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

[Insel affe]

probably behind facebook etc going down this afternoon eh...

either them or the aliens

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

With Russian naval and aircraft losses mounting, some of the Navy and Air Force personnel need to start being more careful else they'll find themselves being redeployed as boots on the ground alongside the conscripts.

 

[Eric the meek]

Ukraine has struck an oil depot in the Russian village of Dolgoye, in Belgorod, just inside the Russian border.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/03/05/ukraine-russia-war-live-sea-drones-crimea-kerch/

 

[raymondo]

Ukraine has struck an oil depot in the Russian village of Dolgoye, in Belgorod, just inside the Russian border.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/03/05/ukraine-russia-war-live-sea-drones-crimea-kerch/

It's been a busy couple of weeks

 

[raymondo]

There is a theory doing the rounds that Putin thinks Medvedev could be a potential challenger for leadership. So, Medvedev acts and sounds like an even bigger looney than Putin and thereby reducing his threat potential.. no one would vote for him as he's such a nutter. .. Thus keeping himself alive.

Interesting theory, I'm just unsure anyone would put up a serious challenge to Putin at the moment... they would know the outcome would most likely be bad for them.
Perhaps Medvedev is simply taking the Putin rhetoric to the next level, with Putin's approval.
(PS perhaps I'm reading it wrong because it's been a long while since I've seen Medvedev looking sober in public ).

 

[Triggaaar]

There is a theory doing the rounds that Putin thinks Medvedev could be a potential challenger for leadership.

That doesn't make sense. He was president after Putin, and he paved the way for Putin to be a permanent dictator by removing the 8 year presidency limit. He's Putin's great ally.

 

[Eric the meek]

It's been a busy couple of weeks

I can barely keep up with the news, let alone post it on here Raymondo !

But here is an interesting take from the New York Times.

Summary - the Russian advance on Avdiivka and the Ukrainians shooting down a greater number of Russian fighter planes are both symptoms of a shift in Russian tactics.

'Moscow’s recent gains in the east have been aided by more aggressive air support on the front lines. But that also has helped Ukraine shoot down enemy planes in the past two weeks.'

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/05/world/europe/ukraine-war-russia-planes.html

 

[portslade seagull]

Russia has sadly finally managed to destroy the 1st Himar even though they've reported 100s

 

[Igzilla]

Russia has sadly finally managed to destroy the 1st Himar even though they've reported 100s

It's interesting in the video that it shows the HIMARS with nothing in front of it and a vehicle behind it, then the camera cuts to a different viewpoint and there's now a vehicle in front of it as well as behind it...I smell bullshit.

 

[raymondo]

I can barely keep up with the news, let alone post it on here Raymondo !

But here is an interesting take from the New York Times.

Summary - the Russian advance on Avdiivka and the Ukrainians shooting down a greater number of Russian fighter planes are both symptoms of a shift in Russian tactics.

'Moscow’s recent gains in the east have been aided by more aggressive air support on the front lines. But that also has helped Ukraine shoot down enemy planes in the past two weeks.'

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/05/world/europe/ukraine-war-russia-planes.html

Thank you: an interesting read, with some added details .

 

[raymondo]

It's interesting in the video that it shows the HIMARS with nothing in front of it and a vehicle behind it, then the camera cuts to a different viewpoint and there's now a vehicle in front of it as well as behind it...I smell bullshit.

 

[Sirnormangall]

The paranoia continues to deepen in Russia.

Now they are threatening to expel journalists, and are accusing western ambassadors of meddling in Russian affairs.

Ukraine war live updates: Russia threatens to expel reporters, accuses ambassadors of meddling; Ukraine sinks Black Sea Fleet ship

Russia's Foreign Ministry warned that it would not hesitate to expel German journalists from the country if Berlin moved to ban Russian reporters.

www.cnbc.com

I’m sort of surprised that the bbc reporter the excellent Steve Rosenberg hasn’t been kicked out of Russia yet. His reports are always couched with doubt and cynicism about anything said or done by the Russian regime. Long May it continue

 

[raymondo]

I’m sort of surprised that the bbc reporter the excellent Steve Rosenberg hasn’t been kicked out of Russia yet. His reports are always couched with doubt and cynicism about anything said or done by the Russian regime. Long May it continue

I think somehow it would be admission of a problem or failing if the 'impartial ' BBC were kicked out. Yes, Rosenberg sailing closer to that line...thank goodness.

