popularity’ of Putin and of the war. If this were true, the authorities wouldn’t need to rig elections, muzzle the media, or imprison and murder their opponents. The Kremlin knows the real situation—and the only thing it has left in the toolbox to prevent protests in Russia is fear.”

Something is going down in Sevastopol, Crimea. Something is on fire at Belbek military airport in Crimea.

Russian channels are saying a plane skidded off the runway but locals reported that they heard an explosion. Judge for yourself..

r401 My guess is that it's an example of the intent by the attackers being to instill fear in the enemy [italic] precisely because [/italic] the enemy thinks the attackers are insane beasts. This is a very ancient and time-honored strategy; but its effectiveness has sharply diminished in this era of enhanced communication in which, rather than to panic and flee immediately [italic] en masse [/italic] for their lives, the people just message their friends and ask, "What's this shit? Anything happening where you are?"

Similarly antique is what I suspect was one of the several reasons for the recent mass conscription: Some hyper-conservative Russian theorist probably advised that "If you draft vast numbers of the common people, their families will be more enthusiastic in supporting the Russian cause because they'll be personally involved." That also no longer works in this modern era; and just wait until the families start getting the "I regret to tell you" letters from the army.

R405 I think it's more that the majority of Russians are completely jaded. Most are imperialists and ashamed of the loss of their empire. They do support Putin but because they think that someone else would be worse. They only really care about themselves apart from the *minority* who protest (and it *is* a minority).

I dated a Russian for 3.5 years (who moved back to Voronezh and is working as a translator last I heard) and this was one of the biggest things I didn't like - how jaded they were. Just a shrug, no ideals, no outrage. Would never say anything bad about Russia.

R408, the person quoted at R405 is a Russian who is currently jailed for opposing Putin. Jaded or not, most Russians—according to him—would not be putting up with this war and other destructive policies if Putin didn't use threats, imprisonment, and violence against them.

R409 No, this is more than just that. It's something wrong with Russian culture and the people there. I guess Stalin killed off a lot of the independent types.

I mean, you guys see a lot of the protesters and the media amplifies them too but the reality is that they are a MINORITY. A pretty small minority too, mostly in the big cities. They just do not represent the majority of Russians - don't confuse that.

Never underestimate the role that alcohol plays in how Russians respond to everything. It’s definitely a “what came first” but alcohol deadens pain, which in turn leads to more oppression, which leads to… on and on.

I worked at a company that did business with a Russian company. They had a certain expertise that is only found in a few places, and they were cheaper too. Our biggest worry? Quality control due to excessive drinking by the workers.

Funny how Pootz wants to clutch his pearls about The West “killing the Russian culture” when it’s been Russian leaders who have killed off the most composers, artists, painters, poets and writers.

But what do I know?

Exactly, r407! It worked in the times of Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great. The modern world, not so much...

r386, nobody promulgates a nobility myth like the descendants of KGB officers. The nobility joined the Yusupovs in exile after the revolution.

that's what I was thinking. How do YOU really know that Alexei wasn't KGB. The point of spies is that it's kept secret. I would not be shocked if he still was KGB.

[quote] I would not be shocked if he still was KGB

1) There is no more KGB; it's called something else.

2) Alexei (whose family was from the Baltic German community in Estonia) has been dead since 2008.

R417 The KGB was the main security agency for the Soviet Union from 13 March 1954 until 3 December 1991. That doesn't exactly exclude Alexei?

NKVD was the Soviet state security force from the 20's through WWII, then was reorganized as the KGB from 1953 through 1991. The FSB was created from the remnants of the KGB.

In response to the Ukrainian encirclement of Lyman, Chechen Islamofascist warlord Ramzan Kadyrov is demanding a nuclear response.

Our vatnik and bothsider trolls must be thrilled.

Husband’s family was mostly executed in the early days of the Revolution. They were viewed as enemies of the state until the collapse of the USSR. Only a few survived. FIL was jailed on trumped up charges. He would know if Alexei were KGB. Did he make compromises? Of course. All priests did. They had to. But no way was he an officer.

R418, all I was saying was that R416's terminology is out of date. And that the person he's talking about has been dead for 14 years. So on two counts he can't be "still" KGB.

FSB, GRU, differences without distinctions.

[quote]Don't Russians understand that making bloodthirsty statements make them sound completely deranged and uncivilized in a modern world.

Putin is projecting the humiliation of 1991 onto Russians. The loss of an empire, and that resonates with people. Putin isn't putting the blame of the collapse of the Soviet Union on Russia itself, on the corruption, mismanagement, the hubris; he puts the blame on the West and that obviously resonates with Russians.

He hates that the fundamental ideas of what made the Soviet Union have failed and that democracy and what the West is offering ex SU states like the Baltics and Ukraine is more successful.

This morning I saw.some video on Twitter showing what the new recruits had to work with. Sleeping on the couch Crete floor as a “barracks,” no beds or blankets. A woman officer was telling them that if they wanted mecidsl supplies, they or their families would have to buy them, along with everything else. She was out of tourniquets to give them. She told them to get hydrogen peroxide for wounds. And get their wives’, sisters’ and mothers’ sanitary napkins and tampons for wounds.

