Ukraine and the Russian invasion, 2022-24

[not-bono-ever]

This is longish and tik tok but tge UKR propaganda game doesn’t let up. This is the digital equivalent dropping leaflets in the enemy’s trenches

 

[Ming]

This is longish and tik tok but tge UKR propaganda game doesn’t let up. This is the digital equivalent dropping leaflets in the enemy’s trenches

It must be tough fighting on a side without the moral high ground. It’s like that Mitchell and Webb sketch ‘are we the baddies’.

 

[not-bono-ever]

The parallels with the immediate pre 1917 revolution period are well interesting here if you assume Putian is the Czar in this bloody drama. I don think NATO have a Lenin kicking about somewhere they could send to the Finland Station to stir the pot a bit more

eta, the use of the language in that video kinda invokes something that I can imagine many Russians will recognise.

eta2 I just thought it was designed to trigger and recall what went on a century ago.

 

[teuchter]

that Mitchell and Webb sketch ‘are we the baddies’.

Oh yes that sketch which really ought to get more mention on this thread. I suggest posting a GIF or screenshot from it to make sure that the existence and relevance of the Mitchell and Webb "are we the baddies" sketch does not get overlooked by a single soul.

 

[two sheds]

Does anyone have such a gif or screenshot?

 

[frogwoman]

Seems like some pretty horrific airstrikes on Kyiv atm

 

[cupid_stunt]

More payback for the act of terrorism on the bridge, this of course is not terrorism.

The Ukrainian capital was targeted by at least four missiles on Monday morning, the first strikes in several months, as other Ukrainian cities also came under Russian attack in the wake of Saturday’s huge explosion that hit a key Russian built bridge in the Crimea.

Guardian reporters in Kyiv heard several missiles pass over head with at least one striking, while a fourth detonation could be heard a little later. Ukrainians had been bracing for a harsh Russian reprisal after the blast that brought down part of the Kerch bridge linking the occupied Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland early on Saturday.

Among the targets hit overnight were the city of Zaporizhzhia which was hit for the third night in a row and the port city of Mykolaiv. The strikes follow reports of an uptick in activity by Russian strategic bombers with some of the missiles fired from the area of the Caspian sea. LINK

From Sky News - explosions have also been heard in Lviv, Ternopil in the west and Dnipro in central Ukraine, according to media reports.

 

[Ming]

Oh yes that sketch which really ought to get more mention on this thread. I suggest posting a GIF or screenshot from it to make sure that the existence and relevance of the Mitchell and Webb "are we the baddies" sketch does not get overlooked by a single soul.

Sorry. I should have been more thoughtful. You should nuke me you hive of milk and honey.

 

[not-bono-ever]

New boss wanker at the helm apparently . Syria on his Cv. Despicable cunt. Let’s hope his life is shortened significantly

 

[steeplejack]

Reports that all road and rail bridges between Ukraine and Belarus have been blown up by the Ukrainians.

Air and kamikaze drone strikes launched in numbers from Belarusian territory.

 

[steeplejack]

 

[Flavour]

Reports that all road and rail bridges between Ukraine and Belarus have been blown up by the Ukrainians.

Air and kamikaze drone strikes launched in numbers from Belarusian territory.

Surely once and for all putting paid to the idea that Belarussian army might join the war ?

 

[steeplejack]

Lukashenko meets his security council this morning, as does Putin.

Unfortunately it looks like the Belarusian army, and therefore (not unfortunately) Lukashenko's regime, will be fed into the meat grinder soon.

 

[steeplejack]

Duplicated from the Belarus thread as it is relevant:

Lukashenko meets with his security council this morning, with wild rumours circulating that a Belarusian land attack will begin in the next week. Hence the blowing of bridges this morning (the roads leading into Ukraine from Belarus have been heavily mined already by the Ukrainians).

Politically it's totally insane from Lukashenko's point of view but I guess the calculation is that with the Russian military present in such numbers in the country, now, that deep unpopularity can be shrugged off. He's had a bit of practice after all in maintaining power without legitimacy.

From the Russian POV the Belarusian army is expendable and pish but creates a diversion from the relentless Ukrainian sweep south and south east.

 

[steeplejack]

Looks like it's happening, unfortunately:

 

[The39thStep]

The parallels with the immediate pre 1917 revolution period are well interesting here if you assume Putian is the Czar in this bloody drama. I don think NATO have a Lenin kicking about somewhere they could send to the Finland Station to stir the pot a bit more

eta, the use of the language in that video kinda invokes something that I can imagine many Russians will recognise.

eta2 I just thought it was designed to trigger and recall what went on a century ago.

Can you develop a little more what these " parallels with the immediate pre 1917 revolution period" are please?

