Ukraine and the Russian invasion, 2022-24

[maomao]

This ought to be a thread for facts, and speculation and rumours ought to be kept to the speculation thread.

We don't have a speculation thread.

 

[Pickman's model]

We don't have a speculation thread.

I must have imagined this then Ukraine: Unsubstantiated rumours and speculation

 

[maomao]

I must have imagined this then Ukraine: Unsubstantiated rumours and speculation

I had forgotten the last two words in the title. I just don't think there are enough known facts to sustain a thread. Some level of speculation is inevitable on this thread.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

99 Red Balloons is about nuclear war? (99 Air Balloons in German, she clearly didn't know the German for red).

Why am I always the last to know these things?

 

[Pickman's model]

I had forgotten the last two words in the title. I just don't think there are enough known facts to sustain a thread. Some level of speculation is inevitable on this thread.

Oh yeh. Some level. But DC has gone above and beyond that.

 

[_Russ_]

This ought to be a thread for facts, and speculation and rumours ought to be kept to the speculation thread.

Regular jibes from sad little arsepuffs with the singular aim of putting down others to bolster their egos ok though?..just asking

 

[Pickman's model]

Regular jibes from sad little arsepuffs with the singular aim of putting down others to bolster their egos ok though?..just asking

You can tell a lot about a man who has to use insults to express himself, and none of it to his advantage.

 

[kebabking]

You'd think they employ people to go in and errrm count them.

Oh they do - they're on the take as well.

Everyone in any position of power is in on it - everyone in the system gets a slice for falsifying the data. Command positions are bought, everyone is paying someone else, everyone is being paid off by someone else.

 

[dilute micro]

Oh they do - they're on the take as well.

Everyone in any position of power is in on it - everyone in the system gets a slice for falsifying the data. Command positions are bought, everyone is paying someone else, everyone is being paid off by someone else.

Hopefully everyone that stands to go to prison will turn on Putin. Maybe the reason Putin hasn't done much about it is he knows what will happen to him.

 

[Mr Moose]

You'd think they employ people to go in and errrm count them.

They do, but that’s just a mate of blokes one and two who is also in on it.

Oops, kebabking in there first.

 

[Nylock]

Oh they do - they're on the take as well.

Everyone in any position of power is in on it - everyone in the system gets a slice for falsifying the data. Command positions are bought, everyone is paying someone else, everyone is being paid off by someone else.

Let's hope that the corruption and graft in their nuke arsenal is even more endemic and impactful to the hardware than in their conventional forces...

 

[Dogsauce]

Oh they do - they're on the take as well.

Everyone in any position of power is in on it - everyone in the system gets a slice for falsifying the data. Command positions are bought, everyone is paying someone else, everyone is being paid off by someone else.

And this is why they haven’t built any warships since the 1990s, but somehow a select few people have spent an awful lot of money on massive yachts. Total mafia state. Tons of oil money yet much of the population have their arses hanging out living in rural slums with unpaved roads.

 

[Pickman's model]

And this is why they haven’t built any warships since the 1990s

Which doesn't explain the new naval vessels in the black sea fleet eg the admiral essen

 

[existentialist]

99 Red Balloons is about nuclear war? (99 Air Balloons in German, she clearly didn't know the German for red).

Why am I always the last to know these things?

It was "99 Luftballons" in the original German - they needed the "red" to make it scan in English.

 

[existentialist]

Oh they do - they're on the take as well.

Everyone in any position of power is in on it - everyone in the system gets a slice for falsifying the data. Command positions are bought, everyone is paying someone else, everyone is being paid off by someone else.

And then they go and fight a war...

 

[friedaweed]

99 Red Balloons is about nuclear war? (99 Air Balloons in German, she clearly didn't know the German for red).

Why am I always the last to know these things?

I had an Athena style poster that I must have bought from Woolies on my wall of Nena in between two others. One of Phil Neal and one of Kenny Dalgliesh which I got from the Liverpool Echo. I never had a knuckle shuffle over Phil or Kenny though.

 

[Ax^]

if you want some catharsis from the current situation
just watch hunt for red october and see mr putin getting shot with the first act

 

[xenon]

Oh they do - they're on the take as well.

Everyone in any position of power is in on it - everyone in the system gets a slice for falsifying the data. Command positions are bought, everyone is paying someone else, everyone is being paid off by someone else.

Imagining Goodfellas style narration.
Everyone knew the score. Everyone got their piece. The system just worked, it was beautiful. until one day, we got the order to invade.

 

[Kaka Tim]

Grim thought/realisation - the Russian media escalating its anti-Ukrainian rhetoric to the point of essentially justifying genocide. I fear its preparing the ground for them to use nuclear weapons. Happy Easter.

 

[Ax^]

depends on putin i suppose if he does it nato is going to set in with troops and them birds in the air
and global warfare

not sure what he thinks he will win from the back of it

 

[DaveCinzano]

Could we zipwire him in?

View attachment 318789

Then you'd have to fanny about attaching the other end. All things considered just boot him off the cargo ramp

 

[rekil]

a russian version of rentaghost

Spoiler

 

[Ax^]

Grim thought/realisation - the Russian media escalating its anti-Ukrainian rhetoric to the point of essentially justifying genocide. I fear its preparing the ground for them to use nuclear weapons. Happy Easter.

*gets coat

 

[David Clapson]

Apparently one Russian division is 45% ghost soldiers. Could be bollocks, but the Michael McKay who tweeted it is thought to be an authority

 

[WhyLikeThis]

Grim thought/realisation - the Russian media escalating its anti-Ukrainian rhetoric to the point of essentially justifying genocide. I fear its preparing the ground for them to use nuclear weapons. Happy Easter.

If it goes nuclear, it will likely go, well, nuclear. There’s a fair bit of illogical talk of “tactical” nuclear warhead use implying there could be limited use. Using nukes is like being pregnant; you cannot be a little bit pregnant like you cannot have minor convenient nuclear strike. Then expect be back in time for tea.

 

[bluescreen]

If it goes nuclear, it will likely go, well, nuclear. There’s a fair bit of illogical talk of “tactical” nuclear warhead use implying there could be limited use. Using nukes is like being pregnant; you cannot be a little bit pregnant like you cannot have minor convenient nuclear strike. Then expect be back in time for tea

If it's tactical and focused I still reckon NATO will hold back. Because they can.

 

[Raheem]

If it goes nuclear, it will likely go, well, nuclear. There’s a fair bit of illogical talk of “tactical” nuclear warhead use implying there could be limited use. Using nukes is like being pregnant; you cannot be a little bit pregnant like you cannot have minor convenient nuclear strike. Then expect be back in time for tea.

You can conceivably have a use of tactical nuclear weapons not immediately followed by a full-on apocalypse.

 

[WhyLikeThis]

You can conceivably have a use of tactical nuclear weapons not immediately followed by a full-on apocalypse.

£10 says it’ll stay nuclear free or total nuclear holocaust…no in between.

 

[spring-peeper]

£10 says it’ll stay nuclear free or total nuclear holocaust…no in between.

What other options are there?

 

[emanymton]

What other options are there?

If Russia was to drop a single Nuke (or 2) on Ukraine, the US can choose to respond with military force or not. If they do it will escalate, so I still think they would stay out of the fight.