If you don’t know the story about that, the first sanitary napkins were actually WWII wound dressings, the nurses used them for their periods. Then after the war, someone commercialized them for that use. Pads of today are made of synthetic materials and are still sometimes used on wounds when they’re bleeding a lot in a pinch. They’re good if you have to apply compression on a wound in an emergency, because they’re sold in an individual little plastic envelope and they’re clean. So that part isn’t bad. But there’s a prepper myth about using tampons to plug up a gun shot wound. The way this woman told it, the tampon would fill with blood, swell up and close up the wound. In reality, they don’t recommend this, because they are full of stuff like synthetics, deodorizers and don’t actually work that well. If you ever had to really do this, organic cotton only ones would be what you would want, not the average ones that are full of junk you don’t want in a bullet wound. I wondered if they were just ordered to say that to give courage to the about-to-be wounded troops, or if they knew that was the absolute worst option and wouldn’t work in an area with probably no medics, no backup or portable hospital probably. Our front line troops get something like Quick Clot, a powder that stops bleeding when sprinkled on a wound. It comes in little packets.

Then one guy showed the weapon he was given. It was so heavily rusted, it looked like James Cameron found it on the Titanic. It looked absolutely unusable. He was told he didn’t need a weapon anyway since he was a tanker. Those guys said they had no training.

Sorry, sleeping on the bare concrete floor. ^

[quote] The loss of an empire

Funny thing, though, after 1991 the Russians still possessed the biggest country in the world by size, and one that's comprised of many different populations besides ethnic Russians—populations that often feel that they're under the imperial thumb of the Russians. One example: the Chechens rebelled and got violently pulled back into line. For Russia to stake their glory on roping in *all* the wayward former domains (now Ukraine, later the Balkans, Kazakhstan, etc.) is kind of greedy, and their fixation on regaining that empire instead of using their considerable resources to improve the empire they do have is just deplorable (to coin a phrase).

Yes, R427, they could be a great country, but when their own head of state is stealing the country blind, instead of putting the money into the development of a multi tier economy, education, science, health care, infrastructure etc, they will remain an underdeveloped shithole. Once the world has moved on from fossil fuels, they got nothing left.

[quote] NKVD was the Soviet state security force from the 20's through WWII,

It was actually the OGPU until the mid 30s, when that was folded into the NKVD.

The offensive of the Armed Forces of #Ukraine in the last 10 days.-

Putin's claim of conservative social values and that Russia is culturally superior to the West in those ways don't hold up. Divorce, suicide, abortion, murder, etc. rates are 2-3 times higher in Russia.

"@John_Hudson

Scoop: Putin overruled the FSB when he approved the sweeping prisoner swap with Ukraine. The internal spy service was concerned about the optics of releasing so many Azov soldiers who the Kremlin had branded as hardened neo-Nazis."

Guess he loves Medvedchuk, the godfather to his kids, that much.

But the optics of returning the "Azov soldiers" in such deteriorated condition—contrasting with the plump, sleek Medvedchuk—should have warmed some pro-Putin hearts.

Enough with the smiling soldiers hoisting Ukrainian flags and maps of Ukrainian advances! I'm hankerin' for some good old-fashioned Grayzone denialism, preferably with fake corpses and sarcastic denunciations of "MSM propaganda"! Vatniki, come back!

Go outside and touch some grass, my dude.

"@JimmySecUK

Pro-Russian military Telegram accounts are getting increasingly pessimistic about the situation for Russian forces in Kherson who are effectively trapped on the west bank of the Dnipro."

Putin's speech the other day bizarrely set Russia as historically outside European colonialism, and treated it as part of the non-European world:

[quote]“It is worth reminding the West that it began its colonial policy back in the Middle Ages, and then followed the global slave trade, the genocide of Indian tribes in America, the plunder of India, Africa, the wars of England and France against China, as a result of which it was forced to open its ports for trade of opium .... I emphasize that one of the reasons for the centuries-old Russophobia, the undisguised malice of these Western elites toward Russia is precisely that we did not allow ourselves to be robbed during the period of colonial conquests. We forced the Europeans to trade for mutual benefit”

Russia was, and remains, as big a colonizing power as England, France, Germany, etc.! How does he think he rules all those people (originally) speaking different languages from Sochi to the Bering Strait?

He also went off on a tangent against gay rights for some reason.

I suggest that Ukrainians do not upset Putin while they win the war. My solution: varenyky!

Every captured Russian is escorted to the Russian border and given a lunch bag of varenyky for the journey home.

How could Vlado get upset when Ukraine treats his cannon fodder so well?

Вареники за мир!

AP has a report out about evidence of widespread torture they found in Izyum.

[quote]While torture was also evident in Bucha, that devastated Kyiv suburb was only occupied for a month. Izium served as a hub for Russian soldiers for nearly seven months, during which they established torture sites everywhere.

[quote]FIL was jailed on trumped up charges. He would know if Alexei were KGB. Did he make compromises? Of course. All priests did. They had to. But no way was he an officer.

I don't think people said he was an officer. He could've been. Most likely he was a highly placed informant just like the civilians who headed all the important cultural institutions in the old USSR typically were. I think there was a KGB division whose job was to keep the intellectuals and cultural organizations in check, and ferret out dissent and dissidents.

There's no way the head of ROC in Soviet times wasn't working in some form or fashion with the secret police.