 

[not-bono-ever]

Yes

 

[Pickman's model]

The parallels with the immediate pre 1917 revolution period are well interesting here if you assume Putian is the Czar in this bloody drama. I don think NATO have a Lenin kicking about somewhere they could send to the Finland Station to stir the pot a bit more

eta, the use of the language in that video kinda invokes something that I can imagine many Russians will recognise.

eta2 I just thought it was designed to trigger and recall what went on a century ago.

in january 1917 the russian empire, allied with france, britain, italy and japan, was at war with austria-hungary, germany and turkey. in 2022 russia, allied with belarus, is at war with ukraine. the constant there is war. everything else is markedly different.

 

[MickiQ]

Duplicated from the Belarus thread as it is relevant:

Lukashenko meets with his security council this morning, with wild rumours circulating that a Belarusian land attack will begin in the next week. Hence the blowing of bridges this morning (the roads leading into Ukraine from Belarus have been heavily mined already by the Ukrainians).

Politically it's totally insane from Lukashenko's point of view but I guess the calculation is that with the Russian military present in such numbers in the country, now, that deep unpopularity can be shrugged off. He's had a bit of practice after all in maintaining power without legitimacy.

From the Russian POV the Belarusian army is expendable and pish but creates a diversion from the relentless Ukrainian sweep south and south east.

The Belarusian army must know this though how long after the Ukrainians start killing them will it be before they decide their best option is to just shoot their own officers and bugger off back home/

 

[Artaxerxes]

The Belarusian army must know this though how long after the Ukrainians start killing them will it be before they decide their best option is to just shoot their own officers and bugger off back home/

I assume Belarus is hoping the Ukrainians can’t deal with the workload of fighting on two fronts and collapse quickly or they get to Kiev rapidly because I can’t imagine the Belarusian army is in a state where it can outfight the Ukrainians when the Russians are struggling against it.

Also, to steal a saying, winter is coming.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I assume Belarus is hoping the Ukrainians can’t deal with the workload of fighting on two fronts and collapse quickly or they get to Kiev rapidly because I can’t imagine the Belarusian army is in a state where it can outfight the Ukrainians when the Russians are struggling against it.

Also, to steal a saying, winter is coming.

Maybe they don't have to do much actual fighting. Just be enough of a presence that Ukraine has to divert troops that are needed elsewhere.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Maybe they don't have to do much actual fighting. Just be enough of a presence that Ukraine has to divert troops that are needed elsewhere.

They already do that. Belarus has had Russian troops in it since the start and it’s where some of The Column came from

 

[steeplejack]

Lukashenko got a $1.5 billion loan from Russia last week.

Pretty clear what the interest on that loan was, now.

 

[Pickman's model]

I assume Belarus is hoping the Ukrainians can’t deal with the workload of fighting on two fronts and collapse quickly or they get to Kiev rapidly because I can’t imagine the Belarusian army is in a state where it can outfight the Ukrainians when the Russians are struggling against it.

Also, to steal a saying, winter is coming.

it's not really two fronts as it's basically contiguous, the thing about fighting on two fronts is where the fronts are widely separated - eg germany fighting in france and russia.

 

[Rob Ray]

Smacks of serious desperation on Putin's part if this does happen - worst-case scenario his last puppet/buffer state falls over, showcasing the limits of Russian power projection and providing food for thought to all Russia's internal separatist movements. And I'd imagine not inconsiderable resources have already been/would be thrown at helping to make that happen by the West.

 

[steeplejack]

Now the shock has settled commentators are suggesting more bluster- a threat to become involved that (just like the drawing up of lists for possible mobiks amongst state enterprises) may not be followed through: an attempt to create a diversion.





Effectively, Bel army is "augmented" by 1,000 Russian troops who will keep the Ukrainians looking north whilst not actually committing the crap Belarusian army over the border and into a certain massacre.

 

[TomUS]

Just saw a BBC interview with some expert on Russia who said Russia can't keep up this missile barage for long. It needs to retain a certain amount of missiles in case of a clash with NATO. The US and NATO can supply pretty much unlimited ammo and weapons to Ukraine. I don't know anything about the Belarusian military but it seems unlikely it could stand up to the Ukrainians. So this latest increase in terror by Putin is bound to fail. With Putin backed into a corner, the probability he'll use tactical nukes increases.

 

[Supine]

Reports that a missile hit the German consulate in Kiev.

eta - Germany have not been using it since feb.

 

[nogojones]

Reports that a missile hit the German consulate in Kiev.

eta - Germany have not been using it since feb.

Well that sort of imitates the time when the US air force shoved 5 guided bombs into teh Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three and wounding 20

 

[Pickman's model]

Reports that a missile hit the German consulate in Kiev.

eta - Germany have not been using it since feb.

it's always good when saying there are reports of something to actually link to at least one of the reports