 

[Eric the meek]

I’m sort of surprised that the bbc reporter the excellent Steve Rosenberg hasn’t been kicked out of Russia yet. His reports are always couched with doubt and cynicism about anything said or done by the Russian regime. Long May it continue

I think Steve Rosenberg and his news team are treading a fine line, and they are doing a good job in exceedingly difficult circumstances.

As you know, they are subject to cynical laws preventing criticism of the Kremlin regime and the Russian military. In doing so, the Kremlin not only seeks to control its own media, but those of foreign countries as well.

This is another manifestation of the strange Russian dystopian mix of control and paranoia, in which dissidents who do not share the utopian vision, are poisoned, jailed or murdered, or if the paranoia is acute, all three.

 

[US Seagull]

Russian missile nearly hits Zelensky’s motorcade

A Russian missile struck near Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s motorcade Wednesday in the city of Odesa. The missile hit about 490 feet from the motorcade, which was accompanied by Gr…

thehill.com

 

[Eric the meek]

Russian missile nearly hits Zelensky’s motorcade

A Russian missile struck near Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s motorcade Wednesday in the city of Odesa. The missile hit about 490 feet from the motorcade, which was accompanied by Gr…

thehill.com

I'm not sure what to make of this. While Zelensky would have been the target, a missile came within a few hundred metres of the Greek Prime Minister. The Greece that is a member of NATO.

We have already seen that Russia has lost some 14 planes because Russia put them in more danger on the front line because it was desperate to take out Ukrainian positions and take Avdiivka. British intelligence estimates that in February, Russia suffered an average loss of 983 troops every day; their highest in the war so far.

Russia's actions are becoming increasingly reckless in the run-up to the presidential election.

 

[essbee1]

Had they taken out Greece's PM, then it would have been game over for Russia. An attack on NATO and all that.

 

[GT49er]

I'm not sure what to make of this. While Zelensky would have been the target, a missile came within a few hundred metres of the Greek Prime Minister. The Greece that is a member of NATO.

We have already seen that Russia has lost some 14 planes because Russia put them in more danger on the front line because it was desperate to take out Ukrainian positions and take Avdiivka. British intelligence estimates that in February, Russia suffered an average loss of 983 troops every day; their highest in the war so far.

Russia's actions are becoming increasingly reckless in the run-up to the presidential election.

Presidential election - what's that all about? Vote Putin ................................ or Putin ........................... or don't vote - and wait for a knock on the door in the night?

What the hell are our spooks doing? The Russian spooks are adept at keeping the Russian public misinformed - why can't our spooks spread a few doubts? Maybe they're trying - but they aren't doing very well!

 

[Eric the meek]

Presidential election - what's that all about? Vote Putin ................................ or Putin ........................... or don't vote - and wait for a knock on the door in the night?

What the hell are our spooks doing? The Russian spooks are adept at keeping the Russian public misinformed - why can't our spooks spread a few doubts? Maybe they're trying - but they aren't doing very well!

That was kind of my point.

The decision-making is becoming even more bonkers than usual. Putin has already eliminated all his rivals, including Navalny. When a couple of mavericks appeared coming up on the rails, he invented/invoked rules to prevent them from running. But he still pretends the election isn't false. Who is he trying to convince? Meanwhile, in order to present something as a success (Avdiivka) at the election, he puts umpteen fighter planes at risk of being shot down, and incurs daily losses of nearly 1000 troops.

All of this for an election that he knows he will win by a landslide. Even if he just didn't fancy it, he could cancel it at a moment's notice anyway. But he doesn't.

I suspect, as a student of history, he is - absolutely - shit scared of the Russian people and losing control of them.

 

[crookie]

That was kind of my point.

The decision-making is becoming even more bonkers than usual. Putin has already eliminated all his rivals, including Navalny. When a couple of mavericks appeared coming up on the rails, he invented/invoked rules to prevent them from running. But he still pretends the election isn't false. Who is he trying to convince? Meanwhile, in order to present something as a success (Avdiivka) at the election, he puts umpteen fighter planes at risk of being shot down, and incurs daily losses of nearly 1000 troops.

All of this for an election that he knows he will win by a landslide. Even if he just didn't fancy it, he could cancel it at a moment's notice anyway. But he doesn't.

I suspect, as a student of history, he is - absolutely - shit scared of the Russian people and losing control of them.

Indeed, when you have to murder political opponents in prison, arrest people laying flowers and stop anyone for running against you in an election where the result is a foregone conclusion it makes you look the very opposite of a 'strong leader'