Nothing much has changed in present day Russia in that respect either.

ANYONE working in the church had to be approved by the KGB. Priests were expected to advise in who was attending church.

But the Russian economy has been doing so well according to our local Boris brigade.

Russian economy nosediving into 'crisis' as sanctions bite deeper into Putin's pocket

Putin's war machine is likely to grind to a halt next year if sanctions stay in force, projections indicate.

Maybe the Russian economy is doing well now that most of the Russian men forced into duty have to purchase their own military clothing, first aid kits, sleeping gear, etc.

Approaching Kherson!!

[italic]It's getting hard to keep up with #Ukraine's advances. Slow down 🇺🇦 😂. The large village of Osokorivka & its famous melon landmark is in the southern Kherson region - on western side of Dnipro river. Also reported today, Ukrainian forces seen in adjacent village of Zolota Balka.[/italic]

These Ukrainian defenders are soo badass!!

Well, thank goodness the watermelon is safe.

R365, I'm honestly surprised Russian universities once attracted foreign students from places like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. It sounded like they were frequent targets for harassment, theft, and violence.

Well, I doubt they're attracting foreigners anymore..

That Watermelon is about the only Ukranian monument or historic relic the Russians haven't destroyed. Their intentional destruction of Ukraine's historic places is part of their mission to destroy Ukraine as a nation, a people, and an idea.

I don't trust Putin and he scares me. He has one fucked up mind.

[quote]I'm honestly surprised Russian universities once attracted foreign students from places like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

They used to be from countries with Soviet client regimes, 'non-aligned' and similarly useful, and were supposed to form their new socialist-communist-whatever 'elites', and their education was subsidized by the Soviets. Of course a lot of them were recruited in some form by the intelligence services / KGB. Probably same principle in some form applies to this day.

[quote]I don't trust Putin and he scares me. He has one fucked up mind.

He has the mind of a mafia boss.

Large number of Russian GRU Spetsnaz operators were killed in Lyman. Unlike the VDV paratroopers etc., these are in fact the elite special forces of Russia. Spread the word - mobilized conscripts should know this & be even more terrified. Good reason for mutiny.

Word is there's been a breakthrough on the Kherson front and Ukraine is advancing down the Dnipro river. Don't have any actual confirmation of that yet though.

[quote]Footage shows convoy of Russia’s nuclear arsenal on the move ‘in chilling signal to West’

"A joint investigation by @AP and @frontlinepbs reveals the wealthy businessmen and state-owned companies profiting from a massive Russian network to smuggle stolen Ukrainian grain."

Another devastating broadside from Alla Pugacheva.“My god! What luck that I’m hated by the people I could never stand. If they liked me, that would mean my life and songs were all in vain,” she writes. “Let them grit their teeth. THEY WERE LACKEYS, NOW THEY’RE SLAVES”

[quote] He also went off on a tangent against gay rights for some reason.

Closet case and likely pedobear as well.

I don't follow it all as closely these days. Have the Russians been pushed back? It'd be great if Ukraine could reclaim some of the so-called annexed territory.

In fact, they shouldn't stop in the Donbas. It ain't over till they get everywhere back, including illegally annexed Crimea.

R457 Positive things for the Ukrainians are happening on the Kherson front. Note that the Russians have concentrated their best troops and equipment there (likely because most of Ukraine's economy is in that area). Ukrainians have been liberating several villages and towns near the Dnipro river, moving in 20-30km, and it's looking possible that over the next few weeks they may be able to block Kherson (trapping the Russians like in Lyman).

R458 Sounds promising. The West needs to continue supplying Ukraine with weapons. The second we stop, the Russians will scale up their attack. It's a long game, but they'll eventually exhaust themselves and their supplies.

R456 I really don't think he's gay. I think it's self-hating homophobia to 'slander' him as gay when there's nothing to suggest that he's gay. Please don't do that.

Here's a gif showing maps from Russian military blogger Rybar (pro-Kremlin) 4 hours apart to show you how dire the situation currently is for them with regard to the Kherson front.

It's not just the northwest side of the Kherson front lines that are collapsing, the front just north of Kherson has been penetrated as well. Amazing.

^^ northeast side

Russian bloggers have conceded that the northeast sector of Kherson has been lost. The reasons they give are lack of manpower and supplies/ammo.

The ammo shortage is largely due to HIMARS attacks on ammo dumps that I described upthread, although they’ve been trying to avoid that by dispersing the ammo throughout the countryside. That turned out to be a shambles as well, and the dispersed ammo isn’t readily available to artillery units due to lack of transport.

I guess the 300k-strong geriatric army didn't get to Kherson in time.

The recently mobilized are virtually useless right now because they need to be trained and equipped. So the Ukrainians are keen to push on now - these coming months will be their best opportunity perhaps.

I am still seeing anecdotal accounts of a lack of equipment (the Duma talked about 1.5m uniforms simply gone 'missing' - probably stolen - and they have to buy their own which is being price gouged), accommodation (dumped in fields without tents) and even food:

"@jonnytickle

Someone I know (44y.o.) just got called up to fight in Ukraine and they were told to bring their own food. Is this common? Has the Russian Army stopped providing food?"

