Ukraine and the Russian invasion, 2022-25

[ska invita]

Well if they are close to zero you can hardly lose say over five years. It's not like the Russians are going to lose.

Was reading the FT this morning and the thought has crossed my mind about all the buy the dip financial sharks out there wondering how they can make some profits out of all this. Not having a go at you, but I'm sure theres all manner of schemes kicking in, not just money exchange

Let's wait till he's finished the main before wondering what he'll have for dessert

You are right - its pointless for us to speculate

 

[TopCat]

Was reading the FT this morning and the thought has crossed my mind about all the buy the dip financial sharks out there wondering how they can make some profits out of all this. Not having a go at you, but I'm sure theres all manner of schemes kicking in, not just money exchange


You are right - its pointless for us to speculate

I have no money. That's a drawback.

 

[gosub]

I blame Nato and it's warmongering

*shakes fist at sky

Bit of a cloudy day. Sateillitte probably didn't spot that.

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

rationality is overrated

My rationality is OK. It's the other guy's rationality that's at fault.

 

[Smangus]

Well if they are close to zero you can hardly lose say over five years. It's not like the Russians are going to lose.

Never had you down for capitalist speculative scum

 

[Ax^]

come on if after the bombs dropped the most important currency will be bottle caps


spent enough time playing fallout games to see that coming

 

[TopCat]

We are all capitalists here and some are scum sure. No one has clean hands. There is no socialism in one household comrade.

 

[MickiQ]

I have no money. That's a drawback.

That's OK roubles aren't money now either.

I rather doubt people are stocking up in roubles against the day they escalate in value, no bank (other than russian ones) will give you a rouble account and if you get paper ones then there is high probability of hyper inflation resulting in a new design before then. Probably better off with bogroll tbh.

 

[TopCat]

Anyway. A serious question. If the Ukrainian air force are still operational and the Ukrainians have lots of Grad missiles and such, how come that big Russian column that is regrouping in a staging area near the capital remains intact?

Edited to add some footage.

WATCH: 3D model shows extent of Russian convoy

Sections of the 40-mile convoy are modelled in 3D using satellite imagery, showing its scale from above.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[TopCat]

That's OK roubles aren't money now either.

I rather doubt people are stocking up in roubles against the day they escalate in value, no bank (other than russian ones) will give you a rouble account and if you get paper ones then there is high probability of hyper inflation resulting in a new design before then. Probably better off with bogroll tbh.

I'm obviously amateur capitalist scum.

 

[Dogsauce]

Anyway. A serious question. If the Ukrainian air force are still operational and the Ukrainians have lots of Grad missiles and such, how come that big Russian column that is regrouping in a staging area near the capital remains intact?

I’d assume it has some pretty decent air defences/air cover.

 

[not a trot]

I have no money. That's a drawback.

Mate down the pub last night, is now regretting shelling out for one of those, pure cremation policies.

 

[Raheem]

Anyway. A serious question. If the Ukrainian air force are still operational and the Ukrainians have lots of Grad missiles and such, how come that big Russian column that is regrouping in a staging area near the capital remains intact?

The Ukrainian air force may be intact but not able to fly freely and strike wherever it pleases.

Also, don't be naive. That is obviously a column of Ukrainians disguised as Russians waiting to commit false-flag war crimes.

 

[kebabking]

. A serious question. If the Ukrainian air force are still operational and the Ukrainians have lots of Grad missiles and such, how come that big Russian column that is regrouping in a staging area near the capital remains intact?

Two answers, which are intertwined.

Firstly, it's not 'intact'. Yes, it's not been destroyed like something of the Gulf War 1, but the Ukrainians have been taking pot shots at it and disabling individual vehicles (and capabilities) within it to the point where it can't move forwards (easily), nor move back (easily), and it appears the Russians are, for both training and equipment reasons, not great at moving cross country.

The second is that, given the first, they probably judge they've got higher priorities else where. Having it in place carrys risk, but it also means that the Russians have to devote X proportion of their attack helicopters and fighters to protect it, and while they are doing that, they aren't attacking Ukrainians elsewhere.

 

[two sheds]

I read somewhere that they could be waiting for refuelling and other supplies.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Human wave attacks haven't been effective since the invention of automatic firearms. If that's what the Russian forces are doing, then they're chucking their solders into the grinder for no real gain.

Even the red army under Stalin didn’t usually enhance in human wave attacks (Zhukov did at Berlin because he was on a deadline and egged on by Stalin) focusing on mass artillery, mass deception and use of overwhelming force at key points to punch a hole

 

[steeplejack]

It was clear it would happen, despite the fact that OFCOM hasn't banned RT, and why the BBC World Service has fired up a couple old school short-wave frequencies, that covers Ukraine and much of Russia.

I don't think Lukashenko's Dad's army-style map with a big arrow pointing towards Moldova should be taken very seriously. All that was missing from that briefing was an airforce major ready to relay the great helmsman's instructions to the front, the engine of his Fiesler Storch ticking over on the lawn outside.

 

[Cid]

I read somewhere that they could be waiting for refuelling and other supplies.

The youtube video upthread (which I'll repost) has some explanations on what it's doing. Not well placed to judge it's accuracy, but seemed well thought out.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Putin has already made it clear he doesn't think Ukraine has any right to exist and wants to take all of it

NATO made him do it.

The defence of abusive husbands everywhere.

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

Ukrainian government still lobbying for a nuclear stand-off (or worse).

Ukraine’s culture ministry has called for closing the skies over Ukraine because Russian forces are “destroying Ukrainian cultural sites”.

Oleksandr Tkachenko, Ukraine’s minister of culture and information policy, said most of Putin’s “war crimes” in his country had been “committed from the air”, according to a statement by the ministry.

The Ukrainian government knows they won't get a no-fly zone. By asking for it they just hope to be given some more help of some kind. Desperation is what it is.

 

[dilute micro]

What is Putin's plan at this point? He has to know he can't stay in Ukraine or puppet a successful government.

 

[RD2003]

The Ukrainian government knows they won't get a no-fly zone. By asking for it they just hope to be given some more help of some kind. Desperation is what it is.

I'm glad about that, and hope you continue to be right.

 

[RD2003]

NATO made him do it.

The defence of abusive husbands everywhere.

You surely cannot be so simplistic.

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[YouSir]

What is Putin's plan at this point? He has to know he can't stay in Ukraine or puppet a successful government.

Does he? I'm not sure either of those things are true.

 

[Yossarian]

You surely cannot be so simplistic.

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You posted that yesterday.

 

[Artaxerxes]

You posted that yesterday.

If that’s the cunt I put on ignore I’ll continue not seeing it

 

[RD2003]

You posted that yesterday.

I know. It's such a useful reminder of what really led to this fiasco, and the way it could have been avoided, that it's worth doing it again for those who might have missed it.

I've also seen the video posted just above at least twice in the last 15 hours or so.

 

[ska invita]

If that’s the cunt I put on ignore I’ll continue not seeing it

you should read it

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[RD2003]

If that’s the cunt I put on ignore I’ll continue not seeing it

Editor!

 

[dilute micro]

Does he? I'm not sure either of those things are true.

Looks like he miscalculated on Ukrainians will to unite and fight. Russians helping to make molotovs. And the percentage of Ukrainians willing to take up arms. That and the number of soldiers it will take to keep the peace. For a country that size it will be over 300K. That won't be easy to do or pay for. I think Putin assumed this would be easier. It looks to me he just grabbed a hornets nest.