Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
It's a concern but I'm not sure that's the case. I also wonder if the people who would actually give the orders down the line from Blofeld, and those who would press the buttons, wouldn't think "fuck this mad shit".
Ukraine and the Russian invasion, 2022-24
- Thread starter kebabking
- Start date
It's a concern but I'm not sure that's the case. I also wonder if the people who would actually give the orders down the line from Blofeld, and those who would press the buttons, wouldn't think "fuck this mad shit".
Aladdin
Well-Known Member
They're listening.
Many young Russians already hate the regime. They will detest Putin for this.
Lets hope he does not lose the plot completely and go nuclear out of sheer anger at losing.
Good he is stopping others from beating the kid up.
Kids being sent by Russia.
brogdale
Coming to terms with late onset Anarchism
yep, mostly young, poorly educated working class kids...as ever.
cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
I'm touched by the apparent sensitivity - albeit quite shouty sensitivity - with which they appear to be treating the Russian soldier.
I do wonder whether there might be some attempt to encourage captured Russian soldiers to switch sides...though I imagine that could be risky.
dilute micro
esse quam videri
Is Putin too proud to take a loss if the Ukrainians are able to keep this up? Could he blame the generals and save face? Or would this be too much of an embarrassment for him to fail?
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
I was always under the impression that it was a good idea when moving armour through cities to make sure you've got good infantry support, otherwise they're vulnerable. Judging by how quickly those BMPs went up in flames, that would definitely appear to be the case.
So where were the infantry?
ETA: ok, forget it - it's not this war.
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
I'd like to hope so...
fucthest8
Cool people die horrible, preventable deaths.
Good to see your forces training kicking there.
The boys own level of bullshit on this thread is quite something
Aladdin
Well-Known Member
Vladimir Putin threatens more countries as Russia invasion of Ukraine continues
Putin is understood to have attacked Ukraine after western nations examined the idea of the country joining NATO.
Fuck.
He's gone and threatened Sweden and Finland
brogdale
Coming to terms with late onset Anarchism
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
I don't think cupid_stunt is ex-forces.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
It's becoming increasingly hard to see how Putin survives this. Aside from anything else, the size of the tactical blunder is becoming ever more evident.
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
I imagine the blame for that will be conveniently laid at the door of his military leaders.
Although that in itself might be a dangerous move, from his POV.
teqniq
DisMembered
More on the holdup re: sanctions
www.lawgazette.co.uk
Truss blaming lawyers for blocking Russia sanctions, says MP
Ben Bradshaw says public have a right to know if law firms are holding up process.
www.lawgazette.co.uk
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Volodymyr Zelensky, am seriously impressed with him, right or wrong, he's got balls for sure.
cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
What are you dribbling on about, you daft twat?
brogdale
Coming to terms with late onset Anarchism
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
Let's hope he gets to hang onto them. I'm liking the air of calm determination he wears - although I imagine he's probably bricking it quietly underneath.
andysays
Love and solidarity
fucthest8
Cool people die horrible, preventable deaths.
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
Being shown on Twitter moving towards Ukraine, and reported more widely.
Jeff Robinson
Marxist-Lentilist: Jackboots and Jackfruit
As tragic as this war is, its silver lining is that it surely spells the end of Putin's fascist dictatorship (though the military/oligarchs will likely replace him with another scumbag).
bimble
floofy
Just been reading a bit about the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 (the one that led to my dad being a refugee here). Their leadership told them not to fight, and so casualties were fairly low. Wonder what would have happened if they had resisted. Nobody internationally seems to have given much of a shit back then, other than allowing people asylum without much fuss.
Aladdin
Well-Known Member
Vladimir Putin threatens more countries as Russia invasion of Ukraine continues
Putin is understood to have attacked Ukraine after western nations examined the idea of the country joining NATO.
Putin has threarened Sweden and Finland if they join NATO.
"Finland's accession to NATO would have serious military and political repercussions."
kebabking
Not a Girly Swot, but I like them....
A military thing that's a political thing...
You'll have heard by now that only between 30-50% of the Russian force on Ukraine's borders have actually crossed them - well, it's now pretty clear that it's not just a numbers thing, it's a capabilities thing: Vlad has not used his most capable Armoured units, he's using his 'B' units - decent stuff, but not the stuff with the latest upgrades, the best exercises, the Officers with the best reports.
The obvious question is why, and perhaps we should look to Vlad himself - he rambles on about the NATO threat, and perhaps he actually believes it? Perhaps he's keeping his most capable units in Belarus because he fears that while his B units are dealing with the Ukrainians, NATO is going to roll across from Poland?
He's making his problems worse: by using his B, and eventually C units, and them being less effective than his A units might, he's giving the Ukr time, and each day, as Russian units stagnate or advance, the Ukrainians get more effective, and his units less as the Ukr gets better at hitting the logistics tail and cutting - it's an unholy vortex, the longer it goes on, the worse it gets, but he may be unable to do the thing that might work, sending his most capable formations in, because his deranged paranoia is tell him that he needs them to keep NATO out.
(A units are regular units that are the best equipped, best trained, best lead, B units are regular units with old(er) equipment, less well trained, less well lead, and C units are reservist and conscript units that are equipped with obsolete gear, get very little training, half their stuff will break down and they'll have no protective gear like jammers, reactive armour, and their Comms gear will probably be crap. Last on the list for fuel, food and ammunition).
You'll have heard by now that only between 30-50% of the Russian force on Ukraine's borders have actually crossed them - well, it's now pretty clear that it's not just a numbers thing, it's a capabilities thing: Vlad has not used his most capable Armoured units, he's using his 'B' units - decent stuff, but not the stuff with the latest upgrades, the best exercises, the Officers with the best reports.
The obvious question is why, and perhaps we should look to Vlad himself - he rambles on about the NATO threat, and perhaps he actually believes it? Perhaps he's keeping his most capable units in Belarus because he fears that while his B units are dealing with the Ukrainians, NATO is going to roll across from Poland?
He's making his problems worse: by using his B, and eventually C units, and them being less effective than his A units might, he's giving the Ukr time, and each day, as Russian units stagnate or advance, the Ukrainians get more effective, and his units less as the Ukr gets better at hitting the logistics tail and cutting - it's an unholy vortex, the longer it goes on, the worse it gets, but he may be unable to do the thing that might work, sending his most capable formations in, because his deranged paranoia is tell him that he needs them to keep NATO out.
(A units are regular units that are the best equipped, best trained, best lead, B units are regular units with old(er) equipment, less well trained, less well lead, and C units are reservist and conscript units that are equipped with obsolete gear, get very little training, half their stuff will break down and they'll have no protective gear like jammers, reactive armour, and their Comms gear will probably be crap. Last on the list for fuel, food and ammunition).
ska invita
back on the other side
From Dictatorship to Democracy - Wikipedia
there are historical precedents of just that - Gene Sharp has catalogued them in his writings
ska invita
back on the other side
As with kicking out a Tory prime minister theres always another one ready to take the place - this is all structural. Removing Putin doesnt solve anything
Similar threads