R466, that's why a tactical, low-yield nuclear attack in Ukraine should be unlikely. A tactical nuke is one used in the battlefield; it presupposes that your army has the protective equipment to survive and fight through nuclear radiation and fallout. The Russian army that we are seeing now seems incredibly resource-starved.

Another reason that a nuclear attack on Ukraine would be unwise for Russia is the way the wind currents tend to operate in that part of the world. Remember Chernobyl? Remember how the cloud moved?

Might happen again.

The wind patterns in Eastern Europe are not as reliable as, say, the trade winds, but they often do flow north. If that were to happen during or right after an atomic attack by Russia, all that fallout would travel right across Russia and then into Scandinavia.

Fallout map from Chernobyl. Oh dearski!

I'm being picky but -ski is Polish rather than Russian. In Russia it's mostly -ov, -in, -ev...

Forbes quoting sources close to the Kremlin saying that they estimate 700k-1m Russians have fled Russia since mobilization. And September was the first full month since the 1970s that Germany did not use any Russian gas. This can't be good for Russia's economy.

Oh, dearskov. (pronounced Oh, dearskof)

Jesus, they found a box of pulled gold dental crowns in one of the torture sites. Reminiscent of Auschwitz.

(translated from Russian)

[quote]@ForbesRussia From January to August, more than 20 tons of narcotic drugs and psychotropic drugs were imported into Russia - almost 40 times more than in 2021, analysts calculated. Morphine imports doubled compared to the same period last year. Import growth...

Iranian Drones

[quote]@maria_avdv Bila Tserkva, 80 km north of Kyiv, was attacked by at least 6 Iranian Shahed-136 drones tonight. This caused a major fire at infrastructure facilities. Reportedly 16 drones were launched from the south of Ukraine in the direction of Odesa, Dnipro and Kyiv overnight.

The Iranian drones are sort of crude, low tech cruise missiles. They don’t fire on Ukrainian targets. They themselves blow up. So they’re one shot weapons.

This limits their utility a bit of course!

The bayraktar drones the Ukrainians used (and still do to some extent) are unmanned recon vehicles that can carry and deploy missiles. Much more useful imo.

Curious/interesting story about the assassination of Daria Dugina who died in an explosion in an affluent Moscow suburb. She was the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist and shared his views (it is possible he was the real target). The U.S. says that they think it was Ukraine who killed her and have admonished Ukraine over it because they think it could open the door to prominent Ukrainians being targeted and killed in turn.

The Ukrainians deny that they killed her.

"An elite, highly secretive Russian military intelligence unit may have lost up to three-quarters of its reconnaissance manpower in Ukraine, according to research published by the BBC’s Russian service Tuesday.

Like other special forces units, the exact size of the GRU intelligence agency’s 3rd Guards Spetsnaz Brigade is classified.

But based on the brigade’s death toll and likely attrition rate tallied by BBC Russia, the outlet concluded that it may have lost 75% of its reconnaissance company troops.

Overall, the outlet said it has found direct and indirect evidence from publicly available sources on 56 soldiers from the 3rd Guards Spetsnaz Brigade killed in the seven months since Russia invaded Ukraine."

These troops are very expensive to replace.

Yes, R478, they're the equivalent of the US Army Rangers or Navy Seals. Elite units that take a very long time to find the right men and to train them.

Don't worry, R478, new conscripts are coming to replace elite troops!

[quote] The Ukrainians deny that they killed her.

I actually believe them. She was a nut like her father and advocated very aggressive Russian policy, including toward Ukraine. But if they’re going to go to all that trouble to assassinate someone, why her?

I think the answer is lurking somewhere in the Byzantine world of Russian power politics, much of which is little known to us.

R479 is right — the spetznaz GRU brigades are more like Army Rangers than true special forces. They’re elite light infantry meant for power projection more than true special ops. They can do direct action and recon.

The special ops force of the GRU is the SOF. The SOF are the guys most likely to go into to assassinate or kidnap a high value target, direct a cruise missile attack, etc.

It gets a little confusing because the Russians sometimes try to use Spetznaz GRU to do more SOF-y stuff but it’d be like using Rangers to do special ops — maybe, maybe not.

It was the spetznaz brigades that got ground down in Ukraine. Still a huge waste of good troops.

Why would the Pentagon suspect the Ukrainians of assassinating Dugina (deliberately or accidentally while trying for her father)? Or more to the point, why would this kind of speculation be leaked from the Pentagon to the public through the NYT?

R483, it’s very, very strange. It’s insane that the Pentagon would warn the Ukrainians to toe the line in case the Russians, of all people, acted out. Russia has already made repeated attempts on Zelensky’s life; it’s kidnapped officials; it’s committed war crimes. Putin is fucking talking nukes. This “rationale” makes no sense.

WSJ.- The Russian army has become the main supplier of heavy weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. During the retreat, Russian troops left more heavy weapons than Western countries delivered to Ukraine during the entire war.

It seems that the Russians have learnt from the Kharkiv debacle (when they panicked and simply fled) and are conducting more orderly pullbacks to dig in and reinforce in Kherson so this is going to be longer and harder for the Ukrainians but they're still looking quite good.

