[Politics] Russia invades Ukraine (24/02/2022)

[Eric the meek]

They don't actually give the Russian Army dead anyway. They mobilised something like 120,000 people on the border, to invade Ukraine. If they've only lost a few thousand of those, why did they then need to mobilise another 300,000 men?

Indeed.

Bear in mind the number of 300,000 came from the Russian government. As far as I am aware, there is no independent verification that only 300,000 were conscripted. At the time there were all sorts of murmurings of conscription rules being broken (mostly out in the far-flung regions), people being taken off the streets, anti-war protesters being conscripted etc.

I see that the conscription process is no longer a paper exercise, but a digital one. Why did they make that change if the process had finished?
So the final number of conscripts could be almost anything.

Today, a few plaintive stories make it out into the outside world of Russian mothers trying to find out what happened to their lost sons, but to no avail.

 

[portslade seagull]

Indeed.

Bear in mind the number of 300,000 came from the Russian government. As far as I am aware, there is no independent verification that only 300,000 were conscripted. At the time there were all sorts of murmurings of conscription rules being broken (mostly out in the far-flung regions), people being taken off the streets, anti-war protesters being conscripted etc.

I see that the conscription process is no longer a paper exercise, but a digital one. Why did they make that change if the process had finished?
So the final number of conscripts could be almost anything.

Today, a few plaintive stories make it out into the outside world of Russian mothers trying to find out what happened to their lost sons, but to no avail.

Sadly with the portable cremation lorry's behind the frontline masking the true numbers lost many mothers questions will go unanswered

 

[Triggaaar]

Sadly with the portable cremation lorry's behind the frontline masking the true numbers lost many mothers questions will go unanswered

It's alright, if you don't like their questions you can just sedate them:

 

[raymondo]

It's alright, if you don't like their questions you can just sedate them:

Incredible

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

It's alright, if you don't like their questions you can just sedate them:

Wow that is pure evil.

 

[raymondo]

Wow that is pure evil.

And the audience just sits and watches. What a brave lady, and what a controlled, intimidated and complacent society.

 

[portslade seagull]

It's alright, if you don't like their questions you can just sedate them:

Unbelievable probably still in prison

 

[Triggaaar]

Wow that is pure evil.

We had a student from China living with us for a couple of years - I showed her, and to dismiss it (as she wanted to defend communism, not that China is communist anymore) she said 'maybe it was best for the mother as she was getting stressed' As if any of us want that to happen when we're angry.

Her reaction reminds me of how you're average Russian can't imagine what Russia are really doing in Ukraine.

 

[raymondo]

We had a student from China living with us for a couple of years - I showed her, and do dismiss it (as she wanted to defend communism, not that China is communist anymore) she said 'maybe it was best for the mother as she was getting stressed' As if any of us want that to happen when we're angry.

Her reaction reminds me of how you're average Russian can't imagine what Russia are really doing in Ukraine.

Exactly this. They can't imagine what Russia have really been doing to Ukraine, and they DON'T WANT TO imagine because that would disturb their fundamental belief and trust in everything the Russian leadership tell them.

 

[raymondo]

Updated at 08.33 BST
2h ago07.45 BST

Ukrainian forces destroy ammunition depot in the village of Rykove – official​

More on that ammunition depot story in Russian-controlled territory.
Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, said on Sunday Ukrainian forces destroyed a “very significant” ammunition depot near the Russian-occupied port city of Henichesk in the southern region of Kherson.
“Our armed forces dealt a good blow in the morning – and a very loud one – in the village of Rykove, Henichesk district, in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region,” Bratchuk said in a morning video message on Sunday. “There was a very significant ammunition depot. It was destroyed.”
Reuters could not independently verify the information. And there was no immediate comment from Russia on the alleged attack.
Ukrainian media posted videos showing a vast plume of smoke rising far on the horizon with sounds of blasts and burning projectiles flying into the sky.
Rykove is located on a railway line about 20km from Henichesk, a port city along the Sea of Azov in southern Ukraine, which has been occupied by Kremlin forces since the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

 

[raymondo]

‘It’s 21st-century warfare’: on Ukraine’s counteroffensive frontline

Despite gradual progress, drone operators remain resolute about their critical role in counterattack

www.theguardian.com

Some interesting details in here

 

[portslade seagull]

Some pretty graphic video has been posted on Ukraine_defence of trench warfare. The Russians seem to be running at them and just get dropped

 

[Eric the meek]

‘It’s 21st-century warfare’: on Ukraine’s counteroffensive frontline

Despite gradual progress, drone operators remain resolute about their critical role in counterattack

www.theguardian.com

Some interesting details in here

That's the second time I've read that attacks from Russian helicopters are making it difficult for Ukrainians to advance.

 

[Gabbiano]

That's the second time I've read that attacks from Russian helicopters are making it difficult for Ukrainians to advance.

But equally they seem to be succeeding in taking the helicopters out fairly regularly. Broadly speaking we’re hearing positive noises about the counteroffensive, but of course the Ukrainian side will talk up the successes as much as the Russians the failures.

Progress is gradual, then sudden. Hopefully there will be a breakthrough in the push towards the main line of defence in the coming days/weeks.

This isn’t going to be another Kharkiv offensive, it’ll be a long old slog.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Shocking that the Ukrainian soldiers are having to buy drones themselves? They should be getting everything they need. The west owes these people an incalculable debt. The least we can do is cover simple expenses.

 

[raymondo]

Shocking that the Ukrainian soldiers are having to buy drones themselves? They should be getting everything they need. The west owes these people an incalculable debt. The least we can do is cover simple expenses.

I'm thinking the same...also there have been many charitable groups fundraising for drones for over a year now. It can't be a case of simple isolation of the troops from supply zones if they're able to purchase drones/parts themselves

 

[Eric the meek]

But equally they seem to be succeeding in taking the helicopters out fairly regularly. Broadly speaking we’re hearing positive noises about the counteroffensive, but of course the Ukrainian side will talk up the successes as much as the Russians the failures.

Progress is gradual, then sudden. Hopefully there will be a breakthrough in the push towards the main line of defence in the coming days/weeks.

This isn’t going to be another Kharkiv offensive, it’ll be a long old slog.

I expect you are right. I've read the same in several places.

The retired US General, Ben Hodges said that he expected to see several combined arms advances in several areas. This is what seems to be happening, with Ukraine probing, sussing out the strengths and weaknesses of the Russian defences in these areas. The helicopter attacks are obviously something Ukraine can learn from - that they cannot easily bring them down from the ground.

I agree that it will be a long difficult slog. Russia has shown it will go to unexpected lengths to protect what it has gained.

 

[sparkie]

That's the second time I've read that attacks from Russian helicopters are making it difficult for Ukrainians to advance.

The F-16s will rip those helicopters out of the sky. Shame they are taking so long to arrive.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

The F-16s will rip those helicopters out of the sky. Shame they are taking so long to arrive.

I've got no military expertise apart from the large amounts of reading i've been doing since this war started, but my understanding is that they wouldn't be directly engaging with each other as helicopters and planes aren't operating anywhere near the other sides lines as they would be too exposed to anti aircraft fire. Instead the Russians are using aerial power well behind the lines as a flying platform for firing missiles and Ukraine would have to do the same even if they had access to this sort of kit

 

[Eric the meek]

The F-16s will rip those helicopters out of the sky. Shame they are taking so long to arrive.

I remember hearing one commentator (it might have been Hodges, but I'm not sure), saying that the F-16s, complete with pilots who have completed their training, would not be ready in time for this offensive.