Ukraine and the Russian invasion, 2022-24

[existentialist]

haha that’s brilliant

A lot of the video stuff seems to show logistics vehicles being crippled/damaged. Which I am guessing is no accident - that being quite a good way of screwing stuff up at the sharp end: a tank with no fuel or ammunition has to be a bit of a sitting duck.

 

[dilute micro]

Is there some poor fuck whose job it is to taste Putin's food and then be observed for a while to see if he drops dead?

I wouldn't apply for the job.

 

[platinumsage]

A lot of the video stuff seems to show logistics vehicles being crippled/damaged. Which I am guessing is no accident - that being quite a good way of screwing stuff up at the sharp end: a tank with no fuel or ammunition has to be a bit of a sitting duck.

Meanwhile:

 

[Rimbaud]

Cyprus just dropped their objection to freezing Russia out of SWIFT. That might not sound much but it's huge because there is a lot of Russian money in Cyprus. It's like the Cayman Islands freezing out the UK.

Italy just did the same.

Just Germany left?

 

[existentialist]

What are the chances that some Russian soldiers might decide "fuck this"...
Surely some of them are wondering wtf they are doing fighting there? Some will have Ukrainian relatives.
Any chance that the Russian Army Generals might turn on Putin?

Even if they don't decide "fuck this", it's a lot harder to go one-on-one against people who aren't that different from you...

I'd imagine, though, that the Russian military hierarchy will be looking over its shoulders a lot, and it'd be a brave general who decided to break ranks. It was very difficult for any kind of plot to happen within the German military under Hitler, because you just don't quite know who's going to dob you in, and the consequences then, as now, would be pretty grim for anyone suspected of not keeping the faith.

Question for Russian military experts - does the Russian army still maintain an equivalent to the old zampolit/political commissar framework?

 

[teqniq]

Wtf is this supposed to achieve?

 

[existentialist]

He's dead. All the soldiers on that island are dead. Ha bloody ha.

The fucking state of some of you lot.

The soldiers on that island may well have decided whether dying at their posts was better than being taken captive by Russia. I think we can laugh at their sang froid without having to be laughing at the fact that they died.

And, when all is said and done, it's good propaganda and encouragement to the rest of the Ukrainian fighters. And that shit matters.

 

[cupid_stunt]

He's dead. All the soldiers on that island are dead. Ha bloody ha.

The fucking state of some of you lot.

I know the outcome, he knew what the likely outcome would be, that is very sad, I certainly wouldn't have done it, but I can still admire him for his action.

Now, why don't you go fuck yourself.

 

[Dr. Furface]

But the UK support cutting Russia off from SWIFT.

Virtue signalling

 

[dilute micro]

Virtue signalling

A lot of the sanctions are just that.

 

[SpookyFrank]

A lot of the video stuff seems to show logistics vehicles being crippled/damaged. Which I am guessing is no accident - that being quite a good way of screwing stuff up at the sharp end: a tank with no fuel or ammunition has to be a bit of a sitting duck.

One good reason not to try and conquer an entire massive country in one day.

 

[existentialist]

A lot of the sanctions are just that.

"What can we do that makes it look like we're doing something, without actually doing anything?"

Though, TBF, with a loony in the Kremlin and a lot of nuclear missiles available, it's not entirely madness to be holding back from getting more involved. The last thing the West (and, we might hope, Russia) really wants is a nuclear exchange.

 

[killer b]

I know the outcome, he knew what the likely outcome would be, that is very sad, I certainly wouldn't have done it, but I can still admire him for his action.

Now, why don't you go fuck yourself.

Why do you admire someone getting himself and his colleagues blown up for no good reason?

 

[existentialist]

Why do you admire someone getting himself and his colleagues blown up for no good reason?

"When did you stop beating your wife?"

 

[The39thStep]

But the UK support cutting Russia off from SWIFT.

I’m sure that one of our remainer posters will be able to explain

 

[emanymton]

Why do you admire someone getting himself and his colleagues blown up for no good reason?

Wasn't that going to be the outcome either way?

 

[two sheds]

Even if they don't decide "fuck this", it's a lot harder to go one-on-one against people who aren't that different from you...

You'd hope so. I read somewhere that civil wars are some of the worst for violence, not sure whether that's actually true though.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Wtf is this supposed to achieve?

I doubt anyone involved had a particular aim in mind, beyond not wanting to miss their chance to blow something up.

 

[eatmorecheese]

Wtf is this supposed to achieve?

Jesus. Seems like the generation of violence for the sake of it, aiming at nothing and everything. Those poor sailors.

 

[dilute micro]

"What can we do that makes it look like we're doing something, without actually doing anything?"

Though, TBF, with a loony in the Kremlin and a lot of nuclear missiles available, it's not entirely madness to be holding back from getting more involved. The last thing the West (and, we might hope, Russia) really wants is a nuclear exchange.

Put a halt on Russia's energy exports - Putin's money maker. That's how you get to Putin but everyone is so very plugged in.

 

[killer b]

Wasn't that going to be the outcome either way?

I guess if they'd surrendered probably not?

 

[Indeliblelink]

British Airways computer systems seem to be having trouble today but they're telling us it's not due to a cyber attack. Would they tell us the truth if it was?

British Airways short-haul flights from Heathrow cancelled

Airline says its systems are running again after cancelling some short-haul flights from Heathrow.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Aladdin]

Wasn't that going to be the outcome either way?

If they had surrendered they would probably be pows. Not dead.

 

[Aladdin]

You'd hope so. I read somewhere that civil wars are some of the worst for violence, not sure whether that's actually true though.

You read right.

 

[kabbes]

Sanctions are certainly not pointless. They don't act quickly but, in the end, they devastate a country's ability to actually equip and supply its military. Soldiers aren't doing anything if they aren't paid, tanks aren't going anywhere if they aren't supplied and helicopters aren't being replaced if there is no money. And that's without even getting to the popular dissatisfaction generated for a leadership as the sanctions bite. To retain control, governments are forced to take ever more unpopular draconian actions.

Arguably, it was (the equivalent of) sanctions that brought the Soviet empire to its knees.

 

[frogwoman]

I’m sure that one of our remainer posters will be able to explain

Who cares? Not everything is about Brexit

 

[nogojones]

Can’t believe the news about that IL-76 shot down (some reports say two), poor bastards.

They were Russian paras, not conscripts. They knew what they were about and would have been brutal cunts. If they landed they weren't gonna behave like kittens. Fuck them.

 

[frogwoman]

Reports that many Russian soldiers didn't even know why they were there and thought they were on training.

 

[SpookyFrank]

British Airways computer systems seem to be having trouble today but they telling us it's not due to a cyber attack. Would they tell us the truth if it was?

British Airways short-haul flights from Heathrow cancelled

Airline says its systems are running again after cancelling some short-haul flights from Heathrow.

www.bbc.co.uk

It might make certain amount of sense not to give the Russians credit even if they were responsible.

 

[Dom Traynor]

Theres no question that at the moment Putin would use nukes if other countries got involved so it's totally right that they stay back. Personally I wouldn't even put massive sanctions on Russia either. Best to leave them to it and see who wins.