There seems to be some fractiousness or a power struggle going on:

Kadyrov (Chechen forces) and Prigozhin (Wagner Group mercenaries and troll farms) have been critical of the mainstream army and generals - Shoigu, Lapin and co. Then there are the nationalist milbloggers who obviously aren't happy about what's happening either but many don't think that Kadyrov and Prigozhin know what they're talking about as well.

Putin needs the support of all of these groups so this looks like a headache for him.

Kherson is the only large city the Russians have in Ukraine, so it would make sense they'd try to make a stronghold there. However, the Russian troops on the west side of the Dnipro River are getting squeezed--there are only two bridges across the river and they're both damaged--no heavy equipment can cross it. The Russians are, again, getting closer to being encircled on the west side--the weak state of the bridges means they can't be easily reinforced and if they do flee they'll have to do so on foot and leave even more equipment behind for the Ukrainians.

Russians have always sort of prided themselves on a crazy toughness, but the Ukrainians are like the Russians on steroids.

It's a little like if the USA invaded Mexico and Mexico was winning.

R467, as if Little Putty cares about radiation poisoning his own troops. They sent their soldiers to dig trenches in Chernobyl, knowing very well that the soil around the plant is still highly radioactive, after a few days they were all sick and had to go to hospital.

Also the nuclear fallout from Chernobyl mostly blew over Europe.

The US is stating they believe the Ukrainians assassinated her — of course we don’t know the basis for this assumption. They are censuring Ukraine for doing so.

If it’s true (and it makes no sense to me, but maybe it is), I think this attitude is delightful hypocritical on our part.

Around the world US drones are assassinating leadership of groups that are out to harm US overseas interests. But Ukraine can’t assassinate spokespeople in Russia who are advocating for the invasion of Ukraine and its destruction as a nation?

The worst attack by Islamist’s on America caused about 3,000 casualties on a nation of 300 million. The Ukraine invasion has caused many times more casualties on a nation of 40 million. But they can’t assassinate, while we can? UGH.

^^^ delightfully

And islamists

DL would be so much better with a 60 second edit feature

There are rumors that her assassination was an inside Kremlin job. A fringe group called the Russian Activist Army also claimed responsibility. I've even seen a conspiracy theory floated that Dugin had her killed himself.

DefenceHQ's latest briefing:

[quote]"Advancing south, Ukrainian units have pushed the front line forwards by up to an additional 20km, primarily making gains along the east bank of the Inhulets and west bank of the Dnipro, but not yet threatening the main Russian defensive positions. Russian forces have typically broken contact and withdrawn. Russian commanders are likely to see the growing threat to the Nova Kakhovka sector as one of their most pressing concerns. The damaged river crossing over the Dnipro in this area remains one of the few routes available for them to resupply forces. Russia faces a dilemma: withdrawal of combat forces across the Dnipro makes defence of the rest of Kherson Oblast more tenable; but the political imperative will be to remain and defend. Russia has committed the majority of its severely undermanned airborne forces, the VDV, to the defence of Kherson. Therefore, Russia currently has few additional, high quality rapidly deployable forces available to stabilise the front: it likely aims to deploy mobilised reservists to the sector."

R492 that’s what I suspect is more likely. It’s a silly thing for Ukrainians to have expended assets on, rather than a more central official or maybe an important transport or industrial hub.

I still suspect the mobiks will not be thrown into battle. I would think they would withdraw regular units in the Far East and Caucasus, etc, and send them to Ukraine, and send the mobiks to take their place — but the situation may be so critical they don’t have time for that.

R486, this has been picked up by the NY Times, which published an article this morning about the anger coming from the far-right: "They need to stop lying."

Saw a Telegram video yesterday purported from behind the Russian lines in Kherson of a lot of heavy machinery (trench diggers, backhoes, etc.) plus several truckload of concrete barriers headed for the new front lines. If Russia has time to dig in with new defensive lines in depth, the Kherson advance may slow dramatically.

R497, that’s the current belief, that they’re settling in for a siege.

Setting up for a siege would make sense, but if they set up west of the Dnipro, they're going to have major supply issues with the way things are going. The Russians will need to get supplies over the bridges--the ones that can no longer handle heavy equipment. Starvation is a very real possibility over Winter.

I saw a video of Russian soldiers surrender in Kherson. This is good news!

Happy 70th Birthday to Daddy Vlad. Or should that be Grandfather (one of the dismissive nicknames used for Vlad in Russia - 'Stupid Ded').

“Tickle My Fancy”

Miss Lindz now on Elon Musk:

The Nobel committee decided to give the Peace Prize to 3 organisations or people from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. I think I agree with this take about it:

[quote]@mrsorokaa Concerning the Nobel Prize, I stand by what my colleagues say. All three winners deserve the award, but equating democratic Ukraine with two invading dictatorships - is pushing Kremlin’s narrative. Putting Ukraine, Russia and Belarus in the same basket is always a bad idea.

Are the Russian and Belarusian people/organizations dissidents, or do they follow the Putin line? I wouldn't have a problem with awarding it to the former, since it encourages democracy and anti-authoritarianism in all three countries (of which only Ukraine currently has been able to oust the fascists); and it seems that the Belarusian guy is an enemy of Lukashenko who's been imprisoned since last year.

R504 Yes, of course they are. And like he said, they deserve it. But it feels like a huge cop out, equivocating. Why can't they get it another year?

Sometimes you have to take a stand. And this is one of those times. Zelensky advisor:

[quote]@Podolyak_M Nobel Committee has an interesting understanding of word "peace" if representatives of two countries that attacked a third one receive @NobelPrize together. Neither Russian nor Belarusian organizations were able to organize resistance to the war. This year's Nobel is "awesome".

Re: R502

[quote] His Starlink system has also helped in Ukraine.

His Starlink system that *WE* paid for, but that he let everyone think he donated.

Musk and Graham are both scum of the earth.

Does anyone else think Biden might be creating a soft landing for Russia to save face? The whole leaking of the admonishment about Dugina and public worry about the nukes, something’s going on there.

How is leaking the truth supposedly creating a soft landing for Russia and giving Russia a chance to save face?

R508, if you think the US leaking unsavoury facts about the Ukrainian administration is part of a new US strategy to give Russia a soft landing, then that would imply that the US has also been withholding unsavoury facts about the Ukrainian administration, when it's wanted to oppose Russia.

What's the story with the Ukrainian central bank governor, who stood down the other day and then fled the country before he could be investigated for corruption? There's something going on there too.

Podolyak is a thug and a pos, r506.

Biden is releasing Intel directly concerning tactical nukes. He is telling Putin that we all know his intentions and that there will be hell to pay IF...

I am not sure it’s the truth though R509. I am inclined to believe it was an internal power struggle. Maybe we are providing cover to the people within Russia who did it because they are about to launch a coup attempt to save the world from nuclear Armageddon.

But could be tinhat over optimism on my part.

Lol r512, not only are you very naive but what you said makes no sense at all. Dugina was assassinated by Russian opponents of Putin and the US deliberately falsely accuses the Ukrainians of doing this, even to the extent of publicly admonishing the Ukrainians, even though they are completely innocent? Because this will somehow avoid a nuclear strike?

First of all, Dugina was completely irrelevant and her father is a minor figure in Russia. Western rhetoric wildly inflates his significance. Anyone wanting to overthrow Putin wouldn't even consider Dugin or Dugina for a second. Secondly, there is no internal power struggle in Russia, at least no more than within the government of any western country. If Putin does have critics, then they are from the extremely hard-core, nationalist, right wing who want him to be even more aggressive

Perhaps the truth is simply that elements of the Ukrainian administration did indeed carry out the hit job on Dugina, which they fucked up if her father was the real target.

I think you’ve missed my point entirely R513.

For any Russian leader to save face they need to be seen as heroic and the Ukrainians have to be seen as not so great.

Playing up the nuclear risk would make any Russian Putin overthrower appear heroic and the leaked admonishment makes Ukraine look not so great.

This whole debate about the facts misses the forest for the trees imho.

What does the nuclear threat have to do with the US admission that the Ukrainians were behind the assassination of Dugina, for which the US admonished them?

Objectively timing

"@JimmySecUK

A fully loaded Russian BM-27 "Uragan" MLRS captured by the Ukrainians in Kherson Oblast in seemingly perfect condition.🇺🇦 This indicates the extent of their advance over the past few days - such artillery is normally kept safely behind the front lines."

Musk is a cunt. FT is reporting that Ukrainian troops have reported outages of their Starlink communication devices, leading to some 'catastrophic' loss of communication and hindering efforts to liberate territory from Russian forces.

Plus apparent refusal to extend coverage to Crimea.

What kompromat does Pootie Poots have on Elon or is he really that stupid to buy Russian propaganda like that?

This Dugin assassination could be anything.

A pro Putin Ukrainian who wants to blame it on Zelenskyy. And I'm sure there are still Putin spies in the Ukrainian government.

Maybe it was Ukraine, although I don't see what was the benefit. Besides, why shouldn't they kill Russians in Russia. Putin is killing Ukrainians in Ukraine.

According to advisor to the Office of the President of Ukraine Oleksiy Arestovich, the Ukrainian army is less than 30 km far away from Kherson. "From this position you can already see houses in Kherson through binoculars," he said.

Big explosions and fire on the railroad portion of the Crimean Bridge.... seems like the Ukrainians are targeting Russia's logistics.

This pic makes it look like part of the road section has collapsed while a train is on fire on the railroad section. How did they do that? (you'd think the range is too long for missiles from non-occupied territory..)

R521, according to the US, the assassination of Dugina was by the Ukrainian administration and they have admonished the Ukrainian administration for it. Perhaps consider that the Ukrainian administration is not comprised of a bunch of great people and the west would be very wary of outside the context of this war. Due to the war, however, they are being praised as the most glorious people on earth. The next stage is to question whether we in the west are being fully informed of the true situation or does the war context mean everything is being simplified in western discourse.

Were they even targeting Dugina or her father? If they got the wrong target, that shows even more how reckless they are.

The supposedly amazing recapture of territory by the Ukrainians, what's the total population of the territories they've retaken? 150,000? 175,000?

"we in the west". Your fat ass is sat in Russia, trollina.

"Happy birthday, Mr. President..." 🎶

Kerch Bridge has been taken completely out of action.

THIS

IS

HUGE

Sure r527, any questioning of the official western wartime narrative is "trolling". If the Ukrainian administration killed Dugina doesn't that mean questions should be asked? If the SpaceX satellites were failing and there was havoc and chaos but the picture we were given of the recapture of these areas is that it was a triumphant entry, doesn't that mean questions should be asked? If the total territory of the recaptured areas is barely 175,000 and there are still millions under Russian occupation yet the recapture of this sparsely populated territory is presented as a great turnaround, doesn't that mean questions should be asked? Let alone the fact that when Russia captured those areas they were presented as insignificant villages but when Ukraine retakes them they are apparently key towns.

We're being encouraged to support this war until the end, so are being made to believe there is going to be a great victory for the freedom-loving Ukrainians and it will all be very easy and simple and Putin will fall and Russia will be tamed, so let's just hang in a little bit longer and remain determined while the energy prices go up. The truth, however, is that the end is very uncertain and even Biden is now admitting that he's looking for an "off-ramp" for Putin (or could it be for himself?)

ElderLez may have a point, but not quite the one she was intending: the US releasing the truth about the Dugina assassination could be so that they can start to paint a more realistic picture of the Ukrainians so that the US can find an off-ramp.

Article

It’s an absolutely VITAL link. It’s the only rail link attaching Crimea to Russia.

Jesus fucking Christ:

The Kerch bridge to Crimea is on fire and highly damaged. This is a tremendous blow to Russian supply lines to Kherson and the entire southern Ukranian front.

Thanks for the news flash r534

The genius of this attack is the Ukrainian special forces (one assumes) timed the demolition so that the road bridge would be dropped into the sea at the same place and time that the fuel train was set ablaze.

So firefighting trucks can’t be deployed to help put the fuel cars out as they burn and burn and burn.

It’s a brilliant attack.

I like how while everyone here is posting photos of the Ukrainians' destruction of a crucial Russian supply line, R530 pulls a speculative mini-essay out of their ass about how the Ukrainians might be losing the war and in need of an "off ramp."

An obvious demolition job by UAF SOF

Better version

Growing consensus that it was a remotely controlled boat filled with explosives.

R538 Trollina's argument is wrong anyway - Russia tried to take over all of Ukraine at first, including Kyiv, but the Ukrainians have fought them back to this frontline plus they're the ones who are advancing, making progress. The Russians are losing, not winning - if you don't believe me just go look at what the Russian nationalist milbloggers and TV propagandists are saying - they've been acknowledging that for some time and aren't happy about it!

Also, it's not up to the U.S. whether Ukraine decides to let Putin have what he wants. Ukraine is all-in now and would refuse to even if the U.S. withdrew support (which they won't). Trollina is way overreading the Dugina thing.

Back to the bridge which is Putin's pet bridge that cost $4bn... The Crimean bridge is a symbol that Crimea is securely sewn into Russia so the insecurity of this link is symbolically very bad for the Russians. The bridge has a mascot (a very cute ginger cat). A rom com movie made by Margarita Simonyan. It was all about Russia finalising its ‘conquering’ of Crimea. It was also providing logistics for the Kherson front.

It's estimated that 0.8 miles of rail track was destroyed on the bridge (the entire bridge is 12 miles). At least three people died - passengers who were unfortunate to get caught in the blast. Ukraine's post office has already released stamps celebrating this. Back when the bridge was built Ukrainians couldn't do anything but now they can.

R538 Kamikaze drone boats have been floated as a possibility.

Only 3 months ago Russian propagandists were boasting about how the bridge was impossible to attack because of 20 different modes of protection covering it - including military dolphins lol (I've linked to their graphic).

Here's an article about kamikaze drone boats from September 22nd if you want to see what they look like and some info about them.

Others are saying truck bomb but that raises an interesting question: how?

Anyway here’s an lol

Wow even our trolls are looking for an off-ramp now.

The UAF simultaneously attacked the rail line in Ilovais'k, in Donetsk, which is the major rail hub for the Russians in the occupied territories (other than the bridge they destroyed).

Rail lines and fuel tanks were destroyed, probably by Mister HIMARS. The Ukrainians are choking off the south. This suggests something big is coming.

Got to also look out for Russian retaliation because this will be seen as a huge provocation to Putin. Just seen this from AP:

[quote]"Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the biggest in Europe, has lost its last remaining external power source as a result of renewed shelling and is now relying on emergency diesel generators, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said."

This may be the actual truck that did the deed (if it were a truck).

The normal Russian shambolic security check.

Yeah, they better watch that fucking power plant, because when Putin finally feels like he backed into a corner with no way out, that is gonna be what he goes after. Actual warheads will be a bridge to far but a nice nuclear meltdown under the cover of plausible deniability will be just what the doctored ordered.

[quote] The supposedly amazing recapture of territory by the Ukrainians, what's the total population of the territories they've retaken? 150,000? 175,000?

The Ukrainians have retaken 30% of what was initially overrun by the Russians.

And please note for context that Stalingrad was less than one half of one percent of the land that the Germans had overrun up to that point in 1943. Something I’m sure the Russians are mindful of.

Not that the percentage even matters. The Russians aren’t gaining ground ANYWHERE. The Ukrainians are gaining ground EVERYWHERE.

As of this moment, the Russians are losing this war.

If they cause an actual melt down at a Ukrainian nuclear plant, they could be fucking themselves much worse, depending on how the wind is blowing.

And international retribution would be EXTREME.

Hopefully the other side of the bridge was damaged enough so that it’s unusable. This is a pretty brilliant move. I wonder how much the U.S. is lending its tactical expertise, because so far, Ukraine is just executing a brilliant plan.

Ignore Matt-fatso’s doubletalk. He’s just mad that the man he wishes Trump had been more like is getting his ass handed to him.

They could easily play it like collateral fallout from local shelling.

It would be difficult to respond under that pretext.

I really don’t think Putin is going to fold up shop and go home. He will make a big nuclear move of some sort before that happens. I don’t think he was bluffing about that.

The question is how bad is going to get for Europe.

Russia's "special military operation" has yet another new senior commander: Sergei Surovikin, former commander of Russia's intervention in Syria.

He's a notoriously corrupt and brutal general even by the Russian army's standards, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. Link is to a pic of him.

[quote]They could easily play it like collateral fallout from local shelling.

What?

R553 There's an article about it in R360.

In a nutshell, the Ukrainians are making most of the strategy and decisions themselves. The U.S. has even complained about not being party to most of it. Probably a wise decision because while the U.S. is great at providing material support, they haven't shown good strategy and tactics in the wars they've run. Sometimes the Ukrainians do ask for feedback and views though.

Moscow’s authorities in Crimea say road traffic has been given the green light to drive over the bridge. If true, that would be the one road that doesn't look to have collapsed.

The train is gone now as well so rail could be restored too.

Update: The Russian Ministry of Transport now says train service on the bridge between Russia and Crimea will be restored by 8pm Moscow time but I'm having a really hard time believing that looking at the damage. There are still no pics of the claimed resumption of traffic on the Crimea bridge... we'll see.

R561, it appears that unfortunately, the other side of the bridge is intact. So there might be significant backups, the road might be passable.

Stanovaya (one of the best Russia analysts around) says that she thinks that Putin might decide to pretend that it wasn't a big deal. 'Only an exploded truck'. 'The bridge can be repaired..' However, she notes that Putin is usually slow to decide - he usually takes a pause first before deciding his response, so we'll see.

They have one lane on the road bridge open. And only to buses and cars. Sorry Matt-facto, it’s not BAU.

90% of traffic and all heavy haul is down.

R564, if you’re referring to me, I’m not Matt, I’m actually the OP of this thread and very happy to see Ukraine kick Russian ass. As you said yourself, the bridge is not completely destroyed, which is a shame, but if there’s only one lane of traffic, it will slow things down significantly, which is a good thing.

[quote] the bridge is not completely destroyed...

yet.

R565 I'm 99.9% sure he is not referring to you. But I also think that he is a freak who accuses anyone he doesn't like of being this strange pastiche of 'Matt-Defacto'.

I hope Ukraine knocks the rest of it down.

R557 - If the statement “God is an Englishman” is true, then “Godzilla must be Ukrainian”.

R566 Hard to see how the Ukrainians can completely destroy it any time soon. I think all of this seems like a political/symbolic victory that's good for Ukrainian morale and bad for Russian morale, just like with the ship Moskva.

Is Bootsy Gumdrop off his meds? He seems especially manic and unfocused recently.

Does anyone else feel bursts of anger whenever Russia issues a statement?

I read this earlier: Russia's foreign ministry said: "The Kiev [Kyiv] regime's reaction towards destruction of civilian infrastructure is a testament to its terrorist nature."

I just wanna yell: And what about all the shit you've pulled? All the war crimes, illegal occupation and torture to name but a few things. I know they're basically trolls and want to piss the west off, but I can't help get pissed off at them.

We’re getting close to 600 posts so time to make a new thread. Part 3 below.

I love it that Ukraine mocked the cunt Putin on her 70th birthday by playing Marilyn Monroe singing "Happy Birthday" after they blew up part of the Crimean bridge. They are fucking badass!

I saw the bridge explosion last night right after it happened. I laughed like a crazy person for the rest of the night! Bravo, Ukraine! This is the sort of audacity they have shown throughout this entire invasion.

Fuck Putin! That was a cunt punt to end all cunt punts!

That fucking bridge is D-E-A-D DEAD. No lanes open. It’s in the water. Passable by ship maybe.

That rail bridge fire was hot enough that you can see the concrete buckling. It weakened the rebar reinforcement and anyone who watched the Surfside condo collapse knows what happens when rebar is exposed and the concrete weakened.

Now Pootz is gonna get his propaganda fired up, claim it was “just a flesh wound” and pretend like Crimea isn’t cut off but we all have eyes. We see that fucking thing in the water. Glory to the sappers who have the guts to pull this sort of shit off!

One lane of the bridge has sadly been reopened to limited traffic (no trucks).

For now.

Wonder if Ukraine can blow up the remaining bridge lane tonight.

R576, I also wonder if the Russians know that the one lane is very weakened but don’t give a shit who falls into the water if it gives way.

R577, driving across a partially collapsed bridge doesn’t seem very wise.

Is the traffic going into or out of Crimea? Maybe some of the Russians are risking life and limb to flee?

Is safe for traffic! Bumbling Ukrainian fascists only damage small portion! 100 kilotons of munitions, comin' through!

Link to Part 3